A humbling week...

Nov. 18, 2019

Well, can I just say I had the best Australian birthday ever?! Elder Tate made my favorite cake...german chocolate; I received lots of flowers & lovely things & had a wonderful time spent w/wonderful new friends here in Karratha! They treated this elderly sister like a queen. Sorry....elderly Sister.  

We returned from our monthly visit to Port Hedland yesterday afternoon. During our time there we have a specific assignment to work with/engage the YSA ladies. I've mentioned before that there are seven, but only one actively participates. This certainly makes it challenging, however it always seems to work out, because the Lord wants these young women to know He loves them...so we do whatever we can to accomplish this goal. We invited the YW & their mums/leaders to join us & had a wonderful time making yummy smelling, feeling sugar scrubs, lip balm & sweet muddy buddies.  Next time I think we'll have lots more show up! 

We also had the Relief Society ladies Christmas dinner. We had a lovely time chatting & enjoying each other's company. The group might have been small but we made up for it in laughter & in sharing the holiday spirit with our Kris Kringle gift exchange.

It was also the branch's Primary program which is always a special treat. There are only about a dozen kids, but they certainly did a wonderful job of bringing the Spirit into our meeting. We had several less active members & a couple non-members attend, which is always a great opportunity for them to feel the Spirit, meet the members & feel the love we have one to another.

Elder Tate had a wonderful experience as he spoke to a gentleman who has recently been separated from his family due to some poor choices/struggles on his part. He was so grateful to be able to watch & enjoy the Primary program & spend time w/his children. It was obvious to us that he truly missed being a part of their lives/the gospel. Randy felt impressed to speak privately with him & offered to listen if he ever felt the need to unburden himself. 

Because our Heavenly Father knows our deepest sorrows & pains, He can & will open the way for us to find our way back to safety & peace. It is often by another's hands that these things come to pass...so it is up to us to be prepared to receive those quiet promptings...then have the faith to go & do accordingly. 

Unbeknownst to us, our young missionaries had made an appointment earlier in the week to visit this family's home after church which provided Elder Tate with additional time & opportunity to visit w/this brother & get to know him better. He says of this..."My experience after our discussion was very unusual; this was the first time I have ever mourned privately and actually felt the pain of someone I am not close to.  The Holy Ghost has the responsibility to comfort and testify of truth to all who are willing to learn what Jesus experienced on our behalf.  Truly an unforgettable experience for me."

Our time with the Saints in Port Hedland is becoming sweeter w/each visit...we love their devotion & desire to serve the Lord. Here is a pic of Jacob (fully clothed!) & Robert. Elder Tate loves these two humble men & so enjoys hearing of their life experiences & stories. You will have to read our previous posts to learn about Jacob's history as it is quite impressive. Robert joined the church at 14 but was never really active. He has hard a very hard life but has a strong desire receive the blessings that come from being fully engaged in the gospel & able to go to the temple this next year. We know our Father & the Savior love them for their child-like meekness & kind souls.

We learned that one sister's father was baptized without ever being taught the gospel because he saw how it changed people for the better & knew it was true. He was disowned by his pastor father & lost his inheritance/land & was forced to move into a hut donated/built by others. A short time later he was called to be the first missionary to go to a small island near Tonga, so he took his family & moved away...again without anything but what they could carry...totally dependent upon people they did not know. 

On this island the members of a local church were kind & provided the family with a hut/land & helped them become part of the small community. Within a couple of years her father had taught & baptized dozens of people. Now this small island is home to a large community of saints, a full-size ward church building & the gospel of Jesus Christ is strong & thriving. This good sister has eleven siblings & every one of them have served missions & have been married in the Temple; two are currently Bishops, one is a Stake President & all are active & strong in the gospel..all because her father/mother were willing to move forward in faith & embrace the Lord's true church. 

We also both had an experience that required us to repent of some unkind feelings towards someone we felt was being sooo difficult & judgemental! As we came to better understand this person & their needs, it was made clear to us that we were the ones being uncharitable... examples of us having a beam in our eye vs. the tiny mote in theirs. We are so grateful for the opportunity to repent & try, yet again, to become more Christlike. I'm afraid it's going to be a very long journey...

You've read of our previous experience getting lost. We made sure not to do that again. However, as we were driving over & back again, we felt the sun beating down through the windshield & knew it had to be very hot outside. There were men out doing road construction & guys digging post holes along the way home. Couldn't believe it when we took this shot of our temperature gauge.

