DON'T GIVE UP!

previet!
OK so this week. Ugh. It really wasn't too bad, really, but seriously
I'm going to be honest, I want someone to get baptized. I want
miracles. And I want lots of them. And right now I just feel like I'm
going around in circles. Actually this is how I feel:
So we raked and cleaned up the church grounds on saturday. There were
tons of leaves and just trash and it was just kinda all messy from the
winter. There was about 20 of us with brooms and rakes as we swept
pathways and cleaned off the grass. I was off in a coner trying to
clean my "area". As I did so I just kept getting more and more
frustrated. No matter what I did my rake wouldn't get all the leaves
and I just wanted my area to look perfect! I kept looking out at
others areas and seeing how clean and pretty theirs' was. What was
wrong with mine! All of a sudden I had a secret sad moment as I
realized this is how I was feeling regarding my missionary work. I
have been trying to "rake up" and "
clean up" this area in Russia where I'm currently serving and nothing
seems to be happening. I'm looking out at others and seeing their
success and just getting so frustrated! WHY!? It's not fair. I'm
working as hard as I can. What more can I do??? I feel like Christ in
his vineyard. We see in Jacob 5 how much work and effort and love He
put into his vineyard, yet still, the fruit wasn't always "good". After
a time Christ himself wept and said "what more could I have done for
my vineyard?" (Jacob 5:41). As I read this chapter I really start to
understand the work of the Savior. How much He HAS done and CONTINUES
to do for each of us.
So then as I was having my sad moment a guy in the ward came and
changed me rakes and then all of a sudden with my new and improved
rake it worked so much better! I'm really not sure what this new rake
reprsents in my allegory. Maybe a change of perspective or attitude,
maybe simply a blessing from God, I don't know. BUT yea, so right now
I'm not the most successful missionary. But I know as I continue to
work SOMETHING HAS GOT TO HAPPEN! It will, I know it, cuz I'm going to
WILL it to happen :)
So to all of you who are frustrated with your rake or your area of
your work, DON'T GIVE UP! Cuz I'm not going to :) And remember, God is
mindful of all His people (alma 26 37). And thatevens means He is
mindful of you :)
So lets be positive and have a good time while we labor. Thank you all
for your support and love! And especially your prayers! Love you,
Sister Tenney

be happy!

Everyone!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! (and Tauna and Syd ;) Can I just tell you how
happy I am? Like it's crazy how happy I am, not just today cuz its my
birthday, but everyday. I no longer wake up each morning dreading
having to get out of bed ( not that I dreaded my day, just who likes
waking up at 6:30 ya know?). But now I like waking up. I just don't
know how to describe it, but I finally feel like I'm a missionary. I
get home every night EXHAUSTED. Everyday Sister Pinkston and I work SO
hard. When we aren't having a meeting we are just talking with EVERYONE
on the street, inviting them to church or to get a Book of Mormon, and
these people actually want to come, or want to receive one, it's weird!
And it's sunny here. And it's just so cute here. And I love my
apartment, and my investigators and my big bed (I have a queen bed it's
amazing I feel like a spoiled missionary). Just everything is
wonderful. AND this week was Miracle-packed. No joke. I don't even know
where to begin. We will set a baptismal date this week with one lady.
We had a first meeting with a lady this week and she prayed on the
lesson and was so excited to start reading the Book of Mormon. We had
a goal of 2 new investigators this last week and yesterday at 6 we
only had one new one. But we randomly went by a lady's house that we
met on the street this week. She invited us right in and we ended up
giving her the first lesson and the Book of Mormon. She prayed on the
lesson and then said "give me a week to read the Book of Mormon and
then I want to meet with you again". It was amazing. and CHECK!!! We
got our second investigator just before the end of the week. I know
these sound like little things, but they are HUGE to us. And they are
sooo exciting!
On our way here to internet, on the bus I was just standing there
smiling and thinking about how happy and blessed I am. And I couldn't
stop smiling! I can't explain it, but inside of me is such a "big"
happiness I feel like its going to burst out of me. I don't get it. But
I like it :) and as I was sitting there enjoying my "happiness" I saw
an older man just looking at me and smiling at me. For the course of
the next 5 minutes we just kept glancing at each other and smiling and
laughing. It was like we were instantly best friends. It was bizarre.
As I walked out of the bus I waved goodbye (you're not supposed to
wave in russia they don't really do that here) and he waved back at me!
And as the bus drove away I looked at him and he stood and waved good
bye so happliy and aggressivly and I decided it was one of the best
birthday presents ever haha.
Such a random weird story, but I think it's hilarious and I can only
imagine all of you imagining me in Russia smiling and laughing with
an old Russian man on a bus haha. What the heck I'M IN RUSSIA! AND I'M A
MISSIONARY! So hard to believe sometimes.
Well I love you all and wish you the best week. BE HAPPY! It's so much
more fun then on the contrary. I promise you if you want to be happy
you can find something to be happy about :)
Happy birthday again Taun and Syd! I love you all! thank you for your
prayers and birthday wishes! love love love, Sis Tenney

