Magrath landscape

Trying matte

Matte bowl

Elder Spencer made this scripture case

Living with a new family. Lucy is the resident demon cat

Studying with Lucy

I am so psyched for your Merit shows! Blythe Gifford is sending me weekly updates with info about theater. I love reading them! She says that Gavin is doing a pretty good job as Grandpa. I miss that show so much. I'm glad you are working with Jon Haws. He will make everything work, because he is Jon Haws. He's superman.
I'm so excited for Josh!(Nate's cousin that was just accepted to BYU for winter semester.) That is so fantastic! It's so weird that all of us are growing up and going to college and such. That is crazy! How is Ben doing? I miss him! He needs to email me.
Say congratulations to Bianca for me! (Nate's cousin that just had her first baby.) That's awesome! Gosh.. right when I leave everyone starts having babies... But that's okay! We're good:)

That is so awesome that you went to Thriller! I wish I could have gone! I looked at your picture and saw the Grand behind you and I got a HUGE wave of withdrawals. I really cannot express to you how much I miss Theater. Or performance of any kind! It is nuts!
There are hard things on a mission, but I'm not crying myself to sleep every night or anything like that. Honest! I'm doing great! Like I said in the emails, Theater is helping me out a lot (I honestly don't know what I would do if I didn't have it) and I always have the Lord. He'll look out for me!

I'm so excited to hear what Grandpa has to say. Let alone to hear from Grandpa at all! I haven't got a letter or email from him or Grandma yet, so I am excited to hear from them. I look up to them so much! Sometimes I will be in a situation and I'll just say to myself "What would Grandpa do?" because I know that Grandpa would do it right. I'm having such an awesome time trying to figure out how to help the people of Magrath. I've got to admit, we don't get a lot of investigators here because the population is mostly LDS. But we are doing everything we can to help less active members and I absolutely LOVE the Bishops that we are working with. They are awesome!

I also spoke in church yesterday. It was awesome! I based my talk off of some events that had transpired in ward council a few weeks ago. I'll tell the story.
So as you know, we are working with Brandon Clayton. He is 18 years old and he is on date to be baptized on the 1st of November! His name was brought up in a ward council in which Elder Gibbs and I were not present. The question was brought up about whether or not to let Brandon go to Priest's Quorum, or if he should go to Elder's Quorum. Our Ward Mission Leader, Brother Gilson, suggested that he go to Priest Quorum because he was still 18. Then the young men President chimed in and disagreed because he didn't want Brandon to influence the boys in the wrong way.
I cannot believe that.
Brother Gilson immediately rose to Brandon's defense and told them that he will be going to Priest Quorum because he was Priest age and the Bishop confirmed it. When I heard about it, I was so angry I can't even describe it. How are we supposed to fellowship the non-members of the ward when we cannot look past faults or their past? Do we bring up these people's past every time we make an activity?! So when the bishop asked us to speak in sacrament meeting, I decided that I was going to speak boldly and directly.
So I spoke about being accepting and about preaching the Gospel to ALL MEN. Not just those who we feel are deserving. Not just those that we see fit. Not just those who look like us, speak like us, and behave like us. EVERYONE needs this gospel. I used the story of Christ and the Publican Levi from the Book of Matthew. I talked about how the Pharisees said to the disciples "Why drink ye with publicans and sinners?" and how Christ turned to them and said that the whole need not a physician. We are to preach the gospel to all men. We are to love all men just as Christ would. We must NEVER exclude another person because of the way they look or the way they speak. Especially when, like Levi (or Brandon!), they show such a desire to learn the truth! The scriptures say that Christ told Levi to follow him and that Levi left all and followed him. He left all! And the Pharisees scoffed at him for that. Sometimes I feel like there are a few Sadducees and Pharisees in our wards. Sometimes I can feel them in myself! So I have to do my best to get rid of them and see people as Jesus Christ would see them.

I'm grateful for the chance that I have to serve Jesus Christ. I am grateful for the chance that I have to serve the people in Magrath. I'm grateful for all of the support that I receive. I Love You all! Until Next week!

-Elder Warenski