Financial emergency email

OK, due to the money problems Jeff was having I did get another email from him. He couldn't withdraw money at any ATMs and he thought his card wasn't working. He didn't say how much money he was trying to withdraw so my first reply to him told him how much was available in his account. I also told him I'd contact the bank to figure out what the problem was and get it straightened out. In my second reply I told him what I found out at the bank and gave him several suggestions to fix the problem. He thought there would be $600 in the account and wanted to withdraw all of it so he had a little extra for the coming months. However there's a $500 limit on daily cash withdrawals. I told him he could get the other $100 the next day. He said he doesn't need it for the bike and doesn't want to pull money out more than once. I think he figured one withdrawal of the expected amount would be within the rules but a second withdrawal the next day when the funds weren't needed for a bike would be violating the use of personal funds rules. Funny boy! I think he was trying to bend the rules a little.

So that was about all there was in the email other than a promise to write more on p-day. Still not sure when that will be. Don't know anything more about his trainer. Don't know what city he's in... well sort of. Since I was worrying about his access to his money I checked his account in the morning and noticed the money had been withdrawn. There was a trace number and information regarding the withdrawal. The money was withdrawn in Chiba, Japan. Since he didn't have a bike yet and since this particular bank has an ATM in every post office in the greater Tokyo area (if not all of Japan) I figure they went to the closest post office to make the withdrawal. So I'm guessing he's in Chiba. That narrows it down... just a little. 8) Chiba is about the size of Salt Lake City but with over 5 times the population! It is a port city located just to the east of Tokyo. He would have travelled through it on his way to Tokyo from the Narita airport. I tried to figure out what post office was used, but with the limited information I had and a lack of knowledge of Japanese I wasn't able to get far. I don't want to wait but I guess I'll have to. 8(

Good news is he was able to withdraw the money he needed for his bike and accessories! He insists he'll be ok with the limited funds. I'm probably going to remind him about it a few times because I still think he should be able to have all the money set aside for the bike, even if he doesn't need it now I'm sure he will in the coming months. I do appreciate his willingness to live on the budget he's been given though so I won't insist he withdraws it. I'm sure he'll be blessed more by living within the budget his mission president has set.