BIGGEST WEEK EVER.

Oh my heavens, I don't even know what to say about this week, other than it was HUGE. So many monumental things happened that I don't know where to start.

But I'll start with this: I know I'm a missionary when I look at people on the street and I want to jump out of the car and give them a mormon.org card, or when I look at the girl in the car next to me and say "She's cute. She probably needs the gospel." ...out loud. Or when everything people say reminds me of a scripture or a mormon message or a quote from an apostle. It's so great and I just love it. Every single thing about it. Being a missionary is just the best thing there ever was. I have been filled more than ever this week with a love of this work and of my Savior. I LOVE to be a missionary and I never want to take off this tag. As much as I have been yearning for the last nine months to wear jeans and sandals, I never want to wear anything but a skirt and a name tag that has the Savior's name right next to mine. This work brings new adventures every single day and brings the greatest joy any of us can experience. I'm only 21, so I know I haven't experienced a lot, but I am thoroughly convinced it is true. This gospel is SO REAL and SO GOOD. I don't want a single person I see to be without the joy and the peace and the purpose that it brings me and those I love so much. Somehow in this work, we are filled with greater love than we have ever felt for people we don't even know, and it is the most pure, Christlike love. And crazy things happen...like you WANT to get up at 6:15am, and you WANT to knock on strangers' doors and give them a Book of Mormon, knowing they'll probably reject what you hold dear, and you WANT to be with some girl 24/7, even when you drive each other bonkers. This could only be God's work, because it is truly a work of MIRACLES. When I first came on a mission, I didn't really understand miracles...Sister West quickly taught me that miracles don't have to be some huge, magnificent event. Anything that helps us or those around us come closer to the Lord and feel His love is a genuine miracle. And we see that every. single. day. And I couldn't love it more. This is the best work and the best thing I could be doing with my life right now, and I am so glad I got to be a part of it!

So...This totally is sounding like a letter my companion's write when they are finishing their missions. Sister Miller probably just wrote a letter very similar to this! ...And that's probably because not only is it all very true and it has been hitting me over and over this week, but because I am coming home. My body is just so sad and so sick and it has only been getting worse and worse, so after a lot of prayer and pondering and discussion, we have decided that it is best for me to head back to Arizona to get more testing and treatment. Hopefully it will all get resolved soon, and I will be able to come back to the OEM that I love so very dearly in just a few months. This is the most bittersweet thing I have ever faced, even more than leaving to come on a mission. This is my home, this is my family, this is my work. But really, this is HIS work. And I am HIS servant. And this is definitely His will for me. I didn't envision this, the last 21 years I was planning on serving a mission...I definitely didn't see myself going home halfway through. But He did. And He knows why it's happening, and how to make the best of it. We just have to trust Him completely in all that we do. And what a blessing that I will get to be home for the holidays with my sweet family, and my beloved friends. I am ever so grateful for all of you and for your examples and love and support and prayers! I have definitely felt your prayers, and I'm sure that's what's gotten me through this last couple of weeks. I am really so excited to be able to talk to my family and hug them and see the people I love so much. But it is still going to be hard to leave this place. 

So what in the world is going on with my body, you ask? Well, my head has been at a 7-9 on a scale of 1-10 for the last couple of weeks, I've been having stomach problems for a few months, and I got a nasty cold on top of all of it this week. It is just a lot, but my companion is a champ and we still get a lot of work done. 

It is weird to have BOTH of us preparing to go home all of a sudden, but it's also nice because we can kind of understand each other! She's the perfect person for this sad situation and I don't know who else could have handled it better than she is. She is such a trooper and I love her dearly for her sacrifice and her diligence. We are just going to work crazy hard this next week and finish up strong!

The best way to be finishing up, though, is that after 15 years of studying and waiting and praying, Jason has had a mighty change of heart and is getting baptized on Saturday!!!!!!!!!! I cannot even contain my excitement. He is the first person I met when I got to Medford 3 months ago, and I have had such great hope for him this entire time. I have seen miracles happen with him, and I love how he has always wanted to know and decide for himself. Not for his wife or for the ward or for their friends...for HIM. And we just got to sit back and watch it happen, all over the span of about 4 days. He had some great conversations with Sister Taylor and some great personal spiritual experiences, and he just decided for himself to go ahead with the baptismal service he has been planning for years. We just get to fill the font and watch the ordinance! He is so amazing and I have seen some of the biggest miracles of my mission with this man. And once he is in, he is all in and never leaving. That's the kind of person he is. So I cannot wait to see what miracles come his way in the future! 

Also, I swear our ward will double in attendance when January comes and church isn't at 9am anymore...haha. That is seriously such an obstacle for our investigators and less-actives. Even C, who is pretty on fire and wanting to be baptized. Mornings are of the devil, basically. Haha

So I have only a couple of minutes left, and a TON left to write. Like, our roadtrip to Eugene, spending the day in Eugene YSA with Sister H and street contacting on U of O campus (my DREAM of all dreams!!!), going to the temple with President and Sister Russell because of the Book of Mormon challenge, going out to lunch at Jasper's with them, C and J and G and S and all the people I love...all the huge things in the world happened this week! It has been crazy and beautiful and full. 

And another huge thing happened this week: My seester got ENGAGED!!!! I am so happy for you, Kayla and Devan, and I am so excited that I get to be there for this whole process. Heavenly Father just knows I would be so sad to miss out on all this fun, so He had to help me come home. Haha. I love you both, and I cannot contain my happiness. 

Please have the best week in the world, and I will write a quick letter next week, hopefully with pictures! I have a lot to send home to you! And who knows, maybe when I get home, I will just catch up on things I haven't told you about and keep doing weekly emails...;) I promise they won't all be this long, though. Haha.

