December 29, 2010 Email

Hey.

We got together as a mission on the 18th for the Christmas devotional, and everyone besides Tooele and Wyoming got together again on Christmas eve. But we did our own thing on Christmas eve and Christmas, and it was pretty sweet! We played 6 base kick ball Christmas eve! so hectic and so fun! Even though I'm not good at it at all! And on Christmas night we went to a member's very large house and played all sorts of things! My favorite was reverse charades. It's like charades, only one person is guessing and everyone else is acting it out! My favorite to act out was birth! I did pretty good! haha

The dinner was good too on Christmas! The family we ate with had family over from Spanish Fork, and their daughter knows Dayne! That was sweet!

Good question about transfers changing to Monday. I'd imagine they will also switch to Monday.

I'm definitely keeping L and everyone else in my prayers! I hope everything is ok!

I haven't seen Rhett and Mandy in a LONG time! I'll ask Elder Orme if he lives near to them.

Emerald's baptism is most definitely still on! She's so excited! There are a few other families that want us to come by and have expressed interest in joining the church, we're just anxious to meet with them. I had a cool experience this week with a promise in the Book of Mormon. I was preparing a talk on Sunday an hour before church started and while receiving inspiration as to what to say, I was led to Mormon 9 where Mormon gives a promise for those who pray in faith that that which we pray for will be answered. So I decided to put that promise to the test. Later that night, after dinner, we got a phone call from a single mom named Audrey. She has four kids and she got our phone number by looking us up on Facebook. She just moved to Tooele and has been less-active for 3-4 years. She wants to get involved again and we're teaching her whole family! They're an amazing family and it seems like they've been through a lot.

The Lord has a hand in all our lives and will guide us for the best and will always provide for us. All He asks of us is to trust Him, and Hearken to (listen and obey) His direction.

Love,
Elder Partridge

December 22, 2010 Email!

Your email is EXTREMELY LONG today, Mom! So I'll tell you a little about what's going on and please keep in mind all these things in the email for when we talk on Christmas, or hopefully Skype! (I suggested the Skype idea and it was approved!)
So...so much for having a car. Tiwi, the black box from Hades that monitors everything you do in the car, that a lot of time doesn't know what it's talking about, put Elder Orme in the "yellow" zone again. So as a penalty, he is suspended from driving for 45 days. And we all know I can't drive, of course. So I am now a DL in Tooele with no car. There is actually 3/4 of the mission that can't drive. Needless to say Tiwi is hindering the work. We're much less productive walking in our area, but so much for my rant.
We had a lesson with a girl named Emerald on Monday and it was pretty awesome. She's been going to church with a friend for a couple months and is on date for Jan. 8! Sweet!
Being DL is pretty cool especially with more changes that just happened. I gave a training for the first time on Tues. and we have a district goal of 12 baptisms in the district in Jan. That's the average the whole zone has been baptizing for the last 4 months. 11-12. And the Lord is providing.
We are gonna see so many miracles!
So we went to the Temple this morning because E. Orme had a doctors appointment in SLC and guess who was in the session...Kristi Oaks, who is no longer Oaks. That was crazy! It really doesn't set in when I hear people are getting married apparently, but that was crazy!
Thanks a ton for the 12 days of Christmas packages. Funny story. I was just holding on to the packages and didn't open them till last night because I wanted to save them for Christmas, and then I got revelation; maybe there's a camera as one of the gifts. (Because I was thinking of getting a camera today to have for Christmas). So I opened the packages last night and discovered it all. So needless to say I opened a lot of presents last night. Thanks for doing both ideas, too. I'm so spoiled!
Love you all tons! Have a great Christmas, and I'll talk to you soooooon!
3 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

December 15, 2010 Email

Elder Partridge & Elder Wilkinson

Hi!
It's transfer time and everyone's been saying I'm going to Wyoming. Elder Wilkinson even said he had a dream last night that I'm going out to Wyoming, but transfers happened this morning and I'm not in Wyoming. I'm over in Tooele! Apparently it's the "promised land" so I'm psyched! and the Lord has called me to be District Leader here. So this means I'll miss the wedding tonight of Bill and Tiffany, and I won't be able to go to their baptism on Sat. So that's lame to the extreme, but I know the Lord really has plans for me here in the Tooele North Stake! It was kinda annoying having to take down the Christmas tree and take it. Definitely not angering (I think I just made up a new word), but pretty annoying and pestering. Anywho, Bill and Tiffany are so solid and are doing everything they need to. It is the coolest thing to have them be so prepared! I know the Lord has more people like that prepared for us here in Tooele and He will lead us to them and provide if we have Faith in Him. That's something that Elder Wilkinson has helped me with, because he told me I need to show more faith and so last transfer I did all I could to build that faith and it was amazing! So I am expecting big things from the Lord here this next 6 weeks. My comp is Elder Orme. He was serving around me when I was first trained in Rose Park North. He is in at least a few pics on my memory stick I sent home and on a video or two also. Like the one of Elder Rohbock and E. Orme and myself shooting the can off each others head. And IDK what else. So ya I'm excited! It's gonna be a little crazy! We missed the exit to Tooele and had to go all the way out to Grantsville and make the detour. haha I'm excited. I think I've said that a few times! Probably cuz it's true! I'm back living with a member and we have a washer and dryer! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! We also have a car; one of the new Ford Fusions. And of course, I couldn't leave the tandem behind...it's weird packing after not having to for so long though! It's apparently difficult to find people here in this area, but I feel that the Lord has brought me here to find many people who are ready to receive the restored gospel in their lives and show that they have that desire by entering into the covenant of baptism.

There are a lot of changes happening in the mission and they're pretty exciting. They could be lame if you look at it that way, or hard to adapt to, but I'm excited for the changes the Lord has in store for us in the mission. Very cool! What big changes are happening in your life and with the fam? Any New Years resolutions? Do you have the missionaries in the ward over very much, or do they ever come by much? How's the job search coming, K? How was prom L? Did you kiss him? haha jk. But seriously. I miss those days! School dances, not kissing. ok this is awkward. ha ha ha or I guess in this time of year ho ho ho. We've got the Christmas devotional coming up here on Sat. and Elder Richard G. Hinckley is going to be there. Cool!

So my camera is broken but Elder Orme said he'd fix it. Apparently he's good at tinkering with that stuff, so we'll see. I am horrible with cameras! First I lost it on the Choir tour to San Fran, then I lost it in Austria and was blessed that someone found it, then the internal screen cracked on my first camera on the mission by some ridiculous unknown means and now the shutter, lens zoom thing is broken because it landed on it! aahhhhh... I feel bad! I'll get what pictures I can to you by Christmas hopefully. I love you lots!

Oh, PS, I had a sweet experience at Wal-Mart today here in Tooele! We've been working as a mission on asking people for referrals on P-day even in the check out lines. So I totally struck up a conversation with a sister in our stake in line behind me to check out and I asked her if there was anyone she knew and she acted surprised and kinda didn't know what to say so she just said no. So I asked her to pray and ask Heavenly Father who she knows that could use the gospel and she said she'd do it. But then I should have set up a time to check on that! Darn! But she will see the miracle of the Lord and let us know! Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts. My challenge is for everyone reading this to pray and ask Heavenly Father who you know who you want to accept the gospel and then expect an answer and direction from God to lead you to that person!

Love y'all!
Elder Partridge

A Message from Elder Partridge

December 8, 2010 Email

Hello all you lovely people,

I must say that I don't really miss the days of home work and extra hours at school and being sleep deprived. Well I still feel sleep deprived, but in a different, better way. I can't wait to have some Creme Brulee when I get back. But guess what I had on Mon. night at the Carlisle's for FHE...Pavlova!!! YUM! I knew L would do well playing her harp for the concert, too! Good for you L for relying on the Lord for help. Especially asking for a blessing!

Thanks for keeping me up to date with all the e-mails. I have a couple packages/envelopes to send home of accumulated stuff. So hopefully soon.

HAHAHA you guys are so funny! I definitely got a package in the form of a tree that just happens to be the type used at Christmas time.

So we just added some solid investigators yesterday. Their names are Bill and Tiffany and they have a 9 month son named Kalil. We talked with them about their goals and desires and they want to be married and baptized and be a family forever. So they just want everything we want people to have. It's sweet. They came to church for the first time on Sunday since they were kids. And I didn't even know about them being there until after church, but I felt for some reason to bear my testimony in that ward. and than we met them and they are ridiculously solid! on date for baptism on Dec. 18.

Sarah is progressing well and we still have a lot of faith that she'll be baptized on Dec. 18 also. She doesn't know for sure because she hasn't recognized the answer, but during Zone meeting on Mon. both E. Wilkinson and I got revelation at the same time of what we need to do to help Sarah recognize her answer.

So this is a normal day in a missionaries life: 6:25 am-wake up, 8:00 am-personal study, 9:00 am-companion study, 10:00 am-go out and work, 12:00 pm-lunch, 5:00 pm-dinner, 9:00 pm-go in for the night (or 9:30 if in a lesson). 10:30 pm go to bed. and everything in between is finding teaching and more.

The suit is pretty nice and is good. The word I would use to describe how I feel while wearing it is...crisp; yes crisp is the word. nothing flashy for sure but great. It fits fantastic.

