The Journey continues....:-)

July 11, 2020...the continuing saga...

Our hearts swelled w/joy as we drove into the Karratha area & back to our sweet little flat. It was lovely to be home after so many miles & busyness. Our priorities were setting up teaching appointments with those we'd befriended, Anwar, Sumo & Riana's family & Bronwyn. We got right to work & started the next day w/Bronwyn that afternoon & dinner w/our sweet family that evening. Over the next two weeks we taught a dozen lessons & had dinner w/Sumo & Riana's family  half dozen times! Some of the best memories we have will be watching as others felt the Spirit testifying of truth as they learned of our Heavenly Father's deep love in providing us with a life plan through Jesus Christ & His restored gospel. 

Our love for dear Anwar doesn't waver, even though he's not yet committed to being baptized. He is a wonderful man & will someday embrace the restored gospel as he comes to better understand the blessings to be received when one truly commits to making & keeping sacred covenants. We know he is surrounded by good friends who love him just as he is...which is enough.

Bronwyn is married to a wonderful member who is less active, but very supportive of her investigating. He is such a hard worker & loves his precocious little three yr. old daughter, Indiana (Indie, for short) & beautiful wife. She has such wonderful friends in the branch who love her & are so very welcoming & inclusive. She is a beautiful young lady & just lights up whenever she gets excited about something she loves, yet is so humble & teachable. We know it will be short time before she is baptized. 

We spent our first Sunday afternoon w/our friends Artie & Catherine Dimitrov & family. Here's a pic of Elder Tate & I getting a grandbaby fix with two of the little ones. This helps us not miss ours quite so much...

Here's some pictures of our branch outing to a place called Millstream, which is an important place for the Aboriginal people. While there several of the 'elders' came to sing & pray over the water to ask for safety for all those who came to swim. This was because many years ago a young boy had drowned. There was a cameraman who filmed everything including several of our members asking questions & interacting w/the men. It was so interesting, strange...but still interesting!

This is Ashley on the right pic holding her little boy...Ashley's family is from Utah. Her husband worked for Kennecott mines there & got a fantastic job in a town named Tom Price, several hours south of Karratha. So they brought their sweet little family over & plan to stay for three more years so they can finish paying off their home in the States & give them enough in savings to do pretty much whatever they want. Doing the hard things now so they won't have to later. Such strong pioneer spirits! They truly love the Lord & are wonderful missionaries in the small community where they live...they're the only members for several hundred miles in any direction!

Randy went on a little walk about w/Anwar & investigated an old 'station'. It was in pretty nice condition...with a little elbow grease & money it could probably be a nice home. I think he'd be happy living in a place like this for the rest of his life...as long as there was good fishing nearby.

Nice table! That would be cool in a cabin.
It was on some lovely grounds near the river, so would have been a beautiful place in its heyday. Anwar was commissioned to pay the exterior of the place...it took him about 40 days to paint & was paid quite well because it's government property. 
               There were lots of kangaroos in this area. Fortunately, no poisonous snakes or deadly spiders, although one of the little boys did not listen to the adults when told to stay away from a certain spot because there were fire ants. He just had to take a look see & sure enough, he was quickly attacked & came away screaming! Dad had to pick him up & nearly throw him into the river to get rid of the ants. 

A cool rusted out machine of some sort. We couldn't figure out what it was used for. It had a belt line on top but there aren't any farm crops in the area...too hot/dry, so perhaps an old mining machine.


More celebrating as our last Monday rolled around & we held FHE at our complex for the last time. An invitation was extended to all our friends/branch family & pretty much everyone came. We had a great time w/delicious food, laughter & lots of fun. We will sure miss these people!!

Jang (in forefront) was our neighbor & a wonderful chef...worked at a restaurant downstairs. She's a returned missionary from Thailand who is less active but being fellowshipped by the members. Across playing pool is Lavinia & LeRoy McKay & Murrell Ta'ala...all RM's & from New Zealand. Great people! Below is  our buddies, Sumo & Riana, whom we are teaching. They have a beautiful family & we are prayerful that someday soon they will get married, Sumo will be baptized & then they will make the trip to Perth to be married in the Temple. 

