A Jolly 'Down Under' Christmas!

Dec. 27, 2019

Ho, ho, ho to all our family & friends~

These past 30 days have truly been most excellent!! We have been to the Perth Temple twice; once during our Senior missionary conference the end of November & then again last week when we flew back to Perth for a Christmas conference with all the missionaries, young & older. It was fantastic to feel the love & energy of the amazing young elders/sisters that are serving here & working so hard to bring other souls to Christ. They are becoming the Lord's converted disciples who  are dedicated to teaching those prepared to receive the message of the restored Gospel. It is wonderful to feel of their love for the Savior & how that impacts their own testimonies & others. We sure love them! 

At the temple our first evening with the missionaries from our district. This was the first time we had met all of them. Elder Yavala is from Fiji; Elder Poxon is from Birmingham, England; Elder Tate & I; Sister Canon from Salt Lake area; Sister  Lyman from Raleigh, N. Carolina; Elder Gardner from Gilbert, AZ; & Elder Peterson from Payson, UT

Several sisters from one of the wards in the Temple district prepared an amazing luncheon for all of us...about 80 at this day's conference. They did another one two days earlier with about the same number of missionaries serving in the Perth area.

After the luncheon we had some fun activities in a nearby park...the kids played football, soccer, had races & games. Santa made a surprise visit & I decided to give him a big kiss...I shocked our young missionaries more than Santa! 

There were six missionaries who had completed their missions & were leaving to go home late that night, so several missionaries who are from Tonga or Samoa honored them by doing the Ha'ka dance. This is the one where they take a firm stance & stomp while shouting out a blessing. It's pretty impressive, even without being in traditional costume & having their faces being tattooed!



Here is our President Bennallack & his wife (on left) & seven of the twelve couples serving in the great Australia Perth mission. We are so happy to be serving with such wonderful, strong senior couples & know they love the Lord & are here because they desire to serve Him...wherever that may be. 

The afternoon was spent singing Christmas carols at a local mall. This, too, was a wonderful experience. Such a simple tradition that we take so much for granted is not common here. We got lots of strange looks; some people tried to give us money while others whipped out their cameras to video cause they had never seen it done before. We had one Jewish lady & her daughter ask if they could join us...which we gladly let them do. They were so excited to post pictures on their FB account so all the Jewish friends could see them singing Christmas songs with young Christian missionaries. She commented that if all Mormon men were as good looking as these were, she might have to reconsider her faith & join the church! We handed out almost 300 invitations to the Dec. 22 Sacrament services that afternoon. It would be very interesting to find out how many of those invitations were actually accepted & if anything comes from that day's joyful singing.

 




While in Perth we received a very thoughtful early Christmas gift from our son, Josh & his girlfriend, Tara. They sent us a gift certificate for a beautiful restaurant downtown Perth overlooking the city skyline & the waterfront. The restaurant revolves 360* so we could see everything & the food was the best we've had thus far. It was so much fun! 

In many ways it's like Elder Tate & I are courting again! We are going places & doing things together that we had dreamed about for so many years & now here we are! There certainly are challenges, but because we are each serving with our best friend & eternal companion, the desire is to help one another become/do our best. We truly are loving our time serving as full-time missionaries in this part of the Lord's vineyard & are so very grateful for the blessings that have come to us & our family members.

It was so nice & cool while we were in Perth. While others complained of the cold weather, a lovely 75*F, we were loving it! We had an unexpected rain storm one afternoon & our Karratha/Port Hedland elders ran outside to do a celebratory dance since we haven't had rain up north in our areas for over four months. I don't think I had seen them all so happy at the same time! All they need is an umbrella & some music & they could have channelled Gene Kelley & 'Singing in the Rain'. 

After three days in Perth, we returned home to blazing hot Karratha. This week's average temperature has been 105*! There's no way we were ever having a winter wonderland for Christmas! However, thanks to our wonderful Elders & branch members in the great Australia Perth mission, Elder Tate & I had a most excellent Christmas experience! 

