Bucket List -- Check!

I was really going to try to title all of these blog posts in Spanish, but I didn´t bring a dictionary with me. Also, I know that there are people who actually know Spanish who would probably no be impressed with my Spanish. Anyways the first great and exciting thing is that I totally checked something off of my bucket list today! I got my hair cut in another country! You would have thought I would have done it sooner after being outside the country multiple times, but lets me honest I hate paying for hair cuts and it turns out hair cuts are free in the CCM and getting a hair cut in another country is definitely on my bucket list! The only one slight problem was the fact that neither of the nice ladies working at the salon spoke any English and I know none ungospel related Spanish. Luckily, she did a pretty good job for there being little to no communication between the two of us. However, she did first straighten my hair and then cut is dry, which I found super weird. I had previously thought that you only cut hair when it is wet, so hopefully my hair is not ruined or anything. It reminded me a lot of when Rachel and I got our hair braided in Ghana and couldn´t really communicate with those ladies either. I think I can safely say that my haircut experience today was probably one of the scariest hair cuts that I have ever gotten. I was just scared that she was just going to chop it all off. Sorry I haven´t taken any pictures with it yet so you can´t see how great it is. Maybe I will be able to check some other things of my bucketlist before I get home.

That may be the most exciting news of the CCM, o except for the fact that they have like these parrot birds that are so awesome! They are like blue and green and so pretty. I am pretty sure it would be impossible to get a picture of them as they hide up in the very tops of the trees. I am determined to become friends with them in the next week. I think I may have a strange feddish for birds, the only thing that would make the CCM better would be a pond with duck that I could go feed when I get stressed, which is like every single day!

Overall, thing are going really great. Some days are better than others, but you have to just keep moving forward. When I get frustrated with the language I just think hey five weeks ago I knew absolutely no Spanish. It is hard to think that at some point I will be able to converse with others, but I have faith that that day will come and look forward to it. I see all the guys that got home from their missions in the last little bit and see that they were able to figure out crazy hard languages so I figure I can handle the Spanish. My mission President sent me some pretty interesting facts about the mission the other day. Here they are:

Mission Growth: In February, there were approximately 80 Elders and Sisters serving in this mission. They now have 138 missionaries serving and after my group of 28 missionaries coming there will be193 Elders and Sisters serving.

Mission Composition:  Before the wave new missionaries, about 30 % of the mission were assigned as Spanish speaking and 20% of the total mission were sisters.  By the end of October about 40% of the mission will be Spanish Speakers and slightly over 40% will be sisters.  There are 6 senior companionships serving, 2 in the mission office. 

Isn´t that like the craziest thing ever! 40% Spanish and Sisters! We are almost not the minority!

Thanks for all the love and support!

Hermana Ashley P!

PS- I will be leaving for the field September 16th, and would love love love some letters!

Yo Hablo Español

I am not sure why I would entitle this blog post Yo Hablo Español, because I really truly don´t. Pero, I true so I guess that is enough for now. My days here at the MTC have basically just consisted of study and learning, which is great because I was sure sad when I graduated from college and thought I wouldn´t get to do that anymore. At least I haven´t lost my sarcasm. Or my ability to spell. (I found a spell check)

Life here at the MTC is pretty easy, since basically all decisions have already been made for use. We have a very detailed schedule laying out what we should be doing with basically each hour of the day. You would thing life wouldn´t be stressful at all, but it turns out I manage to get pretty stressed out on a regular basis. A lot of people say that they regret not taking some Spanish before coming here, but I can honestly say that I don´t. I love French and am so happy that I chose to study that language over Spanish. I think my French background has definitely helped me with learning Spanish, but it is still super stressful. The other day we had a stress management class, because apparently it is pretty common for individuals to get stressed out here at the MTC, however, I just came away from it way more stressed than I was before. I find it works best not to think about the fact that in three weeks I will be out in the field teaching lessons in Spanish.

I have been enjoying my time here though. I have met so many great and wonderful people. It is always great when you make a connection with someone and learn that you both know the same person. My district is totally awesome and we have lots of fun together, which turns out to be a kind of bad thing when we should probably be studying and not talking. 

If you were planning on sending me a letter, I would not recommend sending any to the Mexico MTC, it turns out the mail like I have said in my other posts is like the slowest thing on earth, and people are barely getting letters that were sent not even a week after I left. I should be getting to Chicago around September 16th and I feel that mail in the US should go a lot faster! I would be more than ecstatic to hear from anyone and I promise I will so write you back, so there is that!

I miss everyone, but I know that I am where I am supposed to be.

With Love!

Hermana Peterson aka Ashley P! 

La Barra de Hierro, es La Parabala de Dios

Por favor and gracias.

Look guys, I really do know some Spanish. Okay let’s be honest I had to look most of that up, but still it is progress! I know a lot of Spanish, but at the same time I know absolutely no Spanish. Mostly, if you want to talk about the gospel I have your back, but if you want to talk about anything else I become real lost. Anyways for those of us that don´t know Spanish, the title of this post translates to The Iron Rod is the Word of God, which is so true.

Now why would I choose this title for my post? Great question! On Tuesday we had one of the most amazing devotionals ever! The area President I believe Hermano Johnson and his wife Hermana Johnson came and spoke to us. He basically based his whole talk off of the first vision, and spoke about the four groups in Lehi´s dream. Mostly he really focus on the need that we all have to hold strong to the Iron Rod in our lives. The Iron Rod consists of things like the bible, the Book of Mormon, general conference talks, the Ensign, New Era, Friend, and other similar items. In Lehi´s dream it is only those who continually hold fast to the rod that get to the tree of life and recognize their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The doctrine of Jesus Christ is made up of five parts, faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, baptism, repentance, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. I think we often overlook the part about enduring to the end. Baptism does not save us, repentance does not save us, receiving the Holy Ghost does not save us, it is when we endure to the end that we are saved.

This devotional really emphasized to me the importance of continually reading the scriptures. Herman Johnson promised that if we read from the Book of Mormon every day we will not fall away from the church. I truly believe and testify in the truth of this. Some of the hardest times in my life have been when I turn away from God and stop reading His words. The comfort and peace that reading from the scriptures brings is truly amazing. I hope that we can all try a little harder to make daily scripture study a daily part of our lives. Now I was no expert at this before I left on my mission, but an hour of personal study everyday gives you a lot of time to read from the scriptures. I am trying to make studying habits now that will stay with me in the future. Also if anyone has not read Our Search for Happiness, by Elder Ballard I highly recommend it.

Things here at the MTC are going really well. I know that as I put the work in I will be blessed. Also let me just say that the mail in Mexico may just be the slowest thing ever!! People just barely started getting letters that were sent back on like the Seventh of August. I still haven´t received any mail, which is super sad but I have faith that some will come. I probably wouldn´t mail anything to me here at the Mexico MTC after the beginning of September, because it would probably never make it to me. I am sure the mail will be much faster when I am in Chicago though.

If there is one thing I wish I would have brought with me, it is pictures. I am definitely craving pictures of my friends and family at this point. So if you do write me please send pictures with it!! I would seriously be the happiest missionary in the whole MTC! Nope make that the whole world!! These pictures can be of anything your pet cat, you, you and me, the mountains, the ducks at first dam, taco bell, I mean seriously I would be happy with anything. Maybe pictures of your favorite memory of us doing something, I think you get the idea.

I think the second week was a little harder than the first week, but I am staying strong. I know this church is truly and that we are all children of a heavenly father who loves and cares for us. Our brother Jesus Christ suffered for each and everyone one of us separately so that we can return and live with him again.

Hermana Ashley P!!