Pray for the virus....of FAITH!!

March 18, 2020

Well...I guess I spoke too soon on my last post. Nothing is 'back to normal' & I'm thinking perhaps this isn't such a bad thing. We've noticed that people around the world are being separated into categories & it's not a sifting of haves/have nots. It's more like the division is between people who are kind or unkind; patient & impatient; unselfish or selfish; thoughtful & thoughtless...the division seems to be based on a person's true character...or the lack thereof. 

The news media, Facebook & Youtube are filled w/stories, pictures & videos showing brawls in the shopping aisles; panic at Costco; people fighting over TP (of all things!)...it's crazy how fear makes people do things they wouldn't ordinarily do; behave in ways they would not have thought possible a short time ago. 

It's 'fear vs faith' I want to address in this post because it's a feeling/emotion we have all felt at one time or another & will most likely experience again. It's human nature to be afraid when things seem to spiral out of control & we have no idea when, or even if, our lives will ever be 'normal' again. And, according to prophecy, scriptures...the warning voice of God himself...there will be more woes to follow before the second coming of our Saviour. Earthquakes in divers places (hello, SLC!); famine; wars & rumors of war; pestilence...is it any wonder that 'men's heart's will fail them' in these last days? Should we be surprised that the Lord uses natural disasters to 'shake us mightily unto repentance'?

We have been warned & forewarned for generations to repent & turn our heart's towards God; to be obedient to the counsel of the Brethren in preparing ourselves & our families both temporally & spiritually for hard times; to warn our neighbors & share what we know with them so they can also prepare. I want to think that members of the Church have been listening to our Church leaders & are busy setting our houses in order...for when the time of trial has arrived, the time for preparation is past. 

Unfortunately, too many members are like Lot's wife & are tempted to turn back, because the world is simply too alluring. Others ignore the Lord's chosen servants...our Prophet & Apostles, who warn us of impending evils & the cunning ways of the Adversary. The proud & haughty wrongly believe that these wise men are fools; too old to be in touch w/what's happening in the world. But, the exact opposite is true. They don't worry overmuch about what is happening today...they've already given us plenty of warnings & direction for the now. It's the future they're attempting to prepare us for. As a friend recently said..."It wasn't raining when Noah got on the Ark."

The Coronavirus, while dangerous, is only one of many things which has happened & will continue to happen around the world...I choose to believe it's all preparatory to the Savior's return & am grateful for the test! It's a major wake-up call...am I prepared temporally...not just for myself, but for my neighbor? What more can I do spiritually in order to receive personal revelation for myself & my family? Where can I find peace in uncertainty? 

So...where do we find the answers? Who on earth knows what lies ahead? And what should we focus on when things seem to fall apart or those we love are far away & out of reach? The scriptures are clear. We look to the Savior & His Watchmen on the Tower. In a couple weeks we will have the opportunity at our General Conference to receive their counsel, comfort & instruction amid these uncertain times. Our beloved Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson has made the answer to these questions abundantly clear. 

This is who we should choose to place our faith & trust in...Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd; He is the Great Physician; He is the Saviour & Redeemer of all mankind. And they are prophets, seers & revelators for our day...instructed to call us to repentance & lead us to safety. Will we murmur like Laman & Lemuel & think what they tell us is too hard, too much of a sacrifice? Or will we be like Nephi of old...have faith then go & do?

Even with our limited contact w/our families, friends, church members & in our various communities, there are still ways to reach out...to be kind & considerate. People's hearts are troubled. They're seeking comfort & answers, but don't know where to find them. They are in need of reassurance & hope. What they really need is the good news of Jesus Christ. 

So, when we're out in the heat taking bread around town & drop by Sumo & Riana's home, they see our happiness & ask questions about why we're so far from home...especially now. When Irene & Phil find long lost family while doing family history...they want to learn more about where their loved ones are & if they'll see them again. When boys Elder Tate coaches in basketball are having a tough time at home & turn to alcohol, they listen when he tells them about the Word of Wisdom because they know he really cares. They trust him to tell them the truth.

