Saturday, November 15, 2014

Elder Christofferson Visit, November 15, 2014

Hey! 
So this morning we had the mission conference with Elder Christofferson. It was great. 
This week was super busy getting ready for all of it. They have been working on the chapel for the last 2 months to prepare for this visit, which is kind of funny. They redid the roof, parts of the bathroom, and deep cleaned everything in preparation for it. 
I have never slept so little in one week in my whole life. (and don't worry, all of this is within President's approval)  It was so amazing how I always had the energy and strength to do all the things I needed to do. One night, after finishing all the prep stuff I was doing, it was super super late, and I had to finish putting in the baptismal records. I had put in like 30 and had 3 more. My eyes were closing as I tried so hard to keep them open to finish the last record. Finally, I finished, pushed save, and literally in the moment, just colapsed and fell asleep on my desk. I finished all of them. His grace is so real! 
Then today, after sleeping very little and fasting, I had the energy to stay awake during the whole meeting and receive the revelation I needed. Everything went super well. The West mission also came so we had plans for them and it was a lot of work, but there were so many tender mercies and it went so smoothly. 

Elder Christofferson visit.  Elder Engebretsen, our friend from Philly,  is next to Elder Tenney & Elder Christofferson.  

So the conference with Elder Christofferson was incredible. It was ALL about repentance. It was amazing to me because it was so singularly focussed and direct. I left with very clear guidance and exactly what I know the Lord wanted me to hear. I know He is a prophet of God. He literally said exactly what I was telling Heavenly Father I needed to hear. He said some great things. He said,"I used to think, 'how much more time before the Lord comes?' but my wife helped me to learn that what we lack is not time, but a prepared people." So it is not so much a matter of time, but a matter of who we are. 
Ah, now that it is all over, I am super tired. I look back on the whole week, and it all kind of blends together. But the word that pops into my mind thinking about this week isn't "sleep" or "tired" or even "Elder Christofferson" it is "GRACE". There are so many miracles I do not see and I do not notice, that I want to. There is so much He does for me that I overlook. But one thing I cannot deny and cannot look over is His grace. I felt His grace physically. I felt it intelectually, to remember all the important little and big things that we needed to do. I felt His grace spiritually, filling me with His Spirit even though there were so many opportunities to get stressed out.   
I know Christ lives. I love Him and am so grateful and amazed by His grace. 

I love you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Tenney
 P.S.  (A note he sent to Courtney after writing the note above)  

Part 1:  Sorry I don't have time! Elder Christofferson is about to enter the office and I have to leave!!!
Part 2:
Woah. So when I sent that, I was partially joking. I didn't think he was literally coming in that second. I thought it was in several minutes. But he really came into the office, right when I sent that. And I met him and shook his hand and talked with him. We took a picture. He lived in Indiana for a while when he was in the military. I could feel the spirit just in shaking His hand. What an amazing experience. I know He is a man of God.


Pictures! 
Elder Valerdi and I !
This other one is President's office here that they converted into the waiting room for Elder Christofferson. They told us we couldn't go in and we shouldn't even open the door (this was taken after). I think that place was cleaner than the temple. 

A five year-old Mayweather fan. November 8, 2014

Hey family!

So today in the morning we had to go buy things for the conference this week which took a while. Then President called us and invited us to go skateboarding haha. President is awesome. Therefore we didn't have time to write. So President gave us permission to write now. 



So the most exciting news of the week. A new assistant was called this week. We work a ton with the assistants and have Pday together, so we are really good friends. So last night the new assistant walked in and it was....ELDER ENGEBRETSEN! Which is amazing. My whole mission I have hoped we'd be able to serve together and now we will. (for those who don't know, Elder Engebretsen is a really good family friend who is in the same mission). So I am super excited and grateful to serve with him. It is so crazy...

This week we had the leadership council. I had been praying and preparing for it for several weeks. So we have a list that we work with of all of the converts for the last 6 months where you can fill out if they have a calling, priesthood, are going to church, and if they have been retaught the lessons. Then every week the missionaries in each ward update the list for converts from their ward. It is an amazing tool to use to work with the wards and stakes. but the problem is that the missionaries haven´t been very good in updating it, therefore it isn't accurate. I fasted this last week to know what I can do to help the mission improve. Then that same night, I found an error in the formulas that are used, that caused that a lot of the informartion was incorrect. It took a ton of time to fix it all, but it was a blessing because now it works better. Then, in the leadership council, I felt so guided and at peace in my part of the meeting. I really felt the spirit testifying of the Love of the Lord for the people on that list. So the Lord blesses me with so many miracles. 

