Hey everybody! I hope Christmas was awesome and that Santa came to all. It was so special to be able to talk to the family on Christmas day. I love you all so much and I am so thankful for your words of wisdom! Seeing all of my neices and nephews made me get so flippin' emotional. It seems like they have already grown so much. I spent Christmas morning with the Zone Leaders and made that really good syrup that Mom makes for everyone! Then we spent the night with la famille Blakemore and had an awesome French dinner! I had no idea what half of the stuff I was eating was but it was unreal!

 This week was another awesome week of work! We picked up a new Ami named Kajean, we had two lessons with him and on the second lesson he accepted a date to be baptized on the 25 of January! He is awesome and is super sincere! He is also Chinsese. And his last name is Wong so Brent, you might know him! The thing is he is moving to Paris this week so we are sending all of his contact info to the elders there!

The weather is a bit better here and it is not as freezing. Or maybe I am just getting used to it but I am loving Aix! I am stoked for New Years and I can't wait to hear from all of you about your holidays! I have really begun to appreciate the little things while I have been out here! I love you all and miss you all so much! 

And shoutout to aunt wendy and Joe and Tori for the packages! You guys rock!!

 

Love,

Charlie

On Mon, Dec 23, 2013 at 7:51 PM, Charles Bollard <charles.bollard@myldsmail.net> wrote:

 

 

Hello everybody and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! or in French Joyeux Noel!!! You all sound great and I was so stoked to hear from so many friends this week who I haven't talked to in forever! This week was one of the best weeks I have had so far!!!!

We were on fire this week!! We are literally teaching so much now! The Zone Leaders told us that we are leading the whole zone in lessons taught!! We found some really cool Amis this week! One's name in Manuella and she loves the best music ever. Yeah, she is so rad, haha. We also picked up another asian Ami named Kejean. We now have two engages (people who have a date for baptism) and we are working with them alot to prepare them.

Today we went back to Marseilles and checked out some really cool islands!! It was so cool. There are tons of WWII bunkers for the Liberation of Marseilles in 1944. Ben would love it, haha. I hear that Sam and Cindel are having a baby girl!! That is so awesome! another Bollard girl. Congrats! Dad I am glad your trial is going well! Stinking Chicony!! hahah

It was awesome to receive all of your packages and letters last week in Lyon!!! Dont hesitate to send letters or packages to my address in Aix though as I will receive it alot sooner!

I hope the family has fun in Ojai! (wherever that is) and make sure to play reverse charades in my honor! 

I miss you all like crazy but I know that we have many christmases together still! I really am so thankful to be here on a mission helping the lives of other people! The French are beautiful, family-oriented people and I look forward to doing a ton of service on Christmas day! My favorite scripture right now is Alma 7 10-13. That really is what Christmas is all about. I love you all and JOYEUX NOEL!!

 

Love,

Charlie 

 

Hey everbody!! Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!! haha, How are things back home? I am so excited to talk to the family! What are you guys doing for Christmas???

So this week in Aix was a GREAT one! We are teaching a lot more and the people are just happier. Aix is so crowded at night its crazy! We are still teaching our Chinese ami Lei!  He is awesome and he loves the gospel!  We are working towards baptism and hope all goes well! 

So, today for P-day we went to a concentration camp just outside of Aix! It was crazy!!!!  Its called Camp Des Milles and it is intense. I have never been in a concentration camp before. 

I loved hearing about your weeks and seeing all of the pics of Max, Tate, and Porter.  How is Porter already talking?! That is crazy!  ahh! Well, I cant wait for Christmas and I will put pics in the drop box! The Lord is with you and he loves you all!

Love,

Elder Charlie Bollard

We also received the following email from our long-time friends, Herb and Nancy Clark, who are serving in Charlie's mission:

Bishop and Sister Bollard,

I thought I would let you know we were able to spend a few minutes with your outstanding missionary today at a training meeting.  He looks wonderful and happy!  He seems to be adapting well and said he is very much enjoying the work.  He is very kind to us and passed on your regards.

I made the mistake of asking how Mom was doing.  He handled it very well and takes comfort in the fact that you are open and honest with him about the health situation.  He was a little emotional - showed mostly in his eyes.  He prays for you every day and very much appreciates the fact that you can feel his pleadings with Heavenly Father.  He is a great young man that will be able to deal with what comes and be an even more dedicated missionary in the process.

We love him.  He looks so much like his brothers and parents - kind of scary.

We love you and pray that you feel the Saviors love for you and your family.

