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 

"Conversion is not a mystery"

 my cher cher family,

wow im all over the place i dont even know what to say!! whatever comes to mind how about that! and sorry last week was probably crazy! haha south america is crazy i tell ya!!

so first of all these members are amazing i already love them so much! you got aimee who just got baptized this week who went and taught with us already and she was SO AWESOME! i love her shes like 35 and from tahiti she is amazing and my best friend alsready. and you ot wilna whos 16! picture to come! shes so cute and she comes out with us on sundays and she got baptized a little over a year ago! i tell ya people conversions a miracles but its no mystery! the church is true! and then you got Leno! i heard a lot about him from th missionaries that baptized him they love him and i see WHY! he got baptized within the year and he loves soccer! we play soccer every week and today, this morning, he came and taught us how to play soccer! it made such a difference! oh ya and hes brazilian haha so that was fun! SO FUN! when am i ever gonna learn how to play soccer from a brazilian? hahahaha so wonderful i got so much better after that! sooooo i love this branch!!!!

but in other news! so ya our area is super cool i dont know if i ran it down last week, we dont live in our area, we live down the street from the church, so we drive a little far to our area (i always have far areas from the church! pani problem! the lord has been preparing me for this!) haha so we have to drive to our area and theres 3 cities, balata, cogneau and matury and we just hop around to members and investigators all day! man missionary work is crazy haha but soeur vance has this place down so its easy for me! and im starting to get all our members and people down so thats fun! 

anyways so conversion is a MIRACLE but its not a mystery! think about it. the church is true. we all know that. why do we know that? HOW do we know that? are you converted? I AM!!!!! God wants us to be converted. This gospel is the way to peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come, 2 MARVELOUS blessings if you ask me! when elder cornish came, he told us we can PLAN conversion! yes it comes with prayer and fasting and receiving ansers to prayers but it WORKS! its true! so anyways ive just been letting that lead me. and i invite whoever reading to ask yourself why your converted to this gospel and if you dont know why.. MAKE IT A PRIORITY!! dont dance without the music! ready the book of mormong and aks God your quesions and I KNOW youll get a response.

so weve got some sweet new investigators!!!!!!!!!!! AH IM SO EXCITED! theres this one guy named vanel who speaks like only creole and soeur vance has kinda got that creole down, a little so we kinda get by. our first lesson we invited him to read the book of mormon in french (because thats what helped me learned french!) and our next lesson with him, was probably one of the funniest lessons of my entire mission!!!!!!! hahahahahaah so we get there and hes read every day! good job vanel! and then he just would like start reading in the book of mormon when we were like trying to teach about jospeh smith i had to like stop myself from lauyghing!! hahaha but then he would understand us and start to speka french and hes like' im getting french seee!!' hahahahah so funny! because hes reading thebook of mormon in french! i was happy :) other funny things happen but we ended up having to leave early because mosquiots were starting to come and i just couldnt handle it! he was like gonna slap my face cuw a mosquito was coming at me! so he was supposed to come to church but his girlfriend didnt pick him up (well get him next time dont you worry!) but hes a super cool ami!

and then you got those col members and weve been able to find some families! these 2 girls came up to us last week and were like 'come teach us english!' so we did! turns out the moms been to church before and shes was like 'YES COME BACK AND TEACH US THE GOSPEL!' i mean ok! id love to do that!

so. soeur tenney is gonne help some people be converted to Christ. its taken me a long time to figure this out people thats why i went off on that but CONVERSION IS NOT A MYSTERY but BIEN SUR(of course!) its a miracle! and i love miracles! and miralces come by faith.. a subject i will study more thsi week§

Well i love this gospel work and place! GUYANE ROCKS! THE GOSPEL ROCKS! and i love you all!

soeur tenney