The past couple of weeks have simply blown by! Can't say we're not excited to see the end of 2020 & the chaos of COVID, an upside down election & other crazy happenings, but through it all we've certainly learned some important lessons, gained greater perspectives, & come to better #HearHim as we've followed our beloved Prophet & leaders. We hope the coming year will be more peaceful, bring more kindness & give us opportunities to teach & lead others to Christ. We also have been enjoying the wonderful #LighttheWorld initiative & the great opportunities this time of year affords each of us.
I put out a desperate FB post for anyone's extra Christmas items to help to decorate our naked flat. We didn't want to spend anymore $$ on decorations that we would just leave behind so were very happy when we received lots of lovely donated items...trees, ornaments, etc for ourselves & the Elder's flat. I was so excited to have something to put up...Here's our humble little tree & home afterwards.
Leslee contacted our friends Alison & Nawal, to be our own personal elves to do some Christmas shopping for her. They filled the giant stocking w/lots of goodies for us to unwrap Christmas morning. They had so much fun & got totally into the spirit of giving. We made a haul thanks to our own personal Santa & her cute, sneaky elves!!
The week before Christmas we went to Perth for our annual Christmas conference w/all the missionaries & had a fantastic time. It was wonderful to be among all our young Elders & Sisters & feel of their energy & enthusiasm, as well as our other senior missionaries; to receive instruction from our Mission President. We had a fantastic Christmas feast provided w/all the delicious trimmings both American & Australian; beautiful handmade decorations our RS sisters do so well everywhere the world round; laughter & good times. Later that day we went to a local park (of which they have sooo many) to have some fun & let off some steam & eat pizza...teenagers favorite anywhere you go. The next day we spent a couple hours at one of the big malls spreading a little Christmas cheer w/caroling & mingling among the shoppers. Unlike in America & other highly populated areas, there was very little physical distancing or masks to be seen.
These are all of our young Sister missionaries. Most are from Western Australia, but a few are from Malaysia & the Philippines. In total we now have 34 young missionaries serving & 5 senior couples. We are hopeful of getting about 20 more missionaries from around Australia over the next few months. We still don't have any senior couples coming in...they will most likely be asking for volunteers from the Perth area to help out when we all start leaving, which begins mid-January.
Along w/the happy were some bittersweet moments. The first was that President Bennallack & his wife have been w/their youngest daughter/family for the past month back east in Sydney. She had been undergoing cancer treatment for the past 1.5 yrs, but to no avail & was dying. President decided to make the quick trip back to attend our much anticipated conference but learned, just prior to landing late Thursday night, that he would have to be placed under isolation for 24 hrs. So he wasn't even able to personally attend the conference Friday, but had to do it over Zoom.
The second & most bitter pill was that he received a phone call early Sat. morning informing him that his daughter had passed away. It was a very sad time knowing he had sacrificed being w/his daughter/family to come back to be w/all of us. He put his missionaries needs before his own & sacrificed precious time in order to perform his duties. What a selfless, devoted man of God! And instead of staying at home to grieve w/a broken heart, he came to the mall to join w/us in singing the songs of celebration & joy that Christmas brings. We could see his tears & hear the tender feelings of his soul as he sang songs of praise to our Savior & felt our own testimonies strengthened as we listened to him bear witness of the birth of Christ & the eternal blessings that can come to all mankind through Him. It is an experience I shall never forget.
Back home we looked forward to the upcoming holidy activities. We enjoyed a lovely dinner w/the Prall family on Christmas Eve then went to the Mortley's for their annual Christmas Day celebration of...what else? A water fight!! It was very welcome as temperatures hovered around 102*-106 for the next couple of days. I'm longing for a white Christmas next year!
And look at these desserts!! Homemade Pavlova & Trifle....so delicious!
We received some of our favorite games from our son, Josh....as you all know, we love playing games & he sent us two great ones. Cover Your Assests & Splendor. We look forward to introducing them at our New Year's Day game night. He also sent us some very special treats that are almost impossible to find here & if you read one of our last posts, you'll see/remember just how expensive they are.
Here's Elders Winter & van der Linden (yes, that's his name!) enjoying their first & probably their last taste of our Twinkies!
Of course, it wouldn't have been a real Christmas without being able to celebrate with our family & we give thanks once again for modern tech that allows us that blessings. If we'd only bought stock in Zoom our lives would be much richer right now! JK....
Family is what brings us the most joy in our lives & the blessings of eternal families through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is what we seek to bring to others. That in no way means we don't have challenges, issues & sorrows... but it is because of the gospel that we are able to put those difficult aspects of living into proper perspective & continue moving ever forward on the covenant path.
We are so very grateful for this past year's opportunities for growth, learning & teaching moments. For the Christlike attributes we constantly are given chances to obtain...patience, humility, charity, virtue, knowledge, hope, diligence & obedience. Through those we have come to know & respect, friends, family, missionaries, investigators & Church leaders/members...we see in their lives these very characteristics & qualities. There are so many who give of their time/energy to help others w/no expectation of anything in return; those who sacrifice their own needs/wants in order to bless & lift others; for people who so willingly share of their bounty so that others may have; & those who simply strive to bring joy & laughter into other's hearts.
We give thanks for all these wonderful souls that have enriched our lives & blessed us so abundantly this past year & pray for the blessings of heaven to be upon you throughout the coming New Year....Hurrah for Israel!
Love to you all....Elder & Sister Tate!
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