Last week in the MTC

In less than a week I will be headed to Germany! I am in shock at how fast time has passed me by. I feel so close to my companion, my District, my Zone, and to my teachers. I love all of these people so much and I am so grateful for the examples they have given me. 

Earlier this week we all had an incredible opportunity to skype with a Church Member in Germany. It was so cool to be able to have a conversation with a native German speaker. Although my German is far from perfect, I felt so happy during my conversation with Benjamin (the man we spoke to). 

I feel very excited for the next week. I am slightly nervous - but that is okay. I have learned so much here about myself and about my Purpose as a Missionary. Becoming an eloquent speaker in the German language is not a part of my purpose. It is not why I am a Missionary. It is simply a tool I need to continue to study so that I can invite and help others to Come unto Christ. I've thought a lot about that this week.

I am not going to Germany to go on a vacation, to learn a foreign language, or to experience another culture. I am going to Germany because I have been called by a Prophet of God to serve His children in this country. I am a Missionary because of I have a testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ. 

"For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. 

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me" (1 Nephi 21:15-16). 

We have a Savior who has not forgotten us. He never can forget us. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all things can be made right. 

Liebe,

Sister Helmick

Branch 19

Sister Peterson, Sister Jeppesen and I saying goodbye to our Berlin Elders! 

I'm going to miss the mountains in Utah. 

Sometimes, in the evening, the sisters all have finger sword fights... ;) 

Apparently I'm fluent in German!

...in my sleep. 

This week has been a more challenging week with our language study. We have been learning more grammar, sentence structure, different conjugations of regular and irregular verbs, etc. Anyway, I have found myself on my knees more this week, pleading for help, that I have ever before. Heavenly Father has answered my prayers, just not in the way I expected. 

For four nights in a row, from the minute my head hit my pillow, till the time I woke up in the morning, I was thinking and dreaming in German. I was dreaming about teaching my investigators in German and just talking out loud in German. How cool is that?! It gets better.

After a few nights of having these dreams, I told my companion about them during breakfast. She had a huge smile on her face and she told me - - 

"Oh, I know! I hear you in your sleep every night." She then told me that she would hear me use perfect German. Everything that we had been learning in class - correct sentence structure, grammar, vocabulary, etc. 

Soooo, my subconscious knows how to speak in German. Now I have to worry about being fluent while I'm still conscious. ;)

This experience has strengthened my faith. I had doubts about my personal ability to learn this language. And it definitely did not come easily the first two weeks. But I trust God and I know that I have been called by Him, through a Prophet, to go to Germany. Heavenly Father knows that I can learn this language, and I believe that with His help, I can. 

These two verses from the Book of Mormon really helped me this week:

Ether 11:6 "...faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."

and Moroni 7:26 "...Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith  believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you." 

We have to have faith first! God can work no miracles if we do not first believe that He can. I have seen that this week. Once I pushed aside my negative thoughts about learning German - and really believed that God would help me...that is when I started seeing miracles. I am progressing in this language, not just in my sleep - I promise! :) 

I know that God is real. Ich weiss. I know that He wants to hear from all of us - because we are ALL His Children. 

All my love,

Sister Helmick

Lone Elder - I just liked that picture.

I ran into Elder Stott from Oregon! :)

I love the mountains in Utah. I'm going to miss them. 

"Our District is our Family in the MTC, and for all time."

13 days until Germany! Less than two weeks!

Best Week So Far!!

This last week was the best week I've had so far. The MTC has got to be one of the most amazing places in the world. Everyone is so happy, so kind, so supportive and so loving. I love being able to pass Elders and Sisters and saying, "Guten Tag, Sister/Elder!" We are all doing the same work. That work is the Lord's work.

I saw a lot of Tender Mercies from the Lord this week. One of the Elders in my District was feeling really down. Together, we all wrote him a note of encouragement and support. It was a great feeling to be able to lift him up and let him know that he has a District Family. We have all grown pretty close. 

I'm reminded of a scripture in the Book of Mormon that I love:

Mosiah 2:17

"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

Sister Peterson and I were called to be the new Sister Training Leaders until we all leave for Germany...In THREE WEEKS. Crazy. As Sister Training Leaders, we are responsible for taking care of the other Sisters in our Branch. We have weekly interviews with the Sisters and it is our goal to serve them in whatever way we can. 

I truly love it here. I am excited to serve in Germany - but I am so happy with where I am at right now. I have three more weeks to study and prepare. I am so grateful to be here. 

I want to leave with you a verse that has really stuck with me this week. It is another scripture from the Book of Mormon.

Mormon 9:15

"And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet, Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles."

That last sentence really resignated with me. God has not ceased to be a God of miracles. I see miracles in my life every day, here. I love you all!

-Sister Helmick

Happy Birthday Alex and Kel!

GRANDMA - There is an Australian Elder in one of the Districts in our Zone! He brought the Aussie Flag decoration for his room. I had to take a picture. We are friends now. :)

Picture for Natalya and Lynne Nielsen - I LOVED my package full of my favorite treats and my shampoo and conditioner. ;)

The matching green accessories! Elder Botcher's mother sent us all a care package. Sister Peterson and I received matching scarves. We're pretty cool.

I LOVE my District. They have all become a part of my family. The Elders are not allowed to give us Sister hugs - so several of the Elders posed for me. Hugs in Spirit.

One of my roommates, Sister Jeppesen, is super athletic. In the mornings before Gym, she'll teach me some new exercise moves she learned from swimming. Sister Peterson thought it would be funny to take pictures of us working out.

We LIVE in our classrooms. 10-11 hours a day of studying/working/teaching. I wrote this note on the white board - whenever anyone feels like they are about to fall asleep, they do 10 jumping jacks with me. It's pretty effective. :)

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SERVICE. See Mom! I'm still cleaning. ;)

Sister Helmick Photobombing

All the Sister's in our Branch

It was a great week in the Germany Branch!