The Minden Branch, Pulling Weeds, and District P-Day

Elder Fisher's District

July 18, 2016

   Sounds like you have had quite the week there. Good to hear that the weather is staying relatively cool. I sent some pictures as soon as I read your email.

District P-day in Bad Oeynhausen--a park

   I am really becoming a member of the Minden Branch, it is really funny, by the time the next transfer comes I will have been in Minden 6 months.  My companion is really shy and doesn't really talk with the members unless I really encourage him so I get to talk with the members a lot, which is good for my relationship with them. If I were to someday have the means to return to Germany I would definitely come to visit this ward on a Sunday so that I could see everyone.

   The members in Germany do not celebrate Pioneer Pay, but we do happen to have a ward mini golf activity on Pioneer Day.

Another picture of the district
--without the big plant hiding the elder

   Finding service projects to do is not always easy to find and with Germans they are stubborn and want to do things on their own as well, but we do get service projects usually once a week. This past week we pulled out weeds for like 4 hours at a member’s house. I hate weeds. By the way, Germans have lots of little knick knack things in their yards. But most of them are organized for the most part.

   My favorite way to find people new people to teach is by talking to people on buses and at train stations and stuff like that. I am not a fan of talking with people on the streets. My favorite lesson was with a less active lady from Mexico she has some interesting ideas but she is nice.

The palace in Bad Oeynhausen

   There are 8 missionaries in my mission district. We usually meet once a week unless there is a zone meeting, like this coming week then we meet with the rest of the missionaries in the zone as well. The next Zone training meeting is this coming Wednesday. 

   My apartment does have a washer and a drier, I have not actually had an apartment without a washer and a drier combo.

Another view of the palace in Bad Oeynhausen

   Scripture for the week : Alma 16: 21 :And now after the church had been established throughout all the land—having got the victory over the devil, and the word of God being preached in its purity in all the land, and the Lord pouring out his blessings upon the people—thus ended the fourteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.”

   Quote for the week: "John, Let it go, nothing you do will bring her back, anything you do will make it worse, John let it go" Boyd K. Packer

I love you and hope that you have a great week. Love you.

Love

Elder Fisher called this a "mansion house"
in Bad Oeynhausen

Elder Spencer Fisher

A garden mosaic

Germany's Weather, Service Projects for Spring, and Pictures of things in Germany

"Largest German backyard I've seen" wrote Elder Fisher

May 16, 2016

   Summer kicked in this past month but then the winter wanted to stay a few more days and then it will be spring in a few days again. The weather in Germany cannot make up its mind, I think it is just about the craziest thing there is.

   Sounds like you had a full week over there, I feel like our week was pretty full as well. We had a couple service projects again and we also were able to find a few contacts as well. For our service projects this past week, we worked in a garden putting new dirt in and we also worked cutting wood for someone in the ward to help get them ready for the coming winter. I love working with my hands and being outdoors working, I think that is a good general idea to lead me into my future career.

A view that a member of their ward shared with
Elder Fisher and his companion

   Transfer day is on June 1st so I find out about next transfer on May 28^th so I will find out if I’m staying in Minden or going on to another place.  Minden is about the size of W_______, without a big city right next to it. There is a lot to do with bread in Minden for whatever reason, I do not know why, but a few people in the ward work for a bread factory place here in town.

   My favorite way to meet people is through going by on old investigators and seeing if they have interest in meeting with us, and then dooring around where they live.

I studied from the Bible this week from the stories of Job and that was good to read. We also read through teachings of the prophet George Albert Smith as a companionship together and that is also pretty interesting.

Part of a WWI and WWII memorial in Petershagen.

   The last couple days have been the Pentecost celebration here in Germany so it has been a little bit quieter and my favorite people to visit this past week was a part member family that invited us over for because of the German holiday today and that is why I am writing later than usual. I get along with them very well and enjoy spending time with them. It was a really good eating appointment too, I enjoyed the food a lot and the desserts were spot on as well.

   Scripture of the week: Job 40:6 “Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, “Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.”

Quote of the week "My mission means everything to me!!!" Jeffrey R. Holland

That is about all I have for this week, but want to say that I love you and that I pray for you guys everyday too!

