The Final Update:


And all too soon, the end has come. 

18 Months ago, I walked into the Provo Missionary Training Center and officially began my mission in Washington Everett. I have been able to meet  some of my favorite people in the whole world and have loved the opportunity to serve and teach people about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

 I have come to understand more than ever before the love that Heavenly Father has for each one of us. He truly is our loving Father in Heaven and has created a plan for us to return to Him. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and it is through Him we can return to live with Him. The Atonement is so real and is there for every one of us! Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed and healed and become the person Heavenly Father would have us be. We truly can become like Him and receive all the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for us. I know the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored and this is the same exact Church Christ established when He was here. I know we are led by a living prophet who receives revelation to guide and direct God's people. I know that the Priesthood is the power and authority of God and is found in the Church. In the temple, we can be sealed together with our families for all time and eternity. 

I am so thankful for all the things I have learned and how much my testimony has grown. I am thankful for all the experiences I have had that have brought me to understand just a little of the love Heavenly Father has for us. 

 

And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Sister Tennant

What a last couple of weeks! 

Between the mission Christmas conference, Christmas, and New Year's, we really haven't had a normal PDay until today. So over the course of the last two weeks, we have had:

Baptisms postponed

New missionary Orientation

The Lake Steven's sisters (our roommates) in a car wreck

Our car broke down

Exchanges

Emergency Exchanges

Armar Reunion with all previous Armar members

Out of Miles

Had to take 3 Trips to Everett (Couple more coming)

Baptism chaos

No real P Day (Which wouldn't be an issue but we hadn't been shopping in two weeks) 

5 pm Curfew on New Years Eve and New Years Day

The Lights of Christmas in Stanwood

Zone Conference- I instructed and bore my testimony. It's not a good day when it's your turn to bear your testimony at zone conference. 

Merged schedules with the Quad while our car was in the shop

The sisters accidentally locking themselves outside in the snow for half an hour while Sister Jackson and I were in the showers.

It is a good life being a missionary

Also, finally got to go to Target for the first time on my mission and use those two gift cards I've had the whole time. Literally have not had a Target in my area ever.
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Love, Sister Tennant

 

 

Christmas Card Photos with the Sisters

 

Finally going to Target!!

 

The big news of the week, my new leadership assignments! I am going to be a sister training leader and a trainer! That is practically unheard of here, and it's only been done 1 other time. And I just found out I'm being transferred tomorrow so I'll be whitewashing too! What a way to start off my last transfer haha. It'll be good and I am super excited for all that is in store here!

In other news, we had a great lesson with our investigators Rachael and Zack, this cute young couple we tracted into. We had 2 ladies in the ward come with us and they were the perfect Mom figure to Zack and Rachael. We've been trying to get them to come to church for a couple weeks now but for whatever reason they weren't able to come. But last week they were there and they LOVED it! Rachael is more outgoing and talked to practically everyone and Zack is more reserved but still seemed to enjoy it. After church we showed them the baptism font and they are on date for January 23rd! They're going out of town for 2 weeks but Rachael asked that we help her get in contact with the missionaries where they're going since she "doesn't want to miss out" while they're gone. They are amazing and we are so excited for them!

I hope everyone is loving this Christmas season drinking hot chocolate and eating candy canes!

Love you all!

Sister Tennant

 

 

 

And it's December which means it's officially Christmas season, the best time of the year!!!

Last Monday we got to decorate cookies with a member! Their decorating skills go way above and beyond what I am used to. I tried to get all fancy but ended up resorting back to the usual frosting and some sprinkles.

Friday Elder Johnson of the Seventy came to visit! We met with the whole north half of the mission and learned from him. He talked for a long time and at the end gave us a really cool invitation. He said, "Even if you've done it before, I want everyone, in their nightly prayers to ask Heavenly Father these specific and direct questions:

 

1) Are you really there listening right now?

2) Is it true that you have a body of flesh and bones?

3) Do you know I really exist/ Do you know me personally?

