ECY

This week we went to Chiclayo for leadership counsel. That killed about 3 days. But it was cool. Its always good to see the other boys. 

As I write this I am in a little town called San Ignacio. Its a small town in the jungle a smooth 8 iron from the boarder of Ecuador (ecy). Im back🗣 🤟 might go visit Roque and all the boys up there. Im so ecy. 

About 6 weeks ago, Elder Hansen being the incredible AP he was came up to Jaen to kick it for a week. We had an exchange for a week that turned out to be not only one of the best weeks of my mission, but of my whole life. On one of the first days in my area we followed our noses into a cake shop (missionary things(pretty sure we got served like rice and maybe a little bit of chicken that day)) Ended up contacting the lady working there. Teaching her, and the rest is history. Hermana Carmen got baptized yesterday. She shared an experience at her baptism about a dream she had about me and Elder Hansen as angels escorting her through a world of drugs, parties and all manner of wordly grossness to a lagoon where I apeared again dressed in white and went into the water with her. Since then she hasn't drinken her coffee and has been preparing for baptism. I hadn't known about this dream until yesterday so that was cool to hear. I promise the work is not that easy here lol. She is the coolest little lady ever. Shes 20 and is low key dating a RM in the ward already. I asked him about it at the baptism he said "straight to the temple" 🚀 

The last 3 months have been really tough. I wont lie haha. I have been pushed to what I thought were my limits in so many ways. Emotionally, spiritually, physically, pacience, self worth, loneliness. You name it. But I am so grateful for what I have passed through and what am passing through. I have learned to hang on to the things that really matter. My faith and testimony especially. When you hang on to it like this in times of trial it is forced to grow. I have seen that powerfully in my life. In spirit of easter, I know that Jesus came to this earth, lived the perfect life. Gave us the perfect example. Suffered the unthinkable. Died, and was resurected, and that because he rose, we will too. 

This talk is super cool. Give it a listen. I am grateful for restored preisthood power and the leaders we have been given. I am so excited for general conference. Easter and conference is such a great time of year. What a treat. 

 "Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are."

-None Were with Him 

Optimism

 Gocta was absolutely gorgeous. Honestly it was probably one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Pictures don't even kind of do it justice. I have always found nature a wonderful testimony that we have a God in heaven and that his son Jesus Christ created this earth. Looking at that waterfall it would be imposible to deny that. The only thing that would have made that day better would've been if we had seen a panther or monkeys. They had signs posted and pictures of them but we didn't see any 😪

We have a lady named Carmen that we are teaching. We teach her every day and she is such a gem. She is trying to stop drinking coffee. I admire these people that are willing to give up things and go against family tradition to join our church. When every one of your ancestors going back forever is Catholic it is very hard to leave that. We hear "lo siento hermanitos, soy católico" probably 25 times a day. I usually ask them when the last time they went to church was. If they have gone to church at all in the past 10 years they all remember exactly the last time they went. Christmas. They're locked in though, probably gonna hit the semianual church attendence on easter in a few weeks 📈💯🔐 

Come follow me has been awesome this year. If you aren't following along I invite you to do so. It seems like just a year ago my mom was begging us to turn off football games to do come follow me (it was). Now I look forward to it every day. 

I've have had a few times this week where what I am doing has really hit me. The other day we were walking around in Chachapoyas in the middle of the jungle and it kinda hit me that Im a 19 year old kicking it in the amazon rainforest. I think thats pretty cool 🤷 

I got my mission call a year ago this week. It has caused me to reflect on my mission. I was so dang happy to go to South America and knew Perú was exactly where I needed and wanted to be. Sometimes I wonder why I was so excited to come do this haha. Thinking back on and reading about those emotions has made me realize how grateful I am for my call and for the oportunity I have to be in Perú. There was nowhere I would've rather gone back then and there is no place I'd rather be now. If anyone is getting a mission call, write a good journal entry about your feelings, you will be thankful for it. 

I have studied a lot about charity and humility and trying to be more humble. I have come to find out I am very prideful. It pains me to write this (pride). I think maybe the most humbling thing someone can do is admit to pride. We learn in Jacob 4, "Seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand." Humility is sumbitting to the will of the Lord. It can be dang hard, but it is something I am trying to work on. 

Easter is coming up. The tomb is empty 💯📈 he is risen🐐 

-Elder Pohlman 

Chachapoyas (pt. 2)

Quality week this week. We had zone conference. That was super fun. We had 8 elders in our apartment for a few days so it was a celebration. The focus of the conference was the temple🔥 I enjoyed. Felt like I gave a decent sermon. President took me to lunch for my birthday  and I got blueberry cheescake and a whole grilled chicken. And fries. And rice of course. Turns out it was a meal for 4 people. I threw that mess down in about 15 minutes 😹 (im a munch)

We went on a cool hike as a zone. Pretty legendary. The zone is awesome. Shoutout elder nichols (Elder nichols is my old comp thats now in the same zone again. I love elder nichols) 

We also had the baptism of Hermano Cesar this week. He is super cool guy that we've been teaching for a minute. He is the first baptism I have seen come from straight door knocking without a reference or anything. The spirit prompted me and elder treft (shoutout elder treft) to knock his door about 7 weeks ago while on an exchange. His baptism gives hope to the often hopeless grind of knocking doors. He already has 4 names ready to take to the temple for baptisms. 

It rained super hard this week and my socks got wet a few times. I dont like when my socks get wet.

As I write this we are in Chachapoyas again. About to go hike to the waterfal "Gocta" give it a search on the google. Should be pretty legendary I suppose. 

This past month I have really seen my testimony grow. I've always had good feelings about the church, but I can feel myself really becoming converted lately. Its a cool feeling. 

Anyways peace out. Shoot me an email (te ruego) all the boys are just lonely missionaries we all want to feel some love 

Ad

Ad