You can see it reads 47*C...that's 116.6*F!! 

If that isn't incentive to get a good education for an inside job, I don't know what is!

We were blessed to have our Mission President & companion come visit us a short time ago. They don't get up this far north very often, so it was lovely to have some time with them. They provided some wonderful training to our country district & it was sweet to hear their testimonies of the Savior & feel of their love for the missionaries in their care. Just like the rest of us, they have their own struggles & challenges to overcome & work through. Their 35 yr. old daughter is married w/five small children & was diagnosed w/a rare form of cancer several months ago. She is currently undergoing an extremely rigorous treatment of both radiation/chemo 5 days/wk...all day, & will continue this for over a year. And yet they both smile, give hugs & are so filled w/love for the work of bringing others to Christ & encourage us all to do the same. 

We testify that when we are willing to repent & submit to the Lord's will...doing whatever is required or necessary in faith, our Heavenly Father will bless us; give us the strength to endure our trials & perform miracles in our behalf. His Son's perfect Atonement will cover all sins & weaknesses...He is more than capable of bringing us, or our loved ones, back from the deepest despair or sorrows. 

At this time of Thanksgiving, we are so very grateful for the gift of agency; for the blessings of covenants & the possibility of eternal family units; for our liberties & freedoms. We are especially grateful for the knowledge we have that Christ is our Savior & Redeemer. We testify that the Book of Mormon is true, that the Prophet Joseph Smith was the instrument chosen by God to restore the fullness of His gospel & that Pres. Nelson is His prophet upon the earth today. Christ lives & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is His Church. How blessed we are to have these truths & be able to share them with the people in this part of the Lord's vineyard.

We appreciate your prayers. We can feel their power in our lives. May you feel His love in your lives as well. God bless!! 

Elder & Sister Tate

Lost....& not metaphorically speaking :-\

November 3, 2019

The last weekend of October we visited our Port Hedland branch. I posted pictures of our activities there...the radio station, serving w/the elders at the soup kitchen, hanging out w/Jacob (in his underwear), & in general, doing what missionaries are supposed to do. 

On the way home to Karratha, Elder Tate was passing one of the big road trains...they're called this because one semi can have up to 7 trailers...yep, that's over 225 ft & looks like a train on the road! So we're driving on the wrong side of the road...on the wrong side of he car...& passing on the wrong side of the road. No worries, mate!! Here's a picture as we're passing one & I couldn't get the last trailer in the frame.

So, we're passing this monster & totally miss our turn off cause it was blocking the sign telling us where to go. And we have no idea cause everything looks the same...red dirt, small red hills w/scrubby trees/grasses, more red dirt, etc. You get the picture. So, we drive for almost two hours then notice the hills are getting greener...there's some mountains in the distance & what looks like rain! Rain?! We haven't seen that since we've been here. And, oh, look...there's a termite hill & a balancing rock we've not seen before....Wait! We've never seen them before! 

Yep, we're totally lost w/no idea where we're at. No road signs anywhere along the way, no cell service or GPS, no pit stops, gas stations...nothing. Half hour later we see our first & only road sign telling us we're about 140 kilometers from Tom Price (a small town six hours southeast of where we live). Fortunately, we come to a roadhouse (truck stop) a short time later where we learn there's a short cut only 30 mins back...but we need a 4-wheel drive vehicle to travel that road, which we don't have. So back we go to where we started...a 7.5 hr. road trip we hadn't planned. At least we didn't hit any kangaroos after it got dark, which is when they usually hop out of nowhere onto the roads. You know the safety roll bars our vehicles have in the states? Out here they're called....roobars! 

Safely back home we enjoyed a good nights sleep on our new mattress from IKEA. We had been sleeping on one of the most uncomfortable beds ever & the mission had purchased us a new mattress. It got lost then found, lost again then reordered then both showed up 7 weeks after being ordered. (Notice a theme about being lost yet?) Upon getting it upstairs we discovered the hideously hard mattress we had been sleeping on was actually upside down! Whoever had made up the bed for the future tenants (us) had done so w/the soft mattress side face down. Who does that?! So now we are very comfortable sleeping on two mattresses...we're like princesses. 

Wonderful week spent meeting new people & teaching English to a missionary sister from Samoa. She is a wonderful, strong missionary with a humble heart of gold. She has a large family of 10 children...she's # 9 & also the ninth missionary to serve & her younger sister is preparing to leave in just a few months. Her parents were converted 25 yrs ago & have been so faithful in teaching their children the gospel & instilling strong values & a desire to serve. Amazing people!! 

