Brujería 🔪🍵

 Good week. Time flies

I've never been so exhausted. Holy cow. I heard training someone was tiring, good grief is it true. I swear I fall asleep walking haha. 

I realized this week that chiclayo is the ugliest city on earth. 

I had a cold for the fist time in a long time this week. Everyone and their mom was quick to point out that I had "gripe" and got sick because I slept with a fan on and drank cold water. Shoutout south american stereotypes. People are cared of cold water and fans but couldn't care less about the heaping mounds of trash in the road or dead dogs laying around everywhere haha. 

Had manta ray omelet this week. Enjoyed it 

Being a a brand new missionary and brand new convert, my companion obviously is learning a lot. Peru is very superstitious and he is from an even more superstitious part. Aparently he was getting attacked by an evil spirit in his sleep this week (something that litterally every single peruvian missionary says happens to them). I started noticing he was doing interesting things haha. Making potions, hanging knifes, etc. Eventually it turned into full blown brujería (basically like witchcraft). I was planning to study some stuff so I could talk to him and show him in scriptures how that isn't really (at all) what we do while still being super chill about it and understanding his culture and traditions. That afternoon we had a family home evening with a family and he pulled the husband (the bishop) aside and was talking to him. The husband looked weirded out. I kinda noticed something weird. The bishop actually speaks english, so he told me "I call you later. We need talk". He called me and told me how elder cutipa had asked him to buy him 2 huge knifes to put under his pillow in a cross. He explained how it was nothing I needed to worry about, that its a common tradition and he wouldnt actually buy them for him, but that its probably because hes a recent convert and just doesn't fully understand the doctrine. The bishop told me to call the mision president immediately so I did, he explained the situation to him, we talked about preisthood power, and yeah, all good. Elder Cutipa now is absolutely obsessed with the preisthood. He always studies it, tells people about it, etc. Its pretty legendary 🤘

Peace out

Fruta

 Another good week in the neighborhood. Watched someone get beat up, dog fights, garbage, dust, all things that somehow I know I will miss when I come home. Its weird how time ticks. It hit me this week that when people ask me how long I will be in Perú for I cant really just say 2 years anymore. Its 15 months now, thats a big difference (unless I extend my mission 9 months (my mom said she wont allow me to extend))

I talked in my farewell talk about being an instrument in the hands of God. I really felt that this week. Opening this area with a brand new convert and brand new missionary has been hard from a missionary work standpoint. But that's the exact kind of hard that I want. That kind of hard is sustainable and weirdly enough a fun challenge. When we got here we had one "green dot", or person in teaching in our areabook. I kinda just tried to align my will with Gods, trust his plan, and be his tool. After 2 weeks we have seen so many miracles. This week 5 people accepted baptismal dates, 7 new people came to church, and we are receiving great references. On paper the turnaround looks imposible for and area that was so bad that the missionaries got taken out of it. And thats because it is. We havent done anything as men, we have just aligned our will with Gods. 

There are a ton of things that bug me about these people (throwing garbage in the street, coming 3 1/2 hours late to everything (no exaggeration, anyone who has served in peru will attest) not controlling their dogs, etc etc etc) but I don't think even I understand how much I love them. They are seriously the coolest.

There are a ton of soccer fields in this area. No matter what time of day there are always a group of 45 year old men absolutely going at it. I dont know much about soccer, but to me they look pretty dang good. 

I'm happy. Got no complaints. Wish people would accept our message and not say theyre busy (as they sit in their house with no shirt, tv on, doing absolutely nothing) but hey, they will have their chance. Nana and papa sent me protein bars and beef jerkey so I cant even complain about the food. Top 5 moments in peru was biting into a good protein bar after 8 months of rice chicken and cow anus. Life is good. These are the good ol days. 

A picture atached of what 5 US dollars will get you down here. I eat so much fruit. The green apples here are totally different are on another level. I swear they are just exactly like artificial green apple flavor. I would take them over the best honey crisp I've ever had. Any day. Thats saying a lot because Im a honey crisp enthusiast. Anyways have a good week. 

🐙

 I'd say I'm almost feeling me again. This week was fun. Fun. Yes I said it. It doesn't feel like a sin to have fun anymore. I laughed multiple times this week. Something that had felt like a sin for quite too long. On top of all that we have a nice coastal breeze that blows cool air (and dust, but its worth it) all day. Life is good. 

I'd say one of the hardest things this week has been Spanish weirdly enough. I got so accustomed to the accent in the mountains and the jungle that when I first got down here on the coast I was kinda lost. The accent is completely different. I'm picking it up quick though and by the end of the week it wasn't really a problem.