May you enjoy the spirit of Christ this season of the year.

Elder Clark
 

Charlie with the Clarks

Tori's nephew, Cole Thompson, is also serving in Charlie's mission.  He wrote: "I texted Charlie last week and told him I was coming over to Manosque and he texted back and said we're going to party it up in Aix hahaha and he texted me again last night just to say hi haha".  Here is also a screen shot about what his new companion said about Elder Bollard who he went on exchanges with last week. 

Christmas in Aix-en-Provence

Hello everybody!! It was so great to hear from you guys and read your emails! Keep em coming!!! I had a great week this week and it turns out that I am staying another six weeks on Aix! So I will be in Aix for Christmas and New Years this year! 

It was a great week in Aix!!! So we had to do an emergency exchange and I ended up having to teach the first lesson with our miracle asian ami alone with a member.... It was crazy! But the spirit was so strong and he was so amazing! At the end I commited him to be baptized once he knew of the truth! It was so sweet!!!

You can put this on the blog if you want or not but this is for the family.

The way I have really felt the love of the savior is through my family. Everything I am, I owe to you guys. I dont know how other people feel the presence/love of the Lord in their lives, but I feel it through personally reading the scriptures and mostly through my amazing family. I love you all so much. I have taken my family for granted but I am so thankful for the soil in which my testimony was planted. The faith of my parents and the examples of their love. And the examples and lives of my brothers and their families. I love you guys so much and I sure do miss you all at this time!

I Love you all so much!!!

Family,

Okay so this week in Aix was awesome! We hiked the famous Saint Victoire today! I will put pics in the drop box! And guess what?! I actually celebrated Thanksgiving! The Bishop invited us over for a French Thanksgiving haha, it was awesome!!! We didnt have turkey but it was still really good!

Funny story! So we went to a ville far from Aix a couple days ago and had just taught a lesson pretty late at night, so after the lesson we realized that we had to book it to the bus station to make to the last bus going to Aix!  And unfortunately we missed it haha so we were freaking out and then all of a sudden a bus driver who had ended his shift asked us if we misssed our bus and then he offered to take us to the next bus stop and call the other bus to tell them to wait for us on one condition... if we gave him one of the cupcakes we had haha! It was awesome and was totally a miracle!

I heard Thanksgiving was fun for everyone and Joe and Tori it looks like you guys have had a fun couple weeks hah GEEZE! Happy birthday to Joe and Sam! Love you brothers! Well the book is blue and the church is true love you all! 

Okay Dad, here are my answers to your inspired questions....

1.     Describe your apartment

It is the smallest and most expensive apartment in the mission haha, it is one room with the kitchen and beds and desk and then a SMALL bathroom and the shower nozzle is like a hose thing so yeah haha.

2.     Describe your daily meals

BON we usually have French cereal or I make mom's scrambled eggs for breakfast, a baguettte sandwich for lunch, and like pasta or chicken for dinner. On a good day haha, alot of the times it is just like rice and chili

3.     What is your schedule?

We have alot of studying in the morning, for me especially because I am a "blue" (I think its greenie in the US). Then we go out and visit less actives and members, while contacting along the way.  Lessons are kinda rare so we prepare big time for those haha.  I am ALWAYS exhausted at the end of the day 

4.     How is your French studying going?

My French study usually consists of going to a members house and practicing teaching them a lesson!  It is awesome and helps so much

5.     Are you getting more fluent?

Yes, definitely. I can now talk to people on my own and hold a decent converstation with them.

6.     Can you understand what most people are saying?

Yes definitely, BUT there are some CRAZY accents! like the Marseilles accent is hilarious and then there is a Algerian accent cause of all the Muslims and yeah haha its crazy hard sometimes

7.     How is your health?

I had a fever a couple nights ago but I am good now I think haha. It is really good! I have some blisters on my feet but they aren't bad

8.     How many missionaries are there in Aix?

There are a wooping 8 missionaries in Aix alone!!!  Two equipes of sisters and two equipes of Elders

9.     How many missionaries are in your Zone?

About 20, I think

10.  Where do you have Zone Conferences?

In the Aix chapel!

11.  How often do you see Pres. Roney?

I have seen him once since I have arrived haha

12.  Do you write him every week?

YES

13.  How do you get around?

WE WALK! or take a bus!