Many of the branch members, as well as over half the town, leave for other parts of Australia or New Zealand during the long holiday break. There are lots of Kiwi's here (term used for New Zealanders) who have family there, so they load up the kids & take off for a month or so. They are sorely missed, but we are happy they are able to renew those loving family ties & know how challenging it is to be apart. So we baked 12 dozen cookies  & decorated 6 dozen to deliver in a goodie bag to our friends in Karratha before they took off. 

Elders Poxon & Yavala did a great job decorating & actually left a few for Elder Tate to put in the goodie bags.

Christmas morning we went with the Elders to the Salvation Army's church. They have a wonderful breakfast set out for any homeless or lonely to mingle/visit & not be alone. We had a lovely time meeting a dozen new people & Elder Tate actually made a new friend (shocker, I know!) to go fishing with in a couple weeks. After all, missionary work actually is about fishing. 

A couple hours later we returned home to  have our own Christmas morning breakfast of fruit, egg gravy & biscuits (family tradition) which we shared with the Elders & our friend Anwar (from Iraq).  

We opened gifts from each other...Elder Yavala was pretty overcome w/joy when he received a Utah Jazz jersey of his favorite player. Elder Poxon was almost as excited to receive a couple new really, really white dress shirts & a tie bar. Overall, it was a wonderful morning spent with people we truly love. 

Later that afternoon we went to the Dimitrov's for Christmas dinner with all their family... much like ours, there a quite a few of them! There was sooo much delicious food...I think Elder Tate's favorite was the seafood salad made w/fresh fish/shrimp, etc caught by Caleb the day before. It was very good...& Caleb in turn enjoyed the cherry pie we made. They don't do fresh fruit pies here...very strange cause the fruit here is excellent. Expensive, but worth it. It cost me almost $30 to make the 9x13" pie. We almost always make a big potato salad, too cause it's always a popular hit...we never have any leftovers. But, again...the best mayo is almost $11/jar! Crazy!! But worth every penny when we are sharing it with people we love & who love us right back!

We also taught them one of our favorite family games, which they loved...the name game! It will now be shared at all our branch parties. 

Elder Tate loved his gift from Elder Yavala & is ready to go on another mission to Fiji or New Zealand if he can wear the traditional lavalava. Heaven knows it's much cooler! I love mine, too...but it's much more complicated tying it than one would think!

So...even though our first Christmas in Australia was very different than our snowy, wintery cold Idaho Christmas & we missed time spent with our family in our fun celebrations & traditions, it was the same in every way that truly mattered.  We sang the same joyful songs about the Christ child born so many years ago; we feel the same hope that filled the hearts of shepherds as they heard the message of angels; we still seek the same Messiah that the wise men sought; & we still believe in the testimony of prophets who foretold of His coming. 

We testify that Christ is the only begotten of the Father & He is our Savior & Redeemer. We know He loves us & that this is His restored Church. We know He will return in glory & power & pray that we will be ready to receive Him at that great day. 

We are happiest when we are serving others...We love this work and are privileged to be part of the gathering of Israel.  Elder & Sister Tate +61431579372 

A wonderful time of Thanksgiving

December 09, 2019

Hello from sunny Western Australia! It's been a super busy couple of weeks with so many things happening. We've celebrated our first Thanksgiving outside the USofA! Even though we've certainly been missing our holiday traditions of family, food, & fun, we've been making new ones filled with friends, food & fun! Although Thanksgiving is an American holiday, we certainly have much to be grateful for here among these wonderful people & are so blessed to live in safe, comfortable surroundings.

