Celebrating a Birthday on a Mission, Bad Bentheim Ward, and Thanksgiving plans

November 9, 2015

Elder Fisher’s dad asked: “Well, you're a year older but the question is, are you any wiser?  Did your companion sing happy birthday to you in German?  Any cake?”

Elder Fisher in his new suit.

And here is Elder Fisher’s response:

   Well the wise man built his house upon the Rock and I haven't even built a house yet so that might be saying something dad. My companion and most of the Germans sang the Happy Birthday song in English so that was pretty cool I guess. I didn’t get cake—but I got an apple pie from a member in my ward like 3 days after my birthday so that was good. As for the rest of my birthday, we spent it at a district meeting and the district sang Happy Birthday to me. We then had a lesson with a less active member and it was super spiritual and good.  For the last part of the day, since my companion had a meeting the next day in Hamburg, we drove somewhere and overnighted in a place called Leer (about 80 miles from Bad Bentheim) and those elders made dinner for us and it was a fun day (just not a lot happened).

   As for the Bad Bentheim ward, yes, we do have a branch ward mission leader. We are not sure what we are teaching in our monthly Sunday school (which is next week) but I am sure it is something good. We usually check it a few days before so we are not quite sure yet. Our ward does have the annual Primary Sacrament Presentation--it is next week here and the whole ward is so excited about it too.

   Since our ward covers so many cities, we work a lot in certain cities.  We decide which city we are going to visit and we go and work in one city for a few hours.  Then we switch cities after a few hours and basically, we set up our appointments to go with the cities we are.

   As for Thanksgiving, Germany doesn't really celebrate Thanksgiving but we have a zone conference that day so it is kind of a celebration for the missionaries.  However, there is a lot of Christmas stuff out already but the stores are not enclosed malls here--I would say everything it set up pretty close to how the W_______ Shopping Center near home is set up—all the doors open to a central area and the center area is open.

   I am looking forward to our Christmas call—you asked if I could read part of the Christmas story…can I read the scripture from Luke when the Angel visits the shepherds in the field?   I am excited to meet my future sister-in-law at Christmas during our Skype call.  I hope that they can get everything for the wedding planned, too.  Instead of holding up my pictures for the photos, I heard of these things called cardboard cut outs and that might work for me so I can be in the family pictures.

   Scripture of the week 1 Corinthians 13:4 "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up," 

Quote "I don't know many things, but I know some things" -someone

   Thanks for all of the stuff and the birthday email, I hope you have a good week. Love ya mom and dad.

Love

Elder Spencer Fisher

Train Travel and a Car ride--and Elder Fisher is in his new area

August 10, 2015

It has rained pretty much every day since I have been here in the Bad Bentheim area and it is really cool.

To get to my new area, I traveled by train. We are allowed to travel alone on the trains but we have to have someone waiting at the train station when we arrive or we have to change trains or something. I went through Chemnitz, Leipzig, and Hannover before I arrived in Osnabrück and then my companion and I drove from Onsabrück to our apartment (mom note: according do Google maps, this is about an 8 hour train ride).

            My companion is Elder Rosenvall and he is from Magna, Utah.  I think he is been out a little over a year on his mission.  Before his mission, he did a year of school at a community college in Salt Lake City.  He and I seem to get along pretty well.  He is a good missionary and he is actually the District leader so I get to hear the calls every night that he has to make to the other missionaries.

We actually live in a place called Rheine which is a half hour away from Bad Bentheim. We live in the nicest apartment that I have had on my mission so far and the shower is actually a good one!!! I am so happy!!! 

The other side of Germany is a night and day difference. The western part of Germany is like America except that everything is in German. The German is totally different, too, but it takes like a week to get adjusted to the accent I think and then everything will be okay.

We go to other towns all the time. In most of the German wards, the ward boundaries actually cover a very large area (even several cities) unless the missionaries are in Hamberg or Berlin or something like that.  Our area is very spread out and so we get to use a car (Mom note: I'm sure Elder Fisher loves this!).   The next is in response to a question: The gas stations here are all self-service and thank goodness because that would be really awkward if someone had to pump my gas for me. My thought anyways.

The branch (a small group of church members) is about 25 active members and there are like 25 or so inactive families in the area so even if everyone was active we would still have a smaller ward. Me and my companion are the only missionaries assigned to this branch so that is fun, I guess so in answer to your question, we don’t have any senior couples serving in this branch. 

(Mom note: The town boundaries of Bad Bentheim are also the boundaries between Germany and The Netherlands and we asked Elder Fisher if they saw many Dutch people in their area)  We see Dutch people all the time and actually we have a Dutch family in our ward here and he (the dad?) is pretty funny.

Scripture for the week is Luke 15:4-6:  “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.”

Quote for the week "Stop It!" Dieter F. Uchtdorf.  My mind is blank so this is the only thing I could think of.

I haven't really been taken pictures this past week but I promise that I will this week and try to send them. Love you and I hope you have a good week and please keep me updated on what is going on in everyone's lives. I promise pictures next week.

Love you lots,

Elder Fisher