And I Could Not Deny it!

This week I've had some really great experiences and my passion and testimony for the work is rapidly growing. Elder Walking Eagle and I are getting along really well. The spirit has really strengthened our unity as a companionship. He's always trying to do everything exactly the right way, and I've learned a lot from him regarding that. At the devotional on Tuesday we had the privilege and blessing of hearing from M. Russel Ballard. His talk was a treasure chest of principles, but one thought he gave right at the beginning was really an answer to my prayers. He said something along the lines of "Never miss the opportunity to testify that God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith." For weeks I have been trying as hard as I can to increase my testimony of Joseph Smith so I can confidently testify of it to investigators. Earlier in the day, just hors before Elder Ballard spoke, Elder Walking Eagle and I were wandering around the bookstore and a card with Joseph smith on it happened to catch my eye. I picked it up and opened it and it quoted Joseph Smith talking about the first vision and the truthfulness of it: "I knew it, and I knew that God knew it. And I could not deny it." It made me realize that I could never deny what I know to be the truth, that Joseph Smith was and is indeed a prophet of God and that through him the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored. I'm so happy to know that and I can't wait to share that with the people in Germany. Speaking of which, I'm actually already sharing it with some people over the phone. In the referral center, you have the option to teach an investigator over the phone if they don't want the missionaries yet. Yesterday, our instructor in the referral center asked us to pray for our own investigators, and wouldn't you know it, after only five or so minutes, a lady called to order a book of Mormon and I have my very own REAL investigator! Twenty minutes later I talked to another lady whose house is flooded right now and doesn't want to have people over, so now I have two! And today, Elder Peddler, an elder in the branch whose leaving in a week, handed over one of his progressing RC investigators to me, so now I have three! three people I'm personally teaching the gospel to! I'm really excited for the opportunity to test my teaching chops, and more excited to practice trusting in the spirit of the lord to speak through me and touch these peoples hearts. I'm a little nervous because I don't feel ready at times but I know that the lord will make up for my inexperience. So I'm reading "Our Heritage" right now and as I was reading it a couple days ago during personal study I all of a sudden came across the name of none other than Erastus Snow! And not only that, it was talking about his mission for the church. It quoted him talking about how he left to the mission field with only the clothes on his back and a few coins in his pocket. It made me so proud of my third great grandfather and his sacrifice, and it made me feel really good to think that I'm honoring him by following in his footsteps. It also made me think of my namesake, Andrew Andreasen, and how he was converted to the church in Denmark. I know that my ancestors are proud of my choice to serve a mission and I hope they are pleased with what I do each day.

Time has passed away as if it were like unto a dream!

The Referral Center continues to be a great learning experience. I talked to this born-again Christian who told me she wasn't interested, but when I asked her if she knew anyone else that might be interested in hearing our message she gave me like four or five names and numbers. She said she wanted her friends to be born-again as well, but hopefully they will end up LDS instead. Sucker! haha just joking. But I did learn a very valuable lesson in the R.C. later in the week. I was really discouraged in there because I had just got off the phone with a lady whose daughter had called for a Book of Mormon. The lady was really rude and told me that she and her daughter were Baptists and Christians, NOT MORMONS! and hung up the phone pretty quick. I was so sad because I felt like I should have said more and I also felt bad for that 18 year-old girl whose Mom was hindering her salvation (not that she meant to). About a half hour later, however, I was able to get a guy to have the missionaries visit him, along with his parents and grandparents! From that experience I learned that there will be plenty of discouragement on the Mission, but the joy that comes from seeing those few people baptised will make up for that discouragement times 10! I know that the sadness I feel when people don't accept the missionaries, and the great joy I feel that comes from when they do, is there because the church is true.
Next week will be the first time I teach a lesson in German! I'm freakin' out about it right now but I know that it'll be ok. I just feel like I can't speak even close to enough German to give a whole lesson already!
Speaking of "already," can you believe that I've already been here just about a whole MONTH?! It's ridiculous how fast it seems it went by. And time only seems to go by faster and faster. Before I know it, I'll be in Germany or Austria, scared silly but loving every minute of it! It's just like Jacob said, "time has passed away as if it were like unto a dream." I think that's what he says at the end of the book of Jacob but I'm not sure if I quoted it right. It's the second to last verse in the book of Jacob so look it up.

More than a Cardboard Cut Out...

Ok, so this week has been really good. lots of great experiences to share with you all. I'm feeling a little sick today so that’s kinda discouraging but nothing I can't beat.

The other day, my district and I went to the Teaching Evaluation, where teachers evaluate you as you teach a lesson and give you feedback. Halfway through our lesson, our teacher stopped Elder Walking Eagle and I and gave us quite possibly the best advice I've received in the MTC so far. She told me to be myself. And she told me this because I was teaching the lesson like a robot. When I walked out of the building I realized that I was on my way to becoming the very thing I swore I would never be...A cardboard cut-out missionary! Oh the horror! the horror! For some reason, I thought that I had to be rid of my old self and find some completely new identity in order to be a good missionary, when in reality I will never be a good missionary if I'm not being myself! Since this epiphany things have been going a lot better and I'm a lot happier now that I'm not afraid to be myself. And my lessons have been much better because they are sincere instead of robotic. It's a great blessing to know that, while the Lord wants me to improve myself daily, he loves me for who I am and wants me to serve him in the best way I can--by being myself.

On Tuesday night's devotional, Elder Clate W. Mask of the seventy spoke and It was one of the best talks I've ever heard. His grandpa was a missionary in Mexico and was able to teach the president in 1910, and after that had government safety because the president loved them so much, just like Ammon! Anyway, he said something that really struck me; "Whatever your motives were for coming, you are where the lord wants you to be." It made me realize that my motives for coming here don't really matter anymore. What does matter is the fact that I am here, where the lord wants me to be! In other words, being here is the motive to be here on its own, if that makes sense.

Getting along with my companion was a real struggle this week. Luckily, every Wednesday we have companionship inventory, which is a meeting just between us when we talk about things we need to work on and any problem we had. It took a good half hour to forty five minutes, but my companion and I were able to throw everything out on the table and work all of our problems out. It was really hard, but with the Lords help we were able to resolve our differences. I'm sure there will be more things for us to work out every week. But It's great to know that even two people as different as we are can be unified through the spirit.