"To Serve is to love"

President Spitale said it was alright if I checked my email and got some more information on what happened, and to respond. ¨To serve is to love¨- Are there better words that can describe Blake William Strebel than these? I think there is no other way to describe him. His passion in life was to become somebody that was always serving everyone else. The Savior himself taught that true service is to love. You can take any passage of scripture that uses these two words, and they work interchangeably. Blake truly understood the true principle of service-not simply doing something for somebody else, but to love people so much that to do anything for them was not a task. Blake was always one who reached out to those who maybe did not feel that love there. I always knew I could look to him as an example of true service and love. Ever since Blake(Wormy) and I (Squirmy) were young, he always wanted to help others. He was always the BIG MAN that could do it all. He was determined to help everyone and everything, in any way possible. Even something as little, and often considered insignificant, as a potato bug. We were there abouts of four years old, and as the potato bug fell through the crack in the sidewalk, he was determined to save it. Yes, even at four years old, he suggested that we pray for it. Moments after our little child´s prayer, the potato bug returned to the surface, and he was w returned to a group of potato bugs. It may sound like a silly story, but Blake was always determined in that way. If anyone was in need, he was willing to go the extra mile to solve the problem. He was always the true example to me of how I should trust in our Heavenly Father. Blake and I had several memories of Basketball playing, weekend sleepovers, New Years Eve Parties, Running Cross Country, Video Games, and High School Dances. Really growing up together and helping eachother be who we truly are. Looking at pictures from when we both were crawling, all the way up through High School. From Linkin Logs, Legos and Micromachines, to Work, Cars and Girls. Not a moment missed.What Blake William Strebel is to me, is not just a cousin, or relative. He truly is my brother. I almost feel like we were twins sometimes-not in our looks or personality, but in our desire to be together through everything. Our growing years, following dreams together, and knowing the other was always right there beside, cheering us on.

What priviledge we have to know that OUR Blake, is there beside our Savior, pushing the work of the Lord forward with those on the other side.

Thank you all very much for your prayers. And may God bless you all with comfort, peace, and love.

With a sincere love,
Elder Brett Chase Andersen

A fantastic week

Well, this week has been full of miracles. It has been pretty difficult actually lately, getting some things going, but we are finally starting to get things rolling, and the confidence of the members back again. Its not that they didnt like the missionaries, its just that they never felt like they were working, so they just didnt feel like anything was going on in their area. It is tough, considering how much we travel, how little time we have in our area. But we have found two AMAZING people, who are SO ready for the gospel. Lidia is 73 and is in a wheel chair, but she is a fighter. She loves the gospel, and has taken the initative to get herself to church, reading the Book of Mormon faithfully, praying, and without us even teachign the word of wisdom, she has decided to stop smoking. There are so very few thing that are impeding her from getting baptized, and it has been amazing to see this progress. well, when she arrived at church, we saw all of the fire of the members going to work. They were helping her with everything. And as such, we started getting some pretty awesome references. One of which was from the Bishop. We had planned to teach Luis about the Plan of Savlation, and we got in to his house and there was just a different spirit about it all. My companion is amazing, and we were just testifying like crazy. He in the short lesson of about 20 minutes, realized and told us that he wants to get baptized, and make all the necessary changes NOW. Not only did we leave him with the Book of Mormon, but he TOOK it from us. He wanted it so bad after being intruiged by some of the things we shared from it. We have also seen a HUGE progress in some of the Less active members with whom we have been working. The Gimenez family, the Sanchez family, the Arbazua family, and a few more. There is so much to do, there is very little time to rest...and that is why what happened to my foot is kind of a bummer. Not to mention that the traveling and stuff starts up again next week....whew. So much to do, not so much time to do it. I love you all and am praying for you always.