Our new friends put on two lovely Thanksgiving dinners for us...one was planned by a non-member whom we've befriended here at our complex. Her name is Nari & she's the head custodian here. She's 75 yrs. old & such a hard-worker...wonderful lady with so much love for others...one of our member couples are her good friends. Together they put on a real holiday feast w/turkey & dressing (we don't say stuffing here) as well as several other American Thanksgiving dishes, plus ham & some Aussie foods. Then they decorated for Christmas just to cover their bases! A lovely evening of singing Christmas songs, lots of laughter & making new memories. They included our young Elders too & we are hopeful they will soon be teaching Nari & her husband Clinton very soon. Below is Sister Emery & her husband Manuel, Nari & Elder Tate. We are very thankful for good friends.

We left Karratha for Perth to attend a Senior Missionary Conference for several days & had a wonderful time meeting the other nine senior couples serving as MLS(member leader support) missionaries in the Australia Perth mission. We spent one day receiving instruction from Pres. & Sister Bennallack, our mission president & his wife, & two other couples who serve as specialists in Self-Reliance & English. It was an excellent day filled w/so much information...we encourage everyone to go to the Church's website & look at all the classes offered through the Self-Reliance program & become educated as to what is offered. It's really just amazing what can be done in one's own home to get a better job; education; financial security, etc. We are so thankful for this amazing Gospel that provides for our temporal needs as well as our spiritual.

After a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, we all headed next door to the small, but beautiful Perth Temple where we attended a session together. The temple is such a place of peace & comfort...it was a sweet experience considering we haven't been able to attend the temple in over three months because we are serving so far away & most likely won't again for many months. It was also wonderful being with such kind & devoted senior couples who, like us, are so happy to be serving the Lord as full-time missionaries.

It is almost impossible to describe the sweet, yet powerful feelings we have experienced knowing this is exactly where we are supposed to be at this time in our lives. Even though there are times it is difficult to be away from our family, we know the Lord is aware of our concerns. As much as we love them...He loves them even more so will watch over them for us. We are so very thankful for His love & faith in our abilities to serve Him.

The second day of the conference we went to one of the large downtown malls & sang Christmas carols in the large atrium. We had a large #LightheWorld sign & another sign with who we were. There were lots of strange looks...probably because we didn't sound that great...or perhaps because we just stood out amongst the scantily dressed, tattooed holiday shoppers. At first we noticed that the  majority of people just didn't really look very happy so it was sweet when a father & his two little girls stopped & listened...then his girls asked if they could sing with us & joined in the group. Several others stopped & started singing along & one of our sisters handed out candy canes. Soon people were smiling & waving as they watched & took pictures. Hopefully we helped make others feel a little happier & lifted a few spirits.

Afterwards we returned to the chapel by the Perth Temple & decorated/packaged 30 dozen gingerbread & sugar cookies. We enjoyed lots of silly stories, laughter & 'accidents'...just plain breaking cookies as an excuse to nibble. These were boxed up for the different mission districts for all the missionaries to deliver to less actives & investigators in their areas & for themselves.

Later that evening we went to a beautiful old performing center in downtown Perth...His Majesty's Theatre to the ballet, Alice in Wonderland. Yes, you read that right...Elder Tate & all the other missionary brethren took their wives to the ballet. And most of them loved it! The music was fantastic...the costumes were amazing...& the dancing was superb! I will say, however, that the storyline was more than a little bizarre. Lewis Carroll most likely had a word of wisdom problem when he wrote the book, but whoever wrote the storyline for the ballet had to have been institutionalized! We are so thankful for the talents with which the Lord has blessed all His children. They is such beauty in how some have the gift of music; movement & the ability to combine the two.

                                                                        

                                              

We came home for two days then took off again to participate in the Port Hedland Branch Christmas Party. It was quite the production & I think we had enough food to feed an army...a good thing cause they had planned on 40 & there were about 60 that came. The decorations were beautiful, the children had a blast playing games & decorating cookies & the photo area was awesome! So many fun & silly pictures. Here's a few of our faves.

 

                                                      

Here's our Elders...Elder Gardner & Elder Peterson w/Joseph. Joseph loves Christmas & makes us all smile. He was also an amazing Santa...made all the kids laugh.

The photo booth was a huge hit & everyone took advantage of the funny dress up items... especially the kids. The children had fun too!

