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.