Saying Goodbye to Sister Lyman!

May 18th, 2015

Transfer Calls.... On Thursday I will be saying goodbye to my Trainer, Sister Lyman. I will be taking over my area here in Saarbrücken and meeting my new companion - Sister Bates! I have never met her before, so I am excited to see how it is to work with someone new.

Mensch. I don't know if it is just because we are Sisters and supposedly emotional or what, but Sister Lyman and I were a mess when we got the Transfer Call news. We got together with our District and all 10 of us huddled around by the phone as the Transfers were announced. When we heard the "Sister Helmick will be...joined with..." Sister Lyman freaked out and Sister Wilcox (Our Senior Couple Sister) took us into the kitchen where we all took a few minutes to cry. Then we had obnoxious Elders knock on the door to check in on us. (They are nice guys)

This is my Trainer's first area and she has been here for nearly 7 months. Our ward has about 45 people that regularly come to Church...and when you are a Missionary in a ward as small as ours, you get to know pretty much everyone. Sunday was full of a lot of tears and hugs. On Thursday this next coming week, Sister Lyman and I will be traveling to Kaiserslautern where we will say our goodbyes and I will be paired with Sister Bates. 

Between now and then we have TEN scheduled appointments with members. Everyone wants to see Sister Lyman off. I think all of the love and support they have showed to her is a testimant in itself to how wonderful she is. I am so grateful to have had her as my trainer. 

Great news: Sister Shurts (from my home ward in Oregon!) has been called to be a Sister Training Leader in Heidelberg. She will be covering my area, which means that we will possibly be able to go on splits together! That is so exciting, I am so happy for her. She will be a great example and leader. 

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Miracle from the week:

Remember Juliane? The girl I met at my first Street Display who just happens to want to move to Oregon? Well, we lost contact with each other for about two months. I would call her about every three weeks and leave her a voicemail. We had made out an appointment and it fell out. I was feeling so sad about this, I really felt like (and still do feel like) I came to Saarbrücken because I needed to meet her. We have so much in common it is unreal. 

I called her last week and she answered! She apologized for loosing contact with me for a while. She was working through some personal concerns. She told me that she knows she needs to meet with us because she remembers how she felt that day when we met on the street. It wasn't a coincidence. So we met with her on Monday!

We taught her about The Restoration of the Gospel and we answered her many questions. I feel like I am in a trance or something. ALL of Juliane's questions and concerns were MY questions and concerns. Before I found this Church, I had so many questions, doubts and fears. It has been such a blessing for me to be able to relate to Juliane like this. After our first lesson together, Juliane hugged me - and I mean really hugged me. That is something that I love about the German culture. They are a really private people, but once you have their trust, they love you so fully and unconditionally. 

I am excited to continue meeting with Juliane and teaching her. I feel so grateful to still be here in Saarbrücken - I really can't imagine myself anywhere else right now. 

I love you all!

Sister Helmick

 

I was privileged to meet with an Investigator this week who has an extensive collection of war memorials. 

World War II Officer's Jacket.

The Escobar's Puppies!

My District got together for Transfer Predictions earlier this week. 

Saarbrucken Street Display!

Two hours for 15 minutes

May 11th, 2015



I have never been busier in my entire life than what I was this week. I am thoroughly convinced that Heavenly Father has His own plans for my day, each and every one. This week was fantastic!

A few weeks ago, Sister Lyman and I decided to start carrying pamphlets in our bags with different languages. Often times, we will contact people on the street who do not speak German. So, we have started to carry French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and Hungarian - all in addition to German. On Wednesday this last week, we contacted a man on the street who could not speak very good German - his mother language is Arabic. Lo-and-behold I quickly pulled out an Arabic pamphlet and gave it to him. He was quite intrigued to find two strangely dressed young woman randomly having something in his language in their purse. He gave us his contact information and a couple days later we stopped by his house. His wife answered the door and invited us in! 

She speaks decent English, so we were able to communicate (somewhat) and talk about the pamphlet that we gave them. Their entire family had read it and they had so many questions for us! They are open and ready to hear our message. I am so excited to continue teaching this family!

