Yo, Nefi!

Okay so you are probably wondering why I titled this post Yo, Nefi! Well that answer if very simple, it is how the Book of Mormon starts out in Spanish! Is that not the coolest thing ever! I seriously almost died when my companion, Hermana Moore, and I started reading the Book of Mormon together in Spanish and I read those words. I am pretty sure that just based on the fact that the scriptures start Yo, Nefi we can conclude that the church is true! I mean seriously how awesome is that! So whenever I am having a down day here in the MTC I just think about how the scriptures start with Yo, Nefi! It´s pretty awesome!

So I have been at the Mexico MTC here for a little over a week and I seriously love it! Everyone says that the MTC is super hard, but I really haven´t thought it´s been that bad. I mean yes I have may moments and there are been a few tears shed but for the most part it is seriously awesome! I live in the same casa as Hermana Moore my companion who is super awesome love her to death! She is going to Bakersfield, CA and then Hermana Scott and Johnson who will both be serving in Panama. When we are have a down day we count on each other to lift each other up.

The decision to serve a mission wasn´t an easy decision, but everyday I am so grateful for the decision that I made! My love for the gospel is growing everyday and I can´t wait to get out in the field and start serving the people of Chicago! Hopefully, when that time does come my Spanish will be a little bit better than it is now. Like the second day we were expected to give a 20 minute lesson in Spanish! The first lesson I went in with everything written down, but my lesson last night I seriously had like  three scriptures written on the piece of paper. It worked out okay. It´s pretty impressive the amount of Spanish I can already speak. I think my companion really loves it when I break out the French! But boy am I so grateful for the fact that I have some language background and know what is going on somewhat.

Today, we were able to go to the Mexico City, Mexico temple! Wow, what an awesome experience that was. I was hoping that it might be in English, but no of course it was in Spanish! I didn´t understand a whole lot of it, but hey it was still pretty awesome! The temple was so beautiful! It is seriously one of my goals to go to all of the temples one day! One day it will happen!

I miss all my friends and hope that maybe some of them want to send me a letter or something! That would seriously make my day!

I know that this church is true and that Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and that through him our sins can be forgiven us and we can be washed cleaned. I know that families are eternal and that with God´s help anything is possible. There is no way this many missionaries could be learning other languages without divine assistance!

Hermana Peterson!

First Post From Mexico City MTC

I made it safely to Mexico! I was thinking that is all I would say in this letter, but I guess I can say a little bit more. There are tons of people going to Chicago and mostly just tons of missionaries in general!! Also the shift key on these keyboards are not in the right place and I keep typing the wrong thing. Its real great.

I brought a cord with me that will work just fine for my speakers, I think the one in my room is for my phone or something. Thanks for already cleaning up for me. Sorry that I left it a real mess. Next time I leave for a real long time I will try not to. wow don{t know how i changed the font.

well everyone wants to email their family so i{m going to go. but know that i am safe and don{t worry about me! love you all!!

hermana peterson!!

Catch Up!

Opps… I guess I have forgotten to write on my blog for a while. I guess it is time to play some catch up! Lots of things have been going on in my life since my last post so I guess I better start with the most important thing!!

 

My Call! 

I GOT MY MISSION CALL!!! Yay! I know so exciting right? Anyway I am going to Chicago Illinois and will be speaking Spanish! Anyone who knows me even a little knows me even a little knows that Spanish may not be my favorite language. Let’s just say I was a little bit shocked when I read that part of my call. After studying for French for around four years, I would have loved to go French speaking, but I guess that is just not in the Lord’s plans for me. Ever since receiving my call I am becoming more and more excited to learn Spanish! Honestly, Spanish will be such a useful language to know and hopefully my French back ground will aid in the learning process, as I also am real horrible and learning languages!

 

So excited!!! =]

I leave August 7^th! I know, it is super soon! I opened my call June 5^th, so I only will have about two months from getting my call and leaving. O yes, I almost forgot the best part! I am going to the MTC in Mexico! Yay! I love living in other countries even if it is only for six weeks, I am totally counting it! I have lots of shopping to do before I leave needless to say!

The other major change in my life since my last post, is my wonderful second job in the Deli at Maceys. I am pretty sure that sometimes I am delusional and do not think things all the way through, and this is the case with my new job. While the thought of earning more money and having something to do at night was appealing to me, I guess I just didn’t realize how much a second job entailed. I started working at Maceys Memorial Day and have been working four to five days a week there ever since.

The biggest problem is I thought it would be a part time thing, when it is turning out be more full time than anything. So most days I worked 8-3 at Lowry and then go straight to Maceys and work 3-10, but let’s be honest 10 doesn’t really mean 10 it means 10:20 and even 10:40 sometimes. The good part is the work at Maceys goes by pretty fast as I am constantly doing things.

I didn’t expect to be leaving on my mission so soon, but it has given me a great excuse to quit, and last Friday I turned in my two weeks at Maceys, which actually turns out to be three and a half weeks because I don’t know how to say no. The extra cash for my mission will be great, but these last few weeks have been real packed with no friend time which isn’t great as I only have 51 days left.