4) Am I really your daughter/son? Are you really my Father?

5) Do you love me?"

 

And he promised that our lives would change. Heavenly Father loves each one of us so much and I want to leave everyone with the same invitation. Tonight before bed, ask God these questions and you will feel His love so powerfully for you individually.

And Saturday was the Anacortes Christmas Parade! Our ward made a float for the primary kids to dress up and walk with and it was all A Savior Is Born themed, but since it was so windy and rainy, they decided not to participate. But us and the Anacortes elders, and 2 set of sisters from Mt Vernon came over and we decided to walk anyways! We had a ton of our cards with our number and the Christmas.mormon.org link and we split up and handed out as many as we could. We passed out hundreds of them and it was such a neat experience! Miracles will happen, I'm sure of it!

And I hope everyone got to watch the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional last night! If not, it's on lds.org! I especially loved Sister Burton and Elder Bednar's talks!

Have a great week!

Sister Tennant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We decorated cookies last Monday!

We raked leaves for a lady in the ward! Who knew it took forever to bag them up? I thought the raking was the slow part!

Ward Christmas Party

 

It was a week of miracles!!

We've have very few people to teach the last several weeks, despite our hard work and constant efforts, but Tuesday, we found THREE new investigators! We'd been tracting a few weeks earlier and were finally able to meet with this couple who invited us back. We had a member with us and the Spirit was so strong as we taught the Restoration. At the end, the wife said a kneeling prayer, and they both accepted a baptism date!!

Then we were tracting later that day, and a girl waved at us from the window and invited us right in and we taught her! Hallelujah!

We got 2 other investigators later in the week totaling FIVE this week!

Wednesday was interviews and it's always good to see the Bonhams! I told President how I plan on going home NEXT November and he said, "Sister Tennant, you not going home now would be just as bad as if you'd never come." Bah. I just want to be a full time missionary forever!

Thanksgiving was great with our ward mission leader! I am so thankful for my family and for this gospel, and that I get to serve and teach people about Heavenly Father, and so many more things He has blessed me with.

Saturday we were on exchanges! I was here with Sister Lundeen! We plan to be companions one day :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Sister Tennant

 

 

 

Thanksgiving. Dumb ear sticking out

 

Kinda hard to see, but beautiful sunset! The orange highlight over the mountains was beautiful!

Sunset and exchanges with Sister Lundeen! One of the best exchanges of my mission :)

 

It was a great week!

The highlight was Sunday, when we got to go speak at the branch at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island! We woke up early (with permission of course) and took the ferry over, and it was SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!! A member picked us up and made us breakfast before church. Then we spoke in sacrament, and we've been stressing all week because we were the only speakers so our talks were supposed to be 20 minutes each. I have never given a 20 minute talk. But Sis Loertscher went first and spoke for 30 minutes, so mine was a lot shorter hahaha. There were probably 25 people there, but it was so fun! They loved having us and loved our testimonies!  The ride back was pretty incredible too!

We gave Bill my dad's ties he sent, and Bill LOVED them! He was so touched 1)for the ties, but 2) more that we thought to ask our dads for them because we were thinking of him! Bill is incredible. We can't wait for when he goes to the Salt Lake Temple, hands them his recommend, and they let him past. I don't care where I am in the world, I will fly to Utah and be there with him. He went to Temple Square years ago and they stopped him from going in since he wasn't a member. Now he'll finally be able to go see the inside of it!

This gospel is so great. It is a good life being a missionary!

Sister Tennant

 

 

 

The Sunrise!

It was the CUTEST little town!!

Is that a Whale I See?

BEAUTIFUL SAN JUAN ISLANDS

Mount Baker

The Ferry

Sunset!

 

Fun day at the zoo. Lotsa layers

In the reptile room today. HALLELUJAH there are no lizards

Riding a Turtle

We Made Banana Bread!

You can't really tell, but I am COVERED in mud. It was my day to back. And it's been pouring

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos sent the week of 11/16/15