Already Two Weeks!

26 February 2017  (The British way of writing the date)

We greet you again from the land of Great Britain!  We have had a few warmer days and signs of Spring.  The bulbs are coming up and we are starting to see new flowers everywhere we go.  It excites us to be looking forward to warmer weather.  We have learned that no matter the temperature or forecast, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS take a jacket and umbrella.  The weather can change on a dime (or should I say pence)!   We see glimpses of the sun on some days.  I never thought that such little things would make me so happy!  It’s the miracle of the day when I actually get to wear my sunglasses a little. 

We took possession of our car on Monday!

And while we are talking weather . . . one day last week they were predicting such high winds that it earned the name of Doris!  Doris did not disappoint.  Winds were up to 90 mph with signs and fencing blowing down.  Some of the aluminum roofing in our car park at the office blew down and hit the cars.  The person in our office over the IT, Craig, said it was a “Doris Day”.  We all laughed and thought it a cute joke.  Later that day Ron made the same joke to the four young missionaries, and it fell flat!  Never mind that only one of them is American, none knew who Doris Day was.  We felt very old at that moment.

One of the responsibilities that President Leppard asked of us is that we meet with the missionaries when they have their District Meeting.  One of the reasons is to offer Leadership, but the other reason is that there are two Sisters and two Elders, so a little chaperoning is a good idea.  As long as the meetings don’t interfere with our Public Affairs (PA) responsibilities, we can do this.  The meetings are held at the church, which is just around the corner from the office.  We attended the meeting this week.  It was so fun to be with them.  The District Leader is from Frisco, TX (I told him one of my favourite Malls is there).  The other Elder is from South Africa.  One Sister is from Thailand, and the other from Switzerland.  The Sisters also asked us if we would be able to meet that evening with them and an investigator.  Since the investigator was a man, they needed someone with them, and also, he had some tough questions that they would like help with.

Sister Marie Partridge masterfully 

answers tough questions during 

Spokesperson Training.

I had met with ward missionaries and less actives before, but this was my first experience ever with full-time missionaries and an investigator.  His name is Soroosh.  I would guess he is about 50 years old.  When I asked him where his homeland was, he said “Iran, where your President Trump does not like.”  I almost came back and said “That’s ok, sometimes we don’t like President Trump either.”  But then I remembered that I have no opinion on politics, so I zipped it.  J   He was raised Muslim but not active.  At 20 years old he declared himself an Atheist.  But as he married, had children, and began to associate with Christians, he knew there was more.  He has studied the Bible and the theology of many religions.  He is very well learned and versed.  The Sisters were able to answer many questions, and Ron was able to go a little deeper which is what he needed.  Above all, when the questions came, Ron and the missionaries directed him to Moroni 10:3-5, in the Book of Mormon, and the promise given there.  The Spirit was strong.  As we closed the meeting with prayer, the missionaries invited Soroosh to offer the prayer.  Although his English is good, he said he would be more comfortable praying in Farsi.  We didn’t understand a word, but the spirit bore testimony of his sincere desire to find what he was looking for.  Very sweet. 

Day trip to the London Offices!

We moved out of the hotel and took ownership of the flat as of Monday night.  We are so blessed to live in a comfortable place with many niceties that not all missionaries enjoy.  The church has been leasing this flat for several years, and some of the previous PA missionaries have been generous in making it comfortable.  We have a full sized fridge, which is quite rare for England, a dishwasher, and a separate washer and dryer.  They are small, and I can only wash one sheet or one bath towel and one hand towel at a time, but no complaints.  We just do a load almost every evening.  The complex is gated, the grounds are kept to a high standard, and it is lovely.  I’m not even complaining about missing my king sized bed.  That’s a miracle.

As far as the office work goes, our week was spent once again trying to absorb our new responsibilities.  The Joneses not only trained us in the office but also took us to London on the train so we would be comfortable when our assignments took us there, showed us where to shop, get our dry cleaning done, and the best places to eat.  Our calendar is filling up fast for travel also.  It is a fun and exciting time to be part of Church Public Affairs.  So much going on.

