Mother's Day and the Blessings of Technology

May 11, 2015

Elder Fisher during our Skype call

            This past week was Mother’s Day and all over the world families waited patiently for their chance to talk on the phone or Skype with their missionary who is serving a mission.  Our opportunity came at 7 am on Sunday morning with a Skype phone call from Halle, Germany.  Today’s blog includes some of the things we talked about and then the letters we received this morning—which were really short because we got to spend time talking face-to-face.  Technology is a wonderful blessing.

Elder Fisher's missionary badge.

MOTHER’S DAY CALL ON SKYPE 

May 10, 2015

**Where are you Skyping from?

         We live on the middle floor of an apartment building. The floor below and the floor above are families that are related to each other.  One family has a father who is really into computers and their home has a great set up for wireless internet.  All four of the missionaries in Halle are here Skyping at the same time in different rooms of the house (no headset required!).

**What time do you get up in the morning? Go to bed? What is your morning schedule like?

    We get up at 6:30 am and go to bed at 10: 30 pm.  After breakfast, we have personal study time from 8-9 am, companionship study from 9-11 am. Then we have lunch, then we have language study before we go out “finding”. We spend an hour extra in study time because I’m still training.  That will change after next week when my training is complete.  After my training is complete, I will probably get a new companion. My companion has been in Halle since he arrived in Germany so he will probably get transferred.

**How do you get around town?

    We usually walk (about 6 miles a day) or ride public transportation.   The zone leaders have cars to go from one town to another but most places are apartment buildings so a car isn’t very helpful.

**How often do you have district meeting? Zone conferences? Mission conferences?

       We have district meetings once a week, zone conferences once every transfer (or 6 weeks), and mission conferences as needed (about twice a year)

**How is your German coming along?

   Good—it’s hard for me to remember some English words at times (he demonstrated his German and when he was trying to tell us something, there were a couple of times he really had to think about the work he needed.)

**How often do you eat at church member’s homes? What do you eat you eat when you are making your own food?

   We eat at member’s homes about once a week, and there is a blind sister in our ward that feeds us every other week besides that.  We have big lunches but for dinners we usually have sandwiches.

**What tourist/cultural things have you seen?

   We were able to tour a chocolate factory but we can’t visit the museums in this area because they are closed on Mondays which is our day to explore.  In the town square of Halle is a church that is 500 years old which is actually next door to where we meet for church which is on the ground floor of an office building. On Mondays, after we study and do e-mail, we do our shopping and other tasks.

**How is the weather now?

   It’s warmer but we never know what the weather is.  We look out and if it’s cloudy we take our jackets.  It will be nice when we get our iPads because we will have a weather app so we will know the daily weather.

 **How are they going to handle the iPads? (the German missions are the first European missions to be getting them) 
   Each missionary will get them and they will have the apps pre-installed and they will be owned by the mission.  We had a 3 hour training meeting at the last mission conference to explain how to use the iPads to increase missionary work.  If a missionary downloads an app on their iPad, the iPads are monitored to make sure the apps are appropriate.  We will be able to e-mail our ward mission leader on a daily basis and then be able to send our weekly e-mails home from the church instead of the internet café like we do now.  The iPads will have all the church materials on them so it will be easy to get information to show people.  (the missionaries had so fun showing how much the iPads would help the missionary work--you can see this at Germany Berlin Mission blog entry for May 7, 2015--can you find Elder Fisher?)

This week’s letter--

    This last week we had a lesson with a German guy which was really cool and I forgot to tell you about and also my first joint teach on my mission last Saturday too.

    Scripture for the week in honor of Mother’s Day yesterday isAlma 56:48 "And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it." the stripling warriors told this to Helaman.

   "I have seen angels, I have had revelations, seen visions, but the greatest of all is that still small voice."  Wilford Woodruff talking to J Golden Kimball

   Okay, that is all I can think of right now. All is well here and hope you have another good week and you and mom are keeping busy.  Just so you know I love you and I am so happy that I was able to talk to you yesterday.  

Love you so much

Love Elder Fisher

Palm Trees and a Donkey??

May 4, 2015  

Flowering trees mean springtime has finally arrived in Germany

   All is going good here in Germany and I am having lots of fun. This past week we probably spent more than 20 hours doing finding this past week. It was intense to say the least. We didn`t find any new investigators this week either but I have been seeing ways that I am able to improve and become an even better missionary. Only two more full weeks left in my training so that is some pretty exciting stuff I´d say!

 

A palm tree? in Germany?

Elder Fisher selfie with the palm tree

 I eat a lot of fruit here in Germany now for some reason but Germans also have fruit with like everything so maybe that is why. I actually kinda of like fruit I didn`t think I would say that a year ago!

