Week 76: Christmas Time!!

November 25, 2014

Geliefde Familie:

  

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS IN LOKEREN!

Happy birthday Madeline!!! I can't believe you’re going to be 14! Mom, if she doesn't see this, make sure to tell her I love her and I'm thinking about her. Really all of those cute Pfortladies. 

This week has been good. We rode a lot of buses and talked to a lot of Muslims. WE HAD AN INVESTIGATOR AT CHURCH! And I heard from Christiaan that they had SIX investigators at church in Lelystad this week, so I was SO happy to hear that. 

Comfort. She is so cool. She's 11 and I think I've told you a little about her. She lives with her mom here and she got permission to come to church with us! So we got picked up to go to church and Comfort just rode with us. She lives on our same street. She is really smart  I really think she is getting it! She's so sincere and wants to do what's right. Zr Mashburn just stuck with her while I was in ward council, and when I got out, she was just talking to all the members. They love her and she loves them. A fairly recent convert, Angela, who is 17, just really took her under her wing. It was so good to see. After church, Comfort was like, "I want to come again!" and we were like, "Yeah, next week!" And she was so happy. She turns 12 on Saturday and she might be going to an activity with the YW in Brussels--to a war museum or something. If she goes, we can go too! We have another lesson with her tonight. Woo!

Let me just brag about how amazing my companion is for a moment. First off, she's adorable. She is good at sports and loves animals and is just so sweet. She also is AMAZING at sports. Soccer, basketball. She dominates. The elders love it that there’s a sister that can actually hold her own. This is what it was like With Zr A too. She's SO smart, too. Goodness. Her Dutch is fantastic and she just really needs to see that she is doing SO well. I hope that in these next two weeks I can really help her build her confidence. She’s amazing. I love her. She's so funny and cute and we get along really well. 

Mom, you asked if I want people at the airport. Sure, why not. Especially Alex Self. 

So Muslims. Basically, twice this week we thought we were entering a situation where we'd be doing the teaching, but both separate times, they have dominated the conversation. They completely don't see the need for a savior. It was so interesting to me. I kept asking them questions about heaven and if we need to be perfect to get there and how we can become cleansed from sin, and they just believe that it's like a balance. As long as you help enough old ladies cross the road, you'll be saved. They don't see that no matter how much good we do, we all need Christ. I love how the Book of Mormon is so plain about that. People are constantly chastised but it’s all so that they can become clean. God gives us so many chances to accept Christ, and I'm so grateful for that. I know that we distance ourselves from Christ every time we make a mistake, but we are so blessed to have a plan from our Heavenly Father that allows us to repent, become clean and to come closer to Christ. I've seen it a lot on my mission--people coming closer to Christ. And they’re so much happier for it.

Went on an exchange to Gent and we saw some really cool miracles. A 16 yr old kid really wanted to learn more and he gave us the information of his girlfriend too. we were waiting for his mom to get home so we could share a lesson, but she wasn't there by the time we had to leave, but it was cute, the kid kept sticking his head out the door to see if his mom was home. We went by to say that we had to go and he was like, "I looked on the website!" he loved it. I hope that's going well. Then that night I finally got to eat fu fu. It's this African food that's actually really good. Everybody kept telling me you either love it or hate it, and so I tried it and I really liked it. Mission bucket list item checked off.

Awful picture, but I ate fu fu finally!!!

This week I have my last zone conference. Weird. And a member of the 70 is coming, so that'll be cool. We have to go to the Netherlands. I am excited, but the trains have been so weird recently because of riots...idk why.

Our WML is in the hospital right now. He had to get surgery yesterday on his liver and he has two more operations this week. He's such a great WML so we are really praying he gets better soon. He makes our lives go so much smoother, especially at church. He and his wife are really strong. We had a lesson at their house last night--a referral they gave us. Eline. She is soooooo cool. Such a golden investigator. She loves learning about the gospel and about the Plan of Salvation. I love seeing her get it. She's coming to church on Sunday! YES!

IK HOU VAN JULLIE!

I can't wait to see you. Cannot believe it's actually soon. I can count on my fingers and toes the number of days...what. 

