An experience Cooper shared on April 29, 2014:

On Monday morning we went to the what we'll call the “DMV” for a city in France so I can be legal in France for a 2nd year. We did all the paperwork and I got my second year visa there. All is good. Then later, my companion and I were eating lunch in the main area of one of the big train stations in Paris (because we spent our P-day there in Paris). The train to go home was going to leave in around 10 minutes so we decided to get on the train and just wait inside. We got up from our spot and went in to the train. Not even 3 minutes passed when I realized I left my shoulder bag where we had eaten! It had everything in it, Passport with the new Visa, Birth Certificate, camera, little notebooks, everything. But at least I had my wallet with my debit card and drivers license with me!  So I called the mission office/home and told them everything, and they told me what to do. First, I had to go back to the "DMV" place and tell them that I lost my visa/passport and hopefully they would give me a document saying I lost my visa and passport. Then with that document, I had to go to the American Embassy in Paris to reapply for a new passport. But the DMV place was closed, so we had to wait until the next day (today). So this morning, we left really really early to go back to the DMV place and like all DMVs, wait in a really long line until it was my turn. So it eventually was my turn and my companion and I told the lady everything that had happened. Fortunately, it was the exact same lady who did all of the paperwork and visa stuff for me yesterday, and she remembered me so she gave me the document saying I lost my Visa and passport. Hooray! Step 1 done. So now we were heading to American Embassy by metro to get a new passport. However, while we were on the metro, our cell phone rang. It was a private number and it was a lady on the other end asking if this was me, Mr. Saffell. Yes, I responded. She told me that she has my bag!!! So then she told me that she is at a certain area around the big train station where I lost my bag earlier and to meet her there. However, the train station is really really big, and there are people everywhere! So after a few hours of searching around and asking where this random place was, nothing. We couldn’t call her back because it was a private number. Still no bag. So we decided to go to our big Zone Conference at the church in Paris that we had today, that we pretty much missed all of because of the situation.  At the end of the conference, we got a text from one of the Police departments! It said that they have a bag with my name on it!  They had our number because I left some cards in my bag with our number on them! So we went to the police station, and I got my bag back!! I searched through everything in my bag and there wasn’t a whole lot taken from it!! ALL of my legal papers (birth certificate, passport, second-year visa, etc) were still there, and not ruined! There were only a few things stolen however: my train pass to be able to ride trains outside of Paris (which costs not even 30 euros and it was expiring soon anyway), 20 euros that I had in a little pocket, and my camera with all of my pictures :( ..... I had over 600 pictures on my memory card since last September. So that was a real disappointment. But aside from that, all is well!!!  My soul is secure!  Miracles do exist!  God answers prayers!!!  Thanks for all the prayers and everything!

So on Monday just before the transfer, the bishop took my companion and me to this mountain. At the top of the mountain, there is a famous historical battlefield from World War One. We were able to walk around and explore the trenches that the soldiers made for the war. It was pretty cool. And on this mountain, the view from the top is really awesome! You can see almost the whole region of Alsace (a region is like a state in the US). You can see the whole city of Mulhouse, and even the next city of Colmar, where missionaries are! And when it’s a clear day, you can even see the Alps!! But there were lots of clouds when I was there so I wasn’t able to see them :( but I took lots of pictures though.

On transfer day I took a train to Paris and then went to one of the many train stations in Paris to find my new companion. He was waiting at one of the stations to help missionaries with metro tickets and watch baggage and other complicated stuff. So I met him there and we waited at that station for a few hours with other missionaries until everything was done. Then we went home. It takes about 30 minutes by a train. And it’s pretty complicated because we were both moving into the apartment at the same time. So we didn’t know the city at all but there are other missionaries in Melun who helped us. It’s been pretty good living with a French companion. He knows English too but he asked me if I wanted to speak English in the apartment and then French outside, or just French all the time. I told him lets speak French all the time. And so we have! His name is Elder Paitrault, and he is from Perpignan, France, which is way at the bottom of France. But the funny thing is, he already knows about half of the ward members in the ward! It seems like all the French members in the country know each other or are related somehow. And the ward is pretty big! There were around 130 members at church, the biggest I've seen so far on my mission! And it’s a really strong ward! They're all really good people who like helping us and are just overall really nice. After church we went to the Bishop’s house with his whole family and had a really nice big barbeque! It was really fun!

There are a lot less Muslims in this area than in my last and we've already taught some people here! We called some of the investigators that the previous missionaries were teaching and we were able to meet some of them. We taught an 8 year old girl with her family (family is baptized, but they want us to teach her daughter) and we're going to see a 9 year old girl with her family (family is also baptized, except the girl) later this week. So it’s a totally different style of teaching but it’s been really good.

Today we went to Paris with some other missionaries from a different Paris area and played some basketball right in front of the Eiffel Tower! It was really cool. We played against some French guys who were already there and it was really fun! My companion is the one in the white.

