January 27, 2010 Email

Hey Everyone!
Just a quick update about what's up!
We had Zone Conference this week! That's when we receive training from the Mission President and his assistants! We also got a treat today b/c we got to hear President Sonne, President Alba, and President Atkinson all speak and give us trainings! It's very rare for the Mission Presidency to all be together! The reason this Zone Conference was especially good was b/c President Sonne announced the new standard of missionary work for 2010 in this mission! We spent last year becoming Zion missionaries and saw the Lord work miracles by preparing 2,086 people in the boundaries of this mission to be baptized! That is amazing! The Standard of excellence in this year is now, obtaining Zion in this mission to live a celestial culture and putting all faith in the Lord to bring forth this marvelous work! and we do all we can as missionaries to bring this to a reality! The beginning goal for this year is 2500 baptisms in 2010! but if all goes according to plans (which things should go better than according to plans) this goal will be destroyed as we obey and put into effect the things we learn, then we will have people placed in our paths that are ready to hear and accept this gospel and the everlasting and immense joy it brings to all those who will believe in the gospel of Christ and accept it in their lives! I know that this is true; that having the knowledge of this gospel in my life and having the opportunity to share this knowledge with others has brought me more joy than anything else I could be doing for these 2 years! I know that I have been called to serve here in Salt Lake for a specific reason! Thank you all for everything! God bless you in all you do!
Love,
Elder Partridge!
P.S."I am doing a great work and cannot come down!"

January 20, 2010 Email

Dear everyone,
This week's been fun! Basically my zone that I'm still in (Pioneer Zone) is the cream of the crop of missionaries this transfer! We have strictly obedient missionaries that were hand picked by President Sonne to be in this Zone and make it the standard for the mission! I'm so blessed and honored to be considered one of the meticulously obedient missionaries! This is going to be an incredible 6 weeks! B/c my companion is District leader, I have the opportunity to go on many exchanges! So far in the last week I've been on 5! It's amazing! There is an Elder who is 1 transfer younger than me in the mission from China! His name is Elder Gu! that means valley! I was able to go on exchanges w/ him yesterday! He's an amazing missionary! He knows a ton of english already and wants to talk to everyone even though he only feels comfortable introducing himself! Then I get to talk more and share my testimony more! Another cool thing in our zone is that we are instructed to "Hard Commit" every day to build our confidence in our testimony, and to find the "Elect" that are ready for the gospel in their lives; and everyone in the zone has done this every day for the past 5 days straight! That is almost unheard of! It's kindof a big deal! ha I also have a "mother" in the mission now! Her name is Sister Hernandez! She's pretty cool! It's cool to have Sisters in the zone though! Thanks for everything yall do for me fam.
Love,
Elder Partridge

January 14, 2010 Email

Hey everybody!
I had a fun 3 weeks with Elder Rohbock and then transfers came along again! I'm still in Rose Park North and I got another companion: Elder Koepsell! I'm excited for this transfer! The work is really picking up and we have great expectations! Elder Koepsell is the District leader in our District which is a great privilege for me b/c he will be going on exchanges almost every day with the other missionaries in our district, and being his companion, I'll be totally in charge of our area and setting things up! Missionaries only get called to be DLC (District Leaders Companion) for 2 reasons: they need someone to babysit them, or the Mission President trusts them! I really hope President Sonne trusts me instead of thinking I need to be babysat! hahaha It's pretty much the coolest thing that's ever happened to me! It's kinda a big deal! We went golfing the other day in the snow while we were waiting for another Elder to get done making his visits to people in the mission! (b/c he went home today)! Let's just say watch out Tiger! haha We get to watch Forever Strong today! yay! I love that movie! Besides transfers, not too much has happened this week that's really exciting! I love getting letters from you all and thoroughly enjoy reading them! Please cut me some slack if I don't respond right away! I'm trying my best to fill in all my free time by doing things that will help me stay completely focused on the work I am engaged in! I love you all and hope all is going well!
Mucho Gusto y Adios!

Elder Partridge!

His first companion and his current companion. (Thanks, Chris!)

January 6, 2010 Email!

Hi Everybody!
I'm back after much excitement and holiday fun! Betwixt all the fun of the holidays, much has happened! A week ago today I got the stomach flu! I woke up sick at 4 in the morning and was sick until the next morning! It wasn't fun! I had to just stay in the apartment and couldn't do anything! Very lame! On Saturday, we had a baptism for David Solomon! It was incredible! I had the opportunity to give a talk on baptism and perform the ordinance of baptism! There were over 150 people at his baptism! His family is Samoan so it was huge! We had to hold the program in the chapel and tried to cram everyone into the font room to see the baptism! Afterwards, David's aunt gave us leis made out of the Hersheys Nuggets chocolate! In the culture it's just custom to hug and give a kiss on the cheek, so David's aunt put the lei around me and gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek! Those of you who know me can well guess, I turned soooooooo red! haha It was so weird b/c that's not something that normally happens on a mission in Salt Lake! haha After the baptism program, everyone went into the cultural hall/gym and had a huge Samoan feast! We got stuffed! And of course they had us take food home, too! Something else that happened this week was the half transfer! Elder Dyson and 15 other missionaries went home 3 weeks early to be home for Christmas! So I got a new companion! His name is Elder Rohbock! He is also tall and when we go in to teach a lesson, people always comment on how tall we are standing next to each other! Christmas was a blast! We went to Elder Rohbock's last area down in Millcreek to spend the day with him! There were also other missionaries there including Elder Jorgensen from the MTC! It was sweet to be able to chill w/him on Christmas! We had breakfast, opened presents watched PG movies and got to talk to our families! Best Present Ever! My family's still the same! haha On New Years Eve we stayed up and played some sweet cards with the people we stay with! We played stuff like go fish, war, old maid! You know, sweet stuff like that! It was amazing! And then at 12 we got to pop some bubble wrap! Best New Years Eve ever!!! kinda! Anywho, love you all and hope to hear from you soon! Have a great day!
Love Elder Partridge!

