Annaburg-Bucholz

May 25, 2015

A view from Annaberg Bucholz

The city I am in is actually called Annaberg-Bucholz because it was two small cities that formed together and made a medium sized city. I called it Annaberg B in my e-mail last week because I couldn`t remember the name of the part that started with a B. There are several Annabergs in Germany and this one is about a half hour drive from the Czech border or so (mom note: according to Google maps, it’s about 8 miles away from the Czech border).  The place where I am at is also very hilly too and we have to walk a lot of places as well, so I definitely get a good work out in every day.

There are just me and my companion in my new apartment. His name is Elder Tingey and he is from Tulsa Oklahoma. He went to BYU Provo for a year before coming on his mission. He has been out for about 8 months. His dad served in Germany right after the Cold War and baptized about 10 people here and I have met some of the people his Dad baptized.

The ward here has an actual church building!!! I haven`t attended church in a regular church building for 7 months because of school and the MTC and my last ward. (mom note: when Elder Fisher was in college and at the MTC, church meetings were held on-campus in various classrooms—and in Halle, they met for church on the first floor of an office building)  The ward here is a little bigger but not by too much and we have the full three hours of church on Sunday as well. The ward is good and they try to help the missionaries

Elder Fisher attending a baptism

I didn`t meet anyone during finding this week but I did meet a lot of people from the ward and people that are investigating the church. I arrived last Tuesday and there were two baptisms on Saturday so that was cool. It was an older married couple that have been investigating the church—about the past two years for her and for him it has been the past six months. One of the APs taught the couple too so that was cool to find out.

You asked about the döners and they have them all over Germany but the best ones are in the former East Germany because that is where a lot of the immigrants move to and open up the businesses.

Germany celebrates the Pentecost when Paul baptized all those people but it isn`t Memorial Day.

Scripture of the week:  3 Nephi 5:20-21   “ I am Mormon, and a pure descendant of Lehi. I have reason to bless my God and my Savior Jesus Christ, that he brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, (and no one knew it save it were himself and those whom he brought out of that land) and that he hath given me and my people so much knowledge unto the salvation of our souls. Surely he hath blessed the house of Jacob, and hath been merciful unto the seed of Joseph."

I hope everything is going good at home and I am enjoying the pictures of everyone´s adventures and the pictures of my niece and nephew. Thank you for the prayers

Love

Elder Fisher

P.S. I got my mission iPad last Friday.

iPads!

Goodbye Halle! Hello Annaburg!

May 18, 2015

Transfer calls came in last week and we found out that the Elders Program in the city of Halle is getting closed and I am being transferred to Annaburg-B.  Annaburg on the mission map is in the lower far right corner (Mom note: I learned this is due in part to the addition of an area to the mission so some areas needed to be restructured).  My new companion’s name is Elder Tingey.  I will be leaving for Annaburg tomorrow and will have more information about him next Monday. When we are getting transferred, we have to call our new companions and arrange for what is a good time to get there, what the area is like, and what platform I will be getting off at the train station.   Since they are closing the Elder’s program, it was a pretty crazy week—we have been prepping the apartment for next week because no one living here and it has been a lot of running around and getting most of that done getting that all taken care of but we got it done. We also had a zone training meeting in Leipzig so with everything going on we didn’t have a lot of time to meet new people so I really do not have any cool or crazy stories this week.  I am officially done with my training today so that is some pretty exciting news too.

In my new area I will be like a 20 minute train ride from the Czech border I think.  Hearing that reminded me of dad’s one companion that kept wanting to visit Norway on P-Day (Elder Fisher’s dad served a mission in Denmark which is a 50 mile boat ride away—they didn’t visit Norway). .

You asked me what a joint teaching assignment is--A joint teach is when a member goes with the missionaries for teaching a lesson, it is what I used to do with the missionaries when I went teaching with them.

I think my friends (soon-to-be Elders P. and R. and Sister E) are leaving in just a few weeks and I will be reaching 5 months out!!! That is so crazy--I feel like I just went into the MTC!!!! It is really weird how fast time is flying by but it is a good reminder to keep working hard and always have a good and healthy work ethic.

I am eating my fruits and vegetables more now too which is weird but I think that they taste better here for some reason.  I am also learning a lot about European cars too because I ask the members and different people here about certain brands of cars and stuff.  I think Germany is so great and the people are wonderful even if some of them have a few flaws. I really like it here and I really understand why missionaries say they want to live where they served at the end of their missions, because I think it will be cool to study here for a few years or even live here.

