Hello to all you family members!!
It has been a very interesting 36 hours. We arrived here in Vienna after a very long trip, leaving SLC around 5 PM and flying for 10+ hours to Paris where we had a two hour layover to catch the plane to Vienna. However, the plane got there about a half hour late and we needed to be re-screened and go through security once more. Your mother and I were considered low risk in SLC with TSA pre-screening; meaning we didn't have to go through the main rigmarole of taking off our shoes and belts and didn't need to remove our laptops etc. None of that was the same in Paris. I had been wearing an old suit for 10 days at the MTC which I'd had cleaned and pressed and it looked nice when we started out but I'd forgotten that I'd put in a very broad belt through tight belt loops and they wanted that off in Paris as we were re-screened. We were by that time about 15 minutes away from beginning of boarding for the flight to Vienna so I hurriedly threw an extra wallet, everything in my pockets and whatever else was extra into my briefcase which contained all the stuff to register with once we got here to Vienna. It included copies of our birth certificates, marriage certificates, police clearances and the Secretary of State of Utah's approval with a document called an Apostille, copies of our passports, drivers licenses, social security cards, etc. etc. Basically our whole life. I had two hard drives and my new laptop computer in it along with all our notes from the MTC. As I hurried away from the security stop I decided not to put my belt back one as it would take some time and we hurried to the boarding station where I finally took the time to put the belt back on but left most of the other stuff in the briefcase that I had thrown in there.
We'd had perhaps 3-4 hours of sleep by then when we arrived in Vienna with your mother carrying her stuff and me mine and 4 bags checked. Walking through Charles de Gaulle airport from one gate to the other had taken us at least a mile and half and we had another 3/4 of a mile to walk from our gate in Vienna to the luggage pick up. It was just coming through when we got there. It probably weighed in total about 250 pounds so we got a big cart and pushed it out the door where we were immediately met by 2 smiling elders assigned to pick us up and help us. I thought they'd have a car but instead they had purchased for us some passes to the transportation system which gave us access to the subways, elevated trains, streetcars, etc. for 48 hours once validated. So we hopped on the train initially and they were very helpful in getting all of our stuff together and helping us get around. Once on the train however, having gone several stops, they realized they had failed to validate our cards and so we decided we'd better stop prior to our destination to make sure they were valid. So we offloaded all our luggage a couple of stops before we were supposed to get off and waited while the elders ran upstairs to validate the cards. I set my briefcase with my entire life's personal effects on a bench and when they returned we reloaded everything back on and went the two extra stops where we were met by about 5 young adults in the church who just happened to be passing by and Elder and Sister Strong whom we're replacing and when I suddenly looked around, realized I'd left the briefcase on the bench two previous stops ago. The elders hopped the first train back to run and check on it and returned about a half hour later to say it was gone!!. Brother Strong and the others took our other luggage to our apartment while one of the Elders, Grammy and I headed back a second time to look in garbage cans etc. all to no avail. No Lost and Found places were open on the weekend and even though we talked to the police they said we'd have to talk to the transport magistrate's office which wouldn't be open until tomorrow.
So prayers have been sent up and we'll see what happens. At any rate we got unpacked and to bed by midnight after travelling for 23 hours and slept in this morning. The Strong's picked us up around 1 PM and we attended the International Ward today which meets in the Stake Center. They all speak English but it was a very interesting 3 hours. The Bishop was a very nice man from the Philippines, his first counselor was Hispanic and the second counselor was from Africa. All three speakers were African sisters and a BYU musical group are in town for 4 weeks to enjoy the musical heritage of Vienna and perform a concert before they go home, being accompanied by a Professor Kimball and his family who are related distantly to President Kimball who set us apart.
Saturday night we went to the missionaries' favorite restaurant, called the Wiener Schnitzelort or something like that where the portions are enough to feed you for three meals. We boxed up the extra and had it again tonight while we visited with the Strong's at the Youth Center where we go to work tomorrow. We'll pull by the magistrates's office and possibly have time to register with the US Embassy for our lost goods so we'll see but we still have our passports and a little bit of ID to see if we can get registered or not assuming we can't find the stolen briefcase.
All else considered, we're here safely, thrilled to be able to get started and I'm sure one way or another, everything will work out. Fortunately I had an i-flash packed away which has most of the other stuff I wanted to have for keepsakes but we'll see if we get back all our notes from the MTC, etc which had all been packed into the briefcase. Keep us in your prayers and we'll report on our success.
As far as our experience at the MTC, it was superb. We were visited in 10 days by Elders L. Tom Perry and David Bednar along with Elder David Evans who heads up the church missionary committee in the First Quorum Seventy. It seemed like old home week with all the acquaintances we met there who have assignments.
Well, it's 11 PM here now so better get to bed but wanted everyone to know we're here safe and sound. Further updates when we have them.
Schoene gruesse!
Elder and Sister Parker.
Elder and Sister Parker with some of the missionaries currently serving in Vienna
and Elder and Sister Strong, who get to go home now that Elder and Sister Parker have arrived!
Elder and Sister Parker with some of the missionaries currently serving in Vienna
and Elder and Sister Strong, who get to go home now that Elder and Sister Parker have arrived!
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