Sister Katie Heilner's Mission: 1st P-Day Email: Geliefde Gezin: Magic Tuesday

Note from Mom: We received a couple of e-mails from Katie today. We are so excited to see how happy and well she is. Watch for her on Sunday at the world wide broadcast. She will be in the choir!!

HOWDAAAAY!

I'll write the real email in a little, but I'm doing laundry and it is 5am and yeah, P-Day is today. I'm going to the 3:20 temple session, but I won't have any time to sit in the Celestial Room after because I am singing in the choir at the devotional (I know, I'm in choir. I'm laughing too). Also, by a series of miracles and a testimony builder of honesty, I am singing in the choir that Pres. Monson will see on Sunday. So watch for me on TV!!!!

I promise I will give more deets later.

LOVE YOU PEOPLE

A very happy, healthy, excited Zuster Heilner

After we found out we get to sing in the choir!

LOOK:

I got this e-mail from an Elder that must already be in my mission:

Zuster Heilner!

Elder Schulte (I guess he's Michael now) told me that you're coming to this mission and that you lived in Russia and speak Russian? Have you kept it up? I hope so because there are a lot of Russian speakers here. I lived in Yaroslavl for a few months and retained a little bit and have used it a ton since being here. If you can get your hands on a Russian PMG in the MTC or something similar I'd recommend it (unless your bags are too heavy already with nice sister clothes). Hope your MTC stay is going well! Work hard and enjoy the Spirit that is there!

Elder Lewis

LOUK, JA?!?!?! (Cool, huh?!) I will be purchasing a Russian PMG on the morrow

Geliefde Gezin: Magic Tuesday

Dear Family,

A few things first. One, I am so thankful to be where I am. I know this is exactly where the Lord needs me, and I LOVE that. Two, if I could write a letter to the German language this would be it:

Dear German,

Thank you for being so logical and beautiful and perfect. And thank you for sticking with me (or rather, you're welcome that I stuck with you so faithfully for so many years). I just want you to know that contrary to popular belief, you are not the most hideous language on the planet. Dutch beats ya. Also, I never thought you were hideous. Thank you for being so similar to Dutch; your word order is truly inspiring. I'll forever be indebted to you.

Until we meet again...if I ever do pick you up again,

Zuster Heilner

Life at the MTC is pretty great. I have five Elders and five Zusters in my district. I am not one of the tri-panionships, which I am quite thankful for. I do, however, love my companion and my district. My stance on Elders going to school for at least a semester still holds, but I will admit that there are exceptions to that rule. There are some Elders here who just graduated that are AWESOME.

That's funny what James wrote on my wall...I think my teacher Bruder Mohrman love/hates me. I think he love/hates us all. He's so funny though, and I love him.

Before I forget, can someone (ALYSSA IF YOU ARE READING THIS, THIS IS FOR YOUUUUUU) Facebook message Daniel Cottam and ask him for his address? The kid wrote me and didn't tell me where he lives.....geez child. Don't text him though because he is in Romania.

Oh, I should address the subject line. "Magic Tuesday" is this awesome thing where they do a series of medical tests on the missionaries (zendelingen) going to Belgium. I'll just tell you it involves the digestive system in a way that I never wanted my digestive system to be involved. Also I had to give blood, which, as you know, I LOVE doing....-_____- You wanna know something? I might not even go to Belgium! But I hope I do, so I was happy to do the tests. Well..."happy" is a relative term, I guess. But yeah, that was today. Welcome to the MTC! Here's your first P-Day, we have a special bonding activity for you and the other Dutchies. Point MTC.

Mom, when you guys come up here (I'm never allowed to say "you guys," so that was weird. I have to say "you Zusters" or "you Elders."), you can drop packages and mail off at the BYU mail service building and they will deliver it to the MTC "fo' freeeeee." Mark, name that movie. Mark, write me. Annie, you too. Sheesh children. I have been such a good writer to Spencer for these past two years, and if you want me to write you on your missions (and, uh, you do), WRITE ME.

So the food here is Cannon Center food, so I know exactly what it all tastes like, but I can't complain. At least I won't get fat. One of the first days I was here, we had skor cake, which is actually the best thing the CANC has to offer, so that was cool. RIGHT NORNS?! If you're reading this...

I'm pretty sure the MTC never fully prepared itself for how many sisters would be singing Disney songs in its showers. I know I didn't quite prepare myself for that...ha. But it is pretty crazy the number of sisters here! Elder Calderwood was telling me (we see each other at least twice a day, which is fun) that next week, 120 Russian speakers are entering the MTC. Ya know, missionaries going to Russia. And one of the districts is ALL SISTERS. The very first all-sister district! Represent! I love hearing Russian everywhere! Really all the languages, but whenever people say "spacibo" I have to answer with "pajaulista" or however you would spell it in English. And normally, we answer with graag gedaan (no, I don't actually know how to spell that in Dutch. Oops.).

Uh, did anyone ever realize that Dutch is spoken in the West Indies?! There are some really cool elders going to Surinam in my Zone. They got here two weeks before us, so they're very helpful. One day, for language study, my companion and I went in there and they were quizzing us. My zone is fun. We have Sweden (Oscar, if you're reading this, I tell them to look out for you in Gothemberg), Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Belgium/Netherlands. And Surinam! That just moved itself to top on my list of places to go. Pirates? I can take 'em.

Yes, mother I did get the package. It is slowly but surely being eaten. Bless your beautiful soul. Dad, you may have had something to do with that, so I guess I can say bless your even more beautiful soul (sorry, Mom, but it was just Fathers' Day).

I'm working on memorizing my purpose as a missionary in Dutch. And then I'm going to move to the first vision. Our investigator's name is Robert, and he's a pretty cool guy. He knows God is there, but he doesn't see God in his life, so it is our job to help him recognize Him as his Heavenly Father (Hemelse Vader). We have been teaching him all in Dutch. It's crazy. I can pretty much understand everything he says, but when all else fails and my companion (collega, but for all the Gs, it's really guttural, like "ch" in German) and I both don't know what to say, I answer him in German with a Dutch accent with as many Dutch words as I can, and I can get pretty far! The language is definitely coming. I love it. One day, I woke up and my throat was kind of sore, and then I realized it was because my guttural muscles had never been used that much. Ha.

IK HOUD VAN JULLIE (I love you)!!! The Church is true. Heavenly Father has a purpose for all of us, and this is mine right now. I will be singing in the Fireside on Sunday (I know; it's humorous; you can laugh) so WATCH FOR ME! If I could, I would write "HI MOM" on my forehead, but they won't even let us wear necklaces, so something tells me it would be inappropriate.

Mark, spockspockspockspock

Annie, remember who you are and that I love you

Spence, you should know that I don't cry a lot. But every time I think about how I will get to see you in the MTC, I get teary-eyed. Can't help it, you're my hero.

Mom and Dad, I love you and I'm so thankful for your example. I would not be prepared for this mission without you guys. Also, if there are some basketball shorts that are too small for Mark but are really light and knee-length, I'd love them. And I forgot about belts...can I have a skinny-ish (like one-inch thick) leather belt? Like the natural-leather color. You know, to match those shoes I have. Those shoes are super comfy. My black ones, not AS much, but they're fine for now. Dad, can you send me one of those USB things that you can put a camera SD card in? I have pictures but I can't send them to you because we can't just plug our cameras right into the computer. So if you don't mind getting one on Amazon, I will have more pictures for you next week! My companion sent some pictures to her family (she borrowed an Elder's thing) so I'll send them to you.

LOVE YOU PEOPLE! HOUD VAN JULLIE!

Zuster Heilner