"I have fought a good fight"

Familia,

 

hmmmm what an interesting week! haha so interesting! The wall has come, analogies. I talk in them. But yes the wall has arrived and its kinda like ripping a bandaid off my heart! haha but the sting isn't as bad because I get to visit Martinique, a place with a huge piece of my heart, and then Barbados (I hear Rihana is there right now, maybe I"ll convert her!) and then HOME HOME!! I love my family. such an interesting string of emotions.

But the analgoy for this week is as follows. A mission is just pure giving. Every person I talk to and smile at and teach and uplift just takes a little slice of my soul and puts it in them. Maybe its just the spirit!! haha but seriously people just take little pieces of my soul as i love and serve them. For example the vistor family. oh la la they have a HUGE piece of my soul and will forever! Jaline, the mom who I have a hard time communicating with because of the french creole language barrier, we have became like bffs this week and she asked 'are you coming back for the wedding!' I told her I'd try and make it for the sealing :) oh ya. they are the best. SO MUCH HAPPINESS to end my mission! literally! So much happiness and famlies and love and laughter! Leno had us over for dinner one night and lunch sunday. He announced he's gonna visit the states once. These people are all my best friends, and i will see them again, i am sure of it!

So monday night was the fhe with Elena and Soeur Magny and they became even better stronger eternal best friends. that was a treat. such a treat. I want to tell you all about elena please ask me all about her when i come home, that is my number one request. 

oh ya! and Janaine! its the girl that weve been teaching for about a month now, but she finally made it to church! a huge miracle is that a member who lives in her neighborhood used to take care of her son and she was so proud of us and so happy that we were working with her!  she was like 'good work!!' I think thats the first time i felt really proud and happy and in agreeance with her when she said good work. that was so good work :) its all good work! I've finally figured this work out and I go home tomorrow! what the heck! its not fair!!

haha but i feel like Paul. (thanks dad for the reference) its in the bible. 2tim 4:7-8 imagine me shouting this while i run through maybe like a banner or something at the airport or when i run into the arms of my mother dearest 'I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOG FIGHT!! i have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.' THANK YOU PAUL!! I love these words! thats how i feel right now! so happy and full and ready to take on life!! I think I'd like a pina colada in Hawaii first would that be possible?? :) A mission is the greatest thing in the world and I cant wait to see you all and tell you all about it and rejoice together like the sons of Mosiah!! 

I love my Lord, Jesus Christ!!

Je vous aime

Soeur Tenney

"Its like a machine"

Dear Family and friends,

It is such a strange experience to have only this much time left on my mission. I dont really know what i want to write to you all about because I dont really know where my mind is at right now, honestly! 

Some really cool moments from this week. Soeur Elena, a recent convert, ordered a ton of materials online and ordered this ensign in english! for recent converts! They are10 years old! But she figured out that the missionaries are gonna leave and she needs real friends, so the math person in me equationed it out, and she told me once about this lady shes obsesed with in the ward, so we went over and visit taught her with this soeur and they just became eternal friends! we did that! we set that up! She used to not stay for relief society, but sunday she ran in and didn't sit by us, but by her new friend that literally love each other so much! Tonight we have an FHE with them both!! oh ya :)

Also, we are praying so much for the Victor family because they, as you know are wonderful! He sent a request to his boss that he wants sunday off , but for some reason hes got most every sunday to work! So he's gonna write it in because he says I HAVE A RIGHT TO MY SUNDAYS!! This week he asked about the prophet Samuel because his name is Samuel, and everytime I tried to ask him if that was why he was asking he'd get all nervous and just not say anything! they are the best! Abby eyre that whole family has so many stickers now thank you for the package.

Guyane. I've tried to explain that Guyane just requires your whole heart and soul. These people just look to you and just have hope! I just drain my spirit of hope and love into their soul! I know this gospel can solve anything! Its like a machine! any situation that we have! We just put it into the gospel machine and out pops a solution literally handed to us by Jesus Christ. I love Him so much! He is my King! My Lord! I know that He lives! I know His Atonement is the center of everything! That's all I"m gonna preach this week- is His Atonement and love! I love Him so much and i love serving Him so much! We taught the investigator class sunday and I JUST LOVE TEACHING! I got to just feel all the spirits of my students there and they have so many chagrins or in english i guess itd be difficulties and weights and Im so blessed, I just get to study and eat and sleep the gospel all day every day! I feel the Spirit all the time! I teach the doctrine of Christ! The doctrine of love that our God has given to us to return to Him. Its going to be so difficult to be cut off from this but right now I just choose not to think about it! I remember Braden, right when he got releasesd he said, 'I feel lost,' I will probably feel that and more but I'm just so grateful for everything I've become and done! I love the Lord! I feel His love! I give His love to others! I give myself to others to help them see that! I love everyone here so much! I will be so sad not to have the 24 hours a day time to just give myself to others but you know what! I can do it this week! So yes I may be balling writing this, but I am so full! so full of the light and love of Jesus Christ. I love Him and I love all my brothers and sisters and I just want to help them feel the love their Father has for them and help them along the way because life is really hard and confusing without the gospel. but I'm lucky I have it :)

I'll see you all super soon. I will tell you all ALL about ANYTHING you'd like to know I want to answer all your questions. I love the Lord. I love you!

Soeur Tenney

We choose to believe

Familia!!

Wow wow wow! I dont even know! here it goes. basically now well I'll start with the analogy. I've come up with. Everybody starts with a wall in front of them. For sisters its 18 months away and elders its 2 years, but you just get to hit the ground running straight towards this wall! I remember Tressa said she was an emotional wreck her last couple months.  I havent really cried much? This week one night I got really sad and didnt want to be an rm, but you know what! Sunday I went to church seeking some help and revelation, and I just came out and decided to hit the wall full force! I told Soeur winter its like this, you and I are both running full force at this wall, but when I smack into the wall and get a concussion or whatever ill just still be screaming go Soeur winter! keep going! you can do it! Then ill be on the other side of the wall and have to figure out how to be an rm and whatever but ill just deal with that when it comes! haha and plus im going to Hawaii!! so fun!!