Our elves on the shelf were cute
as are the Wagner family. Special people...in so many ways!
 

And here's Joseph again w/his buddy, Brother Reedy, who is a counselor in the Branch Presidency. The first conversation I had with him was by text. Elder Tate & I were having a horrible first day in Port Hedland trying to get everything perfect for our initial get together with the YSA & absolutely nothing had gone right.
When things finally came together I was totally frazzled. He asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
I replied..."Do you have any valium or prozac you could sell me?"
"Well, let me see what I can find!" he texted back. "There might be something stronger in the evidence locker."
I had a good chuckle...until I found out he's a police officer then I just about died! We've had a good laugh over that several times since...I've thankfully remained out of jail. :-)

Here's a picture of the only white stuff we'll see here in these parts. It's actually salt that's processed from inland seawater ponds in Port Hedland...there's lots of it. Not sure where it goes...most likely to China like every other mineral around these parts.

So we are home for a few days but will head back this Saturday for a quick trip to Port Hedland for the baptism of Hans...a 14 yr old whom the elders tracted out not quite a month ago. He's an amazing young man & so excited to be a part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are so excited for him & know he will be a great influence in his family & in also the Church. We are so thankful for our young missionaries & the dedication they have to the Lord. They are so willing to do hard things & we learn how to be better teachers by following their examples...we sure love them!!

And finally....we are so very thankful for all of you & the love & support you extend to us as we serve far away from our family & home. Our hearts are filled with joy as we keep our hearts & eyes focused on Christ & His Atonement. May you feel of His redeeming love & know He is the Savior & the Redeemer of all mankind, not only during this Christmas season, but throughout the year. God bless you...everyone!   Elder & Sister Tate

A humbling week...

Nov. 18, 2019

Well, can I just say I had the best Australian birthday ever?! Elder Tate made my favorite cake...german chocolate; I received lots of flowers & lovely things & had a wonderful time spent w/wonderful new friends here in Karratha! They treated this elderly sister like a queen. Sorry....elderly Sister.  

We returned from our monthly visit to Port Hedland yesterday afternoon. During our time there we have a specific assignment to work with/engage the YSA ladies. I've mentioned before that there are seven, but only one actively participates. This certainly makes it challenging, however it always seems to work out, because the Lord wants these young women to know He loves them...so we do whatever we can to accomplish this goal. We invited the YW & their mums/leaders to join us & had a wonderful time making yummy smelling, feeling sugar scrubs, lip balm & sweet muddy buddies.  Next time I think we'll have lots more show up! 

We also had the Relief Society ladies Christmas dinner. We had a lovely time chatting & enjoying each other's company. The group might have been small but we made up for it in laughter & in sharing the holiday spirit with our Kris Kringle gift exchange.

It was also the branch's Primary program which is always a special treat. There are only about a dozen kids, but they certainly did a wonderful job of bringing the Spirit into our meeting. We had several less active members & a couple non-members attend, which is always a great opportunity for them to feel the Spirit, meet the members & feel the love we have one to another.

Elder Tate had a wonderful experience as he spoke to a gentleman who has recently been separated from his family due to some poor choices/struggles on his part. He was so grateful to be able to watch & enjoy the Primary program & spend time w/his children. It was obvious to us that he truly missed being a part of their lives/the gospel. Randy felt impressed to speak privately with him & offered to listen if he ever felt the need to unburden himself. 

Because our Heavenly Father knows our deepest sorrows & pains, He can & will open the way for us to find our way back to safety & peace. It is often by another's hands that these things come to pass...so it is up to us to be prepared to receive those quiet promptings...then have the faith to go & do accordingly. 

Unbeknownst to us, our young missionaries had made an appointment earlier in the week to visit this family's home after church which provided Elder Tate with additional time & opportunity to visit w/this brother & get to know him better. He says of this..."My experience after our discussion was very unusual; this was the first time I have ever mourned privately and actually felt the pain of someone I am not close to.  The Holy Ghost has the responsibility to comfort and testify of truth to all who are willing to learn what Jesus experienced on our behalf.  Truly an unforgettable experience for me."