14.  How is the public transportation?

It is alot better than the US, or probably just more frequently used than in the US

15.  How do the people look?

SO GOOD HAHAH! they care about their appearance like crazy

16.  How are they different from the typical American?

So European, its exactly how you would think

17.  Have you encountered any prejudice against Americans?

HAHA yeah, like I said there are a ton of Muslims yeah who are really mean to us BUT some of my favorite people whom I have met are Muslim, so it depends

18.  Have you made good friends among the missionaries or members?

Yes, I am really good friends with the Ca missionaries and the ones from Gap and Manosque and I have some friends in the ward too! The wards are SO different than back home haha

19.  What is the study program for individual and companionship study?

I love to study the scriptures for personal and comp study is usually planning for lessons

20.  Are the members involved in the work?

Yes, but we need more of their help

21.  How is the interaction between the Elders and the Sisters, now that they are closer in age?

It is not too close from what I have seen

22.  Do the Elders have to be more careful about flirting?

HAHA yeah for sure, the assisants talked about that a couple weeks ago

23.  What attributes do you admire about the French (style, intellectualism, refinement, arts, food, etc.?)

They absolutely LOVE their families! It is adorable, they are very rational thinkers and love man-made things, they really appreciate music and architetchure! The food is UNREAL haha they take like 2 hours for each meal and love to talk and enjoy every bite

24.  Is the French culture generally hostile or apathetic toward religion?

It really depends, you hear alot of JE CROI PAS EN DIEU I don't believe in god, alot of them don't have a positive view, but there are some elect still

25.  Etc.

France rules!!!

Elder Charlie Bollard

Me in Saint Cannat 

Bonjour à tous!!! It has been an awesome week here in Aix, literally miracles left and right! Also the city is so pretty right now! They have decorated everything for Christmas, it is so cool! They have something called the Marché de Noel and its like a bunch of little Christmas shops that people put up in Centre Ville. You would love it mom! 

The whole atmosphere of the town changes at this time of here and there are tons of tourists and families walking around. Also everyone is just nicer! they are out looking for presents for their loved ones and are essentially serving their fellow man so it is awesome for talking to people!

So something aweosme happened this week. My comp and I have been trying to find ways that are efficient for finding people SO we decided so make someone up in our mind and find them. So as we were praying I thought of the most random thing... a Chinese man in his 30s married to a French woman.... HAH. So we agreed on finding this man and we went out tracting and contacting all day with little success... finally, after feeling a little discouraged we decided to pray. Immediately after the prayer we looked up and saw our MAN!! He was walking across the street so we booked it after him and started talking to him. He said he was 32 from China but the problem was I didnt see anyone with him so NO WIFE! But towards the end of our awesome conversation we tried to set up a RDV with him this weekend but he said he couldnt come because he will be getting his wife in PARIS. So cool haha! his name is Lei and we are meeting with him in a couple weeks and we will baptize him for sure.

I am so greatful to be here and I know that this is where I am supposed to be. The church is true and I love all of your letters and emails! Please fill me in on your lives! Have a Happy Thanksgiving! and the word for turkey in French is la dinde

Love you all

Elder Bollard

Bonjour!!!!! So this past week was amazing! Literally one of the coolest weeks ever. I went olive picking in outside of Avignon, hiked through underground caves, went to Mareseilles, saw Chateau d'If, and had zone conference!! it was awesome and we picked up two new investigators!!!

Last week the Zone Leaders took us olive harvesting with one of their amis (investigator) and it was awesome! It was in a beatiful olive garden tucked away in the hills. We had a picnic and ate like ten different types of cheeses, crazy... After went went hiking through these really cool caves.

Yesterday the Aix and Marseilles Elders went to Chateau D'If and took some sweet pics. Sam, I took a pic just like the one you took in Spain with aviators, it is my favorite pic of you. I have Chateau D'If and Marseilles in the background, its sweet! haha. Anyways it was awesome!

Monday was Zone Interviews and it was soo cool! I had such a spiritual interview with President Roney, he is an amazing man!

Aix is beautiful now that they have decorated it for Christmas! It is soo cool! I took some sweet pics! Everyweek all four equipes (conpanionships) go carolling in Centre Ville and SOO many people stop to listen it ROCKS. The work is picking up fast! We just picked up two new amis today!! Miracle ones name is PP and the other is Ayoub. PP is a sushi delivery man and Ayoub works at a nuclear power plant! They are awesome, they loved the Plan of Salvation! We have also had some crazy RDVs but you gotta get through the terres to find the wheat.

The French is coming along now! I understand most everything that is said and I can kinda express myself haha! I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!! Celebrate it for me as the French DONT ugh. But I am doing well and look forward to an awesome week!

