Yalape

Last pday we went to a place called "Yalape". It is a super cool ancient city from the Chachapoyan people. There is a super cool story about how two brothers had their own cities but got into a bunch of wars. So to show that they were watching each other they put figures in the shapes of eyes on the walls of the forts facing each other across the valley. The younger brother lived in Yalape and the other in Kuelap. We are going to see Kuelap one of these weeks. Aparently it is super cool. Yalape was super cool too. It's just an ancient civilization on a mountain. There were over 600 of these little round fort things. Theres no gate, entrance fee, people that work there or anything. You can just go up there and hang out. I thought about bringing one of the bricks that the forts are made of home but figured a random brick would be pretty weird a couple years from now. 

People are always chewing coca leaves here. I don't know what it does but they sure love them. 

We were teaching a lesson this week and in the house there was an extremely old lady laying in her bed. Like probably 95 at least. She looked like mamá coco from the movie. I figured she couldn't even hear or see. About 10 minutes into the lesson she sat up and started listening. At the end she told us how she was raised in the mountains and never went to school or learned to read but that what we were reading and teaching was beautiful and that she loved it. I was baffled that she could even talk. I didn't think she could even move. She was litterally so old. It was such a cool moment. 

The goal here in Chachapoyas is to get the branch split in two. The goal is baptize the next branch president. Once we can baptize a few young studs that can be the branch president, it should split. It is crazy how much the Lord trusts people to grow his work. Some young guy is going to get baptized and then made branch president almost immediately. It is cool to be apart of such a young and growing part of the vineyard. It will be really cool to look back 20,30,40 years from now and see branches, districts, wards, and eventually a stake here. Maybe even a temple. It is pretty motivating to be laying the groundwork. It is cool to think that our task right now is baptize not only the new branch president but also potentially the first ever bishop and stake president here in Chachapoyas

Our veiw out our window is insane. I'll throw a picture in. 

There is a super cool lady we are teaching names Milu. She is so cool. Shes from venezuela. She came to church yesterday. I have never baptized anyone from anywhere other than Perú. Really hoping for her. 

I have heard from some peoples groans or discontent about studying D and C for come follow me this year. Up until I had about 13 months in my mission I had hardly even touched it ever and honestly wouldn't have been too hyped to read it either. I realized that it was a weak point of my testimony and decided to read all of it in one transfer (6 weeks). It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It turned D and C from a mysterious list of seemingly weird revelations that I didn't want people in teaching to find out about into a powerful tool in my toolbox as a missionary and a strong point of my testimony. It is seriously so cool and can strengthen our testimonies so much if we let it. I hope you all got to read D and C 4 this week and feel the importance of missionary work. This is the most important work on earth. 

4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul 

The field is white...

-Elder Pohlman