Below is Bro. & Sister Emery & on the table is our Australian flag our daughter Leslee sent us to have our friends sign to remember them all by. It's been great!    Here's Anwar & Matthew, the oldest Lekias boy.


Lavinia with Ta'ala's little boy, Beau. Lots of fun in the pool...lovely sunsets every night!

Some of our favorite ladies sampling the food! Georgia Baker, Lavinia, Te Whenua, Deanna, & another Lavinia. Not sure who else...









Here's the best sign in Karratha! 
Our last

day at church & final goodbyes....see you later

Artie!! 

After cleaning the flat & packing up the car we waved goodbye to continue our adventure in a new location...another K-town...Kalgoorlie. We made the trip back to Perth & enjoyed some new/different sights along the way. 

This is Pink Lake...literally a pink lake which, depending on the time of day you visit, can be bright pink, salmon, violet, lavender or nearly red. It was in shades of pink when we visited.  A very popular tourist spot & a road well traveled through beautiful green rolling hills, farms & orchards. There were wild watermelons growing all along the roads...unfortunately, none were ripe enough to pick to take for a sweet treat on our drive.  

We met many people touring Western Australia, mostly filled w/newly graduated kids or students from different countries who had taken jobs in order to see a part of the world they most likely wouldn't see otherwise. We met nannies, maids, food servers, & people working at the many different mining operations. 

We struck up a conversation w/these two young men from Germany & I noticed the one on the left's shirt said 'Stuttgart' which is where our German boy, Steffen, lives. So we had to get a picture, which we immediately sent to Steffen, who was happy to see/hear from us. Then he became more excited when he saw the other young man's shirt, which had the name of a non-profit organization Steffen works with. It is sometimes a very small world! 

Then on to our next destination, a place called Pinnacles, which are outcroppings of limestone...a very otherworldly & bizarre few hundred acres, but strangely beautiful. It wouldn't have been too much a stretch of the imagination to see dinosaurs traipsing across the landscape!  

A long post, I know...& we'll end as we began, with the people we love. Our sweet Bronwyn continues to learn about the Gospel & feels her Saviour's love. She has committed to being baptized & will choose a date in the next few days. We are just so sad we will probably not be there when she enters the waters, however, we will be there when she enters the Temple to receive her endowment & make those sacred covenants with God. What an exciting & joyous day that will be! The only thing that could possibly make it any better would be if she & her husband, Matt & little Indie, could be sealed together for eternity. Isn't our Heavenly Father wonderful! He just wants to give us everything.

That is why we do what we do & go where the Lord sends us. To teach of Him, preach repentance, & show others the path back to our Father in Heaven where they can receive exaltation & eternal joy with their families. 

We pray for & love all of you! Thanks for the support & words of encouragement...it is very much appreciated & helps us continue striving to move forward...especially when we don't have a clue what we're doing!! God bless your families & keep you safe in these challenging times. We know His hand is over us all....Love, Elder & Sister Tate

Happy Birthday, America the Beautiful!

July 4th, 2020

Goodness, time is flying by & it's hard to believe we've been on our mission now for nearly 11 months! We've been blessed to have experienced so many different things; seen many unique/interesting places & have met such wonderful, uplifting & resilient individuals. Our hearts are full as we reflect upon these past months here in the wonderful Australia Perth Mission.

It's been awhile since we we've been able to post anything here on our blog as we've been traveling around Western Australia on assignments & without internet most of that time. I'll attempt to catch everyone up...however, it most likely will take multiple posts in quick succession.

First of all...we completed our assignments w/the other senior couples in getting all the flats cleaned, inspected & ready for new missionaries; food redistributed & everything in good repair. The Mission in is great shape & we think the young missionaries will be better able to stay on top of things as they now have a clear understanding of what is expected of them pertaining to their temporal responsibilities. It's a lot of work to keep the mission running smoothly & we're grateful for the hard work the office couples perform without complaint to keep everything running like a well-oiled machine. The Lord's house is a house of order, including the temporal affairs of His kingdom. 

