Elder Villar

Elder Villar from the 70 came. I will be honest, he did not come to give the mission ear candy. He absolutely ripped into everyone including President Giuria. He was incredibly intense. He shared some stuff though that was really cool. 

He shared how faith produces miracles. Miracles don't produce faith. I liked that a lot. 

He also talked about the parable of the talents from Matthew 25. I absolutely loved this part. He talked about how to one servant were given five talents, to one two, and to the other just one. The three servents went out and did everything they could with their talents. They came back with 10 and 4 talents respectively. The Lords response to these two was EXACTLY the same (verses 21 and 23). He was not upset with the one that brought back only four, because he was only given two in the first place. Elder Villar talked about how as missionaries (and just in life in general) it is the same. Some of us are more or less capable than others. But all the Lord asks of us is that we use our capability that we have been given to the best of our ability. If we do so, as shown by verses 21 and 23, the Lord will veiw our efforts exactly the same. 

He then went on to talk about the servant that just brought back one talent because he hid the one that was given to him in the dirt. We see in verse 26 what the Lords response was for him (not too pretty). He then took us the footnotes in D and C 60 verses 2,3 and 13 which say... 

2 But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them. 

3 And it shall come to pass, if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have.

13 Behold, they have been sent to preach my gospel among the congregations of the wicked; wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, thus: Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known.

I really liked this. He told us how as missionaries and as preople we are just asked to do the best of our abilities and use what we are given. That was really cool to me. The conference was full of eyebrow singers like this. I left feeling pretty motivated.

It is mango season again. Kinda crazy, I was here for last mango season. But anyways, I am in heaven. Out of nowhere this week it seemed like mangos were falling out of the sky. There are carts full of them on every single corner. They cost 1.25 soles a kilo so I have eaten just about 2 kilos a day for a week. If I'm not mistaken that means about 7 ish pounds for 1 US dollar. You might need to check me on that. They are so dang good. Best mangos I have ever had. They are legitamately the size of a youth football. I will be full on them for the next few months. 

Sorry if I rant about fruit in every email. It is just so good here. 

Hermano Estuart (stewart) got baptized yesterday. He's a 20 year old kid, so exactly what the church needs down here. He's really cool. He walks about 2 miles to church. He also quit drinking coffee in order to be baptized. Just a small experience with him this week because I don't really have anything else to write about. On thursday we went to his house to do his baptismal interveiw. He wasnt there and his dad told us he was at his moms house for the night. He doesnt have a phone so we had no idea what to do. We had to get the interveiw done in order for him to be baptized on sunday. His dad gave us a very vague reference of where he lived. An urbanization of probably 200 houses. Luckily we had just left a conference in which Elder Villar ripped on everyone for not having faith 🤣 so we figured we'd put our faith to the test. We walked all the way out there and didn't know where to start. We picked a road and started walking down it. On the way down that road there came estuart right towards us. I was honestly shocked and although it seemed like a small coincidence I thought it was pretty cool and litterally proved what we had been taught. 

We got the baptismal font all nice and ready and a dog got in there and swam around. Perú I guess. 

I had a great week. Could be one of the best transfers of my mission for sure. 

Segundo

1 kilo (about 2 pounds) of blueberrys costs 5 soles (about 1 dollar) in this town. There must be blueberry fields here or something because in chiclayo they were 20 times as expensive. I have been aprovecharing heavily. 

I watched a dude sell a 9 year old kid two beers. Teaching them young. 

We got a blender and I have been whipping up all sorts of smoothies. Papaya+banana+water is such a good combination. 

I have also found myself chewing on sugar cane a lot. It has worn on me a ton. I'm not sure if it's just because it feels cool and because thats just what you do in this town or if it is actually good.  

Go bengals. I heard they made it to turf. 

Hermano Segundo was baptized this week. He is a really cool guy. He quite drinking coffee and tea and it has been a process that has taken over a year. But he has successfully dropped it and was baptized yesterday. It was a beautiful baptism. 

