Week 67: The Four Cousins ("The Posse") Out On Missions Simultaneously!

Hey family! I hope all is well.

I'm a little jealous that i missed out on the family reunion there in salt lake.  Sounded awesome, with so many cool experiences and stuff. With Blake's farewell and the 77th birthday for grandpa (McFerson). Awesome that most of the family could be there.  I'm so happy that in just a few weeks the whole little posse will be on missions.
Pictured Right:  The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? No, the four cousins:  Dustin Welch, David McNamara, Blake Simmons, and Justin Persinger. 

What a such cool time in life, right?  In the prime of our lives, dedicating 2 years to the Lord. What else can be better than that?

This week was alright. A lot of work in this area like always. We are working our butts off to try to find those people that are prepared by the Lord. We might have found one that is prepared. She was a referencia from a member that we received like 3 weeks ago.  This past Friday we finally went and visited her and it turned out that last week while she was in the main city, valles.  The missionaries contacted her and her mom, and they gave her a folleto of leccion 1 and she read it.  It's a small miracle that the missionaries contacted her there in the big city.  So i thought that was cool.

I feel like that the Lord guides us in every step of this work. Well it is His work.  But we go to houses and it just so happens to be that the whole family is ready to listen to us, or we are walking in the street and there's some person that needs help with something and we just so happen to be there in the perfect moment.

This week the Lord has answered my prayers for so many things.  I know without a doubt he always hears us and answers us.  Sometimes he waits a little to respond to our prayers but the thing is, he ALWAYS responds. This week he answered my prayers through a member that said something and i knew the Lord put those words in his mouth to answer my prayers.  I know the Lord is in charge and will never let us down. I love this work and I love my Savior.

And of course i love all of you. Have a good week!

Love,
Elder McNamara


                                                            "Okay, let's do this thing!"

Week 66: March 17, 2014: St. Patrick's Day (Not in Mexico)

Hey guys!

Hows everyone doing?   I hope good.

This week not much happened.  You know just preaching the gospel and trying to find new people to teach and all that fun stuff.  Elder Nieto and I get along really well.  I'm definitely learning a lot from him.  Because he was a Zone leader he now his teaching me how to become a better leader.

I'm loving the mission like always.  Growing my testimony about the Savior and the gospel.  It's so true what they say that the mission prepares one for the rest of their life.  I know that's true.

So this Wednesday we had zone conference.  The zone leaders asked me and Elder Nieto to teach part of the class so we taught about how to have better contacts in the street.  I really liked teaching in front of the 20 missionaries.  On the last change I was asked to teach as well.  I'm liking it!

I also got a letter from Katie. and a package from Julie!  Thanks girls for that.  Julie your card made me laugh so hard!  With the couple watching the elephant. oh my gosh hahah   I really laughed a lot.  Thanks for that because it lifted my spirits, it came just in the time that I needed it.

I'm pumped for general conference in the next couple of weeks!  I love it now and cant wait to hear the prophet speak.  Tommy Monson is awesome haha

Sorry that this letter is so short.  Just not too much happened!

Love you all.

Love,
Elder McNamara

Week 65: March 10, 2014: Belief, Faith, Miracles

Hey family!

This week was pretty good.  We had 26 lessons.  The most this area has had since it has opened.  Thanks mama for your email.  I'm exited for you to go to Mexico!  Yeah too bad that you don't have my awesome language skills, haha.  It's alright though because all the Mexicans on the coasts can speak English.

Soo cool that Cody is getting married. That's one special girl. I'm exicted for that part of my life coming up!  But before i got to get everything out of the mission in these 8 months :)

 Julie!!!!!!!! Do you know how proud of you i am?  I'm so proud.  You are such a good little missionary. Good job, and it's definitely preparing you for your mission.

Me and my comp, Elder Nieto and I get along so well. We joked around a lot, get things done, and we are super obedient.  The most important thing.  So yesterday guess what? I lead the sacrament meeting haha its really hard here in this small little branch.

There is only one family that really has a testimony and they are such a big help.  His name is Nefi.  He is awesome.  Yesterday he came with us to a lesson and then after we taught him and his family. The lesson we taught his family was about how we can help this branch and about having a good attitude towards things and believing.

