First Letter from First day in MTC

Thursday 15, 2012

Dear Friends,

I have to tell on Elder Cattron.   The day he left home, he was the last person to leave the kitchen door.  He finally came out and petted one of the cats (Spaz) and wondered where the other cat was sleeping (Scratch).   I told him not to take time to look for her and I promised we would tell her goodbye--for him--later.

Then he walked to “his” car and gave it a hug.  He walked to the corner of the garage and gave the house a hug.  Do you think he’s going to miss home?

He finally climbed into the van and off we went to the airport.

We got to the airport about an hour before we needed to be there, but that was Mom’s fault because she didn’t want him to be rushed and stressed and in a hurry.   He and his friend Philip got something to eat for lunch while Dad used ideas from a book to write a “letter” to Jon on some 3x5 cards.   There were some pretty good thoughts and comments in those notes. 

Finally it was time to say “Goodbye.”  I don’t know about the hug he gave his Dad, but his hug for me (Mom) was a pretty sincere one.  I can still feel his hug around my neck and his face against my face.   His breathing made me wonder if he was getting choked up, but it didn’t show on his face when he let go.  He went through security without a hitch.  The HITCH came  later…. Read on.

When he walked through the glassed-in room where only ticketed passengers could wait, he waved goodbye and proceeded to the stairs and on he went up to Gate 2.    That’s when we left the airport and drove away in the van.  And can you believe it?  Mom forgot to stop outside where we could watch the plane leave.  So that’s something we didn’t do.  I was going to, but was too distracted to remember.  Anyway, we went home and looked around to see the remaining evidence of a kid who leaves belongings in the living room.  His room wasn’t quite cleared out, but he had made a big effort to pack up the remaining belongings into boxes before he left. 

That afternoon, his cousin (Angela Young and her husband and 3 boys) in Utah wrote on her Facebook page they picked him up and heard about his “interesting first day”.   What possibly could that mean?  His first day of his mission wasn’t going to be until the next day.  That peaked my curiosity.   Then there was another reference to his “interesting day”, so I had to call him at his cousin’s place that night and get the whole story. 

It was good to talk to him.  It seemed like he’d been gone longer than a half-day.  I guess it was a relief to talk to him “once more” before he had to follow the rules of only talking to family twice a year   (Christmas and Mother’s Day).    He also said he hadn’t purchased some first aid supplies and gave me a list of things to send.

So here’s his explanation of his first day—(which might be a lot different in his own words.  Hopefully he will explain in his letter on Monday, his first Preparation Day“P-Day”)  -------

Elder Cattron went upstairs to wait for his plane at the airport in Kalispell.  He checked through the boarding area (The clerk should have seen he had the wrong plane.  Why did they let him get on this one?)  He got on “the” plane and sat down but a lady came in said that he was sitting in her seat.   They compared seat assignments and sure enough, they were both assigned to 12C.  The lady decided to “fix” the problem by going up front to take an empty seat.  (This is where they should have consulted a stewardess.)   The airplane doors were closed and secured.   When the stewardess began her “safety announcements” she welcomed everyone on board on the flight to MINNESOTA.  What?!  MINNESOTA?!   That’s not where he was intending to go.  He asked around and found out the plane would “end up” in Salt Lake City--eventually.   He stood up and carried his backpack toward the front and made the stewardess nervous.  (People usually don’t interrupt them.)  She told him to sit down so he sat down in front of her.  The guy he sat next to saw his ticket and verified that he was on the wrong plane just as he thought.   It could have been quite stressful as another male passenger saw what was happening and did a big “facepalm” and complained that he was going to be late for something and the plane would be delayed.  But Elder Cattron said he was calm while he and the stewardess were trying to figure out what to do. 

A lot of phone calls had to be made and the plane rolled  back to the terminal door and let him out. 

So he got out of Kalispell “WITH” incident.    We hope his next flight is the right one when he flies out of Utah in a few weeks heading for Chile.  At least there will be other missionaries by his side. 

Later we learned one reason he got on the wrong plane is because another SkyWest airplane landed before his own plane arrived.   His was an hour late because they had to evict a bird that flew into the cockpit cabin while the door was open at the previous airport.    This made him an hour late arriving in Utah when he did have the correct seat, and airplane.

We’re so thankful Angela and Mark were willing to pick him up and keep him over night.  Congratulations on your new job in Helena Montana Mark.  Congratulations pretty soon on the birth of that new baby brother before you move.  It always seems to happen at once doesn’t it?  Thanks again.

So, that was his first day leaving home.