We got water back to the shower this week. So that is great. But water doesnt make it to the toilet yet, so we made a hose that carries the shower water to the toilet. It is pretty genius and works well. 

I finished the D and C this week. I think for some reason sometimes we as members are almost scared of the d and c. Reading it was one of the best things I have ever done for my personal testimony. I encourage all to truly do come follow me this next year and find the gems that are scattered throughout it. 

This week I started the New Testiment. There are three things that are really interesting to me in chapter 26 of matthew. All three are examples of people taking for insignificance who Christ was and what he is. 

Verse 4-5: "4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. 5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people" 

Verse 15-16: "15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him." 

Verse 40/43: "40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy."

I think it is easy for us to look at these three examples of people betraying or taking the Lord for not and almost laugh at the fact that these people dumbed down the supreme being that was Christ in such a manner. But I also think that we are all just as guilty, in our own way, of having our Lord for naught sometimes. Maybe our ways of having him for naught are different, but I know for me personally, there are tons of little things that I can work on.

POMALCA 🌾

Had transfers this week and probably got the single best transfer I could have asked for. Im in a little town down the road from Chiclayo called Pomalca's a little down that is 100% dedicated to sugar production. The town is surrounded by sugar cane. If you look out our back window there is just miles of sugar cane. It is actually really pretty and smells really good. There is a big factory so it almost always smells like sugar cane factory outside. It feels like one of the towns we went to in ecy. It pumps out this black ash that covers the whole town. Kinda crazy. I absolutely love it here. I missed the pueblos. I love being back in the small towns. It is nice only having to know 4 or 5 last names because everyone is from one of 5 families. Small towns in south america are so cool. 

Still don't know how senior boys sleep at night 

The whole town hasn't had water for a week so we have been showering with 3 liter water bottles that we buy every day. At first it was really annoying but I would say I've gotten used to it.

The wall in the room we sleep in is absolutely crawling with mold. I hate to be the guy that complains about the house to the secretaries but I figured sleeping in a room full of mold is not a good call. So we said something and they are gonna get it fixed soon. 

I got way stomach sick this week. My stomach swole up so bad I literally thought I was about to die. It was the single most painful thing that has ever happened to me. I kept throwing up the pills that help it so it took like 3 hours to get the swelling down. But then I was good the rest of the day

 

My companion is Elder Quintero. He's from Arizona but his parents are from Sinaloa. He's one of the single coolest elders in the mission. We were in the same district for 2 transfers so we were already good buddies before transfers. Should be a good time. 

We had two baptisms yesterday. Pretty good start to the transfer. 

Joseph Smith History: Man may deceive his fellow-men, deception may follow deception, and the children of the wicked one may have power to seduce the foolish and untaught, till naught but fiction feeds the many, and the fruit of falsehood carries in its current the giddy to the grave; but one touch with the finger of his love, yes, one ray of glory from the upper world, or one word from the mouth of the Savior, from the bosom of eternity, strikes it all into insignificance, and blots it forever from the mind

Link to see pictures. There is hardly any internet in this town so hopefully stuff goes through

"A veces salgo"

First of all, loading my pictures into the emails isn't working super well lately. So after 15 months I have caved and made an album on google photos so that you guys can see all of my pictures. Feel free to join! I didn't put all of my pics from my whole mission in there, but theres a few. Heres the link 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8yeLSz1tBRDBq9vKA

We met a guy from Madrid. He was kinda weird. He straight up said, "no creo en vosotros" 🤣 I am very very glad I was called to teach latinos. 

Went to the beach last pday and threw the football around with some little kids. It was fun. 

We were able to complete our goal of getting the entire familia chambergo baptized. Hermana Jacki was baptized this week. Meaning that 9/9 of the people that live in their house are now baptized. Super cool. 