The scripture for the week is kinda funny at the beginning but the second verse is really good I think.  1 Kings 12:6-7  “And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever."   Later on though, Rehoboam turns from their advice and chooses to rule with heavy burdens and with brutality because he turned away from the advice of these "Old Men or Elders"

Quote is "Missionary work is but home teaching to those who are not now members of the church, and home teaching is nothing more or less than missionary work to church members." Harold B. Lee.

Anyways love you and I promise to have lots of information about my new companion and area next week. Love you tons and hope you have a good week.

Love

Elder Fisher

Mother's Day and the Blessings of Technology

May 11, 2015

Elder Fisher during our Skype call

            This past week was Mother’s Day and all over the world families waited patiently for their chance to talk on the phone or Skype with their missionary who is serving a mission.  Our opportunity came at 7 am on Sunday morning with a Skype phone call from Halle, Germany.  Today’s blog includes some of the things we talked about and then the letters we received this morning—which were really short because we got to spend time talking face-to-face.  Technology is a wonderful blessing.

Elder Fisher's missionary badge.

MOTHER’S DAY CALL ON SKYPE 

May 10, 2015

**Where are you Skyping from?

         We live on the middle floor of an apartment building. The floor below and the floor above are families that are related to each other.  One family has a father who is really into computers and their home has a great set up for wireless internet.  All four of the missionaries in Halle are here Skyping at the same time in different rooms of the house (no headset required!).

**What time do you get up in the morning? Go to bed? What is your morning schedule like?

    We get up at 6:30 am and go to bed at 10: 30 pm.  After breakfast, we have personal study time from 8-9 am, companionship study from 9-11 am. Then we have lunch, then we have language study before we go out “finding”. We spend an hour extra in study time because I’m still training.  That will change after next week when my training is complete.  After my training is complete, I will probably get a new companion. My companion has been in Halle since he arrived in Germany so he will probably get transferred.

**How do you get around town?

    We usually walk (about 6 miles a day) or ride public transportation.   The zone leaders have cars to go from one town to another but most places are apartment buildings so a car isn’t very helpful.

**How often do you have district meeting? Zone conferences? Mission conferences?

       We have district meetings once a week, zone conferences once every transfer (or 6 weeks), and mission conferences as needed (about twice a year)

**How is your German coming along?

   Good—it’s hard for me to remember some English words at times (he demonstrated his German and when he was trying to tell us something, there were a couple of times he really had to think about the work he needed.)

**How often do you eat at church member’s homes? What do you eat you eat when you are making your own food?

   We eat at member’s homes about once a week, and there is a blind sister in our ward that feeds us every other week besides that.  We have big lunches but for dinners we usually have sandwiches.

**What tourist/cultural things have you seen?

   We were able to tour a chocolate factory but we can’t visit the museums in this area because they are closed on Mondays which is our day to explore.  In the town square of Halle is a church that is 500 years old which is actually next door to where we meet for church which is on the ground floor of an office building. On Mondays, after we study and do e-mail, we do our shopping and other tasks.

**How is the weather now?

   It’s warmer but we never know what the weather is.  We look out and if it’s cloudy we take our jackets.  It will be nice when we get our iPads because we will have a weather app so we will know the daily weather.

 **How are they going to handle the iPads? (the German missions are the first European missions to be getting them) 
   Each missionary will get them and they will have the apps pre-installed and they will be owned by the mission.  We had a 3 hour training meeting at the last mission conference to explain how to use the iPads to increase missionary work.  If a missionary downloads an app on their iPad, the iPads are monitored to make sure the apps are appropriate.  We will be able to e-mail our ward mission leader on a daily basis and then be able to send our weekly e-mails home from the church instead of the internet café like we do now.  The iPads will have all the church materials on them so it will be easy to get information to show people.  (the missionaries had so fun showing how much the iPads would help the missionary work--you can see this at Germany Berlin Mission blog entry for May 7, 2015--can you find Elder Fisher?)

This week’s letter--

    This last week we had a lesson with a German guy which was really cool and I forgot to tell you about and also my first joint teach on my mission last Saturday too.

    Scripture for the week in honor of Mother’s Day yesterday isAlma 56:48 "And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it." the stripling warriors told this to Helaman.

   "I have seen angels, I have had revelations, seen visions, but the greatest of all is that still small voice."  Wilford Woodruff talking to J Golden Kimball

   Okay, that is all I can think of right now. All is well here and hope you have another good week and you and mom are keeping busy.  Just so you know I love you and I am so happy that I was able to talk to you yesterday.  