Another quick miracle from last week:

A member in our ward was recently admitted to the hospital. Her and her husband have been trying to become pregnant for years and she just recently tested positive! On Thursday, we got a text from her husband letting us know that something had gone wrong and then he gave us the address to the hospital. Unfortunately, our day on Friday was jam-packed-busy. So in order to make it to visit them, we had to completely bag our studies. We woke up at 6:30 and ran to the Church where we were able to get directions on the internet to the hospital. We then ran back to our apartment and had a whopping 35 minutes to shower, change and catch a train. One train and two buses later, we made it to the hospital. 

Unfortunately, there have been strikes going on all throughout Germany, and the scheduling for the buses and trains have been affected. So our total time with this family was only about 15 minutes before we had to run back to the bus stop. (Yes, we run. A lot.) What made the biggest difference to this family was the fact that we came. A total of two hours of travel time (round-trip) for 15 minutes. They were so happy that we spent all that time just for them.

 I have thought a lot about this experience since Friday... Time. It is our greatest resource. When I think of the Savior, and when I think of what he did, I realize that he gave up all of his time. So often, we look outwards - we want to spend time on ourselves, doing the things WE want to do when WE want to do it. That is not at all how the Savior lived. Everywhere he went, everything he did, changed and impacted someone personally. His life impacts us today. It impacts me everyday as I try to believe a little more, try a little harder, become a little stronger. 

I testify that Jesus Christ lives and that our loving Heavenly Father sent Him to us. I offer each of you a challenge - give your time to someone this week. Whether it is listening to a friend, helping a family member or neighbor, or writing a well-needed thank you card to someone who just needs to hear how wonderful they are. 

Love,

Sister Helmick

Post Street Display! The District.

In Trier after our Street Display.

Happy Mother's Day! Us, right after skyping the fam!

This picture sums up our relationship!

Our Elders... Don't ask.

Ludwigskirche.

 

One of the prettiest Churches in all of Germany! Protestant. :)

Saying goodbye to Sister Zenger!

 

Brooke and I at the Schwestern Essen! Every year for Mother's Day, the men in our ward host a huge dinner for all the women! It was great! (Except for the Canoodle) ;) 

I could serve my whole Mission in Saarbrücken and be happy.

May 4th, 2015

Saarbrücken... Mensch.

This week it really hit me, how much I love this city and these people. It is hard to explain what it has been like to be a Sister Missionary here. As I have said before, there have not been Sisters in Saarbrücken for over 20 years. My Trainer, Sister Lyman - and her previous companion opened the area. There has been a lot of work put into starting this area. We have met with so many members, less-active members, and previous investigators. The work that we have been able to provide has been incredibly rewarding, work that Elders just couldn't do in the same way. 

Earlier this week, Sister Lyman and I met with a young mother that we frequently visit with. She has had some personal struggles this last year, and she has felt incredibly lonely. We have been helping her clean and organize her house for about the last month. Our visit this week was something else though. We sat down with her after we had finished tackling another room, and we shared our Spiritual Thought about Trusting in God. 

The Spirit was so strong in that room. As we were talking about Trusting in God - through the good times and the bad. She opened up to us about some of her concerns. We simply listened. As she started talking about what trusting in God meant to her, tears poured down her face. She told us that she felt a new peace, that she knew God was always there, even in the moments that were the hardest. She knew that everything was going to be okay. Ah! I can't tell you how much of an answer that was to some of our prayers for her! 

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I feel like every week since I have been serving in Saarbrücken, there have been experiences like these. As Sisters, we have been able to support some of these women who need help. Young or old, it doesn't matter. The important thing is that we are there. 

The husband of a young mother that we regularly visit approached us this last Sunday. He thanked Sister Lyman and I for our weekly visits to his wife. He told us that she has needed us and that he hopes that there will always be Sister Missionaries here in Saarbrücken. Ahhh! I feel so thankful to be here - so thankful to be able to serve these people. As I have been helping lift them up, I have felt lifted up as well. The antidote to feeling down is serving others. 

A well known verse in the Book of Mormon comes to mind, "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" (Mosiah 2:17). 

Bottom line, I love my area. I love these people. I could serve my whole Mission in Saarbrücken and be happy... only one downside... THE FOOD. Especially this last week. We had so many food appointments! On Wednesday, we had three back-to-back meal appointments with members, and let me tell you - they are not humble with their food! I am grateful the scale in our apartment is in Kilos so I don't have to cry! Haha.