The ward primary program was yesterday. I think primary programs are the single greatest thing ever for missionary work. Church attendance tripled. Everyone brings their friends. 

We had interveiws and I told president Giuria how I have been starting to think about life after the mission and stuff and how it's all stressfull. He said how the Lord already knows exactly where I'm going to go to school, going to study, going to live, going to marry, etc. So I don't need to worry about it. I just need to trust his plan and do my part. I liked that. 

We probably knocked doors for 25 ish hours this week. I can't lie, it was kinda a beat down. But it seems that now matter how many people are "busy making lunch" or hit us with the "a veces salgo" (has to be the most ridiculous excuse of all time) the Lord always puts someone in our path that is ready and willing to listen. I still don't understand how peruvians can be busy making lunch from 11-9 every day. 

In section 128 of D and C brother Joseph is writing an apistle to the saints about baptisms for the dead. But the section can be seen so many different ways. It is one of my favorite sections of the book. 

19: Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion: Behold, thy God reigneth! As the dews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them!

22: Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.

25: Brethren, I have many things to say to you on the subject; but shall now close for the present, and continue the subject another time. I am, as ever, your humble servant and never deviating friend, Joseph Smith.

Sometimes brother Joseph just starts heating up and goes on a heater. What a legend. Praise to the man. 

Have a good week 

Elder Pohlman 

Alfajores

 Man I am tired. Is being tired all the time my new reality? I remember before my mission I used to wake up in the morning and feel rejuvenated and stuff. Maybe I have just reached the point in life that that isn't atainable? I am going to start blaming it on the parasites that I inevitably have. Or maybe the hundreds of other random health issues I have adquired here. Really need to stop drinking that dad gum cold water and sleeping with the fan. They have been warning me about that one. On a more serious note I actually felt great this week. 

Discovered the chocolate covered alfajor this week. Probably the best pastry item I have had here. Also found chocolate covered chirimoya. 

I have been studying integrity and I think it is something we can all improve. It is a Christlike attribute for a reason. 

It is crazy how I can walk through any neighborhood in Perú and feel completely safe but the second we pass by where the Venezuelans live I feel like I'm going to get lynched al toque. Why are there so many venezulanos here? The Peruvians hate them so bad. It is actually really sad.

D and C 124: 44

If ye labor with all your might, I will consecrate that spot that it shall be made holy.

I love this verse. I think it can be seen so many different ways. Obviously the Lord is talking about temples. But I think he is also telling us that wherever we are, if we work with all our might, he can make wherever we are holy. Our houses, families, friends, minds, etc. 

Many have asked how my bathroom and kitchen look. So here's pictures. They really arent that bad. Maybe I've just gotten used to this place. 

Will have 15 months in the mission this week. People said the mission would fly. Holy cow were they right. Crazy 

Perú! ⚽️

 One day this week we had every appointment fall for like 4 hours. We had a strong impression to walk out to a little development on the edge of our area. We had never been there before and logistically it made no sense to go out there. On the way out there we bumped into 2 different people that we had lost contact with and were able to teach them in the street. One of them is going through extremely hard times right now and was incredibly pumped to see us. When we made it out there litterally every single door we knocked answered and listened to us. What could have been a very discouraging afternoon turned into a good one. The hand of the Lord is very prevelant in this work. I think as I have spent more time in the mission I have started to see these little miracles more often. 

Still hate dogs 

Peru beat Uruguay this week in world cup qualifiers. Its about time they win something. I think we're no longer in last place 😁 it's our year. Won on a header in the 88th minute 

One thing that Perú has on the U.S is panaderías (bread shops). They are on basically every corner and they pump out hot bread 24/7. 

We saw someone this week with a Utah shirt on. My mind was blown. I think he was kind of shocked by a white kid running up to him and asking where he got his shirt. 

It's starting to heat up again down here. A few weeks until this place turns into a straight oven. I have really enjoyed the nice weather the past few months. Time to load up the fridge with sprites again. 

