Friday, December 5, 2014

Seek, Receive, Follow, Repeat

November 29, 2014

Hey Family! 

So this week in the office...
Well... our system to put in the baptismal record has been broken for a couple weeks and when I tried to fix it, another problem always came up. So finally, I called Salt Lake (Now I have memorized just about all of the help specialists for the South America area), and after an hour and a half on the phone, it is fixed now! So now I have like 70 baptismal records from the last 2 weeks to fill.

Thanksgiving.
I have so much to be grateful for. Most of all, I am so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. He is so endlessly patient with me and strengthens me in ways I don't even know. I am so grateful to be able to serve Him and have the new opportunity everyday to be a little more like Him. I am SO grateful that I am here in His service. P-day has come to be my least favorite day of the week, because I just want to work, and do something more to help someone come unto the Savior. 

To celebrate, we had lunch with a member, and everyone at the table shared what they were grateful for. They made us "bombas de papa" or in english, potato bombs. They are like balls of mashed potatoes with ham and cheese in the middle, then fried. They are SO good. so that was a thanksgivingish meal. Then we went to get icecream at my favorite icecream place for dessert. Elder Engebretsen even put up a sign on the wall to write what we are grateful for, so it was a great Thanksgiving. 

So things in proselyting are good, but we aren't having the success we should to have. Before, when I first got to the offices, the Lord blessed us with so many miracles that were easy to see, like Ricardo and the familia R who were baptized. So now it is kind of a reality check that it isn't always that easy. Even though it isn't that easy, the miracles haven't ceased, they just come differently. So this week, we received the miracle of revelation.
 First, I felt distinctly that we need to be super efficient with our time, only using our time with people who really are going to progress. So, we went out at 6 to work, and worked, worked, worked, being as efficient as we could be, not wasting time and…we didn't find any of the elect we were looking for. But we came back, and I got on my knees, received more. The next day I felt that I should have a greater focus on Christ, in EVERY contact, it has to be centered on Christ. So I applied it that day and felt the spirit more the whole night. We talked with a ton of people about Christ, but...still didn't find those we were looking for. So we are in the same point that Nephi was in when he was trying to get the plates for the 3rd time. I know we will find the ELECT! I really have no doubts. It is just a matter of continuously seeking, receiving, and acting upon revelation, even when the results aren't immediate. So there is a lot of work to do, but the miracles have not ceased, and they won't. :)  

Success doesn't always come immediately, but if we are diligent in seeking new revelation, it will come. 

I love you all so much! Have a great week! 


Love,

Elder Tenney

The Lord will provide a way.

Nov. 22, 2014

Hey family! 
This week was great. It has been crazy. The day after Elder Christofferson was transfers. So the craziness just kept going. Transfers are awesome. There are SO many things that have to be done and remembered, so it is always exciting. I messed up a lot this time and forget several important things, but the good thing is that all the new missionaries that were supposed to come are here, and all the ones going home made it home, so all is well.

Funny story from a couple weeks ago. So we had to do a delivery at night in downtown BsAs. It was in the apartment of Sisters, who live on the 10th floor. So they came down and gave us the keys and waited there while we brought the dresser up to the 10th floor (yes, luckily there was an elevator). Anyways, so we got to the 10th floor, it´s kind of late already, then we are trying to open the door with the key, but it didn't fit, so my companion tried it...still didn't fit, as we tried forcing it in, which shook the door and made loud noises. Then I looked up at the apartment number, "Hey, uh what was the apartment number?" I asked... "2" as we looked up to see "4" on the door we were at. so my companions, who were holding the wardrobe with me, dropped it and ran haha. So I was there outside this apartment holding the wardrobe alone. haha. But then they came back and helped me. 

In other news, I had the best icecream I have ever had in Argentina. It is amazing. it is like an icecream that looks like it came from willy wonka or something like that. It is huge! probably like a foot and a half tall. So good... I will send pictures. 



So the familia R (who is the miracle family from a couple months ago) is going through some struggles. They haven't been to church in 3 weeks because something else always comes up. Really, the root of the problem is that they don't have the support from the parents. The parents love the church and everything. They want to be baptized and they go to church, but they aren't determined to do it. So we had a lesson with them this week. 1st, we just listened to their problems. It is hard, because we can see so easily that all these "huge problems" are just excuses from Satan to not keep the commandments, but it is easier to see when you're not the one it is happening too. As they spoke, we could feel exactly what they needed. The key is the parents. We felt guided to teach about the commandment to keep the sabbath day holy. I have never taught it like we taught it then. Basically, we directed most of it to Alverto, the father, we helped him to feel 1st of all that this came from God, himself, and 2nd, that he has the ability to immensly bless the life of his entire family if he keeps this commandment.  The spirit was so strong. I knew he felt that this came from God. At the end, he began to tell us about his work schedule and how it was not possible to go every Sunday, he said God gave him this job to provide for his family and he has to do it. In that moment, it would have been so easy to do what is most comfortable and tell him he is right, just do the best you can, come when you don't have to work. But I thought, "What would Christ say if he were here?" and I know he would never say, "it´s okay..." to breaking the commandments of God. So we read in Mosiah 13 again, when it talks about in 6 days the Lord created the entire earth and every creation. He said he believed that. So we asked him, "if God did all of this in 6 days, do you believe that He can provide the way for you to live this commandment?" He paused, and said, "well...yeah...but...I just don't know."...."Alverto," I said, "your family needs you. You have the power to bless and completely change the life of your entire family in your hands. I know you want that.... I testify, as a representative of Jesus Christ, that HE can provide the way for you to live this commandment and to help your entire family." The spirit was super strong. I pray that He lives it, so that the kids can grow up faithful. 

Being in the offices is such a challenge. It is a challenge to have success when we have so little time in our area, but I love it. I love the opportunity to grow. I have felt many times this week the phrase, "I´m not done with you yet." I know that is true, there is so much more the Lord has for me to do and even more for me to become. So I won't slow down, because there is a great work to do. I love the Lord and His work. 

Have a great week! 

Love,

Elder Tenney

Foto: I dont have a picture of me with it, but here is Elder Engebretsen with his.