BOYS BOYS BOYS

Let me just say that NORMALLY we do NOT teach or contact men. I know of many other missions that the sisters are able to and their teaching pool is on FIRE! But no not us and not here. Us as the sisters only teach women and families and the elders get to teach anyone and everyone. Well this week and this transfer really has been different.... Remember right before my sophomore year at BYU when my mom talked to me about learning how to flirt and to talk to boys... well I don’t flirt (sister missionary) but I definitely have no problem talking to boys ABOUT THE GOSPEL!

Meet Lo... he was the big man from Senegal who was definitely NOT the little Asian girl that we were hoping. He has pretty much confessed his love for me. We have only had one RDV with him this week so I don’t really understand how he can think that he likes me but oh well. He says some really nice and kind things to me and I am sure that he could swoon many girls that aren’t missionaries but he just isn’t giving up. He hasn’t quite seemed to understand that I am on a fulltime mission and going out to dinner, taking drives to the beach etc. are just not things that fit into the missionary life. He keeps saying that he is a little interested in the gospel and so we have devised a test! On Tuesday we will be taking him with us to a couple’s house in the ward. This couple is CRAZY and if Lo is still 'interested' in the church after that then he will pass him to the elders but if he doesn’t make it pass this couple then he has to delete our number. Ultimate test!!

I think that most of you know by now that we don’t teach TOO many French people but lots and lots of people from other countries. Well Tugsuu is a recent convert from Mongolia who does not speak French. We teach her in English and she is incredible! She is always telling all of her Mongolian friends about the church and I swear every time we are at her apartment she has brought another friend to hear our message! 

Well back with Soeur Tane we met her friend Tsenge who does not speak English and only speaks simple French... We have been seeing her every week since and have had a really hard time because gospel terms are not things she understands and either is Jesus Christ and God. So we have been struggling. Well this week Tugsuu came and pretty much they just had their own lesson in Mongolian and we just sat there; BOY was the spirit STRONG! At the end we knelt together in prayer and Tsenge offered it. In Mongolian and the gift of tognues is not THAT strong and so I didn’t understand any of it but the gift of the Spirit is strong. As she finished the prayer she had eyes full of tears and the feeling in that room was overwhelming! She let us know that she had felt the spirit and wants to feel it again! She will be baptized next month! It was an incredible experience!

The miracles from texting has continued! And at times the really weird awkward moments. We had fixed a rdv with a lady named Liliane in our phone and were pretty excited to go teach her. We get there and her nephew Yvon was there and so we chatted and invited him to church... I will finish his story later! So she gets there and said that she was expecting the elders. And she was super confused and I was super confused and explained that it was ME that texted her and not the elders. She was still so insistent that she had a rdv with the elders... we taught her about the Book of Mormon and then right before we were about the leave... THE ELDERS walked it! Turns out when the elders got here in Rennes they were having a hard time and another sister gave them some of our old amis. They had decided to call her around the same time that we texted her and we all had fixed a rdv the same day and time with her! SOO CRAZY! So we will keep her with the elders!

This week me and Sophie and Soeur Williams found my new favorite store. 2 EUROS!! It is just like the dollar store but everything is 2 euros and they have really legit things. I have promised myself not to go there every day. Wish me luck!

On Thursday it was a bit of a rough day! My companion received a blessing and the power of the priesthood is real! She has felt better and happier ever since! I am so grateful for the elders here in Rennes and for their willingness to serve and help others! To top of the blessing we got KEBABS!! Aka my favorite thing that I never have! I only will eat a kebab from a Turkish kebab shop and then I talk to the owner and impress them with my love of Turkey and that I lived there! Still haven’t gotten anything for free but I will keep trying!

This weekend was the single adult weekend for the stake. It was so fun! We had some YSA amis there. Definitely invited Lo and hoped that he would find himself a girlfriend... it didn’t work. We had to arrange for someone else to sit next to me. He is determined! But because there was a special Sunday meeting for the YSA the regular ward met at 3-6 in the evening. WORST IDEA EVER! It was sooo long and I much much prefer morning church! On Sundays buses are pretty much nonexistent and only every hour IF that! Well Yvon wanted to come and was texting us throughout it but kept missing the bus. Finally at 6 I told him that it was over and sorry... HE STILL CAME! He walked in at 7 and we had a little lesson! He was pretty cool! This week we have taught several men and I must say that I much prefer teaching women. It is less awkward but now I am afraid that I will be a weird girl when I get home around boys. ON VERRA!

On Wednesday I will have only 6 months left of my mission and on Thursday marks the year mark of my mission! IT has gone by FAST and I am soo happy for everything that I have learned and for everything that I know I will learn! I LOVE being a missionary!

Thank you again for the love, prayers and support! I love you all

Love

Sœur Emily Johns