The Elder we teach English is from Thailand & comes from a small village where his parents are dairy farmers. His goal is simple...to return home, marry in the temple, raise a righteous family & help run the farm. He wants to learn how to help grow the farm to provide work & income for others in their village. No big dreams of being a millionaire or traveling the world, just making a difference in his part of the Lord's vineyard the best way he can. We love these missionaries!

We had our Primary program two Sundays ago & it was such a beautiful meeting! The spirit was strong & we could feel the love of our Savior as the children bore their simple testimonies of Him. The family singing above are Maori & originally came from New Zealand. They have three of the loveliest children! The two boys have long, curly hair...the daughter's is short. Our branch has several such families...living far from home & family members, so this little branch is truly one big family who love & care one for another & welcome all into their circle.

We have one family who can only come to church one weekend a month as they live 6 hrs away. They're from the States...she's from Utah & he's from Arizona & they have 4 little ones. He worked for Kennicutt mines in SLC & was promoted to be the general manager at one of the big Rio Tinto mining operations over here. They are so faithful & determined to make sure their time here is spent teaching others of the Gospel & being true disciples of Christ. Another family is a hour away so come a couple times a month; there are also numerous fly-foes...these are workers who are flyin & flying out all the time. They may live 1200 miles away from their families yet come work for weeks at a time before flying out again. Lots of sacrifice.

We took a little drive over to Point Samson on Saturday...it's about an hour away so we didn't get lost. Along the way we saw our first real river...it was high tide & coming inland. We met a couple from Scandinavia...Her name is Ingrid & he's Gaston. We spent some time visiting & watched as some sea turtles swam in the river. She's going out to one of the islands in a few weeks to help tag the turtles & take an inventory of their numbers. It's always so interesting how the Lord's hand can be seen in the smallest of things. She was excited when we told her we had a friend from Sweden, Inger Bishop. Then we find out they live in the unit right next to us in Karratha...crazy!

We had a relaxing time exploring the area...beautiful beaches, a cool ghost town & a small park in the town of Wickham that had some retired machinery. This picture is for our grandson Lucas who loves everything about trucks! These can be seen all over the mining areas along with huge trains that can be up to 2 or miles long with cars filled w/iron ore being shipped off to China.

Then Elder Tate felt prompted to see if we could find one of the other families that have to travel in order to come to Church. The grandmother was home with two of the boys & welcomed us in. She got quite emotional as she shared some concerns that have been weighing heavy on her mind about her family & expressed her gratitude that we had made the effort to come visit. We were humbled & grateful to know the Lord had trusted us to meet her needs at this time. We know the Lord loves & cares about each & every one of His children regardless of where they live, what they do & who they are. He will send those who are able & willing to do His work...so we must always be listening to & for that still, small voice.

One of our neighbors is a returned missionary from Thailand who no longer attends church. She is a professional chef & seamstress...a very busy woman. She has been holding cooking classes in her home on Monday evenings, so we try to go as often as possible. It's more of a friendshipping thing than learning to cook...but she creates some beautiful dishes that taste as good as they look. She has friends who are partiers, so she now parties; she is lonely even in a crowd because she's forgotten who she is/where she comes from. So, along with others in our branch, we try to give her opportunities to feel & remember those things she once taught others. We are kind & try to show by example that you can find true joy by being in the world, but not of the world. 

We have a dear sister who was recently baptized & who has made some mistakes so thinks she is no longer worthy to attend church & participate in her new calling. It is difficult for her to think that she is not alone in this...that others feel the same way & it takes all of us to love & accept each other...wherever we are on the path of discipleship. 

So, I end with the beginning....in some way, at some time & in some place, we are all a little bit lost. It may be the result of poor choices we've made or that have been foisted upon us by another; it might be that we allow our doubts to push aside our faith or life just gets really, really hard & we think it might just be easier not to live the gospel for awhile. 

Elder Holland has expressed it this way, "...however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines."

We are so very grateful for this knowledge. It is humbling & yet thrilling at the same time to be a part of this great gathering of the last days. We pray for the strength & ability to continue moving forward as we serve His children in this remote, but beautiful part of the world. 

Love to all,

Elder & Sister Tate

They say it's Spring...but I don't believe it!

Oct. 22nd, 2019

So today we were getting a few things in the shops & I saw a store window that said, 'Happy Spring!'

