Goot en tog! (Just kidding): Journal Entry: Donnerstag 15 Oktober 2015

October 19th, 2015

Each week I log on to do my emails and I stare at this blank screen not really knowing where to start and how to describe my experiences. Plus we are running way late on our email time because we just got back from Gelsenkirchen with the District - we played the best game of capture the flag in my life! And Man, this week was simply one of those weeks where we were SO busy and we saw so many miracles that I don't know how to begin...so instead I am going to copy and paste an entry from my journal this week. I think Thursday was one of the best days so here we go:

BEST DAY EVER. But it didn't start out that way. This morning we had our usual studies + lunch (attempted to make a homemade pizza and it turned into a casserole... Note to self: don't put hot homemade pizza sauce on raw dough before you put it in the oven). After lunch we traveled to the Bochum Rathaus and scheduled two Street Displays for the next two weeks in a row. Man, it was intense finding that place - Sister Carroll had never before organized a Street Display so it was mostly on me to figure it out. Anyway, super excited to have those coming up...

Afterwards, we went by a member who wasn't home and we did about a half an hour of doors but no one was interested. So ist das Leben manchmal. From there we went to our volunteering at Lebens Hilfe - but for some reason it was closed! So, as we were walking back to the U-Bahn (underground station) I decided to call Jaina. She is a 12 year old girl who speaks good English and German but her family only speaks Arabic. We had met with them several times before but had lost contact for a few weeks. Jaina is our source of communication as she translates the lessons for us.

Anyway, as I called her she sounded very sad. She started speaking in Arabic to her Mom and then switched back to Danglisch while talking with me. (danglisch is my favorite language). She explained that her parents do not want us coming over anymore, as the father is a pastor in his Church. Immediately Jaina began to apologize and she told me how much she loved it when we came over and the good feelings she felt. She said that she has been reading in the Book of Mormon and wishes so badly that her parents would let us continue meeting because she wants to learn more. It broke my heart to hear her say that. She may only be twelve, but she has lived through a lot coming from Iraq. She is so beyond her years. On the phone all I could do was encourage her and bear her my testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel. I gave her contact information at Mormon.org to learn more and contact Missionaries when she is older. I also gave her my email address and asked her to stay in touch. I hope and pray that Jaina doesn't forget the Spirit that she felt as we met with them.

So, at this point both Sister Carroll and I were both pretty sad. We decided to go to the apartment and make some dinner before our appointment with Adela. Our "making dinner" consisted of me listening to a Church Podcast while drinking water and falling asleep on our couch. Don't worry though, only a half hour nap.

Then we headed out to meet Adela and her sister Xena. They finally got keys to their new apartment and we were able to travel with them to it. When we got there, Adela explained that she was planning on spending the rest of the night cleaning it on her own before they moved the furniture in the next day. Heck no - we didn't let her do that alone! Sister Carroll and I rolled up our sleeves and got to work. About an hour and a half later we were finished. At this point it was 19:45. We still had an hour and 15 minutes before 21:00 when we were supposed to be home. For some reason though, Sister Carroll and I both felt stress free about it. We both just knew that the Lord would give us something to do - and He sure did!

We ended up deciding to contact a Turkish potential who wanted a Book of Mormon in Turkish. We walked over to his Döner Laden and had a very unexpected twist to our evening. (Side tangent: Döners are the best thing ever created. Turkish dish but very popular in Germany. Cooked fresh bread, seasoned blazed chicken, fresh veggies and sauces. I have probably had a Döner once a week since being in Germany. Addicted.)

Anyway, zurück to topic. As we walked into the Laden, a family of three were sitting down waiting for their order to be finished. The husband started obviously starring at our name tags so we asked him if he had ever heard of the Church before. He shook his head no and asked what kind of Church we belonged to. After explaining that we are a Christian Church, we shared with him the Book of Mormon. He then began flipping through the pages and asking question after question. His wife knew a little English, so she asked us questions in English and asked a lot about America.

After playing this question game back and forth for a little while, Sister Carroll and I had to divide and conquer. She started talking to the Döner Laden guy, while I talked to the family of three. Before I could suggest making out an appointment to answer more of their questions, they invited us to get some drinks at the Italian place directly across from us. So we finished talking with the Döner Laden guy (and made a return appointment for this week!) and walked over.

We had a great appointment with them - and Sister Carroll and I were bold! We had to be - this family is so energetic and so full of questions. It was a little chaotic. But before we knew it we had to get going and they invited us over to their home to continue discussing. We asked if we could say the closing prayer together and at this point, we were all bowing our heads about to pray when the Italian restaurant owner yelled out, "Hallo! Was macht ihr?" We explained that we were praying and then he ran over to join us! Before we could pray he gave us a ten minute speech about how much he loves God and finally let us pray. He also wants us to come by and meet with him to explain what we do.

Sister Carroll gave the sweetest and shortest prayer I have ever heard. And then we booked it to the bus!! And alas, we missed it by a solid two minutes. But it was sooo worth it.

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I think this gives you a good insight into the ups and downs of this experience. The hardest thing for me has been to see people so close to the Gospel and then reject it or choosing to not give something up to live it. And then the greatest joys have come in seeing the light that fills their eyes when they recognize truth.

I am not going to lie, this last transfer has been one of the hardest emotional and mental transfers for me. I have questions and concerns that I am trying to work through, and at times I feel incredibly inadequate. But I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me and I know that I am supposed to be here. Prayer has taken so much more of a role in my life and what keeps me going is the unexplainable feeling of comfort...almost like someone lifting me up, every time I need it and every time I think I can't do this. I know that He is there for us and I know that He loves us.

I love all of you and I pray for you daily.

Sister Kristyn Helmick