Week 1 in California

Hola familia!!!!

So um hey here I am in California. Are you dying to know where? I hope so because I have been dying to tell you! But first of all I LOVED talking to ya'll this week! It was the best! I'm sorry I couldn't hear very well I was trying so hard, but I could not have loved hearing from all of you more! I have been stressing since the phone call that #1 Andrea is stressing I don't sound happy--I am PUMPED!! I was just trying to hear everybody and it was quite a big day for me :) and #2 that Lexie thinks I am weird or different because I sound different. Don't stress I am still the same. :)

Ok so we landed in Burbank, me and 15 other missionaries, and we met President Hall. He is so great! He is exactly what I thought a Mission President would be like, really caring, really strong spiritually and cries every time he talks about his wife.

So we spent Wednesday in training and meetings, we still had no idea where we were going or who we were going with. On Thursday they took us to the church building for the transfer meeting!!! WOOT! So I am with.........Hermana Clayton. She is so great! I just love her! I have so much to learn from her. She has no fear and just gets in there and gets it done! I love it! She is from Houston Texas and these next 2 transfers, with me, are her last two. She leaves for home in November.

The area I am in is North Hollywood. Nope Lexie don't get excited just because it’s Hollywood. It is the hood! I love it so much!! I could not be more in love with this place! It is exactly what I was hoping for! It is very Hispanic and run down kind of. I feel very safe though I haven't been worried ever about my safety. Oh also I am on BIKE! (Any tips Mom and Dad to get rid of the sore bottom?) I LOVE being on bike! (Now Lexie is really worried about me being different. :) ) I was a bit nervous to find out I was in one of, I think, only 3 sister bike areas, but I put it in my head that it would be awesome and it is! I mean let's be real, it does get pretty hot and so I would love the option of a car, but its not a big deal. What's a little sweat?

So my apt (this is so jumbled sorry) address is, XXXX Laurel Canyon #XXX North Hollywood, CA 91605. That is probably the best place for letters for the next 12 weeks and possibly longer. The mission office is fine too I think, I get the stuff from there every couple of weeks. I don't know what the best way for ya'll to write me is, I would say mail, that way I could use this hour I have to write everybody back, but I'm afraid I will never hear from you if I say mail so just do whatever you think is best. I just want to hear from you.

Anyways so back to my week… So as it turns out I was right, I can't speak Spanish, or understand it really. When my comp is speaking I can mostly understand because she is white, but when somebody else gets going I am lost. Luckily a lot of people know English so they help me out. We have taught a couple of lessons; we are stood up most of the time though. It’s all-good though, we will find the people that are ready. That is one thing that I love about being Spanish speaking, they are way more willing to talk to us, and about God. They are much more comfortable about talking religion with people and are happy to talk to us. It’s wonderful!

OH family I have to tell you about the dinner I had last night. We went to a member's house for dinner, which is exciting because that means yummy Mexicanish food right?? Well, we went to a sister's house last night and you would not believe what I, of all people ate. She set down an entire fish right in front of me. Listen, it still had the face and the eyeballs and the brain!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh!, I had a bit of a freak out!! You all would be so proud of me though because I ate that thing! I skipped the eyeballs and brain, mostly I just avoided the head and I stayed away from the tail, but I just ate the meat up real good! Don't stress, I got a picture of it, I wanted you all to see the thing. Ughhhh!!!! It was terrifying! After I tackled that bad boy they brought out the crickets. CRICKETS!!!! Whole crickets! Who are you people? The elders were eating them like they were candy, to that I have to say gracias, pero no gracias. I was too...full? I don't know but I just could not do it!

I am loving it here though! It is so great to be around people even though I have no idea what they are saying. I was thinking last night how grateful I am that Adam has taken me to Mexico so many times because I am quite comfortable having no idea what is going on around me. I know a lot of people have told me how frustrated they were that they couldn't understand people; I'm pretty chill with it.

I know that Heavenly Father allows me to understand what I need for now and will just keep helping me improve. I have so loved being about to share my simple Spanish testimony about the Savior with people. He cares so deeply for all the people I meet and because I know that, I know I can do whatever He need me to do to help them. Even eating a whole nasty fish. I know that this is God's work.

Our ward is made up of mostly converts and it is so amazing to feel all of their spirits and their testimonies. That just shows to me that what I am doing is so important and its what Father wants. I know that God is with me every step of the way, that I allow Him to be.

I love you all so much! Until next Monday! Nos Vemos!!!!

Hna Hansen