Week 13: A WHOLE NEW TRANSFER!

September 9, 2014

Geliefde Familie,

Yeah, I'm still in Groningen with Zuster H. I'm so glad, because now I have the groove of the city down and I know how to be a missionary and stuff. I'm still learning, but I'm having FUN this transfer. I had fun last transfer too, but this one is going to be really good. We are going to baptize people, I know it. We have an investigator with a baptismal date! I'm so excited. He is wonderful, but he goes to Germany every weekend to work, so he can't come to church...I need to find him a church in Germany, but we never have time to look it up on the computer...

Dad, guess what. I had a Döner today and it was beautiful. They call the tortilla ones that you can get in Russia "pizza döners" which kinda makes me laugh.  

Doner Kebab

Mom, you'll be proud. I have become an expert at putting the chain back on my bike. It is kind of a bummer that I have had to do that...it falls of about once a day. I need to get it fixed, but we went to Zwolle today for a training meeting for Zr H, so I didn't get a chance. We can go riding a lot when I get back! Not that I do the same kind of riding that you do, but I like biking. Also, thank you for updating my blog frequently. You are wonderful. Really. And not just for that.

Zwolle

 BYU SMASHED UT?! Sweet. I mean, I love UT, but that's kinda cool. So is BYU good this year? I miss those football games! Seriously good times. Too bad my times here are WAY BETTER!

Mom, I don't need a helmet for Christmas. I hardly ever fall, and I would have more accidents if I had a helmet because people would throw rocks at me. 

We did a ton of service this week. It was really good, but we didn't get to teach as many lessons as I would have liked. But it's probably how it would have been anyway because everyone is getting back from vacation and is starting school and is super busy...rough, but we will find time to teach them!

I got to see the stars for the first time this week! I love the stars. My companion was pretty impressed because I was naming off constellations like a boss...while on a bike. I like that it gets dark earlier. Night time is my favorite. I'm also glad I'm getting to know the city better because my companion almost took us the wrong way last night because she can’t tell where we are as well when it's dark. Mom, thanks for that sense of direction. 

You asked about cooking. I eat a lot of pita, hummus, and spinach, with the occasional salami on top. We make pasta a lot because it's fast. We can't really go home for lunch or dinner because we live so far away, so we just bring peanut butter sandwiches and apples a lot. I want to get celery...that's such a good snack. I've never been a raving fan of apples. Is oatmeal healthier than granola?

You also asked about a washer and dryer. We have both! It's quite nice. Today actually the "reservoir" light kept blinking and I remembered from our dryer in Russia that we had to put water in there for it to work. Yay Russia. 

Spence, do you still have all my files? Do you have my mission prep file? Can you email me the PMG lesson outlines from there? If I have them...I should. I made them last semester.

Daniel, I played soccer today in Zwolle. You'd be proud. Maybe. I am prettaaaaaay bad. 

I LOVE YOU ALL! I'm so sorry I don't have tons of time to write and send pictures. I will try to do better. This P-day was insane...I don't like insane p-days.

I'm so excited to hear about this 6-week mission! That's a transfer to me. INVITE! 

Love,

Zuster Heilner

Zwolle

YouTube Video of Zuster Heilner's Arrival in Amsterdam, July 23, 2012

We just discovered a YouTube video of the day Katie arrived in the Netherlands.  Because she was part of such a large group of missionaries arriving on July 23, 2012, the Church's European Area Public Relations crew was on hand to document their arrival.  Be sure and watch to the very end.  She shows her excitement for being in Europe!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIIMbtTPcMs

Week 12: Bike Issues, They're Real

September 2, 2013

Gleiefde Familie,

HOI LIEFERS! How are you people? Annie and Mark...whyyyy have I not received an email from you children? Spencer, you too! What the heck, you're just too busy LOVING YOUR LIFE at BYU (you're welcome) that you can't write me?? Who are you people?

