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

Happy thanksgiving everyone!

Family!
 So much to talk about where to begin...
first of all, we busted out our Full on winter coats and boots this
 week. basically Im officially a marshmollow at all times. But I cant
complain cuz this marshmallow seriously keeps me warm HAHA russia Im
not scared of your so called nasty winters. Imma beat you. Nope, we
still havent had any snow yet, which is crazy becasue Moscow already
 has. Im oddly excited for the snow, i've heard it can get nuts! And
the light here is getting kinda cool, basically the sun finally comes
 out at about 11 and then goes back down around 4 or 5. Isnt that
 crazy? The weirdest partis that Im hardly even effected by it like I
 thought I would. Weird right? In about 5 weeks it'll start getting
 lighter anyways.... so russia take that! You have nothing that has yet
 to scare me :)
 Alright so people have been asking what my week is typically like. A
Basic day is wake upat 6:30, bundle up and go outside to work out (aka
 Sister Tenneys personal time to shoot hoops and be a baller). We have
 a court nearby so I just shoot hoops its sweet. Afterwards we go home
 and shower and get ready. At 8 we start personal study (prob the best
 part of the day) then 9 is companion study where we plan our day and
our lessons for the day. At 10 we continue comp study with the
 training program im in (cuz Im still considered a greenie). 11 is lang
 study, which gets funner and funner everyday as Im finally starting to
 better understand this russian language (again russia take that! Your
 language isnt so hard after all). By noon we usually are heading out
 to an appt of some sort. We walk out to the metro wich is about 15
 min away, or we hop on a bus. It takes about 45 min to an hour to get
 anywhere we want to go usually (which is such a shame!) but we usually
 contact and talk to people on buses. This is my fav kind of contacting
 :) Then we meet with people and teach. Sometimes we go back home for
 dinner but usually we're running around trying to meet with people so
 we often get food on the street (like a banana and a yogart and
crackers or something) and then get to our next meeting. Then we try
 to be home by 9 for planning and then we plan til 10 and then go to
 bed by 10:30! Its like a rat race everyday trying to meet with our
 investigators, meet with members who can help us find more
 investigators, or the best is to meet with investigators at a members
 house. Yea..... so thats basically the day in the life of ME :)
 The food here is good. Lots of soups, lots of cabbage made into things
I never had before. I dont really know what to say about the food.
 pretty typical. The yogart here ROCKS I love it.
 Oh before I forget, HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! I love you all and I
 know you are praying for me. I've felt it and I need it, and I thank
 you for it. I know you will, but remember to look for the blessings in
 you life. Last night we met with a lady who is inactive who just sat and
 complained to us the entire night about how God doesn't answer her
 prayers and doesn't bless her. As she complained I looked around and
 saw her clothes, her food, her warm house, her book of mormon..... the
 list goes on. We often don't realize the blessing we have until we LOOK
 for them. God loves us, and He blesses us. We just forget to see them.
 So let's look for our blessings this week aight? I love you all!
Love sis T

She understands some Russian!

Everybody!
Gosh, life is gonig by so fast it's crazy. Anyways, to start off, I want
 to thank you all! Your prayers for me to learn this russian language
is helping! This last week was miraculous in the fact that ALL OF A
SUDDEN I could understand most of what people are saying in lessons!
And in church! Its so crazy. Last monday after I emailed you all I
 went on a lesson and we walked out of it and I couldn't stop thinking
 about how crazy it was that I understood everything. SO I thought it
 was over but the next day it happened too! And then the next, and then
testimony meeting in church yesterday, I could understand basicaly
 everything. CRAZY!
 SO yes that is really evxciting. So yes, to answer the question, YES
 it is getting cold here. One night of contacting and being freezing I
went home and decided I needed to change some things so I wouldn't
 freeze. The ONLY thing I changed the next day was I put in this shoe
 liner in each shoe. Kinda like an extra layer in the shoe. That whole
 day I wasn't cold at all. Is that not insane? I added ONE tiny thing, a
 shoe liner, and I was warm. Now let's think about this. The details in
 life really do make a big deifference. We know in Alma 37:6 alma says
 it is "by small and simple things that great things are brought to
 pass". I want to testify to you today that it is true. when we meet
 with inactives out here the three qeustions we ask them is "do you
 read your scriptures everyday? do you pray? and do you go to church?".
 those three little things CHANGE EVERYTHING. I know when ppl do those
 things they stay on the path and they recieve the strnegth they need
 to carry on. they have the spirit and they have the joy of the gospel
 and makes them happy and makes them understsnd why we have
 commandments and that it's a joy to follow them. and tha'ts what I want
 each of you to think about. What is something so small, something
 almost insiginificant you can change in your life to be just a bit
 better? Just something small everyday. I know by the small things
 great things come to pass. I know it! And I know you all know it.
 continue to pray for me. I promise to pray for you. Email me, write
 me, aight??? haha. I'm happy and excited for this work. keep being
 awesome. SO will I ;) haha. Love sis T.