Romero and Salina are still on pause because she's still out of it from her surgery, and the Wet's are still a work in progress; her son that we are trying to teach always is leaving right as we get there, but the Lord is definitely providing for us.

I'll definitely fulfill that request for your Christmas gift! Thanks! Some of the pics might unfortunately be late for Christmas, because the camera fell when I set it down and the zoom/ lens thing is stuck out, so I'm gonna need to get it fixed before Christmas. The Carlisle's know a place where it can be fixed. Is that ok or do you want me to take a different approach? I never got my cactus garden, but we'll have to see what happens. Hopefully I'll be able to do something with that.

I'm pretty sure everyone is just intimidated by Elder Wilkinson and myself when they see 2 towering men dressed in black at the door.

I love Gary and his family! I will definitely be praying for him and his wife. I'll be excited to see them when I get home. Bummer for Tame that he got hit. Everything's going crazy there at Mt. View! Crazy that 9th grade is going to be there, too.

We went with some investigators to watch the Joseph Smith movie and I actually forgot how crazy things get at Temple Square during the Christmas lights, and ya, I've been there a couple times!

Overall things are going well; just from all the blessings the Lord is pouring out for us. Thanks for everything you all do for me! I'll ttyl guys!

Love,
Elder Partridge

A few pics

Elder Partridge and his "greenie", Elder Wilkinson.

A greenie is a brand new missionary that Elder Partridge will train how to be

the perfect missionary! :) If you know how tall B is, it will give you some idea

as to how tall Elder W is! AWESOME!!!

If you look closely, you can see Elder Partridge's name. This was at transfers.

*Pics courtesy of Sis. Winn's blog

December 2, 2010 Email

Hey Everyone!

You made Easter Pageant again! WOW!!! What does this make now, a bazillion years!? That's pretty sweet that L and Payton get to do it together. haha I'm pretty sure if I was in Easter Pageant next year as an angel with my balance, I'd fall from great heights. ouch...but we'll see what happens in a year and 4 months. I hope Dads knees hold up with the kneeling as a wise man. The gold one is pretty much the best anyway.

Haha I love Anatomy with Mrs. Blackburn! She's a pretty awesome teacher! Not gonna lie. It was during class my junior year that I ran on the tables. Those were some fun times. How do you like the class L?

Ya we kinda showed a little to much personality some times in our choir concert, but we definitely were ourselves. I bet it was just different because I wasn't in it. Wow, that comment about hot cocoa just made me want some. I think I will tonight. The people who live in our same apartment complex thought we were crazy earlier today because E. Wilkinson and I went out in gym shorts and t-shirts and flip flops. haha I know you'll do great with the harp solo L cuz you're the best. Just don't forget to pray and practice. The 2 P's if you will. I'll pray for you, too. Thanks for NOT reminding me that I will be back for all this next year. haha

Wow! I want to be in L's Winter Formal group and have creme' brule'! that would be great. I'm pretty sure you can't mess up creme' brule' anyway. So ya, you'll do great Mom!

I most definitely loved all the Thanksgiving day pics you sent! We had a total of 3 dinners ourselves. One was with one of our ward mission leaders. I ate like it was our only dinner, of course, and it was amazing food. The company was awesome, too. Bro. Bradshaw is hilarious, and his family made it funner. We talked about which actresses were hottest and of course I felt awkward. But it was funny. Our dinner with the Carlisle's was good as well apparently, because I ate a ton there, too. Thank goodness we only had dessert at our third dinner. I felt awfully glutinous.

I totally wore my new suit today that I got yesterday after leadership meeting and I got some new shoes and galoshes. So no worries! Sarah's baptism is 3 days after transfers. If I do end up getting transferred than ya, I can come back. The growing trend is for trainers to stay with their greenies for 2 transfers. I stayed with Dyson 1 1/2 transfers because it was easiest. But I'll go wherever the Lord wants me to go, but it could make things different for Christmas being a week after transfers. Thankfully Elder Wilkinson got better like the day after emailing. The Wet's are from Sudan. Romero and Salina have not been around a long time, but I am totally going to ask the Relief Society to help them. I feel dumb I didn't think of that earlier. Thanks Mom!

One thing that really helps me is planning! We pretty much have to as missionaries, but it works out really good and you can see what your priorities are.

I'm sorry you've had a tough couple days at work Dad! I got swore at by a LA guy we've been teaching and thrown out of his house because he thought we were lying to him and was intoxicated. I love you a ton Dad and am happy I'm your son, and you'll be proud of me; I kept E. Wilkinson awake a couple nights ago because I was snoring so loud, and then it sounded like I was about to stop, but no.

I've changed a lot more than I thought I have since I've come out. I've found that out by reading in my journal from last year and being pretty dang shocked at some of the things I wrote.

Pres. and Sis. Winn are amazing! That was nice of her to say. (Comment on our family blog)

I don't have any more requests for dinner (He meant to say Christmas. He must have been hungry when writing this!), but I need to know what I can get for you all! and don't tell me nothing, cuz I want to get you something, but IDK what. Oh ya, that DVD with the Joseph Smith movie on it will be fantastic! you know the one we talked about at conference time.

I love you a ton!.

Thanks,
Elder Partridge

November 24, 2010 Email

Hello Everyone,
We totally got a blizzard last night. (Insert little snowman figure.) We were in an area where we got less than anticipated, but of course that didn't stop me from slipping and falling; pretty much like if you picture someone sliding into home base, that's what it was like. But thank goodness it wasn't more than that because we're on 24 hr. exchanges and I was in the DL's area (Elder Chavez) with another missionary in a mini van most of the night. Well I guess we were in lessons pretty much all night, but you know what I mean. And my son (greenie) had some sweet experiences. While I was off in the other area trying to teach people in Spanish, Elder Wilkinson took the reigns and totally hard committed Sarah like we planned on and she accepted! So she's getting baptized on Dec. 18! WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And from what I hear he was perfect at teaching to her concerns! I'm so proud! Definitely not in myself though! Nothing happens because of what I do. But ya, snow definitely won't stop the work of the Lord! Boom!
The Carlisle's are great and I'm pretty excited to eat with them, and 2 other people, for Thanksgiving tomorrow. No new shoes yet, but hopefully tomorrow. We'll have to see because they haven't called us and told us that E. Wilkinson's suit is done yet. But after last night, not even walking in the snow except for going in and out of the van, I've decided I definitely need new shoes.
I got the package yesterday with the scarves etc. and the notes, only I didn't see the note on the Christmas present so I opened that one right away. Then I found it and read it so I was like "oh I'm glad it was ok to open, because I just did. Phew." Thanks a ton!
I'm sure I'll think of you guys some time tomorrow at Taylor's eating and talking and Uncle Allen cutting the meat and the football game on and all the women in the kitchen and ya.
I'm doing some of the AM exercises. The week went good. We were in most of the time the beginning of this last week because Elder Wilkinson was deathly ill. Not really too bad, but he had to go to the bathroom every 5-10 min. So I was very bored, excited to study A LOT, and anxious to go back out and work!
So Sister Wet wants to wait 3 yrs. for Chaney to get baptized when he knows more because it's their culture. But I like what Pres. Ruesch (Stake Pres.) said about it, "Well they should learn the Lord's culture." So we'll see how it goes. We're teaching them tonight, so ya.
With Romero-Investigator and Salina-Less Active (the couple the Sisters gave us to teach) we haven't been able to teach them since that first time a week ago because Salina had surgery and is on drugs and way out of commission from the surgery, and Romero is tired from work and taking care of Salina and the baby, so he just sleeps all the time. But hopefully things will get rolling with that!
I love Kendall! Tell him hi for me please; along with everyone else! Good to hear he is doing so well! What a swell guy to have as a cousin!
Haha, ya we have been extremely careful with the bike and of course haven't used it the past few days in the snow! But ya, no idea who donated it. Maybe the mission, but IDK.
We have 3 dinners now as of last night. One with a Ward Mission Leader, Bro. Bradshaw and his family. He's a hilarious guy and an amazing WML! He fulfills his calling like a champ! He comes with us to all of Sarah's lessons! He also manages a Michael's Craft Store up here. Thought you'd like that mom. The 2nd is with Tavia who got baptized Sept.5 and her fellow shipper, who she's living with, Sky. Sky is making a sweet meal apparently so we're jumping by there for a plate of food cuz it's gonna be amazing! Then we're spending dinner with the Carlisle's! of course that will be great because they are just an amazing family! We get a Turkey Bowl in the morning, too! That will be fun!
Oh how thankful I am for wonderful family and friends who love me so much! I want you to know that I love you too and am so thankful for you from the bottom to the top of my heart!
Love,
Elder Partridge