We have a dear young woman who is learning about the Atonement & the infinite love our Father & His Son have for us. From almost the moment we walk through the door to teach her of this Plan, she tears up...yearning to know more about how to bless her little family. Her husband is less active, but he's a loving father & husband because he was raised that way. We have faith that through her example, he will feel a desire to return & receive eternal blessings in the Temple one day. 

Ok...time for some light-hearted fare for a moment. There's been some fun things happening around here. For instance, all of Karratha is atwitter because we now have a Hungry Jack's drive in!! (Burger King knockoff) No kidding....the first day was sooo crazy! We had to drive by twice to check out the lines they were so long. At least the planners gave plenty of space unlike the one for MacDonald's & especially KFC. 

The line actually snakes about another 30 cars back around the large building. It was nuts. But people like their take out here! They had people lined up getting in also & the help was out going up & down the line of cars taking orders...kind of like In n' Out. We'll give them a couple weeks before we go try it out...give them time to iron out all the kinks & get a better handle on the food prep/presentation. 

Night shot...crazy! 

Here's some of the young mom's at the church just before the shut down for a play date. We're so sad we can't meet at the church for awhile...hopefully not having meetings or activities won't last too awfully long. 

We had a 'Come & See' devotional planned for branch members to join their non-member friends to learn about who we are & what we believe. There were about 20 people coming, so it was very disappointing when we received news that all meetings/activities at the Church were to be cancelled. Understandable, but sad just the same. The good thing is several of these people have invited us into their homes to share what it is they would of learned at the meeting. We're also encouraging the branch families to continue talking & having small numbers of people into their homes. 

In times like these we are so very grateful for the understanding we have of our Father in Heaven's Plan of Salvation. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ & His perfect love, we can feel peace in our hearts & know we are held in the palm of his hands. Even when the world is in turmoil all around us we can receive the blessings of inner peace. In addition to feeling peace ourselves, we can be an influence for peace in our families, our community, & the world.

Our prayers are with you, our brothers & sisters...our children & grandchildren, family & dear friends. As the Savior 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." 

Peace can come to all who earnestly seek the Prince of Peace. Of these things we bear witness...

Love to you all,
Elder & Sister Tate
  

Back to 'normal' :-)

Friday, March 6, 2020

Well...these past few weeks have been crazy busy what with the cyclone, cleaning up afterwards & moving the Elders out of their flat because it was damaged. Then finding out we were losing them altogether was such a heartbreaker!! Goodbye, Elder Allen...only a month here, but what an exciting few weeks it was for him! Farewell, Elder Poxon....9 months in lovely, hot Karratha! You are already sooo missed. Such a sad day for us & the Branch! Hurrah for Israel! 

Fortunately, it's not permanent...we'll have young missionaries again, just not for a couple of months. Their apartment couldn't be repaired in a timely manner & with all the things happening throughout the mission, President Bennallack decided to wait until things had calmed down (like no more cyclones for awhile) before moving anyone else here. It's ok...the members will pick up the slack & put their shoulder's to the wheel to help in the work of fellowshipping & inviting people to learn of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They only need a little bit of a fire lit underneath them to get started. 

And here's the kindling for that great fire! This was the first thing Elder Tate & I did when we arrived in Karratha in order to get to know our members & their friends & now it's an 'official incentive' in the Australia Perth mission. We're very excited & know this invitation can change the lives of families here in our mission. Drum roll, please....

How cool is it that something so easy & fun can also be such a wonderful missionary tool! Give your friends an opportunity to see pictures of Christ on your walls; temple pictures; beautiful framed family pictures w/important messages about the eternal nature of families; meaningful quotes from our Prophet/Apostles...anything that brings the Spirit into your homes & allows people to feel that Spirit & ask questions. It really is that simple, yet can have a profound impact.

