Transfer time. Saying Good-bye to Braunschweig

February 29. 2016

Elder Fisher with Elder Ashby
(his 2nd companion in Braunschweig)

I got transferred and I am going to another area in the zone called Minden.  It is a smaller town surrounded by mountains.  I will be working with Elder Hunt.  We will see how it goes I guess.

My favorite experience this week (and it usually happens when I leave a ward) was this: when I got transferred, a lot of the members did not realize that I was only there for 3 months and said I thought you were with us for 4-6 months.  I asked why and they all said that I really try to be a part of the ward and try connecting with people. That was really cool to hear and even though I am leaving so soon I can leave knowing that I left an impact on a ward even if I was only here for 3 months.

This past Sunday, I was in the investigator class. My favorite lesson that we taught this week was a lesson and we had to have a translator come to translate a whole lesson into Spanish. The lesson was The First Vision.

Elder Fisher with a family from the Braunschweig

As for seeing something interesting, yesterday there was a guy walking with two girls and kind of hopping around and acting cool and skipping and stuff and just doing random stuff.

Scripture of the week:  Alma 5 :16 “I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?”

Quote of the week. I do think mom is making you work quite a bit but a I want to tell you a German proverb I learned yesterday "How you eat, it shows in how you work" so if you eat fast, you work fast and good.

I am excited for the next transfer and I think that the rest of my mission will go by fast so I am trying to work harder and better now. I love you all too and hope that you have a good week.

Love,

Elder Fisher

Discussing the Wedding, the Mini-Missionary, and Learning Something Important.

February 16, 2016

    Well, I guess that was quite the shindig! Judging from the pictures, the weather didn't damper anyone's spirits for Z & N’s wedding! It sounds like you all had quite the “to do” there in Utah and it sounds like everyone had lots of fun. I am happy that so much of the family was able to come and enjoy the wedding in some way or another. I enjoyed the pictures and I would agree with dad that J and LA had a little too much fun with the “Flat Elder Fisher” thing. haha. I must admit it hit me Friday night that my brother is getting married but when I realized he was actually married it was cool! The only thing I wished is that I could have been there but it is good, I rejoice in the fact Z & N got married in the temple. I don't really have much else to say concerning the wedding but I guess I am the next one to get married. Eh, I got time, I do not have to think about that.

Since Elder Fisher is in Germany serving a mission,
his family had a "Flat Elder Fisher" made so he could
be in the family pictures.  This is Flat Elder Fisher with his siblings

Some of the fun things the siblings did with the cutout of
"Flat Elder Fisher" (if you look closely, he's in every picture)

    The mini missionary got here last Monday and he will be leaving on Wednesday afternoon. The school here in Germany is different than America and it is hard to explain so I can do that when I get home—the mini missionary did what we would call vocational school or professional training and now he is furthering his education and his school starts again on March 1.  He is 21 years old and he is from Berlin.  He has a back problem so he did this mini mission to find out if he can even serve a full time mission and sadly the answer is that he cannot, but he isn't getting down on that because he now wants to do more with the missionaries and do more missionary work so it is pretty cool. His mini mission is like what Elder C. did before his mission for a week, it’s mostly just spend a week with the missionaries to see what it is like and try it out. 

    This week I met a person named Gregory who is from Haiti.  He’s met with the missionaries before and in the lesson we taught we asked if he would come to church this week and, when he knew that this gospel is true, if he would be baptized.  He said yes to both and he came to church and we are meeting with him on Tuesday and are planning a baptismal date with him. (mom note: if a young adult is unable to serve a full time mission, there are a lot of other missionary opportunities in the Young Church-Service Mission program.  For more information, please go to this website: Young Church Service Missionaries)

    One thing I studied this week that caught my attention is really how much the prophets of the past and present really do care and worry for EVERY PERSON ON THE WORLD!!!! I thought that was really cool--I already KNEW that I guess but this week I UNDERSTOOD that.

    Scripture of week: Matthew 16:19  "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Quote of the week: "I am single ready to mingle (in a year)"

I love you and I hope that you have a great week!

Love your last single son,

Elder Fisher

Photo from Hannover and Oldenburg Zone Conference on February 10, 2016

Two Weeks in One!! and "Elder Fisher" arrives for a wedding.

