Pray for the virus....of FAITH!!

March 18, 2020

Well...I guess I spoke too soon on my last post. Nothing is 'back to normal' & I'm thinking perhaps this isn't such a bad thing. We've noticed that people around the world are being separated into categories & it's not a sifting of haves/have nots. It's more like the division is between people who are kind or unkind; patient & impatient; unselfish or selfish; thoughtful & thoughtless...the division seems to be based on a person's true character...or the lack thereof. 

The news media, Facebook & Youtube are filled w/stories, pictures & videos showing brawls in the shopping aisles; panic at Costco; people fighting over TP (of all things!)...it's crazy how fear makes people do things they wouldn't ordinarily do; behave in ways they would not have thought possible a short time ago. 

It's 'fear vs faith' I want to address in this post because it's a feeling/emotion we have all felt at one time or another & will most likely experience again. It's human nature to be afraid when things seem to spiral out of control & we have no idea when, or even if, our lives will ever be 'normal' again. And, according to prophecy, scriptures...the warning voice of God himself...there will be more woes to follow before the second coming of our Saviour. Earthquakes in divers places (hello, SLC!); famine; wars & rumors of war; pestilence...is it any wonder that 'men's heart's will fail them' in these last days? Should we be surprised that the Lord uses natural disasters to 'shake us mightily unto repentance'?

We have been warned & forewarned for generations to repent & turn our heart's towards God; to be obedient to the counsel of the Brethren in preparing ourselves & our families both temporally & spiritually for hard times; to warn our neighbors & share what we know with them so they can also prepare. I want to think that members of the Church have been listening to our Church leaders & are busy setting our houses in order...for when the time of trial has arrived, the time for preparation is past. 

Unfortunately, too many members are like Lot's wife & are tempted to turn back, because the world is simply too alluring. Others ignore the Lord's chosen servants...our Prophet & Apostles, who warn us of impending evils & the cunning ways of the Adversary. The proud & haughty wrongly believe that these wise men are fools; too old to be in touch w/what's happening in the world. But, the exact opposite is true. They don't worry overmuch about what is happening today...they've already given us plenty of warnings & direction for the now. It's the future they're attempting to prepare us for. As a friend recently said..."It wasn't raining when Noah got on the Ark."

The Coronavirus, while dangerous, is only one of many things which has happened & will continue to happen around the world...I choose to believe it's all preparatory to the Savior's return & am grateful for the test! It's a major wake-up call...am I prepared temporally...not just for myself, but for my neighbor? What more can I do spiritually in order to receive personal revelation for myself & my family? Where can I find peace in uncertainty? 

So...where do we find the answers? Who on earth knows what lies ahead? And what should we focus on when things seem to fall apart or those we love are far away & out of reach? The scriptures are clear. We look to the Savior & His Watchmen on the Tower. In a couple weeks we will have the opportunity at our General Conference to receive their counsel, comfort & instruction amid these uncertain times. Our beloved Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson has made the answer to these questions abundantly clear. 

This is who we should choose to place our faith & trust in...Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd; He is the Great Physician; He is the Saviour & Redeemer of all mankind. And they are prophets, seers & revelators for our day...instructed to call us to repentance & lead us to safety. Will we murmur like Laman & Lemuel & think what they tell us is too hard, too much of a sacrifice? Or will we be like Nephi of old...have faith then go & do?

Even with our limited contact w/our families, friends, church members & in our various communities, there are still ways to reach out...to be kind & considerate. People's hearts are troubled. They're seeking comfort & answers, but don't know where to find them. They are in need of reassurance & hope. What they really need is the good news of Jesus Christ. 

So, when we're out in the heat taking bread around town & drop by Sumo & Riana's home, they see our happiness & ask questions about why we're so far from home...especially now. When Irene & Phil find long lost family while doing family history...they want to learn more about where their loved ones are & if they'll see them again. When boys Elder Tate coaches in basketball are having a tough time at home & turn to alcohol, they listen when he tells them about the Word of Wisdom because they know he really cares. They trust him to tell them the truth.

We have a dear young woman who is learning about the Atonement & the infinite love our Father & His Son have for us. From almost the moment we walk through the door to teach her of this Plan, she tears up...yearning to know more about how to bless her little family. Her husband is less active, but he's a loving father & husband because he was raised that way. We have faith that through her example, he will feel a desire to return & receive eternal blessings in the Temple one day. 

