Wishing she could swim :)
Monday, November 2, 2015
One year older, and wiser too. 🎂 5/18/15
Hi everybody!
First off, thank you for the birthday wishes.. I didn't know so many people loved me! Thank you!
This past week was awesome. Our actual numbers weren't a record high.. To say the least.. But we worked hard and found some great people to teach. Finding people in New York City, is probably a lot different than anywhere else on the earth.. Because people here are crazy! And by crazy, I mean crazy good! I love it.
Sister Snow and I made a goal to talk to (and share the gospel) with at least one person on every train or bus ride.. That's a lot of people in one day. Haha. We meet people from EVERYWHERE. This week on the bus some of the countries people have been from include: Ireland, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Russia, West Africa, Jamaica the Island, and tons more.
Queens really is the most diverse place ever.
Anyway, Sister Snow and I are doing great. We're usually the only white girls on the bus. And it's hilarious. When short Hispanic men hit on us, her reaction is priceless. She's 5.11 and I'm almost 5.8'.. So it's really funny. I don't know, maybe you'd have to be there.
That's what it's like with everything on the mission.. you kind of have to be here to understand what I'm talking about.
We've had a few meetings this week. One of which, was at our mission president's house. So that was cool! We had a bunch of workshops on 'tools' we should use as missionaries. That included: praying in the name of Christ, Listening, Following up on baptismal invitations, using the Book of Mormon, have short powerful lessons, using our technology/online pamphlets, and enhancing converts' first temple experience. It was good! President Calderwood goes home July 1st.. Which is coming up. Everyone's freaking out a little bit.
But, I'm sure President Reynolds is great. Derek's grandma sent me a little bio of him cut out of the news paper and all the missionaries are passing it around haha.
Richmond Hill is doing great! Deborah is getting confirmed on Sunday, so I'm really glad/excited/happy about that! She's amazing.
Love you all,
Sister Sammy Tenney
Me and my favorite 6 girls. 5/11/15
Hey Family!
Sister Samantha Tenney
It was good seeing you all yesterday. I don't know what to really talk about today, but here it goes..
This week in Richmond Hill was really good. We got a few new investigators and most of them are set with baptismal dates for June. So, hopefully the new growth in this area will be supported by the members of the branch here... They really struggle.
Sister Snow is my #1 homie in New York! I love serving with her. We have a lot of fun and work hard at the same time. I hope you all reach out to her when she comes home in July (the 22nd to be exact). A week after Derek.. Which is crazy! All my favorite people will be in Utah this summer...
Anyway, skyping my family was great! I'm stoked to see them at the SLC airport! But, I'm also loving New York and I still have a ways to go.. So I'm not packing my bags yet. Haha,
Here's my address mom if you're sending anything in the next couple of weeks:
116-24 Grosvenor Lane Apt#8B
Otherwise you can continue (or start
) to send stuff to the mission office:
Love you all, and Happy Birthday 
Henry!!! 1 year. And sooo many to go.
"Sometimes I really just want to kill Sean T" - Sister Snow 5/4/15
Hey everybody!
Sister Samantha Tenney
Well I'm staying in Richmond Hill, at least for the next five weeks. And I'm glad because Sister Snow is now serving here! Wahoo! Best thing ever.
I'm so happy to be with a companion that is happy! I love it. This week we've worked pretty hard and have a couple of new people we are working with- so hopefully we see them start to progress and come to church. We also have had to do a lot of dirty work by calling and looking up potential investigators to set up teaching appointments.
At transfer meeting President and Sister Calderwood talked, as per usually. President spoke all about his "3 ways to success on a mission and in life".
1. The first was learning to rely on God in everything. He talked about a lot of us think we rely on him, even on missions, but don't really understand this until there is a life or death situation, like cancer. [A missionary from this mission that went home 2 transfers ago just was diagnosed with stage 4 Synovial Sarcoma. He has a soccer ball sized tumor on his side and didn't say anything about pain when he was serving. They found it a month after he got home.] President Calderwood shared how after his mission, he played college football and was going into his junior year- he was newly married with a baby and his wife just found out she was pregnant, he was in he best shape of his life- and was diagnosed with cancer found during his physical to play. He just told us how even though we think our missions are hard, much harder times are going to come in our lives and we need to learn now how to rely on the Lord.
2. The second piece of advice he gave is that "if you take care of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves". So many people focus on their end goal, forgetting about the little things it takes to get there, and never end up achieving it. But if you focus on the small and simple things, great things are brought to pass. "The little things are what makes up your mission".- Pres. Calderwood
3. He talked all about how your attitude is everything! Which is so true. And I am not perfect at this personally. Sometimes when you're sitting at the bus stop for 40 minutes, in the cold, and weird men drive by hitting on you, it is really hard to be happy about it.. But, it does make a difference if you're able to have a sense of humor and a good attitude! He also shared how we should never let a negative thought come out of our mouths. Whoops. So, I'm trying better on being positive and not complaining!
Anyway, this week was good. I cannot believe it's Mothers Day already! See you soon family! Approximately 11:00 am, Utah Time. (1:00 pm NY time) And Happy Mothers Day to all those I won't be seeing on Sunday.
I love you! (Mostly my Mom though)
Sammy
Hey Family! 4/27/15
Hi.
Sister Samantha Tenney
Here's to another 6 weeks in Richmond Hill. I'm staying! I'm so glad that I get to keep working with our recent converts and investigators. I am stoked to find out who my new companion is tomorrow. I hope she's dope. Sister jones is leaving tomorrow after being here forever. Thank goodness. It will be good for her.
