The deadline of the staff applications was the 14th of January 2014. Sorry for the inconvenience. There is always a next time.
Becoming a helper is not about "winning". It is selecting one or more individuals that have proven that they are worthy of becoming a Helper.
It is taking a long time because, the amount of applications and time it takes to read and accept them.
I would predict that the helpers are picked some time this week, or maybe at the start of next week, who knows .