I think I found the best place in the world

Fmaily friends, one and all,
So did you all go look up Kaliningrad? If you haven't, do it now! And
then be jealous of me. Becasue seriously, I think I found the best
place in the world. Its' soooo cute and old with its cobble stone
streets and old chapels and fortresses and castles. The people here,
get this, they actually SMILE (sometimes ;) and they LIKE talking to
us (usually). Its BIZZARE to me that when i go to talk to people on the
street they smile and talk with us! I can't put it into words how happy
I am right now...
So I had a little "worry" I had shoved to the back of my mind and
refused to let myself think about. This worry was the fact that I
would be with an American sister for her second transfer. This means I
am with a missionary who can basically testify in Russian and that's
about it, like she hardly understands anything at all. And you see, I
know I've been out here for a while already, but my Russian is not
great. Especially my understanding. But my goal I had decided when I
found out my transfer, was to refuse to let the language become an
excuse or barrier for our work. I decided I would be confident, be
dilligent in language study, and know that God would help us. The
first day and a half sister Pinkston and I were together it was pretty
hilarious cuz I would often start talking to her in Russian not even
realizing it until I see the blank stare in her face as she tried to
figure out what I had said! Ha so funny. I was just SOOO used to
always speaking russian. Another funny thing was how TALKATIVE I have
been the last few days.I felt like a chatterbox our first two days
together BECAUSE I COULD ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE EXACTLY HOW I FELT!
hahah I felt so powerful. I didn't realize how much I had missed just
being able to talk in English. Sadly, I don't even think in Russian
anymore, that's already gone. But, out of all of this the miracle is
that everything has been fine :) What I mean is that on every lesson
and on the street and just wherever we are I have been able to
understand people! And I can actually communicate and talk with them,
all by myself :) I always had relied on my Russian companion to do all
the small talk and basically just everything, but I didn't know I can
do it too! I have understood SOOOO much in these last few days, it's
crazy. I KNOW that God is helping me. I feel like He has put mini
interpreters in my ears. All of a sudden I can understand so much!
Don't get me wrong, there is still sooo much I don't understand, but I
understand everything that I need to. I feel so empowered! And I
LOVE the Russian langague!!
And most important, I love my mission. I love everything. I just love
my area, my companion, the warm weather (40 degrees :), my little
branch, each person on the street. I love it all. I feel so lucky and
so blessed. And I'm ready to work. I've been working my companion, we
get home each night SO tired. I feel like a missionary and I love it :)
Are all of you happy? I hope so! Please, live so that you are happy!
Live the commandments, read your scriptures, and follow your dreams. I
know how cheesy that all sounds, and so simple. But it's true. God
wants you to be happy :) And so do I! So do whatever it takes to be
happy. And do it NOW :)
Remember Mosiah 2:41 "Consider the blessed and happy state of those
who keep the commanments of God"
I love you all! Pray for me! Love, Sister Tenney

Cheers for change!

Family , friends, one and all,
OH MY GOSH MY HEAD IS SPINNING I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN!
Seriously one phone call saturday morning changed EVERYTHING. I'M
FINALLY GETTING TRANSFERED! I have been in the very same place my
whole time out here in russia, and I have LOVED every minute of it.
And seriosuly this last week we rocked it. I'm not gonna be bashful,
God blessed us this week and I had the best, most successful week on
my mission. I felt like I was on top of the world at one point. We had
a meeting with Vlad our 19 year old investigator (who is AMAZING) and
as we met with him he prayed, he's been praying, he's been reading the
Book of Mormon each day, and he said when he knows the Book of Mormon
is true he will be baptized. It was the best meeting I have EVER had
on my mission. And we had 2 other great meetings with other
investigators and another meeting tonight and tomorrow night.
Seriously EVERYTHING IS PERFECT. besides the fact that I'm LEAVING!
But you know what, I'm also SO STOKED to get out of here and start
over fresh. And listen to my new area. Its called Kaliningrad. look it
up alright? It's the only area in the St. Petersburg mission you have
to FLY to get to. Yupp I'll be on an airplane this week. Isn't that
sick? AND I'm training an american girl. Its her 2nd tranfer here.
Therefore, everything relies on my LITTLE knowledge of Russian. HA.
This is gonna be hilarious. I'm sure you all think I'm fluent by now,
but let me tell you...... ON THE CONTRARY! But I know God has
prepared me and somehow its' all gonna work out. Yesterday I bore my
testimony in sacrament and afterwards asked my companion if it was
understandable. She replied "hmmmmmm, well I understood! I THINK they
understood" haha. But everything is gonna be fine.
In life God throws these curve balls, but then we learn how to hit
them! And through time, we might even get a home run. That's what I'm
aiming for. Cheers for change!
I love you all! Love, Sister Tenney
ps- thankyou everyone for my package and thank you to Krista's seminary
class for the bday cards! Happy Bday to ME! :)