April 15, 2021
Our 'lasts' are happening much too quickly! Our last FHE in the park; our last Easter in Kalgoorlie; our last General Conference in Australia...oh how difficult it is to realize these last chances to be with our friends here in this part of the world! But, even as they occur, we look forward w/great anticipation to new beginnings & catching up w/our wonderful family & dear friends back home! As the saying goes...'the only constant is change!'
We spent a delightful Easter weekend w/some of our favorite people. Bishop Sheck & his family invited us to share a Good Friday breakfast w/them...& it was a feast! Afterwards we watched the beautiful #Starting Today video & shared some memorable Easter experiences & testimonies. Then we played a few rounds of Murder, & even though Quincy was feeling pretty confident that he could take Elder Tate...unfortunately for him, youth gave way to experience, yet again!
We made a very quick trip to Perth last week...President said come & bring the Elders, so we did! The Temple President created several extra sessions just so the missionaries could all attend & it was a beautiful experience to be inside once again. We were so spoiled at home being close to two temples within a very short drive. It's something we certainly hope to never take for granted again...as I'm sure many of you do also! How wonderful to be able to feel the Spirit inside those sacred walls & know the great work of redemption has not been stopped because of a pandemic.
If you go back to almost the beginning of our time serving up in Karratha, you'll see a post w/pictures of us at the airport saying farewell to Sonya Dimitrov as she flew out to the MTC in Provo before starting her mission in San Diego, CA. We were so excited to discover Catherine & Sonya at the Temple & know the Lord was very aware of how much we hoped to be able to see them while in Perth. We only had a 30 minute window in which to see them....God is so good!!
Elder Tate w/Sister Trego & Sister Ellis...these lovely Sisters are in charge of all the social media videos & posts that go up on Facebook, Instagram & other sites. Even though they had no experience prior to this assignment, these missionaries were able to learn very quickly & haven't missed a beat as they help the rest of us figure our new ways to share the gospel. And they do all this extra work while still meeting new people; teaching lessons; doing service & helping less actives find their way back. We are constantly amazed at the valiant missionaries the Lord prepared for these trying times & their willingness to do really hard things.
In hindsight, we can definitely see the Lord's hand as countless opportunities & blessings have been extended throughout the world because He knows how to bring about the gathering of His children...even during a pandemic. There have been so many fantastic stories & miracles brought to pass by missionaries around the world who have been valiant, obedient & have worked hard to continue to find, teach & baptize those whose hearts are prepared to receive the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We know the gospel of Jesus Christ will be preached in every land & to every people, however, we do not know how that will all come about.
For instance, just because missionaries can not go into mainland China doesn't mean the Chinese people can't receive the restored gospel. Our former Bishop met several wonderful, intelligent Chinese gentlemen at his workplace who he then introduced to us. For the past several months we've been helping them w/their English skills & they are now our friends. They trust us & look forward to our lessons each week...& because they trust us two of them are now taking the missionary lessons & we hope more will do so in the near future. It may take some time for them to understand doctrines so very different than what is available in a communist country, but we believe the Spirit of the Lord will take those small seeds of truth & cause them to swell within their hearts & great things will happen as a result. When we let the Lord prevail in our lives & do our part to help bring about His work, miracles happen.
On our drives around WA we have seen several huge murals painted on the sides of silos...here's just a few! The first one is down south in an area covered w/grain fields. Pretty amazing artwork & HUGE!
In the last post I mentioned our faithful Kiribati missionaries & how they were waiting patiently to return home after serving for over three years. Well, they've made it to Fiji where they are in the second week of their quarantine. Sister Matakite is doing her isolation at a family members home while Elder Murdock, Elder Tiaeki & Elder Tikana are staying in a hotel. They are each in their own room but go out on the balconies every day to hang out & eat their meals together. They were excited to finally get to go outside for an hour every day to exercise. Three of the missionaries will be home when the plane lands in Kiribati, but Elder Murdock will have a 14 day boat ride to his home on Christmas Island. What a faith building journey they've had w/memories to last them a lifetime! (A side note...we received a call from Elder Yavala in Fiji yesterday & he had these three Elders with him...they are still wearing their name tags because they are now serving in Fiji as missionaries until the are finally released to go home to Kiribati, which might be one month or six! Modern day sons of Mosiah serving for who knows how long!)
Finally outside & able to have some fun! Here's Elder Tikana opening up some fresh coconuts for everyone to enjoy. He said it's been a very long time since he's done this!
While in Perth we went to a local mall to get a few small gifts & saw a cotton candy machine. Kids are kids everywhere & love their sweets...you'll find these at small fairs, local gatherings & activities at the church.
Aussies love their barbeques! Throwing some shrimp on the Barbie is a real thing & taken seriously. No ham dinner for Easter in Kalgoorlie! Here's our friend Robert Riquelme cooking up beef ribs, pork chops & sausages soaked in his mom's fabulous Chilean marinade for Easter Sunday dinner. We contributed fish tacos to the gourmet meal & had a fantastic time!
It's time for school break (like our spring break) so many families head out to the beaches in Perth or down south to Esperance. Here's the Mortley family loading up the family van w/the organizing king on the roof. And no good parent would ever forget to load up the porta potty when there are seldom, if ever, any rest stops along the way! A brilliant homemade version to take along because nobody wants to be squatting in the bushes w/snakes & spiders!
We have a nephew who is a graphic artist...he made this fantastic Harry Potter caricature painting as a going away gift to the Mortley's for being our family away from home. They are huge HP fans & the characters look very much like each of them. We were so excited to give it to them & they love it! If any of you would like our nephew's contact info, send me a message! He's amazing!!
I hope you've all had an opportunity to listen/watch to General Conference & hear the wise council from our Prophet & Apostles. If not, then please take the time to do so, for nothing is more important than hearing what the Lord wants His children to know/do at this time. We live in days foretold & can see the fulfillment of prophecy literally happening before our eyes & must be prepared if we want to not just survive, but thrive both spiritually & emotionally in the coming days.
In the October 2020 General Conference, President Nelson gave the amazing talk on letting God prevail in our lives. He said, "During these perilous times of which the Apostle Paul prophesied, Satan is no longer even trying to hide his attacks on God's plan. Emboldened evil abounds. Therefore, the only way to survive spiritually is to be determined to let God prevail in our lives, to learn to hear His voice, & to use our energy to help gather Israel."
When we do this, the Lord has pledged that He will "fight our battles, & our children's battles, & our children's children's battles...to the third & fourth generation." We are His covenant people & as we choose to let God prevail in our lives, we will experience for ourselves that God is a God of miracles.
President Nelson continued this theme in his remarks during the April conference when he taught us faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation of all belief & the conduit of divine power. He emphasized how every good thing in life begins w/faith & when we allow God to prevail in our lives, we will desire true repentance which, in turn, will cleanse, heal & strengthen us. It is a cycle of desire, faith, repentance, & promised blessings.
As we prepare to return home our thought often turn to the what ifs....what if we don't like what we return to0? What if we are unable to find a place to live? What if life never returns to 'normal'? What if, what if??? Ultimately, there is always the unknown just around the corner & no one knows what the next day might bring. That is why we must let God prevail in our lives by being prepared with lamps filled with the oil of obedience; putting on the whole armor of God every day & having ears to hear & hearts willing to follow the voice of the Spirit in every endeavor.
We look forward to the next two months of hard work, dedication, & inspiration as we continue to do our best in bringing souls unto Christ is this amazing & wonderful part of His vineyard.
Hurrah for Israel!! Love to you all...Elder & Sister Tate
