Email from November 19th

G'day,
I am trying not to get trunky! I have had companions that get trunky and I have seen missionaries that don't get trunky and I don't want to be trunky. I think about home yes, but I am here now!
About school.... Did you get on besmart.com? I would like to go in winter term if there is any way possible, see what you can do please. I will take the ACT test again and this time I won't stay up until 3 in the morning the night before :) and maybe I can just sleep on the beach! :)
I just want to get away and figure things out without any pressure.
Well we'll see what happens.
I am doing ok. I have been sick this week. I had a pretty bad head cold. I feel a bit light headed now and just feel kind of sick. We didn't teach our one investigator this week because he went down to Melbourne so we'll see him next week and try to move his date.
About the long flight of 14 hours. It was crazy. I didn't get out of my seat the whole time, and I was shell shocked about the experience. I was worried I shouldnt play the games on the TV in front of me and I was scared to watch the movies. I just watched as the screen kinda showed a jet flying over the ocean and showing the progress of the flight, it was weird. I don't know what I'll do this time?
Elder Bennett is from Idaho Falls, he has been out for about 18 months. Umm he is a music guy studying music at Ricks.
Today we are going to Werrington to play touch rugby, it will be interesting because we have 2 new missionaries in the zone so we will have to teach them rugby.
Thank you,
Love you heaps,
Elder Andreasen

Email from November 8th

(Sorry that it has taken me over a month to update Blake's website. But below is the last month + of emails. A month from Thursday and he'll be home YEAH!!!)


G'day This week has been good. You remember that Indian guy? Well we set a date for him to be baptized on Dec. 19, I know it is after I go home and it is so far away soooo.. We will try to move it forward, to maybe the 3rd? Other than that not much has happened, oh we taught a Tongan family. It is the sister of a member that just moved into our ward. Last year Thanksgiving I was in Dubbo and the branch president’s wife was from the states so they had a bunch of missionaries over. Then we played some horse shoes and watched a church movie. Thanks for info about school. I don't know what else to do on the application, if you want to go on and look, and update some stuff and check it out. And about rooming I don’t care well... no plans with anyone. Well one thing new that has been going on last week at interviews president asked all the missionaries to read the Book of Mormon in 2 months marking all the references to Jesus Christ, so because I am going home before 2 months I will have to read it quickly, I am in 2 ne 29 and I am learning how much the BoM is another testament of Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for everything, I will try to send a card home this week so you can have some pics.
Love you Heaps
Love Elder Andreasen


(Well I am not sure if this is torture before the missionaries come home.. I am guessing Blake might have smooth legs when he gets home) :)

Email from November 1st

G'day
Not much happened this week. We did a lot of work with less active members hopefully something will come of that. The weather has been pretty hot and I think it will only get hotter and hotter until about Dec. 12 then it will be freezing. :) Not much happened for Halloween we saw a few trick or treaters but that was about it, oh then there was a small party in one of the apartments next door.
I haven’t heard from Elder Ucunibaravi, he was supposed to send me some stuff but never did, I am not sure if he is in Hawaii, I am pretty sure he has a brother and sister there though?
My suits are doing fine... the one that I bought is not nice and it is old so I will not bring it home and I am debating on bring 1 or 2 suits home? We will see
I talked to President Scruggs about going to Hawaii BYU and he said he might be able to help so... I think I should start in January that way I don’t really have to worry about transportation, so could you start getting things organized for that, maybe with President as well.
Today we are playing basketball. I am loving it here. The lord blesses me so much. I am really grateful for the experiences the people and everything else that I am learning here.
Thank you for your support, love and prayers.
Love Elder Andreasen

