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

Mission Tour, Temples & Family History, and going to church in a small branch.

August 24. 2015

     This week we had a mission tour and it was awesome. The person who spoke was Elder Paul V. Johnson and he had some really good remarks. I feel like I learned a lot from the conference and it rekindled my drive to do the work more than any P-Day could have done.

      The teaching is going good--we have a few investigators and they are doing well.  My favorite thing to teach is the Temple and Family History lessons.  The new mission president wants us to focus on family history and the temple more in our teaching and it is totally changing the work in the mission.  I feel like the spirit of Elijah is truly touching the hearts of the people (And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, ad the heart of the children to their fathers~Malachi 4: 6) It is really great to see and watch happening and to be a part of it too!!!!  I feel it is going to be the thing to change missionary work and the retention efforts of the church once the members and all the missionaries get onboard because it is really helping our mission change the focus of saving one soul to saving thousands of souls.

   The branch meets in a church building that really isn't that big but it is big enough for the branch, I want to change that so that soon the branch will be too big for the building. We teach the youth Sunday school class every 3rd week of the month which is the week everyone has Sunday School. In a branch, 3 hours is not required or recommended so the meetings are like 3 weeks Priesthood/Relief Society and 1 week of Sunday School. It is really interesting to experience.

   I haven't given a talk in German yet but I have had to teach many classes to members and missionaries alike and those are just as fun. But it sounds like I will have the opportunity to give a talk very soon in the branch though.

    I told the sister from the Dominican Republic that my cousin was serving his mission there but I didn’t remember the exact mission.  This week I met another person from the Dominican Republic and he plays baseball and just lives and works in Germany. His name is Eddy and he is a friend of a less active member of our ward. He is a pretty funny guy--he showed up to play soccer with us wearing sandals and still played decently. We did play basketball again this past week but those guys we met last week all had excuses not to come like sleeping or sickness so we played with a couple of other of our friends.

   Eastern Germany is very traditional Europe and everything is a more conservative lifestyle. In western Germany it is like America but everything is written in German.

   Scripture for the week is 1Thessalonians 5:19 "Quench not the Spirit" and the quote for the week:  "there are three great '-tions' in this church; revelation, inspiration, and relation. I wouldn't have amounted to a dang thing in this church if my father hadn't of been Heber C.Kimball." J. Golden Kimball

   Love you mom and dad and hope you have a great week!!! It is almost September aren't you excited?!?

Love,

Elder Fisher

(mom note: if you would like to know more about starting your family history or about temples, please visit Family History at Mormon.org or Temples at LDS.org