I love you so much! Thank you again for your prayers--we deeply appreciate them. You are all so much more amazing than you realize! God knows you and your potential. Never, ever forget that. And never forget that I love you! You are the best :)

Love, 

Sister Partridge (I'll miss writing that!)

 

********************************************************************************

We went to the temple with President And Sister Russell!

And a couple days later there was a storm and a double rainbow! ‏

 

 

Miyoko used to be a fashion designer, and had too many furs...so we tried them on and took some home! I got fox fur ear muffs, as featured. YES!! :) ‏

 

We built a ceiling!!! Crazy work. So great.

‏



 

Is it week 5 already?

This transfer is just not allowed to be over yet...only two weeks left! And then my Sister M is leaving me! We're not talking about that. Cuz I'm not ready for that yet. We are definitely having a good time and doing good work here, though, especially in utilizing the members, which I am so glad about.

We also got to volunteer at a music festival on Saturday, which was surprising, because it was definitely not missionary-approved music! Haha. But it was fun, and really hot...We mostly just stood out in the sun in 109* and checked people for wristbands. It was pretty exciting...Haha. But I did get some really pretty earrings from one of the booths, so that was nice! And we met a less-active member from Ashland, who wants his wife to meet with the missionaries, which was neat! Pictures of it will come next week :) 

A couple pictures from exchanges will also hopefully come next week! I got to go on exchanges with Sister S again, and that is always just a spiritual experience. She is a blast to be around, and she knows me so well and knows what I need. We had some good talks, and she is just one of my favorite people.

This week has all been a bit of a blur, especially because of some health stuff we're trying to figure out, but I know it was lovely! 

G is doing well, and we are hoping to set another baptism date with him again soon! He is just scared of the answer he might get, I think, but he is more ready than he thinks he is :)

Oh, also! We built a ceiling this week! S is using her garage as a bedroom, and she needed a ceiling with insulation. So some excellent members of our ward helped us out with that, which was a huge project and some good, hard work.

I'm getting kicked out, but I love you all so much! Have the greatest week! Love you!

Love,

Sister Partridge

This week was incomPEARable! ...And also, I'm 21 :) ‏

Hello loved ones! It's so good to be with you again from the lovely state of Oregon :) This week has been absolutely packed with experiences, a lot of them way out of the ordinary...It has been a great, busy week! 
First of all, are all of you doing the #MyFamily event on social media?! It's happening right this very moment, all week long! There are certain daily themes listed on the Facebook event, but if that gets too complicated, just post pictures of your family and put #MyFamily! Share with the world what your family loves to do, how you show your love for what another, what makes your family happy and strong...anything! We all love families, and this is an excellent time to brag about yours to millions of people! I'm so very excited about it and I hope you'll all join along in this event :)

We had a Facebook committee meeting the other day, and although I'm not on the actual committee, my companion is, so I got to sit in! And since we're way down south, and we didn't want to waste time, miles, and gas on going to Eugene, we got to skype in! It was pretty neat. And it was especially neat to hear what a great tool social media can be for us! Yes, it can be scary and dangerous, but I know God invented these tools to help further His work and it is such a joy to be a part of that! He is truly hastening His work! 

Being on a mission really helps me know who I want to be and how I want to live my life and raise my family. I'm so glad I have the examples that I have and the experiences I'm having out here! I want to have Jesus Christ and His gospel so integrated into my life that it is just who we are and what we do. And I want everyone to know it by the way we live, by the feeling that is in our home, by the steadfastness of my children...I want to be a kingdom builder. I want to whole-heartedly follow my Savior for my entire life. Of course it won't always be a basket of butterflies and daisies, but the gospel of a Jesus Christ really does bring us peace even in those times. And helps us flourish despite the opposition we will undoubtedly face. How great is that :)

Someone we met the other week said something that has stuck with me a bit...She said "You are the only Bible some people will ever read." Our examples make a difference! Although you may be just one person, God knows you and loves you and others are looking to you for guidance and light! How neat! 

This week we got to help an 80-year-old Japanese lady move her whole house, essentially. They had to move her out and back in to renovate her apartment, and we get to help her reorganize her life! There are (HEAVY) boxes from floor to ceiling and in every nook and cranny. And it turns out that her insanely heavy, solid wood furniture was moved in wrong. So Sister M and I got to find our muscles! We piled things all over each other, moved drawers in and out of these dressers, hoping to make them a little lighter, and strategically rearranged the room. It was all a good time. Haha

And later that night, we found out a family we are teaching was about to not have a home at all. So we spent our evening trying to find a place for them to stay for a couple of days while they tried to find a way to get somewhere more permanent! It was just crazy and sad. But it was cool to see how they continued to have faith and pray even in the midst of such trial! 

Oh! And we found out that J is pregnant, which might attribute to why she has been so moody with us! Haha. I am excited to keep working with that family and helping them get back up on their spiritual feet :) 

And we acted out another Book of Mormon story with S and her kids! I just really, really love that family. They make me so happy and I love to see their progression! :) Last week, we acted out Lehonti and Amalickiah, illustrating how Satan works to deceive us and how important it is to stay true to our standards and not come down our mountain! This week, we did Nephi and his brothers getting the brass plates from Laban. We talked about the importance of the scriptures and how no matter how hard something may seem, God will never ask us to do something that He has not prepared a way for us to accomplish. I am inspired by the faith and the diligence of these men in the scriptures and I love to read their stories and know that they are true! What wonderful examples and wisdom we have from the word of God :) 

Also, word to the wise: If you're going to go on a mission, just prepare to be exhausted for 18 months-2 years. Honestly. It's so, so wonderful, but you are so, so TIRED. ...ALWAYS. Haha 