November 17, 2010 Email

Hello all my favorite people,
That's cool about the new guide the church put out! Oh and there's a special stake meeting coming up this Sunday and Elder Hales is going to be there!
Ya I know what it's like having to make stuff up at school! Sorry Lauren! I hope you feel better soon! Have a great time at the dance too! Good luck in the interview Kayla! unless you already had it! then I'm sure you did great. (Elder Wilkinson says hi to everyone.)
That is so cool about Rene' and his mom! I am excited for them to be baptized. That will be such a great blessing for them!
Congrats to Will Shupe! Cool beans! :)
Real quick about the week; since we've been talking with EVERYONE and getting referrals and doing everything and still not seeing success we were in the middle of proselyting and I stopped and said ok we need to figure out some thing we're doing wrong or some thing we're not doing right now and change it because there's something we need to do to see success. So we came to the consensus that we need to do better at exercising in the mornings like we are supposed to. So the next day we started doing better at that and later in the day we started tracting- the dreaded activity-and the first door we knocked on was a part-member family named the Wet's. So we talked with Sister Wet and she wants to get back to church and she has two sons. I have no idea how to spell her six-year-olds name, but she has a ten-year-old named Chaney that wants to get baptized and meet with us! So pretty sure that's a direct correlation of sacrifice, obedience, and blessing. We're gonna put him on date for baptism when we teach him tomorrow. Then just yesterday the sisters handed an investigator over to us because he is going to get his baby blessed in the English Ward and his wife doesn't understand Spanish. It's really cool because when they very first started teaching him (Romero) I went over and gave his wife a blessing before she got induced. So we already know them. He is on date for baptism for Dec. 4! The Lord is pouring out blessings upon us already. I was bummed though because right when we were seeing the apex of blessings, Elder Wilkinson got way sick. He has the "double dragon!" Anywho, we feel also that Sarah is really close to baptism, but we are silly and haven't invited her to be baptized since like 3-4 weeks ago and a ton has changed since then. Have an amazing time living life and look for the blessings the Lord gives. And if you can't see them, align your will with His and He will pour out blessings upon you! I love being a missionary in the Lord's vineyard! It's never really easy, but it's the most rewarding when the Lord gives us the opportunity to teach someone who is prepared for baptism! I love you all so much, especially the fam! Thanks for your shining examples, love and prayers!
Love,
Elder Partridge.

PICTURES!!!

These are some pictures that I got from Pres. and Sis. Winn's blog. LOVE that blog!!!

November 10, 2010 Email

Hey hey hey!
This week's been good! We've found a couple of new investigators and are planning to put a lot of the investigators we have on date for baptism.
So ya, everyone keeps telling Elder Wilkinson that he has a great trainer, but ya. He laughed when he saw the pic you sent from his facebook. haha He is into band. Trombone to be presice.It's pretty good training. It's like a normal transfer only not. Elder Wilkinson makes it easy, and he reminds me a lot of myself when I came out. He is a bit timid to speak with people but is a great teacher and he has a great attitude and desire for the work. He's even caught me on stuff at times. It is great to be able to help him learn the things to be successful and help him learn the principles we teach. We get along really well. We don't have exactly the same interests and what not, but we get along amazing! It's great to be able to trust each other and do the work with the same amount of intent!
We turned Ramon over to the sisters and we have a lesson with Sarah tonight. We just added a guy named Paul who came to church last week randomly and we put him on date for baptism for Nov. 27.
So the bike crash was not a big deal. We almost got hit by a car and we swerved and hit the curb at 15-20 mph and I flew over Elder Wilkinson. It could have been bad, but it's good.
Sounds like a fun reunion for Kendall! I love him! Tell him hi! That'll be fun when I get home, but that's still a long way off.
So about that secret story; wow! I give you props!
No plans for Thanksgiving or funny stories about daylight savings time this year. haha
Love you tons! Thanks!
Love,
Elder Partridge!

Oh, and we got texting available now on our phones! Pretty cool!

November 4, 2010 Email

Hello my beloved friends and family,
So this week there have been crazy changes since we talked last. P-day is no longer on Thursday when transfers happen, but it's on Wed. like normal. So we just have transfers on P-day. So some of you may be wondering why I'm e-mailing on Thursday instead of Wed? Well, Elder Casey did leave as expected and I did stay. On Sunday in the midst of planning for the next days activities, President Winn gave me a call and told me I was pregnant aka I am going to train a new missionary. So yesterday was spent all day with that. We met our greenies and had lunch with them followed by X-treme street contacting downtown. As you may remember, when I was a greenie and did this it was in the middle of a blizzard. I must say that the weather conditions were much finer yesterday, but the people we talked to up and down West Temple sure didn't want to listen to what we had to say. We got quite the rejections. But ya, since we didn't get p-day yesterday, we get a little time to e-mail and shop today.
I'm glad you got my suit and pants okay. The reason the jacket and 2 pairs of pants fit so good in that little box is because Sis. Carlisle packed them and taped it for me!
I bet the singing went great mom! I compliment you on a job well done.
I got the package and it was amazing! I love it all! I'm especially excited for the Swiss Miss. I'm glad the next set of e-mails will just be one weeks worth! haha thanks so much for sending those.
Ya the apartment flooded because we live right next to the laundry room and a pipe busted so we just got to experience all that water in our apartment too.
It's good to know that you enjoy getting real mail every once in a while. I'll do that more!
David is in his 40's. Sarah is very sincere and interested. In the last lesson we had with her we had her kneel and pray with us to ask if the Book of Mormon is true. So she did and she said she felt comfort and wants to keep reading and praying for a week to confirm her answer! It's pretty cool, and I know that each time she prays the Lord will confirm that answer!
That's sweet that Levatau's are coming to the ward! I'll keep tabs on things I need or anything I want and be sure to let you know! btw there's a Target in the mission now right by Wal Mart!
The trial we were having is pretty much just a lot of rejection from people and some people getting so close and then falling away.
Oh, yes, the time change is on Sunday. yay.
I can't believe that Kendall's already coming home! That's crazy! I bet they're excited!
Not really any new health advancements for me, but it's still good! No car still, so that means we'll be walking in the snow! If you could send me the scarves that would be super! I still have everything else from last winter. I didn't get boots because I didn't go to Wyoming and it looks like I won't have to either because I think I'm in the clear as far as going out there. My waterproof shoes were all for the snow last year. The galoshes might work though instead of a whole new pair of shoes if you end up having to pay for them. There are some dress shoe galoshes that I've seen other missionaries wear, and I'm still good for my stationary.
Thanks for all you do for me mom and family and everyone else.
Love
Elder Partridge.

PS. We got in a pretty gnarly bike crash last night and we were megga blessed. What a first day for Elder Wilkinson.

October 31, 2010 Letter

Hi everyone,
Sorry it's taken so long to get a letter to you, but you know how it is--busy! :)
So we're teaching a less active man named David and he had one of his legs amputated. So we went over yesterday and he was extra excited because he is getting his prosthetic leg in a week. I said the closing prayer and in the middle of the prayer, he very excitedly said, "Don't forget my prosthetic." So I finished praying for what I was praying for right then and the next thing I prayed for was his prosthetic. He then said in a very excited tone, "Yes!!!". It was pretty funny!
We're teaching a guy named Ramon that we just started teaching last week. He's on date for Nov. 13 to be baptized. We had some pretty great lessons with him. The first time we taught him, we put him on date, and the second lesson he said he didn't know if he could feel ready to be baptized by Nov. 13. His concern ended up being that he really wanted to understand the covenant of baptism before he did it, and he felt like he wouldn't know by Nov. 13. So we prayed with him right there and he got an answer that God wanted him to be baptized. But he hasn't been home the last two times we've gone by to teach him, so please keep him in your prayers.
We're also teaching a woman named Sarah who is very interested. We found her just by tracting. We've taught her three times and she is progressing pretty well. She has a bunch of questions which is awesome! Our last lesson was pretty cool because each time she brought up a question and we answered it, the Holy Ghost bore witness of what we said each time.
I love you guys so much!
Love,
Elder Partridge

October 28, 2010 Email

Dear amazing family and friends,
First of all I'd like to send my love. LOVE!!! There you go. So mom, don't worry about not sending those things. I know that you're really busy and I still love you just as much.
I'm excited for the present on Christmas. Sis Udall is pretty awesome. Please tell her thank you for me. Thanks.
This week was the mission tour where Elder Evans of the 70 came and spoke to us, so we have p day today. Next week is transfers and so p day will be Thursday again, and from what we saw on the white board today at the mission home, Elder Casey will probably be leaving and I have no idea still about myself.
We have a very limited amount of time today so I'll write you a letter about all the miracles, trials and people we're teaching some time today and mail it off. I'll mail my suit off today and probably mail the measurements later.
We've seen snow and had our first snow ball fight as a district when we were randomly at the same place at the same time. We don't ride the bike in the snow. We park it and walk, which takes us a lot longer to do things. But it all works out.
I hope you have a great Halloween celebration. We're going to be in the 6:00 session at the Temple this year as a zone.
That's pretty cool that Garret fed E. Rohbock last week.
We got flu shots like everyone else, but we were just later getting there than everyone because the ZLs didn't want to take us the same time as everyone else so we went to teach a lesson instead.
Good to hear the funeral went well. Thanks for letting me know how it went. It sounds like it was amazing.
We cover 4 wards in this area.
You can send Halloween candy if you want to. I'm not gonna lie, it would be appreciated! But whatever is easiest for you! Thanks a ton for everything. Oh, I will say real quick that we put some one on date for baptism last week and that our apartment flooded and smells like dead sea creatures. Mmm... look forward to more in a letter.
Love you bye!

October 20, 2010 Email

Good day to you all!

