At the beginning of April Elder and Sister Warnick passed their 2 month anniversary of being in England.
"We have marveled at and been grateful for the fact that we can do things so much more easily now than we could at the beginning. It is a real testimony to us that anyone can grow and improve. Things that may seem hard for us now, if we have a little faith and patience, will become easier if we just don't give up trying."
They went to Pablo and Jennifer Alvarez's flat in Paignton for dinner. Pablo cooked one of his grandmother's pasta recipes; he has Italian and Spanish ancestry, his grandmother having left Italy for Peru during World War II. They discussed the differences between terms used by British and American English speakers- for example, his wife asked him to put something in the "wardrobe", which he knew as a "closet", and he wasn't sure what she meant. Apparently he learned English (one of the 5 languages he speaks) from American passengers on the cruise ship where he worked. Elder and Sister Warnick gave their condolences on hearing that many of the passengers Pablo had learned English from were Texans!
Later they went to a Cornwall district meeting in St. Austell, which is the area where the book "Rebecca" took place- lots of quaint homes and ocean views.
They inspected the flat of the sisters in Cornwall, and were able to help them change the battery in their smoke alarm, as it started chirping during the inspection.
"We met with the stake presidency in Plymouth and shared our vision and plan to reach out to all young single adults in the Plymouth Stake. It was well received and the stake presidency want the plan presented to the stake council next week. We feel blessed and guided in this effort.
While we were there we attended Institute, where Brother Lewis taught about the revelations that were received during the Nauvoo period, primarily focusing on the King Follett discourse and that we are all literally sons and daughters of Heavenly Father, with the potential to become like Him. It is elevating and inspiring doctrine.
We had Bishop and Sister Vousden over for dinner to return their invitation to us... It was good to hear how Sister Vousden joined the church as a young woman of 20. She walked into the Hyde Park chapel and said she wanted to know what they believed. After reading the Book of Mormon and applying the Moroni 10 promise by prayer, in the coldest room she could find so that she wouldn't mistake a radiator's warmth for the Spirit, she did indeed feel such convincing warmth in her chest that she knew it was true and has never looked back."
They taught the first missionary preparation class to 3 young men. One came by train from Plymouth, and walked in a downpour without an umbrella to get to the class.
"He is very committed to serving a mission and has all his paperwork done. He is a convert himself of less than a year, having gone out for a crab sandwich and finding the missionaries and the gospel instead."
They attended the London Temple. They stayed at the temple's accommodation center and also went to a musical presentation at the temple's visitor center.
"The next day we attended the temple with senior missionary couples. Elder and Sister Andersodn from the area office in Germany were there to give support to those working with the YSA."
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