Love you so much

Love Elder Fisher

Palm Trees and a Donkey??

May 4, 2015  

Flowering trees mean springtime has finally arrived in Germany

   All is going good here in Germany and I am having lots of fun. This past week we probably spent more than 20 hours doing finding this past week. It was intense to say the least. We didn`t find any new investigators this week either but I have been seeing ways that I am able to improve and become an even better missionary. Only two more full weeks left in my training so that is some pretty exciting stuff I´d say!

 

A palm tree? in Germany?

Elder Fisher selfie with the palm tree

 I eat a lot of fruit here in Germany now for some reason but Germans also have fruit with like everything so maybe that is why. I actually kinda of like fruit I didn`t think I would say that a year ago!

   I also noticed this week that my English is just really starting to be bad and I do not notice it unless someone points it out so I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes I may have in my letters for the next year and a half.  

Love,

Elder Fisher

Bonus picture--to illustrate that Germans are pranksters--someone replaced an old donkey with a newer model recently:

A Mission Conference in Berlin, Missionary iPads, and other missionary things.

April 27, 2015

    I am doing fantastic here in good old Germany and the people are so great here. Remember when I said two years is a long time before you dropped me off at the MTC? It still seems like it BUT I feel like my mission is going by fast and the older missionaries say it will just get faster and faster. I mean I have three more weeks and then I will be four months out and done with my training. That is 1/8 of my mission right there. That is weird to think about by I am not thinking about it too much.

Elder Fisher with the Elder from Clovis, California

    The Berlin Mission Conference which was fun and it was good experience—There is a mission tour going on right now and mission conferences happen when there is a mission tour.  They announced that iPads are coming to our mission and we got trained on how we are going to use them. We will receive the iPads in the next 1-2 weeks they said. That is exciting. I feel like it will help a lot with using every moment to do the work of the Lord more effectively. They gave us a big lunch after the area authorities spoke with us and then after lunch, we were able to spend another 1 and a half hours listening to Pesident Kosak (the mission president).  I didn't meet anyone interesting on the street this week but during the mission conference I met an Elder that is from Clovis, California and he knows Jessica King  from our stake so that was fun to find out. (a bonus is a picture of all the missionaries located at the bottom of the blog page)

    

    After the mission conference, our train didn't leave until almost 6p.m. So we walked to the train station and saw some cool things along the way to the train station. The picture I sent is of the Brandenburg Gate.   We did come back to Halle the same night and got home about 8p.m. 

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin was built in the late 1700s and the site of
some really exciting historical events.

    
    We had stake conference this past weekend and they announced that our mission is taking part of the Germany Frankfurt mission and the Erfurt District from that mission just joined the Leipzig stake (which is Elder Fisher’s current zone). Other than those few things there hasn't been anything too exciting going on here but we are working hard and trying to do our purpose the best that we can.

    Every missionary could use more ties dad (in response to a question from dad), you should know that. I wear everything on a regular basis and I even still need to where my winter jacket from time to time. We have a washing machine and dryer in our apartment and an iron and ironing board.

Quote of the week: "Anger is an indication of weakness" Gordon B. Hinkley

    Scripture of the week:  talking about the people in the land of Mulek, the Anti Nephi-Lehi people, and the Stripling Warriors.  Alma 53:19 "And now behold, as they never had hitherto been a disadvantage to the Nephites, they became now at this period of time also a great support; for they took their weapons of war, and they would that Helaman should be their leader.".  (mom note: as a mom, I love the description of these young men in verse 20, "And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strenght and activity; but behold, this was not all--they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted."       

Love you and love seeing the pictures

Love,

Elder Fisher

April 2015 Germany Berlin Mission Conference.  Can you find Elder Fisher??

Hymns in German, Choir, and Personal Study

April 20, 2015

   I am doing good here in good old Germany, but I am starting to think that it will never really warm up here. (mom note: the weather seems to be staying below 70 every day) We went finding this week for a lot of the time and did a lot of area book work to get ready for next week.  Nothing too exciting happened this week but I did go on companion exchange this week and that is always fun.

   We ate at a member's house yesterday that said missionary eating appointments on Sunday are like the story of Joseph of Egypt, there is seven years of plenty and then drought until next Sunday. I thought it was pretty funny.