On that note, Vielen Dank for all of your support, encouragement and love!

Liebe Gruße,

Sister Helmick

Sister Klein took Sister Lyman and I between the border of France and Germany this last week. We actually went to France on accident.

Harry Potter in German?!

Sister Lyman and I were in charge of a stress relief activity during DDM... You bet we broke out the face masks and cucumbers! :)

Soo... during District Meeting, Elder Kress scared Sister Lyman. She is deathly afraid of fish. I think you can tell by the picture what happened.

Visiting the Fatherless and Widows

April 27th, 2015

This week was simply incredible. I don't know where to begin. Actually, I never really know where to begin. As a Missionary, there are so many things that happen EVERY DAY. It is seemingly impossible to write it out all down. I have seen miracle after miracle.

We had our Mission Conference on Friday! Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles visited our Mission. All of the Missionaries in the Germany Frankfurt Mission got together (all 250 of us!)...Sooo, guess what?! I saw dear old Sister Shurts from Oregon! It was so great to be able to have a little piece of Home with me, thousands of miles away. 

The Conference was simply amazing. I know that Elder David A. Bednar is truly an Apostle of the Lord. He opened our meeting by saying, "This meeting is not about Ipads." He then asked us our thoughts about His statement and everyone in the Mission had an opportunity to speak to Him, share their thoughts, and ask questions. The entire meeting was like this. Elder Bednar's entire Purpose for traveling to Germany to meet with us, was to help us better understand and fulfill our Missionary Purpose. I feel so inspired to be here in Germany as a Missionary and Representative of Jesus Christ!

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On Saturday, Sister Lyman and I visited Sister Lieber again. She is the sweet woman that we visited in the hospital last week. 

Unfortunately, her health is still not doing so well. It was very hard for me personally to see her struggling so much during our visit with her. 

When Sister Lyman and I walked into her living room, she was sitting down on a chair, obviously still not doing well. We told her that we could come down another day, that it would be no problem. We had originally planning to bake muffins together and share a Spiritual Thought. 

She responded firmly, "No. We said we were going to make Muffins. And that is what we are going to do."

We then helped her up and sat her in the kitchen. She was too weak to assist. So we made our muffins, shared our spiritual thought, and told her how much we love her. 

As we hugged her to say goodbye, she didn't want to let us go. I love this woman so much. 

As Sister Lyman and I have been reflecting on our visits with Sister Lieber, she shared this verse with me:

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27).

I can honestly say that I never expected my first area to be like this. We are not flooding with Investigators right now, but the work that I am doing each day with these women... I know that I am walking where the Savior wants me to walk and doing the work that He wants me to do right now. "Pure religion" is just that. To me, that is an incredible testimony to how much God cares about each of us, as individuals. That doesn't mean that this life is meant to be easy, or that everything will always work out for us. But when we have Faith, life is more than just something to be endured. It's something fulfilling. 

I highly recommend reading this article, "The Power of Faith" 

https://www.lds.org/liahona/2015/04/the-power-of-faith?cid=HP_MO_4-20-2015_dPTH_fLHNA_xLIDyL1-A_&lang=eng

I love each of you. 

Liebe Gruße, 

Sister Helmick 

My MTC reunited! Mission Conference.

Mission Conference.

Traveling to Frankfurt with our Saarbrücken Elders.

Seeing Sister Shurts in Frankfurt!!!

 

"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:18).

April 20th, 2015

 



A less-active Member in our Ward, Sister Lieber, had been sick for a few weeks and she was in the Hospital. Sister Lieber is a super sweet lady who we helped get back to Church for the first time in 50 years. She is someone we consistently meet with.

Last week, she was released from the Hospital and we called her and set up an appointment to meet with her. She sounded fine on the phone and we were excited to see her again. We made it to her house and klinged her door, only to have no answer. We called her and again there was no answer.

Sister Lieber NEVER cancels on us, so Sister Lyman and I thought that she may be back in the Hospital. We called the Bishopric and no one had any idea who to call to check in our her. Her family lives far away and they are not very close. She has a daughter-in-law who lives a few floors beneath her, but we did not have her number.

On Wednesday, during our Abendessen, I had a random thought to call Sister Lieber. I acted on that thought and the phone kept on ringing and ringing. Sister Lyman told me just to hang up because there was no answer. I stayed on the line and on the last ring someone answered. It was Sister Lieber's daughter-in-law! 

