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.