So, this week, monday we got invited to this family home evening for the chez batty, at the batty home and basically what I've done lately is go into a home and say a little pray in my heart for what I can do or share to best help the family, why its taken me this long to figure out? i dont know. but im doing it now!! haha so soeur Batty left for a sec and Frer batty was about to start and we were like 'no well wait for your wife!!' She comes to church all the time. He starts sharing the thought when she gets home then speur winter and Iwere just like 'lets talk about covenants' and kinda switch the topic and all of a sudden soeur batty is says "I wanna go to the temple! but she cant because shes not baptized yet but shes been going for about 4 years to church! because she smokes! so we're like, Soeur batty! lets get you to stop smoking! and Frere batty knew i was leaving in 3 weeks, I guess some missionaries told him and its a great perishable opportunity! so we were like soeur batty! get baptized the 8th before i leave! and so shes working on it! so we went over almost every night that week and shes progressing alot! We're weaning her off them, and plus shes run out of money to buy them! Frere batty is just like 'you 2 sisters are miracles because other missionaries have tried and she has never progresed this much!' WE CHOOSE TO BELIEVE!! we gave her a talk about choosing to believe and she just needs a little sister love this girl does! :) so thats a fun miracle for the end of my mission!!

Also of course you have dreams and revelations over at the victor househould!!! so Fernando had a dream about his baptism on the 8th of august, so hes pumped! and then Jaline the wife had a dream that i came and told samuel, the husband to get baptized and so hes like super serious about his baptsm!! hes getting married first! Hes just waiting for his parents visas to get cleared so were praying for that! but last week we taught him the sabbath day and that is super cool because he is super serious about keeping the sabbath day holy. He's like looking for a new work and MAN!! their house has just CHANGED i tell you! the spirit is in their house! the kids used to always be like crying and the parents used to kinda ignore us but now the whole family just prays and sings together and just helps each other out! man that is a super cool transformation that i have seen! I LOVE THIS WORK! this gospel is for families! I'm so happy theyre getting married!! I'm so happy that I can strengthen families :) Soeur Winter is the best.

Well lots of work to do here! seriously! this is the best work ever! words getting out that I'm leaving and were getting fed a lot a lot :) life is good and fun! I love you all!

Peace I leave unto you, said Jesus

Soeur Tenney

Fernando is getting baptized!

Family!!

Oh my gosh words cannot even describe this week. Papa, last week you were said 'i think you will see the fruits of your labor here pretty soon' well let me tell you some fruits of my labors from this week!!!!! BEST FRUITS OF EVER!! aka families!!! this gospel is a gospel for families!! and the Lord blesses us when we focus on that!

so Fernando :) sunday night we go over and we set a baptismal date with him for the 8th! the last satuday before i leave! and unfortunately back when sister Vance left, somehow it slipped out that I was leaving in august to this family, which was not good!! haha anyways so i set that date and everytime we go by they're like 'when are you leaving!' but I try to avoid the question everytime. Its no matter people! anyways! so we set the date and Jalene the mom was there and she mostly speaks creole, but can read french! She doesnt always understand everything because we've talked about priesthood and being baptized with her family like 50 times, but Samuel the dad understands, and he's like 'ya we'll get there'!

That was sunday! yay!!! Fernando is getting baptized!!! so we started focusing on them more because this month the dad doesn't work and hes been coming to church on his scooter and LOVES IT!! so we went over thursday i think, maybe friday! ya it was friday and they were all there! and he just started the Book of mormon from start (he used to just read randomly) and he red 2 ne 2:20 which talks about commandments and so we werent planning on it but we started talking about commandments!! like word of wisdom, then i leaned to soeur winter and i was said what about chastity; they are not married. So we start talking and teaching chastity and he says, ok i understand adultery. I dont do that but the other thing, I'm not married so were making the necesaary changes. 'uuuuhhhhhh ok could you please tell me these necessary changes??' and he says, well were gonna get married. WHAT!!! i could not believe my ears!  so i said that 'what!! do you have a date!!' so i tried to invite them to get married the 8th as well so i could be there for it!! but hes waiting for a friend in haitit to come because you know hes already planned it out and his family (6 kids ) to GO to haiti so hes doing it here! WHAT!!!! so i just cried and was so happy and he says in about a month or 2 he'll be married and he said 'man if i was married id be getting baptized so fast!!' hahahaha what!! hes so cool! you have no idea mom and dad that was like the only moment really on my mission where i was just thinking  MAN I WISH I COULD CALL  MY PARENTS AND EVERYONE BECAUSE MY FRIEND AND FAMILY IS GETTING MARRIED!!!! literally repentance is so beautifull!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so theyre getting married!! and i cried. i was so happy! maybe i could come back for the wedding or sealing later when that happens but look at these fruits and success!! seriously its because we shifted our focus to families!! After i turned to Jalene, the mother and i was just like 'how do you feel right now,' and she said 'I feel so good because I  didn't like living with that sin' OH MY GOSH! repentance is so beautiful!!!!! YAYAYAYAYAY!!!! so another weddings i get to miss :) alors, theyre getting married!

We.. the rest of the week went like this, Jalene came to church for the first time with a member and cried :) it was so beautiful! in relief society we talked about marriage and family and im really not sure how much she understood but after she said' give this to Samule so that he can get us married!!!' seriously! my friends are getting married!!!!! ahhh!!!!! but samuel was supposed to come on his scooter but for some reason didnt? so after church sunday we went over and taught SABBATH DAY!!!! he had had quesitons about why it was not saturday but we answered those and he said 'alright, i need to pray for a new job because the job i have makes me work sunday' and then he was like 'also, id like to pray for a permit so i could take my whole family to church every sunday with me' FAMILY WITH A CAR!!! soon :) man. literally. look at his faith and desire to serve the Lord. I am so happy.

