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December 9th: Nevah Gonna Get It


Bit of a short chat today with the mister. Only 35 min long. It worked out alright, though. I had just pulled over to get gas, and he called, and Tim was just taking a break, so we all three got to chat together. It was just perfect.


Daily Doing


Elder Heilmann cut his hair, and then the clippers broke. Dang. But he did manage to give himself a pretty good fade. He has decided to just go back to the Turkish haircut plan. After the haircut, the Elders went to the Christmas Market. What an experience!! It was so vast that he only took a few pictures, which was why our chat was short. But, I am glad about that.  I want him to take advantage of all the amazing things to see and experience in Germany. 


The Market was FULL of delicious food to eat. SO MUCH sausage! Elder Heilmann thought it was pretty hilarious how many varieties of sausage there were available. He was going to get some souvenirs, but they were all pretty expensive for a missionary, so he opted for churros and pictures instead. Cinnamon sugar churros complete with a gigantic bucket of cinnamon sugar and a spoon so you can add as much sugar as your churro can hold! They also had enormous oak fires with salmon on spears. Aptly called flammlachs, flame salmon. It sounds divine!

Elder Heilmann pondered getting a beautiful silver amulet with the impression of a Celtic Tree of Life with a bunch of runes around it. He said, "I really wanted to get this pagan amulet, but it was too expensive." To which his quick-witted Daddy replied, "Wow! It's expensive to be a pagan. You're lucky that you belong to the true Church!" (eye roll...lol) Elder Heilmann replied, "It was cooool. Gosh!" $30 US is a bit much for one souvenir, but it did sound rather beautiful. He loves collecting unique relics- gems, symbols, and the like.  

Elder Heilmann takes advantage of Duolingo to study German, Spanish, and Japanese in other moments of downtime or study time! Krefeld is a refugee town, and there are many Spanish, Japanese, Turkish, and other Adriatic language speakers in the area. He also said that Germany is the wealthiest country in Europe and the only one that readily accepts refugees. He said the other European countries are where everyone is fleeing FROM, like Albania. 
Their friends, the Toochi family, fled from Albania. Brother Toochi got a transfusion in Albania for a disorder he has and ended up getting hepatitis because the blood was unclean. Apparently, the pills they gave him to filter his kidneys were placebos. Elder Heilmann says it's pretty corrupt. The Toochi's have until the 16th to get all their paperwork together, or they will get deported back to Albania. The Missionaries are praying mightily for them. 
 


Elder Heilmann is having such a great time in Krefeld, but he hasn't unpacked because transfers are coming up again.  He hopes he gets to stay a bit longer here.  Krefeld is pretty gritty, but he is getting used to it. ;)  However, he is opening his Advent calendar daily and putting his teeny Funko Pops on display even though his clothes are in his suitcase. Priorities.  He now has Harry, Ginny, Victor Krum, Fleur de la Cour, Igor Karkaroff, an unusually happy-looking Snape, Fred and George who are the same except for the pose, and lastly, Minerva McGonagall.  Teeny little friends.  And a real-life friend just announced she is engaged!  Anastasia Shepard-Lee, Elder Heilmann's Aunt Emily's friends from Virginia who live in Germany.  Elder Heilmann said, "How delightful!  Eternal salvation."  

Missionary Work

Sister Krautser (still don't know how to spell her name) called while we were chatting and asked the Elders to come give her a blessing. She is going to call her son, also a Julian, to come over and assist. Julian's are cool the world over. 

The Elders found a guy named Aiden Shahabi and got him in touch with the Wiesbaden Elders.  Aiden speaks Arabic. Elder Heilmann showed us a Book of Mormon that is written in Arabic.  He thinks the formal font looks like Minecraft blocks.  The Persian and Arabic languages look like art.  So beautiful.  

Others they are teaching are Daniel, who has an alcohol addiction. He is not always aware of who the Elders are and is often confused. It's sad. Silba is an older sister who lives a bit far away and loves to have the Elders over for service projects in her garden. Laslo, whom they haven't had contact with for a few months. Igor, who they are getting ready to teach about the restoration this evening, and Quame Adose Owusu from Ghana,...of course. We know a few Ghanaian Owusu's. ;) Quame lives about 30 seconds from the Elders, and Elder Heilmann is trying to play cupid with him and a single sister in the Ward from Nigeria. :)

Quirky Germany



Funny German words for you in closing:

Nach- after
Nacht- night
Noch-yet  

UGH!!  Elder Heilmann said, "Once you understand the rules, it's basically like playing with legos." I replied...  "Ya...I'm not good at that either."  He said, "Then it's gonna be super hard for you, and you're nevah gonna get it."  

...pray for me...






 

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