Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Thanksgiving in Germany and Zone Conference

November 30, 2015

Elder Fisher and Elder Westbury helped decorate
a Christmas tree for service.
   I am staying warm here in Germany but dry is the harder part seeing how it rains about every other day at least.

   You asked why Californians can’t get licenses in Germany-- The rule about the license is a Germany rule and I am not completely sure why but they have this rule for certain states like: Oregon, North Carolina, and a few other as well. It kinda stinks but it is whatever, at least my companion lets me drive the grocery cart every Monday.

Zone Conference Lunch on American Thanksgiving.
   I did not meet anyone interesting this past week because we were out of our area quite a bit this past week for the zone conference in Hamburg and we were doing lots of lessons and service as well this week, so we did meet people but no one too crazy or interesting. We had one eating appointment and we had Leber Käse with a fried egg and potatoes as well. It was good.

   The zone conference was in Hamburg on Thanksgiving Day and it was good, although the more meetings I go to on my mission where I have to sit for long periods of time makes me realize more and more that I cannot have an only office job. At zone conference we learned about member missionary work.  As part of the zone conference we watched the "A Savior Is Born" video and we learned about using the new video from the church.  We ate a very German lunch for American Thanksgiving: rot kohl, potatoes, and this dish that was meat with a pickle in the middle. It was good but mom’s cooking is always better. When we got to where we were overnighting, the other elders and I got 6 pizzas (from the store), Fanta, baguettes, and a large cheesecake to eat for our actual Thanksgiving meal. It was a feast. 

Thanksgiving dinner in Germany--
pizza, soda, baguettes, and cheescake
     I will try finding a Christmas market at the right time because they’re sometimes difficult in the smaller cities to get at the right times. What I mean by that is they only last 4-5 days in one city and then it is over. But different cities have them at different times.

For the iPod I usually just play whatever songs come up and my companion says if he likes it or not, it is a lot like with dad and iPods in the car.

   I studied and finished the end of Mosiah this past week and it amazes me every time I read the story of Alma the younger and how much he changed.

   My scripture for the week is actually a part of a song:
"How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heav’n.
No ear may hear his coming;
But in this world of sin,
A German candy egg made from chocolate
with a toy inside---isn's that Snoopy??
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in." 
     from “ Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

   Quote of the week: "Fra-Geel-a--it must be Italian." The father in "A Christmas Story"

   Transfers are next week but I don't know if I will be transferred or not but I would like to stay in this area a lot. My companion and I really do work well together I feel like.

   I don't really have anything else to say except that I would like some of the Thanksgiving pictures. I really do enjoy the pictures.  I hope that you all have a great week and wish you all the best.  Love you.
Love

Elder Fisher


Elder Fisher with his new messenger bag...
his first one was falling apart.
*****Mom note.....If you haven't had the opportunity to watch the video Elder Fisher mentioned, you can find it by clicking on the title named in the letter or by going to www.mormon.org.  I hope you will take the time to watch a beautiful presentation inspired by Isaiah 9: 6


Saturday, November 28, 2015

Mission Conference with Elder Ballard (continued) and Zone Conference for Thanksgiving

November 23, 2015

   Our meeting with Elder Ballard on November 15th was really good. He talked to us about talking with people on buses and trains and other cool stuff like that too. He talked about the importance of doing that because when he was mission president he implemented that and the baptisms in his mission went from 20 a month to over 80 a month by the time he was done being mission president. It was really cool and I really liked it. We got to shake Elder Ballard’s hand too. We stayed with the APs in Berlin that night and there were 14 elder staying in one apartment (including my companion and me).  We used most of our p-day time the next day to drive back from Berlin to Rheine.  My companion drove to Berlin and back because Californians aren't allowed to get a German driver’s license and no one else in the car had a driver’s license either. I got to see a few of my old companions but there was not too much time for catching up. My MTC group was all there and I think most of them are doing pretty good too.

   It sounds like you are off like a herd of turtles for the Christmas season already. (I think I am turning into dad, because I wrote that last sentence without thinking about what I was saying.) You got all the Christmas boxes down and that means this will be my second year not decorating with the family. Are you thinking about getting a small tree again this year or are you going to go big to welcome the new addition (Z’s fiancé) to the family? Sounds like you do not have to do too much decorating if Z & N are going to do a lot of it--that is good for you. My companion is really into Christmas and tries to decorate the apartment and listens to Christmas music. Do you ever have a companion that was really into Christmas?
The branch has activities about once a quarter I would have to say but it is still pretty fun. We have 3 youth in the ward but no young adults. My favorite family in the ward is a Dutch family that owns a ranch and is actually a part member family. The couple reminds me of you and dad just because of the way they act, and they are always super nice to the missionaries too.

   We had 4 eating appointments this past week, we ate döners at one eating appointment, we had ribs and fries at another one, we had rice, vegetables, and beef at another but it is called something else and was really good, and another we had a type of Pacific Islander food which was pretty much like an egg roll but wasn't rolled up and it had chicken instead of beef. It was good.

   I think my German is slowly getting better, I like reading the New Testament in German now because I think it says things more clearly in German than English sometimes.  I think it is pretty cool that I can read it in German and understand pretty much everything being said too!!

   The zone conference on Thursday (Thanksgiving) will be the whole day and they will be feeding us there and then we have to drive all the way back home the same night too so it will be a long day.

   In response to your “eating an extra slice of pie for me” comment, my scripture for the week is Ephesians 6:4 "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." I would say focus on the bold part of that scripture. Just kidding dad, I love you and hope that all the pie tastes really good and hope that you have a great Thanksgiving, too!!

   Quote for the week "Come on Elder you have to finish dinner before you get the dessert." -from a member in my ward.

   I love you and hope that you have a good week and that Thanksgiving will be wonderful and you get to know your future daughter in law a little better too!

Love,

Elder Spencer Fisher