So that was very full full fun week for Soeur Tenney :) they figured out im leaving after the 8th so they're stoked for the baptism and all things!! im so happy too! 

I love them. they are so important to me! marriage is so important to me and family! their family is so beautiful! i will get a pic with them this week :) but so.... 

another thing! every morning we wake up and go work out and at our neighbors tree theres like 50 monkeys that steal the mangos.. like is that even real????? also a lot of soccer in the rain this week again :) i love Guyane!

One other success! a family weve been teaching we went by and the kids liked the scripture '1 nephi 1:12' which says he read and felt the spirit. So I started teaching about that and soeur Winter said i got her on the nemo stream like president Mehr does!! yes!I'm teaching like him! on the nemo stream! a super big success for me.

Its not about lessons, its about people and thats all i really care about these next couple weeks. Church is so awesome because i just sit there and see the saints gather and look at them and think of how i can help them. I love serving here because theres just not that many members and they all are so faithful. We can help them so much and I love being a missionary! life is so good! families are the best!

love you all  *Soeur Tenney

The spirit is just like a turning ball within me...

 Family!

I want to read a quote from my journal to you! because you asked momma

'The spirit is just like a turning ball within me. I never feel like it's not there. Well, sometimes I do and I fix it. MAN! I love it so much. How does the Spirit get in there? And to so many people at one time? Questions I'd ask Jeffrey R Hollande. I love him. Call me please? :) or Pres Mehr'

So could you please pass this journal entry to Elder Holland? or Presdeitn mehr! haha ABBY EYRE!! please? no im just kidding but i studied those questions this week and i found some good stuff! Literally there spirit is there for anyone who will seek it! Everything we do can become a spiritual experience! This morning, i was in the shower after having won a soccer game members vs missionaries but i got to join the members team :) but i was in the shower and I just really would have rather NOT and been studying or something.. the urgency is so real! but then I realized, 'i must shower so that i can be clean so that i can feel the spirit!' wow! ok well that was a petit little spiritual experience but this week there was so many!!

Another! Soeur aimee works with us every friday and Soeur winter decided to stop this car (because we only talk to people with cars) and we talk to him and Aimee is so close to the spirit and she says 'he sad' so i ask 'are you sad!' and he said ya! His wife just told him to leave and he is just super lost! So that night he came and played volleyball with us and came to church! wow! way to follow the spirit aimee! and me! and soeur winter! 

This week i also had a really cool experience where the Lord spoke to me very personally. and he helped me help an investigator! oh ya and president Herrington came! and boy is it different! love him! haha but what a change! but he was super cool! one thing he said is be the missionary that your investigators can't sleep at night because of what you shared with them!/

The week was great. It ended with a great dicsussion with Elena who got baptized last week and is already almost 200 pages into Jesus the Christ because she wanted another book to read and she LOVES it!!! she said 'its weird to be closer to you 2 than my own 2 daughters' she is an amazing woman and convert! she wants to send one of her daughters to america next summer. any member out there want to keep her? my family maybe?? shes so cute! her name is Josepha!!

So yes, missoinary work is a way of life; it is SO FUN!! today i officially have one month left! what!! its crazy! i remember tressa said she just cried a ton at the end but guyane literally is just like a magical land i dont even know how to descirbe it! its like im just floating through life in a spirit cloud! again with the analogies... sorry:!! haha so ya reginal and venante are doing great! reginale is having a hard time commiting!!! why didnt you come to church?? but they love us so much and are well on their way to conversion!! i love it and them!! 

Well i love life! im really busy! going hard to the end! cant wait to see you all and read all these blog things I"ve done??

follow the spirit!

I realize i talked about how the spirit is always with me. I"ll describe maybe how and why i feel that. Because one I am obedient. Every little rule i follow helps the spirit get there super fast. One because i have the gift of tongues and can effectively commmunicate with people and help them feel the spirit. I"m just like a vessel for the Lord to help His children feel his love. and 2 i study the scriptures!!!!! the scriptures are FLOODGATES to the spirit and revelation! and I study the words of the living prophets! So mommy hopefully that answers your questions! the spirit is so wodnerful! seek it! live it! love it! obey it! and the commandments 

Love,

Soeur Tenney 

Beautiful baptism of Elena

hey family!!!

so this week was amazing!! actually a lot happened this week! haha let me tell ya!

About a week or 2 ago 2 missionaries left and we didn't get replacements so now theres only 6, and this week it got a little to me, and i really felt the pressure! but no matter! oh my gosh also, fun facts really fast actually scary facts for people like my mom, I BURNED MY HANDS THIS WEEK!! ok well we got sunburnt thursday and then i drive the car and the tips of my fingers got like second degree burns! on 3 fingers!! its so gross!! hahahah i tell people that snakes bit me or that theres bugs in my skin. or that im turning into a lizard. haha or last night we saw a SLOTH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD!! funniest experience ever!! haha so anyways this morning i told people the sloth grabbed my fingers and made them all deformed.. i hope i dont have scars! moral of the story i need to take care of my body more. I'm going to the pharmacy today, but a really nice lady in the ward bought me some cream and i put it on at night. But man being sunburnt WIPED ME OUT!! i was exhausted from it!! hahaha

Anyways in more fun news! so I havent told you about this beautiful family that loves soeur winter and I :) its Reginale and Venante! So Reginale was of course a right before 9 oclock miracle when we were about to go home, but Soeur winter and I just kinda walked down the street and a scooter drove up and, we flagged it down and it was reginale!! he was stoked!! he gave us his number. We came over and taught him and hes got 3 kids! The first time we came the wife prayed and said 'I dont know why these girls are here but thank you' now she loves us! ever since! this week! or maybe it was last week and maybe i already shared this experience, but she was like 'ever since you've came, things have gone better in our house' and then  they're just so perfect! the kids are stoked to be baptized we just have to work on the parents. Reginale was like 'were not ready!' so we said, 'ok what would help you feel ready?' and he said, well i should probably need to read this book and we said 'ok we invtie you to do that!' teaching through questions. its the best way.

anyways! they have a 3 month baby and one scooter, so the mom and daughter came to church for the first time yestserday and the dad and son 2 weeks ago. it was his birthday saturday and they offerred us chicken, but we were fasting. haha this family is amazing. venante the mom said, 'i just felt like we were really in the house of the Lord' at church. so ya. theyre amazing.

