February 24, 2011 Email

Hey guys,

Happy Post-Presidents Day. Crazy schedule differences this week! It's Thursday and we are emailing. I have very limited time today though due to interviews and a training I am giving. Love you tons though. I did finally get the Valentine's Day package! That was pretty awesome. I especially like the candy "poster." I can't tell you how happy I was when I saw the Mambas. They don't sell them anywhere in Salt Lake. It's such a shame. So thanks so much.

So Tory Sweet is getting baptized on March 5. It's so solid! We taught her twice this last week and watched the 20 min. Restoration DVD with her to help her get a visual of the things we taught. And about Salena, she is getting baptized in 2 days. It was the coolest thing. She wasn't learning much of anything because she gets distracted so easily. So Elder Aguilar and I prayed to know how we could help her learn and retain in remembrance the things we teach. And we got the inspiration to teach the most interactive way possible. So we've been doing everything with hands on analogies and it's stuck like glue. She remembers and understands the symbolism behind everything we've taught.

So in the Standard of Excellence it's
1-baptized and confirmed,
3-investigators with a baptismal date,
5-investigators to church,
12-lessons taught to investigators with a member present, and
3-new investigators.

Wow, a lot of people are thinking about me. I hope you tell them I'm doing good.

We finally got in to teach a kid who we have been trying to teach since before I came into the area ages ago. His name is Cameron Wall. He is the most sincere kid. He has such an awesome desire to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. He has Aspergers and just says everything the way it is. We are his new "best friends." He is going to be baptized March 26, on his birthday. I need to get a tape recorder to record all the hilarious things he says because I can't remember them all.

We got a miracle phone call last night from Sister Weeber who has been doing great missionary work with one of her friends. She invited her friend to church and she was excited to go, then she invited her to a Relief Society social and she was excited to go, now she invited her to meet with us and she can't wait for the appointment on Sunday. Her name is Kim Atkinson. She is from Holland. She is married to James Atkinson and they have 3 kids; a 9-yr.-old, a 4-yr.-old, 1-yr.-old. Sweet.

The Lord continues to provide for us. We have such great work right now. We are just trying to get more and more. It's fantastic.

Love you all, TTYL,
Love Elder Partridge.

February 7, 2011 Email

**I had heard that other missionaries had trouble with emails sent on the 7th, so I asked him about it and received this today, 2/24/11. Fun letter! Glad we finally got it!.

Hello everyone!

So yes, as you heard, we went on a trip to Rose Park this weekend to see a family Elder Aguilar taught last transfer get baptized. Then it was off to find a dinner. And where would I always go for food whenever dinner cancelled...Carlisle's. That was cool. And I also took the time to get Charles Tuigamala's phone number seeing as he will be going through the Temple next month most likely. Has it really been that long? Apparently.

I am doing well. Health is great. Elder Aguilar catches me when I fall. Literally. Nothing too new in Tooele. We had Stake Conference and it was awesome. The goal for the stake last year was to read through the Book of Mormon that year. And this year they're taking that to the next level...Giving one out! So we are stoked! President Atkinson of the Mission Presidency came and spoke in the adult session and had Elder Aguilar and myself stand and he introduced us as the cork and the bottle. (I wonder which one's the cork and which one's the bottle)?

I refuse to believe it! It's impossible! The ficus trees can't freeze! (At least not entirely). Bummer to hear it's so cold! I hope it warms up for you, and for me. Right now it is pretty nice, not gonna lie. 45 degrees on a sunny CLEAR day. I'm so glad when inversion leaves!

Christian is most definitely getting baptized next week! He is so solid. We last taught him about the Holy Ghost, and he had to build his own sundae using different ingredients-BLINDFOLDED!!! Elder Aguilar was the Holy Ghost and I was the "voices in the world that compete for our attention." He barely made it through. I thought I had him for a second though when he grabbed the pepper instead of the sprinkles.

I knew it! I thought once yesterday, "I bet they're having the super bowl party right now...well, off to teach more people." Tell aunt/cousin Allie not to beat herself up about it the year before I left. I can't wait for the next one though.