I am now posting all of my pictures in a dropox! It takes too long to do it the other way so here is my account info and you should be able to access the pics I took this week. They are way cool!!!

got to www.dropbox.com
Charlie Bollard

charles.bollard@myldsmail.net

password: 123kakee

Me and my Aviators in Marseille

Marseille is beautiful this time of year

WASSUP everybody! Week 2 in France woohoo. It has been a crazy week. The mission is rad and I have walked so much this last week. So I had my first exchange this week with Elder Palmer, I went to this small farm town called Manosque and it was sweet! It is so beautiful.

 

It has been a tough week numbers-wise, we have 5 investigators and none of them went to church this week which was pretty tough but we met some really cool new potential investigators! There are a good amount of English speakers who work or are vacationing in Aix so that is really good haha, but all of our lessons have been in just French haha. We have one investigator with a baptsimal date and we are hoping to get 5 by the end of this week. So pray for us! 

The members here are great and they let me practice my French on them and it is pretty hilarious. We had lunch two days ago with the Mildermans, the husband is from Begium and the wife is from San Francsisco! They are awesome so nice. 

We are going shopping to get my companion some new pants today so I am getting some sweet French clothes for sure! They are literally the most stylish creatures on this planet it is ridiculous how beatiful the French are. They have all of their winter outfits on and its crazy. They are also not as mean as most Americans think they are. They are some of the nicest people ever and they LOVE California. I am learning to love these people and I try to see them as God sees them. I am going to witness some amazing miracles out here in France and I am so excited! I love you all and wish you all a great week!!!!

 

Elder Charlie Bollard

On Mon, Nov 4, 2013 at 4:33 PM, Charles Bollard <charles.bollard@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Hello everyone! I am going to apologize in advance because French keyboards are impossible to write on. Well I am finally here! France is awesome, it is so amazing here. It is so different and everything is literally beautiful. The people have so much style here it is insane. Okay so I arrived on Tuesday in Lyon. Lyon is an amazing city, there is a town square called Place Bellacour and it is so cool there is a massive statue that tons of people sit around and a huge Cathedral that overlooks the whole city. I was in Lyon for two nights and we went contacting on the first night. It was hilarious and the French they teach you in the MTC isn't the same French that they speak here. Oh my goodness it was crazy. I gave away three French Books of Mormon on my first night though! 

I met the Clarkes the first night I arrived, they are awesome and they say hello Mom and Dad. My interview with President Roney was an amazing experience, he is an amazing man. So the second day in Lyon we were assigned our trainers and split our separate ways. It was sad because I had grown really close to my MTC buds but we still keep in touch. So me and my trainer, Elder Kunz took a train to the town of Aix en Provence. It was a beautiful 3 hour train ride through Southern France. There are so many castles and cathedrals. It is a beatiful place.

My trainer is Elder Kunz from good ole' Orem Utah. Goodness gracious he is a great person. He sounds like Heidi sometimes and says maricle (miracle) but he is obedient to the bone. Although he wasn't the trainer I was expecting, he is very Christlike and I am grateful for that. It is really hard to contact here. Aix is a very wealthy southern town and there are TONS of Muslims here. It is funny because everyone thinks that we are Jehova's Witnesses and they HATE Jehova's Witnesses so the Muslims will just yell any English cuss words they know at us haha. There are a ton of conpanionships in Aix, two sister and two elder comps. so 8 missionaries in the city itself! The otherelder comp. are the zone leaders and they are awesome. 

So the ward in Aix is the most amazing thing ever. I LOVE the members, they are like pioneer/warriors here and they showed me so much love. I bore my testimony on Sunday and everyone laughed so that is good but they are great people and eat like a huge feast after church. There are some Americans so it was so good to speak with them haha. The food is literally insane here. It is so good, oh my goooooodness. I have had my first baguette already. My companion and I jog to a Boulangerie every morning and get fresh baguettes for the day. Its rad. The apartment isn't that bad, but it is VERY small. 

And finally the FRENCH HAH, so basically whenever I try to speak French to people they laugh or give me terrible, heart-melting looks. It is pretty tough but most of the time I can get across what I am trying to say. There are also so many different accents here so it is so hard sometimes to understand. Good thing my trainer knows French!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! I hope it was the best and I am thinking of you always!! 

MY ADDRESS:

les Missionaires

Résidence le Félibridge

Bât B Appt 26

4 Place Coïmbra

13090 Aix en Provence

FRANCE

Please write me!!!

