First LDS Missionaries in Space Return to Earth

By Cory Bickmore

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — Not even outer space is too far for the Mormon missionaries.

It all began last week when Elders Tavita Afualo of Los Angeles, California, and Mikey Hull of Beaverton, Utah followed the president of the Florida Orlando Mission into his office. There he handed the companions the Temple Square referral card filled out by astronaut Clint Ford while passing through Salt Lake CIty, Utah the previous month, informing them he had, with NASA’s help, made an appointment for them to visit Ford, currently orbiting the Earth as Flight Engineer aboard the International Space Station.
 
That’s how Afualo, 19, and Hull, 18, found themselves strapped to their seats alongside two NASA pilots forty-eight hours later aboard a surging 191-foot Atlas V rocket, the Florida coast falling swiftly below as nearly a million pounds of white hot fuel heaved them far beyond the clouds.
 
“They made us very comfortable,” says Afualo. “Although halfway up the stratosphere, I wished I hadn’t eaten that burrito from Taco Bell.”
 
Hull still can’t believe it. “Four weeks ago I was driving a tractor across my dad’s alfalfa field. Now I’m orbiting the Earth to spread the gospel.” He pauses. “Please don’t tell my mom.”
 
A few orbits later, the spacecraft caught up with the ISS.
 
Hull explains, “Our capsule wasn’t made to dock with the station, so we had to space walk the last fifty meters to the airlock. I’ve been terrified of heights ever since I fell from a basketball hoop during a Boy Scout skit, so watching Africa slide by 249 miles below at over 17,000 mph nearly melted my brain. I had to close my eyes and practice D&C 4 until we made it."
 
That was as far as the missionaries ever got. “We knocked and knocked,” says Afualo. “Hull even peeked in the little round window. He saw motion down the passage a couple times, so someone was there.” Undeterred, the elders tied a plastic bag containing a Book of Mormon with their testimonies written inside to the airlock handle before floating back.
 
“Mr. Ford’s radio channel had gone silent, plus he didn’t answer our calls or text messages. He probably got busy, and forgot."
 
The journey wasn’t wholly without success, however.
 
“I gave the pilot a Book of Mormon during our descent,” says Hull. “He was busy navigating so our capsule wouldn’t incinerate on reentry, but he did do the half-smile thing while promising to think about reading it. It’s important to talk to everyone.”
 
He adds, “Those pilots were so cool. They even let me steer for a few seconds. We hit the ocean only three hundred miles off target. Not bad for a rookie, they said. I did okay!”
 
The companions splashed down Friday afternoon in the South Pacific, then were whisked back to Titusville, Florida by high speed U.S. military aircraft.
 
“That part made us nervous,” Afualo admitted. “President’s a stickler on white handbook rules. But with the Lord’s help, we were in our apartment by lights out.”
 
When asked what the two did to recuperate after their adventure, Afualo says, “No rest for us. Up at six, scripture study, and on to our 9:30 appointment to weed Sister Mendoza’s squash garden. The work goes on. ”
 
“And we finally did get a text from Mr. Ford. He was sorry he wasn’t home, but thought he might attend sacrament meeting sometime when he returns to Earth next fall. So he’s solid.”
 
“You see, we want so much for any astronaut to accept baptism. They’re already used to wearing a lot of white clothes.”

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