It was about 11:00 am & 41*C outside...which is like 105*F. It got up to 107.6* today. If this is spring then, come summer, we're going to be like eggs frying on the pavement! I would like to pay homage to the man who invented A/C...he was a genius & deserves my utmost gratitude.

Elder Tate had the opportunity & I use that word very loosely, to spend some quality time w/the Elder's quorum for a morning of golf. There were six guys playing, plus the two missionaries & an eight yr old...most of them had never played before. Here's a pic of one of the 'putting greens'. Out of nine holes only one was actually green. They had a good time even though they had to start at 6 am & by the time they finished four hours later it was in the 90's. 

The good thing about the warm weather is that our efforts to help move the Lord's work forward in this part of His vineyard is getting hotter, too! We sure love the pioneering saints here in sunny Karratha & Port Hedland, WA. They are such good people who love the Gospel of Jesus Christ & are willing to do whatever is needed to bring their friends/family to an understanding of this marvelous work & a wonder. Here are some highlights of what's happened the past week.

Here are our two wonderful Elders we serve with in Karratha....Elder Poxon from Burmingham, England & Elder Yavala from Fiji. Can you guess which one is which?! 

Elder Yavala can eat his weight in food every day & bikes like a crazy man while poor Elder Poxon is nearly melting in the heat & lagging half a mile behind. There's no way he will gain any weight here as he sweats it all away...plus he's a vegetarian, so the poor boy can't gain an ounce. They both are very smart...Elder Poxon wants to be a biochemist & Elder Yavala an IT guy. 

Here are our other two Elders from Port Hedland. At the time of this picuture, we were serving in a local soup kitchen. One is Elder Gardner from a little town close to Gilbert, AZ & the other is Elder Tiikana (pronounced Sekana) who's from a small atoll called Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands. Again...can you guess which is which? 

Elders Yavala & Tiikana tell us that most of the schools in the Pacific Islands are owned/operated by the Church. They provide education free of charge to all children up & through high school regardless of their faith. Most of them speak very good English, which is required to graduate. Elder Tiikana will be attending BYU-Hawaii where he wants to study computers after he finishes his mission. Elder Gardner is going into the family business...which is the town his family owns. What?!

We had the pleasure of visiting with an 86 yr. old member of the branch in Port Hedland..his name is Jacob Brockley. He was a young child during WWII & witnessed/survived the bombing of his beautiful city of Cologne, Germany which lies on the Rhine River. It was fascinating hearing him tell about the places he's visited/worked/traveled & the famous people he's come in contact with, like Bruce Lee, who he knew very well & received martial arts training from. He also wore very little clothing...which was a little weird for me, but didn't seem to bother him in the least. 

We're learning to try all kinds of new things when it comes to bringing others to Christ. It seems there's people everywhere looking for something that's lacking in their lives. They might be found in a soup kitchen, in a gardening or exercise group or learning English. They might simply be listening to a Sunday evening radio show & hear a message that resonates in their hearts. The two young Elders in Port Hedland have been doing a radio program for quite some time twice a week & invited us on as their guests. It was a very inspiring opportunity & taught us to be prepared to open our mouths & share a message to anyone who might be listening. 

We discussed the meaning of the verses found in Matthew 7:7-8 which says: 

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 

The key is we have to ask, seek & knock...these are action words that require us to go & do...

Our first & favorite English student has moved with his family to Perth. We sure love his family will miss them, but we can look forward to continuing English lessons over video chat & seeing him continue to progress both in his language skills & also in learning the gospel through his lessons. We look forward to seeing them again the end of November when we go to Perth for a senior missionary conference.

Our Garden Group continues to thrive...different families showing up almost every week. The children created a scarecrow out of cast off clothes belonging to their dads & had a great time cooking up a sausage sizzle w/Elder Tate. That's what they call a weiner roast in these parts. The gal holding the little one is Sue...she's from Burma & has joined our Zumba class. Last Saturday we had 9 non-members & 5 members. It's getting almost too large for our little branch building...which is a great problem to have!

In closing I would like to challenge each of us to look around & make a new friend. It's not hard...there are people everywhere who need a friend. The Lord knows who they are & how we can help them feel His love. They are just like us...they love their families, they want to be happy & they worry/have problems & challenges too. We have the answers they are seeking & just need to be ready & willing to open our hearts & mouths when opportunities are presented. 

We love you all & are so grateful to be blessed with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The opportunity to listen to conference & hear the words of modern-day Prophets & Apostles has strengthened our testimonies & given us the added peace & courage to continue on this chosen path. May God bless each of you & your families as you also press forward in faith.