The bike broke down on Saturday. Right after dinner we went over a dip and the gears in the back wheel broke and flew into the spokes and completely demolished it. As soon as I heard it snap I bailed and jumped off. But it got fixed yesterday thanks to the wonderful mission! I guess I need to stop eating so much at dinner. haha jk.

Oh ya! I did get my finger x-rayed last month because it keeps dislocating, but there's not really anything they can do about that. I don't know why I didn't think of that before, but it's happened like 10 times and it hurt really bad so I just wanted to get it checked out. What happened the day I got it x-rayed was we were riding on the sidewalk and there was a huge bump in it (pretty much a curb) from where a tree root had grown under it. So Elder Casey slammed on the brakes and my momentum carried me forward and it popped out of place. Ouch! I'll send the bill from the dentist home, too. Sorry I got a cavity. It doesn't make a lot of sense since I'm brushing way better now than I ever did back home, but oh well. So goes life right.

It is a bummer about Fred, but you're right about making sure he's ready. It's the worst to see someone make such an amazing step in their life and then turn back to the same bad habits. I'll definitely keep you posted on how things are going with others we're teaching. Right now we're going through one of the biggest trials of our faith, and the only reason it's so much different, more than other times, is because there is so much expected and I know a lot more about how things should go in the work. But we're going through this trial with smiles on our faces.

Thanks for letting me know about Nick. Wow. That's sad, but also happy that he went while on his mission-very close to the Lord. I'm so glad we have the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and can know where he is and what he'll be doing. I'll make sure to pray for them.

I thought the key chains you sent for my “hump day” were hilarious, and so did my Zone Leader's and Elder Casey. It's probably a good thing they weren't buttons or I would have been tempted to wear them (which is against the rules). Phew...
Ya, it's gonna be kinda weird with Halloween coming up and being in Rose Park again this year for it, too, but it will be sweet.

It's getting colder up here, too, but not cold enough. There are a TON of aphids all over the place because it hasn't frozen yet this year and so they are just everywhere. They get all over our clothes and they're tricky to get off because if you just try to brush them off they smear into your clothes. I've found that flicking is the best solution.

Elder Casey says “you’re welcome” for sewing my buttons on!

We totally ate it on the bike, but I'm ok. My knee just has a small bruise on it the size of a dime that doesn't hurt and I forget it's there until we kneel to pray and I kneel on it and my leg goes out from under me and I screech in pain and pray and up and it feels fine! haha.

Tons of love right back at you!

Love
Elder Partridge

October 14, 2010 Email

Hey you guys!
So Fred's baptism didn't go through because he smoked, so that is a bummer. He smoked again this week too so it's a no go for this weekend either. He's really struggling with it, and it's hard for us to help him more than we are because he's so hard headed and stubborn. So I fasted for him and we're putting things in the Lord's hands and doing everything we can, because that's all you can do.
We're also teaching a lady named Sarah that we tracted into a couple weeks ago. (I know, we actually found some one by tracting)! She's very interested in learning and is willing to keep all the commitments that we leave with her! There's a Tongan Elder who served his mission in the West Indies Mission and is here in the area with family on medical reasons who doesn't want to get released as a missionary until he gets back home to Tonga, so we've used him as a third male to come and help us teach both times so far. Hopefully you'll be hearing about her on date for baptism soon.
We're also teaching the Moore family. They moved down here to Utah from Idaho recently and they are really nice and great to talk with. They're very stuck right now in their ways and don't want to venture far out of their comfort zone. They are Christian Chaplains/ preachers. We last committed them to read in the Book of Mormon and pray about it and they said they would. We have another lesson with them on Friday so hopefully things will go well.
We have been going through former investigators and we added a guy who had been taught before named Johnson Iris. His only problem last time that prevented him from getting baptized was that he wasn't willing to dump his girlfriend and he hasn't seen his girlfriend in over 2 months now. So our first lesson we sat down with him and got to know him just like we're supposed to and he pretty much just shared all his problems with us and his goals. Than we used the Book of Mormon to answer his concerns and bring peace to his soul. It was amazing to see how the spirit just brought scriptures to our minds that just applied exactly to him. Both after Elder Casey and I shared our scriptures he said "that's beautiful." So we're hopeful to help him get baptized now!
We're still finding solid people for the sisters too. haha I can't wait for us to find solid people for us to teach soon. I know they're out there, we just need to find them!
I do think that priesthood session was the best one at conference. I really liked Elder Kearon's talk and Pres. Uchtdorf's in priesthood session. Oh and of course Elder Oaks talk had new meaning since I know him a little better now! haha
Sounds like another good trip to the cabin! Sad we won't be able to go any more, but it's all good! Fun fun memories!
Lucky L! October break. My congrats to her on her grades! I hope she has fun at the dance, too!
Fun stuff that you and Kayla get to hang out together. That'll be fun to be able to "hang out" when I get home. haha but definitely not now.
Bummer about dad's knees! Has he gotten a blessing yet? I know because you tell me every time. I just got a boosted testimony of blessings yesterday. Elder Casey woke up sick on Mon. and we went out and worked the whole day and he just got progressively worse throughout the day. So then on Tues. when he woke up he was pretty darn sick, so we stayed in for the morning and then worked the rest of the day. He was still going down hill all day, so at the end of the day we had the Zone Leaders come over so we could give him a blessing. I got to give the blessing and did it so that he'd be able to be well to enjoy Zone Conference. When he woke up that morning, all he had was a runny nose; and now nothing. So that was a huge miracle.
Hey maybe I can get permission to go to Grandpa's thing in Spanish Fork! jk
SWEET!!!!! You didn't tell me about Kyle Lenhart getting married! That's sweet!
That is so weird that Kendall is almost done! I can't believe that; I remember when he left! That means I don't have too long either.
I got the envelope with the letters! It's so crazy how much there always is! It's good! I got the pictures of you guys with the camel back home and I got a couple of key chains that look like pins only they have a key chain coming out of them instead of a pin on the back. I got a good laugh from that one, so did the zone leaders. haha
The office cleaning was a piece of cake. We were one of the last zones to go so everyone else in the mission that went before us cleaned it out already. We just pretty much got there and ate lunch. I'll have to put you on a waiting list for the house cleaning back home. I'm booked until Oct. 5 next year.
It is weird to be here repeating holidays, especially b/c I'm in Rose Park same as I was last year. but ya, there have been some major changes in the mission that are mainly just things to help us become a Zion Mission! There aren't a ton of things that are actually being changed, just a lot of things being cracked down on! I've grown a lot, too, in the way I am able to be bold and not afraid. I've also become a better teacher (most of the time).
President Winn didn't give me any suggestions of things to do to prepare for leadership, so I'm just trying to prepare myself by continuing to just do what I'm asked and try to fulfill what the Lord expects of me.
Thanks for sending the buttons for my suit. Elder Casey got me all fixed up. At this point I think I'm good as far as things I need. I'll be happy when the suit thing works out! But if I think of something I'll write it down and let you know.
We biffed it the other day on the tandem. I'm fine except my knee really hurts. So now I feel dads pain. haha ouch...
I haven't been able to do a session yet since I've gotten the names. But hopefully soon.
People are funny. No it's not against the rules to see me at conference and it is actually on the list of the new "Zion Mission Standards" that we are able "...to see family briefly during conference time."
Lots of love and stuff!
Elder Partridge

October 6, 2010 Email

Hey,
Good thing your e-mail is way short because I only have a ridiculously short amount of time to e-mail today due to cleaning at the mission office from 1-3. Crazy! So I'm way excited for Halloween! It's crazy that I was here last year during Halloween and seeing all the changes that have happened in myself and in the mission.
Not too much is new with me in the last couple days. Just trying to stay busy. Conference was pretty legit but you know all about that!
I guess I haven't emailed about what happened on my year mark yet. So my year mark was quite the milestone celebration! We ate dinner with the Carlisle's and had really good burgers, then came the long anticipated tradition of burning the shirt! (I've got pics and a video). It went up surprisingly fast, and it was really hot. After that amazing episode we baked some dough over the fire and put butter and cinnamon sugar on it and made our own cinnamon rolls!
Fred is totally getting baptized this weekend! I'm so stoked! It's gonna be so sweet! We first started teaching him when I first got into the area! Then he wanted to get baptized, but he had to work at the fair so we had to wait, so ya it's finally happening and it's sweet.
That sounds like a totally amazing storm! Was there as much water on Gilbert as the time a couple years ago when we nicknamed Gilbert Road "Gilbert River"? All we get here is the aftermath from the storms down there in AZ, so they're pretty puny most of the time, but the best days in Salt Lake are the overcast days!
Sorry I've got to go already, but we've got Fred's Baptismal interview in half an hour! Talk to you later!
Love you all,
Elder Partridge

September 29, 2010 Email

Hello there Family!

One of the mission cars is a Dodge Caravan and that's the car our District Leader has. So when that broke down we got to take the big 10 passenger van that the mission office uses! We got a "Drive Friendly" sticker for the fender of our tandem!

I totally can not believe it's already been a year! You better believe I'll take pics of my shirt on fire!!!!!!! ahhh!!!!! I hope it doesn't get too crazy, but I make no promises! I'll remember not to do anything STUPID though! (like light it while I'm wearing it).

