*For those of you who follow both the Johnson blogs, you will see a repeat here.
Just warning you.
One bus from Vigo to the train station.
Just warning you.
One bus from Vigo to the train station.
One night train fromVigo to Madrid.
One spectacular last day in Madrid!
One car from the mission home to the Madrid Airport.
One spectacular last day in Madrid!
One car from the mission home to the Madrid Airport.
One flight from Madrid to New York that was harassed by a storm
so it was first diverted to Bangor, ME,
so it was first diverted to Bangor, ME,
then diverted to Goose Bay in Labrador,
then diverted to Gander in Newfoundland,
then landed in New York,
but sat on the tarmac for 90 minutes waiting for a plowed gate to disembark.
(We didn't know that part until way later.)
One family car ride in the 10-passenger-van to the Boston airport to meet our missionary!!
We knew there were only 20 hours for our entire family to be together and we were excited to use them all!
One flight from New York to Boston.
One excited family (and friend to take pictures) waiting for the missionary.
And the missionary didn't get off the plane.
This is where the panic set in.
Where was our missionary?
Had he even started out from Madrid?
Did he have a way to contact us?
We called missionary travel.
They hadn't heard from him and his plane had landed in New York hours earlier.
We tried to get information from the airline.
Was he on the plane?
Did he get to the USA?
Was he coming in on a later flight?
Anything????
It appears that it not policy to give any information out about a person over 18.
We were so frustrated.
One agent asked his name, then turned away from us.
She gave us an 800 number to call for airline information.
We called and found there was a 2 hour hold time.
Several thousand flights had been cancelled or changed due to the storm.
Should we wait for him to come in later?
Should we go home?
Where was he?
Then we heard that the last flight had arrived from New York and the airport was shut down again.
We were packing up our signs and cameras and reunion energy to go home when the first miracle happened.
The ticketing agent had finished her shift and quietly came up to us.
"I could get in trouble for this," she told us.
"He was on the flight from Madrid and landed in New York.
He didn't make it to his next flight, so he is still there.
I don't see him booked on any other flights, so I reserved him the last spot out of New York to Boston tomorrow.
If he wants it, he has to get to a ticket counter and tell them."
Oh, thank you!
We now knew where he was, but couldn't figure out why he didn't get on his plane.
We drove home, still a little worried and disappointed.
We talked to missionary travel again.
They could see his reserved ticket in the system, but hadn't heard from him.
At 10pm we finally got a call!
It was from England?!
Why was he in England?
A nice English couple were also stuck in the NYC airport and lent their phone.
We found out that he hadn't stepped off his plane in New York until 25 minutes before his next flight left and he still had to clear customs, re-check his baggage, go through security and board his plane.
Didn't happen.
He couldn't call because all the phones had huge lines.
He had chosen to stand in the re-ticketing line instead.
(Smart move.)
We told him there was a ticket waiting for him if he stayed in the line!!
After 5 hours of him standing, he called back.
All the other people wanting to get to Boston had to wait 2-3 days since the flights were full.
He was coming in the morning!!
The ticket agent on our end had worked a miracle at her own risk.
The hotels were full, so our missionary slept alone in the airport,
but bright and early the next morning he was on his way again!
And so were we.
The reunion was wonderful!!!
We found out more to the story when we arrived home.
There was a call at our home from Elder Johnson's mission president trying to make sure he was home.
The other USA missionaries who left Madrid the same day were sent on a different airline.
They also didn't make their connecting flights in NYC and had spent the night in the airport.
(We were sad to hear that because Elder J could have been with them instead of alone.)
Most of them were stuck there and were being picked up by the NY mission president.
Our son could have been there with them.
We celebrated our 5 1/2 hours together as a family with a sweet spirit of thanks.
We had Christmas, and family pictures and a victory/farewell lunch.
If it hadn't been for a mix-up that put our son on a different airline,
and a generous ticket agent at the desk,
we wouldn't have had those moments at all.
Heavenly Father is in the details and sometimes gives us the desires of our heart,
even if they aren't hugely important.