I can't wait to bike in America. I have learned so many hilarious things (that are soooo smart) that Nederlanders do, and I can't wait to see the looks I get from Americans. Bikes here have an achter op. I don't think a lot of bikes in America have them, but it's basically a platform on the back wheel that you can put stuff on. Or sit on. We have made "achter op-ing" a verb. It's when someone is biking normally, and the other person is sitting on the achter op with their legs hanging off the side. Or, I've heard of some elders who have been standing on the achter op while the other companion is riding. I'm not that crazy yet, but I still have 16 months. I can also get on my bike like a Nederlander. Basically, you have your left foot on the pedal, and you push your bike with your right foot and then bring your right foot up and around while the bike is moving and then start pedaling. It's not that hard, but it took me a while to get the hang of. I feel so cool when I do it. You know you're a good biker when: story time. In my first week here, I was still getting the hang of everything. You'd think I'd be better at riding a bike, but I really haven't done it since...well, Russia, but I didn't do any heavy biking. Anyway, there was a soda can right in my trail, and I figured that if I aimed right for it, the chances of me hitting it were pretty low. I mean, according to my track record for that week, it would have been accurate. So I aimed with all my might right for that soda can...and hit it. WOO, I KNOW HOW TO STEER!

Bike with an achter-op (the platform on the back)

That said the miracles this week also have to do with bikes. One time, we went with the Elders to Hoogezand. It's a dorp like thirty minutes away from Groningen. My companion and I brought our bikes, but the Elders I guess were just going to walk. Good thing we brought our bikes cause the person we were visiting lived forever away. So we achter oped. I was on the back of Sister Hudson's bike, and the Elders took my bike. P.S. Sister Hudson was using a rented bike because she lost her bike key, so her bike was stuck in ANOTHER dorp south of Groningen. Good times. She and Sister Watkins (we were on exchanges) had to achter op from that place back to Groningen...like an hour and a half, and achter oping is NOT comfortable. Zr Watkins' butt may never be the same. Anyway, so we were achter oping to this place. All was well. Then on the way back to the station, we had to go really fast, so we had the Elders pedal, and we sat on the back. You don't have to touch each other while achter oping, but we shouldn't have been on the back of their bikes. Heavenly Father told us that by knocking Zr Hudson off the back of Elder Thomas's bike. She totally fell and hit her head, but she was fine! Just a little headache. I even checked her eyes that night to make sure she didn't have a concussion. She's good. But we won't be achter oping with Elders anymore. Next miracle. The next day, we were biking. Instead of going straight through a roundabout like we normally do, we were turning left, but I forgot, so I hit the back of Zr Hudson’s bike and fell. It was a pretty bad fall, I thought I was going to die, but I also came out unscathed. I didn't even hit my head! We definitely have Angels all around us like it says in D&C 84:88.

I gotta go, but I miss you people. Yesterday I got to speak German AND Russian! WHAT?!Yeah. A little German lady came up and was speaking German to us. She needed help, and I was able to help. I thought she was speaking Dutch at first, I could understand it so perfectly! Then my companion was like, What the heck is she saying? I COULD UNDERSTAND IT! I responded in Dutch, but it was just such a testimony to me that God knows us and will help us. He brought German back to my remembrance. I am so thankful. 

Do you know of any fun games to play with little kids?

IK HOU VAN JULLIE!

Meg, go kill this mission. So excited for you. Spence, watch out, there ARE weirdoes at BYU. 

Keep up the good work, kids,

Zuster Heilner

Week 11: Life is a state of constant radiation and absorption.

August 26, 2013

Geliefde Familie,

HOI! This week has been fun. We traveled, taught, and had a good time. Every night when I write in my journal, I think about what I was doing a year ago on that day. This week was eventful. Aug 22 was the first day I lived alone! I met Megan Wight and a bunch of other people I would end up being friends with for the rest of the year. The 23rd was her birthday! Happy birthday, oldie. Love your guts. The 25th I met Alyssa. The 26th, Bayley, Alyssa and I went into a random room in Jay Hall and ended up meeting our best friends Norns and Snitchell. What a good, good week. And now school is starting over! Annie, are you taking German? You better be, child. Tell Herr F I say hi. He's awesome. Tell him I tried Belgian fries like he suggested. They're really good. 

