September 2009 - September 2011

The Journey from Beginning to End

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Week #23: Baptisms coming up!

(Email to Mom 10-e) It's been kind of a short week. We have some baptisms this week of a married couple and another man. Elder Gannon will be happy to know Fabio and Suelen are getting baptized! Also, a man named Eduardo.

We are going into the city center today. We may pass by the Amazon Theater and get some photos or something.

Tell the Nichols thank you for the letter. I got it on Monday.

I also got the Package!!! Swedish fish, rips and peach rings!!! YAY!

On March 16 I will have 6 months in Brazil already. It is just going by so fast. Sam got his Eagle?!?! WOW! Don't wait for me. It's better to do things when you can.

Not much really happened this last week. When we have baptisms, we end up putting a lot of time into letting everyone know and making sure that the new people are doing good. It's hard to visit everyone all the time. Then it rains and throws all scheduling out the window.

One thing that has been happening is that a few people we are teaching have relatives that are dying, and another has a son that got shot last Sunday. I am just so thankful for the plan of salvation and for the help it brought to these people. And to me.

Sorry, hope I have more next week. I am doing good. Just super tired.

(Email to Dad 10-e) Eu estou bem. que legal! Gideon chegou já? Faz muito tempo desde a última quarta-feira, na?

Anywho, Translation--> I am well. Cool! Gideon already arrived? It has been a lot of time since the last Wednesday, huh?

So the Virgin River trickle is still at a low? There are bigger rivers running down the roads here when it rains for one day than what's in that ditch.

I haven't been using my arms much these past six months, so I don't have much muscle anymore from tennis season. My legs are huge from all the hills and walking and soccer, though. Well, not huge, but bigger.

I saw some of the ice dancing  (Olympics) while we were at lunch the other day. It looks coooooold... They also played footage of the Georgian guy dying. How sad! Send the missionaries right away!

Work is going good here. We have 3 baptisms this Friday. A married couple and another man. We had zone conference this Monday and President Jayme went over the importance of baptizing men and families, and Elder Seastrand and I were some of the only ones who aren't baptizing little kids and young women this transfer. The mission goal for the year is 2000 baptisms with 30% men. Last year they had about 2200 baptisms with I think 19%. The goal was only 25%, but since the last few months we have been hitting it, we upped it to 30. Church starts at 8:30 here (morning, yay....) with priesthood, then Sunday school, and everyone comes in for sacrament at the end. The other ward, Grande Vitória (Great Victory) starts at 9 with a regular sacrament, Sunday school, priesthood schedule. There is usually between 50-80 people every week. There are a lot of inactive people in this ward, and it's on the edge of becoming a branch again unless they can get more mel. priesthood holders. (Which we are giving them. :) )

Money is good. Both of our old Zone leaders went home or transferred, so we have new ones now. I'm starting to build up my reserve again. We get R$100 every two weeks, and I try to put at least R$20 in it every time.

On March 16 I will already have 6 months! Where is the time going, dad? It's just shooting by and I am still in my first area.

Oh! I got a mission dvd of 2009. It's like a slideshow of different areas in the mission. I am going to try and burn a copy and send it to you. It's pretty cool. My area is in it. It shows the stairs into the "pit of despair" and our house.

The closest elders live 3 apartments over in our building. We live on one end, and they are about 50 feet down. They work in the other ward in my building. There is also a branch in our district (Cidade do leste--> East City) with a couple more elders. We may have another branch form soon in our area also. I pretty much live in the area on the furthest part away from the city center.

There are some parts of my area I haven't even been to. It is HUGE. I went out past the factory industrial zone to visit some less active members with Elder Gannon one time, but it took about an hour round trip to walk that far. Barely anyone has a car in my area and those that do, work.

Thanks for the talk! It was super good! I'm not as homesick as you think I am. And I am having a really good time. Do I come off as sounding depressed? ooops. hahaha.

We are going to the city center today. We may pass the theater amazonas and take some pictures and stuff.

I'm doing good. Love you tons papai. (pah-pie) (daddy)

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Week #22: Carnaval ends...

I am doing good. My camera has been set on vivid colors since I left, so I really am not as burned as what it looks like. I already know I am doomed to skin cancer in the future, what with being from {southern} Utah and then serving here on the part of the earth closest to the sun.

Carnaval just ended last night. I saw some things I never want to see again. Everyone is off the streets today though, mostly because the kids are back in school and all the parents are hung over at home.  It wasn't too bad, though.
 
We have some baptisms this week and next week. I am super excited. More details to come next week or so.
 
Happy Valentine's Day!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Week #21: Staying Put

Brazil Manaus Mission Symbol - 15 January 2010

29 January 2010
 
"Check it Out...No, seriously...check it out!"
(Caption by Elder Tenney - Photo 03 February 2010)
 
I am good. Transfers were yesterday. I stayed in Castanheira. Elder Seastrand stayed, too.   Next one in 6 weeks. 

