I GOT TO GO TO THE TEMPLE!

Hello, my friends!

This week has been a good week, with so many miracles. I didn't always
realize them, but now looking back, I can hardly believe it! I don't
have much time, but I will share a few :)

The biggest and best thing was that I got to go to the temple this
week. Oh my heavens, you guys. I have never looked forward and yearned
to go to the temple so much as I have the last couple of weeks. I
longed for it and I was so excited about the timing and the
opportunity to perform the work of salvation in the House of The Lord!
Let me tell you, the experience did not fall short of my expectations.
The Spirit was so strong as I walked those halls and my heart was so
full of true peace and love and joy, but in such a calm and grateful
way. I felt so deeply beautiful and loved, and it was so nice. I
stayed in the celestial room praying for over an hour, and I never
wanted to leave. In fact, I cried as we drove out of the parking lot.
I noticed things I had never noticed before and learned and felt so
much. And they could not have squeezed any more people into that room.
But it was so cool to be in a room with so many other missionaries,
all so reverently worshipping The Lord. And I got to see Sister S
and Brother R from my ward in Riverside! I was so thrilled to see
them and seeing her was just so comforting and happy. The temple is
such a good place, friends.

We also got to go on exchanges this week! I got to be with Sister
S and she is just my hero. She was Sister C's first
companion (besides me), so it was fun to have things remind us both of
her! Sister S is a crazy goof and it is a blast to do be with
her. Especially when we run around in the pouring rain like crazy
people :) But also, she has so much wisdom and a relationship with the
Spirit like I have never seen. We had some incredible long talks in
the car and she helped me more than I can even express. It was so nice
to just talk and, yes, cry...a lot.

We also had the most amazing lesson, definitely in the top five of my
whole mission. It was with this man named J, whose wife and
children and in-laws are all strong members of the church. He has been
pretty hard to motivate and to get him to open up. But our timing was
as such that he was very open this day and as we went about it with
love, he really opened up and asked us so many remarkable questions.
It was a lesson fully and completely led and delivered by the Spirit.
I ended up sharing some things, mostly trials, that my family and I
have gone through that I was not expecting to share. We gave him a lot
to think about, and a lot to study, but not enough to overwhelm him,
which is a fine line. Sister S and I walked out of that lesson
so reverently and so joyful. His family has said wonderful things
about how they think it went, and he even came to church yesterday! I
am so excited to see how he progresses as he implements the teachings
of the gospel in his life.

Aaaand, we are teaching a sort-of-polygamist. Ha! But they are the
best people, you guys. T and S just love everything about
church every week, they love everything we teach them, and they share
the most wonderful thoughts and insights. And they have the cutest
little girl in the world! And we had dinner with them twice this week!
I love them. I am so excited to see where this goes. T is totally
willing to give up alcohol and weed and improve his life through the
gospel! But they aren't sure about not being allowed to move forward
in the life that they have planned with E (the other girlfriend).
So keep them in your prayers!

Also, Sister C gave allll the haircuts this weekend. Four to be
exact. So that was fun service! :)

And when we were going to buy white grapefruit juice to give to G
to help him quit smoking, we were stopped in the parking lot by this
Japanese girl doing a fundraiser! We were already telling her no, and
then she opened up this case of jewelry that she had handmade that was
lovely. In short, Sister C got a leather "I <3 Jesus" bracelet, and
I got a turquoise bead bracelet with a gold starfish on it. We are
mildly obsessed with them and I sincerely regret not getting a picture
with the cute Japanese girl!

Also, we had the best district meeting on Friday! It was all about
Christlike Attributes, which is the very best chapter in Preach My
Gospel. I love learning about that and hearing everyone's different
perspectives on it! We even had a little activity where we threw darts
at balloons with attributes in them, and then we studied them for five
minutes and shared what we learned with the district. I got obedience,
and I found a scripture I really like for it: "And now, I do not know
all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come;
wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will." (Words of
Mormon 1:7) We don't always know the reason for what The Lord asks us
to do. But He does. And it is only through being obedient to Him that
He can truly work through us and help us be instruments in His hands!
Ezra Taft Benson, a previous prophet, said "When obedience ceases to
be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment will God endow us
with power." We NEED His power. So let us be obedient to Him in all we
do! It is a process, of course, but we can do it, one step at a time
with the Lord's help.

Have the best week, everyone! Thank you for your letters, emails,
love, and prayers. I love you dearly :)
Love,
Sister Partridge

 

On our way to girls camp last week!