Richard!! he didnt come to church this week so we have to follow up with him this week. we taught him law of chastity and hes prayng about it. hes the best!!

Fernando and Samule!! we kinda backed off fernando because his parents werent really into it but we would still teach them like once a week and this week his DAD woke him up and said 'fernando! were going to church!!!' so they came! what a miracle! hes in a weird mood but not stoked about baptism right now; but SOON!! i know it!! 

so our investigators are SO CLOSE and donig SO GOOD!! just praying for miracles and commitment and keeping teaching with boldness and LOVE!!!!

so ya. i wanna tell you about Elena now. She came uip to the elders and said 'i wanna know about you church!!' the elders lost her number but as they cleaned the apartment about 5 weeks ago they found it and invited her to church. she came to church and read the book of mormon super fast and yesterday was her baptism!! AMAZING! this church is true! i did not give that story justice but she LOVES all the missionaries. she brought us lunch at the church one day and wrote us all notes because she loves and admires us and yesterday we went to eat at her house after her confirmation and it was so tranquil. it was amazing. TRES it was like literally anthropology she had an orange kitchen and ^plants hangning all randomly and spices and shes a vegetarian and her kids are so cute. she had fish tanks!! anyways! it was a neat experience for me cuz missionaries had never been to her home ( they always taught her at the church) and i felt how she feels the spirit and has felt the spirit her whole life but we missionaries just litearlly filled ever corner of her house with the Spirit. We left her house with the Spirit. That is a neat thing I will never forget. Walking into homes and being able to feel the spirit(or lack of and need to bring it). Its crazy. I am very close to the spirit right now.

Well, that was pretty much my week! amazing! baptisms are coming for my friends im really excited :) love you all and see you pretty dang soon!

 

Love, 

soeur tenney

 

 

 

Baptism of Elena

 

"Birthday highlights"

Dear Family and friends,

 

raooowwwwwww i dont even know how to describe my birthday week! just the best week of my life! its starts with telling the right people oh and trust me i told the right people :) so a recent convert MARIA who reminds me of my momma (photo attached) had a soiree familial tuesday night for the missioanries leaving and my birthday. all the brazlilians were there including leno who is like my brazilian father. i saw leno everyday this week for sports and because he worked with me on my birthday :) ill tell you about that.as on my brithday!!

so ill tell you the higlights of my birthday. first; we went on a birthday walk to the beach :) and when i put my feet in the water God made some fish jump out and do a little fish slip show for my! first birthday present from God! then Melove texted and told us SHE BELIEVES IN GOD!! MIRACLE!! so we saw her sunday and that was wonderful!! then we had to plan, so we went to the baech and i got sunburnt :) and had some GREAT INSPIRATION! then cordination where the elders made me a cake but we dipped out early to get my package and go teach RICHARD ON MY BIRTHDAY WITH FRERE LENO!! such a magical combination! literaly even though richard isnt brazilian and leno is they are the same person! the spirit was so strong! leno cried testifying! and richard accepted to be baptized! and he came to the baptism saturday and told the elders 'next baptism is ME' hahahaha yes i love richard!! so that was great. and then some members had some cake blah blah blah. 

this week im just grateful. so so grateful. and so happy! i fasted sunday to thank the Lord. for all that I've learned and how great the work is going now and how confident and all the blessings hes given me! IM SO HAPPY! i really dont know what else to say! OH! and i get to teach district meeting tomorrow and really inspire this place to grow as the Lord wants! so happy! new mission pres comes next week. 

I love following the spirit. yesterday i pretended like i was a new misionary and made soeur Winter train. she didnt like it. neither did i! i dont life feeling useless!! 

oh ya and friday night at volleyball leno brought me coxinha. its delicious. i am so blessed to be a misionary here. LIFE ROCKS! sorry i dont really know how to describe it!!

Love,

Soeur Tenney 

 

Birthday girls party!

 

"Her name is "MELOVE"

hello my dear dear loved ones,

YES! its my birthday this week. I'm really proud of myself. last year on my birthday, I celebrated ALL TRANSFER LONG! a little bit embarrassing... haha and like no one really knows this time. EXCEPT of course the important people. like of course, Soeur Maria, recent convert we're teaching her daughter, who throws great family nights, or as I like to call them soiree familiales, so tuesday because some missionaries are leaving shes throwing a soiree familiale with everyone (basically meaning all the members and some of our investigators) for the leaving missionaries and my birthday :) YAY!! thursdays gonna be the best day ever!!!! i think? OF COURSE!! i remember how aweosme my birthday was last year. im gonna ask for so many miracles!! and they will all come! 

ANYWAYS! so i feel like i just talked to you cuz it was Wednesday when i emailed last, but ill give you a little update. haha so Richard is still sick and couldn't make it to church ;( but no worries he will get baptized before i leave! ill keep you all updated! im gonna try and update you on my investigators! so we've been teaching the Monazah family :) thats the family that made me cry they're so humble and haitian and love God and the church. anyways so hes come to church and hes preparing for baptism but were trying to get the WHOLE FAMILY INVOLVED! because theyre actually married! (im about 80 percent sure ill confirm next week, not sure if they understood the question, the creole french barrier is a little hard) ANWAYS little 16 year old MICHELINE came to church and her smile just melts my heart! because Monazah only has a scooter. He can only bring one person in his beautiful family of 5 kids (like my family) to church :) ANYWAYS so i love this family! and all the members love this family! they are progressing so beautifully, and I know we'll see some baptisms really soon from them :)

Fernando hasn't been to church in a while :( but we're focusing on teaching his whole family and his dad has crazy work. He said he's coming to church in July, so we'll try and see where it'll go from there!

