Hey everybody!  This week was another one for the books.

 

So, we will start this fairy tale of a week with an unreal miracle. Remember the miracle I talked about a couple weeks ago of the girl who came up to me in the Gare (bus station)? Well, she's like a double miracle. Her name is Camille and she is from RUSSIA. So for our lesson, we spoke with her in the young adults building and she told us that in Russia she had met with the missionaries for 2 months straight and she went to church and even talked with the bishop. She said something along the lines of "when I was being taught by the missionaries, I was going to be baptized," but then she moved here. She and her mother (who is sick) live in a small nearby town called Ardech. 

I gave her a baptismal date for the 17th of May and she is stoked!  We gotta get them to church and integrated with the ward members. Such a MIRACLE!  We took her to an FHE at our less active Russian family's house and it was so great, the Skachkovs.... he follows me on insta now haha

Some other good news is that I am an UNCLE AGAIN! haha I have been and uncle for like 10 years and I love it so much! I am so excited to meet her :) 

The Clarks fed us Mexican food again this week! They are unreal.  Also the Bishop of our ward here, who is also the head of family history in France had us over for dinner. I have made some sweet friends here in Lyon. Me and my homie Elder Du Pre took pics for the mission and I will send them next week. Maybe they'll be in the Ensign... Also, Elder Higham from Mission Viejo is my man!

I want to say how proud I am of my family. Each member is such a great example to me. Bollards are strong. We have been prepared by the Lord for the trials that we are facing. He is aware of each and every one of us. I love you all and my prayers are with you.

 

One Love,

Elder Bollard

 

Bishop Lepore and his family. His youngest boy's name is Charlie so it freaks me out every time his mother calls his name.

Hey everyone! Another SWEET week here in Lyon, France. I don't have a ton of time to write. We picked up some really cool new amis and taught some SICK lessons. I love my little Tahitian companion! 

We taught the Plan of Salvation to a new ami named Lionel and my comp pulled out his picture model of the Plan and it was such a powerful lesson. We testified so hardcore on life after this life.  At the end, Lionel said "I know that this is the truth." It was so cool! We committed him to be baptized and we are seeing him again today! 

Hey, so people are telling me about packages that they sent getting returned back. Just send them to the mission office at the address on my Blog. Our mailbox is super sketchy and there are a ton of homeless Romanians that live by our apartment. 

I love you all. Easter was so great. We had our ami come to Church and he bore such a powerful testimony of the Plan of Salvation!  He knows it's all true. Its funny, when I teach the about the Plan I feel so empowered and I just know that it is true. 

Christ conquered death and because of Him, so shall we. I know that we can live with our loved ones again thanks to Him. 

ONE LOVE

Elder Bollard 

 

Hey everyone! So this week was one of the best so far. It is the start of a new transfer! I am receiving a new comp and I will be senior comp. He is from Tahiti and I am picking him up tonight from the gare (train station). His name is Elder Metsahuki, I am stoked.

BIG NEWS! We are having two baptisms this weekend and I would like all of you to pray for Geoffrey and Stivia so that all will go as planned. They are a brother and sister who love the Gospel and I love them so much.  We have taught them so much and they are ready.

I had tons of miracles this week too!  So in the bus I was chatting with a member when all of a sudden I felt a tap on my back. I turned and saw a woman who asked me if I had "one of those books by Joseph Smith."  I said YES OF COURSE and she told me that she was from Madagascar and that she had started to read it and had "envie" to finish it!

Also, while I was in the gare during transfers, a woman came up to me and asked if I was from the Church of Jesus Christ.  I said YES.  She then told me that she had been looking for this church for years and that she had finally found us!  She recently moved to Lyon. :)

Also, I met a man from Guadalajara this week!  hahah. He and his girlfriend are both Mexican and they rock!  I had the privilege of going to the Clark’s house for dinner this week.  They are a senior couple serving in the mission office who used to live in the Irvine 1^st Ward years ago.  They are the best.  Also, we were fed Russian food by a less active member from Moscow! Das vie dania!

I am so lucky to be here where I am - doing what I am doing. I love you all and I loved Elder Utchdorf’s talk on Endings.  It touched me so much and I really felt the love of God while listening to that talk. That whole Conference was for my family!

Also, We just had a really cool RDV (rendezvous or meeting) last night with a French couple.  Their names are Prince and Paulina.  She told us that she was an atheist but there was a point in the RDV where I began to testify about the Atonement and our purpose here on Earth.  I looked at her and she was crying! She was feeling the Spirit so hard, at that point it was like we all got a roundhouse kick to the face by the Spirit and we are seeing them this week with my new comp.

I LOVE YOU ALL. Please pray for Stivia and Geoffrey.  Also, I turn 19 this transfer WHAT?!  If you want to send anything, send it to the office address!

One love

Elder Bollard

 

 

Hangin' with Elder Stewart in Lyon

Elder Charlie Bollard at a multi-zone conference in Geneva, Switzerland

(Seated on the fifth row, far left)

Hey everyone so this week was insane haha. That's why I am doing emails on a Wednesday instead of Monday. But it was awesome nontheless! I met some of the coolest people this past week.

Okay, so one day we were porting (tracked) in the south of Lyon and we ported into this huge apartment building.  We found this really old French couple. They let us in and they are the nicest people ever. It was so great, we taught them and then the husband told us that he was in a concentration camp in WWII and his wife was in the FRENCH RESISTANCE! Like the coolest people ever. She smuggled weapons underground and stuff like that. I have some really cool pictures of her with her medals and him with an old newspaper article. Dope. 

ALSO we had Zone Conference and it was the best ZC ever.  We had Elder Lund of the Seventy teach us. He and Pres Roney gave powerful talks. I really felt a stong impression that my Savior and Heavenly Father loved me during President Roney's testimony.  ALSO, a member who lives in an outside ville drove us home ridiculously fast so we could be home on time. We reached 220 km per hour HAHAHA that's like 120mph IT WAS NUTS!!!

I got some packages this week but apparently if you have sent things to my apt address, I havent gotten them.  SO, I ask if anyone wants to send something -send it to the office cause I am in Lyon haha.

We found a really cool family this week and they love Jesus! Ahhh, I love them so much and they are from the Congo.  Gosh, they are rad and we are inviting them to a baptism next week.

I love you all and I cant wait for General Conference this weekend.  Write me your fav talks and cool experiences. Love you all. 

PEACE

Elder Bollard