 

Once again, short on time.

Hi family and friends!
I am once again short on time, but here's a little taste of what happened in my life this past week.
We went ice skating for a zone activity today, which was super, super fun and I felt so strange wearing pants, and I invited four little kids to church with me! Cuz that's basically who I hung out with the whole time. I don't know why, but they just all came up to me randomly and attached right away! It was the sweetest thing!

 

 

 

 

 

I also got to go on the temple grounds for a Relief Society activity on Wednesday, and it was so peaceful. I love that place. And we have a family on date for baptism (all different dates, but still on date) and they are just super awesome and funny. And we are going to have another baptism on Sunday evening! So the work is good here so far!

 

The sisters in our zone also got to go speak at girls camp for the Bend Stake and it was such an amazing experience! We had seven stations, and the section Sister C and I taught was about sharing our light through our testimonies! The Spirit totally led each discussion, and what we shared with every group was so different! It was amazing to see how those girls looked up to us. When we walked in the cafeteria, everyone just stared at us like we were celebrities. (Even though we looked like dorks with our sneakers on with our skirts :P) Afterward, girls were coming up to us hugging us and crying. It was the sweetest thing! It was one of those times when my heart was so full of joy and I just loved being a missionary! Not everything in missionary life is great, but moments like those are. I'm grateful for the tender mercies of our a Heavenly Father. :)

 

Hope everyone has a wonderful week! Until next Monday, enjoy life and Happy Pioneer Day on Thursday!
Love,
Sister Partridge  :)

My Thoughts on the Atonement of Jesus Christ

Atonement Talk

As I was preparing this talk, there were many times when I was just
entirely overwhelmed--overwhelmed by the depth and breadth that this
topic could take on--overwhelmed by all that the phrase "the
Atonement" encompasses--overwhelmed by the responsibility I felt to be
inspirational, and scholarly, and interesting, and, well, perfect. But
I also found myself overwhelmed by my love for my Savior and His love
for me. After all, we are taught in John 15:13 that "greater love hath
no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." How
eternally grateful I am to my Lord, Savior, and Friend that He loved
ME enough to perform such a selfless, eternal sacrifice.

So what is meant when we say "the Atonement"? Preach My Gospel states
that "the Atonement included [Christ's] suffering in the Garden of
Gethsemane and His suffering and death on the cross, and it ended with
His resurrection" which was all accomplished in a "supreme expression
of love for His Father and for us" (Preach My Gospel, pg. 52). It is
incredible to me that someone would go through this
experience--volunteer for it, nonetheless, because He loved us that
much and He loved God that much. And it's incredible that God would
allow His own Son to endure that much agony because He, too, loved us
that much. "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life" (John 3:16). What a blessed, miraculous gift that
is; what a remarkable example to us of true selflessness and charity.
Truly, the entire Atonement revolves around the pure love of Christ.
The prophet Alma prophesied that He would "go forth, suffering pains
and afflictions of every kind...that He may know according to the
flesh how to succor His people in their infirmities" (Alma 7:11-12).
He suffered more than any of us can comprehend, even so much that He
trembled because of pain, and bled at every pore, and prayed to the
Father to have the bitter cup removed from Him. But He saw each of us
and loved us so much--and loved God so much--that He was willing to
suffer that indescribable anguish and give the glory to the Father. I
mean that much to Him. Even Christ, the Son of God, my perfect
Brother, didn't want to go through this. But He did, for me and for
you. And even in the midst of such anguish and suffering, His focus
was continually outward. He healed the ear of Malchus, one of the
guards that was leading Him to His death; He prayed that God would
have mercy on those that were being so cruel to Him; He did missionary
work to the men hanging on the crosses beside Him; He made sure that
His mother would be cared for in His absence. Everything Christ did,
even through His last moments, was to glorify His Father and uplift
those around Him.

We all need the Atonement--every single day. We are all imperfect.
Each of us makes mistakes, whether they be big or small, and each of
us feels guilt and sorrow. But the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ
enables us to feel relief rather than regret, to feel the deep peace
and eternal joy that we are all seeking in this life. Quentin L. Cook
reminds us that "we must always remember that we do not save
ourselves. We are liberated through the love, grace, and atoning
sacrifice of the Savior."

