Merry Christmas 😊🌲

 Yo what's up guys merry Christmas it's elder cpohl here @perú sweating on christmas. This week has been top 5 weeks of my entire life. Heres why

We started the week last monday by going to some Incan pyramid things that were pretty savage👌 the incans were so boss. 

Christmas time is a vibe here I aint finna cap🗣everyone saves up and buys lights and plays music and stuff. I have always liked Christmas, but this year I loved it (other than not sleeping the last 10 days because of fireworks) theres just something about being an 18 year old in charge of your own life in a little town in the middle of knowhere of perú during christmas that is so fun.

Then on the 23rd we had the privilege to baptize an absolute champ named Darwin. He's 18, and his mother in law is a member. He's so funny. He's kinda a big boy and he thought he just needed to do a back flop then let me hoist him back up. My shoulder still hurts. He then told me that was his first shower in a month 

Christmas eve was even better. We baptized hermano Deyvi. Hes so dope. He was a jehovas whitness that we contacted as a joke. He has grown a ton. Read the whole BOM and D&C and is very converted. Hes 22 and is planning to serve a mission. He didnt want to leave the font hahah he asked if he could stay in there because of how good he felt. It was really cool to be changing into white on christmas eve and hearing the branch sing christmas hymns while they waited. Definately will never forget that. 

Love you guys, enjoy this wonderful holiday

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

White Christmas 🤭❄️🌲🌨

 This week was so boss 🖖 the amount of miracles around Christmas time is crazy. This baptism was super special. The day I got here Elder Ostergaard made me contact Hermana Maritza. Somehow they got past my horrible Spanish and into the waters of baptism. Being able to watch their family grow, change, and now make covenants with the Lord and enter the waters of baptism over the last 3 months has been an absolute privilege. 

For some reason our neighbors have loved the fireworks this week. They ask us for money every day for food, but seem to have no problem buying enough fireworks to launch until 5 am every night🙃 this kind of junk is the stuff that makes just simply living in perú extremely difficult at times. Just living here day to day is the hardest thing I have ever done by a mile. I love this place and people though. 

There was a group of drunk guys in the street that ran up and introduced themselves to us. One of them was God, the other was Jesus, and the other was Joseph Smith. What legends 🤣🤣

I love Christmas as a missionary. What a great time of year to devote myself to telling people about what Christ did for them and how they can implement it into their lives. Christmas here is different (mostly just hot) but what a cool oportunity I have to spend Christmas in such a cool and foreign place👍

 

I hope we everyone has an incredible week this week, spends time with those they love, thinks about Jesus a few times, and eats some great food. Love you guys ❤️💚

Alma 7: 10 And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. 

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

1. Baptism

2. Borrachos

3. Christmas tree 😍

4. La selva 

5. Futbolistas 

6. Sunset 

Bananas

 One of the most impressive miracles from this week was the banana market. 5 soles (1 US dollar) would secure you over 25 bananas. This type of bargain is impressive enough to drive even the most frugal individual such as the OG grandpa Steve Pohlman into a banana frendzy. I couldnt help but think of the heaping mound of bananas he would have if he had whitnessed such a bargain. 

We went to a huge supermarket in Chiclayo between meetings with the area 70. After a while of scowering for worthwhile purchases we found peanut butter, snickers, and oreos. This is the most in touch with the United States I have been in 3 months. Walked out of that place feeling like I was back in the states just to see a woman breast feeding on the curb 💯🤣

Sometimes the mission feels lonely, but Juan from Spanishdictionary.com checks up on me every day. Really preciate that guy 💯🙏

I have learned a lot about humility and happiness on my mission. I can't even begin to describe the poverty I have seen here. I don't know why Perú is so bad (especially where I am at) but it is. Ecuador was a paradise looking back on it 🤣🤣 I have whitnessed kids counting out their grains of rice for dinner. Moms selling their clothes and going without power for weeks so they can buy their kid a birthday cake. All this and yet they are the happiest people I have met. We can learn a lot from them. 

What a beautiful time of year. I love christmas. We all know that Christ is the true meaning of christmas. We have all said it since we were 5 years old. This year I challenge us to act like it. We can all say that Christ is the true meaning of christmas, but I invite us to act like he is. I know Christ lives and loves us. His birth changed everything and the world will never be the same. 

Love you all, give my mom a hug for me 

Elder Pohlman 

Pics 😁

Transfers🤭

 Yo whats good guys💕💋 pretty great week here 😊 transfers were this week and I got very lucky. Somehow I got an absolute stud gringo as my comp. Elder Nichols is from Farmington and he is an absolute champ. It is super rare to have a gringo comp in this mission because there just aren't many, so to have 2 in a row is crazy. 2 lit ones in a row is an absolute miracle. I think president just knows and has seen that having two gringos in Motupe has been huge for getting it back off the ground. He speaks grammatically perfect Spanish so I have already learned a ton from him. He also pushes me with the Spanish so that is good. He reminds me a lot of Mr clay (other than Mr clay has 28 girlfriends elder nichols doesn't)

Nothing crazy happened this week because we spent half the week in Chiclayo. Elder Beccera from the 70 came. He was dope. 

Add manta ray to the weird things I've eaten this week. Don't necesarily care for it. My pensionista being the richest lady in the whole town means I don't eat too much crazy stuff, but when we do it is kinda fun.

One thing I realized is that the goodbyes on the mission are harder than the ones before I left. Saying bye to comps, areas, other missionaries, etc will be very hard. Watching Elder Ostergaard say bye to these people was brutal. It is just so hard because you come to absolutely adore these people, then one day you get transfered and probably will never see them again. But change is good for the mission.

I don't think I have talked about my language abilities at all. Rest assured that I have aquired more words than my go to mtc words (paz, felicidad, gozo). On a more serious note the language hasn't gotten me down until recently. Lately I have been beat down on it though. I always heard before my mission "oh yeah at 3 months I was good" or "yeah one day there was a switch that flipped". Well I would say I still don't feel "good". And wherever this switch is, I would really appreciate to "flip it" soon. Don't get me wrong, I think I have have gotten "good" enough that if my companion was someone who didn't know a lick of Spanish I would get us through just fine. When it comes to every day missionary work I feel relatively confident. But when the conversation turns to something outside of Gospel, scheduling appointments, free bananas, or the legacy of PIMPMO sometimes I get a little lost talking wise (I understand everything, just can't say exactly what I want to sometimes). I am sure I know more than I think, but I just feel theres still tons to learn. I'm sure I will never be satisfied. Maybe it is just a glass half empty mentality that I have about it.

Life is good, I am happy (please email me and elder monson kershaw we would appreciate it)

Love you all

Pics

1. Me studying demonstrative pronouns (idek what that means in english let alone how they work in spanish)🤣💯

2. Elder ponce with a lizard 

3. Bunch of pics before elder ostergaard left

4. My comps pday fit (yeah he valid)