So...our challenge for you, dear readers, is to do the same thing in your families. When people feel the Spirit & come to understand how much their Heavenly Father desires them to learn of Him & the great plan of redemption wrought by His Son, Jesus Christ, their hearts will be softened & they will want to know more. What a wonderful blessing & opportunity to be a part of the great gathering taking place throughout the world!

This past week we traveled to Perth for a missionary conference, this time w/a visiting General Authority Area Seventy...Elder Nattress, from Fruitland, ID. He's serving in the Pacific Area & lives in Auckland, NZ w/his wife & 16 yr. old daughter. It was a wonderful conference & we received some excellent council from our Mission Pres/his wife & Elder Nattress. He spoke in our stake a few years ago & later that afternoon we had the opportunity to visit w/him about his love for Idaho...fishing, water sports & being in the great outdoors. We discovered we have several friends in common, which was great fun! We enjoyed a wonderful dinner together with the other senior couples, two of which are leaving us this month. We'll be sad to see them go home.  

President & Sister Bennallack on left & Elder & Sister Nattress on right. These other couples are the senior couples serving w/us. Eight of the ten couples are from the States (mostly Utah) & two are from Australia. 

    

These are our two Sisters that serve in Albany...about 4 hrs. south of Perth. This is the only time we get to see them in person...otherwise we see them on the zoom camera we use for our district meetings each week. Sister Hanks (in blue) is a 'golden missionary'...just arrived from the MTC a few days prior. 

   
While there we had the chance to relax one afternoon & enjoy the lovely temperature & COOL breezes...something we haven't yet had up north. We went to the Fremantle Markets (much like Pike's Marketplace in Seattle) & did a little exploring.  Where Sister Tate found some new Ear-Rings---Opal; she likes them, a delayed valentines present.

Chain gang at the Old Perth Prison...Elder Tate wearing his new Crocodile Dundee style hat made out of kangaroo. Looks great on him! 

Eating at one of our favorite parks in Perth, close to the best fish n'chip eatery! Couple standing are just newly arrived from Utah...new office couple; next to them is the Vawdrey's, also from Utah & the senior couple in Port Hedland; the last couple is the Olsen's...our other office couple & Elder Tate calls him 'The Magic Man' cause he does all the financials for the mission. Lovely couple who will be leaving in just a few months.

Below is the Perth Mint where they melt gold from the goldfields to create bouillon bars, coins, jewelry & custom pieces. This is a statue of the first two gold miner's who discovered gold in the middle of Australia. Perfect positioning of the camera, if I do say so myself...

The photo opposite is of the smelting area where they  refine the gold by melting it in a crucible. This process is repeated several times to purify the liquid gold until all the detritus is removed. 

The nugget below is about the size of a football. It was found in a water run-off in a place called Kalgoorlie. That's the main gold mining area in Australia. It's about 9 hrs east of Perth in the middle of nowhere. A good place for gold. And smaller nuggets, too...some in quartz, which is almost like a magnet for gold.

               

This is the largest solid gold coin in the world...over 1 ton of pure gold. On one side is Queen Elizabeth's face...the other side is a red kangaroo, I guess cause they have lots of them hopping about. Guess how much this coin is worth?? Over $500 million big ones! What looks like a mirror or water surrounding the coin is actually sensitized reflective glass...can't even get close to the coin without sending off alarms. At night it lowers into a sealed & pressurized vault...lots of intense security in this building. 

Like many of you, we've been preparing for our upcoming April General Conference & are anxious to hear what our beloved Prophet, Pres. Russell M. Nelson & the Apostles will say. It's been exciting to see the videos, read the articles detailing the various accounts of the First Vision & listening to the experiences of those individuals testify of Joseph Smith's remarkable transformation during this time. It has strengthened our testimonies of his divine calling & the Lord's love for us in bringing forth the restored Gospel to the earth. 

