Week #100: "3"

So, the highlight of my missionary labors during this time is Gabriel´s family and the amazing faith and progress that they are having. This last week we had 3 marvelous visits in which we discussed the 3 pillars of personal revelation: Prayer, Scriptures, and Church Frequency. When we are doing these 3 things, it is more likely that we will be led to do what is right and to truly perceive the whisperings of the spirit. We basically get there and I just ask a few questions and they teach themselves. Who do we pray to? Why do we pray? When should we pray? Just simple questions and I get amazed by the amount of knowledge that Rivelino, Gabriel´s dad, has about these subjects. They truly are an elect family who were prepared to hear the Lord´s message. I don´t think I taught anything really... I just ask questions and they answer! I´m so grateful that the Lord led us to such an amazing and elect family. This ward is truly amazing here. I´m excited for it because the stake will split here in a bit and then the ward. We went to go help clean out the chapel building on Saturday morning and Gabriel was there with the other young men and the Bishop already helping. Gabriel should be getting the Aaronic Priesthood here in a little bit. He will be a teacher for a while, but soon a Priest. He is already going to seminary and everything as well. :) On a different note, my companion, Elder Brasil got his mission call, as well as the other short-time missionary that lives in our house, Elder R. Barbosa. Elder Brasil will go to the Brasil Belo Horizonte mission, and Elder R. Barbosa is going to the Brasil Campinas mission. Elder Brasil was super crazy excited when he opened it and the first words from him were, "Dude! I´m going somewhere cold! I´m finally leaving this burning rainforest!" I got it on film. Good stuff. kkkkk We have another zone conference tomorrow. This is the one where I get to "bury" my last testimony to the mission. I always thought it was funny how the younglings say "bury" instead of "bear." :p

Mmm... blueberry muffins.... mmmmmmmmm.....

Love you all tons!

-Elder Tenney

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!

Week #99: "4"

Well, I´m still alive. The jaguars are getting kind of feisty, and the neighbor's anaconda keeps crawling over the wall and almost ate all our chickens. No, I´m kidding, it's not like that here in this part of town. At least the anaconda part... and the jaguars... but there are a lot of chickens..I´m in this strange stupor right now of just keep working one day at a time but I feel like I know when the millenium is and there is just this void of what's going to happen after such and such day... will life be the same? Who is going to be there? What am I going to do? But, I got another month before I deal with that, so we just keep walking in the dried up heat of Manaus. I don´t remember it being so hot here..I think last August I was still in Acre and it was getting a cold front. But for now, we have a couple weddings in the makings. One is going to be on the 26 of Rivelino and Karina, who are Gabriel´s parents, and his sister Maria is also going to get baptized. The other couple is Nente and Gibson, but they are being a little difficult with me right now and won´t mark an exact date. They are leaning between 3 September or 30 September. I don´t know what´s taking so long but they won´t give me an answer. We already have their papers all set for the wedding, it's just do it now. Other than that it's just tudo de boa. {"all good"} Have an awesome week! Smile!

-ElderTenneyInBrasil

Week #98: "5"

Well, I guess I´ll write a letter to you all, seeing as how I have so little opportunities to do this during the week. :p So my not so exciting transfer suddenly got a vortex of twists and changes and crazy mad cow disease h1n1 stress action. Basically I got my comp changed to Elder Brasil, and late that same night a 2nd missionary pair got sent to our house and then one of those two got switched out again a couple days later. I spent my week showing the area around and then had a few stress attacks at the lack of attention my area was getting and we went into overdrive to get it all caught up. Spiritual Experience of the week besides another encounter with satan's demons: Gabriel was baptized and confirmed. I think I´ve told his story, but his parents are just starting a most fascinating adventure. Karina, G's mom, went to church the other day and said it was exactly the type of church she was looking for. Baptism- her in tears, confirmation- still crying, Sunday night visit with Bishop Robson- crying again and both parents basically asking us when they can be baptized, too. Their wedding is marked for the 27 of August, but there is a slight problem with one of their birth certificates, so pray that we can get it all settled quickly. I feel like suddenly I don´t have enough time to do all that I´m wanting to do to help all these here peoples in my area. It really is a strange feeling. I know I´m where the Lord wants me to be, with who I need to be, teaching who I need to teach. I just hope I can keep going and find some more people for the ones who come after me to teach, too. It´s like when Elder Gannon left, he left a bunch of people for me to teach, and during 2010 I saw basically all of them get baptized. I´m hoping the same for the people I´m teaching now, and also that they can all continue going strong and prepare for the wonderful temple being built on the margins of the Rio Negro. It really is starting to look amazing!

Love you all tons! Buckets of love for y'all.

-Elder Tenney

P.S.  Moroni is in town now. Any day now to set him all up on his new home. :)

Week #97 Part 2: "Emergency"

Hey, I´m just sending this email from the staff building right now. We had an emergency transfer due to a missionary not coming to the mission and now I have a "short time" missionary as a companion. His name is Elder Elderlan Brasil and he is from Manaus. He is waiting for his call to come so I might even get another companion in the half time of the transfer. Just to let you all know. Love you tons!

-Elder Tenney

Week #97: "Very Anti-Climactic Ending, But I Like It"

Hello peoples,

Once again, it rained today and so the internet is very very slow and after an hour I have finally managed to get to this part of writing. I think I´m going to try and find a different lan house and check my luck. But, for now...

Well, it´s that time of the year again, where people come and people go, new areas, old areas, new companions, old companions. The trial of faith at venturing into the unknown. As much as I would like to say that I am going into the Amazon Rainforest to find a hidden tribe and convert them all to the gospel after learning their local dialect, I will have to settle with the anti-climactic. The continuing story. The never-ending truth. Or... in other words, I´m staying put here in Nova Cidade with Elder Eça to finish out the fight. I´m actually kind of happy, though. He has been teaching me capoeira and it's actually really fun.

So, this week we have a young man named Gabriel all set up for baptism, and we are working with a few other really good families. Our ward mission leader is most excellent, and working with the ward the frequency has gone up by 30 since I´ve been here. We are hitting around 180 each Sunday in sacrament meeting. I´m happy to have been given a wonderful area and companion here in the final stretch.

We keep going to the center every other week it seems, and I keep buying more junk to bring home. Today was the piranhas. You guys are going to freak out at them. Limited supply. I´m trying to avoid spending here in the last few weeks, but I want to get the weight back that I lost. . . .
 

Well, hope you all are having a great time.  Plan on going to Wingers with me here in a few weeks! I´m craving it! Love y'all!

 -Elder Tenney