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

December 30, 2009

Christmas was awesome. We were with a German and Dutch family. They were speaking to me in German, Dutch(which I understood nothing) and spanish....quite confusing.We ate lots of food, and I am still full to this day. And we have new years tomorrow. I am a little scared....they feed us way too much food.We have just been busy with investigators this last week, getting Franco baptized and working with his mom and brother still.NOt really much to say, I just talked to all of you. Thank you for the support and the christmas gifts. I am loving where I am and what I am doing.I love you all,Elder Andy
¨Lo haré siempre, y cada vez mejor!¨

December 16, 2009

Transfers.Whew...this has been a pretty rough transfer. Well, at least the things that changed... or rather things that didnt change. In Almost ALL of the companionships in this zone, the companionships stayed the same, and there is someone with less than 3 months in every area... In other words, there are a lot of people talking about home, and a lot of the time. I am with Elder Glassman again this transfer. This probably means that I will be here in Mar Del Plata until March, and then be going to my last area of my mission. I fear for this zone, and for this part of the mission because there is SO much potential. There is a lot of work to be done, and the older elders are starting to get lazy. And it does not help that they all have pretty much the same time. In all honesty, I get along with my companion great. We laugh, we have lots of fun, and we even have some investigators that have a baptismal date. So, for me, at least that is good, right?It is very hard for me to believe that Christmas is next week. Christmas is not very big here, at all. It is a rare occasion to see somebody`s house decorated, and even less for people to talk about it happening. NOt to mention, I am just used to Christmas with all of you crazies, so it really just doesnt feel like its real. But its all good.Tomorrow we have a barbeque with a member in the ward who always is doing stuff for us. She absolutely loves the missionaries, and her birthday is tomorrow. We know that the ends just always come tight in their family, and that they dont have any plans to celebrate tomorrow. So, we talked to her husband, and WE planned it out. We are way excited for it. Meanwhile, we have a lesson tonight with Rosa and Franco about living Prophets. They have just been so great, and they are so excited for it all.I am doing well, just marching along, keeping my self in the fight. I will be honest, I really dont know what else to tell you about what is going on right now, just good stuff going on in the mission. I have been studying the Old Testament lately, and that has been strengthening my testimony SO much about Temple, Temple Marriage, The Commanments of God, The Atonement, The real power and authority of the Aaronic Priesthood, and that this is the RESTORED church of Jesus Christ, and that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. IT has been wonderful to me to have this time to truly study and embrace the Scriptures.I love you all so very much, and pray for you always. Keep your smiley faces...Its Christmas.Elder Andy
¨Lo haré siempre, y cada vez mejor!¨

November 18, 2009

Absolutely incredible. We had a baptism last night, and it was amazing. After 8 years of investigating the church, they finally got baptized. The spirit was so strong and there were several people in tears. More than 100 people showed up just to see the deal. Damian (the son of the woman that got baptized) baptized her. The incredible thing about it is, is that he is deaf. But he had been practicing, and forcing the words out. Yes, he said the prayer. Not with sign language, but in words we understand. It was amazing. And they bore their testimonies after, and it was so cool. There were several investigators there, and so many less active members that had known them when they first got to know the church. Apart from that, we have a family of investigators that wants to get baptized and we havent even taught them about what baptism is. We had been with them, and they were looking for more unity in their family, and so we told them that one way that will surely do it, is to read the book of mormon daily as a family, and then pray together. The change was amazing in one week. And they had just read about baptism being a new beginning, and they all want to leave their sins behind them, and begin again, clean in the eyes of God. Yes, there is still work to do with them, but the doors are just opening up everywhere we go. A less active member came back to church with a renewed testimony, and now we are teaching her husband. We have a Family HOme Evening tomorrow night with An investigators and his neighbors who are members. He loves church, and we still havent really taught him that much. There are so many things that we have going on for us, and there is so little time to do it all. I thank the Heavens that my Heavenly Father understands my best efforts.Well, my time is getting short so I need to go but I love you all, Sorry its so short. Take care, I love you all.
¨Lo haré siempre, y cada vez mejor!¨