Happy Times

MOM and family,

I've got bad news, this last week during dinner me and the 3 other St.
Petersburg missionaries were called to the travel office. They all
left immediatly but I had to finish eating, but I was freaking out.
When we FINALLY had finished dinner we basically ran to the office. As
we did we passed the 3 elders and they all looked like they were gonna
cry. When I finally burst into the travel office I yell "can I still
go to St. Petersburg!?!?!?" all the workers start cracking up and say
all I have to do is sign something hahahaha. The 3 elders knew I would
fall for it, and I totes did. So jk about the bad news, I'm still on my
way to St. Petes!

So this week was full of hilarious mistakes. One, all the Russian
elders have begun playing this mafia game, where if you say someones
name, and they look at you, you shoot an invisible air dart at their
neck and they're stuck dead until someone "pulls it out". Of course,
everytime someone said my name I fell for it, so I was basically dead
this whole last week. One day at lunch i fell for it yet again and
just yelled in russian to the elder: "I want to kill you!"..... well
atleast I though thats what i said. After I yelled it sister Paletta
started cracking up, and after saving me told me I had in fact actually
yelled "I want to love you!" haahahahaha. Yupp, I yelled "I want to
love you" accross the cafeteria to an elder. To love in russian is
loobeet, whereas to kill in russian is oobeet, so you can understand
why I may possibly confuse the 2. plus I'm a lover not a fighter ;)
Also, while we were teaching the plan of salvation this week I went to
tell Nastia, our investigator, that after we die we either go to
spirit prison or spirit paradise. She bust up laughing, becasue
apparently I told her she should want to go to CHUBBY paradise,
instead of spirit paradise hahaha. Oh doesn't russian sound funny? And
believe me it is weird. They have a verb for everything. We actually
found a verb that translates into "to take the hair of the dog that
bit you". Just one word! And why would they even want to say that? But
there is a lot of cool stuff about russian. Like the verbs to learn and
to obey. In Russian, you can add a "sya" sound to the end of a verb to
make it reflexive, or make it something you do to yourself. The verb
to learn, is the exact same verb as to teach, except with a "sya" at
the end of it. Isn't that a cool thought? When we "learn" in russian we
are literally saying "i teach myself". And to obey is the verb "to
listen" with a "sya" at the end of it. Meaning when we obey we are
listening for oursleves. SO COOL!

Great news. I got my name tag in Russian yesterday! Because my name
tags I already have are all in Russain but my name, but now I have my
name in Russian! Turns out I've been spelling my last name wrong in
Russian this whole time. Ha. Not too surpirsing. I'll try to take a
pic and show you it soon. Also, TOMORROW I get my flight plans :)
YAY!!!!!!!! I promise to make a copy of it and send it to you asap. I
feel like I'm almost being done potty training and about to be able to
go to the bathroom on my own! I only have a week and 5 days left.
NUTS. I should be leaving Monday the 12th. Oh gosh I'm a little
sick/way too excited when i think about it.

Alright, now onto all the GOOD stuff. Best devotional ever last night.
Guess who!? Yupp, ELDER HOLLAND spoke to us last night. And I was less
then 20 feet away from him (us Russians have been here so long we know
all the tricks to getting the good seats, and belive me it's not easy).
There was a couple times last night that he looked directly at me when
he spoke. He did not have one thing written down, he just SPOKE to us,
straight from the spirit. I forgot my notes but he 1st talked about
how many ppl think missionaries are perfect, and that even though we
aren't, we do not have the right to defile this image, that we must
uphold it and do our best to be as perfect as we can be. He talked
about how we are the most prayed for ppl in the world (besides the
prophet) so on any bad day we need to remember that and ask for that
strength. Yesterday the MTC president handed a few districts notecards
to write down a question on we had for a general authority. Our
district got to write one, but Elder Holland didn't get to ours. The
questions people asked were amazing and how Elder Holland answered
them was incredible. Someone asked "If Christ had one thing to tell us
now, what would it be" and Elder Holland said that Christ would say
"all that I have said is true". That's a cool thing to think about isn't
it? Truly, everything Christ did say is true! We cannot forget that.
Also, he talked about God's love for us. How real and pure and all
encompassing it is. I have never heard someone speak with such
authority, love and intensity as Elder Holland did when he spke about
this. He began talking about how imperfect and human he is, but even
though he is imperfect, he almost has a perfect love for his children,
and would do anything, ANYTHING for them. He said, if I, an imperfect
person, have such a strong, pure, real love for my own children, think
of how powerful, and real God's PERFECT, ALL-KNOWING, love is. God,
who created us and gave us HIS OWN SON. Of course He loves us. And I
know God does love each of us. I have felt it over and over again. He
wants us to be happy, He cares what we care about, He wants us to
succeed, and mainly He wants us to return to Him. And we can, and we
WILLL :) (that is if we choose to).

Isn't that great!? Also, last week in the TRC (where we teach in
Russian to volunteers who play themselves, they don't act as
investigators) we taught the same guy we taught our VERY FIRST WEEK.
this was cool becasue this time we could actually talk to him and
understand eachother. Somehow we had our best lesson every and the
spirit was strong. I didnt think about my Russian once but Sister
Paletta said it was amazing how perfect and clear my russian was. It
was a really special experience the 3 of us had during that lesson and
I know we all learned and grew from it. Such a blessing and I know it
was a tender mercy from God reminding me that I can do this work. (I
need to reminded every once in a while).

I love all of you and pray for all of you. I just want to ask everyone
who reads this to not be shy about your beliefs. We are SO blessed to
have this gospel and this knoweledge. SHARE IT. You can do so in a
non-imposing way where you wont offend anyone. I promise. I was always
so nervous I would offend someone or they would think i was weird, but
it's not true! Talk about church, talk about your beliefs, share what
you know, and INVITE! Ask ppl to come to church, activities, go to
mormon.org, or give them a Book of Mormon. I challenge you to do this
and I promise you will be blessed and guided as you do so. this gospel
can bless and help ANYBODY and EVERYBODY so don't be selfish ;)

Love you all! Ya loobloo tebya! -Cectpa Tenney
PS: thank you everyone for your prayers, dear elders, letters and
packages. I so appreciate them!