And it turns out people are wrong about what you can and can't wear as a sister missionary...At least in Oregon. I wish I would have known that and brought cuter jewelry and more maxi skirts. Haha. But now I just have way more cute stuff than any person should really have, especially when they have to move it all every six weeks, so it all works out anyway :) 

And I got even MORE cute stuff for my birthday! I am so overwhelmed with how thoughtful my family and friends are. Even the simplest things meant the world to me, because I knew the thought that went into it and the love that was behind it!! Example: when opening my birthday packages from my family yesterday, I was doing okay not crying and just being happy. And then I pull out the target gift card...Tears. Over a gift card. Haha. It is pretty silly, but I knew that my family knows I love target, and they put that in there because they love me so, so much. ...And also because they know I'm poor. Haha. And they gave me a lot of FOOD! Also because I'm poor, and because they know I love food! I just have the best family in the world and I cannot even express how much I adore them in every possible way. I got a ton of cute jewelry, I got a mini version of the scriptures (which is IDEAL in at least twenty-seven ways), I got so much piano music, I got homemade pavlova shipped with love from my momma to Medford...I am just so, so blessed. 

I also have the best ward family. The very instant I walked into the chapel yesterday, C and H come running up to me and give me the biggest hugs and tell me happy birthday with their cute little smiling faces. And then they fed us dinner that night, where we had taco salad and ice cream. And Sister M and I got to teach sharing time in primary!!! I really love primary. We taught about how when we are serving those around us, we are really serving God, based on Mosiah 2:17 in the Book of Mormon! We did little activities to illustrate it, and it was fun to see the excitement and enthusiasm of those cute kids in our ward. 

And I have the best companion. She is so patient with me and so good at talking with people and knowing what to teach and what to say. And she made me a little Happy Birthday sign and gave me a talk for my birthday. She's thoughtful and nice and funny and I'm glad to have her and I pray she will be able to keep putting up with me!

Also, we have decided that Medford is equivalent to Genovia...Everything is pears! It's beautiful. Haha. And along those lines, we got to pick pears again this week! The church pear farm was in dire need of people to pick, and it just wasn't happening. They were getting desperate and praying really hard. So our entire zone and Central Point zone were all able to go help pick winter pears for four hours! It was so, so fun, I can hardly even say. I get to work with some of the very best missionaries in the world every single day, and I love the service we get to do. Knowing we're a part of something bigger really impacts my soul and makes me happy! We didn't even know how much they needed us at that very time until some of the workers told us after we were already done. God truly does provide for us and answers our prayers! I love the fruits of this good gospel! :) (Pun slightly intended :)) The pictures are on my camera, cuz that was easier to put in my pocket than an iPad, so those will be emailed when I have access to a computer, hopefully next week.

And today we had another zone activity, where we went to President C's house in Ashland and had breakfast, a small hike to a reservoir, and a devotional (aka, scriptural feast) about the Atonement of Jesus Christ! The C's are great, and their house is beautiful, and our missionaries are the best (even though sisters get really hyper and crazy around each other...mostly me :)), and I was so spiritually fed after President C's comments! Oh, by the way, he's a member of our mission presidency. FYI. It was a good time :)

I just want all of you to know how much I love this gospel and my Savior, Jesus Christ. There is no way we can ever repay Him for His sacrifice, yet we get to enjoy the blessings of it every single day as we repent and rely on His grace to change us! It's good to be out here, sharing that message with everyone we see, even if we sometimes have to chase them down (yes, that has literally happened). Haha. Even though it is really, really hard out here, it is great. Especially if we rely on The Lord and use all He has given us to help us be happy and strong. He is so good to us :)

Have the best week ever! I hope it's great and all your wildest dreams come true :) I love you!!!

Love,

Sister Partridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What even happened this week?

K, so a ton happened, but I can't think of anything. And neither can
my companion. So we are obviously in trouble. Ha.

But today we had a zone activity! We all hiked Roxy Ann this morning,
had a testimony meeting on a cliff, and then ate waffles (gluten-free
for me :)) and emailed together at the church! And I got to wear pants
allll day! :) It has been fun and we have a totally rockin zone. These
missionaries are top notch and I could not be luckier than to be in
this beautiful mission :)

We had a zone training meeting this week, and the theme was "Finish
the Race", hence the crazy pictures :) But it was really inspiring and
I just was so called to repentance and wanting to change everything
and just always be better! So hopefully I can do that, little by
little. Because there is absolutely no point in going on a mission if
you aren't going to be changed by it, and the last thing in the world
that I want is to be the same person I was when I came out on a
mission! And I know that it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Holy
Spirit which truly changes us. So hopefully I can be changed more and
more as I strive to serve The Lord with all my heart, might, mind, and
strength :)

We started off our week by getting my teeth cleaned by my ward mission
leader, who is a dentist here! I couldn't stop laughing, thinking of
Brother Allen cleaning my teeth, but it wasn't all that weird. And the
hygienist was just so darling and personable! I just really love her.
She just moved here from Ohio and she was so fun. And she definitely
needs to be baptized, because she is basically already Mormon :) Plus
my teeth were all pretty afterward, too! So that was fun! And out of
the ordinary!

And I just can't focus with all these elders playing basketball and
music and crazy fun. So I'm sorry that this email is going to kinda
stink today. Haha

The main stress this week is that we are having a hard time juggling
everything! We haven't been able to meet with people as often as we
used to, so some people are thinking that we hate them...and that just
breaks my heart! It's been really hard trying to keep everyone happy
and uplifted all the time. Being a missionary is a huge
responsibility! Which can be crazy stressful! But I also love it.