everday we see the small rewards

Everyone! Hello!
If you were wondering, the baptism was AMAZING. of course. I felt like
a little girl on christmas morning. I woke up and was so excited all
day! She was ready and excited too wich made the baptism all the more
better.
I have about 3 min left so I just want to tell you all one thing.
Learning this russian language is a rollar coaster. it really sucks
sometimes. This week I finally had a mini break down after visiting
with a  babushka and not understand a word she said I cried on the
subway on the way home haha. But then not 5 hours later I was on an
exchange with a russian sister and we communicted fine to each other in
russain for a straight 24hrs. and we did some excellent missionary
work together. And then after that I thought I was amazing so then of
course I went to a meeting and didn't understand anything again and
then went right back to feeling like an idiot. But guess what? THATS
LIFE. when we run hard, we get tired, and we sometimes trip and fall,
and we often don't get first place, but everyday we see the small
rewards of our persistance. and thats what matters. dont get caught up
in the big goals! nope, you're not rich yet, you're not skinny yet and
you're not perfect yet, but you're getting there step by step :)
and thats the biggest reward. we just gotta remember to see that.
I love you all!
love, sis Tenney

Life is good. I hope yours is to. I love you all!

Hello everyone!
Can you believe my 1st transfer is already over?? I cant. That means I
train NEXT transfer... yikes.
Happy Halloween! Party hard for me and eat some kits kats for me.
Those are my fav.
This last week has been a good one. We officially have a baptism with
our 26 yr old investogator uliana. Let me tell you a little about her.
My 1st sunday here after sacrament she ran into the bathroom and was
BALLING. We met with her the first few weeks I was here and everytime
we did she would cry.... her life is hard. She's got a messy life. But
despite this she really wanted to know if this church is true. She
didn't really understand the Book of Mormon but she had always read
more the next time we met with her. She always asked about the
atonement and Christ and she couldn't really understand what it meant.
She was full of questions and we did our best to answer them. When I
first got here she dressed kinda immodestly, was always sad and always
seemed burdened. Now let me tell you about her this last week. This
last week when we would come to meet with her she would laugh and
tease with us. She was dressed in brighter colors and was modest. She
was full of life, and light feeling. She is EXCITED for her baptism
and she continues to read her scriptures, go to church and pray. Her
prayers are sincere, heartfelt. The CHANGE has been miraculous to
watch. Isn't this soo cool??? THIS is the essence of the Gospel. This
is why we are here on Earth. We're supposed to be happy. We're
supposed to have trials, but we're supposed to know that we can turn
to God and know we have them for a reason and that He will help us.
uliana's life is still messy and full of trials, but she has the hope
of the gospel.
Something the DRIVES ME CRAZY OUT HERE is that people think life has
control over them. They think that its too hard to go to church, that
they just "cant". That scripture reading everyday is for the perfect
people. SERIOUSLY???? They dont realize they have control over life.
They can CHOOSE to read everyday and CHOOSE to go to to church. Its a
choice we should make ONCE and then just do it the rest of our lives.
Does your life have control over you? Or are you controlling it
yourself? Are you making the most important decisions first? Dont let
them be the last on your to do list. Put them first, and then God can
put you first on His to-do list :)
anyways.... this week me and my comp found a vending machine that
sells umbrallas! Ha, what a great idea. It rains so much here why not
make umbrallas easy to buy? I thought that was hilarous.
Life is good. I hope yours is to. I love you all!
love, sis T

Happy halloween!

Everyone!
Before I begin I made a very important discovery this week. Tenney has
a meaning in Russian, tenney means Eye Shadow! Hahahaha. SO when
russians hear my name they think of me in their head as sister eye
shadow.... isnt that hilrious?? I think it is.

