this is REALLY long, but I promise, it's well worth the read!
It was a pretty cold day and there was snow everywhere (and ice). We headed off to Suomenlinna (Finnish Castle). Suomenlinna is this little island about 15 mins from Helsinki. You need to catch a little ferry over. It was awesome. So we all met up, and boared the ferry for a p.day day trip. HOW FUN!
We went over, we visited the museum there (well the sisters did, the elders didn't come til a little bt later)... then we played flags. This little island is actually quite big, and it's awesome. People actually live there, and there are quite a few tourist things to do over there. On the Island were little hide out holes and things like tha
t, and massive tunnels through to the other side, and they used this in a war (I can't remember exactly, but I think it was the war when the russians won some of the the finnish land - but don't quote me on that, I'm not a historian and this isn't the point to the story. So this Island is awesome - and if you ever go to Finland make sure you go there!!!
So, we played flags and had fun, then it was time to head back to the ferry - there were only 2 more for the rest of the night - so we had to hurry. We deci
ded we were not going to make it for the first ferry, but 2 elders decided they were going to run and 'make it' - yeah they missed it. As for the rest of us,
we quickly walked to the ferry station and waited for the ferrry. Then, all of a sudden one of the Elders realised he had put the car keys down and didn't pick them up - so they went back to where they thought they put them and they weren't there. They were trying to work out what to do and trace back their steps. The ferry then arrived and we all decided they had better get on the ferry and worry about the keys the next day. The elder
s that 'owned' the car had 2 sets of keys (the elder that lost the key didn't even drive the car, and why he had the keys I don't know). The only problem... one key was lost and the other key was in one of the Elders bags... and the bag was in the car... hmm... problem - YEP! We tried to get a spare key from the mission office, but found they didn't actually have one.... so we wondered what we should do....
Ideas were flying out there like:
We could just break the window...
We could just leave the car here and come back for it...
We could smash the windscreen -it's cheaper
We could break into the car
All these many wonderful ideas.. but the idea that everyone liked was:
We could break into the car.... so it was settled, when the ferry landed we would break into the car, get the keys out and everything would be fine.
When the ferry arrived half the zone 'took off' and couldn't care less - the Espoo District stayed behind to make sure everything was ok. There was about 7 of us 2 sets of Elders and us - 3 sisters....
After quite a few attempts at breaking in, it couldn't be done.... 'damn it' - I said 'Sister Carmichael!!!!!! - The Americans said... 'What NOW' we all thought...
Then, like a miracle, someone remember the back window
was slightly broken and would always 'fall down' - 'we could try and pull the window down' - The elder said!
YES... lets give that a go.. So the elders pulled and pulled and they could NOT get the window down far enough... the lock was also one of thoese little locks that couldn't be undone, and they only realised about half way that it wasn't really going
to work because even if we could reach our arm through we couldn't unlock the lock - the lock was one that didn't have a pull thing on it, it just went down into the door and that was it....
Then another idea - which, we all thought sounded impossible, but there was nothing more we could do but try it...This was the idea:
The Elder had the spare key in his back pack which was in the car. The backpack was in the back, on the floor, behind the passenger seat - the 'broken' window that would fall down was behind the drivers seat.... Someone mentioned: Why don't w
e try and get the backpack and then get the key? - No way, someone said, how they heck are we going to reach the backpack - the window comes down and inch - no one has an arm that small AND that long Elder...
The more we thought about it, the more we realised it could probably be done, so the Elders pulled the window down as far as they could, and my companion (sister welling) reached her arm in towards the back pack.... she couldn't reach it... OBVIOUSLY - she isn't inspectergadget, although he would have come in Handy right at this point.. but then again, so would have McGuiver!
So, then we managed to find a coat hanger, or something, and we stretched it out to make a small 'hooking' thing... the window was a tight squeeze and m
y comps arm was sure to fall off because it was so cold outside - there was no one I was letting my bare skin feel the coldness!!
We tried and we tried to reach the back pack - it was getting there, slowly and every time we could either reach the bag and the hook wasn't strong enough and it wouldnt lift it, or the window was sliding up, or something that just didn't help the situation....
We tried for what seemed forever, then eventually, she hooked the bag, slowly brought it up - she was in pain from this, her arm was squeezed through a window remember, stretching as far as she could... the bag was hooked and it was slowly coming
up towards the window.. now she had to slide her arm out, hold onto the hook and bring the bag toward the window without it falling.. slowly slowly... we're
almost there..... and... it fell! But only onto the seat.... so we could hook it again with less difficulty this time.... then we hooked the bag again and eventually brought it to the window... one of the elders reached his hand in and grabbed the bagged... it was hanging there and the keys seemed SO CLOSE.. my comp had a rest and the elder held the bag in mid air for about 5 mins, then, it was time to start again. This time, my companion had to reach her arm through the window, unzip the bag and find the car keys - all while the elder struggled to hold the bag up with only his hand through the window - stopping at his wrist... my camp put her arm through... unzip the pocket, searched for the key... couldn't find it - it was now when the elder REALLY needed to remember exactly where it was.... 'it's in the front pocket, to the left and then there is anothe pocket - it's in there'... so, to the front pocket, to the left and search for the key.... FOUND IT! She FOUND IT... SHE FOUND THE KEY.. ok, hold onto the key, slowly bring your arm out and then drop the bag.....
This took about 2 hours to complete and is recommend that you DO NOT try this at home - especially on Mt Wellington where weather conditions could
possibly be 'almost' as cold.... ok so add like -20 to the weat
her there and you have the temperture in Finland!!!
Travelling back to Helsinki from Suomenlinna - you can tell we all look pretty excited!! - Can you work out who the Missionaries are that can't get into their car when they get back??
Looking in the back to see the positioning of the backpack!
The Elders trying to pry the window down as my companion in the back ground begins to prepare!I have another photo to put here, but blogger won't let me download it at the moment - but it's a good one - my companion arm is in the window!
And, finally - my Companions arms the day after!
3 comments:
I remembered that story - but still read it!! I liked how you said WE... WE hooked the back back... WE pushed the window down!!! Sounds like all you did was take photos!!! :-) Pretty amazing though.... did anyone think to pray!!??
Yeah, isin't that the classic story where you all should have just knelt down and ask heavenly father where the keys were and then all of a sudden the elders would have seen the place in their minds where they dropped them? ;-)
Yeah, now I know you've been to Suomenlinna. I went there today and guess what I found written on the bathroom wall? Hobart, Australia! It was you, don't even try to deny it! Who else from Hobart could have been there?
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