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