(This week’s blog is two weeks’ worth of letters—sometimes life gets away from you and you realize that you forgot to blog!!!)

February 1, 2016

   Thank you for the thoughts on the subject [about my major]. I really do not know if I really want to do that but I thought I would ask. Back home I felt like I always had a plan of what I wanted to study and do in life but since I have gotten on my mission I haven't had a solid plan or been sure of studying something--it isn't necessarily stressing me out but it is just something that I am for sure not used to having. Mom gave some good suggestions on it.

That is pretty cool that Elder D. is home now, I didn't realize that he was a year longer on his mission than I was--I thought he came home pretty soon after I had left but I guess I was wrong.

   My favorite thing to do this week was probably visiting less actives and meeting with them and getting to know them a little more. We were able to teach a lot of less active and inactive members of the church and it was really interesting to meet all of them and how many of them still have testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel--but they just would like the opportunity to be brought back. We did not have an investigator at church this past week or any less actives that I know about.

   We had district meeting this past week and we learned about missions and why we are on missions and stuff like that.

   My companion does most of the cooking but we do not eat at home all that often so it doesn't really matter all that much who does the cooking I guess.

   My favorite scripture right now is the war chapters in Alma and seeing how everything that Moroni does really does go back to the gospel of Jesus Christ and all the preparations he takes and all the strategy he makes—he counsels with the Lord on what he should do or the High Priest of the church. It is a good scripture. So the scripture of the week is Alma 46:12: “And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took apiece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.”

   Quote of the week: "In our blessed day we do not ask the kind of severe sacrifice this missionary family offered, but our generation has been the beneficiary of earlier generations who did sacrifice so very much in serving the missionary cause we declare. We can all do just a little more to pass that tradition on to those who follow us." Jefferey R. Holland

   That was my week this week--it was a good week. I love you and I hope that you have a great week as well and that you have some good experiences this week.

Love,

Elder Spencer Fisher

February 8, 2016

   I had a good week, it was a little rainy but other than that nothing too crazy happened.   I have been able to keep dry, plus it doesn't rain here nearly as much as it did in Bad Bentheim so it isn't so bad, plus the weather is out of my control so there is no point making a fuss about it, we just need to adjust the way we work a little bit that is all.  Fun news: we are getting a mini missionary for 2 weeks. Just thought you would like to know. (a ‘mini-missionary’ is a young man who stays with the elders for about 2 weeks and gets to experience mission life)

   You asked about our service projects: Most of our service we plan out with members a few weeks in advance but we do random stuff the next day sometimes too. I would say give the missionaries something to do once in a while, they love doing it usually. At least the missionaries in Europe do.

   We were able to teach a few lessons this week. We taught a person who is a friend of a member in the ward and she is pretty serious about learning the gospel. She has 2 daughters so it is really cool to meet with her.  She doesn't really have a lot of time to meet but she is almost done with 2 Nephi and she has been coming to church for the past 3 weeks so that is really cool. The work in the area is going good, I think a part of my mission is building up better relations between the members and the missionaries because since I have gotten here the members seem to invite us over more and try talking to us more. It is really cool.

   I met someone from Rhode Island this week that is about to start an internship soon, he had no interest but I thought it was funny to meet more people from Rhode island in Germany than in America. I haven't been able to visit the VW plant yet but one day I will. I will write a few stories next week for you.

   My companion did most of the cooking the first 2 weeks and then realized I am a good cook when I made something so I have been cooking since. I have realized that most elders think that cooking at a higher temperature is better because it gets done faster but it really never tastes good. I am not a fan of that theory. This area I would have to say does not have a food specialty but we do tend to have pizza for a lot of our eating appointments. I like it! but pizza here is different than the pizza in America so it isn't as good here but pizza is pizza.

   I got the box and I liked it and my companion liked the cookies, too. I loved the whoppers and I will be looking forward to eating the mac and cheese. I hope dad got some of the cookies, too, because I know how mom is with giving all of your sweets away. (mom note: family joke)

   Scripture of the week, Alma 58:39-40 “And those sons of the people of Ammon, of whom I have so highly spoken, are with me in the city of Manti; and the Lord has supported them, yea, and kept them from falling by the sword, insomuch that even one soul has not been slain.  But behold, they have received many wounds; nevertheless they stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has made them free; and they are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning that which is to come.”