And I love how little kids at church look at us...and how the Allen
kids, specifically, just adore us to no end. It is so neat to know
that I am someone these kids look up to and that hopefully I am
setting a good example for them to follow in all that I do. This is so
true for people who aren't even missionaries! People watch us. People
notice everything we do...so be good! Of course you don't have to be
perfect, but as the saying goes, you never know who's watching. And I
know I look up to so many of you, so thank you for being such
incredible examples to me and to others! Keep letting your light
shine! :)

We met a less-active lady yesterday who lives on a farm! So we petted
her donkeys and goats while we talked with her, and we helped her
bring in the horses while we chatted, and it was just a fun little
experience! And I'm sure we smelled lovely afterward. Haha

And S and E, a lady we met last week or so, had birthdays this
week! So we heart attacked them, secretly. It was super fun :)
And I love Sister M. She is such a goof and I love to be friends
with her. And her testimony of the Book of Mormon is remarkable! I
love how she loves it. And how marked up her Book of Mormon is. She's
a great example to me and I'm glad I get to be with her, especially
for the end of her mission! (Although we aren't talking about that
part.)

We also had a really great lesson with one of our recent converts,
J, this week about people in the scriptures (like Martin Harris
and Enos) who messed up, but they were able to resolve it and come
back through prayer and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. And her
less-active family member came in, and he started crying and saying how
he needed to call Bishop and how they needed to start coming to
church again. And then he basically begged us to come back in a couple
of days. It was so sweet and a huge miracle of progress for him! I
love those moments :)

This seems like a long, long week. For some reason Sister M
switched that around when she got here, so all the weeks are long
now...haha. So I'm sure much more happened than this, but that's about
the jist of it, I think! Sister M and I also still need to go
grocery shopping and we're going to have a violin/piano jam sesh. So
I'd better wrap it up :) Thanks for all you do! Keep being awesome!
Arizona people, please survive the rains and the floods and craziness!
I can't believe I'm missing that! I hope you love it :) Have the best
week! Love you guys! :)

Love,
Sister Partridge

Reunited with her trainer, Sis W

Sis C and Sis M

 

Welp, there goes August!

Hi friends! :) Happy Labor Day...Sister M and I still aren't entirely sure what the significance of Labor Day is just yet, but we figured wearing red, white, and blue was a pretty safe bet. Haha. And it's definitely a BBQ day! We have two to attend today. So I'm excited.

And...Happy September!!! Best birthday month out there :) With it now being September, I was thinking this morning of previous birthdays...and I got thinking about my birthday last year! Where Erin, Brantley, and I got stranded in southern Utah and walked in the rain at midnight to find a hotel and ate soggy tacos for dinner...That was certainly an adventure! Haha. And a memorable birthday. The same probably won't be happening this year, but we did almost run out of gas yesterday, so it could've been close! When we went to get gas on Saturday night, the only gas station near us was mysteriously closed, and we were already hitting close to curfew...And then the next day was the sabbath, so, of course, we couldn't go get gas! Let's just say we did a lot of walking and were late to a lot of appointments...But we did not run out of gas! :) 

Also, I definitely got asked out by an Indian man over text at 11:30 last night...There was this man that Sister C and I met at Walmart a couple of weeks ago, who had recently moved here from India, and he just started up a conversation with us! We told him what we do as missionaries and gave him our card if he wanted to learn more. So he texts us last night, four times, and in the end, he says "Lauren, I want to be your friend. I want to go out with you..." ...I don't think he entirely understood our purpose as missionaries. It was oddly reminiscent of the Indian man at Pizza Hut up at BYU who gave me unnecessary discounts, Vera and Breanna...haha. But maybe this man will be more prepared for the gospel later! It was just kind of an odd thing to wake up to this morning. Haha

But real things have happened this week! I promise Sister M and I haven't just been partying, although we do get along great, we have actually done real missionary things. While going through some lists and trying to organize our lives, we felt impressed to go see a family where the husband was not a member, and the children were over the age of 8 but not baptized. E wasn't entirely welcoming at first, but as we started a normal conversation with her that had nothing to do with church, we were able to build a strong connection and help her know that we really just care about her and her family! She and her daughter were super great, and they even invited us back to meet the baby that is due any day now. If we had gone a day later, the baby might have been born already, and then she definitely wouldn't have wanted to talk to us on the porch for an hour! God's timing is so perfect and we must always listen to the promptings we receive through the Holy Spirit. And then act on them right away! I love all the cool people I get to meet on my mission and how The Lord directs us where we need to go. He has it all figured out, we just need to trust Him and listen to Him and we will be so much happier :) 

A similar experience was this couple named C and D! We were trying to find a less-active member of our ward that we had never met, so we find her address and knock on her door. A lady pops her head out of the upstairs window and says "What do you want?" Thinking that she's a member of our ward, we say "The bishop's wife said you might like a visit, so we came by!" They came down and invited us in automatically. During the course of our conversation, Sister M and I begin to realize that this is not the lady we are looking for. This is a catholic couple that had recently moved in...Oops! We ended up introducing the Book of Mormon to them and explaining how it came about and how it can give them greater peace and direction in their lives! And we still found the lady we were originally looking for! The crazy part is that it was 15 minutes before our lunch break. And we were 15 minutes away from home. And we were hungry. So we very easily could have just decided to head home and eat instead of making one more visit! But I felt like we should go find J first. Once again, as we put The Lord's will above our own and we trust in His timing, we will be so remarkably blessed and be led to where He needs us to be! This mission that I'm serving is so not about me. It is about my Savior and my Heavenly Father and my brothers and sisters. These people need the truth that we have, and I get to spend a whole year and a half sharing it with them! Best job ever :) 

Even if sometimes we have to look a little crazy...For instance: yesterday, as we were walking all around town to save gas, I needed to use the restroom. And we passed this lady out in her yard, just as I'm bursting into song singing "TOMORROW!" at the top of my lungs. At which point, she turns and chuckles and we awkwardly walk away. And that's when my stellar companion goes "I bet she would let you use her bathroom...we could use it as a great way to share the gospel with her!" So we turn around and ask her to use her bathroom. She said she normally wouldn't, but she trusted us, and I promised not to burst into broadway in her house. Haha. We ended up having a really great conversation with her and making another wonderful connection! She was super nice and, like many others, was surprised to see sister missionaries around, even though we've been out in the world for 116 years :) We were able to resolve some questions that she had about what we believe and it was just all lovely! Yay for CJ :) 

And yay for all of you! I got a couple of seriously stupendous letters this week (some of which I was just really shocked and elated by!) and I am still, and always will be, so grateful for each of you. I continue to pray for you, and I have loved to hear how many people still read these emails! I love it, and I hope it helps you somehow. Because I'm sure loving the experiences I'm having. Even if it is sometimes stressful and crazy. Haha. 