Elder Bollard's first assignment is in Aix-en-Provence with his companion is Elder Kunz.  Their address is Râs. Le Felibrige Bât B Appt 26, 4 Place Coiimbra F-13090 Aix-en-Provence.

Elder Bollard (Charlie) arrived in Lyon, France on Tuesday, October 29, 2013 and was met at the airport by President and Sister Roney.  He is thrilled to finally be in France and is so looking forward to the adventures and amazing experiences that await him there.  He would love everyone to write him at charles.bollard@myldsmail.net.  He accesses his email every Monday.

On Mon, Oct 21, 2013 at 12:57 PM, Charles Bollard <charles.bollard@myldsmail.net<mailto:charles.bollard@myldsmail.net>> wrote:
Hello everybody! This week has been awesome! A week from now I will be on a 14 hour flight to Amsterdam! SWEET! I feel a lot more confident with speaking French! I am so excited and ready to get to the field and serve the people of France! I know that the Lord has prepared them and softened their hearts so that they can hear what I have to say! This is going to be my last email sent from American soil in TWO YEARS! I am so excited and I hope you all keep writing me.
So this week I received a letter with about 50 letters in it and let me just say that my family rocks! You guys are awesome! It was so special to hear from all of you and your advice. I am truly grateful for my upbringing into the Bollard clan. I am so glad to hear that Joe and Tori landed safely in AUSTRALIA! That is awesome! I hope that everything is well at home and that you are all doing well. Keep me posted!
I am so very excited to meet President Roney and his wife. I was assigned to be the Travel Leader for all of the missionaries going to Lyon. It is crazy! I assigned all of the travel companions and I am responsible for all of the missionaries while we are traveling. There are about 30 going to Lyon in this transfer alone! Some of them don't even know English that well so this will be interesting. I am loving this Gospel and loving the scriptures. I have grown so close to the Lord and when I look back 5 weeks ago I realize that I have changed so much. I imagine arriving in France under the banner of Christ with Angels on either side of me ready to preach the Gospel.
Je sais que l'eglise de Jesus-Christ des saintes des derniers jours est vrai. Je suis tres reconnaissant pour cette Evangile et pour tout les choses dans l'eglise. Merci beacoup pour tout les benedictions et pour votre amour. J'ai tres haite et je vais parler avec tout les monde quand je vais etre en FRANCE. Au revoir et passe un bon journee!
Je t'aime

Elder Bollard

Here is Elder Charlie Bollard's email from October 14, 2009:

Bonjour tout les monde!!!! It has been a great week. I was called to be the District Leader on Sunday and it is crazy!! I love it. Thank you all so much for the letters and packages, they're the best! This week was awesome! I saw Makayla at the temple on Sunday and it was awesome!!! Life in the MTC is good, I have 14 days left to try and learn as much French as I can! It is REAL. Austin Do, I got your DearElder and I thank you for writing me! I hope all is well in good ol' Irvine! It is super cold in Provo and all of the leaves are changing, its beautiful. But I have a feeling France will be even cooler. I hear the family had a fun week at the beach and that Luke got BAPTIZED! That is awesome! Give him a big hug for me. I am guessing Joe and Tori landed safely in Australia and I hope you guys have shown your kids some kangaroos and stuff. Things are awesome here and I really love the work. I was listening to a talk from Elder Holland about how important a mission is and I really have never thought about some of the things he said before. But really everything that I will experience in the next two years will shape the rest of my life and all of the choices I make. I am so blessed to be here and have such an awesome family and great friends. Storm I got your letter today and I am going to read it tonight! I encourage anyone to write and tell me how life is! The French is going well. I really hope I don't get lost in the airport after I land, especially in Amsterdam. I dont know Dutch!!! Keep writing and I look forward to writing back next week. Bonjournee!   

Elder Bollard with his cousin Makayla at the Provo Temple

Write to Elder Bollard via Dear Elder

Hey Everyone,

Charlie loves getting letters and if you write to him via Dear Elder the letters you send will be printed out and delivered to him nightly. It's super easy.

Here's his info:

Elder Charles Bollard
Unit #154
Mission Code: FRA-LYON
Departure Date: OCT29

He would love to hear from you.

Week 3 in the MTC

Bonjour tout le monde!!!!