What an amazing thing it is to have such advanced technology at our fingertips! To be able to go back in time; to hear the voices & see the places...discovering these things for ourselves. We find it difficult to imagine what more the Lord can do in this field to further the gathering taking place throughout the world, but look forward w/anticipation to seeing what transpires over the next decade in science & technology.

It's also obvious that Satan is loose in the world & also uses these same tools to thwart God's work. What is used to do much good is also used for evil; lies weave their insidious threads around truth, deceiving the very elect; & wicked people seek to destroy that which is of God. At times it is disheartening & I can appreciate how people's hearts might fail them as they experience the turmoil, confusion & darkness that seems to be all around.  

However...like so many of you, we give thanks to God for modern revelation & the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ! How we rejoice in the knowledge we possess that truth will ultimately triumph & our Savior will reign supreme!  

We are trying to do our part in teaching...not having the full-time Elders is tough. But we have three people we're working with & just received a referral for a new family that moved here a short while ago. We also continue to fellowship & teach Anwar...he is such a wonderful man & we know it's just a matter of time & better understanding for him to be baptised. 

It's hard to believe we've been out over 6 months now! Time usually moves at a pretty brisk pace, but once in awhile things get a little too slow for us...that's usually when it's really just too hot & humid to be outside. They tell us winter is on the way...only a few more weeks to go! Woohoo!! We can hardly wait, cause the winter here is like our spring & late fall. 

We sure love & appreciate all the support we receive from our family & good friends! Please write & let us know what all is happening back home w/everyone! We really enjoy the stories we receive about our missionaries serving around the world & reading about the similar or very different experiences they're having. 

The Church is true! Joseph Smith was the Prophet of the Restoration & we are led by a living Prophet & Apostles today as in the days of Christ. Families can be together forever & the Book of Mormon teaches about these revealed truths. 

Love to all....Elder & Sister Tate 

P.S. I reposted this as some of the pictures didn't stick. Hopefully it takes this time!

                          

The Cyclone aftermath...& lessons learned :-O

Feb. 9, 2020

We survived!! Not that we ever doubted, but it was a wild & crazy ride there for about 12 hrs. It was our first, & we hope the last, cyclone we ever have to experience. Don't know how people do this year after year...would make me crazy! Well...crazier, anyway. 

Here's some photos of before/after & during the storm. These first pictures are of the downtown area from our apartment pool area.

 Almost all the trees lining main street were blown down or had to be removed. 

The connected plaza where they would hold farmers markets & gatherings. Soon to be the site of a Hilton Hotel...without the trees.

This is from our apartment pool deck looking down on the street below...extension of main street. Very few trees left. 

Looking down on the neighborhood below us during the cyclone. 

Cyclones are fickle things...they can change direction quickly & that is what this one did. Originally, it wasn't supposed to be a direct hit, was supposed to go either between us & Port Hedland or further west away from the coastline. Nor was it supposed to be a Cat 4 storm. But it changed course Thursday afternoon & increased in intensity. 

Being in such a remote area we don't have the ability to just jump on a plane, a bus or train when these kinds of things occur. There's only a couple roads in & out of the area...& both were in the path of the cyclone. The planes only fly in/out a couple times a day. And there are no long distance buses or passenger trains. After a certain point, one just has to do whatever can be done to be prepared & stay safe. We did exactly what was required. Got our food/water/first aid supplies/flashlights/batteries, etc. & made sure to follow all the directions provided by the Cyclone Emergency agency. We never really worried about our safety. A little apprehensive, perhaps...but not afraid.

Of course, one of our main concerns were making sure our Elders were safe. We had thought to keep them w/us, but we're in a small unit w/only one bed/one bath & nowhere for them to bunk down. Maybe we could put them up in the game room so they could have their own bathroom/kitchen, but that thought came into my head & quickly went out because people would be doing their 'cyclone party' thing & playing games/partying. It's a good thing we didn't do that either because the ceiling collapsed on what would have been their sleeping area. 

