For a nice change...Words from Elder Partridge

I don't BLOG too much, but I convinced the master blogger of the family and of this mission that I needed to blog once in awhile. That is NOW. We have called and trained a YSA Institute Council to assist us in our class every week. They are such great wonderful kids to work with us. We are planning on having a "talent show" in the coming weeks. There are lots of talented YSA's.

We are teaching Seminary every morning at 6:30 am and every other afternoon we teach released time Seminary to another group of kids. We teach at a bank building close to the High School. For those who are as old as we are, it is pretty trying on the OLD body, mind, and everything else. We have 58 kids so far and just memorizing their names is challenging!

Our wonderful Institute Class

Our very sleepy early morning Seminary class.

The pictures Sister P sends out are wonderful.  I enjoy the trucks loaded with "STICKS" or large logs

of timber.  We started calling them sticks and then slugging our companion for each stick truck we saw.  It quickly had to stop because there are so many and I saw more than she did and we were slugging each other way too often.  They are everywhere!

It is a joy and a privilege to be teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ every day for our mission.  There are daily views here that are indescribable and hard to overlook.  We are enjoying our mission.  Thanks for being interested and supporting us on this mission.  We miss the important events of family but we have been Called to Serve our Savior and we are enjoying it!

THAT IS ALL.   Elder P.

We had an awesome mission conference in August with Elder Stevenson.  It was so fun to be together with all the Washington, Spokane missionaries!

Before our big teaching responsibilities started in September we were able to do a few sunshine visits to Elders and YSA's across our sprawling Sandpoint Idaho Stake...stretching from Washington to Montana and to the Canadian border.  Some highlights...

This is Miranda, one of our favorites! (it's OK to have favorites)  She lives in Newport, Washington and drives about 30 miles to Sandpoint to attend the YSA branch every Sunday and every Thursday for Institute plus working in the Temple in Spokane 2 days a week.  So dedicated!  She's a shining star, preparing to go on a mission.

Mariama, from Priestriver, Idaho.  She is our Pathway Miracle!  On the path to enroll in BYU-Idaho with her long-term goal to become a doctor!

We needed to take an Elder to Spokane for a doctor's appointment so we had a chance to do sealings at the Spokane Temple.  Wonderful!

What a teeny tiny temple!

On our way back from the Temple we stopped to get

milkshakes for the Newport Elders.  Happy faces, all!

Changing directions... to the beautiful Cabinet Mountains
toward Montana.

Another arm of Lake Pend Oreille on the way to Clark Fork.

Pretty funny site in Clark Fork, a cute little town on the way to Montana

The mighty Kootenai Rivr! Yes, I'm standing on the train tracks...for just a minute,
I promise! I love the geography of our mission and all the rivers that empty into
the great Columbia River.

Another sunshine trip to Bonner's Ferry.  This is Rachel, another wonderful YSA, Institute and Pathway student.  Returned missionary, adorable!

Bonner's Ferry Elders' digs.  They weren't home for cookies but we left them on the porch and thankfully no bears got them!

 30 miles to Canada...man it's a big Stake!

Just caught the other Bonner's Ferry Elders on their way out. Cookies appreciated!

This was our last excursion...the calm before the storm!

Ross Cross Ancient Cedar Forest in Montana.

Some of these giant cedars are more than 500 years old. Growing since Columbus discovered America!

Makes one feel pretty small and insignificant.

And when the wind blows...sometimes the old ones fall over and they're just left where they land.

(So if the wind blows us over, just leave us... where we fall!)

Love this photo...creating her own hoodoo on the river bottom...among the many left by fellow travelers. Wonder what we'll leave behind someday to mark our path. Maybe just a note saying, "We were here and it was well with our souls!" Sister P.