First Baptism in July!

July 6, 2015

Yeah we are totally fully charged with things to do here! That is for sure, sorry I didn't get to email you yesterday either cause I was at a zone interview thing in Aix all day meeting and spending some time with the Browns. And frankly they are so cool! I love them already, they are so nice and cool. They have been here for not even a week and I don't junk they have slept a full 4 hours straight since arriving here but they were still able to have a great energy and love at zone conference. He is big and a pretty soft spoken man, but he makes me feel like he real,y cares about each of us individually which is a good trait I have noticed right off the bat. But my birthday was last week too, all we really did out of the ordinary was we took our lunch time to go to Hard Rock Cafe and spend a little bit time in what is as close to America as it gets here. And I kept the tradition and got up at 5:30 and went on our back balcony and watched the sun come over the buildings more or less haha. But aside from that it was a pretty normal day, we did also walk and take a couple pictures by the coast but that's all that changed. And then the Fourth of July we were at Frere Faudins house and doing yard work but we were on exchange and doing a blitz so I was with elder Stutz from vitrolles sector and we did all the yard work and Elder Tihopu and Elder Arts did a move. I sweated so much haha all while over looking his pool...the temptation was so real... Haha yeah I would have loved to light those fireworks off with Nate. Maybe next year sometime we can do that. But I went to bear lake my first scout camp and I had so much fun! It is the best one and I got a ton done there too. 

On a daily basis we usually have stuff planned with Amis or members or less actives that we see pretty regularly so we are usually running from one thing to another, but the coolest person I met this week was President Brown and Sister Brown haha I don't know if that's cheating but yeah. This week is the baptism of Maria so I will be sure to send you pictures of that, if she passes her interview tomorrow which she should... Yeah there are a lot of cool members Frere Faudin and Thibault who is our new DMP are both really cool and love the missionaries. It is hot hot hot here all day everyday, I am always sweating no matter when it is. Night I can't sleep with blankets or anything I have to lay out and have a fan on me or I get too hot and can't sleep. But it should be going down maybe soon.... not maybe I will get moved to the mountains.. Haha Anyway I love you all and hope everyone is doing good! 

July 13, 2015
Well I do not know President Browns vision or focus seeing as he has been here a week and hasn't even met the whole mission yet... But yeah it will be interesting to have a new leader holding the reigns and going at it in his own direction and own style of doing things. But yeah this week got really a lot more busy once we got a confirmation that Maria could be baptized we had to set up everything so we spent a couple days putting things together and seeing her and preparing her

even further to make these covenants. We got people to talk and give prayers and got a member of the bishopric and everything so we were able to move forward with the baptismal service on Saturday and it was really cool! She brought her daughter who is not a member but she really likes church and everything but she lives with her dad is is pretty Catholic so it is not always easy to teach her or get her to church. But it was a cool little miracle that she came! I will try and add your email to the thingy so you can see my pictures. I will see what I can do. 

But my birthday package is at the office and I should be able to pick it up at the next zone conference which I don't know when that is.. Maybe a month maybe less maybe more. But yeah I will let you know how everything came across in shipping once I lay my claim to it. But for now it is in the office. 

I am glad to hear everyone had fun (more or less) on their camping adventures this week! I would have loved to go camping! Me and Mitch used to just pack up and go to bells canyon and sleep the night haha nothing like a couple of Eagle Scouts playing around in the forests of Utah. But Nate is

getting big and getting a little silly I guess! I gotta watch my back he can't be funnier than me when I get back. He can try I guess.. But nah. And for grandma I am sad to hear her situation is getting so bad, when I left it wasn't too bad she was still there more or less, but I am sure it is getting tough now. Acts go unrecognized not by ungratefulness but just by age and other things of that nature I am

sure. I wonder how she will be in a year from now. When I get back it will be really interesting to see what she has to say. 

But I love you all!

Maria's Baptism Day- July 11, 2015

July 20, 2015

Pierre is doing well his smoking is still a problem but he is getting

better everyday, and we also have some new part member families we are

gonna work with. So we should be seeing them and teaching them soon!