In John 16:33, Christ says, "These things have I spoken unto you, that
in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but
be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." How did He overcome the
world? By completing the Atonement. And it is only through that
selfless act that we, too, can overcome the world. Only by utilizing
the Atonement can we truly and eternally "be of good cheer" and
receive peace from our tribulations. And only through the "merits, and
mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah" can we gain eternal life and
"dwell in the presence of God" (2 Nephi 2:8). This gift and this hope
is what gives meaning to our lives here on earth; my primary purpose,
my single greatest goal is to one day live with my loving Father in
Heaven in the Celestial Kingdom. All other earthly goals and
aspirations are simply steps to lead me to that ultimate destination.
And how wonderful it is that my elder Brother already led the way for
me to follow. Just as the rest of His life was lived as an example for
us, the Savior led the way of perfection even in His suffering in
Gethsemane and on Golgatha; He showed us how we may be exactly
obedient, even in the most trying times, out of pure love for our
Father in Heaven. Particularly as He said, "Not my will, but thine be
done" (Luke 22:42). King Benjamin exhorts his people--and us--to
follow this example and to "consider on the blessed and happy state of
those that keep the commandments of God" and their state of
"never-ending happiness" (Mosiah 2:41). What more could we ask for? So
why not be exactly obedient to each one of God's commandments? And,
just like the Savior during His Atonement, our obedience should be
motivated by a deep, abiding love for God and a steadfast desire to
follow Him, which can be continuously strengthened through the
Atonement of Jesus Christ. As we utilize the Atonement and repent, we
are given a new start where we turn away from disobedience and return
to obedience. It is a way to demonstrate our love for our Savior and
accept a His invitation, "Come, follow me" (Luke 18:22). And as we do
so, we learn that "we can change. Our very desires can change. How?
There is only one way. True change--permanent change--can come only
through the healing, cleansing, and enabling power of the Atonement of
Jesus Christ. He loves you--each of you! He allows you to access His
power as you keep the commandments eagerly, earnestly, and exactly. It
is that simple and certain. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of
change!" (Russell M. Nelson, Decisions for Eternity). One of the most
incredible blessings of being a missionary is to see the miracles of
the Atonement actively at work in people's lives; to see them draw
closer to our Savior and witness the wonderful changes that take
place, even a "mighty change in [their] hearts"--a change that causes
them to "[receive] His imagine in [their] countenances" and gives them
a greater desire to "do good continually" (Alma 5:14, Mosiah 5:2).
These changes are available to each and every one of us, and it allows
us to "align [our] heart and will with God's plan for [us]" as we
repent humbly and earnestly so that we may be clean enough to return
to live with God (Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts, pg. 7).

As we seek this chosen path, we are given the opportunity every day to
decide how we will utilize the Atonement and make it more personal and
meaningful. We can do this through study, repentance, making, keeping,
and renewing covenants, and increasing the involvement of Christ in
our lives. By studying the Atonement and learning more of our Savior's
sacrifice for us, we appreciate it more, and are inspired to "try as
hard as we can to...become more like our Savior" (Preach My Gospel,
pg. 62). And the direct result of this is a desire to repent. We are
promised and taught in Preach My Gospel that "as we repent daily, we
will find that our lives will change and improve. Our hearts and our
behavior will become more Christlike." This is really our primary
goal: to emulate the Savior and become clean through His Atonement. He
"suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they
would repent," so we must come unto Christ and "be perfected in Him"
through repentance (D&C 19:16, Moroni 10:32). We can also strengthen
our relationship with Christ and our appreciation of the Atonement by
keeping the covenants we have made and renewing them. As The Lord
counseled Emma Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 25:13, "lift up thy
heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast
made." When we cleave unto our covenants, or two-way promises with
God, we are given more reason to lift up our hearts and rejoice. And
we are always given the opportunity to choose this path; "every day
and every hour [we] can choose to make or keep a covenant with God"
(Henry B. Eyring, A Priceless Heritage of Hope). What a blessing and a
privilege to consistently be presented with this choice to make, keep,
and renew sacred promises with God. So let us choose to do so! The
dictionary definition of "renew" is to "begin something again,
especially with more force or enthusiasm." When we partake of the
sacrament each week, we are able to take that opportunity to begin
again; to take that time to recommit ourselves to being more
Christlike; to begin serving The Lord more fully and with more
enthusiasm. As we do so, our love for the Savior and for others will
grow, and we will be improved through the power of the Atonement. We
can also recommit ourselves to "always remember Him" (D&C 20:77). Even
in the smallest, simplest things, we can involve Christ more in our
daily lives and remember Him and His atoning sacrifice. We can follow
the example of the Nephites in 2 Nephi 25, where we "look forward with
a steadfastness unto Christ...and we talk of Christ, we rejoice in
Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ" so we may come
unto Him and know the source of a remission of our sins. As we focus
our thoughts on the Savior, we can be sanctified and strengthened, and
have a greater personal testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