London Taxi

One of the exciting things that is happening here is the British Pageant in August.  They did a pageant for the first time in 2013, and this year they are doing it again.  It is called “Truth Will Prevail” and it is being held on the grounds of the Preston Temple in Chorley.  It is the story of the early apostles traveling to Great Britain to preach the gospel.  I believe they do the same one in Nauvoo.  When the final videos are approved by Elder Herbertson, we can post them, so watch on Facebook.  Our PA Director (our boss), Malcom, has given us the responsibility of the Pageant and working with the committee for PA.  Our first assignment is to be in Chorley next weekend when they are filming interviews.  I’m sure my Festival experience will come in handy.  I know that everything we do in life is to prepare us for something else.  I knew that with Festival, and here I am.  So grateful for the opportunity.

Happy, happy missionaries enjoying an ice cream treat outside the Hyde
Park Chapel: Ron Partridge, Dan Jones, and Marie Partridge with Stan and Joyce Parrish.

Invitations are in process for the Paris Temple Open House.  I have been working on Elder Holland’s VIP list for influential Muslim Leaders in the UK, gathering addresses for him.  It’s probably safe to say that I will never be on a TSA Pre-Check list again  J .  We are excited to attend the Open House ourselves in May.   

Us with Dan & Joyce Jones. We will miss them!

Thursday afternoon Ron and I hosted a farewell gathering for Elder and Sister Jones.  They have gone above and beyond.  Staff members and ward members loved the Joneses when they were here before and were so happy to see them back for three months.  Saying good-bye was difficult, even for us, and we really have only known them for about ten days.  They are a wonderful example of true Disciples of Christ.  The exhume patience, kindness, and genuine Christ-like unconditional love to all they meet.  They are generous to a fault.  We will deeply miss them and look forward to seeing them at home in 18 months since they just live in Farmington!  Do any of you know them?  Dan and Joyce Jones.  Wonderful people.  If we can follow their example, we will be fine.

The office staff saying goodbye to the Joneses

Back L to R:  Luke and Nigel (Facilities Management), Sister Jeannie Wills (doing a stay at home mission on records preservation and also head costumer for the upcoming British Pageant), Joyce and Dan Jones, Malcolm Adcock (our director), John (also FM), Craig, IT, Sue Bates (Temporal Affairs), Pauline (Church Magazines Europe area), Elder Chris Wills, Shelley (FM Administrative Assistant)

Front L to R:  Joseph (Craig's son, intern),Elder Du Plissis from South Africa and Elder Kovach from Frisco, TX. 

Yesterday Ron and I ventured to Costco for a little taste of home.  The Joneses were kind enough to stock the flat with the essentials we needed for a few days until we could get to the store.  Today we needed to do some serious shopping so we can quit eating out so much.  I never thought I would tire of eating out, but our rotisserie chicken from Costco tasted pretty good for dinner.  Mind you, it

wasn’t like any Costco in Utah.  It was missing things like Vitamin C tablets, but had the good old standbys like avocados, decent paper towels, canned chicken, and Clorox wipes.  Good ol’ Kirkland brand is alive and well in England.  Oh, and the most important, Skippy Chunky Peanut Butter!

Ron is doing great driving.  Yesterday we even got on the “M” to get to Costco (freeway).  There has only been twice in the last week that I saw half my life pass before me whilst in the car  J  (Lest you think I’m making up the word ‘whilst’, just come visit.  You’ll hear it and read it lots.)  I’m thinking about trying to drive a little.  Just thinking at this point . . .

Some new words and phrase:

Have a think – we would say Give it some thought

Trolley – shopping cart

Sachet – Our Instant porridge comes in a box with 10 sachets it in

Post it – Mail it

Tyre - Tire

Luddite – that is the description our boss gives himself.  He is opposed to any electronic he doesn’t absolutely have to have.  He has two cell phones, but refuses to EVER EVER quit using a diary book (calendar).  His words.

So, now that I told you how Malcom feels about electronics, imagine how it went when we had a conversation about the phone I had been issued.  If you didn’t see a picture of it on Facebook, just try to remember what your phone looked like about 15 years ago. 