From her we were able to get the directions to the Hospital that Sister Lieber is staying in. The next day, we traveled to Sulzbach and found her Hospital room.

As I walked into her room and she saw my face and then Sister Lyman's - she looked so incredibly shocked. I went to shake her hand and she pulled me down and hugged me. As I put my arms around her I truly felt like I was filling the role of our Savior. 

She has no one close to her in her life right now. She is widowed, she lives alone, and she is very lonely. We were her only visitors, other than her daughter-in-law that came to see her. She started to cry and she asked us how we found her. She had no phone and no way to get in contact with us. 

When we told her about the thought I had to call her randomly and how her daughter-in-law just happened to be in her house and that exact moment, Sister Lyman and I testified to her that God had not forgotten her. He sent us to her. 

The Elders came over and gave her a Priesthood Blessing. She has Lungenentzündung, which is an Amonia in English. 

It is experiences like this that motivate me to wake up every morning and do the work that I do. Heavenly Father is aware of each of us, He knows our struggles and our concerns. He has lifted me up when I have struggled here. His promise is true - "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:18). 

Liebe Grüße,

Sister Helmick

Heidelberg Castle.

I went on a split to Heidelberg! One of the most admired castles.

Heidelberg is beautiful!

The view from Sister Lieber's hospital room in Sulzbach.

Selfie!

First picture with my trainer, mission president and his wife.

Zone Training Picture!

Ahh! This week was such a great week!

April 13th, 2015

 



Ahh! This week was such a great week! I don't know where to start...

Okay, maybe with the not-so-god stuff. On Monday and Tuesday my sickness took a sharp turn. For about the last 6 weeks, I have had a pretty bad head cold that just wouldn't go away. Sinus pain, tightness in my temple, ear pain, eye pain, everything. I was in contact with the Mission Nurse, Sister Casselton, for a while. She had me try different over-the-counter medicines but my body just wouldn't get over it! So I ended up meeting with a German doctor. 

He performed an ultrasound on my face. That was different! Haha. Turns out I have a pretty bad case of sinusitis. The doctor prescribed me some antibiotics. The Elders also gave me a Priesthood Blessing - and I feel SO much better. 

Now...to the good stuff:

On the way home from an appointment with one of our investigators, Ellen, we unfortunately were separated on a bus. Normally, we try to sit together - but this bus was super crowded. So we ended up sitting with different people. Randomly, a woman say my name tag and she started speaking to me in English. She asked me if I was from America. Turns out her brother lives in California. I started to chat with this lady - in an awkward English-German dance. Or Danglish. She wanted to practice her English, and I tried to respond in German. 

When I mentioned to her that I am serving as a Missionary, here in Saarbrücken, she immediately interrupted me and told me that she is an Atheist... We started to talk about her past experiences. She had a sister who tragically died, and she came from an incredible hard up-bringing. She said that these experiences made it hard for her to believe and hope for a Savior. As I was listening to her talk, I was praying silently for help. I was sitting across from her at the front of the bus stop - facing everyone else on the bus. During our conversation, I felt the eyes of the neighboring men and women. They were listening in and seeing how I would respond. So many people here mock religion or do not believe in God.

As I silently prayed, 1 Nephi 11:17 came to mind. When Nephi was asked if he understood the condescension of God. He responded by saying, 

"I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things."

I began to testify to her - and to the people who were watching me, that I know that God lives. And I know that He loves us. The woman's eyes filled with tears. I have never felt the Spirit so strongly, as I did when I was testifying on that bus. 

In the end, she declined my invitation for us to meet with her. She said it would be too emotionally hard for her. But she thanked me - she thanked me for listening to her and for my kindness. 

Second quick story:

We have a new investigator! Her name is Cindy and she is from Jamaica. Oh meine güte, Cindy is so wonderful! I love her already. She is about 45 years old, and she comes from a Christian background. She hasn't attended a Christian Church since 2013 though, she had several bad experiences in the past. We ended up giving her a Church Tour and then had a lesson in the Chapel. We taught her about the Restoration of the Gospel. Everything made sense to her - she had too wondered why there are so many different Churches, so many different translations of the Bible. She wants to know which Church is Christ's Church. 