Have the very best week and keep being happy and awesome! Good luck to everyone starting school! Study hard, work hard, play hard...all that good stuff :) LOVE YOU! 

Love, 

Sister Partridge 

New Week, New Transfer, New Companion!

I don't have much time left to email...So I'll just do some quick
bullet points! Here we go! 

* Sister C got transferred to SF 3rd Ward to follow-up
train! She's going to be so excellent there and I'm grateful for all
I've learned from her! 

* I now get Sister M, whom I served with on the coast! She is
also Sister C's trainer! She is a total rockstar--a really hard
working, obedient, funny missionary! She's from Payson, Utah, and this
transfer will be so excellent. We can already tell :) Especially since
we already know each other and it's her last transfer, so we've gotta
make it good! :) 

* We lost Elder B to V Ward in Eugene! and got Elder J!
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I will totally miss Elder B.
He has been a riot to work with and there is never a dull moment with
that elder. It's been a treat. And working with Elder A and Elder
J will be too! 

* I got to see Sister Ca again!!! She's in CP zone, so not my zone,
but closer than Corvallis! And Sister W is in my zone!!!!! When I
saw her, I screamed and hugged her and cried right away. I love that
girl. Best "mom" ever. 

* We helped sew 200+ pillow cases for the children's wing at the
hospital for AA's eagle project! We were in charge of
matching fabrics to make the pillowcases look cute and cutting out all
the fabric. It was an adventure, and we kinda stunk at it, but it was
a fun job and a good way to get to know people and serve those in
need! 

* We ate dinner at the N Familhy and they have what we've titled "the
N Family challenge"...He mixes up a bunch of whatever's in the kitchen
and you have to eat it. And then you get an ultra King size candy bar
of your choice! I rocked it. They said that I just downed it like
they've never seen and I totally outdid all the other
missionaries--especially elders. That was pretty great to hear! ...Not
that we're competitive or anything... 

* Last night, as a packing break, we roasted marshmallows. We couldn't
get our fire pit to work out for us (I am not a Boy Scout or a
pioneer. That's all.) so we did it over the stove. Like I was back in
college. It was splendid. Thank you A family for supplying the
goods! I also burned a tie (with kissing llamas on it...?) for a fake
six month mark, and Sister C burned a dress for a fake year mark. I loved it all :)

* G doesn't feel ready for his baptism this weekend, so I don't
think it will be happening...but he is on the up and up and is
continuing to feel the Spirit, so it will all be good! I sure love
that family! 

* Bishop gave us word that S's papers are on their way, so we will
be able to set a baptismal date soon--probably for the month of
September!! I'm so excited :) 

* Happy happy birthday to my big brother! I love you so much, B, and
you are such a great example to me. You always keep things
entertaining and help me keep my head on straight. We will have to
have all the movie nights and dinners again when I get back to Provo.
I don't know what I would do without you and I'm so grateful to have
you in my forever family! You're a keeper :) 

* Congrats to Connor and Lexi getting married!!! You two are the most
gorgeous couple and you are going to rule the world together. I love
you so much, Lex! :) And Connor, I am excited to meet you!! :)

* I got some great letters this week!! Thank you to those who support
me in that way. I love, love, love to hear from you, even if it's
something boring. You are all my favorites, basically :) 

* I'm sure other great stuff happened, but I don't have any time and I
don't remember it all!
* Sorry this is rushed and not super spiritual. I still know the
church is true and I am loving this work more and more!! I can't
believe I'm almost halfway done...so not ready for that! 

* I love you all ten billion! Thanks for being my friends! :)

Love, 

Sister Partridge

Picture explanations--
First pic: The south half of the mission at the zone conference with a
Elder Nielsen last week! I am front and center in between Sister
Nielsen and Sister Russell...what a place to be! :) It was obviously a
struggle trying to get 150 missionaries to all look at the camera at
the same time and look pretty..haha






Second: It was Brother A's bday last week, and we didn't do
anything for the best ward mission leader in Medford! So Sister C
and I snuck onto their property with a bunch of post-it notes with
inside jokes and uplifting notes on them and put them on his window in
the shape of a birthday cake! It was a good time.






Third: I totally beat this guy at chess. He was pretty boring to play
against anyway...






Fourth: Elder B's favorite joke: "How many missionaries does it
take to change a light bulb? .... Two, but the light bulb has to want to
change!" These elders are excellent. And crazy. Bonuses of having an
elder that was on the cheer squad in high school!






Fifth: We ate some sketchy Mexican food out of a van! And I ate my
second lengua taco of the week! Earlier this week we had chorizo,
lengua, tripa, and cabeza tacos with a family we're working
with...it's been an adventure! I've totally loved it :)

General Authority visit, birthdays, and end of the transfer!‏

Hello again! :) 

I hope this week has been great for each of you lovely people. This week has flown by even faster than the last, and I'm not too sure what to do with that. Haha. 