Anyways. Wow. This week was frustrating. I just felt like all the
goals we set werent accomplished and all the ppl we wanted to see
dogged us and all the wonderful plans we made got changed. BUT. I'm
learning alot. SO MUCH. Things get canceled for a reason, things
change for a reason, things are hard for a reason, EVERYTHING HAPPENS
FOR A REASON. God knows the real plan, and He makes sure everything
happens as it should. Its take us to use our agency to try to align
our perspective with God's. Our Father in Heaven is the Mater Planner.
So we just need to trust in Him and remmeber everything hazppens for a
reason! but GEESE why is that so hard?

So saturday we met with an 11 yr old girl whos father is innactive,
mother is a nonmemeber, gma is a member, and she LOVES meeting with us
(SO MUCH POTENTIAL THERE RIGHT???). so we met with her and ended up having a really cool lesson.  We wanted to show her the power of
her example. So I told her an experience I had (and yes I told it in
russian and was OH SO proud of myself afterwards :). One time while
working at sea world it was a really busy night so they had me selling
these glow swords in the HUGE shamu stadium. I was in there before
everyone came in and then watched for the next hour as the stadium
filled up. The show still had about 10 minutes till it started but
the stadium was already packed to the brim. While just standing there
I heard a little girl, probably about 5 years old say to her dad
"Dad, I wanna do the wave!" he replies, "then lets do it". They loudly
count to 3 together and stand up and do the wave. A few people around
them saw it and did it too. The 2 of them try it again.... 1,2,3! and
then about a few hundred people join in. By the 3rd time that one
little girl had the entire stadium do the wave.
isnt that crazy? I felt honored to have witnessed something so
signifigcant. That 5 year old girl had just affected and influenced an
entire stadium. And guess what, each of us have that kind of influence
and power. We are each important, and we each make a difference. The
power comes from deciding to do so.

A russian update, everyonme this week seems to think I am awesome
already at speaking russian. I was complimented several times for
already speaking so well :) Everytime someone complimented me my
companion laughes and agrees and then afterwards we laugh together
because while the russians think I CAN SPEAK WELL, THEY HAVE NO IDEA i
cant understand anything! HAHA. So yupp, I somehow need to learn to
understand this language. Hopefully before then end of dec I will
progress, becasue then i will no longer have a translator near my
seide all the time (my current companion). Instead I will have a
companion who expects me to do the translating.
ahhhahahaha. That is going to be so funny.
Welp, I love you all! Thank you for the emails and prayers! Every bit helps!
I love you.
Love, Sister Tenney

this last week

Sorry everyone we had some technical difficulties but read the second post that one's from 2 weeks ago! Tressa is happy and well we hope you will pray for her :)

Everyone!
welp I got some news this week. So not this next transfer, but the
next (my 3rd transfer) my trainer goes home leaving 5 sisters left in
our mission. The 3rd transfer however we have 5 new sisters coming
in...... YUPP. DO THE MATH. I'm gonna be a trainer my 3rd transfer. I
met with my mission president this week and its official. So start
your engines everyone and begin praying for me!!! Of course I'm freaked
out but im also stoked. Such a cool opportunity! Ha yupp, literally
blind leading the blind...... but im thinking we may be blind, but
we'll be able to see what really matters. Hahaha. It just makes me
laugh.
I have a mini story that happened to me yesterday that really shows to
me that God cares  about us. Yesterday in church I kept falling alseep
in church (oops). I was tired, couldnt understand anything, and
STARVING. ANd I was desperatly craving chocolate. Like seriousy
desperatly. SO I decided to make a test. I decided to see if God
really does answer prayers. Even stupid ones like sister tenney, who
is already so blessed with warmth and food and friends and family and
knowlege... I just wanted to see. So I prayed on simple prayer and
then smiled to myself cuz I kjnew I was gonna get some chocolate
soon. (arent I such a brat!?). So after the 3rd hour of church we were
meeting with some ppl in the kitchen and guess what? Someone pulls out
a huge cholate bar and shares with everyone and I got PLENTLY as I
laughed to myself and siently thanked God for answering my bratty
prayer and proving to me something I already knew: God loves us, cares
about us, and even cares about the petty, stupid, childish things we
care about.... like chocolate, when I have such more important things
to be praying for!
So dont forget it aight? Trust God. He is a marveous planner and I
know He has a plan and a reason for every little thing in your life.
And dont forget to pray for me ;)
loves and missionary handshakes to all from your lovely sister tenney