Our time with the Saints in Port Hedland is becoming sweeter w/each visit...we love their devotion & desire to serve the Lord. Here is a pic of Jacob (fully clothed!) & Robert. Elder Tate loves these two humble men & so enjoys hearing of their life experiences & stories. You will have to read our previous posts to learn about Jacob's history as it is quite impressive. Robert joined the church at 14 but was never really active. He has hard a very hard life but has a strong desire receive the blessings that come from being fully engaged in the gospel & able to go to the temple this next year. We know our Father & the Savior love them for their child-like meekness & kind souls.

We learned that one sister's father was baptized without ever being taught the gospel because he saw how it changed people for the better & knew it was true. He was disowned by his pastor father & lost his inheritance/land & was forced to move into a hut donated/built by others. A short time later he was called to be the first missionary to go to a small island near Tonga, so he took his family & moved away...again without anything but what they could carry...totally dependent upon people they did not know. 

On this island the members of a local church were kind & provided the family with a hut/land & helped them become part of the small community. Within a couple of years her father had taught & baptized dozens of people. Now this small island is home to a large community of saints, a full-size ward church building & the gospel of Jesus Christ is strong & thriving. This good sister has eleven siblings & every one of them have served missions & have been married in the Temple; two are currently Bishops, one is a Stake President & all are active & strong in the gospel..all because her father/mother were willing to move forward in faith & embrace the Lord's true church. 

We also both had an experience that required us to repent of some unkind feelings towards someone we felt was being sooo difficult & judgemental! As we came to better understand this person & their needs, it was made clear to us that we were the ones being uncharitable... examples of us having a beam in our eye vs. the tiny mote in theirs. We are so grateful for the opportunity to repent & try, yet again, to become more Christlike. I'm afraid it's going to be a very long journey...

You've read of our previous experience getting lost. We made sure not to do that again. However, as we were driving over & back again, we felt the sun beating down through the windshield & knew it had to be very hot outside. There were men out doing road construction & guys digging post holes along the way home. Couldn't believe it when we took this shot of our temperature gauge.

You can see it reads 47*C...that's 116.6*F!! 

If that isn't incentive to get a good education for an inside job, I don't know what is!

We were blessed to have our Mission President & companion come visit us a short time ago. They don't get up this far north very often, so it was lovely to have some time with them. They provided some wonderful training to our country district & it was sweet to hear their testimonies of the Savior & feel of their love for the missionaries in their care. Just like the rest of us, they have their own struggles & challenges to overcome & work through. Their 35 yr. old daughter is married w/five small children & was diagnosed w/a rare form of cancer several months ago. She is currently undergoing an extremely rigorous treatment of both radiation/chemo 5 days/wk...all day, & will continue this for over a year. And yet they both smile, give hugs & are so filled w/love for the work of bringing others to Christ & encourage us all to do the same. 

We testify that when we are willing to repent & submit to the Lord's will...doing whatever is required or necessary in faith, our Heavenly Father will bless us; give us the strength to endure our trials & perform miracles in our behalf. His Son's perfect Atonement will cover all sins & weaknesses...He is more than capable of bringing us, or our loved ones, back from the deepest despair or sorrows. 

At this time of Thanksgiving, we are so very grateful for the gift of agency; for the blessings of covenants & the possibility of eternal family units; for our liberties & freedoms. We are especially grateful for the knowledge we have that Christ is our Savior & Redeemer. We testify that the Book of Mormon is true, that the Prophet Joseph Smith was the instrument chosen by God to restore the fullness of His gospel & that Pres. Nelson is His prophet upon the earth today. Christ lives & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is His Church. How blessed we are to have these truths & be able to share them with the people in this part of the Lord's vineyard.

We appreciate your prayers. We can feel their power in our lives. May you feel His love in your lives as well. God bless!! 

