Good news from a soldier in Iraq
This was emailed by Will Andrews, who's serving in Iraq

From: Will D. Andrews
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005
RE: Update

Family and Friends,

I pray that this email finds you in the amazing and unending love that comes
from our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This will be the last email that you get from me from this part of the
world. Soon we will be headed back your way and eventually we'll get off a
plane that has landed in Boise, ID. I know that there has been many things
said about the exact time we will be home, but as of right now there is no
definite answer to anything so I ask that you be cautious of what the news
says so as to not set yourselves up for disappointment. God will finish the
good work He has been performing through us and He will ensure that we get
home.

The other day I was performing guard duty when I was given a blessed
reminder of what we have done and why we are here. I spoke with an
interpreter, who is a resident of Kirkuk, for about 30 minutes. He was a
remarkable man and he spoke 7 different languages plus 5 different dialects
of Kurdish. His English was great so we were able to communicate very
effectively. I asked him what he thought of us being here and he kind of
looked at me like I was insane. With a big smile on his face he said, "We
are very grateful to you our American brothers; you gave us help and now we
have our country." It was extremely comforting to hear those words spoken
from an Iraqi citizen with such passion and conviction. We then went on to
talk about the many things that he has had the opportunity to do because of
us being here and what needed to happen for the country to continue
improving.

I then asked him what he did for fun and we found that we have something in
common. He said that all of his free time is spent with his family and that
he loves to spend time with them. Then of course I had to tell him about my
little princess Kierra and how she was the greatest baby ever. We continued
in our conversation and it was a refreshing experience to see first hand
what he have done throughout our deployment here. Here we were, two ordinary
people from completely different backgrounds, cultures, and religions and
yet we were both sincerely enjoying learning about each other. Despite what
the news says, despite what the time away has done to dampen our enthusiasm,
and despite all of the trials we have endured the truth of this situation is
that we have had an impact and a positive one indeed. We ended our
conversation with talk about the referendum on the Constitution. He was very
excited for it and he said that just being able to vote meant something to
him.

I'm not sure how much you have "heard" from the news, but the referendum
process went extremely well. The majority of Iraqi's went and voted and that
in itself is a victory for all of us. I think our province was somewhere
around the 80-85% range. The successful completion of this mission meant a
lot to our Brigade as we now have been here for the first two free elections
in Iraq. Both of them were successful as Iraqi's were given the opportunity
to vote as free citizens are supposed to.

As my days in Iraq come closer and closer to being over, I am reminded of
the many blessings I have experienced throughout this deployment. I was able
to serve my country in combat, which is something that I have always wanted
to do. I have witnessed first hand the beginning of a new democratic nation,
something I won't ever forget. I have met many new people through emails,
letters, and just by being here. My abilities as both a leader and as a
Soldier have improved and the experience I have gained from a professional
stand point is invaluable. Above all of these great things what stands out
most in my mind as being the greatest lesson that I have learned from this
entire experience is my new understanding of the importance of relying
solely upon the Lord in all things. God has been by my side throughout every
trial, on every convoy, and in everything that I have done while deployed.
In addition, He has been with all of you as my concerns usually drift your
way. He has been with my beautiful wife and with my adorable daughter,
keeping them safe and well-provided for.

So this will be the last "from the ground" information I will be able to
send you regarding this place. I have been very blessed to be given the
opportunity to know the truth and to experience first hand. I have enjoyed
sending you all the "ground truth" that I know about and I have also really
enjoyed getting to know some of you better than I did before. Because this
will be the last first-hand experience truth I will be able to provide you,
I encourage all of you to do what I am going to do when I get homeŠand that
is to turn the TV off when they talk about this place and instead remember
to pray for the safety of our Soldiers and for God's will to be done in this
place.

Speaking of getting home, man I can't wait for that day to come. I will
probably be at Ft. Lewis for 4-6 weeks, so that day is still a little ways
off, but it is definitely in sight.

So with that I'll say "see ya later" and leave you with these final words
that come from my heart in regards to being away from my family and being
here:

"If you want to see what dramatic, emotional image of horror the media
thinks will make the most money, turn on CNN, but if you want to know the
truth about this place, ask a Soldier."

"Freedom comes at a price; unfortunately there are very few who are willing
to pay that price, so those that are willing are worthy of our prayers, our
time and our efforts."

"Circumstances do not change who God is, but God will use your circumstances
to change you if you trust Him to do so."

"The Lord is always there; whenever you get tired of trying it your way,
look up and see for yourself."


A Soldier for Christ

Will D. Andrews (Preach)

My heartfelt thanks to Will, and to the men and women serving our country.

Click on the above photo for CENTCOM's photo album on the referendum. CENTCOM also has a page on the Pakistan earthquake relief effort.