This week has been full of things, as usual! I hope you guys aren't sick of me or my updates and that you still read them...That would be ideal. Especially when I send absolutely massive emails like this one is going to be...I am so sorry, in advance. 

Random things of the week: Sister C and I found a fire truck for sale in a parking lot in Phoenix...We didn't happen to have $4900 laying around, and President probably wouldn't have approved that purchase, so we decided to just take pictures by it instead. It was a fun time, and we are working on making it into a Facebook post, so stay tuned :) 

We also went on exchanges and I just really love Sister Cr. She is a bundle of fun and happiness and I love that I can be a little crazy with her, but also trust her with serious things. This mission just has the greatest missionaries in the world. As much as I exaggerate, I'm thoroughly convinced that that statement is true :) 

So, updates on my peeps: S received a calling, before she is even baptized! So that will be great for her. I love her and her kids, they are really just excellent all the way around :) And J came to church this week! Only for sacrament meeting, but we were so excited to see him there. J is on date for October 31 so we can have time to work on divorce papers and a marriage! And G's baptism is going to be next Saturday, August 30, because he accidentally drank coffee last Sunday, and we don't want to make him wait a week to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, so it's going to be a week later. But this guy is a champ, because who else can quit cigarettes and coffee at the same time, a month after quitting alcohol? He's excellent. That whole family is, really. I love to see how the ward embraces them and takes an interest in their progression. We've got a good ward :) 

And a good ward mission leader! They had us, J, G, and A, and the elders over for dinner last night. And they have seven kids. So it's a good thing there was a lot of food! The best part was definitely their birthday present to Sister C, though...They all dressed in their matching "Rise as One" BYU shirts and did a choreographed dance to "I'm Gonna Go on a Mission" by Nashville Tribute Band. Complete with heartfelt solos and everything. It was the best thing I have ever seen, I think. It will take a while for me to ever get over that. It was perfection. ***Mom, can I get one of those shirts? A medium? They are super awesome. I will even pay you the $10 if you wish. Thank you!!!

So yes, Sunday was Sister C's birthday!! She's 20 now...So old. Haha. We got two cakes, a gallon of ice cream, a pie, treats from the elders, a brownie tort, treats from Sister T...all the sugary food. We are so blessed! And it's so good for her to see how loved she truly is. We are surrounded by such thoughtful people :) 

AND it was my dad's birthday yesterday!! He is one of the best people that has ever been on this planet and I hope every one of you has gotten to meet him. Because he is stellar and is an incredible example to me of humility, selflessness, knowledge, and a good work ethic. I love that man :) A man gave a talk in our ward on Sunday about his dad and how he always knew he could trust him and turn to him, and I thought of my own dad and how grateful I am that I, too, been able to trust him and turn to him...and I cried. A lot. He is just so great, and also so old ;) 

And church was even more eventful, because I had a surprise visitor!!! My mom's cousin, Joel, whom I love so dearly was here in Medford picking up pears from the church orchard. So somehow, he found out where and when our church was and stopped in to find me! He found me pretty quickly, because I said the opening prayer, but I almost didn't find him. His friend had to grab my attention and, after I just kind of stared, Joel said "What's the matter, don't you recognize your relative without a hat on?" And then I started crying. It was so good to see him and hug him and I was just so overcome with gratitude and love and appreciation for the thoughtfulness of those I love so much. It was a great un-birthday present for me on Sister C's birthday :) 

And a great present to both of us was totaling up our weekly numbers! For those who don't know, we make goals and then keep track of certain things to measure and record how well things are progressing in certain areas and to keep everything all organized. Our focus is certainly not on attaining high numbers, but rather on individual people and their specific needs. But this week it was especially cool to see (in number form) the success we had! We taught almost twice as many lessons as normally expected, had many of our friends come to church with us, and have about a dozen people steadily progressing toward baptism! No wonder we have been so busy! I love to see how the work of The Lord is truly being hastened by His hand. It is such a miracle and a blessing to be such an integral part of this vitally important work. He truly needs each of us, with our different strengths, weaknesses, and abilities, to help Him do His work and bring His children closer to Him. How great is that :) 

We also found out that our zone has the most baptisms in the mission! We've had three in August. And all of them are from our district! And we will be having another one in August, so our district alone will meet our zone goal! Go team :) Have I said enough times what rock solid missionaries we have in this mission and how prepared the people here are? Best mission and best work :) 

It was also our final district meeting of the transfer, which was a sad time, because many members of our zone have been here for six months, which is typically the maximum time a missionary will be in an area, so they'll be leaving us. But our district all gathered around the piano to sing "Come Unto Christ" together, and bit by bit, our entire zone came in. So in the end, we had this video of our entire zone, about 25 missionaries, gathered around me at the piano, singing about the miracles our Savior has performed and continues to work in our lives as we come unto Him. It was a pretty neat experience :) 

And an even neater experience was our general authority visit yesterday!!! Elder Brent H. Nielsen of the Seventy and his wife (and President and Sister Russell) came to speak with us. This was Elder and Sister Nielsen's first mission tour back in the states in five years! They have previously been in the Philippines and New Zealand, and they have only been back for about a month. Wow! Through this visit and other instances the past few weeks, I have realized more and more how much I really just love to learn! You may not know that if you were one of my BYU professors or a teacher at Mountain View, especially since homework is my downfall, but it's a true story about me. And the gospel is the greatest thing to learn about! So this is an especially exciting time of my life and it was a marvelous visit. We talked a lot about the difference between the redeeming power of the Atonement and the enabling power of the Atonement and what each allows us to do and become. The redeeming power of the Atonement makes us saved by grace, while the enabling power of the Atonement makes us changed by grace. The Atonement of Jesus Christ, His sacrifice for each of us, gives us the capacity to serve beyond our own abilities and become greater than we can now imagine. How remarkable this is! We are so blessed! :)

Sister Nielsen also talked about our relationships with our companions and how they can be better! I so needed this, because I think I have just been a rotten companion to these wonderful sisters. She gave some great tips from her sons' mission experiences and marriage experiences that I am excited to implement! She said something that really stuck out to me.."When you love people for who they are, they flourish in your presence." She talked about "what it means to be a Nielsen" and how, when in-laws came into the picture, they kind of ruined it all! But then she talked about how that's really okay. How people come from different family cultures and as you open your heart to them and love them for who they are rather than trying to change them, both of you become better and you will find such treasures in them. 

