My Christmas Week

Family!
Merry Christams! saroshdestvom! (Merry Christams in russian haha). SO
I gotta tell you about my Christams week. First of all, it started off
with a bang. Literally. Right after I emailed last week me and my comp
were leaving the apartment in the elevator and it broke! We were stuck
in this TINY elevator for about 40 min.... that was hilarious. And
then on Friday after we finished our service at the Hermitage (the
world's 2nd largest art museum....no big deal ;) we were walking down
the beautiful marble staircase, and I dont know how, but I totally
biffed it and tumbled down the staircase. Like movie style. Wow good
times :)
SO I'm embarrassed to admit I totally started the week off as Sister
Scrooge. I knew we had a mini xmas tree and some decorations in the
closet but I just didnt feel like spending a few 20 min to take it out
and set it up. But finally the morning of xmas eve, eve (23rd) while
my comp was in the shower I decided to surpise her and set it up. OH
MY GOSH WHAT A DEFFERENCE IT MADE! I know its just a stupid fake tree
and some sparkling lights and cheap ornaments but OH HOW I LOVE OUR
TREE! Its sitting on the windowsill and it is beautiful. I love it. It
really brings the xmas spirit into our appt. the spirit of xmas is so
important! And it comes in the little-est of ways :)
So xmas eve we were essentially having a pretty bad day. We tried to
stop by less actives homes and no -one was answering and it was cold
and snowy and we still had 2 hours and not many ppl left to stop by. I
randomly decided to call the relief society president to ask if we
could stop by on xmas but she said it wouldn't work out. SO I hung up
the phone and tried to figure out what we would do the rest of our
bleak night. BUT TEN minutes later she called back and invited us over for dinner!!
We ran over (meaning took a 30 min trolley bus to her place) and walked
into her home finding her kitchen table covered in food, a big bright
xmas tree, and her family and kids happy to see us. The night
instantly turned into a warm, memorable night. They sang with me and
asked me about my xmas traditions and danced with me cuz they knew my
family at home was performing our dance without me :)
Let me tell you, of course I love and miss my family, but this xmas
was very special. I'm finally starting to understand what the spirit
of christams is!
I love and miss all of you! MERRY CHRISTmas. Love, Sister Tenney

Merry Christmas!

Family!
wow can you belive its already christmas time? and that in less than a
week its christmas!? CRAZY!
Well me and my new companion are together... she's from moscow, doesn't
know any english, has been a member for 3 years, is the only member of
the church in her family, shes about 6'1" and prob about 200 pounds.
She's SOOOOO kind. Which is really good for me, cuz I'm not the
kindest. She's always doing little kind things for people and thinking
about others while all I care about is progresss and baptisms haha. SO
we're really good for eachother. ALso, she seriously has the weirdest
voice and accent so while I already struggle to understand russian,
understanding her russian is even harder. But again, with that big
heart of hers she does all she can so I can undertsnad her, and
others.
So seriously the russian langauge is so intersting. I struggle how to
start to get to know people cuz I always want to ask "what do you like
to do?". NOPE. You can't ask that in russian, they don't undertsand
that, Instead you gotta remember to ask "What with do you busy
yourself?" haha. And russian is intersting cuz you can't ask "who are
you going with?" or "why is she doing that?"