At the end of about a two-hour briefing on things coming up, he said, “that’s all I have.”  I had rehearsed what I was going to say ahead of time.  So I said to Malcolm, “Before I go, may I say something?  If you were to ask me what you could do to make this transition easier for me and help me do my job better . . . .Pause . . . then he said in his proper English accent “Oh yes, I suppose that would be a brilliant thing to ask you, I should add that in . . “  . . . Pause . . .  I said, “I need a smart phone!  I can’t do my job efficiently without being able to keep up on things when I’m away from my desk.” It was the longest 5 seconds of my life.  He just starred at me.  I had no idea if he was thinking, “How can I make this happen for her?  Will my budget allow it?”  or “Who does she think she is making these kinds of demands?”  Then he finally said, “Right, right, I can see how that would help, but that’s money.”  To make a long conversation short, the church can purchase iPhone 5’s pretty inexpensively, so that’s what he was willing to do, but it was determined that we could use church SIM cards in our personal phones and convert them over, FOR FREE!  So Ron and I opted to do that.  No more carrying two phones, and no more trying to figure out how to go back to a dumb phone.  Let’s just say I did the happy dance the rest of the day!  And I’m back to being connected to the world!  HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY DANCE!

By the way, we are very much enjoying Malcolm as our boss.  He is great. He is becoming a friend as well.   

I’ve caught myself talking to someone British and hearing different voice inflections come out of my mouth and think, “Holy cow!  Where did that come from?”  It’s scaring me!  There are also British ways of spelling things, like Favourite, and Baptise, Centre, and Theatre, that I am expected to use when I write an article or correspondence, so you’re going to get the British version in my letters.  Their keyboards have an extra key between the Z and the Shift.  It’s the / key.  I’m generally a pretty fast typist without looking, but this is throwing me like crazy! 

High ho, high ho, it's off to work we go! @ Solihul

Today was our first week at our ward since last week was Stake Conference.  The Bishop called us in during Sunday School to get to know us.  It’s the Polynesian way to be friendly upfront.  His name is Hesekiah Fakatou.  He is Tongan.  His stature is much the same as Andre the Giant if you know who that is.  He is a former professional rugby player, recruited by Great Britain after his mission.  As he told us his conversion story, his life story, and some history about the ward, a smile never left his face, even when he was relating tough things.  Although large in stature, his spirit and heart are soft and kind.  I love him as my Bishop already.

I am NOT a Luddite.  I’m so grateful for smart phones, and computers, and FaceTime, so I can stay connected with all of you.  I’m even grateful for my electronic diary  J .   I am grateful for all of you.  Thank you for the emails!  I haven’t been too homesick yet, but I know it will come, and your emails help.

As the scripture goes, “May the Lord bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace. “  (Numbers 6:24-26)  My prayer for you. Have a wonderful week!

We made it!

February 19, 2017

I’ve missed everyone so much!  We have come to the end of our first week here in the mission field, and we survived!  We feel your love and prayers sustaining us and appreciate you so much.  This first email is WAY TOO LONG!  You won’t believe how many details I skipped to shorten it to just the highlights.  

Lunch with our Utah kids and their families before we headed to the airport.

Goodbye Mom. Be happy while
I'm gone! I love you!

Before flying out on Monday, we enjoyed lunch with our family at our favorite place to eat, Market Street Grille.  We thought it best to say our goodbyes there since the airport can be very stressful and crazy.  We hugged everyone, shed a few tears, and admonished everyone to make good choices while we are gone.  I think that is the best chance we all have of staying safe.  Taylor drove us to the airport.  It seemed like we were in the car for at least an hour . . . it’s like time was going in slow motion.  I’m not sure why.

Our bags were a little too heavy for the airline’s liking, so we did a last minute shuffle and paid an overage charge for one bag.  Well worth it.  If I ever get to the bottom of my suitcases, I might find the kitchen sink.  I certainly have everything else.  I may not have to go the store here at all . . . ok, I’ll find a reason.

We ran into a few of our Delta employee friends and were able to hug them good bye; Chris Bertin who always keeps as watchful eye over Mom as her friend and Visiting Teacher, Stephanie Malmrose, a long time friend from WX, and Trudy Moulton, my Festival friend. 

It was fun seeing our old friend, Trudy Moulton, on the plane!

