Friday, October 30, 2009

October 28 Email

So a lot has happened so I'll tell you about it! I had a "fun" week. We taught and found and every teaching appt. was dogged! aka it din't go through. The members do an awesome job! mainly the Ward mission leaders, but some members too! There are people from all over the world that come here! It's really cool! so the ZL's delivered mail yesterday and I only got one letter from the whole week! IDK if anyone is writing or if they just didn't get through or what, but please write me!!! I'm finally starting to figure everything out over here! like the grid and how to use the area book and all that good stuff. Something cool that happened on Mon.- we had a zone meeting and set our goal for the month of Nov! I'm way excited for the challenge and promises laid before us as a zone! Speaking of challenges and blessings, On Mon, all four of our apts. dogged us and we did everything we (Elder Dyson and I; but mostly Elder Dyson) could think of to fill in for the time we now had that we should be teaching in the three hours left in the day! Elder D said it's one of the most frustrating times in his mission! An Elder told him that when training, you'll either get an excess of blessings or a trial of your faith! He's already trained 2 missionaries and seen the excess of blessings, so I get to be the "trial of your faith" trainee! :) "But every cloud has a silver lining"-Tiki room, Disneyland! Yesterday, we went on exchanges with the ZL's! I got to go with Elder Sanchez! He's an amazing missionary! His English isn't the best, but that doesn't stop him from talking to everyone! He won't take no for an answer until he makes sure they know what they are saying no to! We got to teach one of the investigators Elder D and I were working with! His name is Emmanuel and he's from Sudan! It's pretty cool I guess! Actually it's amazing! The Spirit taught through me about the Atonement of Christ and I did my purpose as a missionary telling him to repent of his sins and be baptized on the 14 of Nov! And he said that he would!!! Elder D was flaberghasted when we reunited after exchanges! It's almost unheard of for a missionary to ask someone to be baptized and have them accept in thier first week out in the field! Also, "Baby it's cold outside," Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow," I never eat December snowflakes; I always wait until January"-Lucy, Merry Christmas Charlie Brown, "I hate Christmas! I hate it!"-The grinch-(The one with real people!) "It's snowing!!!"-Hook! Well, it is snowing now and is very cold! YAY! I better enjoy it while I can because I'm sure I'll be sick of it by the end of the transfer(Dec. 2).We have a lot more work to be done than I ever imagined we'd have in Salt Lake!
Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Send me letters! I''d really appreciate knowing what's goin down in the hood!
I love you family! Your amazing! Mom, I miss your cooking! Oh but I got to try a head and tongue taco on Monday! It was pretty good but wierd cuz I could see the taste buds on the tongue! so ya I still get to eat wierd foods even though I'm in Salt Lake! How's L's room looking!?! I'm kinda jealous, not gonna lie! It sounds sick!!! Send me a pic when you're done! Dad! I got to see BYU get stomped on!!! :( not fun! (We tracted into a part member family and They were watching it so I saw the last 2 min.) 38-7 isn't very good! I'm glad they got home field "advantage" for this game and Florida St. K! Hope school's going well let me know what you're up to!
Anyway, I'd write more according to what People asked me but I didn't get any letters! Oh accept for Will's; and sorry Will I haven't read it yet!
Love to all my brothers and sisters!
Love,
Elder Partridge!

*In our defense, he told us last time that his P-day which=emails was Thursday, so I had a bunch of stuff to tell him Thurs. But it turns out it's really Wed.! We've repented and are making up for our mistake.

Letter From Pres. Sonne

In a letter we received from Pres. Sonne telling us B got there safely, he said, "What a pleasure it was for Sister Sonne and me to welcome your son, Elder Partridge, into the Utah Salt Lake City Mission."

"I am impressed by your son's desire to serve. He is in high spirits as he anticipates the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Please be assured that Sister Sonne and I will be watching over him while he is here."

"Thank you for raising such an outstanding son, worthy and willing to serve the Lord full time in our mission."

October 21, 2009


Dear Family!
I'm here! Holla! We ate breakfast (sausage and pancakes). I ate a lot! My personality is shining through! They had to lift the board behind us because I'm so tall! We got to go to Temple Square and see the resources we have to use on a constant basis! It's so cool! The Sisters there can set up a tour based on the investigator's needs! I'll be going to the Temple every week if I'm in Salt Lake! I'm so excited! I'm going to be extremely bold! The goal is a "Zion Mission"! Becoming like Nephi (Helaman 10:4), and not being Martin Harris (Doctrine and Covenants 3:12-13)! Pres. Sonne said he has high expectations from me! I felt really cool that Bro. and Sis. Wilson already knew me! I'm sad they're leaving today! :( Anyway, I'll write more on P-day!
Love you a ton!
Love,
Elder Partridge

Last Pics From The MTC

Samuel Smith statue

Elder B--I'm sure the perfectly made bed is his! :)

Studying in class.