We enjoyed a senior conference w/Pres. & Sister Bennallack. We participated in assembling care bags for medical people who, because of Covid-19, need extra sanitized items when they leave the hospitals. We met together at one of the huge stadiums where a pro team practices their national sport...rugby. 

We had way too much fun working side by side. You can see the assembled bags lying on the floor in the back. We had another pile behind us. The manager was very grateful for all our help & so happy with the results of our efforts.

The Alekna's (left) gave us all lovely hats w/the beautiful skyline of Perth on them. We presented them with a framed/autographed picture of the photo above w/us in our hats. They loved it! 
They actually extended their mission several months to take on the big job of managing all the flats as well as the English teaching assignments for our foreign missionaries. We sure love & miss them as they have now returned home to the Sydney.

We all come from different walks of life but the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ helps us become of one heart & one mind. That's what is needed & absolutely necessary to carry on in this great work of salvation. It is something that sets us apart as 'peculiar'...people often ask & wonder why we do what we do...come so far & actually pay for the opportunity to serve others. It is something hard for them to wrap their minds around. 

Our drive back to Karratha was bittersweet. A lovely drive seeing new sights, but sad cause we knew we were leaving for a new assignment. Here are some pics from our trip back.

 This is a real sign....probably the cause of countless accidents as people try to read it. We actually stopped to get the picture & were hopeful to see any of these creatures. There's been lots of big, dead kangaroos along the road...luckily we didn't hit any. All we've seen have been in parks or away from busy traffic areas. 

The crocs are up north, so we haven't had to worry about them. There are camels here though. We plan on going for a ride one day soon! 

These are pictures of Shark Bay. We tried to get there, but it was getting dark & we didn't want to be on the road as that is when the kangaroos & other animals come out close to the roads looking for water & green grass. Elder Tate was very nervous about driving after dark so was going a little fast & got a speeding ticket by two officers he had chatted w/earlier in the day. They felt badly about having to give him a ticket, but since he was caught on camera, they had to. They didn't feel bad enough to accept a Book of Mormon, though! Dang! 

These are two very cool globes in the town of Geraldton. The one on the left is made of granite & floats/spins above the base on water that pours over the sides. It was getting to be sunset, so we got a fun shadow. The other is a reflective globe, also very cool...it reflects the scene upside down. They're about 4-5 feet in diameter.

Sunset in Geraldton. 

We ate dinner at a small seaside fish n' chips place. On this occasion, the view was better than the meal! 

This street scene reminded us of Oregon. Had to drive down it several times is was so lovely!

 

Beautiful Catholic cathedral in Geraldton. The missionary work has been very slow here. It is a fishing town, but there's also a university & lots of young people/young families. It seems to be that folks just don't feel the need for religion.
Most of the beautiful churches sit vacant...so sad. Perhaps in the not so distant future, people will feel the need to draw closer to their Savior & return. Or maybe they will become part of our faith's buildings. I have no problem going inside one of these gorgeous buildings to worship!

We won't see these lovely ocean views or white sandy beaches again for awhile, so have to enjoy them while we can! We heard great things about this seafood place & really wanted to eat lobster fresh off the boats. Unfortunately, due to Covid...it wasn't open until the next day. We tried twice to go there...no luck! 

 
You will have to look this up online. There is an area between Geraldton & Canarvon where the wind blows pretty constant in one direction. The trees all look like they're going to fall over or have blown over. This one had it's own sign. Pretty trippy! 

