Christmas in France

December 15, 2014

That sounds like you are all getting more busy than me! this week was a slow missionary week but it was good cause we got our new companions and mine is just as weird and funny as me! haha He is in his last transfer and he is a good missionary! My companion is Elder Crawley and he is from Palmdale, California. We aren't the zone leaders so don't get the wrong idea... haha pretty sure he got demoted to me cause we aren't even district leaders or anything! But I am learning from him so that is good! We have a place to Skype and everything we just need to fix a time to do that with you and the people said we can do it whenever we wanted!  We are still looking for lasting amis who we can see more than 1 time a week last week we had 0 lecons so that was rough, but whatever! I am probably gonna be here in Lyon for a few more months so you can just send stuff to my house address and that should be fine! I hope Utah Wins! its great to hear they finally made it to a bowl!

I will try to do Skype at like 4 or 5 here so that should be in the morning for you! Love you all and I will miss you guys during this Christmas season even though it is 50 degrees here haha it doesn't feel like December at all! Tell Mary happy late birthday too!

Last picture with Elder Olsen before transfers.

Me and Elder TJ Haws. We will be living in same apartment again until next transfer.

Elder Crawley is my new companion. He is just as weird and funny as me!

Night Lights of Lyon

A little shopping for a new watch. 

December 21, 2014

This week wasn't much faster. It seems like people are less willing to talk the closer it gets to Christmas! It is weird but true! 

Here is a picture of David for ya. He sings like an angel!!

 Zone Conference and Christmas Party with David Archuleta!!

Christmas Eve at Bishop Lepore's home. What great members to take care of the missionaries!

December 29, 2014

Yeah it was really fun to see you guys! But I think you guys think that our members have us over all the time haha and it is not really like that at all. The Lamoth family got assigned to have us all over so yeah.. the only people that invite us over are the bishop and Frère Girard haha so yeah. But keep inviting the other missionaries over cause it really is so great to be able to go to members houses and just relax! We have been doing a lot of contacting and stuff lately! We have literally had 0 lessons the past 3 weeks so nothing new to report...

Clothes are really expensive here so $300 will have to last me a little while, that will get me a jacket or maybe two pairs of pants but solds is coming up so things will be on sale! It was fun to see everyone on Christmas and you all got some cool gifts! But I will just be saving all my material gifts for when I get back! Right now I'm receiving all the other gifts I need to be a better father, brother, son and all that stuff that shouldn't really seem that important to a lot of 18year old kids. But I am glad I have the opportunity to be out here and gain those experiences and live in a place like france for a few years! 

Either a 16 or 32 SD card will do! and yeah you can let Katie pick out the jacket cause she has style! Tell her that I just need it to look cool with my black pants, it can be sorta windbreaker haha. But thank you for all you do! I need thermal pants, not a top haha, my legs are always cold cause I have no hair! I will make a list of all the big things that have happened and I will send it to you next time! I am almost entering my black year haha, my full year away from home! Anyway, I am glad I got to see you and Ella looks like family already! Thanks for making her feel so welcome! I can tell she actually really likes all of you! 

Everyday sights I take for granted.

SUNSET on DEC. 29, 2014

Elder Schettler's current address:

2, rue de Longchamp

69100 Villeurbanne, France

Email: benjamin.schettler@myldsmail.net

Mission Home address:

France Lyon Mission

Business Center

59 rue de l'Abondance

69003 Lyon, France

Diligence Brings Miracles!

Well we have taught 20 lessons again this week! We taught 9 lessons on Sunday which was awesome because all I have heard that a year ago getting twenty lessons was like something that was never, ever, ever heard of! The good missionaries were getting like 7 lessons a week and we are now starting to see that the numbers are sky rocketing and it has just been really cool to be a part of that! 

Here in this mission we focus a lot on diligence and that is how we have been able to turn around this mission. In the past it has been not a very obedient mission but President Roney has really cracked down and fixed up all the missionaries and has had them buy into the "diligence brings miracles" because when you are doing what you are supposed to, the Lord is going to give you miracles! So really the biggest Christlike attribute is diligence. I haven't been here for very long so thats about all I have really noticed so far it's only been about 8 weeks, so yeah! 

I hope you know chewing gum is against the mission rules ;) haha but yeah it is still really nice here in Lyon, but I need some sweaters and stuff cause it isn't cold enough for my big coat but it is still a little nippy outside! We had a lot of lessons on the street this week and we have made a questionnaire about Noel for the people here in France so they will stop and talk to us! I am thankful for everything that you have done for me and I would just like to share that with you! We have so much to be thankful for but we can't see it unless we step back! 

This week I went on a ton of exchanges so I wasn't with Elder Olsen a lot! I went with a kid who has been here for 2 weeks so I'm sure you can imagine what that was like for me... the big dog leading the pack, haha, it was scary! But we taught our lessons ok even though they were asking about heaven and what happens in the celestial kingdom and like when Jesus will come again and just other crazy questions, like why bad things happen! That's all people here talk about so it wasn't unusual to hear that! 

I also live with Elder Haws and so that is always interesting because he is funny and we just are bros!
We are celebrating Thanksgiving in Chalon with our District so I get to take a train one and a half hours north of Lyon!! haha :)

I miss Lake Powell and I can't even imagine having a whole week to do nothing and relax it is so different than the mission life where you are ALWAYS doing stuff! But I will just work hard now so Lake Powell will be that much more relaxing when I get back!

Elder Schettler's current address:

2, rue de Longchamp

69100 Villeurbanne, France

Email: benjamin.schettler@myldsmail.net

Mission Home address:

France Lyon Mission

Business Center

59 rue de l'Abondance

69003 Lyon, France