and i want to tell you a cool miracle from this week :) so our appointment fell through, of course! I"m a missionary what do you expect! and we had aimee with us my mini misionary :) who is awesome! and the neighbor was painting! so we asked to help and they said 'come on in!!' so fun! so we came in and painted and i was wearing this cute hawaiian dress aimee got me. anyways! details! so we painted and then there was this girl there, MELOVE! thats her name so cute! shes 20! and she was SO INTERESTED! she told me (while painting of course) that she stopped going to church and shes SO CLOSE to not believing in God, and so i told her, i went through a phase like the too. but the BOOK OF MORMON helped me! so we're gonna go see her this week (hopefully on my birthday) and i just reall like her! She's so prepared! and shes such a miracle! before we left she said, 'your pretty and i dont think your crazy, so i think theres gotta be a God.' just makes me feel good you know. 

and i know i always tell really cool stories like that, cuz im kinda a really sparatic and crazy missionary! but i really felt it with melove! so we'll see where she goes! im EXCITED! for  this week!!

MISIOINARY WORK IS THE BEST. I love the gospel so much. The gospel is so so wonderful. The gospel is in magic. The gospel helps me! The gospel is me! I love it! 

I love you all too! and ill see you all soon! but for now! im gonna go SERVE THE LORD ALL DAY EVERYDAY!

Love,

Soeur Tenney

 

 

                        Monazah family!

                             

                               Sisters in Suriname

I LOVE Teaching!!

ohhhh my beautiful family,

I dont even know where to start! A longggg beautiful week! so wonderful!! So my mom sent me an old email from tressa as a missionary and it was so great! She was reflecting on her mission so maybe I'll do the same! haha but first I'll talk about my week.

Richard. A miracle handed to us from God. haha I LOVE RICHARD!! this guy just showed up the first sunday after his trip to Suriname! the sisters had found him before me and i taught him like once then he left to suriname; well he came back and came to church! so we thought, LETS GET HIM BAPTIZED!!  He came a couple times and this week he was dodging us and was like 'im sick'  so on the phone I said 'RICHARD WE'll BRING YOU SOUP!!' (throwback to those goyave patrick days abby eyre :) anyways so that night we made him chicken noodle soup cuz its fun and we love serving people and these people are PEOPLE and need a little love and nurturing. so THEN! we also like to call it baptismal soup! because after he accepted a baptismal date! and its for this saturday! but because we were gone were gonna have to change him to help him get there.... but ANYWAYS he WANTS to be baptized! miracle( fun soup :) haha

So the week before, Suriname was great, but then saturday we get in the car with the elders and hop the border to SURINAME!! long trip on the BOAT to suriname :) we got plenty snacks and stamps at borders and lots of weird new languages. a straight ROAD TRIP on the mission so fun!! haha then we get to the sisters apartment and they were so excited! their place was so cute!! we went to church in dutch and i learned many things! 1; i do NOT like feeling useless! PUT ME TO WORK! and 2: i have become an extremely effective tool in the Lord's hands preaching His gospel in the language I have been called! haha SO GREAT! great lessons! i did a lot of life reflecting this trip because our phones didnt work so its not like i even could call my investigators if i wanted to. a FORCED vacation for me and soeur winter but i guess it was nice :) i'll take it. SURINAME WAS BEAUTIFUL! the sisters got us bikes so we went out with them and rode all around and it was amazing!! we ended up teaching a guy in french for them that was so sweet!!

So then was zone conference/ man that was rough! last zone conference of the west indies mission! wow. soeur Mehr and President Mehr are just 2 people I really really look up to. I have learned so much from both of them. I really really enjoyed watching them teach. oh ya that was another thing i learned this week. I LOVE TEACHING!! anyways so i watched them teach. they both have very different ways of teaching and I want to master them both!! haha and when president mehr is teaching he just puts you in the nemo stream, he says: when dory and marlin cross the sea on that current. The Lord's truth is like that. Jospeh Smith, with the education of a 3rd grader, was able to tap into the nemo stream. and then when we were doing a role play in front of EVERYONE (scary.. haha jk not really) and when president mehr totally corrected me and taught me how i should have taught him, he looked me with his eyes in the nemo stream of truth and knowledge. ok i may not be explaining this right, you might not get it but President mehr is just an amazing teacher. so when he was bearing his testimony about how he wasted and wore out his life here on his mission, it was super hard to hear and i was just really sad! but happy! i just love them so much! and we had a comp study with soeur mehr after. and she is amazing. so i was sad but also excited to meet the new presdeint! WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY!! wooowwww zone conference was so good. so worth it.

so yes i was in suriname and another country and it was crazy and a cool experience but feeling that nemo stream and feeling lost in time when president mehr taught eternal truths made it all worth it. 

So i learned this week that i LOVE teaching. which is why ive decided im gonna be a teacher. I LOVE TEACHING!! it is so fun! im so grateful for all the people i do get to teach! Soeur Winter and I have such a desire to teach people these true saving doctrines! man i am so blessed! 

I learn something new everyday! now and for the rest of my mission i am going to write down how i followed the spirit everyday and how i feel as i teach. these are feelings to never forget!!

Love,

Soeur Tenney

This church is built on FAITH

ma famille!

Wow. Its just amazing how much i CONTINUE to learn on my mission! Every day every week! It's insane! I think the biggest thing I've learned is following the Spirit. Man literally I have spiritual experiences everyday and it's hard to decide what I should talk about!!