" " is super awesome! However we have seen that Satan works even harder before and after good decisions because " " has had a difficult week. She is going through a lot of tough decisions that she is attributing to her baptism. We are working really hard to keep her excited about the gospel and growing her testimony. If anyone that could share their testimonies and can relate, I can share them with her to help and it would be greatly appreciated.
Saturday morning we had a ton of fun doing service for the great city of New York. We made some enemies with all the local graffiti artists by spending the day painting over their creations. Maybe they messed up so they are thankful for the opportunity to start over. The worst part though was it was really sunny and we all know what that means...I'm really white so my forehead got sun burnt.
We had a big regional conference at our church. There were four wards that came and we all listened to talks via satellite for the entire north east area. We sang two musical numbers for the conference. Then Elder Anderson and Elder Hales spoke, it was super good.
"Norma! More like Borema!" Just kidding, it wasn't boring, it was awesome! Norma is our Branch President's grandma. She's from Puerto Rico and is hilarious. She made us food like any Spanish woman would. It was great, then we talked to her about why coming to church is important. She hasn't been since she was baptized 20 years ago..
Well family, I love you!
Have a good week,
Stuck in snow. ❄️ not literally 4/20/15
Last night I had some time to reflect on my mission experience thus far and I felt prompted to read a talk from April 2014's General Conference by Elder Bednar called 'Bear Up Their Burdens With Ease'. I'm sure you're familiar with it, but he talked about his friend whose truck was stuck in the snow.
Sister Samantha Tenney
Elder Bednar concludes the story saying, "It was the load of wood that provided the traction necessary for him to get out of the snow, to get back on the road, and to move forward. It was the load that enabled him to return to his family and his home.
Each of us also carries a load. Our individual load is comprised of demands and opportunities, obligations and privileges, afflictions and blessings, and options and constraints. Two guiding questions can be helpful as we periodically and prayerfully assess our load: 'Is the load I am carrying producing the spiritual traction that will enable me to press forward with faith in Christ on the strait and narrow path and avoid getting stuck? Is the load I am carrying creating sufficient spiritual traction so I ultimately can return home to Heavenly Father?' Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness."
Just as Elder Bednar explained, my "individual load" is truly what is helping me gain traction to move forward. It has been a heavy "load" the past while. But I know that the things I am learning, overcoming, and still getting through ARE helping me "get out of the snow".
On my mission I've had a lot of self-doubt, worry, stress, and feelings of inadequacy. But I've been able to recognize those feelings as mortal weaknesses and move forward with faith in Christ. He can and does make weak things become strong (Ether 12:27). I know that with Him, through Him, and by Him, all things are made possible.
I mean, really.. I'm on a mission! He can do anything!
Deborah was baptized yesterday. That was amazing! She is the most incredible person. I wish you all could meet her in person and get to know her. If their is anyone that is pure of heart in this world, it is Deborah. I believe she progressed so quickly because 1. Her faith, 2. She was prepared by God, and 3. She did stuff! She acted on the invitations we extended to her. She started reading the Book of Mormon and Bible together (currently she is in the Book of Helaman), and she has never missed a day of church. Now I'm just bragging about her.. But she also came to the Women's Session of General Conference, and all four sessions on Saturday and Sunday.
On February 18th, 2015 we knocked on her door for the first time, and on April 19th, 2015 she was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Immediately following the service she took the last 5 dollars she had out of her purse, put it into a tithing slip and gave it to the Branch President. She has no job, and hardly anything. We told her she would be so blessed and her response was this, "I don't do it for the blessings. I'm doing it for the love and help He has given me, so why not show the love right back and follow His ways? I couldn't ask for anything more than what I've got now."
Haha what can I say more? She's the greatest person ever! I've been really blessed to have been one of the missionaries to bring such a stalwart member into the church.
Oh yes, and the Child's from Bayshore came out all the way to Queens to see me! I feel so blessed to know such great people here in New York City!
Missions are hard, but so is life. 
🏻️🇨🇦
Something my mission President said to me yesterday is this, take it or regret not taking it.. Haha "if you cannot find the joy in today, you will never find joy in tomorrow". - President Calderwood.
Truth.
Love you all,
But especially if you are, or are related to Becca Snow. Shout out to that girl.
and I don't know why I look Asian while I smile, my eyes just squint like that automatically.
How many marriage proposals am I going to get in 18 months? 💍 4/13/15
Hey Everybody! This week was great!
But mostly the past 3 days.. Because 3 great things have happened: Stake conference, Deborah's baptismal interview, and Olive Garden.
First off, I've never gone to stake conference prior to my mission.. But as a missionary, preplanned time where you can just sit, relax, and not have to talk to people is awesome! So, I loved it. It was also much needed after a long week of work.
Second, Deborah was interviewed for Baptism yesterday! She is golden! And she will be baptized this upcoming Sunday (the 19th). She's the most prepared, spiritually ready, amazing person I've ever taught thus far. It is sooo cool to find, teach, and baptize someone. Being with her from the beginning, and now seeing how far she's come by applying gospel principles into her life is incredible. I LOVE her!
Third, Olive Garden.. Yep, I just put like 1,000 calories into my body at Olive Garden because today is Sister Jones' birthday. Whaahooo! Tomorrow is going to be an early morning when I have to wake up and go running. Yay for not burning endless calories swimming daily... 
But more importantly... HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my best friend(s), the one and only.. Lavon and.... DEREK Jennings! Tomorrow! Derek's the greatest person out there and you should all wish him a happy birthday at:
Love always,
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