Hugs to all....Sister & Elder Tate

Miracles all around!

Oct. 5, 2019

What a great couple of weeks we've had! It's pretty incredible when we open our eyes & pay attention to the daily miracles that unfold around us. Things that appear to be mere happenstance, coincidence or accidents are rarely that...especially when it comes to our Father's children....our brothers & sisters. 

These past couple of weeks have been busy & filled w/opportunities to serve...sometimes that's just code for hard work! We helped one of our Community Garden family's move from one house to another...man, how I wish she could have had the RS come teach her how to organize, pack  & clean. At least we had a few experienced Priesthood brethren to help move everything! We are going over again early tomorrow morning to paint for several hours along with the Elders. I say early...7 am because by 11 it will be 100* & I'm hoping to be standing in a cool shower by then. 

It surprises & even shocks people when one volunteers, offers & asks if help is needed. This gal didn't really believe we would willingly give of our time to help her family without wanting something in return. Even though she has had a wonderful friendship w/the gentleman who is in charge of the Garden, she refuses to let him get closer to her family & I believe this is because she thinks we have ulterior motives. And yes, even though our ultimate desire is to bring her family into the Gospel, we just want her to know she is a beloved daughter of God & he is aware of her needs & sent us to help her. Following the example of the Master Gardner...planting seeds is what we do.

We've had great success teaching our Mongolian friend, Gooray Batmuckh (Elder Tate calls him Batman) & we love his family. He is doing fantastic & we have started using gospel principles to teach him sentence structure, paragraphs, nouns, etc. It's been great! Because they feel grateful for our kindness in teaching their son, his parents have accepted us with open arms...even though we don't speak the same language, the spirit's influence is universal, touching hearts & souls. We're sad that they will be leaving the area soon to move to Perth, but we know our relationship will only become stronger over time. Elder Tate is now making plans to go to Mongolia fishing...😆🎣

It is pretty amazing that when we look for opportunities to just be friendly & invite others to join in fun activities or to help serve others, people often surprise us & jump in w/both feet! We don't know what they need, but the Lord does. Case in point...A couple weeks ago I felt prompted to ask a eally energetic lady in our branch who has taught Zumba classes if she would be willing to teach on Sat. mornings. She said yes, so I put up Zumba fliers in our apartment complex, our branch Facebook page & around town with the hope that a few ladies would want to join us for some fun. 

A few days later I got a call from a sweet gal who had just moved here from Brazil. She's Japanese, shy & needs help with her English, so guess what....another opportunity to teach English & the Gospel. She was so grateful to have a new friend & was excited to participate in something with other women. Two of the gals from our garden group also asked to join us as well as Gooray's wife (Uga) & his mom. 

So, come Saturday morning, it was pretty exciting (& noisy) when we had 5 non-member ladies w/their 6 kids join the other six of us & 9 other kiddos. We had a fantabulous time & they all want to continue coming. 

Gooray's mom & wife Uga, are on the left; my friend from Brazil, Simone, is below them, almost out of the pic; Shelly from the garden group is in front w/camera; & Lisa in front w/glasses also. We had a blast & their kids are sooo excited to come back.
Next time we have two older kids from the branch coming to help watch the littles so we don't have an accident as they love to run between our legs & crawl around. Not a good combination with uncoordinated women.


Elder Tate & the missionaries go out twice a week making bread deliveries from a local bakery (delicious donation goodies!) to those in need, less actives & our non-member friends we're fellowshipping, etc. Last week they went to the home of a man from Iraq that the elder's had tracted out. He was very touched by their kindness to him & when they returned the other night w/bread he invited them in & sat enraptured as they discussed gospel principles. He came to Church the following day & stayed for both meetings & understood/enjoyed the topic from the Come, follow me class discussion. He is excited to be taking Engish lessons w/Randy using the Gospel Essentials manual & the scriptures as their text. Here's a copy of the handout they enclose with the bread.

                                            
This past weekend the Lord provided us with another humbling experience. I was waiting outside a store for Randy when a dishevled man who was walking by stopped & looked at me rather oddly. I was a little nervous when he came shuffling up to me & I turned to walk away, but stopped in my tracks when he said, "I'm a member of your church." He pointed to my name badge & heard a quiet voice whisper in my head say, 'just listen.' So I did.