Instead its "With whom are you going?" and "For what she do that?".
SOOOOOOO weird.... gosh. But my russian is def improving. Everytime I
see someone I know, like a member or investogator they compliment me
on how my russian improved. Yea I pretty much rock....I have a russian
companion so i gotta learn this language somehow.
Saturday our branch had a Christams activity. OH MY GOSH IT WAS
AWESOME. It was kinda like a giant talent show but SO MUCH BETTER.
They made it like one continuous story of a knight who was looking for
his princess (the brach president was the knight). ALong his journey
he ran into russain dancers (so cool! And serious they didnt crack a
smile once), a magician (an old grandpa in our ward) a gypsy,
breakdancing penguins (hilrious. they "breakdance" here and they are
serious about it. its way diff than our break dancing and we have a
professional break dancer in our branch and a little 4 year old who is
already taking lessons. was so awesome!) and a fortune telling
babushka (a man in the district presidentcy with his daughter, was
hilar). Anyways, can you belive all the talent we've got in our little
branch! And they went over the top. There was so much food, MUSIC, and
singing of russian folk songs. But most of all I felt such a strong
spirit of love. the members here really understand what its all about.
They weren't concerned about everything being perfect and what time
everything started and if they had the best performance or if their
clothes are the cutest. ALL they cared about was the whole spirit of
the evening. I just wish all of you could have been there with me. I
LOVED it and I'm so glad I have the oppurtunity to be on a mission and
better understand the meaning of life. Remember, right now isn't a time
of presents and cute clothes and business and toys. It's a time of love
and family. Its a time to become closer to Christ and remember that
He loves us and wants us to be happy.
What I'm learning on the mission is that this church and gospel, and
our lives are so much bigger than we realize. All God asks of us is to
keep His commanments and remain worthy of His spirit and then He can
use us as His hands here on earth. I'm realizing that my small part on
earth, the little I can do is BIG in God's eyes. And that I am
necessary to God's HUGE plan, AND SO ARE YOU! So remember to do the
few things God has asked us and then we will slowly become the child
He knows we can become.
I love you ALL and wish you a wonderful and very merry Christmas :)
Love- Sister TENNEY

Happy Day to You!

Family :)
Oh my gosh this week has been so full of newness! Let me tell you,
serving with a native Russian is an adventure. I fell like I'm finally
starting to see and live some Russian culture. Imma try to tell you
all the things shes does, or all Russians do that are
hilarious/different than us Americans. They are freaks about cold
water, or drinking cold drinks. My companion only drinks warm tea
(fruit tea of course :) or warm up milk. The warmed up milk grosses me
out. they are all obsessed with tea here. In Russian its called
"chai". I am actually am slowly converting to the chai, its
delicious! They are obsessed with hot dogs here. They call them meat,
but really its just different kinds of hot dogs haha. I think its
hilarious. the last thing you ever want t do is sit on the ground in
front of a Russian. they'll freak out. even in a house or inside....
however if you sit on a newspaper or rug, then you're fine ha. There's
so much more funny culture things I just cant think of them...
My companion has been fun in the fact that shes a total Russain. 1st
off, in Russia, if you're a girl your completely allowed to stare at
yourself in the mirror wherever you are. Vanity is the usual, its
expected. The girls here are obsessed with skininess. My comp is too
and as her diet shes doesn't eat meat but she can eat chocolate and she
loves loading butter on everything (they don't understand here what is
ad isn't healthy). But the main reason I love her is because here in 
Russia holding hand is just what you do. ALL day as we walk aroud she's
eiter holding my hand, or we're arm in arm. I love their touchines
here. My theory is it has to do wth it being so cold. But even little
boys up until their like13 go around holding each others hands..... ha
isnt that something?
This week has also been a little tough having a companion who doesn't
really know the missionary "rules", but shes been willing to be
obediant so I've been lucky :) I've been green with jealous rage all
week cuz my comp can freely converse and just talk with everyone in our
lessons while I struggle to say what I want, and sometimes have no
idea what they are talking about. But its all good. I'm totes excited
to train my new missionary staring wednesday! She's Russain, and from
moscow, and shes tall. Thats all I know and IM stoked!
I love all of you and I hope this christams season you are inviting
all your nonmember friends and family to church activities and to your
home. This is the best season to do so! Go out on a limb and be
fearless, thats my motto these days :) Love you! Sis Tenney

