Pre-Mission Post

(DISCLAIMER: This is a bit long. I got a carried away. If you know me, you know I like to talk. So this disclaimer isn't really even needed. But if you read the whole thing, I will love you forever AND invite you to my 23rd birthday party!)

AHHHHHH!!!!!

That is all that is going through my mind right now. TODAY is my LAST day as just Emily Johns. In just a couple of hours I will become a MISSIONARY.

THIS IS NOT REAL! It seems like just yesterday my countdown was 9 years and then 2 and then 5 months when I got my call and now it is 1 DAY!

All sorts of emotions and thoughts are going through my brain. I kind of feel like that starburst contradiction commercial with the asian/scottish guy. I am SOOOO excited and just want to be in the MTC right now but at the same time I just want to be at home with my family and soak up all of their craziness which I will be not be able to fully get enough of soon. The excitement/happiness super outweighs the nervousness that I am feeling. That is a good sign, right?

I have never blogged before but I have written a lot of missionaries so hopefully my experience writing letters will make this blog not so boring. My trusted, older sister Michelle will add this blog to her weekly to-do list while I am gone. I am thinking that she won't have any issue posting my weekly emails on here and to make sure that MY VOICE can be heard through these emails. Just imagine me on Christmas morning or when Kate Middleton has an outing and the excitement those bring me when you read this and it will pretty much be me telling you all the amazing experiences I will have to your face!

For those of you who were at my farewell or for anyone who has talked to me in the last few years, should know how excited I am to become a missionary. You know how in Young Womens or seminary you sometimes write letters to your future self or letters not to be opened until you are engaged or something, No? Maybe I just didn't get enough mail as a youth so I wrote myself letters. Anyway.. I have a few letters that I have written to myself that are sealed and cannot be opened for a long time. I even have a letter to my future fiance and one to my family that I am pretty sure says, "if you haven't served a mission, DO NOT marry this guy." and the one to my family is like, "If I haven't served a mission, why are you letting me get married???" Okay maybe they aren't that extreme but serving a mission has ALWAYS been part of my plan. I have never envisioned my future without it having a full-time mission in it. I am so happy that my plan and the Lords plan has been similar and that I will become a missionary.

I cannot wait to learn more about the gospel and to have my relationship with my Heavenly Father become even stronger. I know that as I serve Him and the people in the France, Paris Mission that I will become a better person. I will be blessed. My family will be blessed and hopefully people I come in contact with will be blessed for letting an overly energetic American girl share with them this glorious message from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and about how much their Heavenly Father loves them! I am excited to join so many amazing people in serving missions and bringing people closer to Christ.

As my younger and wiser sisters Jennifer and Melissa said to me today at lunch... these past six months have been waaaay to much about me. I quickly came back saying, "not true. Michelle got married so a few days were about her." The point of this little story is that my whole life up to this point has been about me. About my goals, my wants and my awesomeness. Unlike the past several years, the next year and half will not be about me at all. I am devoting all of my time and myself to Heavenly Father and to serve His mission.

Anyone who has served a mission will tell you that it is HARD. Even though this blog is called Paradise In Paris it won't always be paradise. I know there will be trials, frustration and sore feet but I doubt I will remember those times when I look back. Instead I hope to remember the next 18 months as a sort of Paradise. I love France. I love the gospel. I love missionary work. All of the things that will be part of my life will be a paradise for me and I know that I will be happier than I have ever been and feel more love than I have ever felt before.

I love you all. I am going to miss everyone but I know that what I will be doing is the BEST thing I can be doing at this time in my life and it is the BEST thing for me right now. Hopefully you will check back here every week to hear about this wonderful adventure I am going to be having. I would like to hear from YOU and know the amazing things that is happening in your life because I know that all of my friends and family are suuuuper cool and will be doing great things in the next 18 months too. So lets share with each other!

LOVE,
EMILY JOHNS

p.s. Thanks for reading this short novel. They won't ALL be this long. :)