Liefs,

Zuster Katherine Heilner

P.s. thanks for all the letters. You guys are champs. <3

Got to go see Ethlyn on the way to Rijswijk. She made me Indonesian food probably for the last time.

Adventures with bikes

Week 75: The Power of the Book of Mormon. Miracles!

November 17, 2014

Geliefde Familie:

Zwarte Piet

This week started out kind of rough. I don't know why, but I woke up just feeling like I was never going to get through it. For some reason it just felt like it was going by so slowly (and…it was Tuesday haha) but then Tuesday night, I was studying a talk by Henry B. Eyring and it basically told me to just study the Book of Mormon. I don't know if that's what the talk actually said, but that's what I got from it. So I decided I needed to be doing that better. At some points on my mission, I made it a point to really dive into the Book of Mormon, but I realized I hadn't been doing that. I would read a chapter in personal study or something, but I hadn't been applying it as well as I have in the past. So I decided I was going to give it a try. I don't know HOW, but studying the Book of Mormon deeply really does change our days. Thank goodness. I also studied in Preach My Gospel about hope and then more in the scriptures. I don't know if I WOULD have made it through the week without that. We see rejection every day and when we aren't equipped to fight back with a smile, it can wear you down fast. I was so grateful that I did because it made such a tangible difference in my week. Of course things are always hard, but the Book of Mormon will get you through the really tough days. I know that. And after I had that experience, I was able to testify of it much more powerfully to an inactive member that lives on the Elders' street that has never opened the door for them, but did for us. We are going back there soon! Miracles. 

I thought I'd be able to go my whole mission without having to give a last minute talk in Sacrament Meeting until the second counselor of the bishopric came to me right as the meeting was starting. Missionaries are always the back up plan. I talked about the Atonement. It's one of those things that I have learned a lot about on my mission, and I coincidentally had a Liahona about Jesus Christ with me, so it was good.

I was also reading another talk that helped me understand that we secure our salvation when we help others to theirs. That was cool. 

Investigator updates. Evert is so positive in appointments! It's so cool. He really wants to learn and he's making great progress but then he WON'T COME TO CHURCH! I don't know why, but three weeks in a row he has promised to come but then doesn't. It's so disappointing. We talked so much about it in our lessons this week too. I don't understand why he won’t come! He always has rides and we tell him about it so he won't be surprised by anything, but oh well...agency.

We went to a baby shower on steroids this week and it was in the church and there were a ton of nonmembers and we had some really cool conversations with them and THEN, this one lady came up and showed us pictures of Utah. I MISS THE MOUNTAINS AHHHHHH

Mark is a rock star, Annie is a babe, and yes will you please follow up with Lucy just to make sure. She was very willing but just check

Well I got to go, we are teaching a lesson in French tonight and then a referral from some members. WOO!

IK HOU VAN JULLIE EN IK KAN NIET WACHTEN VOOR...23 days?? AH

Zr Katherine Heilner

Sint Niklaas

Elder Childs

Sint-Niklaas Elders!

Elder Thomas and Zr Mashburn

Gent

Week 74: GEFELICITEERD, Annie

November 10, 2014

Antwerpen

Geliefde Familie:

Happy Birthday, kid. I love you. I hope you like the thing I sent. If anyone can pull it off, it's you. Man, I love you so much and I can't wait to seeeeeee you. Holy crap you’re eighteen...you’re still 15 to me...tops. Keep being a babe and keep it classy.

We had a pretty good week. You guys will be proud to hear that I run every morning. And it's kind of enjoyable too. I think it helps that I know Zr MB loves it, so I just do it for her. We don't go that far, and it's dark and cold, but it's good for me haha. I'm missing my little Jillian Michaels boost every morning though. Oh well. 

I've sort of been able to pin point lessons that I've learned in each of my cities. Groningen: to get over myself and get to work. I learned that I feel good when I come home tired and feeling like I've done what Heavenly Father wanted me to do that day, Maastricht: apply that even more and charity. LOVE IS DA KEY. Den Haag: I learned a lot of really personal things there and I'll always treasure that, but I also learned that all is never well in Zion, but it sure is a lot easier if you have good company. In Lelystad I learned a lot about the Terrestrial Kingdom and how to recognize the small beautiful things around you and enjoy the gooooood people in life.