So, there isn't a ton more to tell...this week there was a little 5 year old girl who asked me where I was from,"the United States" "oh..." she said slightly confused. I tried to help her, "its the same place where...hmmm......who would be a famous person you would know..." she cut me, "Mayweather is from your country, right?" haha. I, slighly in shock responded, "uh...yeah... he is." haha. So this 5 year old girl apparently is a boxxing fan. 

I am happy. I love to serve the Lord. I know He lives. Have a great week!!!

Love,

Elder Tenney

How You Serve, Nov.1, 2014

Hola Familia! 

It blows my mind how fast every day and every week is passing by. I was super busy this week. I don't even think I'll have time for P day today, I have so much to do. I love it. It is the greatest feeling knowing that in all I do I am serving Jesus Christ. Even if I am just doing things on a computer most of the time, the things that I am doing help people to come unto Christ. It is such a priviledge. 

We didn't have a ton of time for proselyting this week because there was so much to do in the office and all over the mission. Elder Christofferson is coming here in 2 weeks so I am super busy planning all of that. The Church sent us the guidelines for his visit and it is super interesting all of the specific things we need to do. 


Let's see... one night we were doing a delivery to some Elders. We were on our way home, when we saw blue lights behind us, and heard the sirens of the police. We stopped. I am used to the US when the police man comes up to your window, so we waited. After 30 seconds or so, they yell to us, "get out of the car," As they hide behind their open doors with their hands ready on their guns. We got out, super confused, and then saw relief come to their faces. "Oh, we are so sorry, we didn't know it was you guys."  They went on to explain to us how we had been driving the wrong way on a one way road (which we didn't even know haha. We were just following the GPS). But they told us there was no problem and let us go. It was super funny. 

Last Sunday, we were passing by investigator's houses in the morning to go to church with them. We passed by someone who had commited to go. We arrived and there was a man in the house on the 2nd floor, who stuck his head out the window. We asked for our investigator, and he told us, "uh...she's not here...she left to Paraguay yesterday." (this happens a lot). We told him, "Well, we're pretty sure she's here because we talked with her just last night and she told us to pass by in the morning." He paused..."well... she´s in Paraguay."  and closed the window haha. Then we kept clapping to see if she would come out, finally the same guy came down to knock on her door to tell her. He was speaking louder than he realized, he said, "yeah there are 2 guys here who said they are here to go to church with you...yeah... theres 2....uno es un americano feo (one of them is an ugly american)." hahaha. She didn't go to church, but the man said he might go this next week. 

All the things that happened this week were just office things that aren't too exciting to tell haha, So I am sorry if this letter is boring. There is a quote from an apostle that has truly been coming alive for me recently, "It doesn't matter where you serve, but HOW you serve." I truly am trying to magnify my calling and serve in the best way I can. Sometimes thoughts of being in the field flood my mind, but never without the spirit whispering "this is where you are supposed to be." I may not be testifying of Christ with my words out all the time like I was before, but I can testify of Christ everyday in the way I serve. I have a vision of the good that can be done in this position. There is an opportunity to elevate the vision of retention which can be the difference of a soul in Heaven. I know there is so much good the Lord has prepared for each one of us to do.

I know Christ lives. I love to serve Him. 

Have a super awesome week!


Love,

Elder Heath Tenney

Buenos Airesss

The week go by so fast. Oct. 25, 2014

October 25, 2014

Familia!

This week was great. I feel so much joy each day. Really, even when disappointments happen, the frustration passes so quick and is swallowed up in the joy.  

So this week it was amazing to see the transformation in Ricardo after his confirmation. He is serving everyone all the time now. He is smiling more and more. He goes with us to visit investigators. This man is amazing. I love him.

This week passed by so quick and we were so busy, but I don’t remember a lot that happened.

The Lord is blessing us with so many miracles. There have been lots of people this week who seem super elect and they are super excited when we 1st talk to them, but then the next day when we passed by, something had happened and they didn’t want to go to church anymore. So that is hard, It is amazing how much love one can feel for someone they met just a day before, but man, it hurts when I see them make that choice. But I know the the Lord has it all in His hands. There is nothing to worry about. He will keep the miracles coming.

I love this work. I love being here. There is no place I’d rather be. I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week! 

Love,

Elder Tenney