First Week

Hola everybody! I hope to Jackson and Rebecca and Johnny this is okay if you get emails from me. I kind of didn't ask before I left haha, I just added you to my list of people.

Anyways, our first week. Holy cow so much happened and I don't know where to start. I guess I'll describe the MTC, or CCM as we call it. I don't remember what it means. My espanol is so bad.

It's incredible here. On our way from the airport to here we got to drive through Mexico City. What a crazy place this is. The buildings are rundown, the people look so impoverished. It was really cool though. There's a ton of people here! From the plane in the air all the way to the horizon was city. We're surrounded by two great big mountains with houses all the way up them. Look it up! It's really cool! We can see them from in the CCM! I don't really know how to describe the inside. It's very open and all the buildings aren't connected, so you walk outside to go from la casa to commedor(?) to the clase and so forth. It's like BYU, all the buildings are named after prophets XD. Even though it's the middle of winter it is so warm! Not uncomfortable. I doubt its ever gotten over 80`. It's the perfect temperature. The food is good also! I seriously can't even count the number of blessings I've gotten here. I'm usually so picky and so easily sick from the food I eat, but everything here has been good and I haven't been sick once, other than a little sore throat. There''s not much here, but it's obvious looking at the buildings outside of the CCM in Mexico City that we have it pretty darn great. The water in the CCM is all bottled water and is safe to drink, but I don't know how the people in Mexico city live, with the water so dangerous.

Our casa(house) is really nice. I'm in a room with 3 other girls, my companion and two other hermanas in our districto. We have our own bathroom and shower and closet! It's even nicer than the dorms at Utah State haha. Ive given away a lot of my clothes to other hermanas who need it. I am determined to get to Chile on only one suitcase! Even if I have to throw away some things. I don't need it and I can buy it there. We were given probably 20 lbs of books when we got here. Too bad I don't know spanish or I could get rid of all the ingles versions of everything and only have to take one set of books. Oh well. Also! There is a tiny store here called la tienda and I bought scripture covers for my little quad scriptures and my big espanol libro de mormon.

Our district has 10 personas, 6 Elders and 4 Hermanas. We're all going to Chile Concepcion Sul! From the reactions of the other personas here, I guess that's a really good and rare thing. My companions name es Hermana Curtis, and she's from Richfield Utah! I was so excited when she told me that, but she hasn't heard of you Wayne County people sadly. She is also the super youngest in her family, but only by 7 years. We took a bunch of pictures (we're only allowed to take pictures on P-day) but I there isn't a card reader on these computers. I'll get you all some pictures somehow.

AHH ONLY 5 MORE MINUTES. Every moment of everyday is taken up by studying, and most of that studying is spanish. I've hardly had a chance to study any thing Expiacion related. Even though it's our P-day, I have to prepare a lesson for sunday school, write a talk in spanish, memorize a ton of different things and just do so much. Everything you need to do that you don't have time for gets pushed to pday making it pretty crazy.

Pray for me to learn spanish guys! I need it! I love you all and I wish you the best!

Also, Johnny and Rebecca, send your emails to this email from now on =) I can't wait to read about what you're doing with this new missionary mindset!

Sister Ashlee Bowling
♥ from Chile!