Dallin is in Cali!

Beck Family!

So yes, my p day is monday, just so ya'll know. Oh my goodness i have had so much stuff happen in the last couple of days since i got here that i hardly know where to start. I am in the north HUntington Beach area of the mission for my first 12 weeks at least with my trainer. My trainer/companion is Elder Leon, he is a native spanish speaker but knows english pretty darn well to. He works hard and talks to everybody, he is like a big old teddy bear that likes giving out hugs, hes great. My area is pretty large, it overlaps atleast 4 companionships of english speaking elders. I bought a bike and have been riding that thing everywhere, and i am convinced that if i keep it up at the pace i am, i will have tree trunk legs in no time. My area is pretty sweet, and were me and my companion do most of our work is back in the ghetto, which is awesome. But its not really dangerous, just a lot of nice humble people that are willing to listen to us. Everyone says that the longbeach and compton areas are the real dangerous ones, and that where i am at is just where all of the good humble people are, so its a good place to start. I have to say though, they did not teach me spanish in the mtc. I dont know what language they are speaking here, but it definetly is not what they taught me for 6 weeks.

Everybody speaks so fast and mumbles, i cant hardly understand a single word, thats why i am so gratefull for my native speaking companion.

Literally the best thing that happens is when i start contacting someone in spanish and they just kinda look at me funny until they say "I dont speak spanish," cause then im like "great, neither do i." Then i start converting them. basically. My first day here i had a full day of work, and that was after i had woken up a 3 to catch the flight from the mtc. My first day i placed a book of mormon, met a straight up crazy dude who threatened to bring down the 4 horsemen of the apocolypse on us if we didnt leave, and taught 4 lessons that night, all in spanish. I could literally feel my brain cracking and breaking inside my head as i tried to understand what everyone was saying. Also, i have finally experienced real mexican food.

Mom, dont take this the wrong way, you make great food, but the mexican food isn't quite accurate. The authentic mexican food that i have eaten has blown my mind out the back of my head. It is crazy good, like so good i might convert to their religion if that was a requirement for more of it. I also went to the spanish ward yesterday, that was a great experience. I got to introduce myself, pass the sacrament, translate, and went to a baptismal service. I dont think I have so consistently felt exhausted every night since football camp. but football camp was only a week. this is two years.

How is this possible? I did some grocery shopping this morning, bought lots of hamburger helper and instant potatoes, gotta keep feel. Looks like everybody had fun down in moab and destroying the grill, truly done in the beck fashion. I am trying to pick up the language, i am giving myself 3 months. Thats just cause everybody since the mtc has said that it takes about 6 months to learn the language, so i am intent on doing it in 3. With my native speaking comp and being totally immersed in spanish every day, i think i can do it. Also my comp says that it is possible for me to be a trainer after my first 12 weeks, so i figure i better be able so speak the spanish by then. My apartment is pretty nice, gotta kitchen and all, definitley not hurting on the living side of things. Pretty much every missionary is pretty cool here, and is just trying to help all us newbies adjust to this new stuff. I am just loving it here, and i love how hard the work is, and how i just feel totally drained and completely fullfilled at the end of the day. it is a great time to be me. Well i love ya'll, and keep hittin me up.

 

Beck out,

Elder Beck