Transfers are this week and I'm leaving Mulhouse. I'm getting transferred to one of the many areas that makes up Paris!! So yes that means I'm getting transferred to Paris! The actual city name is Melun, but it's one of the many little suburb cities that makes up Paris. It'll be really fun! And my companion is a Frenchie! Yes, another Frenchie. And I don’t think he knows English very well, unlike my last French companion who knew English. So it'll be a great opportunity to improve my 'speaking and listening in French' skills right in the heart of France!

Anyways have fun at school this week! I remember spring break, it was always fun, even if I did nothing but just sat at home, I liked it. haha.

This last week we went with a member down to visit another less active member with this lady that he lives with, to have another lesson with them. We fixed a baptismal date with the lady! It’s for June 14, so it's not soon but hopefully it will happen! And you asked how the response is during Easter season. To be honest, a lot of people don't  care at all, which is sad. It’s just another excuse to have vacations from school. (I found out a while go that in the French school system, they have every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday off each week!) And when we go talk to people on the street or at their homes, we ask them what their thoughts are or what they think about of the resurrection of Christ, and most of the responses are "Nothing, really." Which is really sad. And the people that say those things are of other Christian faiths. They should be happy and thankful! Every Christian religion should be grateful and happy during this time!

Conference was pretty awesome yesterday! I saw the Saturday morning session on Saturday night.  It was live!  Then on Sunday we watched Priesthood session and Saturday afternoon session, and then at 6pm we watched the Sunday morning session, live! Then we went home. It was really good though! I was at the church for pretty much the entire day!! Anyways, I really liked all of the talks, and choosing one is really hard. I really like Elder Holland’s talk, Elder Rasband (that guy that spoke after) Bishop Gary Stevenson, Elder Richard G Scott and Russell M Ballard, and Elder Hallstrom from Priesthood session. And Elder Eyring’s from priesthood session also. Haha I laughed when Elder Holland gave that example, because worse stuff happens to us then getting mashed potatoes thrown at us. Haha but I think I really liked the one from Bishop Gary Stevenson. He talked before a few years ago about the story of the guys in Japan, there's a Mormon Message video about it that’s really good. And I think he could get another Mormon Message. I think most of them could get Mormon Messages! I wasn’t able to watch the last session, I’ll watch it, or read it, some other time.

No I’m not going to Paris for legality. For legality the second year you just do it by yourself, in your own city. There’s no need to go to Paris. And for transfers next week, I don’t care where I go. I would actually like to stay on the eastern France... there’s this city, Nancy, in the east, and it’s a really, really cool city. I've been there a few times because I was in the Nancy Zone when I was in Luxembourg, and I would love to go there. But I doubt that'll happen. I have no idea where I'll go (or even if I leave), but I'll just guess that I'll leave and go to Brussels.

And no, there is zero news about the temple here. There’s always the saying “No news is good news”, but I think in this case it’s the opposite. Last summer, Dallin H. Oaks came to Paris and in his conference, he said the reason why it’s been a long time for France to get a temple is because the people don’t pay their tithing and they aren't having families. The people down here where I am go to the Switzerland temple, because it’s 45 minutes away by car. So even when the Paris temple does come, they'll still go to the Switzerland one regularly. And missionaries aren’t allowed to go to the temple because it’s outside our mission boundaries.... But that’s cool about the other Provo temple. 

I had no idea it was St. Patrick’s Day!  And besides, no one here knows what that is either so it’s ok. What today actually means..... I have 365 days left! 1 year! I have this little card that says what day I started (April 3) and what day I finish (March 17). Our mission doesn’t have any year mark traditions though. Wow that’s crazy to hear that Melissa, our cousin, is engaged!  Congrats!

This week we taught our friend from Benin!  He's really cool. We taught with our most recent convert, Ricky.  It went really well!  Ricky was pretty nervous to come help teach but he aced it!  He said exactly what needed to be said that I couldn’t say myself!  It was really awesome. Our friend didn’t come to church though because he said he had to go his own church that Sunday.... so there are still things to work out but it’s  good.

Friday we were walking through a park and saw a man sitting on a bench.  We went over and introduced ourselves and asked if we could share a message. Usually people say no or say they're Muslim (that happens a lot) but this guy said Yeah sure!! I would love to hear it!   So we talked about God and prayer a bit then asked to pray with him. He said of course, why not!!  So we prayed.  Afterwards he said that he felt really good and that he really needed that right now. That was pretty cool!  And he's a French guy so that makes it even more of a surprise!  

Yesterday we taught a guy at the church who we met earlier in the week. He's 20 years old, also a French guy, and he likes to try and practice his English with us... The lesson went ehhh, really strange, in fact. He's kind of just out there with things he was saying..... but he said he's going to read the Book of Mormon!  He said he already knows a bit about the church and has met missionaries in the past, so we'll see about this guy... he's an interesting one...

On Thursday we're going to Paris for a big conference, so I'll let you know how that goes!