The thought then came into my mind to call a member of the branch & ask if the Elders could stay w/them overnight...to which they said 'absolutely'. So we expressed our desires that they go to the members home, but told them they could decide for themselves. 

They decided to ride out the storm at their place. They live in a two story brick townhouse w/a tall wrap around brick fence & large metal gates. Unfortunately, one small section of the roof pulled away from the frame & rain came pouring into their study area & totally freaked them out cause it sounded like a freight train rumbling through the house! They were able to rush in & get all their important things out & stuffed towels underneath the door to keep the water from pouring out. They went downstairs to the main floor & hid in the closet, praying to be kept safe. Which, thank heavens, they were. 

Upper left corner is where the metal roofing pulled away. Inside the room & hiding out in the closet like Harry Potter.

These things certainly make for fun, exciting stories after it's all over. But that's only because it turned out well. It certainly could have had a very different ending. We all learned a valuable lesson that very long day & night. Being prepared means more than having the necessary provisions & a place of safety. It means being sensitive to the Spirit to hear that still, small voice & then being quick to obey. We will all experience loud storms & the noise of dissenting voices in this life. They can be figurative or very literal. Our physical & spiritual safety depends upon our listening & obeying the warnings we receive. This is more real now than at any time before.

We spent our Sabbath Day cleaning up member's homes. Monday will be the same for there's much to be done, but it's a great opportunity to meet new people in the community.

Tuesday: Here's Elder Tate cutting tree limbs/branches from one of two huge trees that fell into an older woman's yard. And he thought his lumberjack days were over...silly boy!! 

 As they say here, it's all good. Life has a way of bringing things into perspective. When it comes to nature, there is no distinction between rich & poor, good or bad, skin color or age. And the same can be said of the Lord...He loves all His children equally & understands our sorrows, grief, joys & pain. It often takes these kinds of things to occur for us to remember how much we should depend upon Him. We shouldn't be waiting until natural disasters, personal tragedy or trials force us to our knees before we turn to prayer.

So what humbling lessons did we learn through these past few days? For starters...being prepared temporally is very important, however, being prepared spiritually is absolutely essential in these latter days. Secondly, a cyclone gets your attention but, as Helaman teaches...'it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper'. When promptings or personal inspiration comes, we must act immediately & have faith that if it is for our good, it comes from God. Third...there are people everywhere who need our help & we should be anxiously engaged in seeking out opportunities to serve. We are our brother's & sister's keeper. Love one another & look for ways to help your neighbor...keep them wondering why you're so happy! That's when they'll start asking questions.

Thank you family & dear friends for your heartfelt prayers & words of cheer! We appreciate the support more than words can express & pray the Lord's blessings upon you all. That will open the windows of heaven & let our Father's love shine down upon them. Then wonderful things will happen. We testify that through the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, eyes that are downcast will see the Light & the storms of life will be calmed. 

Love to you all!!  Elder & Sister Tate  

It's a CYCLONE!!

February 7th, 2020

I'm starting this entry early because Elder Tate & I are having a bit of excitement. Santa came to town several weeks ago, but here's what's coming to town this weekend....a Cat 4 cyclone!! It's supposed to make a direct hit Saturday morning & hang out throughout the day. We've had calls from several wonderful members of the branch to ensure that we've battened down the hatches & have food/water/batteries & everything else we might need to ride out a few days of 'red' alert, meaning where you shouldn't be on the roads or out in the weather because of extreme wind/rain. Fortunately, all the electrical cables are underground, so the power seldom goes out, but that doesn't mean there won't be problems w/falling trees/lights, etc. Here's some pictures of what's coming our way...

Above is the projected path...satellite image...below, the pointy finger at the bottom is just above Karratha. 

Here's what it's supposed to look like as the cyclone makes landfall & passes by Karratha. 