Email from October 26th

G'day This week has been good. On sat I baptized our investigator. He is 13 and is a friend of the Bishops son. Some of his family came to his baptism and confirmation on Sunday, so I hope and pray that all these things will lead to them accepting the gospel. Yes I went to the doctor he gave me some antibiotic to put in my eye; I think it is fixed now? Hopefully it will not come back. On Friday I finally received the Reeses and razor heads, then today we came to the temple and I received the Halloween package, thank you!! Oh that was a picture of Elder Sperry and me. Oh I don't know what to do about Hawaii, I think I want to go there maybe just for a year??? I don't know, did you find out if the credits could transfer to Utah University??? That sounds cool beaner Wednesday! I miss good Mexican food The temple was good today. It was my first time doing..... (Man I suck at spelling) initiatories, now we are going to go play footy as a zone, We were not able to get the Indian guy to church because he had to work. It is good at the same time because he believes he got the job because of us going over to teach him how to pray. Well I am trying to do the things that the Lord needs me to do here. Thank you for your support love and help Love ya heaps!! Love Elder Andreasen

Email from October 18th

This week has been good! We have someone getting baptized this Saturday. I will send pics.... Today we are going to Katoomba which is where the 3 sisters are so I will take pics there as well. This week we also have zone conference those are always something to look forward to; this is my last one... Nothing too much has happened this week; the weather has been really nice. We are just trying to build up a teaching pool in Richmond so we can have a few more people to try to get baptized in the next couple of months. Katoomba is about an hour drive so sorry today email is short. But I am loving it here in Australia Richmond is such a good ward; I am trying to strengthen it in any way I can. Thank you all for your support I love you and pray for you daily Love Elder Andreasen
(As you can see Blake has mastered the Rubik Cube) :)

Email from October 12th

G'day
This week has been busy. It was good though at the end of the week we got to watch conference. 10 hours it was good, I really enjoyed it. I think my 3 favorite talks were, of course Elder Holland, but also Elder Callister (he is now our area president here, I had an interview with him a few months ago... he was a mission president in Canada about 10 months ago) and also that Korean guy his talk was good.
Something good that happened this week was, Elder Bennett and I decided to walk towards the university on Wednesday, we met a guy and he is from India, we set up an appointment to teach him Friday so we went and taught him. He asked if he could come to church with us, and we told him about conference, he wanted to come on Saturday he went for 2 sessions, then when the member dropped him back home they said he started to cry, and said thank you. We will teach him again on Friday...
Well next conference I will be able to sit in my PJ's on the couch, it will be so much better to sit there than 10 hours on a church bench.
Well thanks for the update on everyone, enjoy Hawaii...
Hey I am serious about this... would it be difficult to go to Hawaii for school??? BYU Hawaii?? Or the other university over there? Can you check it out for me? Hawaii seems like a nice place, and there are a few people I know from here that will be going there. Thanks
Not much else has happened this week. I haven't received the package yet, and the past little while I haven't been taking too many pics... i will try to take more.
Oh one thing that happened again this week I don't know if I told you.
But about 5 weeks ago we were digging a hole and Elder George accidentally flicked some dirt in my eye. Then about a week later it got all red, and then it went away. then the next week it went all red again, so I bought some eye drops and it went away for about 3 weeks then yesterday it flared up and got red again, it was quite painful, I will call Sister Scruggs and tell her and probably get it looked at?
But I am doing fine now just a little red, thank you for everything
Love you heaps Love Elder Andreasen

Email from October 5th

G'day,
Well it was Labor Day yesterday so the library was closed. So I don't have much time today. So can you send this email to Dad for me as well thanks.
Elder Bennett is from Idaho Falls, he has been out for about 17 months, and he is a good guy. He went to BYU-Idaho and studied something about music. This is his 4th area, so he usually stays in his area for awhile.
Things are going good here in Richmond. I don't know if I told you but will have a baptism on Oct. 24, we are still trying to find people to teach, and we had a couple families move into the ward that we will work with in finding people. They seem like really nice families.
The weather here has been crazy, a lot of rain! Today is the first real clear day for a while. Everyone says this summer will be hot, and they are getting scared of bush fires happening.
Oh my flat is by some business complexes right on the corner then there is a small empty field then our flats. There are about 13 small flats.
Well I will watch conference next week, I am sure I will enjoy it. I hope all is well over there, I pray for you daily thank you for your help and your prayers Love ya heaps!!
Love Elder Blake Andreasen

