September 2009 - September 2011

The Journey from Beginning to End

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Week #71: Another Week Gone By....

Hey,
 
What´s a hip flexor? Is that some sort of German donut? Sam says he pulled one, but I don´t think I am using my context clues very well to figure this out. I don´t know why on earth he would be pulling on donuts during a basketball game, but hey, I´m not the coach.

"We made a bunk bed out of our beds"
11 January 2011
 
"Kind of didn't work"
Elder Woolf - 11 January 2011

In response to Dad´s 1-9-2011 letter, I get handwritten letters in a couple of weeks if I am lucky and if my zone leaders are awesome. So, yeah, they come pretty fast these days. No more Christmas delays for me now! Oh, and about Jessica´s talk for the 26-12-2010, that was a super amazing talk! I am half tempted to send it in to the Liahona and get it published. Kidding.   I´ll let the author do that.
 
"Street sign in our area. We live near the Bola da Suframa, Amazon Theater, just up the road and right outside of our area."
26 January 2011

So this week was a pretty good one. I´m having a really tough time adjusting to a different part of the city, but there is still the general love for the missionaries from the ward members here. Oscar still hasn´t come back yet, so we are going to let that one sizzle out for a bit and try later on. Recently we found a man named Állison who is from Rio de Janeiro as a soldier for the Brazilian Navy. He was pretty cool. One of the few people that actually stopped to talk with us.

Sounds like they sometimes get treated like this cockroach...
22 January 2011

Most of the time we say "hi" and people just blow us off or say, "No, I don´t want your religion," and leave before we can say anything. A bit tougher here, but slowly but surely we are building a teaching group. Sllllooooooooowwwwwwly....... Interviews with President Jayme are this week.

One thing we are trying to do is do a bunch of activities, but my brain bucket is kind of empty and the rivers of my imagination have run a little dry. Any ideas on low budget (meaning R$0) ideas we could do that would be fun for members to bring non-member friends to? We are going to do an activity I call Bolo Macho (Man-Cake) next week. It´s where the husbands have to make a cake all by themselves. Find the recipe alone. Buy the ingredients alone. Make the cake alone. There can be no woman interference at all. Then at the activity the women taste the cakes and judge them.  Pretty good if I must say so myself.
 
We gave a couple of health blessings the other day and my oil container is starting to run dry. I feel more close to the spirit when I give a blessing. It really is amazing to say words sometimes that I would never even think of saying. I´ve done it enough now that I don´t have to grab the missionary manual and follow the steps anymore either. I think the only thing I haven´t participated in so far is dedicate a grave and set apart somebody for a calling.

We went to the culture center that is in my area today. If you all remember, it is the one I went to with Elder Gannon on my 2nd or 3rd week in the field. It is a green building. I don´t know if I sent pictures.

"The Culture Center"
26 January 2011
 
"Fun at the Culture Center"
26 January 2011

"Our Tour Guide"
26 January 2011

"We are thinking about moving in here. (kidding) Another Indian shack at the culture center."
26 January 2011

Sadly, they packed up and moved most of the stuff to a different location, but we did a small side tour and played around in the giant arena behind the center.
  
"In the stadium"
26 January 2011

Hope you all are having a fantabulously awesome time! I feel cold right now, but that´s just because I got a computer underneath the AC.

Elder Tenney in the stadium
26 January 2011

OH!!! 500 Days this Saturday! 400 days ago on Saturday was my first phone call on my first Christmas out!

Smile, You look better that way!

-Elder Tenney