So, Tim upgraded my situation and downloaded a SCREEN RECORDER for me to use during our calls. I can't tell you how much easier it is to just answer his call rather than answer the computer and hold my phone to record our calls. Look, Ma! No hands! So blessed! I am just so beyond grateful that I not only get to receive a call from my sweet Missionary every week but that I also can record it and write about our experiences so we can have this journal for years to come.
Daily Stuff
Elder Heilmann is doing well. I can still tell he is a bit homesick, so I used the German Amazon, my new favorite thing, to buy him some ingredients to make Savannah Pralines. When we lived in Savannah, Georgia, Elder Heilmann fell in love. Not just with the town and the people but the Savannah Candy Kitchen. He thought about becoming a candy maker when he grew up and started practicing making candy. I thought it would lift his spirits to have something fun from home, so I started purchasing all the necessary ingredients to make some pralines himself.
He started to receive the ingredients slowly and was quite confused. He said, "I am doing good!" (with a big smile on his face), "I keep receiving packages! I got,...Ingredients! I am so confused. I think it's funny that you're shopping for me. I think it's cute...I just think it's cute that you're grocery shopping for me."
I bought bourbon vanilla, soft brown sugar, parchment paper, white sugar, and condensed milk. In Wiesbaden, and maybe all of Germany, you can't find soft brown sugar or vanilla, so he was excited and confused to get both of those ingredients. The closest thing to brown sugar you can find is muscovado sugar, and it's too coarse.
It was so hilarious to see his confusion. The pecans will arrive next week, on Tuesday. So, hopefully, then he will understand what's up. We'll see. I said to him, "The mystery will stay until the following week." He replied, "I'm very confused." Me, "It's fine, you can be confused!" Bwahahahaha. I do love a good mystery.
Elder Heilmann told us that he is to attend the American Ward's Youth activity later that day. They are going to decorate cakes! Now THAT is right up his alley, and I think it's precisely what he needs. He reminisced on his time spent with our friend Cat Musgrove, learning how to decorate cakes. She is the owner/creator of Dolce Darlin', a place that started in her home and grew to The Pink House full of awesomeness it is now, in Augusta, GA. ...So many good homeschool memories with all our friends in Augusta. I hope these moments of cooking and baking make him feel more like himself and more comfortable in his new role as a servant of God.
He did say he also plans to make some cookies he had at a friend's home this week. He went to the commissary and picked up egg nog and pudding powder to make them when he gets a chance. I think they sound fantastic!! He loves to collect family recipes. I am glad he is taking these moments for himself.
Every few weeks, the Elder's have to go and get a haircut. Elder Heilmann's wild mane usually got cut by a cool Turkish guy, but he said it's a bit pricey. So, he decided to use his haircut money on a haircutting kit! He said it was the same price as one haircut, so he will give it a try. Daddy learned how to cut his own hair on his mission, and now in his 40's, he still cuts his own hair. It's a valuable skill for sure. Another useful skill is polishing shoes. He did that for the first time this week too. He said it's not the best job, but it looks alright. ;)
For Halloween last week, they listened to Christmas music....because why not! They did go to the American Ward Trunk or Treat and ran a booth. It was a ball toss to knock over bottles. They gave away one candy per bottle knocked over.
The Germans don't Trick or Treat or celebrate Halloween much at all. Although, some of the German kids in Wiesbaden will flood the American Base and Trick or Treat. They have picked up on some American traditions in that area. But for the most part, it was a pretty quiet and Christmassy ;) night.
The downtown area is being set up with long-term wooden booths for a Christmas market. They will sell a myriad of things, including kinderpunsch, a mulled, non-alcoholic punch for kids and those who don't drink. ;) He said he is hoping to go to the market for fun food and shopping soon. So even Germany is anxious to kick off the Christmas season.
Another 'tradition' that I thought was exclusively an American farming thing is Daylight Savings! As we talked, I felt that we only had a few minutes to talk and then found out that he had an entire HOUR left!! Apparently, they just had Daylight Savings a few days before us, so it felt like such a treat to have so much time with Elder Heilmann.
Elder Heilmann is ready to have a little LESS time with Wiesbaden, though. ;) He said, "I've been here too long. The people are starting to bug me. Plant me somewhere else, please!!" I am sure that that is his homesickness talking. I am super grateful that he started his mission in an American saturated area with a Military Base. I think he is ready to really experience Germany, though, without so much influence from his homeland. Maybe it will improve his homesickness too. Crossing fingers and praying...mostly praying. ;)
Germany Quirks
Sundays in Wiesbaden are awesome! Even the pagans respect Sunday. All the shops are entirely closed and the only busses that run take you to Church. When you enter every town, there is a government-sanctioned sign that tells you of some of the Church's in the area, where they are, and what time their services are. It is mainly just the Catholic and Lutheran Church's information on the plaques, but they are there, which means a lot. It's super cool! The only people walking around outside on Sundays are heading to Church.