After our third trip to the airport in 24 hours
(to drop off another son)
we took Elder J to be released.
We drove home for him to get some sleep.
With all his adventures and time change he had only slept 5 hours in the last 43.
Then,
he put his tag away,
and finished the story of Elder Johnson.
(Pictures in the next post.)
but sat on the tarmac for 90 minutes waiting for a plowed gate to disembark.
(We didn't know that part until way later.)
One family car ride in the 10-passenger-van to the Boston airport to meet our missionary!!
We knew there were only 20 hours for our entire family to be together and we were excited to use them all!
One flight from New York to Boston.
One excited family (and friend to take pictures) waiting for the missionary.
And the missionary didn't get off the plane.
This is where the panic set in.
Where was our missionary?
Had he even started out from Madrid?
Did he have a way to contact us?
We called missionary travel.
They hadn't heard from him and his plane had landed in New York hours earlier.
We tried to get information from the airline.
Was he on the plane?
Did he get to the USA?
Was he coming in on a later flight?
Anything????
It appears that it not policy to give any information out about a person over 18.
We were so frustrated.
One agent asked his name, then turned away from us.
She gave us an 800 number to call for airline information.
We called and found there was a 2 hour hold time.
Several thousand flights had been cancelled or changed due to the storm.
Should we wait for him to come in later?
Should we go home?
Where was he?
Then we heard that the last flight had arrived from New York and the airport was shut down again.
We were packing up our signs and cameras and reunion energy to go home when the first miracle happened.
The ticketing agent had finished her shift and quietly came up to us.
"I could get in trouble for this," she told us.
"He was on the flight from Madrid and landed in New York.
He didn't make it to his next flight, so he is still there.
I don't see him booked on any other flights, so I reserved him the last spot out of New York to Boston tomorrow.
If he wants it, he has to get to a ticket counter and tell them."
Oh, thank you!
We now knew where he was, but couldn't figure out why he didn't get on his plane.
We drove home, still a little worried and disappointed.
We talked to missionary travel again.
They could see his reserved ticket in the system, but hadn't heard from him.
At 10pm we finally got a call!
It was from England?!
Why was he in England?
A nice English couple were also stuck in the NYC airport and lent their phone.
We found out that he hadn't stepped off his plane in New York until 25 minutes before his next flight left and he still had to clear customs, re-check his baggage, go through security and board his plane.
Didn't happen.
He couldn't call because all the phones had huge lines.
He had chosen to stand in the re-ticketing line instead.
(Smart move.)
We told him there was a ticket waiting for him if he stayed in the line!!
After 5 hours of him standing, he called back.
All the other people wanting to get to Boston had to wait 2-3 days since the flights were full.
He was coming in the morning!!
The ticket agent on our end had worked a miracle at her own risk.
The hotels were full, so our missionary slept alone in the airport,
but bright and early the next morning he was on his way again!
And so were we.
The reunion was wonderful!!!
We found out more to the story when we arrived home.
There was a call at our home from Elder Johnson's mission president trying to make sure he was home.
The other USA missionaries who left Madrid the same day were sent on a different airline.
They also didn't make their connecting flights in NYC and had spent the night in the airport.
(We were sad to hear that because Elder J could have been with them instead of alone.)
Most of them were stuck there and were being picked up by the NY mission president.
Our son could have been there with them.
We celebrated our 5 1/2 hours together as a family with a sweet spirit of thanks.
We had Christmas, and family pictures and a victory/farewell lunch.
If it hadn't been for a mix-up that put our son on a different airline,
and a generous ticket agent at the desk,
we wouldn't have had those moments at all.
Heavenly Father is in the details and sometimes gives us the desires of our heart,
even if they aren't hugely important.
After our third trip to the airport in 24 hours
(to drop off another son)
we took Elder J to be released.
We drove home for him to get some sleep.
With all his adventures and time change he had only slept 5 hours in the last 43.
Then,
he put his tag away,
and finished the story of Elder Johnson.
(Pictures in the next post.)
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