His district with Sis. Stroud, one of his teachers.

District by the map

With Elder Gardner

BYU Football. Go Cougars!
Elder Jorgensen
Three-some companionship,
Elder Partridge, Elder Jorgensen, and Elder Gardner plus Elder Smith.
Elder Partridge, Elder Smith, Elder Lomax, and Elder Jorgensen

I thought this was one of the photoshop/Matrix pics, then I saw how red his face is and realized he's actually on a small table doing it himself! Goofy boy, makes me smile!
Sorry the pics are blurry. I had to take pics of the pics and it didn't work so well this time.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Dear Family...

Hey Family!
Just real quick, I love you all a ton! I miss you but not that much! If you know what I mean!
Love!
eLDER pARTRIDGE!

First Email from SLC

So I got out into the field and it's hard! yet extremely amazing! I must say, I love the Trax! Yesterday me and my new comp Elder Dyson (like the vacuum) met and ate lunch together at the mission office! I'm sad the Wilsons left yesterday! :( but it's ok! We did a lot of orientation stuff with the staff and had our interviews with Pres and Sis Sonne! I don't need my Hep A shot till I get home! yes! So baisically I learned that Pres. Monson lives right across the street from the mission home! it's kinda a big deal! Anyway, we get a car! but yesterday we only used it to get from the office to our appartment (a basement in a member's home). It's cool! Something IMPORTANT to remember!!!!! I love getting mail! I'm way too busy to write baisically at all except for P-Day! and even then the day is packed full of stuff to do! keep writing me but don't be too mad at me if it takes weeks or months to reply! I will do my best with the little free time I'm given! anyway, more about my comp! He just reached master finder, the highest of four levels in the mission; and he's only been out 3 months!!!! jk, He's been out 21-22 months! but at least I'm not killing him off! (HOLDEN). He's from Mesa too! He went to Dobson and graduated in 2005! He's old! He really knows his stuff! So last night we went out and worked There was a family really wanting to get baptized but haven't been to church enough and are moving to Sandy in a few days so we can't baptize them! Shucks! We have the ward trunk or treat coming up though and used that to contact a family of four! we're teaching them the first lesson on Friday! Pray for us and them to feel the Spirit! We also used it to contact a man named Loren and his daughter, out walking the dog! He's Catholic and isn't too interested in the church but is really excited for the trunk or treat! But I know the power of the Lord; and if the Lord has prepared him, He won't be able to deny baptism! We've been taught to build this mission into a Zion mission! Therefore we are rather bold and blunt about our purpose, but we're still respectfull of others! there is a definite result of this! Last night, we got a miracle phone call! A woman named Rene has been going to church since March and was going to be baptized in July but didn't feel ready yet! She's moving in 9 days and wants to be baptized before she has to leave! We are baptizing her on Oct. 31! Please pray for her to keep this commitment! I know that the Lord has planned all this out and we were told this would happen a lot in this mission! We will show up in church one Sunday and the Bishop will tell us somone wants to be baptized! The member help is amazing! We get a ton of referals! I'm serving in the Temple Zone and got to go to the Temple today! I've been born in the Rose Park North Area which is the north most part of the mission! It's known for being the most ghetto area! So I guess everywhere else in the mission is pretty amazing cuz it's not even ghetto! We also walked into this guy from New Guinne, Africa named Abu! He is a member and is living with some friends who aren't members in an apartment! Alas, they are just out of our area! Drat! but we are in an area where we will be able to do a lot of tracting; which Elder Dyson has had a ton of success by doing this in other areas! It's a less wealthy community with a lot of refugees from all over the world! They are an extremely humble people! I love downtown Salt Lake! It's sweet to be in! I guess I have a much better memory than Elder Dyson's other "Sons" he's trained! But I feel retarded because I get way lost and the grid is so easy in Utah! Everything just moves out from 0 N. 0E. which is baisically Temple Square! I haven't ran into any protestors hatin on the church yet! oh but we parked by this outdoor mall and took the trax at the planetarium stop! Is Clarks Planetarium the same one we've gone to a couple times!?! cuz that place is sweet! I found out we're allowed to watch basically any G rated movie on our mission! and stuff like Forever Strong! We're at the Library doing our E-mails! Elder Aguilar'a right in front of us with his comp! Anyway, I'm basically done! a lot has happened in one day between E-mails! haha! I don't know how I'll tell you everything! I'll just have to tell you about the big things that happen in the week! Please Please Please pray for our investigators to feel the Spirit and desire to change! I love you all!

Love,
Elder Partridge!

P.S. Thursday is our P-Day!

October 18

It's Sunday and Elder Gardner leaves tomorrow along with most other Elders on our floor! It's pretty hard because we don't leave til Wed so we'll be doing a lot of the same stuff without people we usually do these with! But it'll be cool! Just a little weird til we leave and change! Love you!
Love,
Elder Partridge