In fact, the Savior's knowledge of us as individuals and our personal
relationship with Him can transform our deepest anguish into
inexpressible joy, just as it did with Mary Magdalene when the
resurrected Lord said, "Mary." That one word--her name--"lifted her
from the despairing depths into which she had sunk" (James E.
Talmage). Our own personal testimonies of Jesus Christ and His
Atonement can give us the greatest hope and light, no matter how dark
our situation. "With Christ, darkness cannot succeed" and it is His
Atonement that can bring us to that "sweet and bright dawn that will
assuredly rise within us" (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Hope of God's
Light). Not only does He redeem us from sin, but from every earthly
pain and affliction and trial we will ever face. He knew my heartache
when my brother died; He knew my helplessness and faith when I had
cancer; He knew my despair when I've felt so dark and alone. But
because of Him, I am never alone. I never have to feel abandoned or
hopeless. Truly, "I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). He is always by my side in
anything I face, supporting me and sustaining me. He will never
abandon or forsake me. I will never be without His love and strength.
This knowledge and assurance can transform us and bring infinite light
into our lives as we utilize the Atonement and draw closer to Him,
allowing Him to run to our aid and succor us. In Matthew 11:28-30,
Christ says, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For
my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." It is the Atonement that
allows Him to say this--He has already carried our burdens--He knows.
And it is through this Atonement that each of us can yoke with Him and
find rest.

I have participated in the Mesa Arizona Easter Pageant for 14 years,
starting at age 4. It was the most blessed, remarkable experience to
be so immersed in depicting the life of the Savior and developing a
deeper testimony and knowledge of Him in such a unique, personal way.
One of my favorite things was going to the side of the stage with my
mom and watching the sacred portrayal of the Savior's suffering in the
Garden of Gethsemane. It was so real and the Spirit was so strong. I
could see the pain on His face. I could feel His anguished, but
faithful words as He fulfilled His Father's will. From the Last Supper
through the Resurrection, we had what we call "quiet time" where the
entire cast of 400 is silent, pondering about our Savior, Jesus
Christ. It allowed each of us such sacred, personal time with The Lord
as we listened to each step of the Atonement from backstage. What a
beautiful spiritual experience I was so blessed to have. And what a
wonderfully personal manner to strengthen my testimony of Jesus
Christ's sacrifice for me.

If I could pick three words to describe the Atonement, I would choose
love, hope, and light. Even in just thinking of those words, such a
spirit enters my heart and I can feel the Lord's love for me. Our
Savior truly lives. And I know that because of Him, I have second
chances. No mistake I make is out of reach of the Atonement. Because
of Him, I can live with my family forever. Because of Him, good will
overcome evil, light will conquer darkness, and life will triumph over
death. Everything He did was not only for everyone to ever live on
this earth--it was for me. His grace is sufficient for me, and it
gives me hope that I can become more like Him day by day. How
eternally grateful I am for my Savior, Redeemer, and Friend; for His
love and His life; for His strength and His sacrifice. He is my best
friend and my greatest ally. He is the center of everything good in my
life and He lifts me up, even in the darkest of times. In 2 Nephi
1:15, Lehi says that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we may
be "encircled about eternally in the arms of His love." I pray that I
will ever be worthy of this love. In the name of our Savior, Jesus
Christ, amen.

Do you ever feel like you are playing musical chairs?

...Because I do. After only three weeks in lovely Grants Pass, I have
been transferred! I went even more south, and now I'm serving in the
Medford area! I am less than an hour from the California border,
and only about fifteen minutes away from the temple! It'll be great.
And I'll probably be here longer than three weeks...but I guess you
never know with me! And it's especially crazy, cuz I just BARELY
finished unpacking a few days before transfer calls! And I was
planning on hanging up my quotes and pictures that next day! Man. I
guess I just set myself up for that.

I'm serving with Sister C from Gilbert, AZ, who I actually knew
pre-mission through musical theatre! She has a lot of energy and I've
heard good things about her missionary work, so I'm sure it will be a
good transfer!

