Keep Your Doors Locked Everyone

November 25, 2019

მეგობრებო!

Alrighty, so here is a great story.  So first off, I broke my toe this week. Walking is not easy or pleasant, so moving apartments this week was not easy. Oh, yeah we moved apartments and closed down the Delisi apartment which is good because it is so inconvenient to live to get anywhere from that apartment. Anyway.  We were staying in the Temka apartment and I woke up to Elder Healey climbing over me on the couch to turn the lights on.  Well, why was he doing that, you may ask?  Well, he woke up to a Georgian man standing in the doorway.  As it turns out, our hot-water heater was pouring out water, and it was spilling onto our neighbors' balcony.  Yay!!  What a great thing to wake up to.  

Well, it took a very long time to close down the Sabartalo apartment. There were just so many things to do and so much stuff belonged to the missionaries that we didn't realize. Breaking my toe happened in the middle of all this, so it wasn't super pleasant. Whatever, sure walking is tough, but is it really work complaining about? I've learned about how necessary the big toe is for balance and walking. And I learned how much I balance when riding on the metro. 

We also went to მცხეთა last Monday. It was fun. Very cool legends associated with it. For example, Saint Nino prayed and a pillar floated into place so they could finish building the church. Afterward, some healing oil started oozing from where the pillar was. Now I don't know how much of these legends are legitimately believed, but I do think they are cool history of this great country. 

A view from a church in Mtskheta (მცხეთა). Yes, the rivers are different colors.

A view from Mtskheta on the street -- Sister Reynolds and Elder Fisher

Elder Fisher and Sister Mercer

Missionaries at Mtskheta

Mtskheta

So, I don't have a good connective experience with this but it is important. The first Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is: "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." Pretty simple. One thing that is fairly unique about The Church in this point of doctrine is that we believe they are all separate beings. We believe that "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us." (Doctrine & Covenants 130:22). From what we can tell, the Orthodox church does not teach this, as they teach the doctrine of the trinity found in the Niccean Creed. Interestingly, many Georgians do not believe what is taught in their church when it comes to the nature of The Godhead. They don't get this belief from anywhere, it just makes sense to them. It makes sense to me too. Not only that but I know it to be true. Again, we teach some bold doctrine in the Church, but I hold it to be true. Millions of others do as well. Read and pray and see for yourself. Well anyway. See you next time.

--უხუცესი ფიშერი 

A few more pictures:

A great meme courtesy of Elder Nilsson.  Georgians love to play chess

My trombone!  What a great find.  It's not very quality, but that's ok. It will do for the next year and a half.

Numbers Do Mean Something, But Spiritual Growth Isn't a Number

November 18, 2019

მეგობრებო! 

This week was more full of meetings falling through than I have ever had in my life. The numbers this week are not very good either. In fact, I would say the numbers are very bad this week. I never have been much of a "numbers=success" person because there is always success and progress not shown by the numbers. However, our numbers really do have little behind them this week. Sure it can be discouraging, but we can just try harder this week, and we can take comfort in the fact that a whole bunch of meetings falling through two weeks in a row is less likely. All is still well. 

Alright, so I taught Sunday School this week at a moment's notice. Luckily, I have had lots of experience teaching the Gospel over the past couple of years now. We discussed Hebrews 7 and 11.  Wonderful chapters of the Bible. We had a wonderful discussion about the authority of God. The Priesthood was given to the apostles after Christ was resurrected, but it was lost with them. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that the priesthood was restored by Peter, James, and John. The authority of God isn't just something that you get if you are baptized or just believe on Christ's name. One of the core beliefs we hold in the Church is that, "We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." The Priesthood Authority must be conferred upon someone by someone else who already has the authority. Those of us in The Restored Church who hold the priesthood can trace our priesthood line of authority back to Jesus Christ himself. These are bold claims, but I hold them to be true because I do in fact know that they are. I have seen the blessings of the priesthood being restored on the earth. I have prayed to know that these doctrines that are taught are true. They are bold. They are not all easy to believe at first, but through acting in faith I have believed and come to know the truth of this. 