Yummy Belgian Fries

This week’s travels had me alone with another Greenie in Groningen. It's happened before, but this week, I had to go somewhere I haven't really been before and I got kind of lost. It's really hard for me to get my bearings here, which is quite frustrating for me, but it's getting better. I should get a digital compass or something.

Just found out I need to be done emailing right now. Sorry! I will write a hand written letter today and get it sent off. 

Life is a state of constant radiation and absorption. I love that. We learned about that in Zone training this week. Everything we do influences people. We as members are to mourn with those that mourn. For FHE read Mosiah 18 and talk about what you can do to help the kingdom.

My companion got her palm read in the middle of a restoration lesson this week, which was weird. The lady told her she'd never be able to be with the love of her life. For some reason, they'd be separated and never be able to be back together, but they'd always be confidants, so that was definitely interesting. Good thing we don't believe our palms define our destiny. 

LOVE YOU PEOPLE SO MUCH!

Zuster Heilner

Week 10: 17 Trains Later

August 19, 2013

Geliefde familie:

Yeah, I went on 17 trains in four days this week. As many of you know, though, I love trains so it was a ton of fun. Plus I got to go to cool places and be with cool people. I went to Belgium! It was kind of sad because I didn't get a ceremonious high-5 simultaneously from Annie and Mark crossing the border, but it happens. And I got to see all of the people I was in the MTC with. And eat a Belgian waffle with Cookie butter. It was beautiful. I've missed sister K a lot, so I RAN to her when I saw her in the train station in Brussels. She's doing great.

Grand Place, Brussels

I think my stomach here has expanded. I can ALWAYS eat. It MAAAAY have to do with how much we bike, but I'm ALWAYS hungry. But it's okay because members make us beautiful Indonesian food quite often. It's SO good. You guys, go buy ketchup manis (idk how to really spell that) from an Asian market and make peanut butter sauce and put it on noodles or rice with vegetables. It is so wonderful. 

YOU GUYS. I got to spend a day in Haarlem, which is the city that Best Two Years was filmed in. I also got to serve with Sister Frandsen from my MTC district who is hilarious, so it was great fun. I have cool pictures, and we did some really fun contacting.

Haarlem, Netherlands

Today has been SO busy. We have two members getting married tomorrow (SO EXCITING) and so we helped them prepare food and decorations for that today. One of our investigators told us that his daughter has some weird stuff going on in her house. Her son saw huge white legs in his room the other night, and they went to their neighbor for help, who gave them voodoo solutions, which is obviously making it worse. SO he asked us to go over there and pray. So this morning we went, sang a hymn, shared an uplifting thought, and prayed for a blessing over their house. The Elders are coming back with us another time to give her son a blessing and bless the house. Then we had to go to the police station because last transfer, the phone was stolen. Someone had spent 400 euros calling Africa. So we made an appointment with the police for Wednesday. Exciting stuff. Then we went bowling with our district! It was so fun. Plus, we happened to hear real music, so that was kinda cool. And now we are at the church a little late because we did missionary work. 

I love you people so much. Thank you all for the love and support. Alex, I haven't heard from you in a while. I love you and your car is so exciting. Keep being wonderful. DAWWWW. 

Daniel, give Alyssa your address child! She asked me for it but I don't have it with me right now err. Also, be good. ;)

Also, Annie, can you text Sherrin and tell her Happy Birthday?! I missed it, it was at the beginning of August, but tell her I love her! 

Spence, I woke up with this horrible feeling. I was like...happy, but also SO sad. And I realized that I had had a dream that you were in the hospital and we all knew you were dying soon, but we were all talking about how we were okay with it and we were happy because we knew we would see you again. And I know that's true. If anyone was to die, it would be okay because I get to live with you forever. But at the same time, I really like hanging out with you people on earth, and I'm a little jealous of all the nertz, but I'm doing other cool stuff. I've heard of people having dreams like this on their missions. Please let me know ASAP if anyone is dying. 

IK HOU VAN JULLIE! Miss you guys.

Zuster Heilner

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