Elder Steele is officially “Down Under”!
Tag left the MTC on Monday afternoon. He rode Front Runner
from Provo to the Salt Lake City airport. Luckily, his experiences in Europe
and Asia navigating public transportation with multiple bags came in handy!
When he arrived at the airport he received a huge blessing
with his baggage. His inexperienced and over zealous missionary parents packed
his bags with way too much stuff and at 68.5 pounds each they were going to
incur a $175 overweight surcharge PER BAG!
Thanks to divine intervention and behind the scenes help
from his airport guardian angel, Trudy, the American Airlines ticketing
agent did not charge him anything! She told him a Delta agent (Trudy) had
alerted them he would be checking in for his flight to Australia that day.
The American agent greeted him warmly and let him know they had been waiting
for him. She commented that his bags were certainly heavy and Tag replied in
his most charming way, “I packed everything I would need for the next two
years”. She smiled at him and just placed the bags on the conveyer. We are
indeed grateful for such a tender mercy.
Trudy, Tags's airport guardian angel.
Before flying from SLC to LAX at 6:50 pm. Our dear friend,
Trudy, saved the day again and met him at his gate, snapped some pics and
video, loaned her phone to his companions so they could call their families and
even offered to buy them dinner!
Only four of the original six district members flew to
Melbourne. Sadly, Sister G and Elder J’s visas did not arrive in time. Sister G
flew to Las Vegas to wait for her Visa and Elder J will be reassigned shortly.
Tag is looking forward to seeing them both down under as soon as possible!
We were so grateful for the chance to talk with him on the
phone and hear more about his MTC experience. It was amazing to hear the
excitement in his voice as he talked about his desire to get to Australia and
begin teaching the people.
Tag at Salt Lake International Airport. Ready to Go!
In LAX, he boarded an Airbus A380 for his nonstop Qantas
flight to Melbourne. His flight was 15 ½ hours long and we (Angela) tracked it all night long!
15 ½ hours. No wonder it's called the land down under!
He arrived in Melbourne at 8:20 am Wednesday morning, August
27, 2014. We received the following email from him alerting us to his
safe and happy arrival.
“Family!!! They are letting me email
you and tell you I have made it and I am alive and well! I love you all so
much! Thank you for sending me the package. It was nice to come here to a
package! I am SOOOOOO excited to be here!! It is great already!!!”
And so the Adventure Down Under begins.........
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