For the next couple of weeks, in these emails, I have decided I will discuss one Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (The Articles of Faith are 13 short statements by The Prophet Joseph Smith outlining basic points of doctrine that are taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.) I'll try to connect it with something that happened in the week to make it a little more interesting for those of you that are very familiar with what I believe as a member of The Church. Anyway. All is well here and I hope that all is well there. 

--უხუცესი ფიშერი 

Elder Fisher with a Georgian Bible

This entry of the dictionary is great. The verb to break out into laughter is pronounced kharkhar. Hardy har har this is so fun

The words for alum and copper sulfate actually make sense in this language. Impressive.

These are some neat words from President Hinckley

New Missionaries? Yes, I'm a Fan

November 11, 2019

მეგობრებო!

Again I have very little time. But we got three new missionaries. They are truly fantastic! I love them. They have a great drive to accomplish the work of the Lord. Language is still tough. I'm with Elder Nilsson now and we agree on a great many things. There will be some good changes soon in this mission. Anyway, I've got stories but they'll wait until later. Enjoy the pictures! 

მიყვარხართ! 

A bank ad that says:  learn in Georgian using math

Elder Hunt studying

Me and a cat at Mtatsminda

Elder Hunt explains hunting at an English night

What an urban place we live in

--უხუცესი ფიშერი 

Another Big News Story That You Would Never See in America

November 4, 2019

Another wonderful week has flown by. As we were in Borjomi last week I was considering analogies that could be used in missionary work. Borjomi is famous for its spring water. Interestingly, because of this, there are several cup vendors. Many of them by the street and others by the springs themselves. Each cup merchant that is set up by a spring will tell you that the spring that they are by is the best tasting spring water in all of Borjomi. Well if you take a second to smell, you would think the opposite. The water smells like sulfur. One may think, how could this water taste good if the smell is not pleasant. Everyone around, however, is telling you that it's good or its the best. In fact, they are distributing things to help you partake of this thing that they all say is great. Well, once you give into believing all these nice looking people, you realize that the water really is not very tasty at all. You have been deceived by everyone around you.

Springwater at Borjomi

There are several ways to draw this back to the Gospel, but here is one. Many things of the world are talked up by many people. Are these things really as pleasing as they say? They have the appearance of bad, but everyone is saying it's good. Just try it. Ya, don't do it. It really is bad. Don't succumb to the pressure of the world. Also, when we say that we have something good to offer, we need to make sure we help them accept it. Not only that, but we need to ensure that it is good ourselves.

We also went to Rabati. Its a giant castle fortress. Pictures included. Wow that was fun. Definitely worth going again. Good thing I can. 

Rabati fortress castle

Traditional Georgian wedding clothes cutouts

Traveling in the marshutka

Two of the sisters are leaving on Friday. It's really sad. I've only known them for these three months, but they are just so great! Goodbye to Sisters Aruytunova and Heydorn. Along with this, we will be getting three new missionaries this week. Elder Herr and Sisters Reynolds and Workman. It'll be interesting to see how things turn out in these next few months. Along with all of this, we got transfer calls today. Elder Hunt is leaving to go to the other branch across the city, and Elder Nilsson will be joining me here. Having the Canadian and the Alaskan together during what I assume is the coldest three months of the year, will really make this area thrive. Anyway.

Now for the news:

One of the main priests in the Orthodox Church here called the Patriarch gay because apparently, the priest had a vision of the gays. Now all the priests are calling each other gay. Wow. Before you go calling fake news on me, I have seen the video of the priest saying this, and we have seen it in the papers, and we've heard it several times from reliable Georgians. Yes, most of the time I can't trust the information in this country, but this time is actually true. 

Anyway. We'll see you later.