The people outside our house have been throwing ragers lately. Them fellers heard about the new temple in Scotland and broke out the beer like true scotsmen to celebrate. 

I ate a hot dog banana egg sandwich this week and enjoyed it. What is happening to me? I need Lone Star asap

Also ate an octopus 

I don't mind the new area. It's ight. The old area gave me tarzan vibes this one gives me Afganistan vibes. Its just kinda brown and dusty. But the people are humble and nice. The dogs though... I won't even start that rant here...

This week went better than expected with the work here. We are finding people, meeting inactive members in the street all the time, and getting decent references. I am happy. My comp is a dawg. Sometimes he forgets to shower for 3 or 4 days but I love him. He's definately gonna go down as one of my favorite comps. Every time we have a good lesson, eat something good, or a nice breeze hits us he goes, "hoo-wee, lets go". What a legend. Being the only member in your family and going on a mission against your parents will is another level of dedicated. Its quite litteraly the opposite of the presure that most elders feel in utah. The fact that he chose to serve inspires me every day. Every pday he studies the scriptures with his family. We both pray together that they will accept the message some day. I believe they will during his mission. We are both converting ourselves day by day, and it is cool to watch. 

Love you all! 

Shoutout Sam Peery. 

Convenios, templos

Transfers happened this week and I got dealt quite the hand. President called me last week and told me I wasnt going go be a zone leader this transfer but that he had a "very important asignment" for me. He had hinted in the past about me going to the offices so I was low key depressed the week before transfers about being in the offices. Got to the transfer meeting and much to my delight I didnt get banished there. Basically I am training a brand new guy from Puno named elder Cutipa. He is the only member in his family and he was baptized 13 months ago. Cool guy. When I got my mission call he still wasnt a member of the church. Crazy. I am also opening a brand new area that hasn't had Elders in a long time (because absolutley nobody has had sucess here so its been closed for a while) Basically got handed a phone, a brand new guy and told good luck lol. Quite a task. I am also a district leader. Low key its a lot more work than being a zone leader. Shoutout DLs. Glue men. Should be a fun transfer. We gonna have to go Dame time to have some sucess. Shoutout schwendy

Our area is out on the edge of Chiclayo. Its not too ugly. Mostly dirt roads and garbage but thats what most the mission is. Its my first time serving in the actual city of Chiclayo. Completely different vibe. Part of our district is the beach. It is actually beautiful. It low key feels like San Diego. I expected a super nasty beach with garbage everywhere and stray dogs, but it is actually super pretty. Frigbee on pdays is gonna go crazy. Thats one cool part of our mission, that for 3 months I was in the high Andes mountains and Amazon rainforest and now Im here on the beach.

Conference was awesome. The coolest part for me was seeing a stake center jammed full 30 minutes early to listen to the choir in a language they don't understand. Not one person talking, not one phone out, everyone locked in feeling the spirit. The spirit was tangible in that room. I am a firm believer in the power of music. 

Have a good week guys. Love you all

The tomb is empty

San Ignacio was a good time. We went and found some wild guava and bananas in the middle of the jungle. Pretty fun. We also saw a monkey one day and he jumped on my head. I enjoyed it. 

I made 2 quite frankly impecable purchases this week. A peruvian chess board with little peruvian people as the pieces. And also a water bottle that is made out of a bull foot with a little sling thing so I'm always strapped. Pretty rad not gonna lie. 

Transfers are this week. Could train elder fuzz cat ezra park maybe. Or maybe Ill stay in Jaén with elder richins🤷 who knows 

Conference will be great Im sure. Super excited for that. Conference as a missionary is so incredible. 

A young lad named Loan was baptized this week. Good guy. 

I enjoy this work. I genuinely like being outside teaching. Its a good time. We put a full family on wedding/baptismal date for april 20 🤞🤞 they are saving 2 soles (50 cents) a day to be able to pay for the wedding. Its a long shot but I have faith. They said they're only getting baptized if they can do it in the Amazon River. Odd request but Im quite on board for it. Kinda hoping Presidente clutches up and gives us permision for that, sería chevere

This is the greatest work on earth. So glad to be apart of it. Sometimes its hot, my stomach hurts, Im bugged with people, and Im wearing the same shirt for the 5th day straight because the laundry lady doesnt wash our clothes... but the salvation of these people is in my hands, and thats always enough motivation. 

He lives. 

Elder Pohlman

 He is not here. He is risen. 

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