Who Would Have Thought?

I made it to my last week in the MTC! I should be flying back to the States sometime in the beginning of next week! I am so excited to drink some milk! and go to Taco Bell! Yes, they do have milk here, but let´s be honest I am a real picky person when it comes to my milk! I am definitely going to be buying a gallon of 2% to drink! I am sure the whole Taco Bell thing is no real surprise, I just hope I can convince each of my companions to go to Taco Bell at least once as a companionship! Maybe we could use it has a way to celebrate success in the field! Or we could just go shopping to do that!

Anyways, do you know that it is cold in Mexico? Yes it is! I know right, who would have thought? I didn´t think it would be. I have been to Mexico once before and it was nice and warm, but not here in Mexico City, so just in case anyone is planning on coming to Mexico City anytime soon bring warm clothing. Yes, it is really hot sometimes, but also cold. It rains like everyday! For our gym time every week, we also play volleyball! Our district is pretty much the greatest at it, and we are going to have a party when we are all back in two years. Anyways last Friday when we went to play it was starting to rain, and we were like yes volleyball in the rain, sounds like the best thing ever! Anyways is basically started to hail on us, and it was awesome! But then this guy came out and told us that we were not allowed to be outside during such weather and we ran back to a casa to change and shower. I have not been that soaking wet in the longest time! It was like the funnest thing ever!

The MTC has been a really great experience, I feel like I have learned and grown so much in the last six weeks. I cannot even imagine what the next 17 months hold for me. I am not an expert in Spanish, but I don´t think that I am the worst either. We have almost finished all of our language lessons, so I guess that means I am ready for the field right? For any RMs out there that learned another language, how long did it take you to become confidant in the field? Any advice to a missionary who is pretty scared out her mind that this time next week she may be expected to go up to a stranger and try to have a conversation in Spanish. I just cannot imagine what these people will think when they see this white girl trying to speak Spanish, it should probably be pretty entertaining. 

I would have never guess a year ago, or even at the beginning of this year that I would be where I am at now. But I wouldn´t change it for the world! The Lord really knows His children, and what is best for them. I don´t know where I’ll be in two years from now, ten, or even twenty, but I know that if I am still holding strong to the gospel I have nothing to worry about. The gospel has a happiness that cannot be found in worldly things. When we are on God´s path, we know that things will work out. 

Thanks for all the love and support again! I know that I say this every week, but I really mean it! The mail should be pretty great when I get to Chicago, so if you have any extra time in a boring class or something you can think about me and let me know what is going on in your life. I know college classes get really boring, so I expect some letters guys! :)

Your Favorite Sister Missionary!

Hermana Ashley P!

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!