   I also noticed this week that my English is just really starting to be bad and I do not notice it unless someone points it out so I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes I may have in my letters for the next year and a half.  

Love,

Elder Fisher

Bonus picture--to illustrate that Germans are pranksters--someone replaced an old donkey with a newer model recently:

A Mission Conference in Berlin, Missionary iPads, and other missionary things.

April 27, 2015

    I am doing fantastic here in good old Germany and the people are so great here. Remember when I said two years is a long time before you dropped me off at the MTC? It still seems like it BUT I feel like my mission is going by fast and the older missionaries say it will just get faster and faster. I mean I have three more weeks and then I will be four months out and done with my training. That is 1/8 of my mission right there. That is weird to think about by I am not thinking about it too much.

Elder Fisher with the Elder from Clovis, California

    The Berlin Mission Conference which was fun and it was good experience—There is a mission tour going on right now and mission conferences happen when there is a mission tour.  They announced that iPads are coming to our mission and we got trained on how we are going to use them. We will receive the iPads in the next 1-2 weeks they said. That is exciting. I feel like it will help a lot with using every moment to do the work of the Lord more effectively. They gave us a big lunch after the area authorities spoke with us and then after lunch, we were able to spend another 1 and a half hours listening to Pesident Kosak (the mission president).  I didn't meet anyone interesting on the street this week but during the mission conference I met an Elder that is from Clovis, California and he knows Jessica King  from our stake so that was fun to find out. (a bonus is a picture of all the missionaries located at the bottom of the blog page)

    

    After the mission conference, our train didn't leave until almost 6p.m. So we walked to the train station and saw some cool things along the way to the train station. The picture I sent is of the Brandenburg Gate.   We did come back to Halle the same night and got home about 8p.m. 

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin was built in the late 1700s and the site of
some really exciting historical events.

    
    We had stake conference this past weekend and they announced that our mission is taking part of the Germany Frankfurt mission and the Erfurt District from that mission just joined the Leipzig stake (which is Elder Fisher’s current zone). Other than those few things there hasn't been anything too exciting going on here but we are working hard and trying to do our purpose the best that we can.

    Every missionary could use more ties dad (in response to a question from dad), you should know that. I wear everything on a regular basis and I even still need to where my winter jacket from time to time. We have a washing machine and dryer in our apartment and an iron and ironing board.

Quote of the week: "Anger is an indication of weakness" Gordon B. Hinkley

    Scripture of the week:  talking about the people in the land of Mulek, the Anti Nephi-Lehi people, and the Stripling Warriors.  Alma 53:19 "And now behold, as they never had hitherto been a disadvantage to the Nephites, they became now at this period of time also a great support; for they took their weapons of war, and they would that Helaman should be their leader.".  (mom note: as a mom, I love the description of these young men in verse 20, "And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strenght and activity; but behold, this was not all--they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted."       

Love you and love seeing the pictures

Love,

Elder Fisher

April 2015 Germany Berlin Mission Conference.  Can you find Elder Fisher??

Hymns in German, Choir, and Personal Study

April 20, 2015

   I am doing good here in good old Germany, but I am starting to think that it will never really warm up here. (mom note: the weather seems to be staying below 70 every day) We went finding this week for a lot of the time and did a lot of area book work to get ready for next week.  Nothing too exciting happened this week but I did go on companion exchange this week and that is always fun.

   We ate at a member's house yesterday that said missionary eating appointments on Sunday are like the story of Joseph of Egypt, there is seven years of plenty and then drought until next Sunday. I thought it was pretty funny.

   In Halle, we have two hours of church on Sunday and the church just rents space in a building. The hymns we sing are the same ones that we sing in English but they have been translated into German.  I think a lot of the hymns in German are better because of the wording no offence to the English hymn book it is still great but German is a little bit better. I have not had to play the piano in church but my companion does have to in priesthood session quite a bit. The ward choir sings about once every three or four months and the choir sang for our ward conference this last week.

   For the weekly Seminary class on Wednesday, there is a teacher that usually teaches it but the missionaries make up half the class or the whole class most of the time.

   We serve in the community each week and our normal weekly service at the soup kitchen near where we live.  The sisters serve there too but on a different day.

   For personal study, I read a chapter from the Book of Mormon in German a day, then I read a few pages from the book of Mormon in English while highlighting and marking scriptures that relate to missionary work in a copy of the Book of Mormon I bought in the MTC.

   When we start teaching someone new, we usually start with the restoration but we always let the Spirit guide in the lessons.

   Scripture for the week is from Alma 43: 1  "And now it came to pass that the sons of Alma did go forth among the people, to declare the word unto them. And Alma, also, himself, could not rest, and he also went forth."

This is so great because after Alma's sons left on their missions he couldn't rest from doing the Lord's work either.