I found hot sauce in the big market and have started putting it on everything. Big win 

Happy birthday to my mom😘

D and 20 

7 And gave unto him commandments which inspired him; 8 And gave him power from on high, by the means which were before prepared, to translate the Book of Mormon; 9 Which contains a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also; 10 Which was given by inspiration, and is confirmed to others by the ministering of angels, and is declared unto the world by them— 11 Proving to the world that the holy scriptures are true, and that God does inspire men and call them to his holy work in this age and generation, as well as in generations of old;

Conferencia

 I realized this week that I am all grown up and still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. The future is scary. 

A less active lady asked us this week to come help her paint her house. We got a group of 8 elderes and 2 sisters and went over. We pulled up and they had 2 peices of sand paper, a bucket of paint and 2 paint brushes. We just kinda figured we would spend a couple hours sanding the walls and then someone would come paint it later. After a few hours of sanding the walls and getting COVERED in dust the ladys son was like "ok yall ready to paint? We have to have this thing painted by tomorrow." I told him look dude I've never painted a house before but I don't think it's that simple. I think we need to tape off the baseboards and get paint rollers and everything. And the air is so thick of dust we literally can't see. Not to mention the fact that your house is huge and you've got one bucket of paint and a few little paint brushes. I don't think you just throw paint around and call it good, like I think it's kinda complicated. This absolutely rocked his world. After that he thought I was some house painting master. He started asking me stuff like hey hermano pohlman should we paint from top to bottom or side to side? Should we mix the paint in water? Totally random questions that I would never know the answers to. I started just acting like I knew what I was doing... "no yeah hermano take 1 litro of paint and mix it with .3 litros of water, that should do the trick" type nonsense. That seems to be a thing down here. Your computer isn't working? Call the elderes, they know. Your water pressure is low? Call the elderes, they know. Need to paint your house in 1 day? Grab a can of paint and some water color brushes and call the elderes. I am honestly not surprised one bit by this service project. It is exactly what I would imagine a house painting service project in peru looking like. 

The stake presidency showed up to put un conference 30 minutes after it started for most sessions. Par for the course 

The faith of the members down here is inspiring. Their biggest goal is to spend time in utah and attend a session of conference. They find it an absolutely horrendously grave sin that I have never gone to a session. It is kind of embarrassing to be honest. Their faith is inspiring. I won't lie, if I was a person down here it would be hard to be so strong in a faith that has a lot of its roots in another country. But it doesn't seem to faze them in the slightest. Every song when the congregation sings they stand and sing the words in spanish. It is pretty special. 

Conference was awesome. Crazy to think it's my third time watching it down here. I really enjoyed. We got all sorts of fruit and took it to the church. It seemed like they really put an emphasis on personal relationships with Christ and not just posting on Instagram about him. I really liked that. Walking around all week teaching key truths like baptism by emersion for the remision of sins and the importance of prophets (two things pretty clearly taught in the Bible) to people that absolutely adore the Bible yet find these two things incredibly hard to believe can be exhausting. Conference is always such a nice breather and opportunity to listen to powerful people and see that we aren't alone down here in our beliefs. I sat there in awe this weekend trying to figure out how you could posibly listen to the prophet of the Lord and not feel that he is a called and ordained servant of the Lord and that he leads His true and restored church. The people down here absolutely adore President Nelson. Every time it showed him they would all start cheering. Lol. Conference weekend as a missionary is one of my favorite things as a missionary. Crazy that I only have one more. 

 

We are so blessed to be able to listen to the prophets in our own tounge. It is so much more powerful. The latinos that gave talks had pre-recorded translations that the church used. Those ones were so powerful. Hearing the prophets and apostles voice as they speak is a huge blessing.  

Amos 3:7 (old testament 🤯🤯🤯) 

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

D and C 1: 38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

We are blessed to be lead by a prophet of God. This is the Lords church. The same one he "Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Ephesians 2)