Ashley Is Alive!

Hi, everyone! This is Carly, Ashley's big sister. I will be maintaining her blog and giving you updates on Ashley while she's serving her mission in Peru.

Good news--she made it safely to Peru very early this morning! Here's the quick email she was able to send to our dad this morning (edited slightly by me for better readability):

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MI FAMILIA! HOLA! I am alive, I am well, and I am SO extremely happy.

OK... I do admit that I was pretty terrified getting on the plane. I have so much to tell you, but I only have 5 minutes. So this will be a messy short description.

First, I totally befriended a famous rapper from California that sat by me on the plane, and I gave him my Book of Mormon. We are buddies. He is a BOSS.

The elders and sisters are calling me Hermana A Teresa (kinda sounds like Ermana AYEE TEDESAAA) because a guy picking us up said my name like that. No idea why.

We drove to the MTC and it looks so third world. Imagine the movie I Am Legend where the zombies go and sleep at night. That's what the building looks like. Haha! I am the only blondie in the entire MTC. And I have never felt so white in my entire life. We arrived at 2am to the MTC and they literally just left us on the curb and I think they forgot about us? Oh BTW...That sister I met when I was bawling in security is like my new best friend. And we are companions! Anyways, we got to the MTC and were lost for about an hour. Someone came and saved us and said, "Hermanas! We have been looking EVERYWHERE for you!" Whoops.

I love it here. I laugh at myself trying to speak Spanish. But it is only Day One. The food is absolutely terrible. HAHA! But it makes me laugh. For breakfast I had watery yogurt and this drink that is like liquidy oatmeal. I am starving.

I love the weather. It isn't even that humid. And it kind of smells like the ocean? I am so warm and happy I will probably die when I get back to Utah.

Uhh...what else...I saw my first llama...and I gashed my shoulder open on my bunkbed because I kind of fell off almost.

One last thing! P-Day is on Wednesdays, so don't panic if I don't email Monday!

I cried when I met the MTC president, because he can speak English and knows what's going on. There are only about 10 sisters in the entire MTC. All latino and absolutely beautiful.

I am safe and very VERY happy. :) I know this mission was tailored specifically for me. It is familiar.

I LOVE YOU! Please send this to everyone else because I am so flustered trying to send it! You are amazing. I will talk to you soon.

-Hermana A Tedessaaaa

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Notes from Carly:
A) I am super impressed that she was able to tell us so much in such short a time!
B) I find it adorable that she doesn't recognize that "Tedesa" is just Spanish-speakers pronouncing the R with a tap, like they all do. She'll learn soon enough! :)