November 11th: Herne, Herne, Herne...You'll Thank Me Later

Daily Doings

Elder Heilmann cut his own hair!  He bought the clippers and did it.  It's a good buzz.  He feels pretty proud of himself. I am too. What a cutie!

The Elders were planning on going to a museum today, but Elder Heilmann had a bad headache, so he couldn't make it. He seems down in the dumps, actually, but he says it's just his headache. So, hopefully, that's all it is.  They did end up going on a hike, though, before the headache set it. They went to Neroberg. Elder Heilmann says that this part of Germany is very Roman, hence the name of the hiking area; Nero's Mountain.  It was a foggy hike.  It really reminded him of Washington fog.  In fact, most of the weather he has experienced has been very much like the Pacific NW.  Not my personal favorite weather pattern, and apparently not the German's favorite either.  They call these conditions nass Wetter.  It literally means 'wet weather' but has the negative connotation of being gross weather. It is getting quite cold there now and was almost freezing today!

All the better that he got his PECANS! YAY! At first, he thought I was sending him ingredients to make a pecan pie but was really excited when he realized they were for making Savannah Pralines!! He exclaimed, "Sweet Home, Alabama! Yee Haw! Oh sugah, I am gonna love those pralines!"  

Don't be too worried, though. Elder Heilmann is watching what he eats. He even got himself a new muscle T-shirt today at the PX as an inspiration shirt. He says it's of Present Mic from My Hero Academia. His plan is to fill it in by the end of his mission. Daddy asked, "Are you exercising or eating more? There are two different ways to fill in a shirt!" haha. Speaking of shirts, his BOX IS IN LEIPZIG and is on it's way to Wiesbaden with no additional fees. I am hoping it arrives before the transfer. Crossing fingers.  

Elder Heilmann shared some fun mission 'stuff' that is passed down. Apparently, a rap was made in 2018-2019 called "I like to be in Herne" It's super weird and funny because apparently, Herne is "an ugly, gross town." It's in a part of Germany called the ruhrpott (or the Ruhr potty), a huge factory nugget that you can see from space. Germany is a mix of bougie cities or factories with houses... also some rural parts. So, this Arabic man created this song, and it says, "I love being at the train station, I love being at the Church, I love this city." Elder Heilmann says, "It's so dumb and so funny. It's just a weird Mission song." He somehow acquired it, and when other Missionaries know he has it...the audio AND video, they totally freak out. He is the Herne Dealer! LOL, And because I am the dealers' mom, I can send the audio file, by request, for your quirky listening enjoyment.  

Elder Heilmann finds out in two days if he's being transferred.  He HOPES he is being transferred, at least.  Elder Tillett is in Essen and is leaving in a week. I am going to try to meet him at the airport if his family is cool with it.  He is flying into Dulles International, which is only 5 min from our house.  Elder Heilmann says he "misses him dearly."  Elder Tillett said the first thing he will do when he gets home is to download Warframe and start playing.  Elder Heilmann says, "It's my gift!  I get things stuck in people's heads.  It's usually just music, but now I know it's also video games, too."  Now to use that gift to get scriptures stuck in people's heads! 

Elder Heilmann shared two more in the spirit of sharing all his hidden talents.  Whistling two tones at once and dancing the entire Ho-Down, Throwdown!  So proud. ;)  The cake that he decorated at last week's youth activity got second place, too! It was a beautiful meadow with an M&M path. What a killer! First place was a giant Thomas the Train engine with angry eyebrows.  They used graham crackers and frosting to make the train structure.  A solid first-place showing.  

Missionary Work

It's expected for you to be quiet on the train, but the missionaries are still allowed to make contacts while traveling on it.  They also try to make contacts while riding the bus. They recently were fortunate to meet a dreamy couple on the way home from their Mission Conference. 

Elder Heilmann says they are "Professor Trelawny dreamy" and so cute!  She attends a Catholic Evangelic church and works in a European imports store.  Her husband works at an old folks' home, and they have grown children. They came to the Church to tour it and sang some of her Sunday School songs for them.  The Elder's sang "The Wise Man and the Foolish Man" for them and she said dreamily, "Oh!!  Like the Scripture! Ah vie heirlich!"  