And, talking about the increase in the amount of sister missionaries, she said "It looks so different for us to do zone conferences now...It's much prettier!" Haha. 

At this meeting, half of our mission was there--that's over 100 missionaries all in the same spot! And it was really fun, because my two previous zones were there, so I got to see some dear mission friends that I have been missing! I love meetings like that, where we are around a lot of missionaries, all gathered with the same purpose and spirit, being uplifted and edified as a team. It just makes me remember that there is nothing better than serving The Lord and it gets me so pumped about missionary work and reminds me that being a missionary is the best! :) 

An overall picture I got out of the 9 hour meeting was that we are doing so well! ...But we can be doing better. I think that is true of each of us in our individual situations as well. You are doing much better than you think you are. Honestly and truly. We are our own worst critics and we mustn't be so hard on ourselves! You are a good enough mother, a good enough friend, a good enough husband, a good enough disciple of Jesus Christ! But we can still do more. God has high expectations because He knows our true potential. We can always strive a little harder to be a little better. What a great challenge! :) 

Also, this is the last week of the transfer. WHAT. It totally flew by, and I have no idea where it went, but this time next week, I will probably have a new companion. Sister C is one of the missionaries that has been here six months, so I will probably stick around and she is probably going to head out, which is really hard for her and for those she has been working with for so long. I will definitely miss her. And all of a sudden this week, I got terrified about taking over such a great area. I just feel like I'm not worthy for all the good work going on and that I'm not good enough. But I know for a surety that The Lord qualifies those He calls. If I rely on Him and strive every day to do my part, I will be strengthened and enabled to keep up with this work and help it progress even further. I can be an instrument in His hands to become much more than I am on my own. Thank goodness for that! 

Thank you so much for writing me and loving me and being who you are! Sorry for the lengthy emails, but it has just been an eventful past couple of weeks. And sisters automatically have longer emails than elders, so it's not my fault entirely, right? Hah. I love you all so much! Have a super great week! :) 

Love,

Sister Partridge  

...yep, exchanges were fun. I love Sister S. And also Mountain Blackberry Revel Umpqua ice cream. YUM. :) (Sorry it's dark...that's as well-lit as our apartment gets!)

Taco Bell Saves Lives!

 

Well hello there, friends :) 

 

This week has just flown by like crazy...and I feel like so much has happened, but that it's been normal at the same time! 

 

So today, we went to lunch at Cicily's with a sister from Central Point and HOLY COW, it was good. I got some (gluten-free) pasta with grilled chicken, and sundried tomatoes, and carmelized red onions, and a cream sauce...mmm :) And then she took us to See's Candies to get some chocolates. It was awesome :) 

 

I also went to WinCo for the first time. We traditionally go to Walmart, but we have been hearing all week how WinCo is cheaper, so we tried it out. And the elders and some members ended up being there, too! I think it's about the same, price-wise, but it was a fun time anyway :) Haha

 

A big thing this week (drum roll, please...) G quit smoking!!!! We are so proud of him and his determination to withstand this addiction so he can get baptized in two weeks. He is fantastic. We are giving him a Taco Bell gift card as extra incentive, and this morning we were encouraging him and reminding him of the gift card. He just texted back and said "Taco Bell saves lives!" Haha. So three cheers for Taco Bell, and three cheers for G and for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which truly makes all things possible through faith. The enabling and cleansing power of the Atonement is so real, and I am ever grateful for it, for myself and for my investigators. We are so excited. 

 

J's fiancée E sat in on a lesson with us this week! And he has talked to us several times! Which is all a huge deal, because he never comes out of his room because he's so shy and self-conscious. But he is way, way awesome and it has been so cool to get to know him and see these huge miracles! He and J even made an agreement today that he will sit in on every lesson and even come to church if she is nicer and watches football with him. :) haha. This is big, because he's shy, and she hates football. So it will be so good! I am so excited about it all! And R and A are back from the coast, where they have been for a week, so I'm excited to see them again! I love that family. :)  And also, our ward members were rockstars in helping us get J and E's 51-page divorce packets so that they can both get divorced, then married to each other, then baptized! It is a crazy deal, but this is a monumental step. 
 

Another huge thing of the week: Zone Training Meeting. Remember how I said that I was the only missionary in our zone that plays the piano? And how apparently we are a dying breed? But I'm glad I have those talents to share with people? Yeah. Well I regretted that come Thursday. I was asked to play the opening and closing hymns...then it turned into that and accompanying a musical number...then it was the hymns and two musical numbers...I'll just share what I wrote in my journal about it all: (Thursday) "It is time for bed, but I've been at the church playing the piano for quite awhile. My body...ugh. The zone leaders gave me piano music to accompany Sister A last night, and music for accompanying some people from their ward today. So I got to practice it with Sister A tonight, and the song is actually sung by a guy, so it's wrong for her register, so she's singing it in a different key. And it sounded bad with the piano, so guess what I'm doing? I'm transposing it in my head. What am I thinking?! And the other one, I am just praying that I can still do a decent job when people are singing with me and there's pressure, cuz it's harder than Sister A's. I'm way scared about it all. So stressed, and my head and body hurt so much, and I need Heavenly Father's help on this to not kill the Spirit tomorrow in at least twelve ways..." (Friday) "So my run throughs with Sister A this morning were practically flawless, which was great. My run through of "Because He Lived" with L and C, however, was a holy royal train wreck. And halfway through the first time, Elder B came in to ask if I could stop and go play prelude...uh, NO. So Sister C was a sweetie and sacrificed herself to go do it, which was rough for her, I know. Good companion. The second run through wasn't much better, but apparently the Spirit carried my fingers in the real thing, because I've heard it went really well and we somehow pulled it all together! The song with Sister A wasn't flawless, but it was beautiful, and people really seemed to love it. Probably because her voice was magic and "Listen" is gorgeous. So it was a good ZTM." 

