February 25, 2010 Email

Dear Everyone!
Just a note on transfers! I'm still in my first area (Rose Park North Stake)! At the end of this transfer it will have been 6 months! That's 1/4 of my mission! Kinda crazy! I'm serving with Elder Peer now! Conveniently, he was in this area 4 transfers ago (the transfer before I got here)! So he knows a lot that's going on and has some good ideas about the area! We're having a baptism this weekend and have a lot of investigators that are ready to be baptized! They just need some help knowing that they're ready themselves! I'll write next week about how the baptism went!
I can't stress enough how much I love missionary work! There's truly no greater work on the face of the earth! And the best part is that you don't have to be a full time missionary to share the Gospel with others! In fact, our mission would not see the success that it does without people opening their mouths and telling their friends, family, and neighbors about the wonderful message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It is the way that you can feel the most joy you will ever experience! And that joy is everlasting! It does not go away! Please open your mouths with those around you! Let them know about the joy they can have in their lives! And invite them to have this joy in their lives! Most people don't know about how truly magnificent the gospel makes you feel, and most people don't know how to feel that joy!
I love you all so much and want everyone to at least feel a taste of the joy they can experience and listen to the missionaries! I'm doing all I can to help the people here to have that opportunity! I appreciate everything!
Till next week,
Elder Partridge!


*Transfers are every 6 weeks. That's when either he will be assigned to a new area, receive a new companion and stay in the same area, or things will remain unchanged.

Elder Partridge and Elder Koepsell

Elder B's Ward Mission Leader sent us this picture tonight.

Thanks, Bro. C!

February 17, 2010 Email

Hello Everyone!
Hola Todos (A little spanish for flare)!
Just a quick update. We had a baptism this last weekend on Sunday!!!!!!!! It was soooooo sweet! The best part about having baptisms is the spirit you feel every time! Being able to help someone know the everlasting joy that can come into their life on top of the joy they already have! and seeing how hopeful and happy they are when they realize that they're able to be together with their families and with God forever!!!
We also had stake conference this weekend! It was incredible! The stake presidency here in the Rose Park North Stake is incredible! plus, our mission president came and spoke at the priesthood leadership and adult sessions on Sat. and the whole conference was about the members of the church opening their mouths and sharing the gospel so that others can feel of the amazing joy that the spirit can bring into their life! We are seeing an abundant outpouring of miracles happening in our area suddenly! It is truly amazing to witness the promise of God fulfilled when He promises a trial of our faith in every circumstance and a confirmation of our faith in every circumstance according to our diligence in persevering through our trials! It brings me overwhelming joy and hope to know of the plan God has for us as His children and an infinite increase of that joy when I am able to help others come to a knowledge of this as well, and see them take the steps that are requisite for us to return to live with God! I thank each of you again for the example you are to me at helping me become a better servant of my Savior and glorifying God in all I do and say! Thank you so much!
Love Elder Partridge!

February 10, 2010

There's no formal email from Elder Partridge this week. He was short on time, but plans to write a letter to put on here about his amazing experience at the temple last week, which included his Mission President, President Sonne; the SLC Temple President, Pres. Childs; and Elder M. Russell Ballard. He's excited to hear where Caleb and Joe are going on their missions. The planned baptism of Jesus Sevilla will be on Sunday instead of Saturday because of Stake Conference. About his companion, Elder Koepsell, he says, "He's awesome! He's an amazing missionary! Very funny! He loves to do this work and to laugh!" He's happy, healthy, and doing GREAT!!!

February 2, 2010 Email

Dear everyone who is amazing!
I'm doing amazing! We had a lesson with Jesus Sevilla a couple of days ago and we talked about the Word of Wisdom and afterwards we went out to the dumpster and he smashed their coffee pot and we smashed their coffee maker! As a result, they are coffee and cigarette free for two days going on three today! and he's getting baptized on Feb. 13! yes! I also had a pretty cool experience yesterday at Zone meeting! President Atkinson of the Mission Presidency came and gave us a training! Before the training I was asked to come up and bear my testimony so I did and when I was done he came up and taught us all how we can make our testimonies a declaration! Our words are our weapon in this battle against the adversary, and they need to be like the double edged sword! So we learned how to give inspired invitations to our investigators! Basically it was an amazing experience! The Spanish Sister Missionaries used his training last night and put two people on date! That's incredible! We're going to be using his training tonight in one of our lessons so I'm excited to tell you all about how it went next week! Stay classy and awesome!
Elder Partridge!

*B is having his prep-day today because he will be spending all day at the Salt Lake Temple tomorrow and he'll be having interviews with Pres. Sonne on Thursday.

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