This last week has been AMAZING! I really have learned to love the MTC and General Conference was like Christmas haha. I've got three weeks left here then off to France!!! I am so excited. This weekend was amazing and there were so many great talks! I really felt like this entire General Conference was exactly what my family needed. Especially President Monson's and Elder Holland's. Stay strong Bollards and remember that hope is never lost. My testimony has grown so much as all of my questions have been answered this weekend. I noticed a reoccurring theme of being "meek and lowly in heart" in alot of the talks. Which is awesome because we could all be a little more meek. I also heard one of my favorite verse repeated this weekend, "Be not afraid, only believe". I know that I will be acting in faith ALOT in the streets of southern France so these talks inspired me so much. I hope everything is okay back home. I am learning the subjunctive conjugations right now and it is AWESOME HAH! I wish I had more time to write but dont stop the letters! and if you havent written me yet, its never to late! haha I will write back! Stay strong and trust in God, he is with us. We just have to choose to feel his presence. Have a great week everybody!!!

Elder Bollard 

Week 2 in the MTC

Hello everybody! I've been partying in the MTC for about 11 days now! Its awesome here and I am loving the work! I have made some really good friends and half of them aren't even from America. Danish and British people are hilarious by the way. I met an Elder from Ghana too. I'm also really close with two FRENCH Elders! They grew up together and are from just outside of Paris. They're learning Tahitian! It really is amazing here and the spirit of the Lord is strong. Storm and Taylor, I just got your letters today so I will read them tonight and Im stoked. Email/write me with all your email addresses (charles.bollard@myldsmail.net) Im learning French like crazy and can already conjugate in the past tense. No doubt I've got some form of the gift of tongues haha. Im loving the packages! keep em coming XD. I went to San Francisco last Tuesday to pick up my French visa! it was the longest day ever. We woke up at 1:30 to get on our plane which left at 4:00, then came back just in time for our devotional at 7:00! It was awesome :) Everyone expected me to know where to go and how to get around because I'm the Californian so that was fun haha. I am so excited for the next flight will take! Salt Lake to Amsterdam, then to Lyon!!!!! CRAZY I am so excited and I love all of you back home. I am not serving this mission for myself but I am doing this two year journey for the Lord and for the wonderful people of France! I am becoming an expert on the Doctrines of Christ and the principles therein to teach people how they can apply them in their lives. I love the work and I love all of you. Talk to you soon! Elder Bollard

Week 1 in the MTC

Bonjour! Elder Bollard reporting live from the MTC! It is crazy here!! But i love it and im working hard! So here's the DETAILS! My companion is Elder Willits from Sandy Utah HAH and we are the ONLY americans in our district! Its the craziest thing ever hahaha. So there are six Elders in my district and we all sleep in the same room, i love it haha. There's elder Shalt from Frankfurt Germany, Elder Iliff from Birmingham Engalnd, Elder Pederson from Denmark, and Elder Sommer from Munich Germany! ITS UNREAL im already having a culture shock and im not in France yet. Speaking of France, the French language might be the death of me but Im learning really fast. Im surprising myself so thats good! I miss you mom and dad and I can feel all of your prayers! It's hard work here and the time goes by slowly so friends and family PLEASE write me letters!! i promise ill write back hahah. 

The spirit of the Lord is so strong here and I feel it daily. Mom im praying for you SO MUCH. I love you and I had the chance to go to the temple today and pray about you and the family<3 Its amazing here and Im so excited for what the future holds. 

I appreciate all of the emails and letters! I look forward to them nightly! I feel my testimony growing greatly and I am working as hard as i can in studying the language and the gospel. Its exhausting!! Sunday night was my favorite night for sure. I got to hear a talk from Elder Bednar about converting yourself unto the Lord. Its not enough just to have a testimony but you need to become converted unto the Lord. He said we go about doing this by shaping our lives after Christ. We need to study the character of Chirst and try to be like him. I am praying for that daily now. It was an amazing talk. 

I miss all of you so much. And HOMIES! WRITE ME. I need that love<3 This truly is an experience that I've never gone through before and i know that as I become more and more focused on loving others and making them better people, I will be able to better myself!  Au revoir!!!

Elder Bollard

Saying Goodbye and Entering the MTC

Headed to the Provo MTC

We are so proud of the choice Charlie has made to serve a mission and the example he is to all of these kids. Elder Bollard will enter the Provo Missionary Training Center tomorrow September 18th where he will serve for 6 weeks focusing on learning to teach the gospel and learning the French Language.

Charlie's Mission Call

Dear Elder Bollard,

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. You are assigned to Labor in the France Lyon mission.