Our baptisms fell through last week. They will be baptized on the 27 of February because that is their wedding anniversary. Cool beans. Got a haircut this morning. It's been raining like crazy for a few days. We plan on having 6 baptisms or more this transfer, 4 being men who are 25 or older, and also completing 2 families to be completely baptized. I'm stoked. I've been reading the Liahona from November in Portuguese and it's cool that I can actually understand them. More or less. It was kind of a slow week this last week because of the transfers and all, so that´s pretty much it. tchau tchau.

(Editor:  We got more pix from Elder Tenney this week.  Some are from awhile back but we wanted to share them along with the more current ones). 
 
Manaus Airport - 17 November 2009

"First Transfer" District - 20 December 2009

Elder Tenney @ Mission Conference on the Amazon
23 Dec. 2009
(Contemplation...First Christmas Away from Home)

The Amazing Amazon - 23 Dec. 2009
 
Sister Jayme - Mission president's wife @ Mission Conference - 23 Dec. 2009
 
Wedding of Ana Paula & Joseneire - 29 January 2010
 
Family of Joseneire & Ana Paula
 
Then...the Baptisms of Elcy & Ana Paula - 29 January 2010
Elder Seastrand & Elder Tenney (Elcy's is the first baptism Elder Tenney has performed!)
 
Brazilian Money - 22 January 2010

And More Brazilian Money - 22 January 2010

"Stuff" Elder Tenney Eats - 05 February 2010
 
"You really want me to eat THAT?!"
18 December 2009
 
"Churrasco" ...more stuff he eats :O - 27 December 2009

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Twenty Weeks

Dear Mommy and Daddy and Sister 1 and Sister 2 and Brother and all you other Family Types,
 
Hi.

I be good.

You be good, too?

That be good if you be good, too.

Right now I am just waiting for stuff to load because the internet here takes forever to upload or open a page, of which I am doing both at the same time, so it done be difficult.

Here is the highlight of our week:

Friday night- One Wedding, Two Baptisms!

The wedding was supposed to start at seven, and the baptismal service at 8, eat at 9 and be home by 9:30.

Since we are in Brazil- Wedding started at 7:30, baptism at 9:00, and we ate around 10.

Ana Paula and Joseneire are now legally married, and Ana Paula was baptized. We are still working with Joseneire. Also, Elcy was baptized, and she was the first person I got to personally baptize. It was pretty awesome.

Fabio and Suelen had the interview last week, but they didn’t feel up to the baptism yet last Friday. This Saturday is our goal to have them baptized, though. We are wracking our brains trying to find what we can do to help them. They are just scared for some reason. It's so difficult sometimes, but I have a good feeling they will.

Elder Seastrand was sick on Saturday from the food at the wedding. How do I know it was the food? Because Ana Paula, Joseneire, the Bishop, Fabio and many other people who were there were sick, too.  I think it was the vatapá, but I don´t eat it, so I wasn’t sick. Ganhei.

For Elder Sam P. :  It is alright to bring a suitcase to Brazil that is between 43-50 lbs. Make sure you have extra room for things they will give you in the CTM. Do not worry about trying to speak the language in the CTM. They will give you two small green grammar books in the ctm. Study the smaller one as much as possible, and learn the conjugations. Don’t worry about bringing a rain coat unless you really want one. Bring lots of One dollar bills. Brazilians like to trade for those. Bring a Memory card reader so that you can send home pictures easier, and set your camera to not take too large of photos so you can upload faster. Umm… what else… Look for Irmão Diniz and Irmão Arnaldo and tell them hi for me at the CTM. Don’t worry if you start to go crazy in the CTM, because the field is freedom. Sing in the Choir every Sunday and Tuesday, it helps to learn pronunciation. If I remember anything else I will send it next week.  (Editor's note: Sam P. - Let me know if you read this part for you from Elder Tenney - you can just leave a comment on the blog. Hope you are excited and getting ready - Elder Tenney is very happy to know you are heading his way!)

It was a bit of a slow week, but it's also the last week of the transfer. Transfers are next Tuesday, so we will see where I am next week. Chances are I will be staying here, though. President Jayme likes to keep people in the same area for longer periods of time. Who knows, though. It's all up to the Lord.

This last Sunday I was studying in chapter 6 in Preach My Gospel about knowledge. I wrote a poem-like thing that is just a bunch of scripture quotes to help me study it. I will type it up for you in a different file.

I think this is basically it.

Oh wow, Nick is already leaving! Time is absolutely flying by. I am already at 5 months out in a couple of weeks. I'm almost ¼ of the way done. It's too fast!!

Yes, we have hammocks, but I prefer sleeping on the bed. All apartments have hooks in the walls for them. It's pretty cool. I don’t think I am going to buy one until I am in my last transfer, though. They are a little big to carry around.

Haven’t got the package yet.

There are not many vegetables here. Lots of fruit. Lots of bread, rice and beans. I have been sticking to cereal after the raman noodle stuff, and yogurt. Mmmm….

I laminated my Preach my Gospel cover. It was starting to get trashed.

A cat got into our apartment through the open window and went through our trash and then left. 2nd time this has happened.

Love y’all!
(Editor:  This was the edited version of his email this week.  He had lots of requests for things he needs, including a memory card reader so he can download his pictures and email them to us. So, look forward to more pictures on the blog soon).