Elder Andersen

January 20, 2010

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodnight. Tis true, tis true my dear family, that I am now killing my second companion. (Here, when we say the word killing, we are refering to being the companion they have until the end..that is to say, when they ¨die¨) He will begin his travel home on sunday evening, and be arriving wednesday morning in Orange County California. He will then be driving back to Placentia, and then be having lunch at In-n-Out for lunch, going to varios activities in the afternoon, and going to Young Womens Personal Excellence Night (With his mom, because she is young womens president), and then off to BJ`s, which according to him, has the best dessert in the entire world(no idea what it is called) He will then continue his evening by watching movies he has waited anxiously to see, beginning with Batman 2. He will not be sleeping his first night home, and will be leaving at 7:00 thursday morning to test for his new drivers license, because his expired a few months back. ETC.In other words, he is all ready, set and excited to go. For the rest of this week, we are going to be going by our investigators, and saying goodbye to a bunch of people. There is a LOT to do, and no a WHOLE lot of time to do it all. We had interviews with the Mission President last week, and that went EXCEPTIONALLY well. I love just getting a little one on one time with him. He is so knowledgable, and helped me to look even more into my personal studies...especially in the Old Testament. Things have been going nuts, and there is just so much to tell, and I really dont know how to start, or to finish.I am doing well, and I am just very excited for what is coming. we will find out who my new companion is this friday afternoon, so I am even more than excited for that. DONT FORGET! Today is Megan`s birthday! I am sure she has told you all, I even got pictures of her asking a boy to sweethearts. (Sigh). Everyone wish her a happy birthday, and give her a hug for me. But, other than that...I just dont know what to tell you people. The weather is great here, there are TONS of people everywhere...and you are all sitting in the snow, and cold...hahahahahaha. Its okay, because by the time it starts getting cold here...I will be going back to wehre you people are where it is hot again. :) I`m so HAPPY! YOu all know how I am with the cold...Well, I hope everything is going absolutely amazing for you all, please take care..
WGB,
Elder Andy

January 13, 2010

Well, this last week was really GREAT! We had lots of fun, and lots of things happen. I really dont know where to begin, and its kind of hard even to distinguish one week from the next, so if I repeat myself, I apologize.Rosa and Martin were baptized and confirmed this weekend....exciting no? I think so. Glassman is down to 11 days, and we have lunches and dinners set up everywhere with people that want to give him a goodbye meal...in other words, I am going to continue eating WAY too much, of WAY good food, that is WAY bad for me. We get home at nights after these dinners just unable to move, they just dont stop feeding us. For example. We went straight from church on sunday to our lunch. I was full after eating two plates, and then when they came out of the kitchen with about 40 Chicken fried stakes to eat...I just wanted to cry. so, I forced down about twelve of them, and then we took off, afraid that they had more...which they might have. We went home for a bit, and then some members knocked on the door, and told us that they had a barbque they wanted us to go too, with steak, ribs, and chicken, with salad and potatoes...we got owned again-with desert. Then we had a meeting with some other missionaries, and we got a phone call from Rosa who made us a cake and some crepes with Dulce de Leche(carmel like substance) to take home for the night...RIDICULOUS. They say that it is because we have gained the trust of the members that they give us things like this...but I think it is because they want to see us get fat...Oh, it is the summer time here, and it has gotten crazy here in Mar Del Plata. In the last 10 days, over 430,000 people have come, and the majority of them to my area. They are all tourists,a nd we are finding people from everywhere...and everything is always WAY packed.Anyways...everything is good here for me, just loving the weather, and the work. Trying my best to do everything that I can, and to do it in the Lord`s way.Thank you so much for everything everybody...
WGB,
Elder Andy P.S. Photos!1. This is the baptism from the weekend...Rosa and Franco-Glassman and Myself(if you recognize me :)2. I fell asleep with winnie the pooh...how cute no?

New Address

The mission office has been moved, in other words, a new address to send things too. Dont worry, if you have already sent things, they will make it just fine for the next few months. DONT WORRY. They will get here. (in all honesty, they will still get here for the rest of my time in the mission, but just to be safe, send things now to THIS address)

Misión Argentina Bahía Blanca
Chacabuco 1755
8000 Bahía Blanca
Buenos Aires

ArgentinaThanks everybody... I love you lots
WGB,
Elder Andy

January 6, 2010

Everything seems to be going pretty well here. Rosa and Martin have their baptismal interviews this Friday, and the Baptism is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, with the confirmation following on sunday. This week has been lots of fun, and there have been lots of things to do. Obviously we had new years eve, which consisted of TONS of fireworks with our neighbors, and a TON of food. It was way fun. Then, we were challenged by some members to a basketball game, my comp and I. They were both on Club teams here in Mar Del Plata-(so, they are supposed to be pretty good) We played one game to 10 points, and we had to win by two...we beat them 11-9. They were MORE than frustrated, so they said they wanted to make it the best out of three...so we played again and beat them 10-4. They were even more devastated, and now they want a rematch. hahaha. Well, they are born soccer players here, and should just know that outside of that...we just own everybody in everything...We had a little bit of national pride as we walked away from that game....hahaha. What can I say...I still love my country.There is still much to do, and I am so glad that most likely I will be here until March. Yes, March. I love what I do, and I am learning and growing so much, in ways I never really understood. I know this is the work of the Lord, and I am so glad to be a part of it.Love you all, and wish you all the best of Luck with this week.WGB,Elder Andersen