This last week has been SO FULL of stuff! Most weeks of missionary
life are, though, which is why my emails are always like novels!
So. This week. First of all, it is just really hot here. Sure, it's
not Mesa, but it's certainly not the coast either! I'm not quite as
affected as everyone here, but it's been getting to me today, so maybe
Medford is worse. (...even though it's only half an hour away...haha)

But we had an investigator at church yesterday!!! His name is O,
and he speaks essentially no English, so it has been an adventure
trying to teach him. Learning Spanish in junior high has certainly
paid off, though, and I cannot tell you how glad I am that I had those
skills! They have come in handy so much, and I was actually able to
teach him! (Even though it was mostly just reading to him in a Spanish
version of the Restoration pamphlet, cuz he can't read or write!) It
was also fun to learn more along the way :) He was really our only
investigator in Grants Pass, since most of our time was just spent
trying to contact people who were avoiding us or busy with summer
stuff, or we would try to find less-actives and hope they wanted us to
teach them. It was hard to balance our goals, but we didn't get
discouraged and we kept seeing many miracles every day!

Sacrament meeting was just wonderful yesterday. We have had a lot of
focus on the Atonement and Christ's grace and I have felt so many
times that it's something I really need to focus on studying, both for
me personally and for people we will begin to teach. And all three
talks were about that very thing! The first was on repentance and how
it is such a blessed opportunity to grow closer to God and become
better, wherein he quoted a modern-day prophet who said "When we speak
of repentance, we should speak of it with joy! We should have a smile
on our faces!" This is a much better attitude than the alternative
guilty, shameful approach; the second talk was on Christ's grace,
particularly referencing "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox (one
of my all-time favorite talks ever!) and how it changes us and helps
us become who we are meant to be; and the third was on how we can gain
hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which he based on "The
Hope of God's Light" by President Uchtdorf. They were all just so
good!

And it all went along perfectly with our zone training meeting on
Friday, where we talked a lot about what is holding us back and what
we can each do to grow closer to the Savior! There were sections on
change, leadership, how to make sacrament meeting more meaningful...it
was great, and it motivated me to change a lot of things. The gospel
is so good at that! There's a quote by Elder Russell M. Nelson that I
love that talks about how the gospel can change us (yes, I really,
really love quotes): "We can change our behavior. Our very desires can
change. How? There is only one way. True change--permanent change--can
come only through the healing, cleansing, and enabling power of the
Atonement of Jesus Christ. He loves you--each of you! He allows you to
access His power as you keep His commandments, eagerly, earnestly, and
exactly. It is that simple and certain. The gospel of Jesus Christ is
a gospel of change!" That's a huge reason why we are even here on
earth--to grow and change and become the people that our Heavenly
Father needs us to be! To live up to our true potential as children of
a King! What a miraculous opportunity :)

Grants Pass Zone

Oh! And it rained on Friday morning! We walked outside to go to our
meeting, and the sky looked like on Harry Potter when the Death Eaters
attack everyone at the Quidditch World Cup. And then it rained (hard!)
and I was so happy. But it didn't last longer than about 2, so then it
was just humid. Yuck. Haha

Also, crazy experience: We were going to go see a less-active, but we
realized that we had left her address at home. So we called the elders
to try and get it, but they didn't answer. So we went to the street we
thought it was on and decided to start knocking on doors to see if we
could track her down. Then someone calls us back and says that the
elders left their phone at her house. So we said we would pick it up
and asked where she lived...it was the house that we were parked
directly in front of! So crazy. So we go in, and she offers us some
water and we end up talking to her about temples and playing with her
son and trying to not be distracted and tempted that Frozen was
playing...it was great. So then we resume our search for J G, and
the first house we knock on ends up being this lady
that excitedly took a restoration pamphlet and wants to come to church
and is okay with us coming back in a couple of weeks! And then she
said her neighbors might know where J lives, so we went over to
ask them, and it was this couple from Boston who had had good
experiences with elders serving them in the past and took our number
for service and a Plan of Salvation pamphlet! Then we went to go wait
outside the elders' apartment for them to eventually ride up on their
bikes, assuming it would be about half an hour. But lo and behold,
they ride up at the exact moment that we drive up. It was all just
such a miracle! So super cool.

