Andrew Update

There was an email yesterday from a member in Andrew's Dubuque ward, Sister Holt. He and his companion, Elder Sheffer, were supposed to have spent Christmas with her and her husband. This is what she said in the first email:

Hello, Sister Perazzo....Elder Sheffer just called me to see if I could email you quickly to ask that you send anything for your son to the mission home rather than his address here in Dubuque. I am *so* disappointed, but he will be leaving Dubuque this afternoon because another elder somewhere else needs an emergency transfer. I will miss him so much and was looking forward to spending Christmas with both he and his companion. We do still have Elder Sheffer here, but missions aren't for our convenience. Your son is incredible and wherever he goes will be greatly blessed to have him. I do hope we can see each other in the future and perhaps meet you and thank you again for the great work he has done here. 

I sent Andrew's package last week and it should arrive on Wednesday or Thursday...and he won't be there to get it. It's a good thing his grandparents were on the ball and mailed something early so he will have stuff to open on Christmas day. I have a small package to mail to him today. Don't know if it'll get there in time.

I emailed her back and asked if she knew where Andrew was going. This was her reply:

I told the elders that I would take care of forwarding the package to your son when it arrives. If we work quick, who knows? It *might* arrive before Christmas. We will do our best. 

I know President wouldn't have transferred him if it wasn't necessary. Elder Perazzo told me he is going to be in Ames in the Young Single Adult ward there. In Elder Sheffer's words, "Some missionaries were stupid. It didn't have anything to do with us." Which of course it wouldn't. These guys were perfect! 

So we now have Andrew's address. See the side bar. How'd we get it? Here's the chain of thoughts/events that led to that:

We can mail a package to the mission home today and maybe it will get to Andrew on Christmas (Ames is about 30 miles from Des Moines)...let's find out who the Bishop is and mail it to him so he can get it right to Andrew...look up phone number on lds.org...call Branch President who says the Elders just moved so he doesn't have their new address with him but here's the phone number...Glen calls hoping Andrew's companion will answer...Andrew answers and Glen says I hear there was a recent change in the Elders there...Andrew says yes Mr. Perazzo, there was...Glen says well I was wondering if I could get the address...Andrew asks his companion for the address and then gives it to Glen who then says talk to you on Christmas and they hang up.

Well, we know Andrew arrived safely. Silly thing is, why didn't I just think to phone the mission office and get the new address in the first place? But that thought never entered my mind until after Glen was done talking on the phone. So, feeling a little guilty and stupid. But looking forward to speaking to Andrew on Saturday.