Ok...time for some light-hearted fare for a moment. There's been some fun things happening around here. For instance, all of Karratha is atwitter because we now have a Hungry Jack's drive in!! (Burger King knockoff) No kidding....the first day was sooo crazy! We had to drive by twice to check out the lines they were so long. At least the planners gave plenty of space unlike the one for MacDonald's & especially KFC. 

The line actually snakes about another 30 cars back around the large building. It was nuts. But people like their take out here! They had people lined up getting in also & the help was out going up & down the line of cars taking orders...kind of like In n' Out. We'll give them a couple weeks before we go try it out...give them time to iron out all the kinks & get a better handle on the food prep/presentation. 

Night shot...crazy! 

Here's some of the young mom's at the church just before the shut down for a play date. We're so sad we can't meet at the church for awhile...hopefully not having meetings or activities won't last too awfully long. 

We had a 'Come & See' devotional planned for branch members to join their non-member friends to learn about who we are & what we believe. There were about 20 people coming, so it was very disappointing when we received news that all meetings/activities at the Church were to be cancelled. Understandable, but sad just the same. The good thing is several of these people have invited us into their homes to share what it is they would of learned at the meeting. We're also encouraging the branch families to continue talking & having small numbers of people into their homes. 

In times like these we are so very grateful for the understanding we have of our Father in Heaven's Plan of Salvation. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ & His perfect love, we can feel peace in our hearts & know we are held in the palm of his hands. Even when the world is in turmoil all around us we can receive the blessings of inner peace. In addition to feeling peace ourselves, we can be an influence for peace in our families, our community, & the world.

Our prayers are with you, our brothers & sisters...our children & grandchildren, family & dear friends. As the Savior said..."Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." 

Peace can come to all who earnestly seek the Prince of Peace. Of these things we bear witness...

Love to you all,
Elder & Sister Tate
  

Back to 'normal' :-)

Friday, March 6, 2020

Well...these past few weeks have been crazy busy what with the cyclone, cleaning up afterwards & moving the Elders out of their flat because it was damaged. Then finding out we were losing them altogether was such a heartbreaker!! Goodbye, Elder Allen...only a month here, but what an exciting few weeks it was for him! Farewell, Elder Poxon....9 months in lovely, hot Karratha! You are already sooo missed. Such a sad day for us & the Branch! Hurrah for Israel! 

Fortunately, it's not permanent...we'll have young missionaries again, just not for a couple of months. Their apartment couldn't be repaired in a timely manner & with all the things happening throughout the mission, President Bennallack decided to wait until things had calmed down (like no more cyclones for awhile) before moving anyone else here. It's ok...the members will pick up the slack & put their shoulder's to the wheel to help in the work of fellowshipping & inviting people to learn of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They only need a little bit of a fire lit underneath them to get started. 

And here's the kindling for that great fire! This was the first thing Elder Tate & I did when we arrived in Karratha in order to get to know our members & their friends & now it's an 'official incentive' in the Australia Perth mission. We're very excited & know this invitation can change the lives of families here in our mission. Drum roll, please....

How cool is it that something so easy & fun can also be such a wonderful missionary tool! Give your friends an opportunity to see pictures of Christ on your walls; temple pictures; beautiful framed family pictures w/important messages about the eternal nature of families; meaningful quotes from our Prophet/Apostles...anything that brings the Spirit into your homes & allows people to feel that Spirit & ask questions. It really is that simple, yet can have a profound impact.

So...our challenge for you, dear readers, is to do the same thing in your families. When people feel the Spirit & come to understand how much their Heavenly Father desires them to learn of Him & the great plan of redemption wrought by His Son, Jesus Christ, their hearts will be softened & they will want to know more. What a wonderful blessing & opportunity to be a part of the great gathering taking place throughout the world!

This past week we traveled to Perth for a missionary conference, this time w/a visiting General Authority Area Seventy...Elder Nattress, from Fruitland, ID. He's serving in the Pacific Area & lives in Auckland, NZ w/his wife & 16 yr. old daughter. It was a wonderful conference & we received some excellent council from our Mission Pres/his wife & Elder Nattress. He spoke in our stake a few years ago & later that afternoon we had the opportunity to visit w/him about his love for Idaho...fishing, water sports & being in the great outdoors. We discovered we have several friends in common, which was great fun! We enjoyed a wonderful dinner together with the other senior couples, two of which are leaving us this month. We'll be sad to see them go home.  

President & Sister Bennallack on left & Elder & Sister Nattress on right. These other couples are the senior couples serving w/us. Eight of the ten couples are from the States (mostly Utah) & two are from Australia. 