In the mean time I have been able to find some time for some fun random activities. Such as the Arrest Development Watching Party at #themodelhome!

 

AD! So great! 

The Taylor Swift concert with Clarissa!

 

At concert! 

We made a brief stop at the planetarium and the moon! 

And I even got to feed the duckies at first dam!

 

Duckies!! Love them! 

Nathan Graduated! 

Saw a sunset or two. 

I will try to blog some more before I leave!

Ashley P!

My Life!

I was super pro at writing on my blog while I was gone, but have been a real slacker since being home. In all honesty, my life hasn’t been all that exciting. Mostly, I just go to work and then go home go to bed and do it all again.  I also snapchat lots, so if anyone has that totally snap chat me sometime!

See I get real bored...

However, there have been a few slight highlights since returning home. Obviously, graduating was wonderful, but I have also turned 21 since being home! I have never been a huge fan of my birthdays, they also seem to be a letdown so this year I didn’t really expect too much, which probably helped to make my birthday pretty awesome!

My wonderful sister, who has left me for Europe took me out to lunch at Maddox. Then I came home and took a nap. I think I am adding a nap to my annual celebration for sure. Rachel and I went out to Twizzle Berry as we haven’t really seen each other since returning home. She is a real busy lady and I am real lucky when she has some time for me! After this is when the real partying started. When turning 21 there are certain things you can do that you cannot do when you are 20, so obviously I need to utilize my new privileges! Haha no I did not drink any alcohol I just went to the White Owl to celebrate!

My free Birthday Burger! 

Jonny, Regan, and MaKell were all great friends and made the great trip with me! Let’s be honest I was a little afraid of the bar and we probably sat at the closest table to the door. After the bar the night was still young and I could not retire early, so we headed to one of my favorite places in Cache Valley!! That is right we headed to the Fun Park!! I think I could play arcade games forever, and will need to be travelling down to a Nicklecade soon!

MaKell and I! 

Our Wonderful Winnings!! 

Other than that my mission papers may or may not be submitted.

Ashley P! 

Graduation Nation!

Well folks, I did it!! Yep, that is right I am a college graduate! Yesterday, I graduated from the Huntsman School of Business with a Bachelors of Arts in International Business and Economics. It seems like just yesterday I was walking at my high school graduation. I wasn’t super stoked about walking for my college graduation but I am so happy that I did!

 

Me and Jonny! 

I did it! 

College was such a great experience! Freshman/Sophomore year was a blast being a Huntsman Scholar. I meet so many great individuals through that program and was able to make friends that lasted throughout my whole college experience. Not to forget the amazing experience with the Go Global Program traveling around Asia for a month!

 

Kenzie and I before the first 80s dance! 

Summer and Rachel!! 

The initial group of Huntsman Scholars! 

Us at a retreat! 

South Korea! 

China! 

All of us in Hong Kong! 

So many great friends! 

Last year, which I will refer to as my Junior year of college was such a blast! I moved out for the first time in my life and built great friendships! I most definitely held my social life at a higher priority than my school work, but hey I could do both! Cruisin’ to Mexico with all my friends over Spring Break was awesome!

 

My awesome room! Loved it! 

Halloween Party! 

Festival of Colors! 

Ice Cream with Boyd! 

Frog Hunting! 

Our wonderful Cruise! 

We love cruises! 

Shelby's Wedding

Fireworks! 

NYC with Summer! 

Niagara! 

Then we have this year! SENIOR YEAR, which was great! Mostly due to the fact that I only had to be in class for one of the two semesters and the other one I spent in Ghana, Africa!

Debra's wedding! 

Love these girls!

Road Trip to Canada! 

Alberta, Canada! 

African Wedding! 

The beach! 

ELEPHANTS! 

I loved college, but am so grateful that I am done! Now on to bigger better things! Haha, also sorry for all the pictures. I may have gone a little overboard! 

Ashley P! 

What's Next?

Wow! I am home! I have actually been home for a little over a week now, and it is so wonderful! I miss Ghana extremely, but it has been wonderful to catch up with friends and family!

 

Lunch when I got home! Love them all! 

I feel like everyone I talk to seems to have a couple of the same questions.  One of the biggest questions is what I am going to do now. As most of you know I will graduate from Utah State University, May 4, with my undergraduate degree in International Business and Economics. For a long time I didn’t have anything planned for when I returned from Africa and would graduate. I figure I would figure it out when it happened, and now it looks like it is happening. I have come to a sort of cross roads in my life.

For a while now I have been toying with the idea of serving and LDS mission. I have gone back and forth on whether or not I was going to serve. While the recent age change helped many with the decision, it seemed to make my decision harder. It wasn’t like I was going to leave any sooner and when I left there would be lots of younger people serving with me, I didn’t particularly like that idea.

However, during my time in Africa I pondered and prayed about my decision. The Lord has blessed me in so many ways throughout my life.   I feel that serving a mission is just one of the many ways I can try to repay him for all that he has done for me. So with that I am very happy and excited to announce that this past week I started working on my mission papers. I am aiming to get them turned in as soon as possible! So I guess that is a little update on my life.

 

Yay! So excited!! 

Ashley P!