Again with testimonies...There is something incredibly powerful that happens to us - as Missionaries - when we open our mouths and testify. The Holy Ghost bears truth to us - and to feel that Spirit working through you..and seeing it touch someone else - is a feeling I cannot explain. I am so grateful to be a part of this great work. 

"And ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, declaring my word like unto angels of God" (D&C 42:6).

Liebe Grüße,

Sister Helmick

My lovely District.

Sister Dehdari's daughter, Gwen, wanted to wear our nametags.

Elder Taylor's last meal with us. Transfers!

THIS IS THE REAL LIFE OF A SISTER MISSIONARY: Lots of walking and running to catch trains.

Pizza eating contest... I failed.
 

Subway in Germany?! Yes please!

SAARBRÜCKEN!

Easter Week!

Another week! I feel like this week went by so fast! I cannot believe it. This week has been incredible. I feel so excited to be a Missionary, doing this great work.

Here are a few highlights from my week:

We had a Zone Training this week. A Zone Training is where all the Missionaries in several Districts gather together to be taught ways to better fulfill our Purpose as Missionaries. It was great to see a few of the Elders that were in my original MTC Group. 

On Tuesday, we met with a new investigator - Ellen. She has previously been taught by Missionaries but she has several concerns that we are working through with her. 

Sister Lyman and I also met with die Familie Franz for a dinner appointment. They were inactive for years and years, and they recently starting coming back to Church. Sister Franz hosts "Käse Abend" parties. Tons and tons of Cheese from Germany and France, with assorted meats and breads to try. She gave us our own feast for dinner. 

My first Transfer Call! Every six weeks, all the missionaries throughout the Mission "call in" to a joint group calling where we hear from our Mission President and his wife. We are then told if we are staying in our areas for another transfer or if we are being moved. Trainers and the new goldens (or incoming missionaries) are also announced. Surprise, surprise. I am staying with Sister Lyman in Saarbrücken for another six weeks. I am also HALFWAY through my training as a Golden...which means that in six more weeks I could possibly be called to become a trainer and/or take over my area. That is a crazy thought. 

During our transfer calls we were given some pretty exciting news...We're going digital! IPADS! Online proselyting! All of this will begin later this month and into next month. Elder David A. Bednar will be visiting the Germany Frankfurt Mission and will be introducing these new tools we are being given to hasten the work. 

This week was also General Conference. Twice a year, we have the priviledge of hearing from our beloved Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, and from his Counselors and Apostles. We also hear from chosen leaders from Church Women organizations as well as Elders from the quorum of the 70. They all seek inspiration and revelation and address us with Talks, or sermons, that are relevant for our day. 

As I watched these sessions from General Conference, I felt the strongest peace radiate through my chest. I know that these men are called of God. There were talks given that were exactly what I needed to hear. 

As most of you already know, this past weekend was Easter weekend. As I have reflected on the Savior, Jesus Christ... As I have thought and studied about His Infinite Atonement... My heart and my soul have been filled with a peace that I never knew was possible to experience. I want to leave you all with my witness and testimony- Jesus is the Christ. He lived a perfect life, He committed no sin. He suffered our pains, our afflictions, our temptations, and every other human experience that would ever be felt - in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was betrayed and he was crucified. He rose on the third day. He Lives. 

 "Wherever He walked, Wherever He taught, Wherever He healed, He changed everything. Then everything changed. The man they called Master, Messiah, Friend, was gone. But the greatest miracle was yet to come. He is not here. He is risen. He Lives! And because he lives, if you reach out, call out, cry out, He is here. Then, now, always, He is here. During the good, the bad, the in-between, He is here. No matter who you are, who you were, He is here. No exceptions, no lost causes, at all times, in all places, He is here. He rose on the third day. He lives today. Find Him. #BecauseHeLives"

I love and miss you all. I know I often thank you for your support of me through emails and letters and prayers...but please know how grateful I am for you! 

Liebe große

Sister Helmick

This happens far too often in Saarbrücken.

Our personal Käse Abend!

Sister Franz - the Käse Queen.

As we were street contacting we saw this local band rocking out.

Elder Kress pretending to lick Elder Cole's food while he prays. Missionaries have fun too!

Easter sweets with Sister Güsgen!