An Apostles Visit

Well last Monday we spent our P-day in Paris and it was so fun! We got there and we met up with Sœur Melvilles friend Kiana who is here doing study abroad before going to Madagascar on her mission! We met at the Luxembourg Gardens. It was pretty and I am still amazed each time that I am in Paris or Versailles and can just kind of be in nature. We got some pretty photos. There are definitely perks of having a photographer as a companion with a nice camera! We just relaxed there for a bit then headed to a cute area by the Eiffel Tower. We got some pastries and just sat on the grass by the tower and took more photos and just enjoyed the sun which NEVER comes in France it seems. It was a fun day ! we are going to Paris again today but it is REALLLLLLY ugly outside like Dorothy going to Oz ugly so we are going to a museum there!

The Statue of Liberty in Luxembourg Gardens

The Luxembourg Palace in Paris

Emily in front of the Eiffel Tower

Emily being sooo French with her baguette and the Eiffel Tower

She loves baguettes!

The building across from the Eiffel Tower

Monday night the sisters from Luxembourg came to stay with us for the conference on Tuesday. So Elder Ballard, Elder Texiero and Bishop Causee all came! About half of the mission came to Versailles and the others just had little conferences by themselves. I love serving in Versailles for many reasons but that is a big one. Elder Texiero is the Europe Area President and Bishop Causee is in the Presiding Bishopric! They were both great. I preferred Causee because he is French and he is from my ward here! His family lives in SLC now but his married kids are here and he just loves Versailles so it was really cool to be his home missionary. Elder Ballard is incredible!! I love all of the apostles and general authorities but seeing them in a more intimate way and being able to talk to them is the best! He shared such amazing wisdom and really just pumped us up! Elder Oaks is coming in September so our mission is really getting blessed with all these great servants of God visiting our mission! The Paris mission is clearly the best mission! kidding… kind of.

The Eiffel Tower

The Luxembourg sisters after their sleepover. Soeur Smith from
Alaska and Soeur Hurrel from PERTH!

I am scared of boys. I have never been that great with guys before my mission but this is definitely not helping me. I blame it on the fact that we don’t teach or interact with any men outside of the ward/mission but men are just scary! Especially French men! On the bus and on the train men and young boys just stare at my name tag. Not in a sly clever way but they will turn their head back and just look at my tag and then go on with their day. The worst is when they are staring and then they READ IT OUT-LOUD! Yes I know it says Sœur Johns and thank you for noticing it but don’t tell me! I just sit there awkwardly knowing they are staring but I don’t want to call them out or acknowledge it so it is just a big mess. I don’t know how I am ever going to talk to guys after my mission!

So there are six missionaries in the Versailles ward plus senior couples. There is me and my comp, the APs and the office/district leader elders. I love them all so much and all the elders will be going home in the next few months. None of them are really American. One is from New Zealand, Tahiti, Italy and one if half french. So all of their French is perfect and so in sacrament they translate for the American families. My comp speaks really well but has never translated and I joke each Sunday saying that I am ready to translate but then don’t. Funny joke right? Not a joke anymore! Yesterday the elders put their foot down with my joking and I had to go up to the stand and get the microphone to translate and me and my companion were in charge while all these elders enjoyed sacrament. I was okay with translating an American speaking French but then once I sat down and had the microphone I was too tempted to start singing Spice Girls or One Direction or tell jokes to the Americans so my comp did it all! Maybe once I become more mature or learn self-control I will translate Oh and when I learn French better!

So we are still improving our eating with member’s thing but last night a dinner fell through and we were not sure what we were going to eat because we finished all of food on Saturday. But we did the missionary thing and visited a less active instead of worrying about food. It paid off but in a weird way. We went to the lady’s home and she has been sick so she was in bed and we were going to share a scripture with her. So I did the whole spiritual thought thing and then we asked if we could do anything for her to  help which we ask EVERYONE and no one ever actually asks us to do anything… this time was different. She asked us to make her dinner. We went into her little kitchen and found some pasta and stuff to make. I am not much of a cook but I am improving so it was cool. So we made her dinner but it was a bit weird because we didn’t know where anything was in the kitchen and we only know what we like not what others like. It guesses it looked good enough because she asked us to eat with her!! So we got to do a little service, share the gospel and EAT!! That is what I call using our time wisely!

This week we have been working HARD! Harder than ever before; every single day we went porting, even in the rain! We talked to every single woman we saw and scheduled a million lessons. We haven’t quite seen the fruits of that labor but we know it is coming. There can only be so many people not interested and people that bail on lessons before we find the person who is ready and willing to learn and live the gospel. We are feeling like since we are working hard and having faith that we may not see the blessings NOW but we will be blessed. All on the Lords time. I think that is something that everyone experiences. There are so many people out there who live amazing lives and do their best at everything but things just don’t work out and they still have huge trials but I know that if we keep doing our best and have faith that we can receive the promised blessings that God has for us. I know that the people in France are ready. I know that Heavenly Father is preparing someone in Versailles for us to teach and to help bring them closer to Jesus Christ. Staying positive is key!

I assume that Father’s Day is the same in America but it was Father’s Day yesterday here! I want to give a HUGE shout out to my Dad, uncles and Grandpa! Also to all the fathers, husbands and future fathers out there! Thank you for all you do! In honor of Father’s Day I encourage you to go on Mormon channel and watch my favorite video. .. Earthly Father, Heavenly Father! I invited you all to watch it when I was in the MTC but if you haven’t then watched it and if you have watch it again! It is the best!

I love being a missionary! I have never been happier! There are hard times and things can be frustrating but I love it! I hope that you all look for opportunities to share the gospel and share the happiness you have! Thank you so much for the prayers, love and support! I love you all and miss you all!

Love,

Sœur Emily Johns



Some photos from Emily's companion's camera