   Quote of the week "Then I went into the cattle business and got married, I mean I got married and then went into debt" J Golden Kimball

   Well, sounds like you guys got your week all planned out already. I am looking forward to all of the pictures of the wedding with all of the family and everyone else. I hope the weather cooperates with the wedding.  

   I hope that you have a wonderful week, that you all have fun, and that you stay warm in Utah and everyone gets there safely.  I ask you to spread my love for everyone, especially Zack. Tell everyone I love them and that the cut out of me will have to do for now. This time next week, I will be the last single member of the family. Woohoo!

Love

Elder Spencer Fisher

Elder Fisher wanted to be in the pictures for the wedding
and he "arrived" at Z's apartment this week!  Looking good
Elder Fisher! (and you too, Zack!)

Transfer Day, seeing MTC group members, and showing off a wedding tie

January 18, 2016

     Hey--I’m doin’ good this week.  I got the tie [for Z & N’s wedding] and I will send the pictures today.  (mom note: we are making a cardboard cut out of Spencer so he can be part of the family pictures)

     My companion is leaving this transfer day and I am getting a new one.  My new companion will be Elder Ashby.  He is from Colorado and he was also in my MTC group so he and I were in the MTC together.

      My favorite lesson to teach is probably why God loves us so much. This past week I met two new converts in the other city in our district and it was really cool. I was on a companionship exchange in the branch in Halberstadt with Elder Drazin who is also in my group from the MTC. We live about 20-30 minutes away from the church building and that is with public transportation.

     This past Friday, we met with a less active family and we are going to start working with them more because two of the sons are missionary age and we think that working with them will be a good idea.

      My favorite thing to eat a member’s house this week was the lasagna this last Sunday and that was pretty good.  Dad, I would be jealous of the In n’ Out burger you had but to be honest I do not really remember what it tastes like.  (mom note: In n’ Out was the last meal we ate together before we dropped him off at the MTC last January).

     Scripture of the week. Alma 40:25 "And then shall the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of God."

Quote of the week "We are in the last dispensation, and so much work has to be done and we need to be in a hurry in order to accomplish it." Wilford Woodruff

     Not too much to report on this week but I hope that there will be more this next week to talk about.

I hope that you have a good week. I love you.

Elder Spencer Fisher

Busy in Bruanschweig and SNOW!!

**We usually get 2 e-mail letters each week from Elder Fisher and they get combined into one letter--but this week we only received 1 on Monday and the other came on Tuesday...and the letters will explain why.

January 4, 2016

(to mom)

Elder Fisher in front of the church building
in the snow

Thank you for the pictures I enjoyed them all a lot. I really liked the picture of Z & N on Abbey Road.  Sounds like you had a fun week and that you had a jam packed week, too.

Most people are back from Christmas break but it just snowed recently so it has slowed the work down a little bit.

This past Sunday a lot of members bore their testimonies and it was really good--I would probably say that I had one of the best Sundays on my mission yesterday.  I think we have a few activities in the Braunschweig ward but I have only been here for 5 weeks so I cannot really say right now.

Yes, we are able to visit the VW factory on Pdays and I am planning on doing it because I think that it will be a really cool experience.

This past week we meet a few less actives that are willing to meet with us and we are excited to start working with these people and help the ward have more success.

Our district meets weekly unless there is another missionary meeting. As a district we try to help each other think of different ways to help the other program succeed and really just encourage each other.

That is really all that I have for this week, I love you and I hope everything goes good with you guys this week and that you will have lots of fun doing the different routines.

Love,

Elder Spencer Fisher

January 5, 2016

(to dad)

Elder Fisher captioned this picture "more snow"

Sorry I didn’t email you yesterday but as soon as I sent my email to mom the wi-fi went out at the church so we got permission to email today because we only got like half an hour of email time yesterday.

We have had nothing but snow for the past 3 days!!!! It is really cool but also it makes the work here a little more interesting too. As I send this email it feels like 10 degrees Fahrenheit outside. But I love it except for the feet get cold at times.