Love ya mom & dad

Elder Fisher

Travelling Around the District and Spring Has Really Arrived (No Winter Coats Needed)

April 13, 2015

   Mission life is good and I feel like I am adjusting to it pretty well and that I am learning a lot. My German is going along good and I am working very hard at it. It seems easy but once you get more into the language you feel like you have barely scratched the surface of learning the language.

   I like pretty much everything I eat here and yesterday I had this lunch where it was this sweet roll kinda thing and then you put cherry sauce and vanilla sauce on it. I am going to ask for the recipe next Sunday--it was so good you have no idea.

   

The snow that fell in Halle.

The weather here was like the weather the Richins have in Minnesota two weeks ago and I was finding in it so that was fun.  Now there are a few flowers blooming and some buds on trees but nothing to big yet. Other than that nothing too crazy or exciting except I was able to go finding without my winter coat this week and that was awesome.  

   Both of my companions so far have been pretty talkative elders so I think the Lord is really trying to tell us something when it comes to talking.   My companion is good but we are sometimes different personalities. We are getting along good but spending 24/7 with anyone can feel like a long time. He works hard though so there really isn`t too much to complain about. But we only have 5 more weeks in the transfer so it will go pretty fast and then I am done with my training!!!! Ahhh!!!!

The cathedral in Naumburg

   I haven't been able to watch the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference yet but I have been able to listen to it because we listen to them in the mornings or at meal times. We also get the Liahona issues in English and German. The primary has about 10-12 children in the ward. Our stake from the bottom part of the stake to the top part is probably two hours by train but I am not sure--I haven't travelled it yet.

One of the towns in the Halle district

   We did have someone a month ago that was like the golden investigator with the perfect questions and everything but he had to go to Luxemburg to look for work. His wife stayed and came to church every week but she only spoke Spanish so we couldn't really talk to her.  Yesterday her husband came back but only for three days and they are moving back to Spain. He said that he reads from the Book of Mormon every day for thirty minutes because it brings him so much peace and he said that he knows where the church is where he will be staying and he is going to go with his friend. I was so happy for him and what the Book of Mormon is doing for him and his family--it is unbelievable how ready he is to receive the gospel.

 

The best snacks for long train rides are
German chocolates

 It has been a finding week this week. We went to the southern point of our area this week and visited a family and try to visit some less actives but all the less actives were moved away. We met a lady that calls herself Miss Rainbow and that was really interesting and she kept talking about her uncle that was a Mormon and lived in Salt Lake. We also talked with a lot of other people but is probably the funniest story that I have had this week. Also we met this guy that said he wasn't on our side and we asked what he meant by that and he said I am on the bad side. That was pretty funny too.  Almost all of the immigrants are from Africa but not one country specifically. There are a lot from Nigeria though but I have talked to people from Mali, Cameroon, Morocco and other places like that and it is really cool.

Two scriptures for the week:

1 Thessalonians 2:4 "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts"

and Romans 1:15-16

"So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also."

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. “

   These two scriptures show what a great opportunity we have to share the gospel with others in our life while we have the fulness of the gospel and are blessed with that great knowledge.

   Quote of the week

"There is no growth in the comfort zone, and no comfort in the growth zone. So get uncomfortable!!" Missionary work isn't comfortable but it helps us to grow and to progress to become more and more like God.

  

Everything is going well here in Germany and hope you have a good week this week again.

Love you and hope all goes well

Elder Fisher

Easter and General Conference

April 6, 2015

    We were able to watch the morning sessions live in the church but the other sessions had to wait until later to be watched. We watch the all the sessions the same weekend except for Sunday afternoon. We had an investigator come for one hour of conference on Saturday night to watch the Saturday morning session.

   We had Easter dinner at the Bishop’s house but here in Germany the Friday before and the Monday after are both holidays. On the Friday before Easter, we ate at the Bishop’s mother-in-law´s house.  By the way, she is sending you pictures of me, I do not know when though. Today (Monday) we are eating at another member’s house.

Halle district

    Besides having like 3 meals in one week with the members, there aren`t too many crazy stories except the weather here has been crazy like it snowed this past week but the snow is all gone now. I guess we got a lot of weather from the Hurricane Nicholas I think it was so because there was a lot of wind and rain this week and that made the work really fun.

   As for Halle, I have really only seen the chocolate factory which there will be pictures next week from that. The city I am in has a lot of people from countries in Africa but also a lot of Germans so our city is pretty diverse but I heard it depends on the area I am in how many people from other cultures there are.

The Leipzig Zone (April 2015)
Picture from the mission blog

   I haven´t gotten the envelope or package yet but I did get a letter from grandpa last week. We have a mission wide conference on the 24th of April this month so I will check when I am in Berlin because they might give mail out.  If not, I have zone conference the week after so I can get my mail there too.