So  this week i was praying and pondering before going to bed right.? and even though Im training (ya right shes so awesome) im still just trying to push myself and keep myself growing, while at the same time really helping out Soeur Winter get missionary work and french.. its very busy! but i like it :) so i was just  trying to think how i could be better and i knew the next day for comp study, we had to study- teaching people the lesson, so i had the idea to let soeur winter teach ME! ( shes a master at that) so obviously that idea came from the spirit and in comp study she taught me,so I was DONE! who cares about the lesson plans anymore lets just teach poeple! so we go to the guy Monazah's house and he mostly speaks creole, and we didnt have a member so i knew it was gonna be rough, but i was just really trying to teach them, and it was so awesome! He was so awesome! He was just so humble and he say's 'ya i have a quesion, so whats the book of mormon' and so we were able to teach him and help him understand and he accepted it!  He has a scooter so he comes to church but his family of I think 5 all really want to go too, and theyre all girls and so cute! (one boy!) Anyways so at the end, we said a kneeling praying in their humble little home, and i just couldnt hold it together. We said 'thank you for letting us come over' and Monazah in his broken french was just like 'no thank you! church is so important for us' and they just have nothing! man it really just broke me! he was  talking about how its hard but he knows that this is important. I dont know if you even got that story but i was just really humbled! all the girls just feel the spirit so well and just cant wait to study with us! i really just felt like what the heck am i doing here! but theyre awesome :) so humble and will all be in the temple one day :) monazah is s cool!!!! haha

ok so that was a random story funny story. so saturday i became blues clues and just wooped out my handy dandy notebook to do some GETTIING PEOPLE TO CHURCH! all our investigators (not many came;. thats ok! we'll do better next week!) haha but I to start wierd random traditions with soeur winter. she thinks im funny! haha but we always pray for no rain on sunday because all our peeps have scooters and then they cant come to church if it rains!! haha

so sunday roles around and not many people went? but it was fast and testimony meeting and these people i tell you are so faithful! all of us members of the church are so extremely faithful! this work this church is all built on faith! i love it! recent convert Leno talked about paying tithing and how its helping him prosper and its like every story ive heard in every chruch manual but just coming from leno was just so cool! were teaching his daughter :) she was there and she has a hearing problem. I love he,r and friday we had just taught her about the dime. tithing sorry. I love her!

so im still full of ideas and being led by the spirit! and this week i go to suriname and will get even more ideas from the lord!! yippee!!!!! this work is so fun! soeur winter is such a good hard worker!

love you all soeur tenney

Teaching is just SO FUN!

family!!!!

 

little bit overwhelmed by all the fun everyone had at MY BEST FRIENDS HOMECOMING!! shout out to the home girl abby eyre!! see you soon babe! but NOT REALLY I HAVE SO MUCH WORK TO DO!! i tell you this training this is just the best thing ever! it just helps me be so focused, and we have so much success just at our fingertips!!!!

where to start?? literally all i can tell you is that the Lord loves us a lot. and the sisters have done some GREAT work here and soeur winter and I are just purifying and bringing everyone to baptism! its amazing!! I think one of the greatest things ive learned this week is FINDING by the SPirit. Sometimes, missionaries get sad when things fall through and then they just have to go 'contact' and they hate it but a problem soeur winter and i have found is that we get a little sad at the end of the day because we didnt have time to go finding because we were teaching so many investiagtors!!! haha its insane! so literally we have had to really pray and seek inspiration about WHO to go see because theres a lot of people the Lord is expecting us to bring unto Him. its the best :)

so we had a soiree familial with fernando and his family and that was AWESOME! that family is so humble and just cannot wait to feel the Spirit as we pass! 

theres also this recent convert (as in like 2 weeks) Valdir. His wife was baptized first, Maria, who reminds me so much of YOU momma!! and were teaching their  daughter right now! shes 19 her names Lorena and she is SO CUTE! anyways monday night we had a soiree familial and these boys kept coming in and they speak like half portguese and french and it was just hilarious; and they were yelling at the ants, and theyre always yelling at their dog 'POOKA' who always reminds me of Bells. hahah anyways so were working with that family and its SO AWESOME!! OH YA!!

and the Soeur Virgile! Her boyfriend (that shes living with) was home and she wasnt so we just offered to iron his clothes for him and ending up doing that for like an hour and he was just so defensive! but then we came by the next.. OH WAIT! no! aimee came with us and she just like testified about how the gospel will change you! and Virgile is so gonna get baptize soon! Just gonna be a crazy changin her life battle! and the boyfriend was there saturday and we taught the plan of salvation and she LOVED IT!!

i just love how much ive learned. How I can just tell when the Spirit touches someones life. I am so blessed! THat the Lord helps me see this! Man! Teaching is just so FUN!! im so blessed to be serving here and I love the Lord and the work so much! Soeur Winter is the best! she is so pushing me and helping me just finish strong! and she loves hearing me talk about missionary work and i just couldnt ask for anything better cuz thats all i ever wanna talk about :) ITS THE BEST! 

the gospel is clear and makes perfect sense. i love it!

Soeur Tenney

So many COOL investigators

 Family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So yes it is true, I am training, and her name is Soeur winter! like frozen! I just think of frozen when i think of her name!! ah!! so monday and tuesday consisted of parties (soiree familials/fhes) for soeur vance and all the departing missionaries and then wednesday i had a temp who was a recent convert of about 1 month!!! that was awesome! I just really tried to help her feel the spirit and have a good time on the mini-mission. She loved it, her life has completely changed since her baptism. that was soeur Aimee. I LOVE HER SO MUCH!! so that was awesome! and then thursday in come SOEUR WINTER!!! ahhh she gets in and its always awkward the first second like 'woah wheres soeur vance' but then we go get food and then we come home and eat and study and right away we just go to work! SHE wanted to do that! I didnt even have to make it happen! We started planning and talking about our amis and of course fernando calls so we say  'lets go teach him!!' so then we teach him! and also taught this recent convert family's daughter that just moved to our area. THAT was a wonderful thing, i think it was a great first day for her :)