We had planned on going to Tom Price Thursday (about 350 miles south) to stay w/one of our branch families for a couple days & look for inactive members there...then were turning back & heading up to Port Hedland for a couple more days to say hello to the new senior couple & visit w/branch members. But, as you can see, the cyclone is covering the area between Karratha & Port Hedland then later it goes right over Tom Price. So we won't be going anywhere for quite a few days because of flooding.

It's always a good thing to have a record for posterity so they can see how brave & fearless their grandparents & great-grandparents were in fighting nature's fury while serving a faithful mission. Of course, I'm not going to mention we did it in the comfort of our 5th floor apartment building w/all the modern conveniences & comforts like A/C, internet, plenty of food & clean water, a nice bed/hot shower, etc...don't want to ruin their little imaginations!

This is the neighborhood right below our apartment complex. It doesn't look bad now, but that may very well change over the next 6 hrs as the eye approaches then passes by. Winds are starting to pick up & rain is coming down very hard. 

I'm not making light of it...there's certain to be destruction & flooding problems. But these people are pretty tough & have dealt w/this kind of thing before. Even so, there hasn't been a Cat 4 cyclone for many years so, we just do the best we can to be prepared & then sit back & watch nature's power unfold & be grateful we're indoors & protected. 

Of course, many prayers will be going heavenward from those of us in the storm's path as well as from family/friends concerned for everyone's well-being. We do our part to be prepared & follow instructions...then we must have faith. We feel a little apprehension, but that is only normal, but we are not afraid. I believe this is because we know we are on the Lord's errand & He will protect us. 

Until tomorrow...from wet, windy city Karratha! Love to all...Elder & Sister Tate

Happy Palindrome Day!!

How fun is it to write that date down? I did several times today just for the fun of it!
Can't believe it's already February & we've been on our mission now for 5 months. Time is certainly going by very quickly. Everytime I write a new post I hope to have something important or eventful to share; something of spiritual significance or an obvious answer to prayers. When I begin writing that is not usually the case...initially. As I start sifting through the happenings of the weeks prior I can clearly see the blessings & tender mercies of the Lord and am so very grateful for this time to reflect & give thanks. 

One of the goals we have this new year is to have an increased spiritual awakening through following President's Nelson admonition to make a dedicated study of the Book of Mormon. There are so many new ways to do this... most are found on the Church's website at: www.churchofjesuschrist.org       Our personal favorite so far has been the Joseph Smith Papers Podcast  But if you haven't visited   www.ldsmag.com  you should really check it out also. So much information about the Come, Follow Me program as well as wonderful articles by really good writers.

Last Sunday was our friend Anwar's 50th birthday! Happy birthday to him! We had a linger longer after church w/fruit trays & I baked up a big chocolate cake w/Elder Tate's favorite marshmallow frosting...it was a huge hit! We gave him one our favorite pictures of the Savior for his home...he loves it. Still waiting for him to take the final step & be baptized...he's getting a little closer each day. Please keep him in your prayers...they're helping! 

January 26th was the nation's Australia Day...a celebration of all things Aussie. Not quite like our July 4th, but still a pretty big deal. They had fireworks & lots of different activities throughout the area. Our branch had a big party Monday at a local park & it was such great fun! Perfect day to play in the water as it was about 102*. The men put down plastic for a huge slip n' slide. We had several children from the Aboriginal community that came w/their care provider, who is a member of our branch. Below & on the right is President Lekias w/his daughter in the pink hat.

Here are a bunch of our branch kids & their friends having a blast on the slip 'n slide. On the left is Sister Elkington (in the hat) & Amanda, a non-member who came w/her three darling girls. You might recall her from previous entries from the Garden Group. I think we've finally convinced her we aren't a wacky cult...just wacky. However, it was tempting to grab her for a quickie baptism in the kiddie pool! 

