Beautiful Sister :)

 like the pics?? the first ones are in a submarine we went in a
few p-days ago. I'm in a missle hole in on of them and I asked sis p
 to take the pic close so then she walked all the way up to my face
 and took that close up, of course I started laughing, so i think the
 pic is hilarious. And the last pic is my bed! I love it and feel like
 a queen!

Lena's getting baptized

Family and friends :)
WOW! SO remember Lena? Yea, she is getting baptized. She' s got a date
set and everything. When we asked her if she would get baptized the
first thing she said was "WHAT TIME!? I can any day it just has to be
after school!" hahahaha. We died at her enthusiasm. She is the miracle
I never dreamed of having. She loves everything. Yesterday when we
asked her to pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true she replied
"Why? I know it's true. When I pray I just thank Heavenly Father for
it". Can you believe her faith? It's so pure and childlike. I am
beginning to really understand why Christ told us to become as a
little child.
Yesterday at church a member was asking Lena who she wanted to baptize
her and she points to me and my companion and said "the sisters of
course!". hahahahaha. Oops we obviously have not gone over the
priesthood yet. But that's just proof to both her FAITH, and her LOVE
for us :)
As we were contacting (just walking around and talking with everyone.
Basicslly what we do a couple hours each day) we approached an older
man and asked if we could give him an invitation to receive a free
Book of Mormon. He immediatly shook his head and replied "I'm an
athiest!". I immediatly responded "I don't believe you". "Why", he
asked. I then replied, " it is impossible for me to believe that
someone does not believe it God". He then ADMITTED that he DOES
believe in God, but that he "had enough books and brochures and church
and knowlege" and didn't want anything more. And then he walked away.
I was shocked! This man, who believes in God, just DENIED Him and
tried to tell us he didn't not believe in God. It really got me
thinking. Do I ever deny God in any of my actions???? Is it obvious
to all that I believe in God? That I love Him and seek Him and that
I'm striving to become closer to Him, and know more about Him each day?
And when given the opportunity to know more about my Father in Heaven,
and to become closer to Him, am I willing and accepting of it? Or am I
ultimately denying my Father, like this man did, and avoiding
opportunities to seek more of Him?
Just my thoughts for the week. I hope we all are doing all we can each
day to become closer to God, and to help others do so as well. I love
this quote from President Monson that my mom just sent me. "Life by
the yard is hard: by the inch it's a cinch". Remember that all we need
to worry about is TODAY. TODAY I'm going to be the very best I can!
Just a little bit better than yesterday. I don't need to worry past
today. Inch by inch, step by step, is all we need to do. May God help
you each inch of your way. I know He is helping me, even when I try to
leap the yard, He's there to catch me. I love you! Sister Tenney

"THE MOST AMAZING WEEKEND OF MY LIFE"

EVERYONE,
So this weekend is what I have decided to title: "THE MOST AMAZING
WEEKEND OF MY LIFE". Ha. But seriously. So a girl who is 14 years old
in our ward who was just baptized with her mom a year ago has been
inviting her friend to church. Her friend Lena is SO cute and nice and
just always happy. You can just tell she loves the church, she's
basically already a member. We have been wanting to teach her but here
in Russia you have to be VERY careful with teaching people younger
than 18. We have to get signed permission from both of her parents. We
had heard her parents were both against the church and didn't even know
she had been coming with Looba her friend. So we started praying about
this a couple weeks ago and were finally able to talk to her on
Monday. She told me she would ask her mom. She was at the church
almost every night this week for different church activities and even
had a part in the Easter program this weekend. On Saturday she came
early to the Easter activity and ran in and said "my mom is coming
tonight so she can decide if she should sign the papers!". I
immediatly started praying, but soon I was calmed when I saw her walk
into the building and saw the branch members welcome her with open
arms. In short, she loved the activity, loved my companion and I (I
mean who doesn't??) and is even planning on coming to church next
Sunday. Yesterday Lena walked in with an even bigger smile than usual,
and handed us the signed papers. I yelled "It feels like Christmas!"
And Lena laughs and then told me it was Easter so it was even better
than Christmas (the Russian orthidox church's Easter was yesterday).
So with that whole miracle mixed with conference (I finally got to
watch it) I was the happiest I have been on my mission. Have I
mentioned how lucky we are to have conference? Just think about it, we
have a prophet of God on the earth today! I'm just starting to realize
the importance of that. Man why are we so blessed these last days???
I love you all. I love everything. I just love this whole mission
thing. Thanks for your prayers. Keep them up ;) Cuz they are working!
Love, Sister Tenney