Elder Heilmann also mentioned some fun churches there that he has personally never heard of before. For instance, The New Apostles, a Church of Science, and in Koblenz, there is a Mennonite church and a Mennonite signs museum. They have an earthquake machine like he remembers experiencing at OMSI as a kid. His favorite part is that the last level of the earthquake simulator is 'God's Return.'
Elder Heilmann says, "It's Washington cold here, and it can get pretty darn hot!" Wiesbaden is on top of a hot spring. Wiesbaden means 'like the baths.' The potholes have steam that comes out of them, and it smells like sulfur. The town has lots of private baths that you pay to get in, but there is also a public bath in the middle of downtown. The Germans in the area have a lot of "weird health knowledge and folk medicine, " so Elder Heilmann sees a lot of people swish the water from the public spring. He said, "Gross! People put their feet in that! Gross!!" Mmmm... tasty!
Missionary Work
"So whatcha been doing?"
"....missionary work?"
"Ya ya, but what KIND of missionary work?"
.....longer pause...
This week was all splits! Today was the only day he's been with his new companion, Elder Chamberlain, so far. It's been hard. The first exchange was fun. But Elder Heilmann said, "the second one...he's a good missionary, good rule follower,...I just don't like him. We get along. I just don't like him." I am glad he can do the work even if he doesn't always like who he is with at the time.
Kevanch picked a baptism date. January 1st! Elder Heilmann is pretty sure he will be transfered before then, but he is just happy for Kevanch. It was a tough decision to make, but Kevanch new it was the right one.
I asked him about Nofuu. He replied, " Our Prophet friend...hmmm...We haven't talked to him. We are going to give him some space. He got scary. It feels yucky around him. He thinks he's the prophet and needs to lead the Church. We want to teach him about faith because he doesn't think it's important. He's just the most arrogant person I've ever met in my entire life. It's arrogant to think that he is exempt from temptation."
Nofuu wanted Elder Heilmann and Elder Chamberlain to be HIS missionaries. Nofuu said, "Pray about it. You're going to get the answer. You'll come back to me." Elder Heilmann prayed about it because Nofuu asked him to, and he said he got physically ill and felt like barfing. Nofuu is Elder Heilmann's first encounter with a False Prophet, and it has definitely been a learning experience. The Spirit confirmed to Elder Heilmann that Nofuu was being led and taught by Satan. Yucky.
"Yurg is Yurg." He started texting the Elders in German and English in the same sentence. It's sometimes hard to understand what he is trying to say. "He's so whiny. It's really frustrating." Yurg will text, 'I am sad. I die. All is good. Don't worry about it.' Yurg is in a mental institution, and they are not sure if they will keep him as a teaching contact. The Elder's are having trouble communicating or teaching him anything.
Elder Heilmann tejust started teaching a guy, Marcello, from Greece on Facebook. Marcello said, "I would love to come to Church, but I'm gay." Elder Heilmann was sad to reply, "We are not supposed to not like you, but there are very strict Germans here that might not like you." It's sad for Elder Heilmann to have to relay that hard truth. He hopes that will change, but the German people are very stubborn.
He found Marcello by going to an interest group on Facebook and friending everyone in the group. He got in Facebook jail from friending too many that day. Oops. It's a new way of contacting and connecting with people. Instead of saying, 'Hey do you want to talk about religion?' now he just finds common interests with people. "Hey, I like your profile picture. Where is that? It looks cool!" etc. Elder Heilmann said, "All my life, I am told not to talk to strangers, and now that I am a missionary, I am told to talk to ALL the strangers." ;) WOW! I am not sure I could do what he is doing! I feel proud of him for stretching.
A few weeks ago, in his weekly email, he sent out this picture of scribble graffiti. I guess the person that does this is known as 'The Scribble Man.' Elder Heilmann says that for miles, these pastel scribbles are on everything. Apparently, he writes scripture verses that don't exist. If it gets smudged, he just redoes it. Well, Elder Heilmann met him!! He thinks he's God. His says his name is Jesus, and he thinks he's God. So, this makes 5-7 false Christs that he's met, and he was trying to teach a false prophet!! What an experience!
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