The Minden Branch, Pulling Weeds, and District P-Day

Elder Fisher's District

July 18, 2016

   Sounds like you have had quite the week there. Good to hear that the weather is staying relatively cool. I sent some pictures as soon as I read your email.

District P-day in Bad Oeynhausen--a park

   I am really becoming a member of the Minden Branch, it is really funny, by the time the next transfer comes I will have been in Minden 6 months.  My companion is really shy and doesn't really talk with the members unless I really encourage him so I get to talk with the members a lot, which is good for my relationship with them. If I were to someday have the means to return to Germany I would definitely come to visit this ward on a Sunday so that I could see everyone.

   The members in Germany do not celebrate Pioneer Pay, but we do happen to have a ward mini golf activity on Pioneer Day.

Another picture of the district
--without the big plant hiding the elder

   Finding service projects to do is not always easy to find and with Germans they are stubborn and want to do things on their own as well, but we do get service projects usually once a week. This past week we pulled out weeds for like 4 hours at a member’s house. I hate weeds. By the way, Germans have lots of little knick knack things in their yards. But most of them are organized for the most part.

   My favorite way to find people new people to teach is by talking to people on buses and at train stations and stuff like that. I am not a fan of talking with people on the streets. My favorite lesson was with a less active lady from Mexico she has some interesting ideas but she is nice.

The palace in Bad Oeynhausen

   There are 8 missionaries in my mission district. We usually meet once a week unless there is a zone meeting, like this coming week then we meet with the rest of the missionaries in the zone as well. The next Zone training meeting is this coming Wednesday. 

   My apartment does have a washer and a drier, I have not actually had an apartment without a washer and a drier combo.

Another view of the palace in Bad Oeynhausen

   Scripture for the week : Alma 16: 21 :And now after the church had been established throughout all the land—having got the victory over the devil, and the word of God being preached in its purity in all the land, and the Lord pouring out his blessings upon the people—thus ended the fourteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.”

   Quote for the week: "John, Let it go, nothing you do will bring her back, anything you do will make it worse, John let it go" Boyd K. Packer

I love you and hope that you have a great week. Love you.

Love

Elder Fisher called this a "mansion house"
in Bad Oeynhausen

Elder Spencer Fisher

A garden mosaic

A Heat Wave in Germany, Grocery Shopping, and the Parable of the Prodigal Son

June 27, 2016

   It sounds like the heat has come to visit you guys too (we were having temperatures of 105+ Farenheit), it was hot for a few days here as well, but it has cooled off as well.  

   On Father's Day, I talked about faith in Jesus Christ, the 'Father's Day' (it is just called Man Day) in Germany is on May 5th and everyone in Germany just drinks a lot of beer that day.

We met a younger mother this week that has interest in eternal families. This past week we also had companion exchanges and I went to Bielefeld with the district leader Elder Casperson from Inkom, Idaho. Yes, there are sisters in my district and they work in Bielefeld. For district meeting this past week, we learned about humility. Today we went to a town called Bad Oeynhausen for district P-day and we saw a palace and played ultimate Frisbee.  Transfers are this next week and we will be finding out this weekend what will be happening, I could stay, or possible go to the last area on my mission. We will see what happens.

   For our grocery shopping, there is usually just one big store in Minden, pretty similar to a Stater Bros. actually. There are smaller (specialty) stores but we are not rich enough to go there so we take the cheaper route. I miss eating at Senor Campos, although I do not remember how it exactly tastes, I remember that it tasted good and it is good Mexican food.

   I read the story of the prodigal son this week in personal study this week, that is probably one of my favorite parable if not my favorite parables in the New Testament, it shows us that no matter what we have done even "which hath devoured thy living with harlots" as it says "But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." It shows how much love our Heavenly Father has for each and every one of us.

   Scripture for the week: Luke 15:21-24  “And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”

   Quote for the week: "Es gibt nicht Gutes, außer man tut es" (Google translate says this means: There are not good, unless you do it.”  (mom note: I'm sure there's a better translation out there)  UPDATE:  better translation--"there's nothing good unless you do it"--and an even better translation "actions speak louder than words"  Thank you, Natalie!

   It's unbelievable how fast the time is going. 4th of July is next Pday and we are excited to celebrate.

Love,

Elder Spencer Fisher