Email from September 27th

G'day
Wow that dust storm was crazy!! I didn't get a real good look because we have to be in the flat till 10 but when we went out wow... Many people were advised to stay indoors, but i think President Scruggs was mad at the mission. We had baptism dates fall through so we went out and worked in it. I took a picture of our shoes after walking around for awhile and I had already wiped them down a couple of times. Since there hasn't been any rain, all the dust just sits so we walk around and our shoes still get dirty. I guess there is a video on YouTube of when the dust got picked up out in broken hill and the sky went black. I haven’t seen it yet but I heard it was cool.
We got transfer calls yesterday. Elder George is going up to Grafton I am staying and my new companion is Elder Bennett. I don’t know him much but he seems pretty cool.
About those questions
Yes I got those school forms, I chose that basic course, but I asked you to see if I need a foreign language to get into the U of U?????? Because if I do I will take one at SLCC maybe Chinese??
And I don't really care what color you paint the room; I am not too picky on that kind of stuff, hot pink maybe? :)
Oh I got that big envelope with all the cards in it, thank you for those and thank everyone else too. The fruit snacks were good. Oh and next package you send could you send more Reeses? Thanks! Oh and it is the same razor I came out with...
Today some other missionaries are coming to Richmond and we are going to go bowling, I am starting to really like bowling , I don't know if I told you but in Dubbo we went a few times and once I picked up a 7 - 10 split!!!!
Last p-day we just did our shopping then went back to the flat and relaxed. The one before I think we just went to the chapel and played b ball they have an outdoor court.
I will let you know about Elder Bennett next time.
Thank you for your love and support
Love Elder Andreasen

Email from September 20th

G'day
HAHA That lady that called you is from New Zealand, everyone in New Zealand knows each other so Elder George was talking about all these people he knew. She said she was in Kaysville and said she would give you a call... Her sister is in our ward she is less active with an nm husband and we just popped in yesterday evening and they gave us a drink. Hahaha her name is Ester it’s just the accent that made it difficult to understand.
WOW I can’t wait for some peach shakes!!! Sounds like everyone is so busy over there. Thanks for the updates
I am doing well. Transfers are next week, so next time I email I will tell you what is up with transfers... this week was good, we had interviews with president Scruggs he is such a good guy. Jack does not have a solid date yet we are pretty sure it is in October, but hopefully we will find out this Thursday.
Well we had stake conference this Sunday it was good Penrith stake has some good strong Melchizedek p/hood holders. It is a small stake but it is pretty strong, Richmond is probably one of the best wards. They are doing missionary work but they just have a little bit of trouble getting the missionaries involved. They talk to others about the church more than any other ward but they struggle inviting, people we are working with are doing well. I think and hope things will really explode here as far as missionary work. I think one thing we will do is pray and fast like we have never done before.
I don't really need anything that I can think of. Thanks though.... Oh wait some razor heads would be nice.
I did get my birthday package thank you. I gave the Reeses away to some Aussies that haven’t tried them before, they were really thankful for them so thanks again for those. I took the Swedish fish to zone conference and shared with a bunch of people, and I took the gummi worms to the zone activity and they were smashed in about 5 min, thanks. I don’t know if I shared things like that when I was back home or if I have just learned it while being out on my mission. Charity never faileth...
Well thank you for your support Love you heaps Love Elder Andreasen

Email from September 13th

G'day mate
Hey things are going good here in Richmond. The baptism date we set got moved back to sometime in October, so that is a bit of a bummer but he will be baptized it is just a matter of getting everyone to attend.
His name is jack he is 13; his mom is catholic but supportive of what he chooses. Sometimes the kids are a gateway to the parents though so hopefully in the future her heart will be touched.
We will be working with a Tongan family in our ward that have 13 kids, crazy eh, anyways they have a cousin or something like that, that staying with them that is not a member, so we will get the Tongan speaking missionaries to come up and teach him. Then we will work with this girl in our ward that has a nonmember boyfriend and she told him that she wouldn't marry him unless he gets baptized so we have a few people that we are hoping and praying for.
The weather has been quite hot lately, oh and also they have been doing back burning before the summer begins, so Richmond is covered in smoke. I think this summer will be quite hot!! I will go home to the cold. I hope there will be snow when I fly in??
we are really at the foot of the runway. It’s a good thing they don't fly at night... the latest i think i have seen is 10 at night, so we are lucky.