overflowing with happiness

Friends and Family,
My how I love you! I hope all of you are HAPPY. Cuz I am. More than I
ever have been in my life. Let me tell you about my last week. In one
week I killed my trainer (she finished her mission), I served in a
3-some where we only spoke Russian, I, and the rest of the
missionaries in my mission were called to repeentance by Pres Bennet
of the 70, and I now have a mini-missionry who doesn't speak a word of
english. And it has been the best week of my mission ever!
seriously. As I sit and ponder my last week I would think it would've
been really hard. But no, it wasnt. I realized that I can be better,
much better, and I want to be better, and I know I can be better. I
realized that I'm not just here to invite people to church, but I have
the richest, most significant news that exists on earth. I realized
that I shouldnt just talk and invite everyone, but that I WANT to talk
to everyone and invite everyone. I realized that I'm apart of
something so much bigger than i could ever realize. This is ETERNAL
HAPPINESS we're talking about. This is HUGE. And besides, all people
might say is "no". Whats so scary about that?
Last night me and my mini missionary, sister solnzeva, we were
contacting on the way back from an apointment and we talked to
EVERYONE. It was so fun. We had good, real conversations. yes we were
turned down alot, but it was still amazing. Our last person we
contacted, the first thing he said was that he didnt believe in God. I
let Sister Colnzeva talk to him, and then I asked his name, and if he
was happy. He pondered and said "no, my wife died just 30 days ago". I
almost cried right there on the spot. Within seconds the Holy Ghost
joined our mini meeting on the street. We were able to testify to him
that he could see her again, that he can be with her forever, and that
he could be happy. All of a sudden he changed from being too busy to
talk, some one who didnt believe in God, to a changed man. He said he
could change his schedule to come to church. he gave us his number so
the elders could call him, and he walked away with a smile on his
face.
That is why I am here.
And that is why I am overflowing with happiness right this second.
Please look for opportunities like this. I know you can have them too.
You can do it! I love you!
-Sister Tenney

GETTING LOST IN THE WORK

HELLO EVERYONE!
So remember how last week I told Russia that imma kick its butt? Welp
right after I sent that email home guess what started.... SNOW! Haha,
I couldn't help but laugh at myself. I promise you, while on a mission
once you get a tiny bit prideful, immediatly your are kicked in the
butt and humbled. But the snow wasn't bad at all. It just snowed all
day. Luckily, I was wearing my sexy marshmallow jacket so I was
completely warm. And I even had a trial test with the padding. For
your information is does not hurt to slip and fall in Russia because
our coats are packed with padding. YUPP. The first day it snowed I
already slipped and fell. It was pretty funny.
This last week was my busiest yet due to the fact that Sister Parker
(my companion) is leaving this Wednesday so people were calling from
the woodworks dying to have one last meeting with her. It was
miraculous in a way. Becasue she was leaving we were able to get into
doors we haven't before, and we were able to touch people's hearts who
usually keeped them locked up nice and safe. It's really interesting
that amid all this running around and trying to meet with people, we
truly did forget about ourselves and we got lost in the work. 2 days
in a row Sis P and I didnt even have time to eat. We were often fed
treats at people's houses, but besides that we seriously hardly ate
anything. We would get home each night exausted, but fulfilled as we
saw how busy and successful our days were. im not saying Im planning
on not eating the rest of my mission, but what i am saying is that
what would usually seem like a big sacrifice, before my mission,
doesnt seem like a sacrifice at all now. I am slowly seeing how BIG
and IMPORTANT the work is that im doing, and I know the Lord is
blessing me, in many different ways, to help me to forget about myself
and truly do HIS work :)
After Monday it only rained the rest of the week, which I think is
quite bizarre. It finally started snowing agian today... yay! For some
odd reason I love the snow here! ( yet more evidence of God's
blessings.... before my mission I HATED snow).
Family friends, I love you all and pray for you everynight. IN RUSSAIN!
Its quite fun saying your names in my prayers in Russian cuz the
endings changes. When i say, for example, please bless krista and
tauna, in russian, Im say please bless Kristu and taunu (an ooo sound,
like the sound when you say shoe). Isnt that sweet! I think it is! and
braden and bryce turn into Bradena and bryca. COOL!
Love you all! _love sister tenney