Elder & Sister Tate

Lost....& not metaphorically speaking :-\

November 3, 2019

The last weekend of October we visited our Port Hedland branch. I posted pictures of our activities there...the radio station, serving w/the elders at the soup kitchen, hanging out w/Jacob (in his underwear), & in general, doing what missionaries are supposed to do. 

On the way home to Karratha, Elder Tate was passing one of the big road trains...they're called this because one semi can have up to 7 trailers...yep, that's over 225 ft & looks like a train on the road! So we're driving on the wrong side of the road...on the wrong side of he car...& passing on the wrong side of the road. No worries, mate!! Here's a picture as we're passing one & I couldn't get the last trailer in the frame.

So, we're passing this monster & totally miss our turn off cause it was blocking the sign telling us where to go. And we have no idea cause everything looks the same...red dirt, small red hills w/scrubby trees/grasses, more red dirt, etc. You get the picture. So, we drive for almost two hours then notice the hills are getting greener...there's some mountains in the distance & what looks like rain! Rain?! We haven't seen that since we've been here. And, oh, look...there's a termite hill & a balancing rock we've not seen before....Wait! We've never seen them before! 

Yep, we're totally lost w/no idea where we're at. No road signs anywhere along the way, no cell service or GPS, no pit stops, gas stations...nothing. Half hour later we see our first & only road sign telling us we're about 140 kilometers from Tom Price (a small town six hours southeast of where we live). Fortunately, we come to a roadhouse (truck stop) a short time later where we learn there's a short cut only 30 mins back...but we need a 4-wheel drive vehicle to travel that road, which we don't have. So back we go to where we started...a 7.5 hr. road trip we hadn't planned. At least we didn't hit any kangaroos after it got dark, which is when they usually hop out of nowhere onto the roads. You know the safety roll bars our vehicles have in the states? Out here they're called....roobars! 

Safely back home we enjoyed a good nights sleep on our new mattress from IKEA. We had been sleeping on one of the most uncomfortable beds ever & the mission had purchased us a new mattress. It got lost then found, lost again then reordered then both showed up 7 weeks after being ordered. (Notice a theme about being lost yet?) Upon getting it upstairs we discovered the hideously hard mattress we had been sleeping on was actually upside down! Whoever had made up the bed for the future tenants (us) had done so w/the soft mattress side face down. Who does that?! So now we are very comfortable sleeping on two mattresses...we're like princesses. 

Wonderful week spent meeting new people & teaching English to a missionary sister from Samoa. She is a wonderful, strong missionary with a humble heart of gold. She has a large family of 10 children...she's # 9 & also the ninth missionary to serve & her younger sister is preparing to leave in just a few months. Her parents were converted 25 yrs ago & have been so faithful in teaching their children the gospel & instilling strong values & a desire to serve. Amazing people!! 

The Elder we teach English is from Thailand & comes from a small village where his parents are dairy farmers. His goal is simple...to return home, marry in the temple, raise a righteous family & help run the farm. He wants to learn how to help grow the farm to provide work & income for others in their village. No big dreams of being a millionaire or traveling the world, just making a difference in his part of the Lord's vineyard the best way he can. We love these missionaries!

We had our Primary program two Sundays ago & it was such a beautiful meeting! The spirit was strong & we could feel the love of our Savior as the children bore their simple testimonies of Him. The family singing above are Maori & originally came from New Zealand. They have three of the loveliest children! The two boys have long, curly hair...the daughter's is short. Our branch has several such families...living far from home & family members, so this little branch is truly one big family who love & care one for another & welcome all into their circle.

We have one family who can only come to church one weekend a month as they live 6 hrs away. They're from the States...she's from Utah & he's from Arizona & they have 4 little ones. He worked for Kennicutt mines in SLC & was promoted to be the general manager at one of the big Rio Tinto mining operations over here. They are so faithful & determined to make sure their time here is spent teaching others of the Gospel & being true disciples of Christ. Another family is a hour away so come a couple times a month; there are also numerous fly-foes...these are workers who are flyin & flying out all the time. They may live 1200 miles away from their families yet come work for weeks at a time before flying out again. Lots of sacrifice.