Sister Lekias is in the center...left is her non-member friend, Tasha & on the right is Sister Dimitrov, mom to 5 adult kids & 7 grandkids here in Karratha. We spend quite a bit of time w/their family as they make up about 20% of the branch. Pres. & Sister Lekias are from New Zealand as is the whole Dimitrov clan.

Our beloved missionaries..
Elder Allen, in front from Dallas, TX & Elder Poxon, from the motherland, England. It was fun watching them interact w/everyone in a crazy, fun setting. They had a blast being able to get wet like everyone else for a change! Now they want to do this every month until summer's over.


Here's Bro. McKay cooking up a storm at the grill. I think he cooked up over 100 sausages...which, in these parts is called a sausage sizzle.  :-) He's 1st counselor in our branch Presidency & is married to Lavinia who was busy taking all these great photos! They have a recording studio in their home because they both love music, but Leroy really loves to sing...Karaoke! 

And last, but not least....in front is our fearless Elder's Q pres., Caleb Dimitrov, then our branch clerk, Bro. Ta'ala, followed by Pres. Lekias. The three amigos! I think the final count was about 60 people in attendance & almost half were non-members or less actives. Awesome! 



We actually took off for a few hours one hot afternoon & went to see a movie at the beautiful theater in town. It's huge & very state of the art, but prior to going into the theater, I noticed several people carrying in pillows...after sitting for about 30 minutes it became obvious why...the seats were uncushioned, hard plastic...SO uncomfortable. We felt bruised afterwards! And everything was very expensive...movie $16.50/person; $4.00 for a little bag of popcorn; $2.50/drink & $4.00 for candy. There were whole families going in with hands full of popcorn, drinks & candy. Had to cost them $150+ for a family of 5. Went & saw the new Jumanji....don't recommend it as there was a whole lot of swearing...especially taking the Lord's name in vain & not nearly as funny as the first one.

We welcomed back lots of members returning home from summer holidays. The last month we've averaged probably 18 people to church...one Sunday there was ten. Very strange to experience, but also helps me appreciate how challenging it can be to provide consistent structure & support to these far distant towns & settlements. It also renews my faith in the absolute necessity of having an organized Church organization to provide said structure & support. It's not difficult to imagine how easy it would be for these good saints to get lost if not for the technology & teaching materials that helps everyone stay connected. 

It's so weird having it be summer in the middle of winter months...very surreal. We've had several days in the 100's again & a possible cyclone heading our way. It can change direction very quickly but one should always be prepared w/lots of water, food & things to do indoors.  School starts up again this week & we will start teaching Seminary to two students & a recent convert. So, early morning Seminary, here I come again! 

We'll also be starting a family history class in a few weeks...one at the community Library & one at the church. Not sure yet how many people will be signing up, but we'll all be learning together cause we're certainly not experts. We've worked on our own family lines, but neither of us have helped anyone else with theirs, so it will be interesting. Any suggestions or ideas to help us get started are very welcome!!  


We were planning on going to one of our distant areas this week but will probably have to wait to make sure the cyclone heading our way doesn't cause serious flooding. We would hate to get stuck in the middle of a river like our friends did from our last post! We don't have a 4-wheel drive so wouldn't stand a chance. If you want to check out the cyclone's path you can go to www.windy.com & see what's coming down the northwestern coastline. 

The Church is true. God lives & loves us. He provided the world with the restored Gospel through His Son, Jesus Christ. We are not perfect people, but we are striving to overcome our weaknesses by being obedient & faithful to the principles we know to be true & correct. We are eternally grateful to the young Joseph Smith for his humility & desire to know for himself which church he should join & then being willing to do all in his power to bring that marvelous work & wonder to pass. We testify that this work we do...bringing souls to Christ...is the most important work we can be engaged in at this time in our lives. We pray for you, our family & dear friends, & know we are all in the Lord's hands.  Love to you all...Elder & Sister Tate!

In closing & w/our Elders...we say to you, our friends....Hurrah for Israel!!