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