Dec 5, 2014

Rex wrote:  Yesterday we were assigned an easy task - go to the Labasa Airport and pick up two new sisters coming in from Suva. The airport parking lot was different. It had parking bumper to bumper four deep. The two trucks or cars in the middle are stuck until the end ones move. Lesson, do not come early and park in the middle. The one sister was from Australia and the other as from Christmas Island. She did not know Elder Moser. The Roths, who had been in meetings in Nadi, were also on the plane. We had a good visit while the luggage was removed from the plane one bag at a time, put on a cart, and brought into the terminal twice. The luggage we needed came on the second run. We took the suitcases to the trucks and were ready to take the sisters to the flat of our Labasa sisters. I was ready to leave when Sister Roth came walking across the now-empty parking lot. She said that their truck had no power and would not start. We looked in our trucks, but there were no jumper cables. These trucks are five speed manual transmissions. I thought we could push it to start it. We put it in third gear. Elder Roth pushed in the clutch, and the rest of us pushed. When the truck was moving well, Elder Roth let the clutch out, and the truck moaned to a stop.  Not even a sputter of trying to start - apparently without any battery, no spark, and no start.

One of the airport officials came out and told the Roths he had seen their lights on after they had flown out three days earlier, but the doors were locked and there was nothing they could do. He said next time they should leave the keys with the airport officials just in case. Another official came and joined him to help. We asked if they had jumper cables. They said they did. When he brought them, I noticed right off they were not like the ones in America. They had no clips to hook them on and the two separate wires were no bigger around than a pencil. The bare wired ends were stiff so I held them against the terminals on the Roths truck, and the airport official did the same to my truck. As we first touched the Roth’s truck, its alarm went off. After a few minutes, we got the alarm disarmed.

We held the “jumper cables” against the terminals, and the truck barely turned over.  I told Elder Roth not to try it for a while and let the battery get a little charge. After waiting a while, it still only turned a little faster. I had one last idea to charge the battery for about ten minutes and then push the truck. That is the one that worked. The second official got in the driver’s seat. After it started, he took off fast down the highway. I said, “Looks like he’s got a new truck.” Brother Roth looked a little worried, but the man came right back. The Roths were so happy and even offered to pay them, but they happily declined. I told the Roths not to turn off the truck until they got back to Savusavu about one hour and a half away. They waved happily as they drove off, and we took the new sisters to meet their companions. One more lesson learned, get jumper cables and be prepared.

Have a great day!