 Then the next day was just as awesome! We took soeur aimee with us and went and taught ASHLEY, a members daughter! shes 12 and my best friend! Her and I walked arm and arm into church on sunday, a very precious moment in my life :) and then we taught VIRGILE! she is such a miracle! that lesson was so awesome. The Lord really qualifies us. Virgile loves to talk and she says really really inpsired thing like 'i know that you didnt knock on my door for nothing' and its amazing! so the spirit was so strong and soeur winter felt that and invited her to be baptized in 4 weeks and she said yes!! and the next day she told us she knows that she would have to move out and change her life to keep Gods commandments. she is so prepared!!!!!!!!!!!!!! man but soeur winter just knows how to follow the spirit! she is such a natural leader and is not scared of anything!! Her and I started a 40 day fast together, getting rid of all the things that would not let the Spirit help us be effective tools in the Lords hands. We're both getting rid of our doubts and fears. AHHHH TRAINING IS AWESOME!! soeur winter is just so good at following the spirit and being obedient and also listening to me :) we both decided we couldnt have had a better start or end to our missions its literally amazing! i know how mindful the Lord is of me in sending me Soeur Winter. hhahahaa its hilarious because it wasnt until last night that we really started getting to know each other. but even though before that we were already best friends just talking about the gospel and our investigators and missionary work together. we are both such missionary work geeks!!! hahaha its so fun! literally. i cant think of a better way to end my mission! or for her to start! haha best of both worlds!! 

so its fun. because i still get so excited about missionary work and shes so fresh so its all new and exciting for her. I just told her lets just pretend like were opening up the area together but we have a little head start because we have SO MANY COOL INVESTIGATORS; but were starting over today. like for example this guy richard that we taught  3 or 4 weeks ago just shows up at church and we've been praying for people with cars in that area! oh ya! this work is the best it all works on faith!  soeur winter and I got a lot of it!

so I'm happy! and so capable! the Lord has so much success in store for us i know it! soirre familiale with fernando and his whole family tonight! yahuh!!!! so stoked!

this work is so important and true

Love,

soeur tenney

 

"Kill the cow people"

Hello everybody!!!!!

wow what a week! this place is nuts so much to do so much to learn so many people to teach and help and invite to come unto Christ!! its nuts! so probably the best part of the week was when we were teaching fernando of course and in walks one of his friends as usual and just starts listening to the lesson but he doesnt really speak french just spanish so fernando is like' keep teaching!!' so we do then we read a scripture and his friend is like 'mormon??' and were like ya!! and hes like 'i was baptized mormon in santo domingo! (dominican republic)' WHAT!!! ive only been praying for that my whole mission! to run into a member of the church! just like par hasard! just like out of no where! and he was like YA FERNANDO GET BAPTIZED!! so hes getting baptized the 30 of may. stoked stoked! he is so awesome fernando! another miracle was we were oging to teacfh him last night after he came to church :) and as were driving up hes walking to his house next to a lady and he offers to help her with the coconuts she was holding. he offerred her service! i dont know but it was precious to me!! so then we talked about service and callings and acted out the good samaritan with him. its fun to be a missionary :)

oh my gosh theres some stories i just dont want to tell you. haha like how we have a truck right. ya well its INFESTED with cockroaches! it is SO DUSGUSTING! hahaha me and my comp had to kill a bunch monday night because relief society gave us some cookies to give to a family. that was crazy!!

man so the members here just like LOVE the missionaries! ewpeically Leno who is basically our coahc the one who trains us in soccer.. haha because some missionaries are leaving like my comp and the missionary who baptized Leno, he had us all over for munch after church :) it was so nice! and he was like 'ALL OF YOU ARE INVITED TOMORROW NIGHT FOR AN FHE' haha even though someone had already invited us all and then he shut the door and was like 'NO IM LOCKING YOU IN TIL TOMORROW NIGHT THEN' hahahahaha he loves the missionaries! it is so nice to feel loved! then you can really just like magnify your calling!!!!!!!

oh also were teaching leno's daughter who has kinda of a hearing problem. her name is ashley shes the other girl in the pic. she is SO CUTE! i love teaching her! shes like dying to be baptized so we just need to talk to her mom.. shes so awesome..

so guyane is the best. and these last few months of my mission i will be TRAINGIN!!!! i get a new girl! let me tell you a story that elder cornish told me. ( of the 70) its called that there was this boy who earned a living for him and his mom through his cow right? but he asks the wise man who comes to town how he can make more money because he wanted more money, like everyohne! so the wise man looks at his property and his house and his cow and walks over and pushes the cow off the cliff and the cow dies and the boys like WHAT!! and the wise man is like 'youll thank me later' so the wise man comes back a couple years later and theres this huge house in the town and he asks 'whos house is that' and the poieple are like'the boy that you killed his cow!!' so basically. KILL THE COW PEOPLE. theres things were doing because were used to it and its NOT WORKING. or not producing our potential. so thats why im excited to traing because thsi new missionary will have NO COWS! and im not letting any cows come up in my life!!!!

so life rocks! i love being a missionary and ready for my new comp!

SOeur Tenney

family reunion

People!

 

I"m a little thrown off because i feel like i just had a family reunion with my huge awesome family of 9 yesterday!! that was the best thing ever! i liked when we all just talked on the phone together for the first little bit :) that was the best!

anyways! this week was another awesome! first of all my companion finishes her mission this next week but she is just GOING HARD TO THE END! she is the one that's giving out all the book of mormons! I'll just walk up to peole and she'll finish em with a book of Mormon, haha its the best!

so monday night we had a family night with leno's  niece named ashley and it was so fun! thats something i learned here. family nights are the best part of the week for these people! im definitely taking that tradition home with me! FAMILY NIGHTS ARE AWESOME (i used to strongly dislike them... haha) but anyways so we went by cute ashley later that week and she has a hearing impairment, but she was so cute! we watched resto vieo with her and she saw the baptism and said, I WANT THAT! so we'll get her there! shes the best!

and then of course theres fernando! we were able to teach his dad this week and he works a LOT but he is all in support of fernando and his kids coming to church and learning the gospel. fernando LOVES learning! he was supposed to come to church this week and he asked his neighbor to take him! because hes awesome and self reliant! but then his neighbor didnt take him :( so that was sad! but hes still awesome, and sunday when we went by (right before i talked to my family) i took a pic and his mom who speaks mostly creole got super excited and ran and put on lip stick and came out all excited for the picture! were gonna print her some today :)

who else?? theres so many cool people here were teaching! we just like run by teaching people and then to sports and to family home evenings its like every missionaries dream down here!

