Julia's a missionary too!

After much waiting, (Bishop told Julia the status for her call was 'sent' on Friday, the 17th.) it finally came ONE WEEK later! On the 24th. We were all very excited. I couldn't wait where she was going to be and when she was leaving. I really wanted her to be there with me in the MTC, mostly because I don't want to be 'alone' (or as alone as you can be in the MTC with hundreds of other missionaries around you) on Thanksgiving. Anyway, once everyone who could make it for the opening had assembled, she opened it.

I will now illustrate what happened next with the pictures taken on my handy dandy camera:

 so excited ... can't wait to find out ...

 Dear Sister Barney ... hereby called to serve ...

 ... you are assigned to serve in ...

Virginia, Richmond mission.

'yeah right, Julia, come on ... where are you really going' ...

no. really.

oh. my. gosh. Virginia, Richmond!

 i just can't even believe it! this is crazy!!

 all of the Richmond missionaries! Brandon (brother-in-law) went there too!! so excited!

 can't believe it, but we're still so happy! hooray!

Right now, I still can hardly believe it. We're all still kind of shocked. haha This just isn't something you hear about every day... two sisters going to the same mission at the same time! Well, a month apart. She leaves December 15th. So I will be alone in the MTC on Thanksgiving. But Julia will be there for Christmas, and won't be able to call home. So that is more sad for her.

This is what I wrote in my journal that night:

Julia got her mission call today. You'll never guess where she's going. 

RICHMOND. 

Yes. It should sound familiar. Same Same. 

I still can't really believe it. We're going to the same mission. It's just so crazy! 

So many people have asked and joked about us getting called to the same 

mission and I've always just dismissed it. That could never happen. That sort 

of thing rarely happens and would NEVER happen to Julia and me. Especially to 

Brandon's mission too. Never. But it happened! And it's so right. It's not up to 

anyone but Heavenly Father. And He knows exactly what we need and what the 

people in that mission need. And it's both of us! I, personally, am so excited! Thrilled,

you might say. Julia, I think, needs to warm up to the idea a little bit. But I'm sure 

she will be so excited very soon. Once it sinks in more.

Since Friday, I think we've all gotten more used to the idea. It's still super crazy, but more familiar. So. Today in church Bishop announced that Julia had gotten her call to Richmond and that we were all excited about it. Then added how it's even more interesting and exciting because her sister, Rachel (me), is reporting about a month before her to the same mission. You can imagine what followed. Everyone's excited murmuring and inquisitive glances around to the Barney family... they've gone and done it again! Two girls in the same mission at the same time! Yes. That's us