Delays

The way things go for Abram and for me, we are just grateful and pleasantly surprised when things actually happen the way they are supposed to, though.  We sort of expect things to go wrong.  It's just easier that way.  We have also learned through the way things comically fall apart for us that everything happens for a reason, and that great blessings usually come because things didn't go exactly as you had hoped.

Last I heard from Abram, he would be calling me from the airport on his way to his new assignment on Monday (yesterday).  I knew his visa was delayed and he would likely be sent somewhere in the states for a few weeks while they waited for his visa to be approved.

Well, on Thursday they told Abram that the church travel department, although they knew his visa was delayed and he would not be going to Mexico on time, had somehow forgotten about him.  They had forgotten to contact the Mexican consulate in SLC, who could have given him an appointment to come and get a temporary visa to Mexico.  They also forgot to send his name in for temporary re-assignment while the visa thing gets situated, and the reassignments are only done on Thursdays.

Sadly, it was his birthday when that all went down!  He said the worst part was that he knew on Thursday, and he knew that we were expecting him to call on Monday, but he would not get a chance to tell us about the change until Tuesday when he had p-day.

Yesterday he had to say goodbye to his amigos who all were legal by citizenship to go back to Mexico already.  He really bonded with those guys and it was sad to see them go while he stayed behind.

Abram is stuck in the MTC until next Monday.  He could really use some letters this week!  He is in good spirits, though.  He said what is keeping him sane rather than angry is " '2 Nephi 2:24, For behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.' The Lord needs me to sit around and do nothing, without a schedule and without an assignment of any type, for an entire week."

So, we wait for news.  I should find out on Thursday where he will be temporarily re-assigned while the visa thing gets sorted out.  He will be sent to a US city that has a Mexican consulate, where he will wait for his appointment to request a temporary visa.  Hopefully he will be in Mexico soon.  He can't wait to get there.

In the meantime, he is choosing to laugh at the situation rather than be upset.  He has a week to sit, think and study.  Everything happens for a reason...I just can't wait to find out why!  Luckily for him, as one of seven kids, so he knows that things just don't always go your way, you have to be patient, and to just go with the flow!

You can send him a free letter at dearelder.com.  Choose the Provo MTC, send a missionary a letter, and fill in the blanks.  His MTC mailbox is #89, Mission code is MEX-XLP, expected departure date is 0513.  I'm sure he would love to hear from you!