The Final Email

December 12, 2016

Dear Friends and Family,

   I thought that I would write my first group email, the last week of the mission. Perhaps I should have started this type of emailing earlier as well, but cannot change the past I guess.

   Over the past two years, I have been able to meet a lot of people I did not ever think I would get to meet before my mission. Such as meeting someone who believed she was visited by aliens in her apartment, or meeting a German who did not use any technology except his bicycle, and last but not least people who have become life long friends to me.

   I have seen many things on my mission that I wish I had not seen in my life, let alone my mission, however on the flip side of that I have also seen many things which were absolutely breathtaking and things which made me marvel in wonder.

   I have learned a few things on my mission, one of them is that I am not a fan of bicycles on my mission. From flying over my handle bars right before church and ripping a suit, to the 7 other times being in bicycle accidents. I think I will take a break from bicycles for a while after my mission.

   However, on a more spiritual note, I have learned so much about the gospel and the many blessing that are in store for us when we are worthy and ready for them. I have also learned patience for answers to prayers, because sometimes the best answer for you is yet to be discovered. I have also learned perseverance and working hard.

   On my mission whenever I was having a difficult time, I would usually say one of two things to myself under my breath:

   First: "when the times get tough, the tough get going!"

   Second: a scripture from the Book of Mormon, Jacob 6:5 “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.”

   These two things have helped me get through the hardest of times I have experienced on my mission.

   Now I will not say that they were a perfect two years, or that I did everything right that I was supposed to, however they really were the best two years of my life. The past two years have been really something special and I wouldn't trade my mission for the world. Although I have not baptized thousands of people, it doesn't bother me, I am satisfied knowing that I have been able to help people come closer to Christ and that is the purpose of being a missionary for Jesus Christ.

   I know that Christ lives and that he loves us very much. Although this mission is ending another begins and I am excited for it to start and see if I can do some good during it as well. I love all of God's children and I can say that full heartedly even when they have yelled at me or called me not so nice things, because I have experienced it several times over the past two years. I know that God loves his missionaries and even though most of us are very young and know relatively little about life, he can make them into great tools for bringing souls unto Christ. I bear this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sincerely,

Elder Spencer Fisher

Elder Fisher at the Christmas market

Elder Fisher’s letter to his parents:

Well, I guess this is it. I cannot believe that is finally coming to an end, it is a bitter sweet.

I saw the Christmas markets I wanted to see.

A member took pictures of the baptism yesterday and I will send the picture tomorrow so that you can have it.

Cannot wait to see you Friday.

Scripture of the week: Ether 15:34 “Now the last words which are written by Ether are these: Whether the Lord will that I be translated, or that I suffer the will of the Lord in the flesh, it mattereth not, if it so be that I am saved in the kingdom of God. Amen.”

Quote of the week: "You're going home!" Everyone in the Germany Berlin Mission

Cannot wait to see you on Friday!

Love ya

Elder Fisher

Elder Fisher and Elder Bullion
with their investigator/new member

The pre-baptism picture

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Baptism Day and Missionary Referrals

October 24, 2016

   I am doing good over here and the work is going good.  I am enjoying everything for the most part, we had a couple of slow weeks but the next few weeks look like they will be better though. The bishop of our ward here gave us a referral this weekend and will be giving us another one here pretty soon, and another member also wants to give us a referral to teach as well, so that is very exciting for this area, especially since it is a lot of smaller towns and normally harder to get ward members to refer people for us to teach or to even go by on.

Baptism day

   We had a baptism on Saturday so that was pretty good. The baptism was for a 10 year old Greek child whose father started coming back to church and he wanted us to start teaching his son. He was baptized by his father and he is really happy to be baptized and a member of the church. He also told us that when he gets older, he wants to serve a mission in England.

Baptism day--with the Elders

   My companion and I are doing fine, we think we might stay together for a third transfer and he will send me home, but we will find out in a week what happens. For p-day we will be enjoying Lauenburg and meeting with our new convert as well.

   We did not have any eating appointments this past week, we had two exchanges with missionaries though so we were still very busy. For one of the exchanges, the elder that I worked with took 8 years of French and started learning Arabic before he came out on his mission, so that was cool to learn about.

   Companion study we pretty much plan our appointments for the day. For personal study I read in the Book of Mormon then prepare a lesson that I have to give every week at district meeting. I studied a lot about prophets this past week and that was really interesting. That was really nice of you to have the sisters and the investigator over for dinner, I am sure that they appreciated that very much, and I am sure that you and dad will know the missionaries a lot more during his time as a bishop.

   The weather is turning cold, and I am not overly ecstatic about it getting cold either. I miss the California weather for fall and winter sometimes, to be completely honest. Yes the weather does look like it will be getting colder as well, which I am not overly excited about, since we are riding our bikes most places now.

   Scripture of the week Helaman 16: 23  “And notwithstanding the signs and the wonders which were wrought among the people of the Lord, and the many miracles which they did, Satan did get great hold upon the hearts of the people upon all the face of the land.”

Quote of the week: "Do it" Spencer W. Kimball

   Thank you for the pictures that you send, I really do enjoy them even when I do not say that every week. I do not really have too much else to say but I hope that you have a good week.

Love,

Elder Spencer Fisher

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