Mother's Day Phone Call (May 13, 2013)

Alex got to call us on our Mother's Day, which was Monday for him.  It's a little challenging to coordinate our schedules on those two days a year when he can call us because he is 15 hours ahead of us.  It was great to hear his voice and know that he is happy and healthy.  Here are some of the highlights of our conversation:

On May 7 Alex was transferred to Karratha, a small town on the northern coast of Western Australia.  It is almost 1000 miles from Perth so he flew 2 1/2 hours to get there.  Because it was a domestic flight he could only take one suitcase.  His other suitcase with half his belongings and his bike are being stored in Perth until he returns.  He and his companion are the only missionaries in the town.  The nearest missionaries are 2 1/2 hours away by car, but they don't have cars so they won't be visiting each other. The branch of the Church in Karratha has about 50 to 60 members.

Karratha is a very expensive place to live.  The rent on their 2-bedroom townhouse is about $750 a week.  Alex said it is pretty nice except for the cockroaches in the kitchen and he planned to try to take care of that problem.  The $300 a month he gets for food and personal expenses had been more than enough in Perth but he expects to use it all in Karratha.  (While I was checking out Karratha on Google Maps, I noticed a Comfort Inn and checked the prices online -- rooms start at almost $400 a night!)

The ground is mostly red dirt, and Alex was told that his white shirts will never be white again after his time in Karratha.  He is very lucky to be there during Australia's winter.  He's already had some heat and some rain but it looks like the next few months should be mostly warm (not hot) and not too rainy with highs around 80 degrees F and lows around 60.  Summers there get really hot.

Because of the distance from the rest of the mission, Alex and his companion will have their zone conferences by conference call.  He doesn't know how long he will stay there, but probably more than one 6-week transfer because of the travel expense, and not more than 4 transfers (6-months) because that's the longest the missionaries stay in the remote areas.  The mission president wants them back in civilization and with other missionaries before too long.

Our conversation was longer than that but that covers the biggest news.  He is doing well, working hard, and enjoying himself in Australia.