Hello everyone! I am so happy to be writing all of you now. It has been a crazy week here in Lyon. I have really made some funny memories. So I heard Ukraine is like invaded or something?? hahah thats nuts! 

So this week we taught 20 lessons which is pretty good for Lyon! It has been crazy! We taught some funny lessons. One being underneath a club party haha. Our ami Magalie has a date for baptism and we are stoked for her. We are working with a Russian less-active family named the Scatchkovs. The dad is like my best friend now, haha. I speak to him in Russian and he loves me.

And last of all we taught a lesson to a muslim named Biggie Smallz. He is rad hahaha.  I also found out that for zone conference we are going to Geneva Switzerland! 

So I received a letter from our Stake President Matthieu Benazaar. He lost his mother on his mission too. He has a video on mormon.org. Its in French, but you should check it out.  Also, the Trons in my ward have a video on there too.

I know that we all experience trials. They are literal tests of our faith. We can either turn away from and blame God or we can turn to Him for help. He is our Eternal Father and he loves us. We believe all of us can overcome death and be ressurected. I love you all and my prayers are with you.

Love,

Elder Bollard

Hello everyone! So this week was one of the craziest weeks ever. Like we had some crazy experiences. Lyon is seriously a blessed city. We have been having so much success. We found about 6 new amis this week and they are all really cool. We saw countless miracles.

I'll start with Magalie. Magalie is from Colombia and she is making jewelry here in France. She doesn't speak much French at all so I had to use all of the Spanish I knew for the first lesson. It was so spiritual. We taught VERY simply and after she closed with a prayer she was in tears. I love her so much and she came to church with us yesterday.

Baby-to and Remi are the coolest black guys ever. They are evangilists from Haiti and they love god. They pray with their arms extended outwards and its unreal. They are brothers and very interested.

We went porting (door to door) in a place called Vennisseaux and we got let in three times. We taught two lesson and it was so cool.

We are teaching these two Nigerians who are sketchy and might be prostitutes soooo, yeahhhh, we will clear that up. But for reals there are sooo many cool black people here and they all love God. It is great. 

Today we played frisbee at a park. The weather is getting alot nicer here and it is beautiful. I love the ward here so much. Our bishop is black and the first thing he said to me was avez-vous le pouvoir? (which means "do you have the power?" ) Hahaha he is soo cool and they are rock solid members here. 

I love this city and I get to talk to the Clarks (formerly of Irvine) and President Roney a lot, so it is great. 

I would love to hear from all of you. You can write to the mission address or to my apartment.

I have truly felt the Spirit of the Lord this week and I was able to listen to my Mom's funeral tape.  It was so powerful and I am so proud of my brothers and my dad. They are my heros and I love you all so much. You all rock. Love you.

Elder Bollard 

Elder Bollard and Elder Zenger in the Geland District of Lyon, France

 

Their area in Lyon along the Rhone River

 

The view out of their window

 

Lyon, France

 

 

 

 

Elder Bollard with the Pinoch family in Aix-en-Provence.  He really grew to love this family before he was transferred to Lyon last week.

Elder Charlie Bollard with his new companion, Elder Zenger, who is on leave from West Point.

Elder Charlie Bollard was transferred today from Aix en Provence to the Gerland section of Lyon, France (7th arrondissement of Lyon).  His new address is:  221 Ave Jean-Juares, Lyon, 69007, France.  He didn't have time to send an email today but he sounds very excited about his new assignment and posted some pictures of his last days in Aix.

Hello everyone! It has truly been an interesting week for all of us. I have had so many spiritual experiences that have helped build my testimony in the past 5 days. But nonetheless, I miss my Mom... I know that she is in the Lord's hands right now.

This has been the most emotional week of my life, but with the knowledge I have and with support of my family I have been able to feel at peace.  You are amazing.  All of you.  Our Heavenly Father loves us so much.  It is trials like this that bring us closer together.

Everyday on the street I hear grumpy French people ask me why God lets bad things happen to good people. I know there isn't a perfect answer for this but a couple days ago I contacted a Chinese mother with her stoller. She asked me this same question. I just looked at her with tears in my eyes and said "parce qu'il nous aime" this means because he loves us.  I then proceeded to talk about my Mom and showed her a picture of my family.  When she looked back up at me, she had tears in her eyes and asked me how I knew that I would see my Mom again.  I pulled out a Book of Mormon and handed it to her and told her that "this is how I know."  I just got off the phone with her and we are meeting with her this Wednesday.  

It is so important to put our trust in the Lord. Nephi was such a strong example of this.  I truly feel so empowered when I read 2 Nephi, Chapter 4.  It is right after his father has passed away and he puts his trust in the Lord forever.  "I know in whom I have trusted, my God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions."  Sometimes all we can do is just put our trust in the Lord and have faith in the Plan that he has for each one of us.  This will strengthen us and help us grow closer to Him. 

Always be thankful for what you have and count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will suprise you what the Lord has done. 

Elder Bollard