I totally celebrated my surgery anniversary on the 25th by having just a normal day and we got to see a few cool miracles. So that was a sweet blessing for being diligent I guess. We added a family of three. My year mark envelope was amazing! I especially loved the pics of dad passed out with the sign on him! haha! That is a ton of letters/emails from my friends! I love it! I'll have plenty to do for any free time I get now! And personal delivery on the next batch...who could ask for more!? And as far as pics go, I don't care if they're real or the way you've been sending them. Whatever is cheaper. I just want to SEE what is going on in your fun lives!

I'm so psyched to be able to go to the temple with the family we baptized last week. Their names are Rhonda, Israel, Quaton (15), Zachary (12), Aimei (8), Shaliah (6), and Ty Earl (4). We still go by and teach them about two times every week! It's pretty sweet!

We didn't find any more conference tickets, but I want you to have some if you can; I don't want to take away that opportunity for you guys. From what you wrote it sounds like we'll all be able to go which would be way sweet! but let me know!

I bet L did awesome at the choir concert! Wish I could have been there, but I'm sure mom recorded it so I'll be able to watch it when I get back. haha Hyrum is funny. He should give me a real hug too though.

I'm excited to do the exercises in the mornings that you sent! Elder Casey and I were looking through them when we got them last night and just started laughing at some of them. We were like, "That one should be fun to try." haha We'll have to film it one time so you can laugh too!

We're having a baptism coming up on Oct. 9 for Fred Preston. Fred is a Black fellow who has been here for 6 years from Louisiana. He's so great and hilarious! We're way tight. Yesterday on exchanges Elder Casey and Elder Guillen (DL from Paraguay) went by and he said, "Where's my man?" He's doing great! We've been teaching him since Elder Jackson and I were first serving together and at the beginning of the month he said he wanted to set a date to get baptized! He's the one that "knows a little somthin somthin about the bible" haha

Zach Wallace (The kid from England) has gone back and he is planning on getting baptized still. I haven't been able to hear from him b/c he has limited internet access, so I'm gonna write him a hand written letter. But hey, if I'm on the baptismal program it should be ok to go to the baptism in England right...? haha jk I wish.

The rules just changed for this conference and you won't be able to take us out to lunch, but you can bring us something to eat like sandwiches or whatever you want. Cuz you know me and my stomach haha. (Hi mom it's Elder Willnauer again! Typing for your son) ok that's it!

Love you tons!
Elder Partridge

September 23, 2010 Email

Hey,

I unfortunately don't have much time at all to email today because we spent an hour and a half at Wal-Mart with a broken down van, but I'll do what I can.

There are some pretty huge milestones coming up for me. The Carlisle's already told me to use their fire pit to burn a shirt for my year mark on the 30th. haha. And I'll have to do something to celebrate my surgery anniversary on the 25th!

I'm excited to hear all about things from "the boys". Thank you all so much for doing that for me.

The baptism went awesome! It felt so good for a whole family to be baptized, just having one person after another come into the font to be baptized! The water was boiling lava hot though. Aimei said "ouch" every step she took going down into the water, and the bathroom behind the font was like a sauna. The confirmations all went great, too!

Hi to everyone who says hi to me! I'm still in Rose Park with Elder Casey and the tandem!

I'll have to congratulate Pres. Winn on the new grandkid!

My health is doing awesome! My balance is getting better, I think! I can't really tell since I've been on the bike.

Love you all!!!

Bye!

**If you happen to be at General Conference next weekend, watch for him! He'll be at every session and by the reflection pool to the East of the Temple between sessions. :)

A Letter from the DL

The following is a bit of a letter sent to us from E Partridge's District Leader. ( A District Leader is one of the missionaries that is responsible for a few of the companionships in the area he's serving in.)

Brother and Sister Partridge,

My name is Elder Doucette and I'm serving in the UT SLC Mission. I'm actually your son, Elder Partridge's, District Leader right now which is pretty sweet! OK, not the DL part...but serving with your son is the pretty sweet part. Let me just say that Elder Partridge is pretty much one of my favorite Elders here! Always working hard and always has a good attitude for the work, even when his area or companion may be a struggle for a bit. All of the members and investigators alike love him and when I'm helping in their area, I hear that a lot, which is good! I had the opportunity to attend a baptism with him in his last area and everyone there was really glad to see him and told him what a great missionary he is! And it's true! He is!

I hope this letter brings a smile. I'm glad to know your son and serve here with him! Thanks for letting him come! Take care! :)

From,

Elder Doucette

It was a nice surprise to receive this and it definitely did bring a smile to our faces!

September 15, 2010 Email

Hey,

So first cool story would have to be about Rhonda and Israel and their family! So when we first started teaching them they were all for getting married and everything was going amazing. But then a little over a week ago they talked about it more and Satan put a lot of fear into their hearts (cuz he's a punk like that). So the first thing we did was went to the Chapel and said a prayer for Heavenly Father to bless them and take away their fears and lead us in what to do to help them. So we taught about marriage more and took them to the temple exhibit at Temple Square and everything else that we could think of, but their fear and concerns stayed with them.

Then on Sunday we went over and went through the baptismal interview questions and talked with Rhonda to try to draw out her concern. The more we talked the more she brought out and we answered all her concerns; and finally we got to her root concern and helped her over come that! and when I say we I mean the Holy Ghost b/c it definitely wasn't me or Elder Casey doing anything! We just got to be the vessel for the Spirit at that time. So on Monday we went down with them and got the marriage license, then yesterday they got married, and E. Casey and I got to be the witnesses! Cool! They get interviewed tonight and are getting baptized on Sat. at 12:00.

Good deal about Conference. We might end up sitting with you somewhere for a session or two if we can't get more tickets. We have 3 sessions worth right now! So we'll be in touch about that in the coming weeks!

Yes, next week is transfers!
Sounds like a plan with the tandem. I will talk to the people that are letting us barrow it, and let you know. hahahahahahah Thanks for the advice about kids and mission presidents. I believe it since I am your second child. :)

(This was in reference to him getting a new mission president. I told him it's kind of like having children and after your first you don't think you could possibly love another one as much, but then you do!)

Hi. I am Elder Thomas (typing for your son) I'm the one that is picking Elder Partridge up and throwing him on Sis. Winn's blog!! hahah. Hope that's alright with you.

E. Partridge: He is the best!!! Hope you liked the package, I will try to send more pictures.

E. Thomas: Elder Doucette didn't write a letter to my parents! Not fair.

Elder Partridge: I'm really not that great, I don't know what E. Doucette is talking about.

Wow, L's birthday sounds like a lot of fun. She is popular. I totally forgot until halfway through the day.

You are amazing and I am so glad you are my mom! No, I am truly blessed!

Elder Thomas: I love you!!!!;) and Elder Partridge i guess.

A Great Post From Sis. Winn!

http://mamawinnsplace.blogspot.com/2010/09/lone-ranger-and-tonto.html

Tandem Pose

Elder Casey and Elder Partridge on the tandem!
This picture was sent to us by a man from Bountiful, UT who happened to be driving through B's area on the way to a soccer game. He and his wife saw them on the tandem and stopped to get a picture to send home to us! Thanks Murri's!

September 8, 2010 Email

Hello people,
My week has been good. We got to go to the Temple today and do initiatories. I don't have Carlisle’s address; I left my planner at home on accident today. Sorry!
I am mailing a package home today for you with pics in it, including one of us on the bike.
Sis. Winn probably does know that you're stalking her blog. haha I think I told her about it.
Which team does Max Hall play for?
Tavia's baptism went awesome! I got to baptize her because I was there the whole time teaching her. Right when she came up out of the water she gasped and held her breath and put up the peace sign and said, "I'm good." It was funny.
My balance is doing just fine. It's not getting worse as far as I can tell. I'm just not being as careful as I should be I guess. It's kinda like on Finding Nemo: "You think you can do these things but you just can't [Elder Partridge]." I'll try out the excercises for sure though. It's about the same all the time except when the wind blows me around. IDK if I need to get it checked out but I'm willing to do whatever. If I'm concentrating I am just fine, but I'm just not concentrating on that, I'm concentrating on missionary work.
I totally got all 3 packages! They saved me for a few weeks at least!
I'm so excited for General Conference! I really hope I'm not in Wyoming for winter, but even if I am, I'm gonna be able to go to Conference.
I love the Winns! I love them so much! They're so much fun, and are doing so many great things! IDK if he knows everything about my condition, but he does know about it and expects a lot from me, so I know I'll be able to do it.
Ya, as for me being down on myself last week…I'm just really hard on myself and won't let myself be disobedient at all, which is good, but if I make any mistakes I feel sick because I feel bad.
I love you so much, too! Hopefully K will be able to help you out with the Temple work she’s finding to do. If you want, you can send some names to me and I can get them done on p day by myself and others! Just let me know.
Love you!
B

One Happy Mama!

I read this tonight. It made me laugh and it made me cry! Thank you Sis. Winn!