Christmas Phone Call

Christmas morning started off GREAT with "Elder Partridge" calling and waking us up at 8:00. It was so fun to hear his voice and remember how deep it is! He is LOVING life as a missionary! On December 19, he was able to baptize a boy that's 11 years old named Julio and speak at the baptism, also. He said it was an amazing experience. (Thanks for the pic, Chris.)

His companion in this pic, Elder Dyson, went home on the 23rd, so he has a new companion, Elder Rohbock, but he stayed in the same area. They were going to spend their Christmas at a member's home in Elder Rohbock's old area where they were eating breakfast, opening presents, watching movies, talking to us!!!! and then going to meet with the zone to watch another movie! We were able to talk to him for quite awhile and just enjoy the visit. We miss him terribly, but wouldn't want him anywhere else this Christmas!

He sent us a cute Christmas present...it's one of his name badges that has a magnet on the back of it, so it's now on our fridge with all of our other special magnets! He also sent us the fun pictures below.

His first baptism, Teresa.


Definitely not in Arizona anymore!


The Arizona Boys!

Merry Christmas!!!

Unexpected Surprise

I am the ward mission leader in the Northpoint 3rd Ward in Salt Lake. Your son started his mission in our stake. I have been with him from the beginning and I have certainly been proud of him. You certainly can. I have been with him on many lessons that he has taught. They are spiritual and he does a wonderful job. He is a good missionary. He and his companion, Elder Dyson, get along very well and are a great companionship. I was telling his companion last week, that he doesn’t need a trainer any more. You would think that he was a senior companion. When we do exchanges, companions separating and working with members, some times the new missionary needs a lot of help. Your son never needs help. He is very prepared and bears his testimony with force. His companion is going home next week and we really do not need a real experienced missionary to take his place because your son can lead out and show the way. Your son never complains about anything, instead builds people up and supports them. We are proud of him and the investigators love him. Yesterday in a meeting, the investigator was saying good bye to Elder Dyson and then asking your son to please continue teaching her after Christmas. He is her missionary now. (This is a grown woman)
I am not too sure how much he is enjoying the snow. I was telling him this afternoon as we were going to a lesson to walk with his hands out of his pockets in case he steps on ice and slips. Other missionaries, when they see their car parked, always pile snow on the windshield if there is not snow on it already. Your son is very good at cleaning snow off of windshields. This is a joke with the missionaries. Your son takes everything very good natured. He is enjoyable to be around. He is always prepared, organized and spiritual. We enjoy having him here. Thank you for sending him to us. We will take care of him.

PS: The joking around happens to all missionaries. They are all very close.

December 16 Email

Dear Friends and Family! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Not a whole lot has happened this past week so there isn't a lot to write about! The snow has turned into ice and it's very fun! NOT!!!!! However, there is quite a funny story about my companion and I slipping on ice! last week HE slipped and fell and I didn't so he was like "what the heck! I thought you were the one with bad balance!" (b/c of my surgery and what not). so the rest of the day he was constantly trying to get me to fall by "tripping" me! However, despite his best efforts, I never fell; but in the process of trying to trip me, he slipped and fell twice! haha a couple days later, we switched roles and guess what happened? He never fell but I fell twice! haha I guess what goes around comes around!
Anyway, I know how to say awkward in sign language now b/c almost everything that comes out of my mouth when I start a conversation with someone is really really awkward! It's very frustrating yet at the same time hillarious! So after we contact people, most of the time, we walk away and do the awkward sign! If you'd like to know more about how to say awkward in sign language, please contact your local deaf person! or write me!
Note to family: There's a shortcut we take to get to the other side of our area, and in order to get there we have to go over the Jordan River on a bridge. So guess what game I taught to Elder Dyson the first time we went that way? Pooh sticks! and now we play it every time we take that path! and guess who always wins!?! Not me! haha it definitely reminds me of the cabin!
Oh, BTW, a new rule is out from Pres Sonne that I am only to email family so friends will have to mail their letters to me! either hand written, or typed and printed out and mailed! it kinda stinks but rules are rules and they're there for a reason!
This week I talked to my very first drunk person! yay! He was acting very very wierd and I didn't understand why until we walked away and my comp asked me if I noticed anything unusual about that man! I said it was obvious that he was acting unusual, but being the innocent person I am from growing up in my Mesa, Mountain View bubble, I'd never encountered anyone who was very very drunk before! So Elder Dyson told me and everything suddenly made sense!
We're having a baptism this Saturday at 7:00 pm at the Rose Park North Stake Center on 12th and 12th in the South east font room! We've been teaching a boy named Julio who is 11 years old and he's getting baptized with his little sister who's 8! We found him by checking our list of children who haven't been baptized and his mom thought he'd been baptized! they're an active family who have been coming to church regularly for the past 6 months! so we basically just set up his baptism the first time we stopped by. We've been teaching him for the past 2 weeks and he has asked if I can baptize him! Heck yes I can! So I'm really really pumped if you couldn't tell! It's a big deal! Not just kinda a big deal! It is a really big deal! I'm soooooooo excited for Saturday! He's a way smart kid and he's got a pretty cool Mohawk, but he can totally get away with that look! I would never be able to get away with a Mohawk! Just remember, the church is true! everyone have a very Merry Christmas and remember why we celebrate this wonderful holiday!
Love Elder Partridge!