We took a little drive over to Point Samson on Saturday...it's about an hour away so we didn't get lost. Along the way we saw our first real river...it was high tide & coming inland. We met a couple from Scandinavia...Her name is Ingrid & he's Gaston. We spent some time visiting & watched as some sea turtles swam in the river. She's going out to one of the islands in a few weeks to help tag the turtles & take an inventory of their numbers. It's always so interesting how the Lord's hand can be seen in the smallest of things. She was excited when we told her we had a friend from Sweden, Inger Bishop. Then we find out they live in the unit right next to us in Karratha...crazy!

We had a relaxing time exploring the area...beautiful beaches, a cool ghost town & a small park in the town of Wickham that had some retired machinery. This picture is for our grandson Lucas who loves everything about trucks! These can be seen all over the mining areas along with huge trains that can be up to 2 or miles long with cars filled w/iron ore being shipped off to China.

Then Elder Tate felt prompted to see if we could find one of the other families that have to travel in order to come to Church. The grandmother was home with two of the boys & welcomed us in. She got quite emotional as she shared some concerns that have been weighing heavy on her mind about her family & expressed her gratitude that we had made the effort to come visit. We were humbled & grateful to know the Lord had trusted us to meet her needs at this time. We know the Lord loves & cares about each & every one of His children regardless of where they live, what they do & who they are. He will send those who are able & willing to do His work...so we must always be listening to & for that still, small voice.

One of our neighbors is a returned missionary from Thailand who no longer attends church. She is a professional chef & seamstress...a very busy woman. She has been holding cooking classes in her home on Monday evenings, so we try to go as often as possible. It's more of a friendshipping thing than learning to cook...but she creates some beautiful dishes that taste as good as they look. She has friends who are partiers, so she now parties; she is lonely even in a crowd because she's forgotten who she is/where she comes from. So, along with others in our branch, we try to give her opportunities to feel & remember those things she once taught others. We are kind & try to show by example that you can find true joy by being in the world, but not of the world. 

We have a dear sister who was recently baptized & who has made some mistakes so thinks she is no longer worthy to attend church & participate in her new calling. It is difficult for her to think that she is not alone in this...that others feel the same way & it takes all of us to love & accept each other...wherever we are on the path of discipleship. 

So, I end with the beginning....in some way, at some time & in some place, we are all a little bit lost. It may be the result of poor choices we've made or that have been foisted upon us by another; it might be that we allow our doubts to push aside our faith or life just gets really, really hard & we think it might just be easier not to live the gospel for awhile. 

Elder Holland has expressed it this way, "...however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines."

We are so very grateful for this knowledge. It is humbling & yet thrilling at the same time to be a part of this great gathering of the last days. We pray for the strength & ability to continue moving forward as we serve His children in this remote, but beautiful part of the world. 

Love to all,

Elder & Sister Tate

They say it's Spring...but I don't believe it!

Oct. 22nd, 2019

So today we were getting a few things in the shops & I saw a store window that said, 'Happy Spring!'

It was about 11:00 am & 41*C outside...which is like 105*F. It got up to 107.6* today. If this is spring then, come summer, we're going to be like eggs frying on the pavement! I would like to pay homage to the man who invented A/C...he was a genius & deserves my utmost gratitude.

Elder Tate had the opportunity & I use that word very loosely, to spend some quality time w/the Elder's quorum for a morning of golf. There were six guys playing, plus the two missionaries & an eight yr old...most of them had never played before. Here's a pic of one of the 'putting greens'. Out of nine holes only one was actually green. They had a good time even though they had to start at 6 am & by the time they finished four hours later it was in the 90's. 