    

These are our two Sisters that serve in Albany...about 4 hrs. south of Perth. This is the only time we get to see them in person...otherwise we see them on the zoom camera we use for our district meetings each week. Sister Hanks (in blue) is a 'golden missionary'...just arrived from the MTC a few days prior. 

   
While there we had the chance to relax one afternoon & enjoy the lovely temperature & COOL breezes...something we haven't yet had up north. We went to the Fremantle Markets (much like Pike's Marketplace in Seattle) & did a little exploring.  Where Sister Tate found some new Ear-Rings---Opal; she likes them, a delayed valentines present.

Chain gang at the Old Perth Prison...Elder Tate wearing his new Crocodile Dundee style hat made out of kangaroo. Looks great on him! 

Eating at one of our favorite parks in Perth, close to the best fish n'chip eatery! Couple standing are just newly arrived from Utah...new office couple; next to them is the Vawdrey's, also from Utah & the senior couple in Port Hedland; the last couple is the Olsen's...our other office couple & Elder Tate calls him 'The Magic Man' cause he does all the financials for the mission. Lovely couple who will be leaving in just a few months.

Below is the Perth Mint where they melt gold from the goldfields to create bouillon bars, coins, jewelry & custom pieces. This is a statue of the first two gold miner's who discovered gold in the middle of Australia. Perfect positioning of the camera, if I do say so myself...

The photo opposite is of the smelting area where they  refine the gold by melting it in a crucible. This process is repeated several times to purify the liquid gold until all the detritus is removed. 

The nugget below is about the size of a football. It was found in a water run-off in a place called Kalgoorlie. That's the main gold mining area in Australia. It's about 9 hrs east of Perth in the middle of nowhere. A good place for gold. And smaller nuggets, too...some in quartz, which is almost like a magnet for gold.

               

This is the largest solid gold coin in the world...over 1 ton of pure gold. On one side is Queen Elizabeth's face...the other side is a red kangaroo, I guess cause they have lots of them hopping about. Guess how much this coin is worth?? Over $500 million big ones! What looks like a mirror or water surrounding the coin is actually sensitized reflective glass...can't even get close to the coin without sending off alarms. At night it lowers into a sealed & pressurized vault...lots of intense security in this building. 

Like many of you, we've been preparing for our upcoming April General Conference & are anxious to hear what our beloved Prophet, Pres. Russell M. Nelson & the Apostles will say. It's been exciting to see the videos, read the articles detailing the various accounts of the First Vision & listening to the experiences of those individuals testify of Joseph Smith's remarkable transformation during this time. It has strengthened our testimonies of his divine calling & the Lord's love for us in bringing forth the restored Gospel to the earth. 

What an amazing thing it is to have such advanced technology at our fingertips! To be able to go back in time; to hear the voices & see the places...discovering these things for ourselves. We find it difficult to imagine what more the Lord can do in this field to further the gathering taking place throughout the world, but look forward w/anticipation to seeing what transpires over the next decade in science & technology.

It's also obvious that Satan is loose in the world & also uses these same tools to thwart God's work. What is used to do much good is also used for evil; lies weave their insidious threads around truth, deceiving the very elect; & wicked people seek to destroy that which is of God. At times it is disheartening & I can appreciate how people's hearts might fail them as they experience the turmoil, confusion & darkness that seems to be all around.  

However...like so many of you, we give thanks to God for modern revelation & the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ! How we rejoice in the knowledge we possess that truth will ultimately triumph & our Savior will reign supreme!  

We are trying to do our part in teaching...not having the full-time Elders is tough. But we have three people we're working with & just received a referral for a new family that moved here a short while ago. We also continue to fellowship & teach Anwar...he is such a wonderful man & we know it's just a matter of time & better understanding for him to be baptised. 

It's hard to believe we've been out over 6 months now! Time usually moves at a pretty brisk pace, but once in awhile things get a little too slow for us...that's usually when it's really just too hot & humid to be outside. They tell us winter is on the way...only a few more weeks to go! Woohoo!! We can hardly wait, cause the winter here is like our spring & late fall. 

We sure love & appreciate all the support we receive from our family & good friends! Please write & let us know what all is happening back home w/everyone! We really enjoy the stories we receive about our missionaries serving around the world & reading about the similar or very different experiences they're having. 

The Church is true! Joseph Smith was the Prophet of the Restoration & we are led by a living Prophet & Apostles today as in the days of Christ. Families can be together forever & the Book of Mormon teaches about these revealed truths. 

Love to all....Elder & Sister Tate 

P.S. I reposted this as some of the pictures didn't stick. Hopefully it takes this time!