March

A condensed version of Elder and Sister Warnick's last few emails:

They had their neighbors, Steve and Anna, over for a visit.  They served Hummingbird cake, which has bananas and pineapple in it, even though the pineapple was a bit hard to find.  Steve gave them some duck eggs, and invited them over the next week for a real English shepherd's pie, made with lamb.

Duck egg, left, compared to a chicken's egg

"Sunday we drove to Exeter for church and met with some young adults who don't attend Institute or FHE.  Our visits there with individuals were important, but made us late for a special extra sacrament meeting in Braunton 1.5 hours drive away.  We arrived about 30 minutes late and thought we could slip in the back.  There were about 30 present, including 3 investigators.  They ushered us onto the front row and announced our arrival to the whole congregation.  So much for our effort to be subtle.

We were richly rewarded for our effort to support them as the talks were so good.  Nigel, a counselor in the branch presidency, spoke of his long journey back from inactivity in the church and how blessed he and his family had been in his decision to return, even though his wife and children are not members.  Andrew Smith, the branch president, spoke on how we may forget what we hear, but not how we feel.  Even things from the pre earth life are still part of our feelings.  We reflected on the way home on all we had learned that day, (and also took a picture of a thatched roof!)."

"We had a married couple come to dinner.  We met them in the Paignton Ward; Pablo was very glad to have Dad speak Spanish with him.  He is a member, and she is taking discussions.  They met as employees on a cruise ship, he in the kitchen and she as a dancer.  She is very receptive and told us she intends to be baptized.  We showed them the church Easter video "Hallelujah."  Jennifer told us how pleased she was to learn that Adam and Eve partaking of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was not a huge mistake.  It was wonderful to feel such a connection with them as we conversed.  It turns out her maiden name is Alden, and her father always told her she was related to John Alden of Mayflower fame.  She was excited to know that John Alden is our ancestor too.  She felt, as we do, that our connection with her is not by chance."


They went to Plymouth for a YSA meeting.  After a lesson about staying strong in adversity, they played lazer tag, both inside and outside in the dark.

"Saturday we went to a baptism in Paignton.  A lot of family members were there.  This was Elder Kroch's last baptism before he returns to Cambodia.  We can envision a great work ahead of him there establishing the church more fully in his homeland."

"Monday we drove the sisters from Newton Abbot to Plymouth for a district preparation day.  While he missionaries played indoor football we went down to the Plymouth Mayflower memorial and visited the site where our ancestors, John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, left England almost 400 years ago.  We tried to imagine what it was like for them to walk down stone steps and get on the Mayflower.  We don't know why the Lord sent us to the Plymouth Stake, but we are grateful to be in the land of our ancestors and walk in some of the very places they did."