We do not have any time changes for the church times because our ward just starts at 9:30 every Sunday and we do not share the building with another ward.

Scripture of the week: Alma 3:8 "For thus saith the scripture: Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve."

Quote of the week "We were having a terrible time having baptisms in our ward. They were very low, and we realized that the Lord would not bless us with new converts until we took care of the people in our ward that we already had." Bishop Kelly (Work of Salvation broadcast)

I hope that you have a good week and hope that you stay dry too and it doesn’t get to cold for you down there.

Love you and hope that you have a great week.

Elder Spencer Fisher

Christmas in Germany and PHOTOS!

Christmas Market in Braunschweig at night

December 28, 2015

Christmas Martket in Braunschweig during the day

Well I sure enjoyed skyping with all of you on Christmas, too. It was a good time. I heard your little comment about the better emails and I might think about it. Maybe.

I opened my presents on Christmas Eve and that was good. I enjoyed the See's candy that you sent as well!! It was a little taste of home for me. I do not have a lot to say today. I did get another tie from the second day of Christmas from a member, too.

That is really weird about the whole Christmas shindig (mom note: Elder Fisher is discussing how we normally open presents at 6 am but this year we waited until after his Skyped call and breakfast before we started). I am not sure how I feel about opening presents so late and I am sure Lindsay Anne was going crazy waiting to open the gifts too!

The largest VW factory--Elder Fisher loves cars
so he probably loves this!

My companion worked doing HVAC before going on his mission and graduated high school.

I like the area and I am completely okay not having any leadership position because that means I have more time to just work and focus on my area and not have to worry about all the elders in a district or a zone. I like it I can just focus on one thing at a time.  We are looking for more service activities to do but as of right now we do not have set service activities during the week.

I also feel like I am growing in my ability to cook as well because I am sick of eating bratwurst and spaghetti so we are experimenting with different things and they are turning out really good I think.

I also went to look at suits today for fun and I realized that suits are really expensive and I do not want to pay for a lot of those down the road.

Scripture of the week: Mark 2:16-17 "And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Quote of the week:  "I received a letter from a man that says I talk too much in conference about the Word of Wisdom. That sounds like a man that needs to hear more about the Word of Wisdom, so that will be the topic which I will address to you tonight."-President Heber J. Grant

a group of colorful houses

a Christmas tie!!

Well, that is about all that I have for this week seeing how we just talked three days ago. I will send you pictures today to make up for the lack of pictures in the last month or so. I love you and hope you have a great week and have fun bringing in the New Year New York time! Happy New Year!

Love

Elder Spencer Fisher

Christmas Box and Skype for Christmas

December 21, 2015

   My companion [Elder Gunther] is good, the work is getting better.  We usually do the meals together so it is really nice. We do not have a car.

   Our apartment is not decorated for Christmas because my companion and I are both Scrooges and enjoy the concept of ‘Bah Hum Bug’. The Christmas season is actually a little bit harder here [for missionary work] because a lot of people here travel for Christmas. I like my companion, he really likes to work, and he likes to work the same that I like to work as well so it is really cool.

   Church this past Sunday was pretty much like a normal Sunday but we sang Christmas songs instead of normal church songs.

   I got my Christmas package Wednesday night (December 16^th) and I have not opened the presents yet because it is not Christmas yet!--but I do like the things which I have seen so far (mom note: some items were left unwrapped).

   I have tried the lebkuchen and it is pretty good I think, but I like your homemade cookies better though.

   Scripture for the week is Alma 22:1515 “And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.”

Quote of the week:

"Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,

The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head;

The stars in the heavens looked down where he lay,

The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay."

   It sounds like you got a full Christmas time this week. I have everything ready to Skype on Christmas day and I am really excited to see everyone. All missionaries Skype unless they themselves choose call home.

   Not much to say because I will see you later this week. I love you and can’t wait to see you see you Friday on Skype.

Love everyone,

Elder Spencer Fisher

Braunschweig and Meeting Sister W's brother and his family

December 14, 2015

   It is raining in Southern California!  Wow. I think I have experienced more rainy days here (in Germany) than I ever had in California in my whole life. It doesn't rain as much as it did in my last area (Bad Bentheim) but does rain quite a bit still.

