Our Focus is Family

Anyway... this week in France was pretty good! Things here in Marseille are really starting to pick up. We are having a ton of conversations with people on the street and we just aren't always able to make them solid amis yet, but the work is there. This past week we had a zone training in Aix and I got to see my father Elder Olsen haha he is so funny. When I see him it just reminds me of the first days I was here and all the funny things and fun things that I experienced with him, especially being a new missionary. Now he is my leader haha so sometimes I get a little casual with him but I always snap out of it soon enough. But we talked all about family and the blessings and feelings we get when we talk about our family and that it is now our focus when we are talking to people on the streets. There are just certain feelings you get when you talk about your family and French people especially LOVE their families so it is really good to just focus on that when talking to them. 

After that I was on exchange in Avignon which is just northwest of Marseille and I was with Elder Lindsey from St. George and we had a really good time. We went to visit a less active who lives with his girlfriend even though they are like 65, but they love to talk and so we talked. By the end they were offering me and Elder Lindsey their granddaughters email hahaha but we kindly said we couldn't. And on the way home we had a great conversation with someone about her family and got her address and everything so they should go see her this coming week I think. Then this week we had a lecon with Berte who is one of our amis. I guess she has been an ami for a long time she and she is from Senegal and is super cool. She is basically an active non member. She comes to church every week and like testifies to us that the church is true but she still is waiting for some grand moment of revelation to decide to get baptized. We talked to her about the family and she LOVED it. Hopefully we can help her to keep progressing toward baptism in the next few weeks cause she really is super golden. 

But I love you all and hope you all had a good week :) 

In honor of Elder Schettler's focus on family, (since he didn't send any pictures this week), I thought I would share a picture of his family that loves him and supports him on his mission. We love each other and are so grateful for the blessings of the gospel in our lives and the knowledge that our family can be together forever.  

Here is Elder Schettler's new address in Marseille, use as written below! 

Les Missionnaires

Benjamin Schettler

30 Avenue de Toulon

13008

Marseille

France

Email: benjamin.schettler@myldsmail.net

Living in the "Crazy South"

They speak French in Montreal so dad will maybe get a little taste of what I am living in haha, but not the same weather.. it is pretty nice here. It is not like Lyon at all it is super dirty and a lot more dark Muslim people but it is still good. I just went from the 3rd biggest city to the 2nd so that's not bad at all, maybe I will be in Paris, haha...  jk! 

But this week here in Marseille has been funny, the first night I was here we went to a lesson with women amis and we were teaching them and all of a sudden they were asking about baptism and then they were asking about baptizing their cat, and all this stuff, like they were saying that their cat was like family and they wanted to have it in their family even after this life and stuff, so Elder Cueva turns to me and just let's me try and answer why we don't baptize cats. Then one of them was just like ok I am gonna get baptized, I have been thinking about it and I am just gonna do it.  He turns to me and I just look blankly at him because this NEVER happens and they started to argue over the fact of him getting baptized and then all of a sudden they both just stop and look at me and start laughing.... and they were like JK, we are members, welcome to Marseille...... and I literally died a little bit. They weren't kidding when they call it the crazy south. It had only been 2 hours that I am here and they had already pranked me. haha! They are super nice though it was a good laugh and really good cooks so I couldn't be upset that they played a trick on me... haha. I guess that's what I get for having the reputation of being a guy who is a jokster... haha!! They got me good!

Then one day some guy on the bus started talking to me and you could tell he wasn't really all there he was kinda high but he started talking to me and telling me he had talked to the missionaries before and he loves us cause we are always so nice. We had to leave and he kinda started creeping so we went to get of the bus and he grabs my hand and just kisses it.. and I was like... donc, merci? à toute à l'huere... and he just sits down and nods at me... haha so there was that too. And today I think there is a strike going on but I am not sure. 

The ward is super cool, there is a couple of Nigerians that I have to translate for in all the meetings so that helps a lot with my French cause I tell them in English and then when they respond I have to tell everyone what they said in French haha. My companion isn't native English speaker so sometimes I have to explain things to him in French and he doesn't understand the things I say in English but he is funny so its ok, he is a doll. Elder Cueva is from Pompalona Spain and he is 24 and is super nice.  He talks to everyone which is a good strength but he speaks 5 languages so its kinda hard not to talk to everyone especially when you can do that.. haha so he is basically the man. Yeah, maybe I will be able to talk to dad when I am done with my mission in Spanish. He is district leader so we are always going on exchanges and stuff like that and the ward here loves him so they love me too :) haha which is a really good way to start off here in a new city.

Here is Elder Schettler's new address in Marseille, use as written below! 

Les Missionnaires

Benjamin Schettler

30 Avenue de Toulon

13008

Marseille

France

Email: benjamin.schettler@myldsmail.net

Transferred to Marseille:)

Wow sounds like a crazy week back at home. but I have been transferred to Marseille so that is why I am on sorta late. I have been given Elder Cuava from Espana and he is a work horse haha. I only have about 45 minutes to write all my emails so this wont be very long. Everything here in Marseille seems to be going well as far as missions are concerned haha. Its a little warmer, I am right by the beach and there are pretty cool members here. They like to focus a lot on spending time with members here which is a super good thing for me cause I like members haha. We have a little earlier curfew... its at 6 at night just because of some things that have happened here... haha someone might have or might not have gotten stabbed last transfer.... but anyway. It will be super cool to be with a not native english speaker so I have to utilize my French more and then people can't tell us that it is just an American church, haha. But yeah, they had a baptism last week here in Marseille which is super cool. 

The funnest thing I have done.... idk I do too much fun stuff... we go to the mall and I have gone to see a lot of cool places and we play soccer once a week with a bunch of French kids who are really good haha. We also almost went to a hockey game but it was too late so we couldn't... but we do a lot of fun stuff, haha. Sorry this is short but just know I am not dead but I am alive and well in Marseille :) and I said goodbye to Elder Erickson before he left this morning and I gave something to the Lepore family who is coming to Utah soon to give to you. I hope you like it and keep it nice...; haha but I love you all. 

Me and the classy Gabriel who decided to come back to church!

Skachkov Family with me and Elder Crawley


Mom's note: He didn't have his new address yet, so I will add it next week. His email is: benjamin.schettler@myldsmail.net