Just a couple of photos of Karratha life
I think I mentioned last week how I was feeling a bit sick while emailing. Yeah, it didn't ease up at all. That night we went to a dinner appointment and that's when I realised how sick I really was. I could hardly teach when we were teaching her and her friends that she invited. So we drove home (a very long 30 minutes) and I pretty much just went straight to sleep. I called President Cahoon that night and told him I'd most likely have to take a sickie on Tuesday. I was right too. I think I just got a virus or something that has been going around Karratha, but I was in bed all day on Tuesday, and wanted to be in bed all day Wednesday and Thursday, but pushed myself to work. It's funny how taking a sick day on a mission you feel a lot worse than when you take a sick day from work or school. There's just so much work to be done out here and I felt like I could have been missing opportunities that the Lord had prepared for me on that specific day. I know the Lord understands our weaknesses though. Even though we are his servants, we are only human. Elder Naruo gave me a blessing on Tuesday morning and he was very specific in said blessing. He blessed me with the ability to work on Wednesday after resting on Tuesday. What I really wanted was the ability to work Tuesday afternoon after resting on Tuesday morning, but you know, the Lord knows best. So I had a day of rest on Tuesday and on Wednesday and Thursday we actually took it pretty slow, but we still worked.
By Saturday I had enough strength to get on the bikes for the first time in awhile actually. (I had enough strength to work hard out by Friday, but not quite for the bikes.) Up here in Karratha they just have mission owned bikes rather than having to bring our own up here, (it would cost quite a lot to ship our bike up here), and the one that I get to use is so much nicer than my bike down in Perth. I guess it's just because I've really loaded up the Kilometres on that bike whereas this one here is only 3 months old I think. It was great to get out on the bikes and be able to talk to everyone that we passed by again. Something that I realised and learned this week was that we're given commandments so God can have opportunities to bless us. I've always known that obedience to commandments yields blessings, but I don't think I've ever thought of it as God WANTING to bless us so He gives us commandments and then if we obey then He CAN bless us. He can't just bless us for nothing, he needs to have reason to bless us, hence the commandments. One commandment that we have is to open our mouths. It is not needful for...[us] to be moving swiftly upon the [streets], whilst the inhabitants on either side are perishing in unbelief. We've really seen God bless us this week as we've been obedient to that commandment. Talking to everybody that we pass by on the bikes. You can't do that in the car. It really made me feel a lot better about the work that we're doing. Not that we don't work hard in the car, but it feels like we work a lot harder on the bikes, and we get a lot more opportunities to be seen and to talk with everyone. I love it.
It's pretty warm up here in the Pilbara for winter. We usually drive with the air con on. Nights cool down though, so we usually try to do our tracting around 5-7, anywhere in there. It's "cool" weather for the locals, but I'm still working on acclimatising. I don't know what the exact temperatures have been because we don't have a thermometer in the new car, but I would guesstimate that it's been somewhere around 28-30 degrees on average, and maybe 20-22 on a cool day. Pretty much perfect weather really. I've come to Karratha at the perfect time of year.
Neither of the service opportunities that I told you about last week have turned into anything yet. We taught Lynn this week, but we don't think her questions were very sincere when we were teaching because she would ask a really good question but then change the subject before we could answer completely or at all. We think she's just an old lady in need of service, so we're going to keep offering it to her and trying to teach her until maybe she asks a question with a sincere heart and real intent to know the answer. The other one, Monique, has been out of town this week but gets back this Wednesday, so we're looking forward to her return, she's bringing back some friends with her as well that she wants us to meet. She's still awesome though.
Had a great week in getting to know some more members better. We had dinner at the Seuga's house on Thursday and I really think they're my favourite family in this branch. They live in a caravan, he's just been called to the Branch Presidency, and she just really reminds me of you Carrie. She's crack up. I feel at home when all four of us are crowded into their caravan. Also this week we had a Family Home Evening at the Relief Society President's (Sister Weeks) house and she invited anyone that wanted to come from the branch as well as 7 nonmembers that came along. There were probably about 30 people there. It caused for a great FHE. The nonmembers loved it and we set a return appointment with 3 of them. Sister Weeks is great with her missionary work.
I really feel like I'm blooming where I've been planted, even though not many dandelions or any flower for that matter bloom in Karratha, I feel like I'm doing my best, which is what the Lord asks of us. I'm loving it up here. I love the people, the town, the work, it's just great. This coming week is going to be amazing!
I love you all, have a great week and don't forget to write me (and Elder Price) ;)
Much Love,
Elder Tanner
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