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