September 1, 2010 Email

Hey Everyone,
I’m really enjoying everything that's happening right now!
So we just got the bike back last night along with brand new really good helmets. The Carlisle's took it and got it all fixed up for us. They take such good care of us it's ridiculous. They're making sure we're looked after. We're excited to ride it around. Pres. Winn told Sis. Winn about it today at the breakfast and she said she'd have to come find us on it and get a picture for their blog. The other day there was a meeting for all the zone leaders and the assistants were talking about effectiveness in the mission and how every missionary in a walking area should have a bike. Then they said how there's one companionship where one Elder sees two of everything...so they got a tandem bike so they could be effective with their time, and all the zone leaders just laughed. haha I would have too. Any who, we got it from some members in the area. It was just sitting in their back yard rusting and they heard we were looking for one to use, so the talked to us at church about it and here we are.
I wish E. Willnauer would type for me every week. It would be so much faster and funnier. It always seems like that's the case, like my very first email in the MTC where Elder Gardner typed for me.
Good to hear about everyone back home and how they're doing. So Jackson and Ta'lia live in our stake? I would love to get a letter from him. haha That was funny, "Hudson is in a jungle eating rice and beans." I'm really glad he's loving it so much.
What's the special occasion for coming to UT? Labor Day? We don't have any big plans. Just doing the Lord's work and maybe going to a family barbeque with David Solomon and his family. We ran into him the other day on Saturday and got to talk with him and his mom for awhile. That was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BYU opening game? Holy smokes I haven't heard anything about this. And I heard a rumor about BYU going independent, but I didn't hear it was official! Dad's leaving me hanging. That's a pretty big deal! Who are they playing for their first game?
That's cool K and L are going to go do baptisms for the dead for our peeps!
Quick story about just one of the miracles that have happened this week. On Saturday things started out good but just kept getting worse. I was realizing all the things I was doing wrong or wasn't doing and really beating myself up about it all day. On top of that and other stuff, the wind was blowing me around like a rag doll! It was so frustrating b/c I already lose my balance about every 5 steps anyway. But it was really frustrating today b/c I couldn't even take a step without getting off balance. Anyway, after all the trials that came up, we had a power evening in our area with the zone leaders where they both worked in our area while we were on exchanges, and during this time we had a lesson with Tavia. It was the first time meeting with her in a week and a half b/c she went with a friend to Florida to help her move. So we're planning on just going through a couple of chapters in the Book of Mormon with her like normal b/c this is her first time really having anything to do with the church. Besides this, it was chasing the missionaries away with a baseball bat. So we got there and the first thing she does is tells us about how while in Florida she did service with the church and felt amazing and now wants to be baptized this weekend. So she's getting baptized this weekend. MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!
There is going to be some new material on the Winn’s Blog soon... we went over to the mission home today as a reward for our zone meeting/exceeding our goal for August. We had a study with Pres. Winn about agency, (2 Nephi Chapter 2) and ate breakfast with Pres. and Sis. Winn, so there will be some photos of me coming up soon.
I’ve got to go now. Sorry about such short notice!
Love you so much! ttyl

Elder Partridge.

August 25, 2010 Email (This one's pretty funny!)

Hey Fam.
That's cool that Kayla's back! Kinda a big deal! Did I miss a welcome home party?
My Birthday was pretty legit! On Saturday we had a little district lunch to celebrate! We just brought our own lunches and sat out on the lawn picnic style, and I brought my presents and opened them. It was such a big deal that even one of the assistants came to celebrate. (ok so he was just there with the zone leaders, but it makes me feel cooler! haha). Then on Sunday we had a lot of church and 3 lessons that fell through, but I was still happy anyway, and for the grand finale-the fireside. It was really cool despite all the things that fell through. And I gave a great 5 min. talk about enduring to the end. It was totally led by the spirit because I still didn't know how I was going to put all my ideas together when I got up there to talk. Pres. Winn was the speaker right after me and he referred back to my talk 3 times. I felt very shocked and happy! Oh, and after Center ward (Carlisle's ward) I was talking with Bro. Stokes (Ward Mission Leader-from Australia-cool) and Sis Carlisle came up to me and just stood there with a really excited look on her face and I could see a hug coming on so I put my arms out and said no and I thought I was ok till she gave me a hug anyway and a kiss on the cheek in front of everyone. Bro. Stokes just laughed and said he's gonna have to call home and let you know I've been kissing all the ward ladies. haha Then when he left he wished me a happy birthday and said, "but I'm not gonna kiss ya." haha
I love knowing I'm loved and people are thinking about me! I got the pics just fine! It was awesome! I don't get a lot of free time to do much, but I like getting letters from everyone. So you can send however many of the emails and blog entries you want from the guys and I'll read whatever I can.
That's kinda a bummer about the line of authority. Thanks for trying though. haha I knew you'd like Pres. & Sis Winn’s blog! (*There are some pics of Elder Partridge and a couple of videos of him singing!) haha I'll have to remember that she calls the basement the bat cave during transfers so I can give her a hard time about it.
So we haven't contacted Eliza yet (the Sudanese woman who wants to get baptized) because she's been sick a lot cause she's pregnant. But that will come. We're still teaching Zac (the kid from England) and that's going great. On Monday we taught about the 10 commandments using the hand signals and also the Word of Wisdom and the law of Chastity. It's pretty sweet! We're still teaching Fred (the man from New Orleans). He has a tooth that needs to get pulled and so it's hard to meet with him, but it's still easier to meet him now than before just because he told us how much he appreciates how we listen to him and don't just try to preach to him. He said, "I've been Baptist for 52 years I know a little somethin' somethin' about the Bible" He sees us as his friends; not in the sense that we go over to hang out or anything but because we actually listen to him and try to help him out. I haven't found out about the temple yet for Charles and Moe, but I definitely will! Only 6 more months till they go through!
So after the fireside on Sunday during refreshments I saw some people I haven't seen in a while from the North Stake. I saw Bro. Skipps from the 7th ward bishopric and he said he didn't know I could sing like that and than told me I could sing at his funeral! haha He's a clown! I also saw Bro. Erskine (the high council man over missionary work in the North stake.) He said he misses me but the work goes on.
Awesome about Caleb and Joe's farewells. Let me know how well they went.
I want to come over and learn how to make crepes too!!!

Hi Mom this is Elder Willnauer. I'm typing for your son. I'm very hungry and he is a very slow typer. I blame the doctors.
So let’s see, on Friday we were going to an appointment with some people we found the day before. They ended up not being home. But on the way back a man came up to us named Israel and he wanted to know the address to the church building and what time it started. We got to talking like missionaries do and it turns out he was baptized in 2002 (I just made a rhyme haha) Ok, um, so on Saturday we went over and met with him and his girlfriend, Rhonda. We taught her and 2 of her sons and they've accepted a baptismal date for Sept. 18!!! It's pretty cool how the Lord will bring people to you if you're doing what you're supposed to.
On Thursday we had 24 hour exchanges with our zone leaders where we go on exchanges all day. It just so happens that there was record breaking rain fall that day. And guess who was out in it... ME!!! Yaaa! When it 1st started we were able to get into the church building. Then the other Elders came and wanted to know if we needed a ride. They sounded a little reluctant to give us a ride and we thought we couldn't get any wetter, so we decided to walk to lunch. We went out into the rain like men, and about half way across the church lawn we were completely drenched as if we jumped into a pool with everything on. We quickly realized this was a bad idea and ran under the roof of the church building like little girls. So for lunch we went to Elder Doucette and Willnauers (that’s me!) apartment and threw ALL our clothes in the dryer. Just one of those fun experiences.
So yesterday we got a tandem bike. So I've accomplished one more goal that I've set for my mission. The funnest part was probably seeing cars go past us not too quickly and being able to see their face as they looked at us and laughed at us…I mean with us. Hah, But it wasn't all fun and games. With only 10 minutes left to get home we rushed on our bike and the chain fell off. So using my bike fixing skills, I tried to put it back on and failed. Not to mention we blew our back tire. But we were gonna be late! So... I... man'd up and jumped on and I peddled us 4 blocks while Elder Casey steered, all with a blown back tire. Awesome!
Love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Elder Partridge aka B aka The BizzNap. Bye!

