The Cyclone aftermath...& lessons learned :-O

Feb. 9, 2020

We survived!! Not that we ever doubted, but it was a wild & crazy ride there for about 12 hrs. It was our first, & we hope the last, cyclone we ever have to experience. Don't know how people do this year after year...would make me crazy! Well...crazier, anyway. 

Here's some photos of before/after & during the storm. These first pictures are of the downtown area from our apartment pool area.

 Almost all the trees lining main street were blown down or had to be removed. 

The connected plaza where they would hold farmers markets & gatherings. Soon to be the site of a Hilton Hotel...without the trees.

This is from our apartment pool deck looking down on the street below...extension of main street. Very few trees left. 

Looking down on the neighborhood below us during the cyclone. 

Cyclones are fickle things...they can change direction quickly & that is what this one did. Originally, it wasn't supposed to be a direct hit, was supposed to go either between us & Port Hedland or further west away from the coastline. Nor was it supposed to be a Cat 4 storm. But it changed course Thursday afternoon & increased in intensity. 

Being in such a remote area we don't have the ability to just jump on a plane, a bus or train when these kinds of things occur. There's only a couple roads in & out of the area...& both were in the path of the cyclone. The planes only fly in/out a couple times a day. And there are no long distance buses or passenger trains. After a certain point, one just has to do whatever can be done to be prepared & stay safe. We did exactly what was required. Got our food/water/first aid supplies/flashlights/batteries, etc. & made sure to follow all the directions provided by the Cyclone Emergency agency. We never really worried about our safety. A little apprehensive, perhaps...but not afraid.

Of course, one of our main concerns were making sure our Elders were safe. We had thought to keep them w/us, but we're in a small unit w/only one bed/one bath & nowhere for them to bunk down. Maybe we could put them up in the game room so they could have their own bathroom/kitchen, but that thought came into my head & quickly went out because people would be doing their 'cyclone party' thing & playing games/partying. It's a good thing we didn't do that either because the ceiling collapsed on what would have been their sleeping area. 

The thought then came into my mind to call a member of the branch & ask if the Elders could stay w/them overnight...to which they said 'absolutely'. So we expressed our desires that they go to the members home, but told them they could decide for themselves. 

They decided to ride out the storm at their place. They live in a two story brick townhouse w/a tall wrap around brick fence & large metal gates. Unfortunately, one small section of the roof pulled away from the frame & rain came pouring into their study area & totally freaked them out cause it sounded like a freight train rumbling through the house! They were able to rush in & get all their important things out & stuffed towels underneath the door to keep the water from pouring out. They went downstairs to the main floor & hid in the closet, praying to be kept safe. Which, thank heavens, they were. 

Upper left corner is where the metal roofing pulled away. Inside the room & hiding out in the closet like Harry Potter.

These things certainly make for fun, exciting stories after it's all over. But that's only because it turned out well. It certainly could have had a very different ending. We all learned a valuable lesson that very long day & night. Being prepared means more than having the necessary provisions & a place of safety. It means being sensitive to the Spirit to hear that still, small voice & then being quick to obey. We will all experience loud storms & the noise of dissenting voices in this life. They can be figurative or very literal. Our physical & spiritual safety depends upon our listening & obeying the warnings we receive. This is more real now than at any time before.

We spent our Sabbath Day cleaning up member's homes. Monday will be the same for there's much to be done, but it's a great opportunity to meet new people in the community.

Tuesday: Here's Elder Tate cutting tree limbs/branches from one of two huge trees that fell into an older woman's yard. And he thought his lumberjack days were over...silly boy!! 

 As they say here, it's all good. Life has a way of bringing things into perspective. When it comes to nature, there is no distinction between rich & poor, good or bad, skin color or age. And the same can be said of the Lord...He loves all His children equally & understands our sorrows, grief, joys & pain. It often takes these kinds of things to occur for us to remember how much we should depend upon Him. We shouldn't be waiting until natural disasters, personal tragedy or trials force us to our knees before we turn to prayer.

So what humbling lessons did we learn through these past few days? For starters...being prepared temporally is very important, however, being prepared spiritually is absolutely essential in these latter days. Secondly, a cyclone gets your attention but, as Helaman teaches...'it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper'. When promptings or personal inspiration comes, we must act immediately & have faith that if it is for our good, it comes from God. Third...there are people everywhere who need our help & we should be anxiously engaged in seeking out opportunities to serve. We are our brother's & sister's keeper. Love one another & look for ways to help your neighbor...keep them wondering why you're so happy! That's when they'll start asking questions.

Thank you family & dear friends for your heartfelt prayers & words of cheer! We appreciate the support more than words can express & pray the Lord's blessings upon you all. That will open the windows of heaven & let our Father's love shine down upon them. Then wonderful things will happen. We testify that through the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, eyes that are downcast will see the Light & the storms of life will be calmed. 

Love to you all!!  Elder & Sister Tate