We contacted the Stewart's and they're a pretty nice family, and welcoming, but we'll have to see how it goes; the kids have autism and the eldest has epilepsy as well.

Ya, Elder Aguilar is the one who plays football. And yes, I got a car. I know, it sounded too good to be true to me too.

Wow! Sounds like you had quite the event for the YW thingy. I'm actually impressed! Not hard to do I know, but still.

I would strongly recommend for next year that L take English 101 and/or 102 if she hasn't gotten credit for college with AP stuff yet, but I did enjoy Critical Thinking and Writing. I loved AP Music Theory! I think that may have been because I did it with Caleb Allred and Christiaan Schmid and Camille Snyder, but it's a great class. Very enlightening. But yes, if you're not planning on going into music then it won't help much with your career.

Lucky! L gets voice lessons from Jenee Prince.

Good for Kayla and her job! Cool. Fun date, haha. I love being last minute date call.

I love you all so much! Te Amo! That means I love you.
Elder Partridge.

February 14, 2011 Email

Elder Partridge unto the most excellent family and friends sendeth greeting (see Acts 23:26),

We saw an absolute miracle and answer to prayers this last week. We of course went for the standard of excellence 1 3 5 8 3, especially since Christian got baptized. At a leadership meeting that happens quarterly with all the ZLs DLs and Trainers we received the assignment for our areas as the leaders of the mission to have 12 lessons with a member present instead of the standard of 8. So we had 1 3 5 12 3 as a goal now for this week on. So yesterday we were all there except we needed 2 more lessons and we needed to add someone for baptism. After our first sacrament meeting we got a call from a Ward Mission Leader that someone in their ward wants to be baptized. :) x10! We went to her ward and didn't know who she was. She got up to bear her testimony and after she was done Elder Aguilar and I looked at each other and said "That's gotta be her." It was. She's so solid. Her name is Tory Sweet. It's pretty SWEET!!! We went and added her as an investigator and put her on date to be baptized right after church. Her best friend lives next door and is a solid fellowshipper. Her mom is coming back to church and her dad is working every day. ie Yesterday was his first day off in 3 months. It's awesome though.

Christian totally got baptized on Saturday! It was crazy. We got there at 12:30 and to our utter horror no one was there. So we tried the door; it was locked. We called the bishop and told him and he just said, "Ohhhhhhh no. I'll be there in 5 min." So we waited outside for bishop to get there and Christian and his family got there; along with his extended family. So we all just stood outside and chatted till bishop got there. Then we darted to the font and lo and behold, it was empty. Luckily this font only takes an hour to fill to the brim. So we cranked it on and went to set things up. (FYI we called the baptismal coordinator twice and told him and the ward called once. He's just elderly and totally forgot.) So we changed (I got to baptize him because his cousin wasn't able to. Which is really cool that they decided to go forward with it anyway) and stalled a little bit. Took some pictures, a little of this a little of that, and finally the water was high enough. The thing is, at first the water was coming out nice and warm and after a while it got colder and colder, so it ended up being quite nippy. Poor Christian. But it was pretty amazing.

Then yesterday Christian got confirmed in sacrament meeting. But at least this time the chair didn't fall and slam on the ground after the confirmation like it did with Mason.

Anywho, stay classy and expect miracles to be wrought in your lives. Heavenly Father will answer your prayers. Pray as if everything depended upon Heavenly Father (because it ultimately does) and then do as if everything depended upon you.
Love you all!
Elder Partridge

P.S. Thanks for the update on L's mole situation, Mom. The pics made me laugh. Only you would take pics in the middle of a surgery. haha

A Few Pics

Zone Conference

New Year's Eve

Christmas Conference with Elder Hinckley

January Transfers

One to make you smile! ;)

*Thank you, Sister Winn!

February 7, 2011 Email...Short and Sweet

We are having some great experiences and are being given tremendous opportunities to share the gospel. I know Heavenly Father will provide a way to get things done. Thanks for everything. Love you!
Elder Partridge.

*Don't know why, but this is all we got this week. Better than nothing!