And Maria is doing pretty well we started to see her daughter and

Maria is very happy still like she always is so it is going well with

her.

We got to go fishing this week with Berthe and one of her friends on

Saturday because he really wanted to meet us and also really wanted us

all to go fishing so we headed out to the Ciotat and did some fishing

there, we didn't end up catching anything but he caught a couple

little ones. We were there from 9 until 4 in the sun so that is why I

got so burned! I didn't wear any sunscreen, but I did remember water

so that was good. But we passed the whole day there and then the rest

was spent getting an apartment ready for the new missionaries who are

coming to Marseille... Sisters.... Hahaha my oh my they can barely get

elders here but pres is sending an equipe of sisters to work here in

Marseille mostly in outer villes where they are safer but still...

It's really cool. Things are changing here fast with pres. Brown. And

by the way I am staying to do my 5th transfer here in Marseille and I

am staying with elder Tihopu for this next transfer. So I will do my

6th month and 1 year marks in the same city! I will have been here for

almost 8 months by the time this transfer is over.

July 27, 2015

Yeah I liked that talk a lot but I wouldn't say it reminds me of myself very much at all but I will go through and re read that talk this week and let you know what I think about it a little bit more next week. Mary doesn't want to drive? Haha you know I haven't driven a car for a year almost? By the time I get home Mary will have more experience than I do behind a wheel of a car. I don't even remember what it is like to drive a car, I am just so used to being in the back or shotgun positions now. But I do know how to take the metros so that is cool! It's kinda like a big car... Lake Powell again? That means it has already been 6 weeks since the last trip. Time is flying by this summer it is probably the last lake Powell trip for everyone in the family then this summer I would assume. But you gotta tell my man Ryan Lunt I say hi! He was super fun last year and next year I should be there so yeah... We will have some more good times taking the boat out ourselves and surfing and what not. As for Ella I don't hear anything actually, that was the first update of her summer I've heard since summer started really. But I'm sure she is doing fine or whatever. And you two seem like you are still bff's so keep it up. Haha our investigators are good we have a new ami named Marie, she is Nigerian and has three kids named Godswill, Christopher, and Marvis who are all younger than 7 but she is really cool. She just moved from Paris so she has only been here for about two weeks and she is still looking for work and everything but we will see how things go with her these next few weeks.

As for Phillipe he is actually in Lyon right now taking care of his mom so he is seeing the Lyon elders hat is why I don't have a lot of news about him really he has to go up there every summer to watch his mom and he should be coming back right before school starts. And Berthe is good, I did t see her this week because I was on exchange out in Aix (another place we need to go after the mission) with elder price where we did a cake night at their church! We made some cookies and everything it was super fun but I think only 1 ami showed up haha but it's ok. And Berthe's friend isn't really her boyfriend he is like special, I don't really know what their relationship is. Berthe is really particular, but she is nice. But we haven't really seen him since or anything cause Berthe hasn't really talked to him that much since or anything she said but we will see if he maybe shows up to church or something. 

I got my package! The elders were in Lyon on transfer day so they brought back my package and we opened it up and the Doritos are like gone, and me and elder Tihopu ate a whole box of cereal one morning so I guess you could say it has been well used so far. Oh and within the first day we lost one of the balls in the neighbors yard.. Haha classic lacrosse problems. But I love the sticks they are super fun and make me feel a little bit more normal! I just throw fakes all day in my apartment so by the time I get home I will be good at faking I guess. Unique food.... Well to be honest we don't eat that much unique stuff here. People here eat almost exactly the same as we do only they eat more bread and more pastries. But we did cheese last week. French cheese is always a good time I decided my favorite was Comté but that's it. I have had a lot out here but I don't get what all the hype is about. 

Our work load hasn't changed since the Sisters got here because they were brand new and only some ward members knew they were here, but maybe in the next few weeks things will change but I do t think so. We mostly have all our stuff figured out and they will start to get theirs figured out and we will work in harmony... I hope. They did steal a weekly dinner appointment from us so now it is only every other week that we get to go to our new DMP's house to eat. But that's all. Haha and as for my hair I cut it myself. It's the style here, short side, long top. But after the mission I'm going long hair again and then I am bleaching the tips. 