    This week has been good. My first transfer in Germany is officially over and I find that hard to believe (the transfer period is six weeks). Everyone in my district is staying except for one sister who is going to the Hannover zone. We have had the opportunity of doing a lot of finding this week but not as much as others because we had a lot of meetings this week and had to be at them and it took time out of our schedule. We have a senior couple in our zone but there are in Leipzig so we only see them when we have the zone stuff. We have call-ins with the district leader every night and the zone leaders do not really call us unless they feel like they need to call us. 

    Scripture for the week Alma 29: 1  "O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!"

I think this expresses what the missionaries should desire when serving their mission-- that they could cry to every person repentance so they can partake of salvation and be able to praise God.

Love

Elder Fisher

Spring in Halle and Thinking in German--March 30, 2015

It's always great to hear from the missionary--to know that they are healthy, happy, and enjoying their work.

    The weather in Halle is cloudy and rainy this past week but I love it and it makes finding always interesting which makes it so fun. I think Halle is cold at times but it’s nothing that I can't handle. Spring is technically what it says on the calendar but it isn't like a California spring--the flowers are blooming now and the trees are starting to get buds on the ends of branches but it is not weather for the beach I think.

The missionaries in the Elder Fisher's first district--the sisters and
Elder Fisher and his companion serve the Halle ward.

I made potatoes one night for my companion but he does most of the cooking and I don't mind doing the dishes if I don't have to make the food.

The ward has activities like once a month--like a ward dinner--and the missionaries are in charge of family home evening for the singles in the ward.  We are over half the ward choir and usually missionaries have to give talks once a month at least because the ward is so small. It makes serving here such a blast though because it really makes the missionaries feel like they are part of the ward and it is great. The baptism didn't happen because the person needs to work on a few things first but he still wants to be baptized though so that is good.

Elder Fisher and Elder Gerlach in Halle

    This week has been good.  We found like 40 former investigator sheets last P-day after sending our emails and we have been going by the houses and updating the records. We have also been doing a lot of finding this week and that is fun and we get to meet a lot of people that way. We talked with someone this week and we were talking with him and telling him about how we came to Germany to do this work.  He asked where we were from and I said California and all he said back was "Sunny beaches!!!" it was really funny.  He asked my companion and he said Utah and he said "it's still in America." that made the experience pretty funny. Also we went by to visit a former investigator and he was home and then his friend came in and listened to us and then the friend gave us a referral!!! It was pretty cool getting a referral from a nonmember I would have to say. Those are the two big stories from this week.

    I gave the spiritually thought in District Meeting and it was on hope and all in German it was fun. I am starting to forget English words and thinking in German--I know it is really weird actually.

Mission selfie with missionaries serving in Halle.

    My scripture for the week is 1 Samuel 15: 22 and this is when King Saul didn't obey the Lord's command with exactness and Samuel tells him this

"And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."

What that means to me is that it doesn't matter what we sacrificed to come on a mission or left behind, we are all here on the Lord's errand and we must be obedient and not focus on our sacrifices.

All is well in Halle while we are building Zion.

Love

Elder Fisher

P.S. That typing class I took in high school is useless now because I will be used to German keyboards in two years and not know how to type on an English keyboard.

P.P.S I will more than likely get everything that has been mailed to me this Wednesday because that is Zone Training Meeting and they get the mail from Berlin for all the missionaries in the zone.

**I am including the next section from dad's letter to Elder Fisher--I thought it would be helpful if anyone has every wondered why people from our faith do not wear crosses as a symbol of our faith in Christ or have crosses displayed in our chapels.

"We do not use the cross as a symbol on our chapels, temples, or on our scriptures or in jewelry. President Gordon B. Hinckley explained the reason in a talk delivered in general conference. He told about talking to a Protestant minister following a temple open house. The minister had asked why there were no crosses anywhere if we say we believe in Jesus Christ. President Hinckley answered, “‘I do not wish to give offense to any of my Christian brethren who use the cross on the steeples of their cathedrals and at the altars of their chapels, who wear it on their vestments, and imprint it on their books and other literature. But for us, the cross is the symbol of the dying Christ, while our message is a declaration of the living Christ.’

“He then asked, ‘If you do not use the cross, what is the symbol of your religion?’

“I replied that the lives of our people must become the only meaningful expression of our faith and, in fact, therefore, the symbol of our worship” (“The Symbol of Christ,” New Era, Apr. 1990, p. 4)."

(mom note: A few weeks ago, Elder Fisher included pictures from the center of town. We have learned it is called "Market Place with the Red Tower" and "Marktkirche Unser Lieben Frauen"--which translated means Church of Our Dear Lady.  Another view of the square can be seen at this link:  Market Square Tower and Church