Our flight was uneventful.  That’s the way we want it, right?  We had upgraded our seats to Delta Comfort, and I highly recommend it for anyone flying overseas.  It made all the difference in the world of being able to stretch out a little and get some sleep.  Business Class would have been optimal, but at $4,000 more a seat EACH, not an option.

Our new mobile phone - yikes!

Elder and Sister Jones, Dan and Joyce, who we are replacing, met us at the airport and began our training the second we were in the cars.  Yes, I say cars because it took a station wagon and a taxi to get the four of us and all of our luggage transported.  They are the kindest people, so genuinely loving and helpful, so organized, and the “Hosts with the Mosts”, as the saying goes.  They had an agenda ready for us covering everything we need to know and do until they leave.  They have been our guardian angels.  They are here with us through next Thursday, a day I am anticipating with great trepidation. 

We are staying at a hotel near the office, living out of our many suitcases.  It will be good to get into our place we will call home and get settled, although the hotel has been nice and convenient.  We walk to work in the mornings, stopping at McDonalds for a little breakfast on the way.  Yesterday we decided to be bold and try some English Porridge.  Hmm….not sure we will do that again.  At least not at McDonalds. 

The week has been filled with getting to know those we share the office floor with, training, and a lot of eating.  I

McDonalds! We feel right at home!

would say we have been wined and dined, but that is not quite appropriate.  We certainly have been dined.  A highlight was being invited to dinner Friday night with the Joneses by the mission president and his wife, President and Sister Leppard.  They are the kindest people, and very witty!  It was such a fun evening.  They are British and put us to ease so quickly.  I feel like they are friends already.  They are only 50 years old and left promising careers to accept the calling.  The missionaries in their mission are blessed to have them.  I’m excited for Whitney Crandall in our ward who will be serving here beginning in June. 

After dinner we attended a Ward Fireside, where three mini classes were being held on Prayer, Scripture Study, and How to Answer Hard Questions.  The Joneses were the presenters of the third.  We were able to meet some of the ward members and begin our transition into that ward, as President Leppard assigned us to that ward, the Solihull Ward, and asked us to strengthen the ward with our experience and leadership.  We are excited to do so.  The church is right around the corner from the office.

President and Sister Leppard warmly welcomed us to the Birmingham Mission.

Friday was Ron’s birthday, so we also cut out of the office early and went to visit a nearby castle, Warwick (pronounced Warrick) Castle for a little break and fun.  It was nice to break away from the office and enjoy the old English atmosphere. 

By the time we got home after 10pm on Friday we were exhausted, as was evident by crawling out of bed the next morning close tonoon.  The jet lag had caught up with us and our bodies needed some rejuvenation I think. 

Yesterday we had the day to ourselves while the Joneses packed their bags and got ready to leave the ‘flat’.  We took a nice walk, found an ATM to get some pounds in our wallet finally, and stopped at Subway for lunch. 

Some new words we’ve learned:

Jumper – we call them vests

Car Park – where you park the car

Troller – the cart the hotel maids use

Bin – trashcan  (they don’t store things in plastic bins here, just plastic containers J)

Elders Partridge and Jones in their matching "jumpers"

The Joneses picked us up for Stake Conference both last night and this morning.  The Stake Center is about 1/2 hour away.  Elder Herbertson, our area authority presided over the meeting.  We had the opportunity to meet him as well as the Stake Presidency and also our new Bishop.

For the intermediate song today, Elder Herbertson requested that we sing a traditional song for this country, “Jerusalem”.  I believe it is the opening song in the movie “Chariots of Fire”.  The words go like this:

And did those feet in ancient time walk upon England’s mountain green?

And was the holy Lamb of God on England’s pleasant pastures seen?

And did the countenance divine shine forth upon our clouded hills?

And was Jerusalem builded here among those dark satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!  Bring me my arrows of desire!

Bring me my spear!  O clouds, unfold!  Bring me my chariot of fire!

I will not cease from mental fight, nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,

Til we have built Jerusalem in England’s green and pleasant land.