Oh and more business side of things, surgery, what is the plan you guys had in mind with all of that cause we will have to look at school schedules and start to figure that out in the next couple of months. Just something to start making ourselves aware of.. Anyway! And I will have another niece I hear?! Dad spoiled the news in his letter so when Katie told me I already knew haha so I was officially the last one to know, when last time I think I was the very first. Maybe second. That will be so crazy! The baby will be just a few months old when I get back just enough time to miss out on all the horrible stuff before and get to benefit from it right away haha I think it is great timing! But really I am excited that is a cool step for their family. They will have their handful but it will be tons of fun as well! 

Love, Elder Schettler

Les Missionnaires

Benjamin Schettler

30 Avenue de Toulon

13008

Marseille

France

Email: benjamin.schettler@myldsmail.net

Pres. Roney established a community of Love!

June 1:

So this week not as much stuff really happened. We got Dorian all ready for baptism and Philippe our other ami who has some social anxiety issues and we're all ready to get them going but then Dorian has decided to wait until his wife is ready as well which is a good idea but we aren't really sure how long it will take to get her ready for baptism and make sure she understands everything seeing as she only speaks a little French and no English. So we had to move his and Philippe doesn't want to do it alone being the only one so we are waiting for both of them. So I might not end up seeing either. 

Josh is one of my favorite cousins out of the 120 that I have haha. So today we met a guy and he just told us that we don't know what happiness is and that we should just do whatever we want. We have those conversations a lot actually. We saw one of our less actives at a bar right by our house smoking and with a beer and then he called us over to talk so I guess that was a little weird cause I was on an exchange with our district leader and our less active was just like talking about n'importe quoi. But aside from that we usually talk to some cool people but they usually are busy or are just nice people and don't want to learn more. But yeah that's why members are so important here cause then people know we are normal people too but they always just think we are Jehovah witnesses and won't talk to us because of that reason alone. So as for miracles we had one with Berths so she is a very active Catholic member but also comes to our church. But she believes in the Trinity and all that so we talked about that and it almost turned more into an argument than a discussion or lesson but we

testified at the end and gave her some scriptures to read out of D&C and she came to church on Sunday and told us that she prayed about it and knew that what we said is true and that she received a

spiritual confirmation of the things which we had discussed that day. So it was actually really cool to see that intellectual stuff is important but spiritual knowledge is even that much more important. We

can't know everything but God does and he has given us what we need to know and gives a way to find out answers to things that we don't know yet.

Yeah I still talk to my close friends from Olympus but for the most part everyone is off in their own missions doing their own things so I try not to bother them too much. Haha and btw we got iPads here in our mission! Oh and this week is the last week of the transfer so I will know on Friday if I stay or if I go. 😁 love you all!

June 8:

So I am actually staying and Elder Spencer is moving to higher ground in Chambery in the Alps so I get to experience the nice HOT weather here in Marseille. But I am receiving a Tahitian companion

named Elder Tihopu who I haven't met yet but I will keep you updated. And as for the baptisms it should all be happening the 4th of July so that week will be pretty crazy probably. President Brown, my birthday and the fourth with baptisms. But yeah they are all progressing well so I don't see any issues in the near future.

June 15: 

The best place I have been here in Marseille isn't even in Marseille haha it is in an outer ville called Gémanos it is where Frere Faudin lives and it is really calm and tranquille, it is about 30 minutes

from Marseille, but aside from that there are cool views everywhere! And my favorite place I have been is on a boat Haha. I love boats so much I think it is in my blood now, I have discovered this love only after it has been so suddenly and abruptly taken from my rights... Being a Schettler makes it hard to stay away from boats. 

So Dorian and Maria have set that as their date and we actually have a new ami that has been doing his own research already and showed up and said he thinks we are the true church already and stuff he is really smart his name is Pierre so him as well and also Philippe and we are gonna try

to get Berthe to accept a date of baptism soon, so we will see with her. But the rest are going well they are progressing. We have the right to Skype teach now so we will be doing that this week! 