Oh I could go for a peach shake right about now....
I hope all is going well for everyone, you are in my prayers.
Love you heaps!!
Love elder Andreasen

Email from September 6th

G'day
Thanks for the video, and pics..
I got a call from the office this morning to wish me a happy birthday, and they said the just received the package. I will probably get it on Thursday at zone conference. I got the big envelope. Thank you those Swedish fish and jelly bellies I just can’t get enough of.
Richmond is going well. We are teaching a few people, which is good, the ward is really good, and we get fed 3 or 4 times a week. But most importantly they enjoy doing missionary work!! We set a baptism date for the 26 for jack,,, bishop’s sons’ friend.
Thank you for everything. I really appreciate the updates on everyone; sorry I am not much of a writer or typer at that. But typing is easy and fast. I wish I could write everyone and say thank you especially those that have written me, I just hate my handwriting, sorry :)
I am enjoying it here, and I always feel so blessed, I feel your prayers daily.
Thank You!
Love Elder Andreasen

Email from August 30th

G'day
I think i figured out something I can do to make the emails work?
Well I will put all the stuff that I typed last week.
I am doing well. Richmond has a really good ward; a lot of the members are doing missionary work. We are teaching one of the bishop’s son’s friend, we will probably get a baptism date for him this week. Then we are working with some of the members friends that they are working with hopefully we can help them. Elder George and I get along well.

I haven’t received any packages yet?
I sent the memory card last Monday, you should get it soon.
Our flat is right at the foot of an air force runway. Our study desks look right out the window and the planes are flying right over head. It gets pretty loud!!
It is only elder George and I in the flat. We are about a 1 hour drive from the mission office which is on the same grounds as the temple.
Oh and about how much I weigh.... I gained some weight at the begging of my mission but I am pretty sure I cant gain any more,,, I have tried. I wish I could put on a few more pounds/??
Wow they are making a singles ward. Who is the bishop??
Well I am doing well
Thank you for your support
Love you heaps
Love elder Andreasen

Email from August 16th

G'day
I am getting transferred to Richmond, my new comp is from New Zealand his name is elder George. He came out the same time as me. I am not real excited about getting moved, but I have a lot of things to do today because I have to say goodbyes and get all packed up again. I was in this area for 6 months so that means I will probably die in Richmond? Because I have 4 months left. Wow it is flying by.
Sorry this week is short
I have a few questions though.
Is my birthday on Sept. 9 or 7, because on the pedigree chart you made for me when I came out says the 9th, but I am pretty sure it’s the 7th? :)
oh and about school do I have to have foreign language to get into u of u , I think I heard you do,, or can you sneak me in because I took 2 years of Spanish it just wasn't when it counted 9-12 grade?????
I love you heaps!!!!
Thank you for everything
Love Elder Andreasen

Email from August 9th

G’day things are going well here.
Ummm not much new this week. The apartments that all the senior couples were staying at got sold so they all have to move, so we helped a couple of them last week and in the next week we have to move 2 more. Man was i sore! Elder Bybee and I carried all of the fridges from the top floor down 2 stories but they were the double over stair cases. Then we had to take all of the rest of the things down. So other than that not much new.
Question time.
Yes i still live in aprtment on 129 park road Dundas, but transfers are next week so i will let you know of any major changes.
OH about the 13 of december that should be fine, i will just wing it ;-) No one is very close to baptism in our area. we still are just filling up the teaching pool. In the district though over in ryde ward they are doing awesome, the sisters have a baptism date for the end of this month and they are teaching a lot of people, the same as the elders they are teaching a lot of people. They are all Chinese UNI students.
Well when I get off the mission I will tell y7ou all about my companions some I like some I don’t but right now I need to love the one I am with no matter if he is my favorite or not.
YES we knock on doors, it is not a very effective way to find people to teach, the best way to find is through members, but tracting must get done. The best converts are the ones members find but they just have a hard time with that, we are trying to help them but not much success yet.