   Everything is all hunky dory. It is really good and it will be a fun time in this area. I traveled by train to my new city alone (Braunschweig). Elder Westbury stayed in Bad Bentheim and he is training a new elder. My new companion’s name is Elder Gunther.  He’s been out about 15 months out and he is from American Fork, Utah. We are the only 2 in the apartment. The new apartment is really big, and really nice. We are part of a 4 man district. We mostly work in the city but we do go out to the smaller towns too because our area is huge, The work in the area is kind of slow right now, but my companion and I just want to work hard so it will be changed around in a few weeks hopefully. There is a lot of potential in the city and it did used to have 3 missionary programs here, too, so it could easily have a second missionary program here easily.

   The first person I met here (after my companion) was the ward mission leader the next day.  Our ward does not have any senior missionary couples but there are some YSA in the ward.  I didn't give my testimony the first Sunday I was in my new ward--not sure why but I am sure I will have the chance within the next few weeks to give it.

   Anyways, it was a good week we found a new investigator that came to the Christmas party and she also came to all three hours of church too! It was pretty cool.

   Yes…German people decorate their homes but because there are so many apartments the people do not go all out like they do in America.

   For Christmas, we will be at Sister W.’s brother’s home for Christmas--nothing too crazy I guess, just eating at a person's house whose sister is in our stake. He grew up in La Mirada for a little bit so him and I have talked about good ole Whittier a little bit. (mom note: We got an e-mail from Sister W. and were amazed that Elder Fisher was in the same ward as her brother..and it's nice to know that he and his companion will have a Christmas dinner with a family from his ward).

   Scripture for the week Alma 15:12"And Alma baptized Zeezrom unto the Lord; and he began from that time forth to preach unto the people."

   Quote of the week "my life is like my shoes, worn out in the service of the Lord"-President Spencer W. Kimball

   I hope you all have a good week and love you all. I will know the time I will skype for sure next week.

Love

Elder Spencer Fisher

Transferred! and thoughts on Bad Bentheim

December 7, 2015

   They done put me in a new area. I have been transferred to Braunschweig in the Hannover stake.  It is a little east of Hannover. The ward has about 130 members and it sounds like the ward is pretty good, too. I have heard that it is one of the best wards to serve in, in the entire mission so that is pretty cool I guess.

   There is not too much that has happened this week but it has been a good week and I will be sending pictures today (mom note: the pictures did not happen but I’m sure they will happen next week—it was probably hectic with packing to move)

   This week we did not visit any place for a conference or anything, but we are spending the day with our district today because one elder is finished with his mission.  When a missionary leaves to go home, they leave on Monday now and they meet with the mission president in Freiberg (where the temple is located) so we are staying with the other elder until tomorrow afternoon.

   What I have loved most about being in Bad Bentheim are a few things, first is that the ward is so small it feels like you are part of the ward and you help everyone too, the other thing is that it is all farmland and a lot of our service projects were farm work and other things of that nature.

   We have shared the new Christmas video with almost every member in the ward.

You asked what the most Christmas-y thing that I have seen this week and the most Christmas-y thing I have seen this week is a Christmas market. I actually got to try shaorma this week and that was really good too.

   The past week I have studied the very first chapters in Alma so that was pretty good. It is always interesting to read about how Alma truly leaves everything to go and preach to the people.  If I had to choose one Christ-like attribute to work on this week it would be humility.

   I was thinking about how you have the sister missionaries in your ward now and how it would be pretty funny if I have an experience like Lindsay Anne had with Elder Dale at BYU-Idaho-- where the sister recognizes me from the pictures at home. (mom note: a family story—we had a missionary serving in our ward for a long time and he got to know the families really well. During this time our daughter was at BYU-Idaho.  After the elder went home, he also attended BYU-Idaho—and ended up in the same class as our daughter—and recognized her from the pictures on our wall.  Elder Dale introduced our daughter to her future husband)

   Scripture for the week Alma 5:12 "And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true."

   Quote of the week is "You just had to love him [President Spencer W. Kimball]" President Thomas S. Monson.

   I do not really have too much to say but it has been a really good week.   I love you and pray for you and the rest of the family every day. I hope that you have a great week. Love you.

Love

Elder Spencer Fisher