North Hollywood -first week in the field

3 February 2011

Hi Hi Hi! I love you immensely!

So I don't know if you got my letter that I sent from the mission home yet, but here are the stats: I'm in North Hollywood in a Spanish-speaking ward (congregation), in a trio with Hermana Strong as my official trainer (or "mom") and Hermana Gerhartz as my "stepmom/dad" I guess my "dad" is supposed to be my district leader, an Elder by the name of Zundel. Both of my companions refer to me as "baby" on a regular basis. Purty Cute. Hermana Strong is on her last transfer, so I will apparently be replacing her but I'll most likely stay in this area for another transfer at least.(Editor:  a "transfer" is six weeks.) We're officially supposed to be on bike, but we're covering both Hermana Gerhartz's area AND ours, so we get to ride in sweet  Toyota Corolla style.

My first night, our trainers picked us up at around 6 and we already had 3 appointments and 6 more the next day. It's funny to see Latino culture (particularly in relation to time) as it pertains to missionary work. We are NEVER right on time, and it's completely ok. I love it! So my first full day, some of our investigators weren't home, so we were looking for someone whom the missionaries had taught a while ago but knocked on the wrong door. A young mom and her daughter answered and after my companions introduced who we are and that we have a message about Jesus Christ, they both looked at me to tell her what that message was. Gah! talk about a pee-my-pants moment. But I said something to the effect of "well, it's basically this: all of the truths and principles that Jesus Christ established in His church have been restored through a prophet and we are helped and guided by a prophet today. If you're willing, we would love to come in and share how these things have changed our lives." And she let us in!! Her name is Martha and she's from El Salvador (I think about 90% of our investigators are from El Salvador--cool) and she's very concerned for the welfare of her family in this time when such terrible things are happening and there's so much confusion about what is right and what is wrong. So we taught her the first lesson and I had the privilege of sharing the First Vision with her. Oh my gosh, it was amazing. So we challenged her to read the introduction to the Book of Mormon and pray about it as well as our message. We have another appointment with her today and I'm so stoked!

Mom, you were right. I think my Spanish is a lot better than I give myself credit for, and I'm so so so grateful for my exchange year in Ecuador. We had a Zone activity the other day and some of the Elders asked me where I learned Spanish. I told them I learned from Google and had some of them going for a bit. I guess I'm a better fibber than I thought, too. 

It's just so interesting to see how many people have been prepared in special ways to hear the Gospel and I feel so privileged to share it with them. It's a beautiful thing to see individuals observe the world, take their experiences, and glean the little pieces of the truth from those and realize that there is something missing that needs to make all of those pieces fit together. Like our English-speaking investigator, Debbie. I guess she's been through some really hard things lately and she keeps feeling like she needs to better her relationship with God. She says she's never felt abandoned by Him, but that because of her poor choices, she has distanced herself from Him and she's having a rough time knowing how to go about becoming closer to Him, being forgiven, and feeling worthy of that relationship. So we've talked a lot about the Atonement as the means by which all of that is possible and what we need to do to use that incredible gift. First, we need to seek faith in the Savior, do our best to change (repent---that's something that is constantly being shown to me again and again: repentance means changing for the better and using Christ's help to get there) and showing our devotion to Him as our Intercessor and Mediator through following the commandments and making promises to do what's right. Debbie is trying so hard to develop Christlike attributes and better her relationship with her family as well. She's trying so hard to feel that closeness with her Heavenly Father again; I just love her so much and I want to give her everything I have. I feel that way about so many people. You may want to finish the basement so we can have room for all the people I'm going to bring home.

That's another thing I've been thinking about lately. Anytime I've found someone who needed to feel loved and jsut neeeded a place to feel comfortable and safe, I've always wanted to bring them home with me and have my family, who has been that loving anchor and safe harbor for me, nurse them back to emotional, spiritual, and physical health. But I'm realizing more and more that it is because of the principles of the Gospel that our family lives by that we are able to be and do those things. And I'm understanding that if they take those same principles and truly apply them to their lives, they can have the same things that I have. I always understood that in principle but it's becoming concrete for me now. Although there is this one investigator named Erick who really just needs a good family to be his friend and be a constant temporal support for him. So if an Erick Santos ends up on our doorstep, I sent him.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!

It's so fun to talk to people who have so many, many burning questions about life like "where did I come from?" / "I need to get rid of this guilt from doing all those things so long ago, I just don't know how."/ "why are things so hard?", etc and as they're exposing the innermost thoughts of their souls, I keep thinking "I know! I know the answers! Let me teach you!!"

Holy canoli. It's awesome.

The only thing that bugs me is that we don't seem to have enough time as we want to just talk with our investigators about their lives. We have enough time to discover some of their questions, but we're constantly running here and there, but I just love them.

So I loved hearing all about your talk, Daddy-o. Could you send me a copy? Also, I was kind of dumb and didn't bring ANY pictures, minus an old, old, family calendar (please thank Rick and Ron) so if you and any friends who are so inclined could send pictures, I would be most grateful. Also, please thank the Barnums and the Graves and the Hilemans for their gifts. They are immensely helpful and save my tush every day. I should be getting my Missionary debit card any day, so I'll quit using my card. But I'll need a new one come June, just FYI. I'm so so happy to hear that things with that new clinic for Lauren are going so great.Please please please keep me posted. Oh! and here's my apartment address (they won't forward letters from the mission home---I don't think---so you'll have to send them directly to my apt.)

Hermana Allison Beauchamp

5451 Hermitage Apt #5

Valley Village, CA 91607

Also, can you ask Emma to write me? I miss her tons and I don't have her new address. Gosh, there are just so many things to tell you! But from here on out, I have about an hour to write emails so that's much better than the 30 mins. at the MTC. The MTC was a great experience, but I'm glad to be gone. Sometimes I think they slightly overdo the reverence thing to reset the missionaries to not take weighty matters too lightly. Sometimes I felt like I would be ....castigada (punished) if I laughed too loudly.

Oh well. Whatever. I love it here.

Please write soon, via letters to my apartment. Also, if Meg reads this, write me back, woman!!

Love you more than all the times I played Fat Dog this week,

Hermana B.

("Fat Dog" is where you recline on the floor after a large meal and groan, "Fat Dog!" )