In talking with Brother Jones, I learned that this song goes way back in time.  He sang it here as a young missionary some 50 years ago.   England believes that during the time Christ was 12 – 30 years old, when we have no record of his life, he was walking the land of England and will someday return.  As the congregation sang, there were many tears of pride, including the Joneses who will be leaving this great land in a few short days.  My heart was full of gratitude for the blessing of being here and for this beautiful green land and the wonderful, humble people.

After Stake Conference, we took the maiden voyage driving the car (left side of the road), and we made it to our new flat to join the Joneses for Sunday dinner.  We will check out of the hotel tomorrow and sleep at the flat tomorrow night.  Flat Sweet Flat.  Home Sweet Home!

Thank you again for reaching out to us and for your love and prayers.  We pray for you also!  I know the work we will do here will be challenging and rewarding.  In no way do I feel qualified, but I do know that the Lord qualifies whom he calls.  Have a wonderful week this week!  I will be thinking of you!

The MTC

February 12, 2017

On our way to the MTC!

We had a great week at the MTC last week. It was so fun to be on the campus with other senior missionaries and hundreds of young Elders and Sisters. Their energy sustained us! We loved the opportunities we had to engage in conversations with them. Some were so enthusiastic, some were very serious, and some were pretty lost. It matched my moods hour to hour!

Our group of senior missionaries consisted of 56 couples and one single sister. As we met together in our first meeting and sang “Called to Serve” I recalled the same spirit as I sat next to Zack in that very room 9 years earlier. It was much easier this time, but the same spirit was there. I will never sing that song again without feeling a profound feeling of humility.

As we studied Preach My Gospel, we once again drank from a fire hydrant full of information. Although the things we learned do not directly apply to Public Affairs, we can all benefit from in-depth study of that inspired book. The amazing part for me was that we were being instructed by young returned missionaries who were full of the spirit and full of the light of Christ. I kept thinking how proud their parents would be to watch them teach.

The famous MTC map!

We were divided into districts with three other couples; the Allreds, the Merrifields, and the Petersens. The Allreds and Merrifields are serving MLS missions, and the Petersens are serving with the YSA’s in Cache Valley. We became good friends quickly and will keep in touch. We were also paired with another “companion couple”, Elder and Sister Burgess for Vancouver, BC. We would be instructed by Brother VanLeeuven and Sister Lewis as a District, then we would role play and teach what we had learned with Elder and Sister Burgess. We grew to love them as well.

Our MTC District. So grateful for all we are learning with these great couples!

L to R: Allreds from Sandy, Petersen's from Cache Valley, Partridge, Merrifields from Blackfoot, ID.

A couple of my favorite quotes for the week:

“The healing power of the Atonement can remedy what we cannot repair.”

“Do not neglect the first gift God gave this dispensation . . . the Book of Mormon. “ Elder Holland

Funny story . . . Whitney Allen Mariscal (niece) who works at the MTC came to see us Thursday afternoon there. They had borrowed my 2 gallon hot chocolate pot for their wedding open house in Oregon in December, so she brought it back to me. Except, I had never thought of this before, but it was really a coffee pot! So here we are carrying this coffee pot around the MTC. We took some heat for it for sure . . .

Waiting to hear Elder Gerrit Gong, Presidency of the Seventy, speak to us this evening. While waiting, I met my second cousin, Brent Gines, who serves as the Executive Secretary here at the MTC. Brent's Grandpa is Parley Gines. Always fun to meet new family!

We broke out Thursday night... Cafe Rio! Yum!

The week was not without it’s challenges. One of my greatest challenges throughout the mission I’m sure will be the same challenge I have at home, and that is sleeping well. At the MTC we were in a bouncy queen sized bed where we could feel each other’s every move as we tossed and turned all night (especially me.) And no caffeine on campus to help me stay awake during the day! I had to smuggle a little in. Ron called it my contraband. Thursday morning, as I was standing and doing my hair, I moved a little and felt a pop. My back had snapped. So I tripled my usual dose of Naproxen, moved ever so carefully, and Ron carried my backpack around (bless him!). I made it through Thursday, attended the Provo City Center Temple Thursday night, but by the time I went to bed I knew that I was getting a cold. I was able to catch it early, take my trusty “snake oil” (as Ron calls it) and my Emergen-C and fight it off pretty well.

The MTC was a great experience. I was so glad to be home and sleep in my own bed.