 

Yes, I literally spent hours practicing the piano. Without any breaks at all. By the end, my poor companion was laying on the church pew planning to sleep. And before then, they were taking my iPad and taking crazy pictures and setting them as my wallpaper. It was stressful. We didn't think there was any way it would all come together, and I still can't believe it did. The Spirit truly helped us out, and I am glad we got to do this, overall, just not as glad about the details of the whole situation...haha. We told the elders they owe us brownies. :) 

 

But ZTM was really great, and I gained a lot of insights how I need to improve on absolutely everything in missionary life! We also talked a lot about Facebook and some new policies and events and such. 

 

Some things I'm really excited about that I want all of you to be a part of: This week, there is a Facebook event called #IFollowHim. I'm a member of the event, so look it up on Facebook. Basically, people all over the world are posting a picture of themselves with a photo of Christ and saying how they follow Him, including that hashtag! It will be so, so cool. 

 

Also cool will be an event starting September 14 called #MyFamily. It will be a week-long event, similar to the #BecauseOfHim at Easter time! There are different themes for each day of that week, and I cannot stand how amazing this will be. I'm especially excited, because it gives me an opportunity to brag about my fantastic family for a whole week to the whole world! :) It is going to be HUGE. So be a part of it! Look those events up on Facebook and invite all your friends! It's going to be monumental and inspirational. How blessed we are to be able to use social media for righteous purposes :) 

 

On Friday, we also ran into the elders on our way to an appointment! Both of our appointments fell through, and we had been encouraged that day at ZTM to use the hymns and children's songs more to help people feel the Spirit, so we did something totally outside the box. All four of us went tracting together, just singing hymns at people's doorsteps and testifying of how we are all children of God! Not many people answered, unfortunately, but a couple of people did and it was a really cool experience! I know that hymns and songs from the children's songbook truly do bring the Spirit into any conversation, and every word is inspired. We are just so blessed! 

 

We also met a man on a street corner named K, from Washington, dressed in church clothes. So we thought he was a member or something, and it turns out he was just selling carpet cleaning! So we talked to him, and he had a ton of questions! He took every pamphlet we had, a Book of Mormon, and a Bible. He had us write his name on it and he sat down right then and there and started reading a chapter from the Book of Mormon. It was crazy! He has an insane work schedule, and was leaving back to Washington the next day, so we won't get to teach him. But it was a neat, crazy experience anyway! 

 

AND it started raining this afternoon, which I have just been praying and waiting for. Life could just not be better than summer rain :) 

 

Oh! And we got to go pear picking with my Roseburg Ward!!! I was so happy to see them. Especially Sister F. She cracks me up, and to be honest, we did more talking and joking than pear picking...but it was great. She was particularly excited to get a picture of a Partridge in a Pear Tree :) Joel, I found John and said hi for you! He was disappointed that you weren't coming this year, but he appreciated that he was a celebrity ;) And I got to see a few other missionaries from previous zones. So that was fun! See what blessings come from service? All sorts of good stuff! :) 

 

Also, I'm gonna ask a favor of you, my friends: I have been craving shaved ice for two months. But apparently Oregon doesn't believe in that. So Arizona people, go to Bahama Bucks for me! And Utah people, go to Hokulia for me! Thank you ever so much. Please enjoy :) 

 

I'm sure bad things happened this week but I guess too many good things happened for me to remember them. Plus, that's not really what any of you want to hear about anyway! So I'll stick to the good stuff :) 

 

I did write a few people back, but I'm still way behind. Don't let that dissuade you from writing me, but just be patient with me and try to love me anyway :) I do love you guys so much! God is so good to us and it is up to us to be good to Him. Choose to follow Him and life will be MUCH happier and easier in the long-run :) I LOVE YOU!!! :) 

 

Love, 

Sister Partridge

 

 

**Picture Explanations--

 

Once upon a time, we went to Debby's Diner for lunch. And of course, we had to get milkshakes! We had chosen our classic flavors, and then we found out about the seasonal blackberry milkshake...yum!So we ended up getting two "shorties", one of each flavor, which are supposed to add up to one normal-sized milkshake. Well, we got them, and the shorties were twice as big as we had expected! We were pretty darn full. But OH MY, that blackberry milkshake was TO DIE FOR. So good. I love Oregon :)

 

 

We were on our way to an appointment, and we saw this DARLING old truck. As some of you may know, I LOVE old trucks. My parents even emailed me pictures of old trucks they found in Santa Fe because they're thoughtful like that and they know that I really love them. And this one happened to be my favorite color. So I made Sister Coon go back to get pictures :) We even made it a missionary thing by asking the man if we could take a picture by his cute truck and also if he would like to learn more about strengthening his relationship with Jesus Christ! He didn't...but he did let us take some pictures, and I am so happy about that happening :) And, this truck was born the same year as my dad! So it's a pretty fun thing :)

 

 

 

Remember that one time, a month ago, when I had my six-month mark? And I never took a picture? Well, here's one to make-up for it. Sorry. Haha