She then saw this picture and just stared at it. "Ah...vie heirlich!  Ah, vie shon!"  She was so cute, so dreamy. They invited the missionaries to their service, and they invited them to theirs.  This next Sunday, at the couples church, is "Death Sunday," meaning the death of Christ.  Each Sunday service in the month is organized, and they only do a sacrament service once a month.  I hope they are able to go and enjoy each other's worship services.   

Elder Heilmann shared that they don't have a King James Version of the Bible in German.  Rather, they have ein heits ubegestun or The United Translation.  What is cool is that it has the song of the children or the song of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and he shared that with this sweet couple.  They had just such a lovely time together.

But, meeting on trains and busses doesn't always have such a happy ending.  Sometimes, when he tries to approach people on the train, they say they don't have time or they have a meeting.  Elder Heilmann has a new fun reply to that.  Doch!  It's kinda like playing the reverse card.  If you use Doch, they can't undo it.  They are just like, Ah man!!  "I have a meeting!" "Doch!" "ummm...." 

"Sorry, I have an appointment."
"You're walking home!  I know you!!  You're my neighbor! Lol"

Of course, Daddy had to ask if Elder Heilmann ever used Doch when people say they can't be baptized.  Then they joked, "It's really easy!  5 seconds!  In the water out of the water." Oh, my word.  Those boys!

So, Nofuu is the visionary false prophet who, as a matter of fact, blocked the Elders.  He couldn't convert the Elder's to his religion so, he blocked them on his phone.  Elder Heilmann said he was playing a game. He's a massive, muscular, African man.  Very suave, arrogant, and intimidating. So, when Elder Heilmann saw him today near the bus stop, he said he was horrified!  Nofuu said to him, "Did you see my last message? What did you think?" Right then, the bus came, and Nofuu had to run off to catch it.  Elder Heilmann said, "Thank you, Heavenly Father, so much!"  He felt saved by God, saved and safe.

Nofuu's last text to the Elders was  "Fear God!" and then he blocked them. 

Joshua is the friend who only read the title page and wanted to learn more to become baptized.  He doesn't answer his texts, so the Elders' don't know how he is doing.  He's not flakey.  He is a Tech student studying in Germany, but Elder Heilmann has found that it is very cultural that the African immigrants don't typically answer texts very readily.  

Elder Heilmann has one friend that will put multiple commas to express a pause or even more commas for a longer pause.  Johnson would put periods instead of commas, and Joshua doesn't punctuate at all.  A newer member of the Church is Iranian, and he doesn't put commas or periods in his text; rather, he puts an exclamation point AND a question mark at the end of EVERY sentence. 

Sadly, they are dropping their friend Yerg.  He just can't make any progress.  He is literally insane and  just wants to die. He would say, "Please make me Mormon before I kill myself."  Turns out, he just wants free stuff and free health care, and he belongs where he is.  He is trying to get out of the mental institution, but that is where he needs to be for now.

Claudius is on the whiteboard (where they keep track of all their contacts and friends). Elder Heilmann has never met him.  Elder Chamberlain met him while on splits.  He was described to him as having black hair, black clothes, and an anime shirt, so Elder Heilmann said, "I am sure we will get along." ;)

Elder Heilmann has decided that he will be sending his weekly emails every other week.  He says that they are exhausting and he's just so tired all the time.  His days are so busy; he has two emotional states-tired and asleep.  Hopefully, he can get on a schedule mentally to find peace and rest soon. 

Quirky Germany

We heard the bee-boo-bee-boo of an ambulance during our call and found out that Elder Heilmann calls it 'the boo boo wagon.'  Apparently, the locals don't call the Doctor; they call the ambulance because it's free.  "I'm constipated! Please pick me up.  I stubbed my toe. Come get me." Thus its nickname, the boo boo wagon.  He was joking about the difference in America.  "I broke my leg! I'm ok, thank you.  I'll walk it off."  No $3k rides here, thanks. 

Germans don't like speaking German, and many ads and things are in English.

Instead of crossing fingers, they press the thumbs into their hands.  I'm pressing my thumbs for you! Good luck.  I'm pressing my thumbs!

And so, I am pressing my thumbs and praying daily for the safety and happiness of our sweet missionary, Elder Heilmann.