Photos from St. Pete's!

 Well this one's just not very cute haha but I think it's meant to be funny

 How cute! and awesome!

 Her companion

 little doggies!

Beautiful.

Seek for Change

friends and fam!
So this week I just was feeling so, I dont know, boring, and like
normal. I just felt like I keep doing the same old things, like
nothing was happening, and just I was starting to go with the flow. I
thought about this a lot and decided, "imma find little things I can do
to change it up". And so thats my goal right now. Yesterday I did so
by using a different "pass along card" than I normally use. instead of
handing out ones with info about our church I decided to hand out ones
to give them a free book of mormon. I knew this would give me the
oppurtunity to right away talk with people about the Book of Mormon.
And oh what a difference it made!!! Instead of saying the same things
I've gotten into saying as a routine, I was able to simply talk and
testify about my favorite thing in the world, the book of mormon! And
people started to listen! haha. Yesterday I started talking with a man
and gave him the invitation and he asked, what is this book??? And BAM
I was able to begin to testify right away. It was powerful, and best
of all it was natural. I was able to give him a Book of Mormon RIGHT
THEN AND THERE. And OH how I love to talk about the Book of Mormon and
then watch people's reaction as I give it to them. His eyes widened
when I went to hand it to him and as he held it for the 1st time He
just looked at it in amazement. He gave us his number and he wants to
meet with us and his family this weekend. Now that is what I call a
miracle. And you know why it came about? Becasue I sought for change.
Just a small little thing made the biggest difference. I know you all
know what I'm talking about when I said i was getting stuck in
routine. SO all of you, think right now, and find a mini thing you can
do TODAY. A small little thing to change. Step by step miracles are
made, mountains are moved and the sun rises. I have faith in you! I
love all of you and thank you for your prayers. They are small, but
together they strengthen me and help us missionaries everyday. Don't
you dare forget to read your scriptures today!
oh, and ps. my comp the other day read an article in the ensign about
a missionary who was struggling with the language and got a blessing
to help him. She turns to me an says, "sis Tenney! You should get a
blessing to help you speak russian!": hahahahha. Now you know you need
to improve your language skills when your native companion tells you
you need a blessing haha. Dont worry I'm not worried about it. I think
its hilrious and its only helped me try to study harder! Love you
all! - love Sistra tenney

God Really is the Master Planner

Family friends and admire-ers ;)
haha. So this week was what i like to call my week of mini miracles. So
to start of we met with our investigator this week and taught her the
Plan of Salvation if you dont know what this is go to lds.org and
find out cuz its awesome!). We approached this meeting very cautiously
cuz our investigator told us very admontly in previous meeting she
doesnt want to hear anything about life after death. Haha. SO me and
my comp we studied very hard, we prapared alot, and practiced. Somehow
the meeting went very smoothly, she accpeted all of it, and seemed to
forget her hatred of the after life haha. Wow it was soooo cool.
Whats even cooler though is that after this meeting through the week
as we talked to ppl on the street, many ppl needed to ear about the
plan of salvation! It was like God had prepared us this week so we
could be ready for these ppl, 2 diff women specifically. One of them,
it was late at night, freezing, and dark and we were almost home when
for some reason I started talking to some lady. The first miracle is
that she stopped and listened. I know right away my russian was pretty
terrible as I was talking to her, but she kept listening! We started to
ask her questions, and after a minute she broke down to us and
starting crying. Her mother had just died. But we were ready! We
powerfully testified of God's plan for us. Somehow, in a dark street,
late one cold russian night we were able to have such a great
converstaion, and get her number. We all cried as we talked together
and we all left hugging and feeling better. Is that not crazy?? And
what's crazy is another similiar thing like this happened about 2 days
later. We have no idea, but God really is the master planner. And He
needs each of us to be ready and worthy to help Him make His plans
"come to pass". Wow.... so cool.
I'd like to give a few shoutouts to a few awesome ppl. first of all,
thank you DJ girls! I got your big letter full of all ur mini letters!
Im soooo happy and proud of all of you keep it up! Thank you cousins and
aunts and uncles. Thank you everyone for your emails, letters, dear
elders, and most of all prayers! I need them!
Last fun little story. We sang at our last meeting with our
investigator and after the song she just sat and stared at me in
amazement. I loked at her and she said "you sing without a hint of an
accent!! When you talk you have one, but not when you sing".... Yay!!!
Maybe I'll just spend the rest of my mission singing :)
love you all! Love, Sistra Tenney

Oh gosh how I love this book...

