Money, Money, Money

On Monday me and Soeur Pettingill spent WAAAAY too much money in a single day. Over 100 euros BUT we got reeeally stocked in our kitchen and we also got new shoes. I must say that I have come a LOOOONG way from the 10 dollars a week that I would spend in college on groceries.

Every single RDV with Slauco we find out something new... I have said this again and again and somehow he still has more to tell us that we would have never known! So here is the sum up of Slauco... he has been married twice and is technically still married but has been separated for like 10 years. But the current wife is OLDER THAN HIS mom... and he always tells me that my eyes are like hers? WEIRD! He has one son but has never met him and didn’t know he existed until a couple of years ago. Oh and his dad was baptized ten years ago in Spain. But other than all the crazy random stuff about Slauco... he is solid! He is such a good guy and just wants to do the right thing all the time!

We had dinner with the Backs on Tuesday! He was the first bishop in France and they pulled out EVERYTHING that has even been published about the Church in France. They are really pioneers of the church in France and are soo full of stories! If I had all the time in the world then I would spend A LOT of time just talking to them! They remind me of my grandparents with just stories and stories to share and sooo much life experience! Oh how I will miss eating BIG dinners and talking for a couple of hours with these people!

On Wednesday we went to PARIS!! We went to meet the Babins. Our new mission president and his wife! We are soo lucky to have another French couple as our president and I feel so blessed because natives really just are the best! They are sooo wonderful! I was pretty worried that they wouldn’t seem like my presidents because I will only do a few months with them but right when they started speaking I was like WOOO HOOOO they are MINE! And I just love them soo much already! They are going to do grrrreat with this mission the next 3 years!

After the conference we stopped by one of my favorite stores called HEMA and once again... too much money spent! I don’t know what has gotten into me during my mission but I am just sooo much less anal with money. I don’t know why I needed to buy so many different roles of tape and stickers and pens but hey I need to have a fully stocked office space right? There weren’t any strikes for the trains and I even got to face forward on it so that was nice! I don’t know what it is but I just love Paris! It is always just incredible to be there! A year ago when I was serving in the Paris area people would ask for directions and I wouldn’t have any idea what they were saying or where anything was and a year later I was able to give directions in the heart of Paris IN FRENCH! These little baby steps are what make me soo happy!

On Thursday we went on a third wheel date?? One of our rich amis Gerard wanted to take us to lunch and so we went to Chinese and it was pretty good! I still prefer the Chinese restaurants in Cholet with ThiThanh but oh well! WAAAAY too much money spent! I mean I am no dating expert but I feel like you can’t spend more money than the person who is paying for it but Gerard FORCED us! We both just wanted something simple and he went back and made everything the double amount and cost! He is just really happy to be rich and to drive his new Mercedes Benz and force American missionaries to eat a lot of Chinese food! Clearly he didn’t get the 3 months to sexy that I am on...

That night we were supposed to have an FHE with our ami and a family but the family had to cancel last minute and so we hurried and scrammed to find another family... The Pagots are retired and incredible! They dropped everything they were doing and made it so we had an fhe... only then our ami cancelled but we couldn’t just go to the Pagots empty handed because they had changed everything last minute to accommodate us. Well when we got to their TINY village we told them we would go around the village and invite anyone that we possibly could! I must say that I have never done a door approach like... Hello my name is sister Johns. Would you like to come eat a dessert with us and our friends? We ended up meeting a super cool lady who worked for Chanel!! She had her sleeping grandbaby with her so she took a rain check but we were able to pray with her and exchange info! It is coool because we had all done everything we could and then the Lord blessed us by placing this lady in our way to make it all worth it! Also it was at their house that I found out.. KATE MIDDLETON was in FRANCE and NO ONE told me!! They had a magazine and of course I spotted the little Kate in the bottom square... Thanks for everyone who is NOT feeding my obsession. But now a few members know and we will see what happens :)

I have heard from some very trusted people that there is this magic water to get your makeup off at night and I have never done anything like it. But me and soeur Pettingill spent tooo much time going into every pharmacy in Toul to find the magic water for the right price.. Well we splurged and made the big step and bought it! It is nice to have my makeup fully off at night but we will see what else it does because it is magic! We are proud of our shopping sprees this week! We also went and saw Rudolphe an ami that LOVES America and sang for us.. he is a BIG hippie and wants to live in San Fransico! I love these people!

Germany played France this week in the world cup and I am soooo happy that Germany won because wow they are sooo cute and not short! It was pretty sad in France but it was July 4th and so oh well! I am just a bit confused as to why I watched a soccer game between France and Germany on my countries birthday… I have a lot to make up for next summer! We had dinner with our Amis the Mazeriks this weekend...Louis tried to find me a husband. It was soo awkward! We were sitting at the table when he comes in with this man and forces him to sit next to me and the whole time he was making these comments and UGH! He was a nice guy but NO NO NO NO NO he is 32; named Olivier and I couldn’t handle the way he talked with his hands AND I am a missionary! Louis just forgot that part! But through that little suffering. They came to church!!!

We had 7 amis at church!! Normally there are about 35 people at church but yesterday there were 51 and several people that aren’t amis but aren’t members if that makes sense! The baptism was soooo great! Slauco is incredible and is soo dedicated! A lot of the branch stayed after and it was a nice little celebration! He will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost next week and I am excited for him!

In France there are a MILLION bakeries! Like every single corner if not MORE! Well we have thoroughly visited every single one in Toul and have had our favorite for a while. It is owned and operated by Jouffray and his girlfriend who are both in their 20s. Seriously soooo good and sooo popular and they are cool! We have given them lots of American cookies and are just waiting to see it in the bakery someday. But this week we got the ultimate cool thing! We went in and asked how we could get a tour of the bakery because we only ever get to see the front.. Well we got it right then! It was HOT HOT HOT in the back but sooo cool! I felt like a little girl in a candy shop because these are just things that not everyone gets to do right? A personal tour of the best bakery?? LUCKY girl! They are our friends and little by little they get to learn about why we are here and our message! 

Well everyone another transfer has come and gone. I am now in my 11/12 transfers and I will be staying in Toul but getting Soeur Nielson who is in her 4th! I hope she is ready to drive.... I received the first part of my TRUNKY PAPERS aka emails about me going home officially from the mission! I can’t believe I have less than three months left in France! I am sooo excited to see all the things that I need to learn and to grow! I LOVE being a missionary!!

Thank you all for your love and support!

Soeur Emily Johns