Another picture of the WWI and WWII memorial in Petershagen.

Love,

Elder Spencer Fisher

A Mother's Day call, spending time with family, and beautiful things in Germany

May 9, 2016

Elder Fisher during our Mother's Day video chat.

   The e-mail on that arrived on May 9^th arrived the day after our Mother’s Day chat—our video chat time was 7:30 but by the time we got our technical issues worked out, it was close to 8 am.  It was good to see him and talk to him…and have all our family together at one time. 

Now for the email…..

   It was good being able to talk with you too, it was good to see everyone in the family too. I cannot believe how much C. and A. have grown and not just with height either. Thankfully, we do not have to worry about Skype not working again so that shouldn't be a problem. I enjoyed the call and, about the technical difficulties, you know me I'm easy.

A pretty sunset.

   I am amazed too, at how much time has passed.  I am still trying to work hard though, and not think about the time too much, because a missionary from my group mentioned how next month we only have 6 months left and I cannot believe it. I know I only have so much time left but I still feel like I have 2 years left.

   This past week we had 2 service projects and a ward activity. We got to meet a lot of ward members that we normally do not see and the spouses and children.

   This week we met a non-member friend of a member in our ward and that was cool, he was really funny and we did a service project with him so that was good.

   Today is my companion’s birthday and we are just going and looking at a bunch of stuff that he likes.

   Scripture of the week: Alma 56:47 “Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.”

   Quote of the week: "mama always said life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get." Forest Gump.

   That is about it for this week, have a good week, I love you and love getting your e-mails too.

Love,

Elder Spencer Fisher

Being a Missionary with a bike.

Elder Fisher and Elder Hunt

March 20, 2016

    My talk in church went good (on March 13^th), it was about repentance and I called those Germans to repentance!  Just kidding. It was my first talk in German but I have already given lessons in German before as well so I wasn't really nervous to give my talk.

    We had district meeting this week and I actually went on exchange with my trainer Elder Gerlach (his trainer) so that was fun but we have been seeing each other our whole missions so there wasn't too much to catch up on so we just talked with each other.

  

Elder Fisher and his bike

   We did get new bikes and we even got a drier too. A member in our mission travels around the mission to fix apartments and makes sure the missionaries have what they need, and he happened to have an extra drier with him so we got a new drier from him. This week we got our new bikes and I love it! I feel like such a missionary on them and it is so much better than walking everywhere. It also reminds me of how much I used to actually ride my bike everywhere too. I cannot wait to go mountain biking again when I get home.

The explanation for this picture Elder Fisher sent:
"Riding to door a small village"

    We also helped the sisters in Hannover build new beds and closets (everything from Ikea) for their apartment because 2 more sisters moved into the apartment recently so they needed it.

    Our Branch President also got married this past week so now he is a happily married man. This coming week we have lots of service planned and I am really excited to do that and also Easter is this week so that is just another cool this to be excited for.

    This week we made chicken wraps from scratch and tried our luck with lasagna again...we are taking a break from the lasagna for a while. The calzones tasted good but we want the dough to be good thickness though.  We were able to eat all of the sweets from the ward potluck. And on Saturday I enjoyed some wonderful German cake with a member, so I am not jealous of you going to REI.

Elder Fisher and Elder Hunt
with their bikes (notice the helmets)
crossing a bridge

    This week we went out to this little farm town to door and we saw a guy who had a big auto garage (for Germany) and his wife answered the door and they had a bunch of cool little knick knack things and I thought that was cool because you do not see that in Germany very often with antiques or stuff like that.

I want to visit Northern California because on the mission people always ask about Northern California and I have never been there and there should be some good things to see there.

A scripture that caught my attention this week was actually the story of the rich young ruler who came to Christ and asked "what lack I yet?" and that was in the context of asking how he could obtain eternal life. It made me think.

    Scripture of the week: Matthew 19: 16-23:  “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.  He saith unto him, Which?  Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?   Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.   But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Quote of the week: "There's a silver lining behind every cloud" -Johnny Cash

Love you and hope that you have a wonderful week!

Elder Spencer Fisher