Back in Karratha we had two weeks to pack up/clean out our flat & say goodbye to our dear friends & branch family. I'm not gonna to lie...it was difficult, but we made the most of our time with them. We had the chance to attend Church again twice; had cookouts & went out Bush w/our good friends the Otto's; had a branch activity at a place called Millstream, a special place to the Aboriginals; spent quality time w/Anwar & the Dimitrov family; had dinner w/Phil & Irene Long (our non-member friends who've embraced Family History); taught a dozen lessons to two part-member families & are very hopeful that there will be some baptisms soon as a result. We only wish we could be there when they happen. Four of my friends from the women's place came to our last Church service to show support for me...an invitation I wish I would have extended much earlier. We ended w/a last branch FHE swim party at our complex before leaving Karratha the next morning...almost everyone came & we had a blast. Those days were made memorable by wonderful people whom we love dearly & miss already.

Here we are 'going bush' w/Otto's. They are hopeful of selling their landscape business soon so they can retire & get out on a full-time mission. Wonderful couple who will be excellent missionaries, because they already are! 

This is an old homestead settled in the late 1880's about 70 miles inland from Karratha. At one time it was a very large station w/sheep, cattle & thousands of acres of grazing land. It was quite a large, modern home & boasted two extensive covered wrap around porches; a modern bathroom w/indoor plumbing; fireplaces in every room; crown moldings & fancy stamped tin ceilings w/old rusted out chandeliers. 
Now it's covered inside w/bat guano & home to lizards, mice & other rodents. 

Sister Otto decided to take some of the tin home for a craft project. I'm sure it will turn out very artistic & lovely!

Elder Tate & Bro. Otto are checking out the elaborate well & water cistern...pretty neat & the water was crystal clear. Couldn't see the bottom either. At one time this was a thriving station (ranch). It employed dozens of people & provided a very comfortable home to wealthy landowners. However, it couldn't survive the flooding that occurred when the nearby river overflowed it's banks. This didn't happen often, but when it did, it caused extensive damaged that would take ages to repair. Eventually, the people decided it wasn't worth the effort or cost to keep rebuilding & moved away.

 

Life is kind of like that at times. We go along doing the things we've always done unaware & oftentimes unprepared for the storms that are fast approaching. When the unexpected hits, & they will, (COVID, economic turmoil, isolation) we can be devastated both temporally & spiritually. 

Or, we can look to the watchmen on the tower who see what's ahead, often years before the storms come, & hearken to their voices. When we listen then obey, we can rest assured that we will be able to weather those storms. Even though we are not exempt from hardships & losses, we know to whom we can turn for peace & comfort; strength & endurance; knowledge & power. 

Alma teaches us, 'Yea, and I also exhort you, my brethren, that ye be watchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects at the last day; for behold, he rewardeth you no good thing.

Focusing our lives in & on the Savior & His gospel enables us to overcome the tendency of the natural man to be spiritually lazy. As we are blessed w/eyes to see & ears to hear, the Holy Ghost can increase our capacity to look & listen when we may not typically think we need to look or listen or when we may not think anything can be seen or heard. 

"Watch, therefore, that ye be ready." 

Times are uncertain. Let us be faithful in holding fast to the iron rod & keep our eyes focused on our Savior & Redeemer. We love & pray for you, our dear family & friends! We have faith that the Lord's Prophet knows the way and, if we hearken to his council, we will arrive safely home. 

Hurrah for Israel!!  More pictures & stories to come in the next issue. Until then, hugs to you all....Elder & Sister Tate

On the road again....;-)

May 12, 2020

Sorry for the delay in a new post, but, as you've seen in previous posts, we've been very busy here in the great Australia Perth mission. We've gathered several vans worth of emergency food/bedding bags; picked up/repaired several dozen bikes; moved all the missionary cars offsite; cleaned almost 40 flats & closed five. We've been putting together food boxes out of the storage & delivering to our house-bound missionaries & preparing other boxes of food items/missionary books/pamphlets for missionaries who will be coming to our mission in the next month or so. 

I had a wonderful Mother's Day spent w/my sweetheart in the quiet of our flat here in Perth. It was a relaxing day of reading, study & zooming w/a scripture study group back in Karratha. Thanks to my sweet daughter Jessica & son Josh for the beautiful flowers! I also received lovely email messages from my other girls & family members. Even though I miss them all so very much, I am very grateful for the opportunity to still be serving a mission where so many had to return home. We feel very fortunate indeed! 

