Investigators, the Word of Wisdom, and more on the Re-dedication of the Frieberg Temple

September 12, 2016

   Everything is still doing well in Germany. we were able to have 5 investigators at church this past Sunday! which is not something that happens too often. An entire family came to church!!! That was the highlight of my week by far, we also taught them the Word of Wisdom and they want to follow it, which never happens in Germany!! I was so happy about that. 

   I was able to interview someone for baptism this past Saturday which was a really cool experience. I enjoyed it, however I felt really responsible for saying if someone is worthy to be baptized or not.

   This week we were in the state of Hamburg 3 days and this week I have the possibility of being there for 3 more days, I am getting traveled up over here.

   We also have a pretty full week this coming week so I am excited. Also the ward members are finally warming up to us the missionaries in the ward so that is helping a lot.

   The temple dedication was a very interesting experience. We watched the cultural event by satellite. We watched the temple dedication at the stake center in Hamburg.  I was able to understand all of the German, I have been speaking it every day for almost 2 years now so it is pretty easy to understand it. All of the missionaries at the beginning and the end of their missions get to at least visit the temple and I know that when President Fingerle (Elder Fisher’s first mission president) first came in he wanted every missionary to be able to do a session in the temple before they went home.

   Scripture of the week: Doctrine and Covenants 29:7 “And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;”

   Quote of the week: "tithing is not even like a commandment for me, because I want to give it so much." from my baptismal interview with the person who wanted to be baptized.

   I hope that you have a wonderful week and that you enjoy the cooler weather you are having right now!

Love you and hope as well.

Love,

Elder Spencer Fisher

Leadership Training Meeting in Hamburg, week of September 5, 2016

Missionary Work is Sprinting Forward and Dedication of the Frieberg Temple.

September 10, 2016

Germany this past week was a little bit rainy, but still very good. Germans do not celebrate Labor Day the same day as us, but there is something called “der Tag der Arbeit” which literally translated means the day of work and that is the first of May.  On P-days since we do not have permission to use a car so today we are just going to go and get an ice cream cone today and relax a little bit and get mentally prepared for the week. I am so excited that I can be in the service of the Lord!

The work is not only going forward but it is sprinting forwards! We were so busy this past week we could hardly believe it.  We met with 11 different people and served a few people as well!  We are still working with the two boys that are part of the part member family, they are really good!  This coming week it was also extremely busy. Our area is huge and it could very well be the largest in the mission, looking at a map (mom note: we’re not sure if he means his own teaching area or his mission zone area).

As part of my personal study, I am starting to read Jesus the Christ  in German.

The highlight of the week though was attending the dedication of the Freiberg temple this past weekend. The cultural celebration was on Saturday and was organized by my old mission president, President Kosak, I also saw youth participating in it that were in previous wards I have served in. A young woman from my first Ward on the mission had a saxophone solo during it as well! It was so cool!! Also President Uchtdorf spoke German the whole weekend as well and that was also awesome. At the dedication, Elder Bednar spoke in German as well, because he served in Germany and he has kept his language up all these years too! It was an amazing experience I shall never forget and to see what all this temple meant for the world at that time and I am so grateful to have served a mission at this exact time to see the dedication of the temple in Freiberg!!

(more blogs to see on the dedication of the Frieberg temple: Germany Berlin Mission 2015-2018 (this is the official mission page and has pictures) , The Adventures of Sister Darton--a sister missionary who was in Frieberg, Freiberg Temple Rededication--this is by a senior couple--who included pictures of the cultural celebration and dedication.  

Scripture of the week: 1 Corinthians 13:2 “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”

Quote of the week: D. Todd Christofferson "The perfect, divine expression of fatherhood is our Heavenly Father. His character and attributes include abundant goodness and perfect love."

That is all that I have for the week, I love you and hope that you have a great week.

Love,

Elder Spencer Fisher

Safety Guidelines, Summer in Germany, Freiberg Temple Open House

July 25, 2016

   It has been hot here the past few days as well, finally, the middle of July and we are finally getting our summer for like a month!  It is also summer vacation right now in Germany, so a lot of people are out of town.

   Yes, I have heard about the terrorist attacks that have been happening recently in Germany as well, I know it is scary but I feel comforted by the Lord that I will be okay, and besides that, there is always terrorism in the world somewhere, sometimes it is a little closer than other times.

   This week like I said it was pretty hot, but we had a few appointments that we got to participate in, we also have another new investigator who is a younger mother and her son is pretty energetic. We also went to an eating appointment and they have bumble bees that live underneath their porch, and I thought that was really cool. I think I might want to keep bees in the future. (mom note: this is interesting because at one time he really didn’t like bees because he was constantly getting stung)

   We had Zone Training Meeting this past week and it was good, the president doesn't come to all of the Zone Training Meetings, but he does come to all of the Zone Conferences. We had to travel about an hour with train. I think there are about 10 or so zones in the mission.

Questions and answers:

1) What are the safety guidelines the missionaries have for keeping safe? (mom note: The mission president sent an e-mail to all the parents on July 19^th after the train attack in Germany and told us he had reminded all the missionaries)  The safety guidelines have to do with teaching people from certain countries, or being inside at 9 at night or 9:30 if we have an appointment, being obedient, and stuff like that. Pretty much the guideline is to be smart. 

2)  Does Minden have a lot of apartment buildings? or mostly houses?  So everywhere in Germany has a lot of apartment buildings compared to America, but Minden does have many house as well.

3)  When you have district p-day, do you have lunch together?  do you pack a lunch or buy lunch?  Today we went for a 10 kilometer hike, I will probably send pictures next week when we have more time. We usually eat lunch together.

4)  Have you noticed if your teaching style is the same as when you arrived on your mission or has it changed as you have become more comfortable in teaching?  My teaching has, of course, gotten better, but my style is my style and I shouldn't really change it, because that is me and that is how I will connect with certain people.

5)  Did they feed you for zone conference?  This was a zone training meeting, not a zone conference. We had to feed ourselves.

6)  I saw that the Freiberg temple Open House start next month and that the re-dedication will happen in September....will they have a satellite system set up so people can watch who aren't close to the temple?  Yes, we get to watch it through satellite transmission, we even get a special temple recommend for it. (Frieberg Open House and Dedication)

   Scripture of the week:  Alma 17:35  “Therefore they did not fear Ammon, for they supposed that one of their men could slay him according to their pleasure, for they knew not that the Lord had promised Mosiah that he would deliver his sons out of their hands; neither did they know anything concerning the Lord; therefore they delighted in the destruction of their brethren; and for this cause they stood to scatter the flocks of the king.”

Quote of the week "come what may and love it" Joseph B. Worthlin

   Well I hope that you have a great next week and enjoy the last week in July! I cannot believe that it is already here!! Time flies I guess. Love you and wish you the best.

Love,

Elder Spencer Fisher