Week 9: " Well this is definitely a transfer of firsts and it is not even my first transfer." Zuster H

August 12, 2013

Geliefde Familie:

This week was definitely interesting. One of the coolest things about being with Sister H (the Sister Training Leader) is that I get to travel a TON. So this week I went to Leeuwarden in Frieslan! It is beautiful. I had so much fun with the sisters there. Anyway here are some things I learned there:

Cheese:me::religion:some people. Explanation: I don't eat cheese. As my life has progressed, I think I would be open to trying cheese. But I know that once I try cheese, if I decide it's right for me and I love it, I will have to do something about it. Cheese is fattening and expensive, so it's not something I want in my life. So yeah, we see that people are happy without religion and don't want to put the work in but they're WRONG. God loves us and it's so great to know it.

You don't have to wake up sticky!

You don't have to bike errrrywhere.

But we stopped at the church in Leeuwarden to go to the bathroom and their toilet paper is...not as user friendly as the toilet paper in Groningen, so Groningen has that going for it.

Leeuwarden

So yeah my time in Leeuwarden was wonderful, but then I woke up. Not sticky. Took a shower. 

Ate chocolate granola with flavored yogurt (we never have that in our house). Got ready. Sat down for personal study in just such a bright and wonderful room. I was so happy! Then my stomach started hurting reaaaaally bad. So I went to sit on the couch to read my scriptures. Then I realized everything in my stomach was about to come out. So I spent the next three hours puking. It was awesome. My companion had to meet us back there and since we were having phone issues, it just made that day even more awesome. We were two greenies alone in the city until they came back for us haha. We were about to get on a bus, and literally as the bus was rounding the corner, I had to barf again. Yes, I have officially left my mark on the side of a road in Leeuwarden. My greenie companion was like, okay so for some reason, we cannot get on this bus. So we stayed. I wonder what would have happened!

So I had to take 24 hours to recover. The Elders came over and gave me a blessing, which I am so thankful for. Weirdly enough, all of our appointments that we had to cancel ended up being okay.

Mark, I was reading in 1 Nephi this week. You are the youngest. You are Nephi. If anything ever happens to us, you keep us in line okay? I'm counting on you to tell me when I'm murmuring. Also, ten points for sending me Maddie hair in that letter. I'm still laughing about that. Someone send me a picture of that thing! 

Spencer, I have had so many encounters with Portuguese this week! Our PMG DVDs are in English, but all the writing is in Portuguese for some reason. We went to go to a look up. She speaks Portuguese! An investigator that the Elders haven't seen in a while randomly showed up at church yesterday. Portuguese speaker! They’re taking over the world. Also, do you remember when I was like 13 you made me promise to never Google the Church--just to go to lds,org because there is so much anti stuff? Thank you for doing that. I've kept that promise. I wish everyone would just go to lds.org. We had an investigator come across some weird stuff and it was really hard to back it up with truth because he was really hard-hearted. He had read stuff from an ex-communicated bishop. Ugh.

Hand written letters are better than bacon. I got home from that horrible ordeal and had like five. James, Meg, Alyssa, Family....you made my stomach feel sooooo much better. Annie, you are pretty cool I guess. I loved your letter. You're so weird. 

MEGAN HILL HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE! You are old and going on a mission in like three weeks dude. Can't wait for you!!!! Miss you shnuckams. 

I love you guys so much. I am so thankful for you. You all have special talents (haha buddy the elf) that are SO important to helping others come unto Christ. Never forget that. Let's be one of those awesome families that is just super active in the Church and is always doing good things, okay? Okay.

I get doners and you don't,

Zuster Heilner

De Waag, Leeuwarden

Week 8: It's bad for your liver; you won't be able to have kids!

Groningen

Geliefde Familie: 

That was my favorite quote from this week.  We got sushi with the other missionaries today, and my district leader said that about the pickled ginger haha. 

What is your new address?? And when can I start writing to it? I sent a hand-written letter home with a woman that used to live in Groningen. She was visiting her parents (who are wonderful) so I got to meet her. I live in her house! I wish I could have sent home some Dutch things, but I didn't want to be taking up room in her suitcase, so I'll have to send home a package around Christmas.

So yeah mom if you could send my winter coat at some point that'd be good. Other delicacies I want....I don't know, Grammy sent me peanut butter and Oreos that I received at a zone training and made me very happy. But Eyeliner (the waterproof kind from Rimmel or L’Oreal that is a roll up pencil) and mascara would be appreciated because they are sooooo expensive here.

This week we had an investigator have a vision. Seriously. He was asking about tithing and if he really was supposed to go through with baptism, and he had a dream! Like Lehi! We told him to read the two chapters in 1 Nephi because it was so similar. I hope he decides to be baptized. He's awesome, he just needs to take the leap! 

Funny story from this week: We planned a FHE for a less-active family in our ward. Their daughters are so cute. It was charades. So we went over there, and I went first. They LOVED it, which was awesome for us, because we have been so exhausted that we DID NOT want to get up and act stuff out. But it was perfect because they would be like, "Nee, Ik ben op de burt! Ik ben!" No it’s my turn! Mine! So we just sat and watched them and chilled for a bit, which was great. 

I had no idea there was a new temple film. You guys know how I feel about the temple. I love it so much. SO much. I can't wait until I can go all the time again. That's one difficult thing about a mission, but it's okay. I'm doing OTHER important things. 

Dad, Grammy told me the story about how you had issues of not having a butt on your mission on a bike. I guess I must be more...shall we say "blessed" than you were, because I am not having any soreness issues from my bike! Blessings from heaven. Heavenly Father knows what we can handle. I actually do have a testimony of that. Heavenly Father gives us a way to do everything that he needs us to do. Sometimes what we plan for ourselves is not reachable, but if it's what Heavenly Father wants you to do, He WILL provide a way if we LET him. We need to ask for his help constantly. I am so thankful to be the daughter of such a loving Father in Heaven.

I love you all so much. I miss you terribly. Sorry I can't spell the word "because." I want you to know that I CAN indeed spell it, but when I'm typing fast, it always is spelled wrong, so sorry about that. Also, if any of you were wondering, my stomach still makes noises uncontrollably. 

IK HOU VAN JULLIE!

Make good choices, be good people, WORK WITH THE MISSIONARIES! It's SOOOOO much in the members’ hands.

So thankful I get to spend eternity with you weirdoes,

Zuster Heilner

Groningen