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.