August 18, 2010 Email

Hey family,
I'm way sorry about not getting back to email last week. We had to help move some furniture into our apartment, but I did get the package you sent. I opened the presents that you said to open now, but I'm waiting till Saturday to open the rest. I will miss the crepe breakfast, but ya. haha Sorry about the batter experience with the blender. That’s no fun, but a good trial for patience. “Come what may and love it.”
Sounds like some sweet stuff going on with school and open house etc. Lots of people asked about me; wow. I feel special.
We got some furniture, nothing special, but at least it's a place to put my clothes and what not. We're on the bottom floor, so half way under ground. Garret Shields doesn't live in my last area, but that would be sweet if I got to serve in his stake and we could go on splits. haha Could you imagine how nuts that would be? I'm still in the same area as before with the Carlisle’s and everyone else. I just moved apartments because they closed one down. I don't have a car still, but I am really working to find a tandem bike because we live in a really inconvenient spot; on the opposite end of the stake about 4 blocks out of our area, so we end up wasting time sometimes just because it takes a while to walk.
I was reading Caleb's letter 8 email today and was wondering if there was any update or progress on my line of authority? I was also thinking about something that I like the best in packages and letters and I was wondering if you could send more pics of fun random things you do. It was awesome to get pics in the envelope you just sent.
So sweet about Colton’s call! I am a little jealous, I admit.
My comp is Elder Casey. He's from Georgia in the Atlanta area. I don't know too much about him, but he can eat a lot like me, so I hope we don't eat people out of house and home. haha We're gonna get screens on our windows finally in the next couple days.
On Sunday we were at our apartment for lunch and we got a phone call from a member down in Sandy who used to work with the Sudanese people as an inner city missionary. He told us about a woman that lives in our area that they've been working with and she wants to get baptized. Pretty great miracle. We're going to add her next week because she's sick right now.
We're also teaching a kid from England right now who's on summer vacation here visiting his uncle and auntie. We've been teaching him for a couple weeks now and he wants to get baptized when he gets back in England around his family and friends. So this last lesson we had with him-2 days ago-he said the closing prayer and asked for help learning so he can be ready for when he goes back to get baptized in England. When he said that, I just smiled and felt so good.
HOLY SMOKES!!!!!!!! Coolest thing this week; I saw Charles and Moe Tuigamala! I was on exchanges with Elder Doucette-our DL-and they drove by and I didn't see it was them. So then they flip around and drove up along side of us and I was thinking it was probably some one else wondering what E. Doucette was doing back in the area. Then he said "hey," and I saw it was them and I ran over to their car and gave the most excited hand shake in my life. They live right on the border of my area and my old area now. He gave me his new phone number and said to give him a call. They were almost as excited as I was. I'm gonna have to see when they are going through the temple so I can go with them.
I really hope we get more referrals because that's where you get solid people.
I'm glad my birthday's on Sunday so I won't be tempted to waste time, because Sunday will be a full day. We've got a fireside that night that I get to speak in and sing a couple of musical numbers with other missionaries. Saturday we're having a zone lunch in honor of my birthday. They're so nice to me.
Wow you spoil me so much. I love it. Thanks a ton. As far as stuff for the other box: I could use some more mac and cheese (we used 2 boxes yesterday at a lunch with E Doucette and E Willnauer). Oh, and a pack of Poore Brothers potato chips. I miss those. Even though we didn't get them that much they don't have them here and they're really good. Other than that whatever you want to put in it. It's funny because you always end up putting the best stuff in them.
You guys are such a great example for me, too.
Love you more,
Elder Partridge

August 12, 2010 Email

So I'm still in the same area with a different companion now. His name is Elder Casey. We're gonna baptize the heck out of Rose Park. I'm excited for it. Our apartment is in a complex that is really run down and a lot of refugees live there, but our apartment is newly renovated and is nice, but no air conditioning. Not exactly the best thing in the middle of the summer, but at least it's starting to cool down at night. We don't have any furniture either, just our beds and our study tables. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A SHOWER CURTAIN. haha That was fun this morning. I'll be back on a little later today around the normal time. I love you tons.

*He didn’t come back on so this is it for this week! His birthday is on the 22nd, so if any of you want to send me a message/make a comment, I’ll be happy to pass it on to him. A picture with a birthday wish would be fun too, or anything else you can think of. Thanks!

August 4, 2010 Email

Hello Puppet! (Pirates of the Caribbean).
Dad got a Facebook! Man, never saw that one coming. I never thought he could be that popular. haha just kidding!
"Called to Serve" SLC Mission style just has some extra fun parts in it. It's on the Winn's blog. I'll have to get it to you so you can follow it.
The balance board would be good, but I changed my mind about it because there's no way I'd be able to do it in the mornings and that's the only time I'd be able to do it without wasting the Lord's time, so we'll see about when I get home.
I did get the picture dad sent of us doing the model pose for family pics. We look pretty good up above the mantel for August for our birthdays. I really don't even know what I want for my birthday. I'm set as far as food goes and I really don't feel like I need anything else. Maybe one more short sleeved shirt since it's summer, but nothing in particular that I can think of. I think dad will love an iPod for his birthday. I love listening to talks especially because I'm not a quick reader and do better at remembering when I hear things anyway. It's really fun to listen to conference over and over too, and catch so many things I missed and/or forgot. The most enlightening talk I think I've listened to so far is Bruce R. McConkie- The Seven Deadly Heresies. It puts a lot of things really straight forward.
I can't believe I'm almost 20 either. I'm not old enough or mature enough…maybe.
I was able to go to the dentist and get a filling for quite a large cavity, almost good enough to be root canal status. Thank goodness I got it done, but I'm not out of the woods yet. I have to pray that my tooth takes to the filling and that the root doesn't die on me, but so far it's going great… no pain at all. On the way to the dentist we drove right by Moki's and In-n-Out and didn't stop at either of them to eat because they were in the UT South Mission. Oh well. In-n-Out is coming to West Valley in August, and I guess I can wait another fourteen months for Moki’s. The numbing was fun though. We went and taught a lesson afterward and half of my tongue and face were numb--and it was my good side--so it made it that much funnier.
Good luck on your fun tooth adventures L! I know you'll do better than I did with my wisdom teeth!
I'm glad Brittany got married to a great guy! I love her, too! She's pretty awesome. Weird that everyone's getting married in general, but fun times! I'm going to stay focused on my mission so I can find the people I'm supposed to. I know they're here, but we aren't finding them for whatever reason.
It's pretty insane that conference is only 2 months away from now. It is going by sooooooooo fast it's ridiculous! I'm excited for conference to be here again though.
Things are going good! And fast. Only one more week till transfers. I get a hunch that I'll be staying in the area, but most times I get a hunch they're totally wrong anyway.
I bet Kayla is very excited to come home after being away for so long, and I bet L is going to miss being the only child when Kayla gets home. haha
That's exciting for Rebecca Crowe, and for you to be invited to go through the temple with her. I'm excited to get to know their family more when I get home.
No worries about remembering everyone who asks about me. I'm sure there are a lot; at least I hope there are a lot! :)
I'm looking forward to reading the boys last week’s letters. Thanks for sending them and thanks to Sis. Udall for putting them together.
We got to go to the Temple and Bro. Mansell was one of the people doing the session. (He's from my last area and we taught Megan Franz in his home). It was cool to see him and we talked a little afterward! We ate at Blue Lemon across the street and as we were leaving he was going in!
That would be sweet if Kayla dropped a box off when she’s in town!
Anywho, love you tons!
Elder B

Days of '47 Parade

IT'S BEEN FOUND!!! (Thanks, Rachel!) I recorded it with a camera off the computer screen, so it's not the best picture, but we still think it's great! You'll first see them walking behind the white police car with their white shirts and dark pants, then to the left of the lady newscaster as she's talking about the parade, and it only gets better from there! He's the TALL one on the right!

July 28, 2010 Email

HI mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and everyone else!)
Ya, I'm not the biggest fan of the stim shocking therapy experience, so we'll see what I want to do when I get home to see how my nerves are doing. I thought about possibly getting a balance board to do in the mornings along with the face exercises. What do you think?
That was nice of Denise to let you go early. I'm glad to hear you were safe! The parade sounded great like always! Too bad it was only Provo Mission missionaries in the Spanish Fork parade though. That's funny they got the most applause, because I'm pretty sure we did too, (besides Pres. Uchtdorf). So during the parade we were assigned to a specific block to actually proselyte and do missionary work and there were missionaries stretching the whole length of the parade route. So we were at the very beginning where everything first comes out and where the TV crew is and everything. When the parade ended I said, "let's go be in the parade." So Elder Jackson, Elder Thomas and I went behind the marines driving at the end of the parade, and with just the three of us we got probably the most applause out of anything/anyone. I felt sooooooooo cool! plus we got on TV! So you should see if anyone taped it or saved it on teevo (however you spell it). And you'll see just 3 of us at the end of the parade after the Liahona Polynesian band. But gets better; as we go farther down the parade we pass by other missionary's areas that they're assigned to and they jump in. So it went from just 3 of us starting it to about 125 or so missionaries by the end. And about 4-5 times we sang "Called to Serve" SLC Mission style! It was sweet. I got a couple videos. So I'm glad you weren't there to go and run out and walk with us! haha That would have been awkward.
I bet the family party was good like always. hahaha That's funny what Uncle Howie said about his new golf clubs not working and taking them back! What kind did he get. Elder Hunt says that Calaway clubs are the best, and Taylor Made comes in a close second. And Elder Hunt is LEGIT! It's funny because when we got home from the parade at 1:00 I was thinking about how you were probably at the family party.
I was home by 9:00pm on the 24th, so no fireworks for me; still way too bright outside. I bet it's cool to see Gma and Gpa's. I think it's pretty sweet that Brad's going to live there. I miss playing cards with the fam! Pretty fun stuff. Glad to hear you got back safe.
I can see how Kayla would be a little excited to come home after dealing with all that she has while in Fiji. It's still a sweet experience. Thankfully my living conditions aren't that bad! haha Good to hear L is doing good, too. Wisdom teeth, huh? fun fun stuff. Sorry I won't be home to laugh at the things she says while on pain meds…I mean help her feel better. :) I just hope she doesn't react to pain medication like I did and start hallucinating. Summer's just flown right by! It's pretty crazy. But then again so did the school year! All this time is just flying by!
I got the envelope of letters. Thanks. I do think it's interesting how similar Holden's experiences and mine are. I read Eric's Farewell talk; Awesome!
We just added 2 people on Monday and are going to be teaching them on Friday. They're both way awesome! Especially one of the Ladies named Rochelle. She has a hilarious little 4 yr. old boy that just loves missionaries. Rochelle has been coming to church since May, but just recently has been coming to our ward. We spoke in that ward on Sunday and when we contacted Rochelle the next day she just cracked the door open and started talking to us and after a few seconds recognized us as the Elders that spoke at church the day before! She flung the door wide open and got the biggest smile on her face. I'm excited to teach her. Plus she gave us some greens to take home that she'd just made, because E. Jackson told her how much he liked them.
Rose Park isn't Ghetto or very rough at all. Granted it's one of the "Roughest" areas in Salt Lake, but it's really not bad, especially for a missionary. I'm not worried at all no matter where I end up, because as long as I'm not doing stupid stuff it's a slim to none chance of anyone even messing with me. We don't get to cover a Polynesian ward here. But we do still have some Polynesian people that attend the English wards we cover. Dinner appointments are good. We get fed almost every day!
I miss the monsoon, but we had a decent thunder/lightning storm last night. There was one really good clump of large purple lightning bolts that flashed at the same time, but still nothing like I'm used to during the monsoon.
Disneyworld sounded "fun," especially Harry Potter's wand shop. I'd ask, but you told me not to so I won't. haha Glad I didn't miss too much, but glad you had fun still. I agree that Cali is way better to go to for Disneyland.
DAD'S GETTING FACEBOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WOW! What a shocker!
LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TONS!
Elder B