Up until this week we had a car but we had to give it to other missionaries that needed it so we are just bussing walking and training.
Oh this week I tried to make a Chinese dish called HOT POT its kind of like fondue I took a pic and a video. It was ok I don't know how to make it but I tried and it was edible.
Thank you for the pictures everyone looks happy so that is good Thank you for your support and everything Love you heapss!!
Love Elder Andreasen

Email from August 2nd

G'day
This week has been OK yesterday we had 2 Indian guys that we have been teaching come to church. They also have a friend that we teach but just wasn't able to come to church. It is interesting teaching them because they don't really believe in Jesus Christ and they don’t have very good English. But that’s good because no one in China believes in God either so it is a new concept for them too.
WOW my little sister is getting married this week!!
OH I only saw Sister Scruggs sister for like 2 minutes, but it was good hearing some Utah accents again. Don't take offense or anything but it just sounds weird talking to the fam on the phone because of the accent.
OH in the package I just need socks, sour patch kids, Swedish fish. I think that’s it.
Well the weather is beautiful over here. It’s a bit chilly in the morning but when we go out to work all I wear is a long sleeve shirt. Then sometimes I have to roll my sleeves up.
Well I remember 1 funny experience. We were walking down the road in a very suburban area and all of a sudden we see a wild turkey crossing the road? I was a bit confused by it so I kind of started hunting it, but it flew on top of a building and Elder Savage said that I can’t climb up there.. That was interesting.
Well the work is really starting to pick up here in Ryde district; I am trying to figure out what I can do to help the district members.
Thank you for everything,
Pray always
Love Elder Andreasen

Email from July 27th

G'day
We went to the temple today so that is why I am emailing a day late.
WOW! I cant believe my little sister is getting married.
I completely forgot about the 24 of July. Elder Bybee and I were on exchange and he reminded me right before we went to bed that night. One of the weirdest and another crazy experience , Elder Bybee and i were walking down a road and long story short we saw a drunk all drugged up, so we called and got an ambulance. You will have to ask me about this story so you can get the longer better version.
OHH I heard ICE Age 3 came out how was it?!!
Sorry I am not very good at writing, I just don't know what to write and sometimes don't think..
DID you remember if Elder Bybee has the same eye problem as Me.? I told you what it was last week.
I really wish you could send Cafe Rio, but since you cant maybe just Swedish fish, jelly belly, ???????
Thank you for everything! All is well here, and i am loving it!
Love you Heaps!!
Love Elder Andreasen

Email from July 17th

G’day the weeks really seem to fly by!!
Thank you for the update on everyone, I pray for you all every day.
I will answer those questions first so I don’t forget

1. What is the weirdest or interesting thing he has eaten? (I was guessing it was the Kangaroo when you first got there, if not let me know)
The weirdest thing that I have eaten, it wasn't in a meal, but it was a thousand year old egg. I am pretty sure it’s not thousand years old but it looks like it, I guess it is some Chinese food. Boy was it nasty it’s like a hardboiled egg but it’s BLACK!! You peel the shell ITS STILL BLACK!! I had to eat it though, it was like a challenge that a few missionaries had to do, a few of them were gagging not me though, and it was hard to hold back.





2. What is your favorite thing about Australia?
Well right now it is being able to share the gospel, and the people that you are able to meet, but about Australia.... it is cool to see all the different cultures that are here, oh can I say one of my least favorite things. The men wear short shorts, it is so weird

3. What work have you done... that’s meant a lot to you?
The greatest thing that you can see is others, whether they are active, less active or non members, be strengthened by the gospel,

4. Funny or interesting thing that’s happened?
Wow being a missionary, I think it is impossible to go a day without something funny or interesting, man some of the people we meet, the dogs, oh did I tell you in my first area I got chased by a massive Rottweiler (SP?) I am loving it here.






OH I am still in the same flat with 4 missionaries, E. Savage, E. Bybee, E. Kat. Ha-ha elder Bybee, is cool he is from St. George; I think he has the exact same eye problem as me. He says it is called strabismus. Is that what I have?
We are doing well thank you for everything Love ya heapss!
Love Elder Andreasen

Email from July 12th

OOpss!! I just wrote you an email and it got deleted ugghh!!
Hey things are going well here. Elder Savage and I are doing well he is a really smart guy. I was able to get to know him a little in the mtc. Right now we are just working with a few of the same people and we are trying hard to build up our teaching pool.
This transfer I was called to be the district leader over Ryde district, and you should be getting something in the mail saying that. Oh one of the first things that I had to do was pretty crazy. .... The sisters are supposed to call in each night when they get in just to make sure they are safe it gets to about 10 and I call a few times and they don't answer so after calling the zone leader they said if they don't answer by 10 30 they will call president to see what to do. So of course they don't answer so president say that I and elder savage need to go to their flat to see if they are home. we get to their flat at 11 and start ringing the bell no answer we rang for about 10 minutes still nothing so we call president and said that he is sending over someone with a key then and that moment the lights go on in the flat.. Well they were asleep and left the phone on silent in the other room. That was fun :(
Oh I never got anything about SLCC or the Jazz in the mail yet.
Hopefully it will come soon.
Well love you heaps thank you for all your support. I am loving serving the Lord here in Australia Love you Heaps!!
Love Elder Andreasen

Email from July 5th

WOW everyone is moving, well we got transfer calls and I am not moving. My new companion is Elder Savage; he came out the same time as me. I asked him if he knew any Savages in Sandy and he said no. He is from Colorado but he has lived quite a few different places even in the Dural ward when he was young.
Well we have had a really good week this week we have been able to find a lot of people to work with and we hope that we will be able to get some of them to progress.
Just really quickly, I think I would still like engineering but I thought you just had to take generals because that is what the U requires?
But things are going well here
Thank you for everything, hopefully everyone can get settled and stop moving
Love,
Elder Blake Andreasen

Email from June 28th

G'day Things are going well here in Australia I Have another companion with me just until transfers. Next Monday I will tell you what is going on with transfers I will find out on Sunday. MY new comp for this week is elder Qualls from Texas. After thinking about it has been awhile since I have had a comp from America the last one was with Elder Vogel and we left each other in September wow. I think I have lost almost all the American in me; I am probably more Chinese than American ha-ha.
It will be weird coming home, oh and about that I am not too sure how many classes I should take. Because I am not sure how much money I will have when I get home so maybe I will need a job? I don't know maybe I will just bum off you for the first semester? Tell me what you think; I don't know what 15 hrs means how many classes is that? I will probably do that if that is what you suggest? OH and about a car I don't know or really care as long as it is good at getting me place to place good gas mileage easy to take care of, ask Brian what fits those categories. I know he says Honda’s are good?
OH and about the didgeridoo the mission sends out a thing when your mission is coming to an end about how to take them back, I think you can just wrap them in bubble wrap and just tape it to your suitcase?
Hawaii!! You should wait until I get back ha-ha/k, I would like to visit Hawaii some time. Elder Ucunibaravi has 2 brothers going to school at the BYU there. And I think a couple of the missionaries here are going to go there?
Well things here are going well we are starting to find people that we can work with and we are working on finding more.
Thank you for all of your support and prayers Love you heaps!!
Love Elder Blake Andreasen
Oh I got you package by the way. They brought it to interviews and I opened it there and the Swedish fish were a big hit I haven’t opened the Reeses yet and I try as hard as I can to savor the jelly bellies. Oh and thank you so much for the shirts