The good thing about the warm weather is that our efforts to help move the Lord's work forward in this part of His vineyard is getting hotter, too! We sure love the pioneering saints here in sunny Karratha & Port Hedland, WA. They are such good people who love the Gospel of Jesus Christ & are willing to do whatever is needed to bring their friends/family to an understanding of this marvelous work & a wonder. Here are some highlights of what's happened the past week.

Here are our two wonderful Elders we serve with in Karratha....Elder Poxon from Burmingham, England & Elder Yavala from Fiji. Can you guess which one is which?! 

Elder Yavala can eat his weight in food every day & bikes like a crazy man while poor Elder Poxon is nearly melting in the heat & lagging half a mile behind. There's no way he will gain any weight here as he sweats it all away...plus he's a vegetarian, so the poor boy can't gain an ounce. They both are very smart...Elder Poxon wants to be a biochemist & Elder Yavala an IT guy. 

Here are our other two Elders from Port Hedland. At the time of this picuture, we were serving in a local soup kitchen. One is Elder Gardner from a little town close to Gilbert, AZ & the other is Elder Tiikana (pronounced Sekana) who's from a small atoll called Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands. Again...can you guess which is which? 

Elders Yavala & Tiikana tell us that most of the schools in the Pacific Islands are owned/operated by the Church. They provide education free of charge to all children up & through high school regardless of their faith. Most of them speak very good English, which is required to graduate. Elder Tiikana will be attending BYU-Hawaii where he wants to study computers after he finishes his mission. Elder Gardner is going into the family business...which is the town his family owns. What?!

We had the pleasure of visiting with an 86 yr. old member of the branch in Port Hedland..his name is Jacob Brockley. He was a young child during WWII & witnessed/survived the bombing of his beautiful city of Cologne, Germany which lies on the Rhine River. It was fascinating hearing him tell about the places he's visited/worked/traveled & the famous people he's come in contact with, like Bruce Lee, who he knew very well & received martial arts training from. He also wore very little clothing...which was a little weird for me, but didn't seem to bother him in the least. 

We're learning to try all kinds of new things when it comes to bringing others to Christ. It seems there's people everywhere looking for something that's lacking in their lives. They might be found in a soup kitchen, in a gardening or exercise group or learning English. They might simply be listening to a Sunday evening radio show & hear a message that resonates in their hearts. The two young Elders in Port Hedland have been doing a radio program for quite some time twice a week & invited us on as their guests. It was a very inspiring opportunity & taught us to be prepared to open our mouths & share a message to anyone who might be listening. 

We discussed the meaning of the verses found in Matthew 7:7-8 which says: 

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 

The key is we have to ask, seek & knock...these are action words that require us to go & do...

Our first & favorite English student has moved with his family to Perth. We sure love his family will miss them, but we can look forward to continuing English lessons over video chat & seeing him continue to progress both in his language skills & also in learning the gospel through his lessons. We look forward to seeing them again the end of November when we go to Perth for a senior missionary conference.

Our Garden Group continues to thrive...different families showing up almost every week. The children created a scarecrow out of cast off clothes belonging to their dads & had a great time cooking up a sausage sizzle w/Elder Tate. That's what they call a weiner roast in these parts. The gal holding the little one is Sue...she's from Burma & has joined our Zumba class. Last Saturday we had 9 non-members & 5 members. It's getting almost too large for our little branch building...which is a great problem to have!

In closing I would like to challenge each of us to look around & make a new friend. It's not hard...there are people everywhere who need a friend. The Lord knows who they are & how we can help them feel His love. They are just like us...they love their families, they want to be happy & they worry/have problems & challenges too. We have the answers they are seeking & just need to be ready & willing to open our hearts & mouths when opportunities are presented. 

We love you all & are so grateful to be blessed with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The opportunity to listen to conference & hear the words of modern-day Prophets & Apostles has strengthened our testimonies & given us the added peace & courage to continue on this chosen path. May God bless each of you & your families as you also press forward in faith.

Hugs to all....Sister & Elder Tate