A Hilarious "Missionary Experience"

Fam and Friends,
So this week I finally had one of those hilarious "missionary
experiences" almost every missionary has. So we had set up a meeting
with a less active at our senior missionary couples house and we were
way excited cuz we were gonna get a free good lunch ;) right before
the lunch meeting we get a call from a lady we had given a Book of
Mormon to on a bus a few weeks ago. I was way stoked cuz it was the
VERY first time anyone had ever called US. So we set up a meeting to
head over right after our lunch meeting. Of course I ate way too much
and was stuffed after the meeting. We get to this other ladies
apartment like 30 minutes later and right away we realize she's a
little crazy. She had a HUGE lunch set up for us with a HUGE bowl of
borsh soup ( a russian dish that is delicious) and a HUGE bowl of plov
( another delicious russian rice dish). Me and Sis Pinkston just look
at each other and freak out inside. We were already sooooo sickly
stuffed. So she tries to get us to drink some vodka with her and then
couldn't understand why we couldn't drink black or green tea. We just
kept laughing cuz she literally did not understasnd that we WOULD NOT
drink and never had before. So finally she left to go to the "pruduktee"
(mini store) just outside of her appartment to buy us some herbal tea
and we start stuffing all the plov into a bag into sister pinkstons
purse. it was hilarious. this lady was seriously crazy and by the end
of the meeting was def crazy drunk. Turns out she was not interested
one bit in our message but is just a lonely middle aged woman who
thinks she's still 20. Gosh it was crazy/hilarious/ a night mare but we
made it out safe and sound and had a good laugh about it.
I can't really remember much of what else happened this week. Not much
progress or change has happened but next week I'll def be reporting
progress, I know it. I love you all! keep me in your prayers, as well
as the rest of the missionaries! and keep being awesome. Love you all,
sis tenney

excpect miracles!

Family and friends,
First of all HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITT AND JACK! PARTY HARDY BOOGIE OOGIE!
I LOVE YOU!
And second of all, thanks to everyone for all the birthday letters and
wishes! Nate and Amy, Andy and Jonie, and Jon and Liz thanks for the
letters, and especially for the FRUIT LEATHER! loved it :)
SO this week. Listen to this. I was just SO angry and frustrated
because I feel like nothing has been happening. Everything is just
stuck in place. No progress. No success. UGH.
I was frustrated so at the start of the week I began to pray for a
miracle. My grandpa always told me I am entitled to miracles, so I
decided to put it to the test. I even fasted yesterday for it. This
"miracle" that I was expecting got me through the week. (I'm making it
sound like I had a horrible week. I had a good week, I just really
wanted my miracle, my "moral-booster") So Sunday comes along, and I'm
sitting in church fasting, when I look over and I see this lady in our
ward waving to me and pointing at the lady next to her I had never
seen before (or at least I thought I had never seen her before) and
then this lady also smiled and waved at me. I was SOOOOO excited!
"Who is this lady?" was all that I could think and I couldn't wait to go
meet her. I find out afterwards, this lady we had met on the street, I
dont even know when, and told her that we could give her a Book of
Mormon for free. I honestly don't even remember her at all. But on the
passalong card we gave her was our church's address and the time we
meet, and she actually came! She stayed for 2 hours and just kept
asking for her Book of Mormon. Se was soooo excited to get it and all
during sunday school she didn't even pay attention cuz she was flipping
through thte Book of Mormon. WOW. That's what I call a miracle. She
gave us her number and we hope to start teaching her this week.
See. We ARE entitled to miracles. Stop expecting so little out of life
and out of yourself. pray for miracles. Or determine exactly what you
want and start praying SPECIFICALLY and then God can bless you
SPECIFICALLY. I know He will. He does so for me over and over again.
Like Moroni said "pray with all the energy of your soul" :) I love
that line! (moroni 7:48)
And I love you all. Have a great week and expect miracles! You're the
best! Love, Sister Tenney