He went on to tell me he had been baptized in New Zealand in 1975 where all of his family had been converted to the Church. Most of them are all still active after all this time...& he is still in touch with one of the elders who taught him. He became quite emotional as he told me how much he loved that man for caring enough to sacrifice in order to travel to New Zealand in order to find/teach his famiy. 

John explained that he was traveling across the country to first visit his sister, who lived a few hours from where we are, & then would be going south to Perth to see his brother, who is dying of cancer. He had already traveled about 2500 miles & would be driving another 1200 miles in a 25 yr. old camper. 

His camper had broke down several days earlier in Karratha & he had been hanging out either in the Library or wandering the stores where there is A/C, just people watching. He wasn't panhandling or looking for a handout... he was just lonely & wanted to connect with people & seeing my missionary badge had given him the confidence he needed to make an approach. We talked with him for quite some time & invited him to come to church...which he did. He so enjoyed spending time interacting with the members & expressed his gratitude at finally being able to take the sacrament. 

One of the members followed him to a petrol station to fill up his van & others gave him some cash so he could get to his destination safely. He was teary eyed & so appreciative of everyone's kindness to him, a stranger. It was a perfect example of the Apostle Paul's admonition to the saints about taking care of the poor & needy so that everyone could be blessed...both the one receiving & the one giving. 

We are so very grateful for the blessings of the Gospel & the Atonement of Jesus Christ. These blessings are made even more apparant when we have the opportunity to listen/watch General Conference & hear the words of a living Prophet & Apostles. As the world continues to draw away from the Lord, it is our privilege to draw ever closer to Him by being obedient, prayerful & doing all we can to stay on the covenant path. That is the only way to true safety.

We testify that the words we have heard from His servants are true! We love these wonderful men & women who teach, testify & direct the affairs of God's kingdom here upon the earth & pray heaven's blessings upon them & all your families.

Love, Elder & Sister Tate

It’s been a month!!

September 3, 2019

Our arrival in the far northern parts of Western Australia was made sweeter when we saw this beautiful handmade welcome sign held by three of the cutest little children. They’re trying hard to help us not to miss our little grandkids & it’s certainly appreciated!!

Their dad is our branch President & he put us to work immediately with the young Elders here in Karratha to assist them with teaching appointments & cleaning up member records. We’ve also been busy getting out into the community to meet people not of our faith & offering our services...so far I’ve met with the ladies’ Soroptimist's group, offered to volunteer in the brand new, beautiful public Library (shocking, I know!) & we’re busy teaching a gentleman from Mongolia English twice a week. We also go to a children’s garden group & help with whatever needs to be done...usually Elder Tate cooks on the grill & helps sample the delicious salsa or pesto the kid’s make from the herbs grown in the gardens...they will eat just about anything they make from what they planted. We also will be starting to put together a plan to teach Seminary remotely when the new school year rolls around in February to the 4-5 teens here in Karratha & the 2-3 students from another small branch 2.5 hrs away...Port Hedland.

Last week we started teaching English to a gentleman from Mongolia. He's very intelligent, yet so humble & teachable, especially considering he has advanced degrees. This last lesson the elders helped us by having a conversation with him about the Provident Living program & how it can help him in employment & life skills. They also taught him how the Lord will assist in his learning as he uses prayer to talk to his Heavenly Father. They gave a beautiful, yet simple example of how he can pray & invited Batmunkh (his name) to use a similar prayer as part of his homework. He humbly said he would. He has come to church twice & we are very hopeful that he will continue to learn & grow both in his English skills & in the Gospel.

Monday evening we got to see a wonderful heavenly sight....it's called 'Staircase to the Moon'. It occurs only a couple times a year & is pretty incredible. The pictures don't begin to do it justice so you'll have to look it up. Anyway...as the full moon comes up over the horizon it casts it's reflection upon the water. As it rises the light moves & begins to look like steps going across the water & up to the moon. This lasted for about 45 mins & was just incredibly beautiful. Elder Tate put on Led Zepplin's 'Stairway to Heaven' & it was actually pretty fitting.

This weekend we went to our 2nd area, Port Hedland, which is 2.5 hrs further northeast. It is of similar size/composition as Karratha. Many of the people in both communities work shift work, which means they are on the job two or three weeks at a time, 12 hrs/day then off for a week or so. It’s very difficult & puts a lot of strain on marriages/family life. They are paid extremely well for the sacrifice of being gone so much, but the toll is often much greater than the blessings of financial security. Those who stay faithful & attend Church when home are much more likely to remain active, but many give up as it takes real effort & dedication.

