Our new area is in the Australian Goldfields!

July 18, 2020

Our last leg of the journey to our new area took us through what's called the 'Wheatbelt' of Western Australia. Miles of grain fields, cattle & sheep ranches & beautiful countryside. As we get closer to our final destination, the landscape changes once again to dryer climes, rocky outcroppings, & red dirt. We come to the last town w/fuel called Southern Cross (I wondered if it's the place Crosby, Stills & Nash sang about, but since there's next to nothing there, I don't think so). We fill our tank & take off again. Imagine our surprise & delight when we see these signs about an hour from our final destination.

Yep! A camel farm! Who would have thunk?! So, of course as soon as the weather warms up a bit, guess who's going to go ride camels? Always wanted to do that, so I'm excited! 

Coming into our new area is like taking a step back in time into the American West during the days of the gold rush. First came the small ghost town of Coolgardie, where gold was first discovered in WA. 

General store & former post office/city offices, Royal Bar. 

This is the 'Old Gaol' or jail. Pretty neat old buildings in wonderful condition. 









Palace Hotel...130 yrs. old & still operating. 

Exhibition Hall










Coming into Kalgoorlie it looks like any other town...industrial buildings & modern landscapes, nothing really special. It's not until you get into the main part of the town that you get to see the uniqueness of this place. 

Many of the old buildings downtown are in beautiful condition & it's easy to imagine people in turn-of-the-century dress, horse/carriages traveling down the wide streets (like in SLC) & saloons on every corner. 

This is another fancy hotel across from the Town Hall, which is where the picture is here. This is where the mayor's office/city council meets, etc. Pretty beautiful interior. We'll be meeting w/the mayor this coming Monday to introduce ourselves & offer our various services in the community.

While picking up brochures in the Town Hall, I overheard one of the clerks tell a patron to "enjoy your visit to the brothel". To say I was surprised is an understatement! She informed me that it is legal & operating & they offer tours. I think we'll pass.

 The main streets are very broad...this was to allow the stagecoaches, camel wagons, & other big teamsters to maneuver or turn a circle in the streets. Lots of large roundabouts...which are nice most of the time.   





First Saturday in town & we had a ward service project cleaning up an Aboriginal health clinic. It hasn't been operational for many years, but the city is planning on bringing it back soon, so a clean up was necessary. Lots of good help from members of all ages! 

Later that Saturday evening, we had a great bonfire & barbeque! It was lots of fun & we got to meet lots of ward members.              This is Bishop Papasin & his wife Saylee.                                                     

  

We had about 130 people show up for the bonfire & maybe two dozen or so were less actives or non-members. Everyone had a good time laughing & telling stories...some of the folks didn't leave until almost midnight making sure the fires were out & everything left neat & tidy.

Last week we introduced ourselves to many people in the community to offer our services. We met the directors of The Salvation Army; The Women's Refuge; community outreach organizations, etc. We were able to get a wholesale bakery to supply us with bread donations five days a week so different organizations can make bread deliveries to several outlying Aboriginal camps; we got our Library cards & visited w/them about offering Family History classes & will start next week both there & at the Church's center twice a week. There was also requests to do Book of Mormon/New Testament reading groups twice/week & we are hopeful of facilitating a Self-Reliance class at the women's shelter. Our Elder's Q secretary is an administrator at the nearby prison, & several of our members also work there so Elder Tate will be visiting to see if he can start an addictive recovery program w/the inmates. Idle hands & all that...

We have been busy meeting newly baptised members & getting to know them as well as less active members in the ward. Like our small branch in Karratha, these good members truly love one another & look for ways to minister to others. They are strong & resilient; passionate about the gospel & anxiously engaged in doing missionary work. We feel very optimistic about the opportunities to introduce many people to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ during out time here & pray the Lord will direct our efforts. 

One thing is very clear...the Lord is gathering His elect. They are out there...usually they don't even know they are searching for something more until they hear a message that sounds familiar & resonates within their souls. Those individuals quickly grasp hold & yearn to be gathered together with those who can strengthen & lift their newly found hopes & dreams. It is so vitally important to give these new converts responsibilities & opportunities to minister to others so that they, too, can feel the Spirit as they bring others unto Christ.

On our P-Day we went sight-seeing. Here's the Super Pit (largest open pit gold mine in the world). The huge trucks all look like little legos. Most people work 12 hr days/7 on/7 off. That's a lots of driving on the same boring roads for long periods of time. Granted, they are paid very well...still, not the kind of work I would want to do for 20 yrs. Now if you do the Pathways program while you're working, then that's another thing altogether. 

 
This is one of the buckets in the picture opposite. Not sure if you can read it, but the bucket alone costs about $1.3 million!

Elder Tate putting bread/rolls into a local food box for homeless/needy people. We generally put about a dozen bags of bread in per week. Going to start adding some peanut butter in it also. It's across from the police station & shopping, so a safe place where items can be dropped off & picked up 24/7. 

We do a lot of things for 'the needy'. But aren't we all 'the needy'? We all have need of our Savior & the love that He offers us. We all need a friend & isn't He our greatest friend & advocate w/the Father? We all need guidance & direction in our lives & isn't Christ our most loving Shepherd? We all feel hurt & experience pain & sorrow, are in need of Jesus, the master Physician. 

I watched a beautiful video today of a talk given by Sister Sharon Eubank in April 2019 General Conf. entitled Christ: The Light That Shines in Darkness. For those who sometimes feel marginalized or alone; for those who may think no one cares or could possibly understand what we're going through; for anyone contemplating leaving the Gospel path or worse...we all are in need of our Redeemer's love & outstretched arms of mercy. 

The clamor of the world is loud, often harsh & uncaring. Social media, w/all the good it can bring into our lives, is also used as a battering ram to beat us into submission, make us feel as if our opinions don't matter or that everyone but me has life figured out. We can sometimes think 'why bother', no one is listening or really cares.

Fortunately, Someone does care. He has sent angels to minister among us & they are everywhere. We see them in the smiles of little children; in the eyes of a loving friend; we feel His love in the hands of men & women reaching out to lift & succor in times of sorrow or pain. We see our Savior in the shining faces of missionaries traversing the world as they seek to share the Father's great love for His children. 

In these day of 'lives matter'...let us truly believe that yes, all lives matter. We are all brothers & sisters of a divine Creator who loves us perfectly. In 2 Nephi 26:33 we read, "For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God both Jew and Gentile."

This is what we seek after as stated in The 13th Article of Faith: "We believe in being true, honest, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say we follow the admonition of Paul--We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.  

Love to you all, dear family, friends & brothers & sisters....Elder & Sister Tate