   In Halle, we have two hours of church on Sunday and the church just rents space in a building. The hymns we sing are the same ones that we sing in English but they have been translated into German.  I think a lot of the hymns in German are better because of the wording no offence to the English hymn book it is still great but German is a little bit better. I have not had to play the piano in church but my companion does have to in priesthood session quite a bit. The ward choir sings about once every three or four months and the choir sang for our ward conference this last week.

   For the weekly Seminary class on Wednesday, there is a teacher that usually teaches it but the missionaries make up half the class or the whole class most of the time.

   We serve in the community each week and our normal weekly service at the soup kitchen near where we live.  The sisters serve there too but on a different day.

   For personal study, I read a chapter from the Book of Mormon in German a day, then I read a few pages from the book of Mormon in English while highlighting and marking scriptures that relate to missionary work in a copy of the Book of Mormon I bought in the MTC.

   When we start teaching someone new, we usually start with the restoration but we always let the Spirit guide in the lessons.

   Scripture for the week is from Alma 43: 1  "And now it came to pass that the sons of Alma did go forth among the people, to declare the word unto them. And Alma, also, himself, could not rest, and he also went forth."

This is so great because after Alma's sons left on their missions he couldn't rest from doing the Lord's work either.

Love ya mom & dad

Elder Fisher

Travelling Around the District and Spring Has Really Arrived (No Winter Coats Needed)

April 13, 2015

   Mission life is good and I feel like I am adjusting to it pretty well and that I am learning a lot. My German is going along good and I am working very hard at it. It seems easy but once you get more into the language you feel like you have barely scratched the surface of learning the language.

   I like pretty much everything I eat here and yesterday I had this lunch where it was this sweet roll kinda thing and then you put cherry sauce and vanilla sauce on it. I am going to ask for the recipe next Sunday--it was so good you have no idea.

   

The snow that fell in Halle.

The weather here was like the weather the Richins have in Minnesota two weeks ago and I was finding in it so that was fun.  Now there are a few flowers blooming and some buds on trees but nothing to big yet. Other than that nothing too crazy or exciting except I was able to go finding without my winter coat this week and that was awesome.  

   Both of my companions so far have been pretty talkative elders so I think the Lord is really trying to tell us something when it comes to talking.   My companion is good but we are sometimes different personalities. We are getting along good but spending 24/7 with anyone can feel like a long time. He works hard though so there really isn`t too much to complain about. But we only have 5 more weeks in the transfer so it will go pretty fast and then I am done with my training!!!! Ahhh!!!!

The cathedral in Naumburg

   I haven't been able to watch the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference yet but I have been able to listen to it because we listen to them in the mornings or at meal times. We also get the Liahona issues in English and German. The primary has about 10-12 children in the ward. Our stake from the bottom part of the stake to the top part is probably two hours by train but I am not sure--I haven't travelled it yet.

One of the towns in the Halle district

   We did have someone a month ago that was like the golden investigator with the perfect questions and everything but he had to go to Luxemburg to look for work. His wife stayed and came to church every week but she only spoke Spanish so we couldn't really talk to her.  Yesterday her husband came back but only for three days and they are moving back to Spain. He said that he reads from the Book of Mormon every day for thirty minutes because it brings him so much peace and he said that he knows where the church is where he will be staying and he is going to go with his friend. I was so happy for him and what the Book of Mormon is doing for him and his family--it is unbelievable how ready he is to receive the gospel.

 

The best snacks for long train rides are
German chocolates

 It has been a finding week this week. We went to the southern point of our area this week and visited a family and try to visit some less actives but all the less actives were moved away. We met a lady that calls herself Miss Rainbow and that was really interesting and she kept talking about her uncle that was a Mormon and lived in Salt Lake. We also talked with a lot of other people but is probably the funniest story that I have had this week. Also we met this guy that said he wasn't on our side and we asked what he meant by that and he said I am on the bad side. That was pretty funny too.  Almost all of the immigrants are from Africa but not one country specifically. There are a lot from Nigeria though but I have talked to people from Mali, Cameroon, Morocco and other places like that and it is really cool.

Two scriptures for the week:

1 Thessalonians 2:4 "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts"

and Romans 1:15-16

"So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also."

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. “

   These two scriptures show what a great opportunity we have to share the gospel with others in our life while we have the fulness of the gospel and are blessed with that great knowledge.

   Quote of the week

"There is no growth in the comfort zone, and no comfort in the growth zone. So get uncomfortable!!" Missionary work isn't comfortable but it helps us to grow and to progress to become more and more like God.

  

Everything is going well here in Germany and hope you have a good week this week again.

Love you and hope all goes well

Elder Fisher