After weeks spent indoors & unable to get out to do service or help others, our young Elders/Sisters were finally able to leave their flats. We put them all to work helping us clean out the flats & they were sooo happy to be out & about. I never thought young guys could have so much fun scrubbing toilets & mopping floors! 

With thumbs up is Elder Tuddenham (Aussie), & Elder Tiaeki (Kiribis); kneeling is Elder Ungo'unga (Aussie but originally from Hawaii) & in back is Elder T'Vili (Aussie).

Hard work requires food=energy...& these boys can put it away! On the left is Elder Tikana from Kirbis; on the rt is Elder Marrett (Aussie); above rt is Elder Fulcher another Aussie; scrubbing in shower is Elder Pongsakon (Thailand). He's one of our faves as we taught him English for several months.

This is our medical couple from Vancouver, WA...the Furin's. They are awesome & work closely w/all the missionaries to make sure we stay in good health. It's sometimes a struggle as we have so many that come here from the islands who have not had access to good medical care. So it's up to them to make sure all our wonderful, hard-working, dedicated Elders & Sisters are well taken care of so, when it's time for the missionaries to return home, they go back better than when they arrived.  That's Sisters Vincent & Seng in the back seat.

We worked hard, too, so decided to have some fun this past week...got to go the beach to wade & swim; went biking; shopping; relaxed w/friends at dinner & played games. It's been sooo lovely having the opportunity to spend time w/other senior couples & discover all the things we have in common & love doing.  Here's some photos of us hanging out w/our buddies.

They have an interesting job here....motorcycle instructors! Yep, we're driving down the road & see two cyclists in front of us...one w/a bright orange vest w/bright yellow 'L' on it. That stands for 'Learner' & he's receiving instructions from the guy behind him. It was very strange. 

Elder Tate all dressed up for our online Zoom Sacrament meeting. His fashion faux pas was just a brief lapse...he finished dressing properly for the Sabbath Day. We're so grateful to still be able to partake of the Sacrament & to be able to now take it to our dear sister missionaries. They had missed it greatly. With the changes going into effect tomorrow they will now be able to go to a members home to have the sacrament & enjoy fellowship w/others. 

We've been fasting & praying to have some of the restrictions lifted by the end of May as we have 10 people patiently waiting to enter the waters of baptism. One young man just walked into the mission offices a couple weeks ago wanting to know about this church the media was always bashing. He figured if he could find so much good about us then there must be a reason for the negative comments. He began an earnest searching that very moment & is so anxious to be baptized & join into membership w/people he has come to love w/out ever having met. It is truly a wonderful time of gathering & we are so very grateful to be a small part of it.  

We received a new assignment from Pres. Bennallack this week. We head south Tuesday morning. That's right! The borders have opened up a bit & we can travel outside of Perth. Our destination is supposed to be one of the most beautiful areas of Australia & I love the names of the towns we'll be working in...Bunbury & Busselton. We'll be serving alongside three missionaries who are opening up the area again in preparation for more coming in the next month or so. We have 8 apartments (flats) to clean up & get ready, so will be busy yet again, but we are looking forward to seeing new places, meeting new faces & making more memories. 

This is a quick post but I'll share more next time w/photos from down south. We sure love & miss all our family & dear friends! Keep up the awesome missionary efforts by sharing messages from the Prophet & Apostles & other  amazing experiences & stories on social media. 

We testify that this is the Lord's work...He is hastening the time of gathering & we all need to decide whose side we are on. The war in heaven is still raging here below, but we know the ultimate victor is Christ, the Lord of Heaven & earth. We know we are led by a Prophet, even Russell M. Nelson & bear witness that by listening to his voice & being obedient to the council we receive, we will be safe in these uncertain times & be able to stand strong in the face of adversity & challenges. We know the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is upon the earth once again & testify that it can be found in the teachings & ordinances of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Love to you all! Elder & Sister Tate