Also, super random: family, please eat some Mickey Mouse waffles with
Mom's strawberry jam and some squirty cream, please?? I have been
craving those for weeks. So I'll have to live vicariously through you,
if you would do that for me :)

And HUGE highlight of the week: I got SIX LETTERS in one day! And they
were from some of my VERY favorite people! So thank you SO, so much
for writing me! It just made my whole week and I still can't get over
how happy each of those letters made me. :) I will try to write back
so soon, as I try to balance moving in and doing missionary work and
all the things. Be patient with me, but please also know that I love
you so much! And even if you haven't written me this whole time, I
still love you too! Remember that :)

And I got to go on exchanges with Sister Cl! She's a mission
legend, and she is going HOME tomorrow. Crazy stuff. But I loved to
spend time with her and get to know her better and have her help me
with her wisdom and awesomeness. We have some good missionaries here
:) BEST mission on earth!!!

So on Saturday morning, Sister Cl and I went to help a (now former)
investigator pick up litter under the bridge...it was the weirdest
thing. I love to give service and help things be beautiful, but it was
an interesting experience. I have never seen so many cigarette butts
in my life. Ever.

We also went to get phosphates again at the pharmacy, but this time it
was with Sister Cl, Sister D, Sister Co and I rather
than Sister J. It was yummy and fun. The GP pharmacy reminds me of
Stone Drug in Spanish Fork! It is so cute. I love it :)

Speaking of Spanish Fork, Elder R, one of the missionaries I was
serving with in GP knows J Lynn and his family! They are in his home
ward! Crazy, huh? That was a fun connection.

Oh! Also! When we were done picking up litter at the park, we needed
somewhere to change into our dress clothes, so we went to the Beacon
Hill cottage apartment, but it was locked. So we called the other
sisters on the phone, and they jokingly told us that the bathroom
window was unlocked, and Sister Cl sarcastically said, "K, I'll
make Sister Partridge climb through it and let us in." So we get
there, and Sister Cl puts her stuff on the porch and then starts
walking away. And I ask where she's going, and she says she's going to
the bathroom window. And I thought she was kidding, but she just kept
going! So I follow her, and my friends, I really, truly climbed
through the teeny bathroom window to let us in. I am still a little
mad, cuz we didn't get a picture of it, but it totally happened. And
it was super awesome. I felt way accomplished in that moment, let me
tell you. Haha

So it was a good week. I'm sure there is more I wanted to tell you,
but I think this novel will suffice for now. Thanks so much for all
you do! You are amazing--each and every one of you! Love you! Have a
magnificent week! :)

Love,
Sister Partridge

 Sis C cut and colored J's hair.

 

I really love cereal!

 



Sometimes Oregon is like Phantom of the Opera...

Why, you may ask? Because always, you have to "walk with your hand at the level of your eyes" because there are a million spiderwebs everywhere! And then you feel creeped out, because you have these invisible strings all over you. Yuck.

 

So apparently we only have five minutes left...HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN TO ME? GP is super bad luck for emailing, apparently.

 

But basically, we had many a miracle this week, and I will try to write it all down in a real letter, as well as my letter that was supposed to be last week...(sorry about that). And then I'll send it to my mom and she can put it out, cuz she is the best person in the world and is so good to me.

Speaking of which, I got a lovely package from her, my sister, and Elaine all FULL of food that I can eat! I was so excited and it made me laugh.

 

And, of course, the Fourth of July was this week! I hope you were all safe and had loads of fun :) Our day was a "light proselyting" day, where we mostly just spent time with members and visiting less-actives rather than finding people to teach or teaching investigators. So we went out with Sister J to find some people and invite them to church, which was super fun, cuz she ROCKS, and we also ate wild blackberries, which are totally everywhere, and it's delish. I even eat some every morning as we go on our walk :) We also got to go to a barbecue with some recent converts and some nonmember family and friends, at a really beautiful park by the Rogue River, and it was delicious and fun :) 

 

 

 

 

 

So many other lovely things happened, but I still have to go write President Russell, and I only have like, 2 minutes! So I've gotta go. Darn. But I will be better in the following weeks! (Hopefully!) Thanks for being patient with me. Life is crazy. I hope you are all happy and well and that things are excellent!

Oh! Also! Biggest, best thing! I got to meet President and Sister Russell! Oh my goodness. They are so super wonderful and lovely. I LOVE them! My heart was just so full and so happy from the very moment that I saw them. And I loved them more and more as they spoke to us. I only got about 40 seconds to talk to them at all, cuz they were short on time and there were a lot of us to talk to individually, but they are funny and KIND and loving and exactly what I need. I am SO GRATEFUL.

 

I love you all! Thanks for being awesome! Have a great week :)

Love,

Sister Partridge

 

*Sister C is cute and we loved the Fourth of July :)