Thoughts on General Conference

October 3, 2016

   I really did love conference! I thought it was a really amazing experience and they focused on helping people and being happy for the most part I think. I really enjoyed Elder Hales’ talk, I have actually gotten very fond of his talks and character while on the mission. I also noticed he was able to stand up this conference so that was very good to see. I watched conference in the stake center here in Hamburg and that was really good. We watched every session except for one (the last one) so we got most of it this past weekend and we will be watching the rest of the conference this week sometime. We didn't get together to eat with the other missionaries but we got something to go so we can have food in our stomachs as we traveled and we got a bag of knock off Twix candies for our enjoyment.

   The week was pretty good and I enjoyed it except for a few fallen out appointments. We did not do any exchanges this past week but we did go with them to the stake center to watch conference so we got to spend some time with them. This past week we also went to a place called Bad Bevensen and Schwarzenbek. Other than that we did not get around to much.

   Our plans for P day today are to clean and nap or read because it is a holiday in Germany called Tag der Deutschen Einheits so everything is closed. This Holiday is for the coming together after the Cold War ended and it was again one Germany.

   My companion and I are doing well and we are still getting along. I am happy to be staying together with my companion, we are extremely different people but we get along pretty well. I think I can work with just about anyone in the mission field at this point because in the worst case scenario I know when the companionship will end at the latest. I think my companion is trying to get me trunky though, I mostly just want to eat American food though, and Mexican food.

   Luckily I read dad’s email first before I read your email mom and I cannot help to say that I chuckled a little bit that dad will be the Bishop of the singles ward (mom note: one of our favorite family movies is The Singles Ward). I think you both will enjoy it. I wish you both the best of luck starting next week.

   Scripture of the week:  Doctrine and Covenants 18:12-13 “And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance. And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!”

Quote of the week :"Saints are a joyful people" President Nelson.

I love you wish you a wonderful week.

Love,

Elder Spencer Fisher

October 12, 2016 Hamburg Zone TrainingThe

The Hamburg Zone on October 12th

Lauenburg, Hamburg, Luneburg, Frieberg

September 26, 2016

   Sounds like you had quite a full week! I hope you were able to enjoy it as well. I can hardly believe how old my niece and nephew are becoming, they will be completely different people when I get home I think.

   We are both staying in Lauenburg and the work is going good, almost all of our appointments this past week fell out though, so that was sad.

   We ate at two houses this week and both of them made us chili for the food. Another member we met with gave us American chocolate cake which actually tasted American and was super good. Other than that, we did not have any eating appointments.

   For P-day today, I will be visiting Hamburg and doing a little bit of sight-seeing there. Other than that, I do not have any plans.  The farm house I took a picture of was in a really small village with like 500 residence and I do not remember the name. The church in the pictures was in a place called Lüneburg in our area, which is also where we bought the Reese’s Pieces.  There is a store there that has a lot of American things that they sell there but it is still a German store.

   We are able to go to the Frieberg Temple when we have a new convert, a reactivated person come with us, and we are able to tour the temple with an investigator as well.

   Elder Gerlach’s (his missionary trainer/1^st companion in Germany) plans for when he gets back are to go on a date to General Conference and then after that he will be going to BYU Provo and studying there.

   That is too bad that Brother H_____ passed away, he was like a grandpa to me, or at least I felt like that. However I know he has a great work to do on the other side now and that he is no longer in pain.

   Scripture of the week: Helaman 3:26 “And it came to pass that the work of the Lord did prosper unto the baptizing and uniting to the church of God, many souls, yea, even tens of thousands.”

   Quote of the week: Spencer W. Kimball “A year ago now I was in Japan and Korea, and … I seemed to envision a great movement when there would be thousands of local men prepared and anxious and strong to go abroad. … I seemed to envision again Mexican youth and Latins from Central and South America in great numbers qualifying themselves for missionary service within their own country and then finally in other lands until the army of the Lord’s missionaries would cover the earth as the waters cover the mighty deep.” (April 1974)

Love you and hope that you have a great week and everything.

Love,

Elder Fisher

Zone Meeting Picture.

Busy!!

September 19, 2016

A church in Luneburg

   I have less than 3 months left on my mission but I am not trunky (mom note: trunky is when you are so excited to go home that you can no longer concentrate on missionary work). I am the District leader here in my little district.

   The work goes good here in Lauenburg, this past week we were able to go by and visit a lot of people and see a lot of success as well, with getting a referral and other such things it was really a miracle filled week. We found two new investigators so that was a real blessing. We are very excited about being here and working with such amazingly prepared people as well.

A last photo with Elder Gerlach (Elder Fisher's trainer when
he got to Germany)

   We have not been able to do a lot of service in this area, a reason for that, however, is that we are just too busy for service here. We were very busy and traveling for missionary exchanges a lot and working very hard and seeing lots of miracles as well, and this coming week we are not even sure we will have time to eat or breathe this week, it is so wonderful to feel this way!

   I do not really have a favorite family in the ward because all of the members in this area are so amazing. We were able to eat with a family named Wiborny this past week, we ate lasagne at their house and it was really good.  My favorite thing to eat in my new area is egg salad sandwiches that we make at our apartment. My companion does the majority of the cooking in the companionship I would say, and he is a good cook so I am completely fine with that as well.

A farmhouse in a town with less than 500 residents

   In personal study I have been reading Church History in the Fulness of Times a lot, because I want to know more about the history of the church.

   Scripture of the week: 3 Nephi 20:8-9  “And he said unto them: He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled. Now, when the multitude had all eaten and drunk, behold, they were filled with the Spirit; and they did cry out with one voice, and gave glory to Jesus, whom they both saw and heard.

   Quote of the week: "There is no growth in the comfort zone, and there is no comfort in the growth zone." a missionary quote.

   It sounds like you also had quite the week as well and that you are enjoying life as well, and always staying busy too. I hope that you have a good week and enjoy the coming season of the Santa Ana winds!

Love,

Elder Spencer Fisher

They found Reese's Pieces in Luneburg

Lots of people dressed up like hippies on the bus

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

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