***If ANYONE taped the SLC Days of 47 Parade with the missionaries on it, PLEASE let me know!!!! Cynthia

July 21, 2010 Email

Hi!
My favorite thing that you sent in the package, as of now, would have to be the fruit snacks. L did a great job picking those out. They taste and look great. Thanks L. Pretty much the only time we have to go to the store is on p-day. And I'm afraid if I have any money just sitting around extra I'd end up spending it on something that I don't need. It would be better if you guys just use that extra money you'd send to me or save me some for when I get home, cause college in Hawaii isn't exactly going to be cheap!
I don’t know when the off-balance all started, but I'm not too worried about it. I'll definitely stay aware of what my body says. Is there any way they can see how much my nerves have grown between then and now. I could see how me being in walking areas would make me more off balance because I'm more tired and I did really start noticing it after I left Rose Park the first time. But now that I think of it, I wasn't really walking a lot before to be able to really tell that I was off balance, so I don’t know. I'll be careful.
I did go to the temple today. After 2 weeks of summer cleaning I got to go back. It was pretty crazy. We were running way behind. We got off TRAX by the temple at 7:50 and we were trying to make the 8:00 session. You'll never guess who we ran into by the reflection pool on the way...Elder Perry in his t-shirt, jeans, and ball cap! It was a pretty good swap for being late. Plus we made it to the session anyways. Ya, we got to talk with him for literally about a minute. He wanted to make sure we were going to be teaching 20 lessons this week and if not to make sure the ward mission leader gets us more to teach. haha I love his personality. We aren't teaching that much right now for a couple of reasons. 1: we're getting rid of ALL fluff numbers that deceive how we're really doing. 2: The area is in recovery status from being murdered! (Oh, that's when an area is usually good and the missionaries don't live up to the potential/ success that the area could do.)
Everyone we're teaching is doing well! We are getting more people every week to teach. Now hopefully we'll be able to start losing a couple investigators (by means of baptism) so we can keep adding more!
Sounds like Nick is going to be awesome! Especially because I can see him just being totally real with people! It will be cool if he runs into Rhett and Mandy!
That's cool to hear about Ms. Slocum and Mekeli knowing each other!
I'm really proud of Eric! I bet I would have loved his farewell! That is pretty awesome about what he said about you and the other friends’ parents! MAN!!!!!!!!!!!! You really did make my day by saying the girls said that they miss me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm pretty sure that both sides of my face smiled when I read that. (not really but...haha).
That is tough that you couldn't go to Eric's setting apart, but that's SO HARD that you had to go to a DBacks game. haha It's still crazy for me to think whenever you talk about L not being able to drive because of her medical stuff, cause when I left she still couldn't drive, so I'm thinking, "Well of course she can't drive, let alone down town in Phoenix." haha I bet now she's better at driving than me. Granted I see two of everything and haven't driven in almost 2 years legally. haha
"Oh, I also reminded Eric that there was a chance you'd be married by the time he got home, he said that was fine as long as you named your child after him. I assume he meant a son... :P" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You and E are the funniest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You made me laugh out loud! and that doesn't happen while reading emails!
I love the Carlisle's! They're amazing.
I’ve got to go! Sorry, I'm getting kicked off!
Love B.

July 14, 2010 Email

Dear Family and Everyone Else,
I love the packages soooooooo much! Thanks a ton for them! It felt so good to have some more socks and extremely good to have more food! It's funny because after I got off the computer last week I thought, “oh, I should have asked for fruit snacks,” and then you sent them. My parents love me.
That’s sweet that Rebecca’s going to Atlanta. It should be pretty awesome. Almost as cool as Salt Lake. :)
Thanks for the good news! No more MRI’s for 2 years!!!
That's just cool that you're in Orlando. Thanks for giving me the advice to read at least an hour a day, Dad. It's a good thing that I already do that every day so I can be an expert in pretty much any subject, only I think the scriptures outweigh anything else that could be read. That coupled with Preach My Gospel for while I’m on the mish.
Guess what? I spoke in 3 wards this last Sunday on 3 different topics, and they all went really well thanks to the help of the Spirit and the gifts that Heavenly Father has blessed me with.
So yesterday we added a guy named Fred Preston. Fred is displaced from hurricane Katrina and has been in SLC since then. Anywho, Fred is funny. He said how he really liked our church. He'd been going to the Baptist Church for a while and he got tired of hearing about that fire and brimstone over and over. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he was really excited, so we committed him to read Mormon Chapter 9. Then we committed him for baptism and he said, "Well, I'll have to really think about that, I'm gonna talk to my friend who's Mormon and all, but I'm gonna seriously think about that!” It's funny because it's hard for me to understand him because he has such a thick southern accent.
We're also teaching a guy named Garret Nicholson. Garret is a former investigator and he used to play football for the Y, but now he is going to go to the U. We met with him a couple days ago and explained to him that we're not just going to teach him so that he can know things, because any church and religion out there can make a bad man good and a good man better, but we're going to teach him how he can return to live with God again. We talked about our purpose here on earth and it was pretty spiritual.
Last year Elder Jackson was over in this area and he worked around this guy Kyle because he was teaching George's wife and what not. Anywho, we saw Kyle on Saturday and it was pretty sweet. So Kyle has had a rougher past and is 25 and just got shot at the other week at the Samoan BBQ on Memorial Day. So we're teaching Kyle now because we really want to help him and in our lesson with him the other day we read with him in Alma Chapter 36 and the Spirit was so strong while we were reading through it with him. I learned so much that I'd never even thought about before. That's one way you can tell that the Spirit's there. Plus just the way you feel. Anyway Kyle was so bright and beaming when we left that day it was so cool! He's like, "So when are you gonna be back...What time...ALRIGHT!"
I know the trials I’ve been through have made me strong and I plan on staying strong, relying on the Lord to continue to overcome my challenges and progressing in all that I do! Love you tons! Thanks bunches for the packages. They really made my day/week.

Love,
Elder Partridge

July 7, 2010 Email

Hey Y’all!
Yesterday was Megan Franz's baptism and Elder Hunt and I did our musical number which was really scary with my nose all runny and clogged, but it went pretty well! It was a great service, just really hot! There were a TON of people crammed into that little room! She had a lot of people there to give her great support! I got to lead the music, too!
I still have my cold! It's been a week now and it's getting old! I was well enough to enjoy the weekend a little though. We celebrated on the 5th b/c that's when the state of Utah declared they were celebrating, but everyone else in UT must have missed that b/c they did everything on the 3rd and 4th, but we were already inside by the time people started lighting off fireworks!
The MRI went good. As far as the results go, I hope it went well! Elder Clem and I got to see the end of the Uruguay vs. Ghana World Cup game b/c it was on in the waiting room!
That would be pretty sweet if you were in Pres. and Sis. Sonne’s Ward for their welcome home! I'd be jealous!
I bet you'll love being in Florida no matter what the weather's like! Is L still going? I bet she's excited!
My area's pretty dead! But not for long! I just hope we'll spend our time more productively than we have been. It's hard. But the honeymoon period (the first week and a half) is over and things are starting to get harder! None of our appointments went through and it was pretty frustrating on Sunday when I did a lot of digging through forms and found a list of a lot of appointments for the first week we were in the area with our investigators that we didn't know we had and didn't have any info about them!
I do remember Dizzy! That's too bad he died! He was funny!
Thanks for the update on everyone! I'm praying for you every day!
Unfortunately I don't see us getting a new apt. any time soon! But I enjoyed Pres. Winn coming and visiting with us!
It's good to hear all the guys are doing so well! I’ll look forward to getting their updates!
It doesn't seem like it's been anywhere near 9 months! I was talking to someone the other day and they asked how long I'd been out and when I told them they said, "So you're almost done." and I said “not really,” but they said, "yep b/c the next year is going to just fly by!"
Definitely tell the Elliot's hi for me and keep me posted on Rebecca's call!
Love ya!
B