We ate at a members house this week and they are from Madagascar and so we ate fish stuff and it was really interesting but it was good, I'm not a huge fish fan but it is always good when people make the food so I don't. But being with Elder Tihopu is hard cause he eats a lot haha

but aside from that he is the coolest guy I have met, he speaks French as a first language so that helps me A TON just cause he actually knows the rules and it just the English translations which sometimes don't make sense haha and he is such a loving guy, we are gonna have a really fun transfer even though it is really really hot. He has been out for about. A year and a half so he is going home in about 5 months so I'm still cruisin under the radar haha. But no he has been zone leader for a while and president said he had a hard time with his last companion and he needed someone to bring him back and make him happy so I guess that is my job here in Marseille as well as to profit a little bit fro. The sun and the baptisms we should be having. But yeah tell Ashley I say hi! And if she doesn't remember me then oh well, but she is the one one from that group besides Josh that I know so yeah. I

hope everyone there is doing good and doesn't die on the blob this year... Oh and could you send me the videos of the blob or maybe some of the go pro videos we took in years past or just lake Powell pictures. I need to show people how cool my family is.

I took my gas money for lake Powell and bought myself an early

birthday gift. If you 4 transfers in Marseille you have to buy some OM

stuff. It's like required.

June 22: 

So today we went to the Callanques with a youth in the ward named Alexandre he is 15 and really cool, but it was a little bit tough to completely enjoy seeing as I have randomly fallen sick, which never happens to me but I guess it decided to hit me just when it gets really hot so I am double hot haha but it's ok I actually threw up out of our 5th floor window and it was kinda cool frankly. I couldn't get to anywhere else so I just did it there. 

How many Amis in the past month?... There are a couple that we have found most of them we haven't

continued to teach they are like one lessons and then they tell us they will call back if they want to meet again but we have had other miracles like the one with Pierre I think I told you. And personal

study I still and ready the Book of Mormon and really getting more familiar with the stories rather than just with cool scriptures, but actually looking at the people who are writing and circumstances and all of that type of stuff. So I can really share bigger experiences like that cause teaching through stories is the best way to teach.

Pierre was the one who someone gave him the card then the same day he just showed up and everything and now we are gonna baptize him in a couple weeks, but philippe is the one who was an ancient ami and we called him one day and he was super happy to hear from us.

June 29th: 

Birthday week...Yeah it seems like this day wouldn't ever be here it may be the only one I have on my mission too depending on how the transfers and everything happens next year! So I will need to make it remember able! But I think I won't have any baptisms this week which is took about,

but the next week we will be having one for sure! But we will be meeting our new mission president next week! I am sad to hear about Arch Frantz but glad to hear he has passed on to the next step

of his eternal progression. Death isn't anything to look at as a bad or a sad thing in entirety, it is sad and sometimes hurtful but it's a step, just like being born but it opens the door to so much more in

the life to come. It is a beautiful thing if we look at it as a whole. I had always noticed his efforts to ask me how I was and actually interested in my day to day life, even though I was just that annoying

kid up the street who drives fast. Haha but pass my regards to everyone in his family. 

Our schedule this week should be busy cause we are always busy! Haha being the only ones in the biggest city in our mission means we are usually pretty busy but Thursday (July 2, 19th Birthday) we may take a little more time to eat at a fancy restaurant that costs more than 5 euros haha cause I haven't even done that once on my mission besides Hard Rock Cafe but yeah. We aren't traveling any this week, just the metro and buses like normal it has become part of my life now.  I have been in the cities my whole mission so it's second nature sorta.

President Roney has established a community of love in our mission, everything is about love everything comes from love and that is one thing I am always gonna remember about him. Ask anyone and that is exactly what they will tell you about him, so I am gonna try and carry that even with Pres Brown, and I am gonna try and love him even though he is new and will take some getting used too. Me and elder TIHOPU are getting along great he is super nice and loving! I love Tahitians haha they are super super nice, we can go visit him too... In Tahiti so that's a huge plus! Thanks for the birthdays wishes! Love you all!

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

Les Missionnaires

Benjamin Schettler

30 Avenue de Toulon

13008

Marseille

France

Email: benjamin.schettler@myldsmail.net