That if we believe we can do something we are going to be able to do it.  I shared the story about the mile runner who broke the 4 minute mile and once he broke it all others broke it as well.  But that before that, everyone said it was impossible...until he broke it.

Then we shared the scripture in D&C that has a promise from the lord that he will go before us and that he will be on our right side and our left side and will put his spirit in our hearts and the angels will be there to support us. So then I shared a story about angels.  That in one meeting president Jordan was teaching us and testifying to us that he has had a set of missionaries not to long ago that were in a really hard situation. That these two missionaries said that they saw angels around them, helping them. Its true i know it.

There are so many promises in the scriptures about angels helping us and about miracles. Miracles do exist. Miracles are a fundamental part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and come by faith.   Always remember that! Not too much out of the ordinary happened this week.

We are just trying to find those people prepared by the Lord!
I love you family and everyone.

Have a good week!

Love,
Elder McNamara

Week 64: God is Real, and He Truly Knows and Loves You

Hey guys!

Today were changes and my comp left and I received a new comp here in good ol tanquian. My new comp is actually my old comp that i had in Soto la Marina haha Elder Nieto again! OOOOHHHH YEEAAHH. He was one of my favorite companions and im really excited and we are going to raise this area.

So this week was alright.  We haven't been able to find our investigators in their houses and we haven't been able to teach them. What a bummer, but we have been doing our home teaching;  haha, yeah coming all the way to mexico to do some home teaching.  haha.  It's all good though.  The members are really cool here and nice. So that's always good.

On monday, we went to Micos a waterfall place, which i think i already told you guys. So cool then on tuesday i did divisions with my zone leader and wednesday i did divisions with an elder in my district, Elder Rawlins. He has the same time as me and those divisions that we did were so fun.  We are definitely are good friends and we made some plans to hang out after the mission.  He's from Utah, haha, like all gringos here.

So thursday was special because Presidente Johnson came to the mission. And who is presidente johnson? Hes a 70 alright. So we learned from him that day.  He talked to us about our Heavenly Father and that he has a body of flesh and bones. Then he asked us if any of us have prayed about that. About no one has. He explained about the importance about an investigator actually knowing the characteristics of God. To have their faith in something real.  Then he told us to pray that night for 5 things:  1) if GOD really exists  2) If he has a body of flesh and bones 3) If you are a child of god  4) If he knows whats happening in your life, what your going through  5) And if he loves you.

Wow, i felt the spirit strongly when he explained those things.  I really needed it because that whole week i was feeling a little down, and couldn't recognize the spirit that much, but when he talked about that i felt it strongly.  To have a 70 talk to you is so awesome.

Then we practiced teaching about God and his love for us and his plan and that we are able to become like him.  And some elder asked a sweet question.  One person said that she didn't believe that they could become like god, he is everything. Then the elder said, If you believe you're a daughter of god and that he created you, then why do you think you're nothing?  Boom!

So yesterday, Sunday i had a really spiritual experience.  So the president of the Branch asked us if we could go to his cousin's house in another town like 20 minutes away to give him a blessing, because he was just diagnosed with cancer.  I had to ask for permission to go, but we taught a lesson and in the closing prayer I had the impression that i had to give the blessing, and give a blessing of full recovery.

So i asked for permission, and so they allowed us. Then we went, and when i entered the room the spirit just hit me so strongly.  One of the strongest times.  I felt again that i needed to give the blessing for full recovery. So i explained to the man that the blessing will work according to his faith, and my comp then asked if the man believed if we had the authority to do it.  The man shoke his head. Then my comp turned to me and said that he was going to do the first part and i was going to give the blessing. After he told me that he felt strongly that i had to give it.

So then i gave him the blessing.  I blessed in the name of  Jesus Christ that he would be healed completely of his sickness.  I felt the spirit the whole time while i was giving the blessing.  Then we ended it. Then i told the man again just to make it clear that if he has faith in the blessing we gave him that he will be healed 100 percent in the name of Christ.  Then we left... WOW what an experience.  I was so grateful for that.

I love you all, like always.

Grandma i did get those peanut butter chew things!  They were so good.  I got them exactly on Valentine's day!  Muchas gracias grandma!

Until next week.
Love,
Elder McNamara