We had a meet/greet with several YSA women & shared a meal & lots of laughter. We also made future plans for the coming months for them to look forward to attending & learning more about how they can increase in their faith & testimonies. These young women also struggle with activity because their numbers are so small & there are not many opportunities to meet good, worthy men to marry. It is more common to find people having so-called partners than actual married spouses. This is a big stumbling block in teaching the Gospel to couples/families.

It is wonderful getting to get to know these good people in this part of the Lord's vineyard. We find that members of the Church have the similar life experiences everywhere...family challenges, unemployment, health issues, financial problems. It is wonderful to know that the Lord loves all His children regardless of where we live or how we live & desires to bless each of us with all He possesses. We are so very grateful for the opportunity to teach of our Savior & His Atonement & invite all to come unto Him. 

We pray in the coming days you will take the opportunity to prepare your hearts & minds to receive His message by our Prophet, Pres. Russell M. Nelson & the Lord's Apostles. It is an amazing time to be alive & a part of the final gathering prior to the second coming. I testify that He lives, that the Book of Mormon is true & that our Savior stands at the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Love to all...Clarisse 

Our new area is amazing!!

Greetings from Western Australia! Elder Tate & I arrived on Aug. 28th to a warm welcome from Pres. & Sister Bennallack & were swiftly taken to meet the two other senior couples serving in the Perth mission office. They are incredible, hard-working people devoted to making sure all the missionaries are well taken care of & kept on task. While there they took us around to experience many of the unique sights...one of my faves was the Koala bears & kangaroo habitat @ Cohunu Park.

The beach at Hilary’s Cove with our new senior missionary friends! The Olsen’s, us & the Daleys.

We flew out of Perth for our new assignment on Sept. 2. It’s about as far north as one can get & as we flew overland & saw red dirt as far as the eye could see, we wondered if Mars was our new destination. It’s actually a small oasis on the edge of the Indian Ocean called Karratha & we have fallen in love with it & the people here. They are as warm as the temperature (currently it’s early spring & 91*). Get’s up in the triple digits in summertime. 😎

Went w/the young missionaries to teach the second day here & met a great new member named Melanie & an investigator family...an aboriginal mom & four kids. Church was wonderful & the members are like one big family who truly love & minister to each other. The families are almost all young w/several children & there are about 60 active members in the branch.

The average age in Karratha is...wait for it...seven! Yep, seven years old. That’s cause educated singles or young married couples come here, work for really good money, start their families & save for when they can move away to somewhere else w/more opportunities for growth. But those that are here to stay are very supportive & understanding. The huge corporations that operate the mines & off shore drilling provide lots of amazing amenities for their employees to make their time here productive & enjoyable. Like a $62 million sports complex, new state of the art hospital, Library & performing arts center. 

The Church is true wherever one goes in the world & the members love to share & be a part of helping the Kingdom grow. We are so grateful for this opportunity & know the Lord lives & loves each of us regardless of where we are, who we are or what we do. God bless & love to all!