Family and friends,
so let me tell you a little about a meeting we had with a less active
lady last night. my companion and I asked her if she reads the Book of
Mormon, her reply was "I'm too busy, and besides I've already read it
a few times". Oh my gosh in an instant I just wanted to walk into the
corner and cry. Seriously woman!? The Book of Mormon is not just
somebook we check of our list! It's not just something to read in our
free time, or when we feel like it. Its not a classic and its not book
club book. And we don't read the Book of Mormon to necessarily learn
about what the nephites did and the wars and yadda yadda yadda. The
book of Mormon is a TOOL. A DOOR. It opens our heart. It is revelation
to ancient prophets, and as we read it, we recieve personal
relevation. Thats why the Book of mormon is powerful and personal
for each person. When I read it, I get different things out of it
that when you read it, because I understand it according to the needs
I have right now. I recieve personal relevation, and inspirtation,
PEACE, and strength. And I need this EVERYDAY. EVERYSINGLE DAY. and so
do you. So dont you dare think you dont have enough time to read the
Book of Mormon. I challenge you to MAKE time for the Book of Mormon
everyday. And if you have already read it, continue! I promise you,
you will learn something new each day. AND think about it, Joseph
Smith, He translated it, I'm sure he knew the Book of Mormon better
than anyone, yet i promise you he read it everyday. SO please, as
Moroni, I exhort you to read the Book of Mormon. Make it a special part
of each day. Oh gosh how i love this book...

Wow I'm a little embarrassed how fired up I got about that haha. But
anyways. YAY this week was full of beautiful snow! It was sooo fun and
magical, and not even cold! Im soooo nervous this week is gonna be
freezing. Pray for me! I love all of you! THANK YOU for your prayers
and support. Have a good day :) love, Sistra Tenney

I LOVE MY MISSION! AND I LOVE RUSSIA!

Family and friends,
how are you all!? I love you and pray for you everyday. And let me
tell you, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS! I feel them. seriously I do. It's
so crazy to think that I'm on a mission.... in RUSSIA! haha, who would
ever know? and that i can actually communicate with Russians, and that
I'm starting to really be able to understand people, not just the
language, but the culture. This week we were able to go to a ward
christmas out of the city. I knew there would be a lot of
investigators there and I also knew that my job was to just meet them
and talk with them and make them feel welcome. Meeting poeple is one
of my weak points, because of my language skills I'm often awkward as i
strive to get to know people and try to speak what I want to say. I
prayed hard, and after our hour bus ride, I walked into the church,
and somehow I completely forgot about my nervousness, and my lack of
"people" skills (or so I thought) and somehow I was able to walk
around the room and get to know everybody, members and non-members
alike, and when the evening was over and I had to leave I was so sad
becasue I felt like I was leaving dear friends. I dont know how it
happened but it was truly a small miracle this last week. gosh how i
love the people here. its so weird how russians are so different, yet
not different from us at all. in the end we are God's children seeking
for happiness and peace. I LOVE MY MISSION. AND I LOVE RUSSIA! happy
new year everyone! Remember at the start of this new year to set new
goals and then everyday, be patient with yourself, as step by step,
you become closer and nearer to God and becoming the child He knows
and wants you to be. IM striving to learn patience too... stuipid
patience haha. maybe one day I'll master you!
i love you all! Love- Sistra Tenney

at St. Isaac's Cathedral

Me walking down the creep stariwell at St. Isaac's Catherdral in St. Petersburg. It is so cool! I love you all!

happy new year!

Family!
happy new year! can you believe its already a new year? I cant. But Im
excited becasue now is a time we can make new goals, start over
fresh, and remind oursleves that we can really accomplish all our
dreams. If you want to hear something more about dreams and chasing
them you should call my sistrer Krista right now and she can tell you
a little bit about taking the small steps to accomplish your dreams...
she's got some exciting news :)
Anyways, right now I want to talk about me ;) hahah. First of all I
want to let you all know I lied to you. My companion is not 6 feet.
This week I actually found out I AM TALLER THAN HER. What the heck???
Seriously? I could have sworn she was like 6 feet tall, but then I
come to find out Im actually taller than her. I pondered this for a
little bit and I realized that I've been looking at my companion as
the big, scary missionary I have to train. I've been seeing her as
this hard, challenge, this hurdle. But now that I've been with her
for a few weeks, and as i've slowely learned step by step what it
means to be a trainer, I've realized i need to change my perspective!
I gotta stop looking at things as so big and scary. This time to be a
trainer, its an opportunity! Im learning SO much. And Im having a lot
of fun with her. We get along great, and we're both striving to be
obedient missionaries, to be the Lord's hands. I decided I need to
stop thinking this is hard and scary but that its fun, an adventure,
and it 's helping me grow. I challenge each of you at the start of this
new year to look at your life and find the six feet hurdles and
re-evaluate them. Change your perspective and perhaps they're actually
mini-adventures in disguise :)
I was greatly humbled this week. Last monday we had an appt at 7 and
we were runnning late and I was really frustrated with my comp for
making us late. I was REALLY frurtsated and I knew it and then I
became even madder cuz I didnt want to be mad haha. But as we were
entering the metro we got a call from a different sister missionary
who has somehow lost her companion, she asked us if we knew where she
was and we looked up and saw her companion right in front of us! It
was a miracle, but becasue we were LATE we were able to help them find
eachother. This experience helped me see that everything is according
to God's plan. Its useless to get frustrated at stupid things like
being late (the lady we had an appt with was totally fine with us
being late). Remember God is the master planner of us all!
I love you! I had a wonderful new years and got to watch tangled in
Russian with a bunch of Russian sister missionaries! Was the best new
years present ever!
i love you all! Love Sister Tenney