Well i just would like to bear my testimony that I know this church is true! And that you can't put a limit on God! That when we are obedient to the prophets and our leaders it works! the gospel makes us happy! I'm so grateful for the knowledge and testimony I've gained on my mission and I'm so grateful to serve Him so hard everyday! 

This church is the best! 

Love Soeur Tenney 

 

 

 

Fernando

 Young women in her branch

 

soiree familial chez leno.

family night at lenos!!

FERNANDO so awesome

family wamily!

what another great great week here in south america! you know i always had the feeling id serve here! man it is so fun!! 

WHAT DO I EVEN SAY!! all i can say is weve seen a lot of progress me and my dearest companion, in our area. ITS AWESOME! I attribute it all to the number of copies of the book of mormon we give out. SO MANY! daily! this book is true! this gospel is true! ANYWAYS! some fruits of oiur giving out eh boo of mormon labors were manifested in some AWESOME phone calls we received this week! hint: rarely ever do people call the missionaries, unless theyre AWESOME!! 

so it was friday night and we had just taught our wonderufl ami FERNANDO!! 14. so awesome. he loves loves studying with us. and we had the talent show that night where i was a soldier singing we are all enlisted with the relief society and got to wear pants!! see the photo :) but ya so we had talent show and as were like on the way there fernando calls and is like 'madame!' yes he calls us madame haha were trying to change that hahaha but he says 'madame where are you.... i have 4 friends who want to study!!' haha but we had talent show! so then we passed by saturday and taught him and all hes friends again and he was like 'give them the book give them the book!' he told us like all week he couldnt come to church and then sunday morning he called us and was like 'madame! i need a ride to church!' haha and brought his bro and cousin. love him!! 

another sweet phone call! we found this guy contacting at 8 oclock and went back and taught him and gave him a book of mormon and he was sweet! originally we had found his like wife but she wasnt there that day. but then saturday she calls us and says 'HEY! when are you gonna bring me that book!!!' haha UH TOUTE DE SUITE! RIGHT AWAY! and we went right away :) and she was awesome!

THEN!! friday night again we get a phone call and its this girl we had given a book of mormon too the wek previously and was like 'so is nephi like moses, i dont understand!' and we explained it to her and passed the next night and she had like felt so much peace just from reading like 5 pgaes in the book.

so these calls might sound lame but to a missionary it was GOLD!! haha THE BOOK OF MOMON IS THE BEST! it really helped us this week! and every week!

so ya we had a talent show and church was great! and i had soccer practice this morning! the branch loves missionaries its so fun!

OH MY GOSH AND OF COURSE!! we found a less active this week/ her name is angeline! we went by and heard from her cuz shes the sister of a recent convert!!!! anyways we went by just to meet her and she let us right in and we read with her and she cried and was like 'i want to come ack to church! now is the time! i want me and my family to come back!!' so that was awesome too. life is great i tell ya!

im grateful for family and the chuirch and God's plan for us! i love being a member of this church! we are so blessed!

 

soeur tenney

 

The Spirit is simple

family!

wow i dont even know what to say! i guess i can just say that i LOVE coming to new areas! espeically south america man! these people are awesome! everyone wants to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ! and my favorite thing is talking to EVERYONE!! (id say thats a strenght of mine :)

so first of all a couple culture things! you know i just got done with soccer practice because frere leno trains us the monday morning! haha and monday night we went to his house and all the brazilians started dancing! and this weekend there will be a talent show! excited for what that will bring!! but also wednesday we play soccer you know.. and it starts raining right before and im like 'are we still going...? ' in my head! haha but OF COURSE!! we go to this turf field and play in the rain for 2 staight hours like it wwant even raining! these poeple are awesome!!!!! hahahah im dying! and volleyabll friday night and this recent convert family came and played (the picture) and the kids remind me of all my cousins! crazy, awesome stuff!

so talking to everyone can get you places man! last week no one came to church and trhis week a whole CAR came to church and we ended up with 7 amis at church! nuts! its called following the spirit.. but anyways i wanna tell you about this sweet investigator FERNANDO!! hes actually haitian and haitians i tell ya just have a really special place in my heart :) forever! so its like in between an appointment and were like supposed to talk to eveyrone right and im like known for that (seriuosly thatw what the mission thinks of me. haha) but so theres this little kid and im like 'alright im just gonna talk to him see how hes doing..' but then our appointment wasnt there so we go back and were lkike 'fernando can we teach you now?' and hes like sure! and hes awesome! then we go back and teach his dad and hes mlike super genuine and nice and wants to learn more and not marrie but has kids and wants to follow crhist, his name is samuel but theyre both just like YA PASS ANYTIME! so theyre the best investigators ever! fernando was supposed to come with another investigator to church but we went by sunday morning and he wasnt there! long story short we got this other investigaotr who like isnt even an investigator to come pick him up! and now fernando's preparing for the 16 of may to be baptized! what! guyane is wonderful! my favorite part of teaching him is just how much he loves understanding/ dc 50:22 just like describes how much he loves understanding.!! 

i dont even know what else to say really except that this place is wonderful! were all working on finding families and autonome people (people with cars, self reliant that means) so that the branch can really progress! i mean ok! haha ill do whatever the Lord wants! heard my girl karly osborne got home and talked about following the spirit. I get it! people over complicate things! the Spirit is simple! Moroni 7:33 if it invites to do good its from God! Satan tries to confuse us. so if you have the idea to do something nice for someone, thats the spirit! and do it! it can only bring you happiness! i guess id say that right now im working on following the spirit in being the most effective with my time! really trying to build Christ!s church the best I can here! and i tell ya Guyane leaders make it real easy! but anyways i love serving the Lord and I love being here! Christ lives!

 

Soeur Tenney