Laxatives

I LOVE MY DISTRICT. Like incredible. It is EFY, college and everything I have loved all put into one. I don't think the MTC is meant to be this fun. My district and I are ALWAYS laughing and we just love each other. It is so great. The Elders say that they don't need to do sit ups anymore because they just laugh so much. There are 6 elders and 4 sisters (soeurs) I will attach all the pictures that I have taken so far. The first day and a half was really overwhelming and I just felt a bit lost and confused but each day just gets better and better.

I am ALWAYS sick. My tummy hearts all the time and I think it is a mix of the food and the laughter. I think the rumor that they put laxatives in the orange juice is true. It is horrible because I love orange juice so much. So water for me! The food is just like the Cannon Center at BYU but there is this amazing salad/wrap bar that I have been enjoying as much as possible. It is like this huge gourmet salad with anything and everything I could ever want on it. The sisters in my district and I are all eating really well... unlike the 18/19 year old elders who eat as much as possible at every meal and then still eat tons of candy that their family has sent them.

I am just going to give a little day-by-day summary. Wednesday RIGHT AFTER my family dropped me off and my host put my luggage in my residence off to French Class I went. ALL FRENCH ALL the time! I understand quite a bit but on Wednesday and Thursday I could hardly say anything other than my name is soeur johns. I haven't been in a huge shower/bathroom room thing since I was 16 and at efy or Turkey. Let me just call it an adjustment. I am so grateful for having amazing sisters (real sister like Jen, Mel, Michelle an Jess) who made sharing bathrooms with them easy and then having my own room and bathroom in college. I am learning though and now that a week has gone by I am okay with sharing a bathroom with 40 girls and a room with 6!

Friday we had our first lesson with our investigator Jean-Michele! He is really just an RM who is taking on the role of an investigator to help our french and teaching skills. The first set of elders that went said it was so easy and just really casual so me and my companion Soeur Denning (Ashelle Denning she's my fb friend) and I were feeling less nervous. THAT WAS THE WRONG FEELING! He asked about the TRINITY!!!!! Soeur Denning didn't really say much in the lesson so it was up to me and I pretty much just said God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost are separate but with one purpose. I said that in french! Impressed??? Caveman french but french none the less.

General Conference was amazing. Saturday I feel like the theme was family and marriage which was hard because I am not with my family and I am not thinking about marriage right now. My comp had a good cry sesh and it was nice to just let it out. I still haven't cried but man sometimes it is hard! For the Sunday night Devotional we had VOCAL POINT come!! That is BYU's male accapella group who was on that TV show. AMAZING! They did all hymns (duh) and just rocked it. They started with "Come thou Fount" and it was incredible. It is so cool how quickly the Spirit comes through just singing a hymn. My comp has this AMAZING singing voice and so now my district is always singing. ALWAYS. Last night we all got done with our lesson with an hour left and so instead of studying we all just sang and it was so nice.

Monday (yesterday) we had our second lesson with Jean-Michele..... HOMOSEXUALITY! He asked about that. I am just like WHAT????????? It is a hard subject to teach in English so just imagine me trying to explain it in French. Soeur Denning and I both just looked at each other and smiled. She referenced a scripture in the bible (which we forgot to bring) about how man and women are really important or something and I just kept saying "God loves all His Children. Follow Christ's example and you will be happy." Then I said possibly the worst thing ever. I was trying to explain how everyone has different temptations and how the feelings are okay but not the actions and I said "I am tempted to chocolate." I don't know how chocolate and homosexuality have anything to do with another and it was embarrassing. I am pretty sure that Jean-Michele was just dying of laughter after.

I am so happy and just love it here. I miss everyone but know that everyone will be doing great.

If you read anything in this email, read this.... DEARELDER DEARELDER DEARELDER. Getting that dear elder letter at lunch/dinner is the best feeling ever and I want one everyday because it is like Christmas. So please EVERYONE go onto DearElder.com and right me a letter. My mission code is FRA-PAR and departure date is 0513! THANK YOU THANK YOU Jennifer, Kristen and mom for writing me on dear elder and thank you Grandma and Grandpa for writing that letter. Critchlows, Jacq, Kell, D, and Lauren that package was amazing. I thought it was going to be a package with my contacts from my mom but I was very pleasantly surprised. My whole district was sooooo jealous and I love you all so much for it. I really want you all to dear elder me because then I will have your addresses and can write you back. I can only write letters/email on Tuesday in the MTC so be patient but I will write back. When I get to Paris I can write letters anytime and emails on my PDay!

BIG NEWS!!!! On Friday I will be flying to San Fran for the day. In order to get my visa to France I have to make a personal appearance to the French Consulate so... FREE DAY out of the MTC!!!! I can't wait!!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

I MISS YOU ALL!!!!

WRITE ME!!!!

Love,

Soeur Emily Johns