Elder Crawley's Last Week

Yeah so this week was sorta weird again because all the amis that were were able to meet with on a pretty regular basis are no longer calling us back or anything. They have all dropped off the face of the earth! It's really pretty weird... but its ok I guess. Elder Crawley is getting into his very last week as a missionary which is really weird cause he talks about home a lot and that makes me remember home and it feels like so long ago that I was just able to do anything I wanted and stuff, and I also have like 40000 days left on my mission! He almost has less days than I have years! But I am slowly creeping up on my 4th transfer which is crazy cause that means 6 months is gone! 

I feel like I haven't grown at all haha but that's just because I know growth is a slow process and you can't really see it from yourself as well as other people can see it. I have noticed that I can basically say anything I want in French and I am able to talk to members and other people if I sort of know where the conversation is going. My French has come so much farther and scripture study and study has been crazy. I have been able to really focus on LEARNING from the scriptures rather than just being able to read them. 

But that recent convert Gabriel that I was telling you about has texted us and he basically said that he made a huge mistake and that he is never coming back.... sooooo... yeah. that put a damper on the day for sure. And this other recent convert has also asked to break communication with the church at least for a while... so all of our people are literally just dropping off the face of the earth!! like its crazy!! 

Transfers are coming up and everyone thinks they are gonna white wash my equipe and I am gonna be going over by Bordeaux or something like that, but we will see in a few days! I hope I get to stay so I can keep going to the Lepore and Frere Girards houses! That in an of itself is worth staying a few more weeks! haha But yeah not a ton of new contacts and progressing amis or anything but we are still working and trying to get things looking up here in rainy cold wintery Lyon haha. Looks like you guys are having fun! Oh and Elder Crawley's sister just got engaged this past week and she was 16 when he left I just thought that was funny cause she is 1 month older than me and she is already selling her life away just like Katie... haha jk.

Hope everything is going well! Love you all! 

Some school by Confluence

Found a Mexican taco! 

Nous Sommes Charlie

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

I Love Being Here as a Missionary!

So this week was cool! We had a few days where we were trying to go on exchange with our zone leaders and they kept getting sick so we had to just go out and pass less active people which is always fun I guess! But we also had a lot of fun just taking 40 million buses and figuring out how to get out there and everything! We still have to be sort of careful cause of the terrorist thing but its not that bad down here in Lyon! 

On a sad note we have this golden Recent Convert named Gabriel and he is literally the best member that  have seen in a long time! I was here all the way until his baptism and he has been baptized for a bout a month and he hasn't been to church in 2 weeks and we called him to find out if he was out of town or what and he just said he wasn't coming back! Like he got offended by something that someone said and now he doesn't want to come back!! It doesn't make sense! So we are going to try and see him this week and fix everything, we are going to take him to bishops house for a family night, but really weird how that happens! 

But today we were in Vieux Lyon looking for gifts for Elder Crawley's family and we were in a souvenir shop an this guy started asking about our church cause I guess he has met the missionaries and stuff and so we talked for a little and we ended up getting his number to call him this week! And on the bus this Muslim lady just turns around and like waves at me and I was like ..... um hi.... so I waved back and she beckoned me over and so I went over and she was like, do you remember me? haha and I didn't really but I was yeah totally! I just forgot your name... haha and so she told me and as soon as she did I remembered that we had talked to her way back in November and she hasn't answered or anything since then and she was like super excited to see me and asked where Elder Olsen was and I told her that he is now in Aix but then asked if I had her number and stuff and I was like I still have it so she was like ok when you go back to the US you have to keep it so we can talk haha cause she thought I was going home soon or something. I explained that I was staying and then she was like oh ok well I will call you soon and then we can talk about the church and stuff more. So it was cool to see that you can prepare people and make friends for other missionaries in the future and just leave a good impression with everyone. Anyway that's about it, haha we didn't have a ton of lessons we just talked to crazy drunk people haha and cool Catholic people and crazy people in general and just a whole mix nothing really stood out too much but it is cool to be here in France and I love being here as a missionary :)

Me by a bridge by Bellecour













Me and Elder Crawley decided to get really model status at Buffalo Grill this week for Elder Thompson's birthday!

Stairs at Vieux Lyon

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

A New Ami, Chris!

This week has been another one where we haven't really been teaching a whole lot, we just talk to people and a lot of the time people don't really want to talk, but we did find a new ami this week and his name is Chris! He is about 60 and like the biggest smoker I think I have ever met. He smokes about every 15 minutes haha so I literally smell like smoke almost all the time now which is ok, I guess, cause that is how everyone here smells for the most part. haha But yeah we have been teaching him. We gave him a Book of Mormon and asked him to read it and invited him to come to church but he couldn't come cause he got hit by a bus a few weeks ago so he stayed home and hopefully read the Book of Mormon! haha He has soooooo many books so maybe he will forget and then we will have to do it with him! haha But aside from that we have just been out here talking to people who are willing to talk and my French is ok now! I can express my ideas and everything that I want just fine usually so now it just talking fast and getting a really good accent! haha 

I bought a jacket this week at Soldes it is super stylish! I will show you in a picture next week when I have it in action! I gave myself a haircut! It was the scariest thing I have had to do since being out here I think! I would rather contact 50 people than do that! haha But it looks ok now or at least I think it looks good! 

I didn't get half the pictures you sent but it looks like you guys had a ton of fun! But this week we passed a lot of members and did a lot of 15 minute RDV's so it is always fun to get into people's houses and share a little spiritual thought! And it is fun being with someone who has been on their mission for literally almost 2 years! haha Sometimes its tough cause he talks about home and stuff but then we just go out and try and make his last 3 weeks as a missionary the best that they could possibly be! Our new Mission Pres is going to be Scott Brown look him up! I want to know everything about him! haha He is from Sandy, that's all I know and he is a lawyer :) That's good for me! haha Maybe he will get me into law school!!