Our sweet Jack-Jack's funeral

Good morning. I feel very inadequate yet grateful to have this opportunity to speak today at my grandson, Jack’s funeral. This is a sacred meeting & an opportunity to feel the powerful influence of the Holy Ghost which brings us comfort & peace. I have felt the presence of beloved family members from beyond with us as we celebrate this amazing boy’s life & the lasting impact one so young has had upon so many people.  I appreciate so much this beautiful song that was played. Unfortunately, no one could sing it as it would have been impossible not to cry. So I would like to read you the words because they are true & powerful. It is called A Child’s Prayer.   Heavenly Father, are you really there? And do you hear and answer ev’ry child’s prayer? Some say that heaven is far away, But I feel it close around me as I pray. Heavenly Father, I remember now Something that Jesus told disciples long ago: “Suffer the children to come to me.” Father, in prayer I’m coming now to thee.   Pray, he is there; Speak, he is list’ning. You are his child; His love now surrounds you. He hears your prayer; He loves the children. Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heav’n. As I was getting ready this morning & looked out the window, my initial thought was that it should be raining buckets. It should be a very sad & gloomy day…for life without our sweet Jack-Jack will surely be dark. The temptation was to let grief overwhelm me.  But the then memories flooded my mind…how Jack was so happy & excited to have his cousins & family help him celebrate his special 8th birthday; listening to him sing & dance to his favorite music & my personal favorite…his culinary masterpieces made out of clay as he watched his favorite cooking show.    I’m sure one of the reasons today will be absolutely glorious & beautiful is because a little angel named Jack is smiling his quirky little smile as he listens & watches the proceedings of his farewell, happy to have his family & loved ones gathered together. But what he’s really interested in is what delicious foods the ladies in the kitchen are preparing for the luncheon & learning that he can eat anything & as much as he wants. Death will inevitable knock at the door of someone we love. It is natural & fitting that we should have sadness in our hearts and grieve deeply at the passing of one we love so much. However, this is also a time to contemplate the teachings & doctrines of the Lord Jesus Christ that we may come to better appreciate & understand His atonement. The world sees birth and death as the beginning and the end. But because of God’s holy plan, we know that birth and death are actually just milestones on our journey to eternal life with our Heavenly Father.  President Russell M Nelson said: “Life does not begin with birth, nor does it end with death. Prior to our birth, we dwelled as spirit children with our Father in Heaven. There we eagerly anticipated the possibility of coming to earth and obtaining a physical body. Knowingly we wanted the risks of mortality, which would allow the exercise of agency and accountability. This life is a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God.” (Alma 12:24).  To you young children….Sidney, Kara, Lachlan…I know it’s hard to understand some gospel teachings. So I’m going to use a glove to explain something about life & death. Prior to coming to earth we lived with our Father in Heaven. We had spirit bodies that were perfect in every way. We had the opportunity & chance to make choices & one of the choices we got to make was whether or not we would follow our Savior.   We chose to come to earth and, like our Heavenly Father gave us a spirit body, our earthly mother & father provided us with mortal bodies…put glove over hand…Our spirit lives within us. It is our spirit that gives us life, makes it possible to think, to act & do so many amazing things.  But because our mortal bodies are imperfect & have all kinds of weaknesses, sickness, & sad things happen, like with Jack, our spirit leaves the body…glove off hand… & goes back to live with our Heavenly Father. Our body stays here on earth, but one day it will be resurrected & our spirit will be rejoined with our body…glove over hand… & we will be whole & perfect in every way…no more sickness or disabilities; no more hunger, sadness or pain. Pres. Nelson knows full well what it means to lose a child, for his own adult daughter passed away a few months ago. He said, “There are no words to describe the grief that is felt by parents when their children pass away. There is just an unspeakable anguish that comes when we watch our children, whether they be a toddler, teenager, or an adult, leave this world before we do.” Mourning is one of the deepest expressions of pure love. The Savior said, “Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die….Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life. President Spencer W. Kimball teaches: “We knew before we were born that we were coming to the earth for bodies and experience. We would have joys, and sorrows, ease and pain, comforts and hardships, health and sickness, successes and disappointments. We accepted all these eventualities with a glad heart, eager to accept both the favorable and unfavorable. We eagerly accepted the chance to come to earth even though it might be for only a day or a year.” I think little children recognize the spark of divinity within themselves & others because they have so recently come from a place inhabited by the greatest superheros of eternity. These beings have created worlds without number; they move through time & space in the blink of an eye & can read/speak to our minds without being present.  Is it any wonder children like Jack find it so easy to believe? They innately know they come from a world of light, truth & power. It is only natural that his mom would wear a Wonder Woman t-shirt & his dad wears one with the shield of Superman. I only wish I had my Mrs. Incredible outfit to wear today, but it’s already packed for our mission to Australia. The Lord Jesus Christ says, “I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26). The Savior, through His Infinite Atonement, has taken the sting out of death. Eventually each of us will pass from this life, but we will all live again because of the loving sacrifice of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. So, at times like this, where can we turn for peace? We can come unto the Lord Jesus Christ. He 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.” (John 14:27)  A few weeks ago Jack was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by his dad. As you can see from his picture, he was so happy. His grandpa Shores shared these thoughts with me about that special day in Jack’s life.

I remember several things:

1. Jack was happy and worthy to be baptized. He glowed in his white suite.
2. He had a big smile on his face as he walked down into the water fount. I felt his spirit and knew that the Holy Ghost did come to Jack at his confirmation.
3. Josie, his cousin, commented that she remembers Jack was always happy with a smile on his face.

I remember the hugs from Jack, he put a lot of love in each one. He is still my buddy and I will miss his hugs.

I know we will see, hold & kiss the sweet face of our Jack-Jack again. Until that day he will be a special angel watching over his family. He will give us little nudges to remind us to be kind & he will come to us when we least expect it to testify that he loves us. Jack lives because our Savior lives. Of this I testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen….