Letters from April 18, 2008 (finally) :)

Dear Family
Transfers were just last week. My new companion is Elder Harrison from South Jordan. He has only been out 6 weeks longer than me. We are in the Dural Ward so I am staying in this area at least another transfer. Elder Harrison is senior companion, but I know the area. He was in Bathhurst before this & it is a country area, so being in the city is alot different for him. We got a new car, its an '08 Camry, too bad I cant drive. Only the senior companions can drive.
Well everything is going good in the area. We are still mostly in the finding stages. But we did have a lady at sacrament meeting last week. She didnt stay the whole time, but we went & visited her Wendesday & she didnt like how children were in the meeting. She looked on Wikipedia about some church history. Hopefully we can resolve her problems and start teaching her. Other than that there is not much going on here. It is starting to get chilly over here. Alot of the members are over in Utah now, so Sacrament Meeting attendance was heaps fewer than normal.
Well I think you are listening to Conference right about now. I hope you are enjoying it. I am watching it on reboradcast next week. It will be good.
We have dinner with Bishop Krok tonight so I better get ready. Bishop is awesome. Hey look up Matt Krok on the web. (thats his son) Good family, well gotta go
Love ya heaps
Elder Andreasen

Mom
Thank you for that package with all the goodies & toys. Elder Brown has never had swedish fish so he enjoyed that. They dont have very good candy in Australia. Some stuff they dont have, that I miss is, Reeses, Swedish Fish, Tootsie Rolls, Yummy!! Thanks for sending Brent's letters they make me smile. It sounds like he is going to do good in Cape Verde.
Sis Scruggs brought over some homemade cinnamon rolls, (they dont have them in Australia) they were really really good. It made me miss yours, but yours are heaps better.
Can you send some more contacts for me. I am on my last pair after I got poked in the eye. I need more socks & garments, but I can buy them here. That is about all I need. I dont need Oreos or Top Ramen or anything. :)
Thanks, Love you heaps
Elder Blake Andreasen

(this little note was written last and makes me feel a little bad)
I found some writing paper in the flat and I also found some pens. Well I think something went wrong with the mail a couple weeks ago we got new office missionaries and I think they messed up bad. The past 3 days I have gotten 10 letters, but they were written ages back, like over a month ago. So please forgive me for not writing as much as you.
Thanks for all the letters though.
Elder Harrison & I are working hard & trying to find people that will listen to us.
Yea!! we get to watch GC. We get to go to all the sessions. I hope you like the paper and pens.
Love Elder Andreasen

Blake sharing his bird noises and showing us things in his apartment

Blake showing us his cooking skills

A TOAD in a HOLE

Elder Andreasen

Creatures from Downunder!!

Letter from March 19th

Hey
Sorry about the last letter I never got a chance to send it. Wow its been 3 months that means transfers are coming up and I will probably get moved. I will let ya know what goes down and who my new comp is. Hey the Mt. Dew doesnt have caffiene here. :) Hey I was talking to my Ward Mission Leader and he served in Wellington, New Zealand. Then I got thinking and I told him my uncle (Neil) served there and he asked his name and my Ward Mission Leader said the he knew him and he trained one of his good mates. Shane Armfield. So that was pretty cool. Elder Brown is just out mowing the lawn. We are suppose to mow it often but this is the first time in 3 months. The grass is long as...
I think I have forgotten to tell you some of the slang over here.
mate= friend
Heaps = lots , bunch
Slash = pee
trash = rubbish
trunk = boot
hood = bonnet
ground beef = minced beef
They dont have good american candy here like Reeses or stuff like that. They dont have Dr. Pepper at all. All they have is Coke & Mt. Dew & a little Pepsi
I have told you that Dural ward is a rich ward and I just found out a bunch of families are going to SLC from here for General Conference.
My Ward Mission Leader is going, Brother Bennallack, Brother Arnold is going and a few others. Oh and Elder Sybrowsky the Area President is going. So if ya hear anyone talking funny ask 'em if they know me :)
(Blake drew a picture of the different rules missionaries are suppose to follow.)
There are bunch of rules but rules are good for us. If you obey with exactness then you will be happier, stronger, healthier, smarter, and be able to recognize and feel the spirit. So rules are good.
Well I better go and see if Elder Brown is done mowing the lawn.
Love ya Heaps
Elder Andreasen

Letter from March 14th

(Elder Andreasen & Elder Warnock)
Dear Family,
I am still loving Australia. It is sooo green right now. Everyone says this has been the wettest coolest summer in ages. I must have brought some moisture from Utah :).
Wow sounds like Utah got heaps of snow though. Wish I could be there to shovel it??
Wow there are so many birds here. I have gotten used to all the noise they make.
Last week I got to see Elder Davis Warnock when Elder Bednar came and talked to our missions. We couldn't talk long though because we were supposed to hurry and leave after the meeting. I got a pic with him (Elder Warnock) though. I also got to shake Elder Bednar's hand. That was an awesome meeting. He taught us that it is the Holy Ghost that reaches, not us, so get out of the way.
He is speaking again to all of Australia on Sunday so that will be good.
We had zone conference so that was really nice too.
Well that is pretty much all the excitement here.
Not much is happening in this area, but Elder Brown and I are trying and we will be blessed for our efforts.
Love ya Heaps!
Elder Andreasen