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

Happy New Year!

Yeah that picture of Jono is so crazy to see! It feels like that is 4000 million years in the future for me! I don't even think about that day when I am back to America! It looks like you had a lot of fun doing all of your little activities out there in the freezing cold! haha it gets cold here but not like that! It is weird to think that all those things were all last year and about this time next year I will feel the same but things will be completely different! So much can change in a year and especially when you are living in a place like France! 

This week we didn't have a lot to do cause people are still on vacance which is just vacation I guess... but yeah so we decided to do some pass backs with less active members and we decided cause we finished a little early to go pass the family Skashkov who are Russians and I have tried to go over there a few times but they are never home and so I had no idea what to expect! But we went and they answered the door and let us in!! haha I was so surprised cause it is the 5th time we have passed in my 2 transfers here but they were there that day I guess! We got talking a little just cause we didn't know them at all and they are super cool. They are about 24 and have a 2 year old little girl who is the cutest! We then found out that his brother in law who lives with them is a professional hockey player here in Lyon! so we are gonna try and get out to a game! They invited us back on Saturday for dinner but we both forgot until about an hour before so we rescheduled it for tomorrow! They are the coolest! They even came to church this past week! I am not sure how long they haven't been coming but it shows that even just a small 20 minute visit can have a big affect on people! I hope you are all doing well!

Christmas Zone Conference with David Archuleta as the guest speaker. 

Dinner at Bishop Lepore's home. 

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

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

La Fete des Lumiere

France is getting really busy! we are just being missionaries meeting crazy people all the time who either yell at us on the metro or just really cool people that you want to baptize on the street then they aren't interested or a whole mix of things but yeah! I will be staying in Lyon! I stayed for the Fete de Lumiere and so that was super cool! I did however find out the hard way that I will need a new coat because it is not like dry utah heat it is that new york type bone chilling cold here! It is about 1 to 6 degrees here everyday so it is starting to get pretty cold! but it never snows here! 

The Porte Des Alpes Eldres Ami Pong went with us to the Fete De Lumiere he is super awesome! haha 

I would love to hear all about your new cars when you finally decide! Just get an Audi they are super popular here in france and i really think they look classy but that is just me... Elder Olsen in Getting Tranfered to Aix en Provence to be Zone Leader and i am geting Elder Crawley today who was jsut zone leader in Montpellier so i am just a magnet for zone leaders i guess! he is in his last transfer thoèugh! THis next transfer David Archuleta is coming to our mission so that will be really cool! We are inviting everyone to come to that so if you are here you are welcome to come haha I am glad to hear everyone is doing good though! 

I went to Toulouse this past week and it was really cool to see a different part of the mission and not just Lyon! i have some pictures from it we had to go for Elder Olsen's legality or something! BTW you should try and get my Swiss legality all figured out haha cause I wanna serve in Swiss! Like see if we can become citizens of Germany or something so we are part of the EU so I can just go to Swiss! haha If you can't figure that out it's fine though. 

   Pont Neuf in Toulouse it is really famous I guess or I hear it is famous!

I am excited to see you on Christmas and Elder Haws is staying with me for Christmas and he is getting a blue! I am no longer a blue! haha Love you all and I hope you love the chocolate! It wasn't the nicest stuff but it is French so yeah! 

 More Pictures!!

    Fete de Lumiere

   Cool stuff I see everyday that I probably take for granted.

I locked us out of our apartment last week so here we are waiting for the other Elders to come home.

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

In the World but Not of It

Yeah it is already December! and I haven't even had use of Facebook,Twitter or Instagram for like 3 months and it is the weirdest feeling on earth! I see everyone using their phones all the time and I know now what it means to be in the world and not of it cause I don't really even miss it anymore! Sure, it would be fun to see what all my friends are doing and stuff but that would make things harder here! Elder Olsen and I talk about this all the time, haha... in between me singing him disney songs and stuff like that! 

But yeah it has been a pretty good week! We went to Chalon Sur Saone and spent our Thanksgiving together as a district and that was fun! But we only had 2 heures to eat and talk then we had to go out and be missionaries again because it isn't a holiday in France. We met a couple cool people when I was with Elder Perry on an exchange! Including Elder Perry, cause I didn't really know him before! But yeah, time goes fast here! I am entering my 3rd transfer which is crazy! I got to France and my roommate Elder Berry was in his third and I thought he was so old! Now I realize that it is nothing! I can maybe have a half conversation in French if they don't mumble like a lot of French people do! But yeah, we just keep contacting and trying to find more people to teach cause we haven't had any really solid progressing amis or anything. We continue to have baptisms! We have had 3 in the past 2 weeks here! None of them are for our equipe but they are for the other people here, so that is good! 

This next week I am going to Toulouse with Elder Olsen cause he has to do his legality and stuff down there so I am taking a 5 hour train ride down there. It should be fun or really boring. I'm not sure which it will be yet! It's funny how different people are here in France, just their mannerisms and stuff! There are a lot of Muslim people. They aren't really nice they just sorta yell at you on the metro, which makes me glad that I don't understand everything yet, haha! It makes for interesting stories and stuff. Anyway, it is just the life of a missionary, I guess! But yeah, we are working. Transfers are this coming week so we will see if I stay here in Lyon for Christmas or not! Have you heard about He is the Gift? If not, go look it up!

http://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HPFR112814529

http://www.mormon.org/christmas

Email: benjamin.schettler@myldsmail.net

Mission Home address:

France Lyon Mission

Business Center

59 rue de l'Abondance

69003 Lyon, France