I'm really excited to see what Lokeren teaches me. I learned this week that Heavenly Father gives us exactly what we need. This week has been one of those "no more and no less" weeks. I know that He provides. I know that fasting works, too. A couple of nights this week, I've gone to bed thinking we are going to have an appointment in the evening the next day. (Side note: It's dark here and people hate it when we go to their doors when it's dark, so I always like having appointments in the evening) but then during the night, the person texts us and tells us it's not going to happen. But how merciful that Heavenly Father lets me go to sleep thinking that I'll have a good evening haha. And then, those evenings that the appointments fall through, we still see huge miracles. Plus, this week, we got the list of who is inactive, so we can start looking them up at night, hallelujah. I remember praying one morning this week after reading the text that we didn't have an appt anymore, and I was just asking that our back up plans would be good and that we'd be able to do what He needed us to do, and I just felt so much peace and sort of realized that it happened because He wanted us to do something else. And we had good nights! We found potentials and saw small miracles. My faith is sometimes really tested here, but I know that Heavenly Father will provide. 

Okay, we have an appointment now, but I'll get back on later to send pictures and stuff.

This is our WML...he is awesome and he sells bathroom innovations for a living. He gave us a sales pitch of a toilet.

Week 73: This keyboard is soooo different...

November 3, 2014

Geliefde Familie: 

And so is Belgium! I can't believe it. But it's been fun. My companion is Zr Mashburn and she is from Lindon and she is an ANGEL. We have seen a ton of miracles here. It's TINY. But it's okay because since we are new there’s a lot of work to do and it's not as scary as tiny Lelystad because there hasn't been a lot of missionary work done here yet.

So with the trains and everything, it took us until 8:30 pm to get to our new apartment. The sweetest members ever picked us up from the station. Luckily we both had bikes (thank you, Antwerpen missionaries for making sure my greenie would have one) so we have been able to just get right to work. Our ward mission leader is fantastic. And he lives here in Lokeren. It’s way harder to get around here in Belgium so that’s nice haha. That said, the members have been wonderful and they’ve given us rides to church and everything like that.

MIRACLES, PEOPLE. So many. First, we set a baptismal date at our first lesson here. Amazing. It happened on Saturday. His name is Evert and he was in the Elder’s area book. He said he had thought of the Elders last week and then the next day we showed up at his house. So that was cool. We made an appointment for the next day and brought a member who shared her testimony and it was just so good.

I don’t have a ton of time but I love you and am doing well and I will try to figure out how to send pictures next week. 

IK HOU VAN JULLIE!!!

Liefs,

Zr Heilner

And also the soap smells like Russia so that’s weird; (don’t worry, the good Russia smell)

November 4, 2014

We received a very kind email from Katie's new Ward Mission Leader.  We appreciated getting a bit more information and some pictures from him.  We are so grateful to the generous and kind members in her mission who support the missionaries and the work they are doing.  

Hello brother and sister Heilner,

I am the ward missionary leader of Sint-Niklaas. Your daughter is here now for a week. It’s nice to work with her. She looks very enthusiastic to work in our ward. She has a collegua who is now for a couple of days in Europe, a brand new missionary sister. 

You daughter is giving a super example + missionary education to her. I love to see that. That’s the spirit. She is giving herself for a 100% the last 5 weeks of her mission : ) you can be really proud at her.

Last Sunday we had the privilege for being in the rededication/re-initiation of our ward for missionary work. Since a long time we now have sisters too. It’s very nice to work with 2 missionary teams. (Elders + sisters)

Our bishop had the inspiration for a re-initiation, it was a wonderful experience. 

The missionary work in our ward is going well.

Every Tuesday evening your daughter and her colleaga + the elders have dinner at my house + a missionary meeting

I wish you all the best and I look forward in doing the Lords work with your daughter

It is my wish to see her testimony grow even more, that’s the whole thing of going on a mission. I hope she will have a wonderful time in Sint Niklaas, I will do my best to make her feel welcome in our ward and to make the last 5 week of her mission the best time of her mission in total : )

Hopefully she gets wonderful experiences in doing missionary work the time she is here in Sint Niklaas/Lokeren

I put also a foto of me and my family in the mail + a foto we took at the place where our ward was rededicated

Greetings