Week 35: David's Dad's Email on David's Birthday

The following is David's Dad's email to him for his birthday today:

Feliz Cumpleaños  .....Happy Birthday David!  

Hey, hey, hey .... 20 Years Old, Today!!   :)

I know that it doesn't seem much like a celebration for you while you are on your mission, but believe me, .... we ALL are thinking of you today (more than usual) on your birthday.   No longer a teenager. Ha!

Michael, Brandon, and Julianne are down with me (from yesterday) for a few days.  We're going to celebrate your birthday today (I'll send you pictures).    I don't know what we're going to do today for your birthday, but it will be in honor of you.  :)

Only one more birthday away, then you'll be in the home stretch.  That will be good.  Of course, it's already good because you're there.  You're there making a difference.  I know at times it may not feel like you make much of a difference, but believe me, you do.

You make a difference in your own life, as well as others' lives.  Just the mere fact that people see you makes a difference.  A smile makes a difference.  If these small things make a difference, and you are representing the Lord and His Church just by being there, then how much more are you making a difference when you help others feel more love, and find peace in their lives? 

Everybody is on a spiritual journey here on Earth.  They are here to experience different things, and they move at their own pace, learning things along the way.  Some people you will be able to nudge a little closer along their journey, and others, you'll be able to help take a big step towards their salvation.   

Just remember, EVERYTHING matters!!

You matter.  You being there matters.  Your mission matters now, and through eternity.   So, despite it being your birthday, and missing Katie, you being there matters.   Be proud of yourself for who you are, and what you are doing.  Be patient with yourself and with others, as that spiritual quality matters ....that of patience.

Boy, I think back 20 years ago today.  The day you were born.  What a day that was.   The family had just moved down from Washington, D.C., as I just finished my ob/gyn residency at the end of June.  We moved into our newly-built home, our first home we owned, in Alpharetta, GA over the Fourth of July holiday. 

I just started working in my private practice, based at Northside Hospital (where you were born).  A month later, the evening of August 4th, we were with other doctors, their families, and office staff employees at a Braves' game.   We parked so far away, and your mother and I had to walk quite a distance.  She was three weeks away from her due date.  I offered to drop her off at the stadium, but she wanted to walk, because she was getting eager to deliver you, and knew that walking could help start labor.

On the way back to the car after the ball game she started having contractions, and then went into labor early in the morning of August 5th.  You were delivered in the morning (I don't remember the exact time, but your mom probably does). 

I remember how excited I was.  I felt so much love for you, my new-born son. I was so proud, and happy for your mother and me.   I was watching the nursery staff who were there cleaning you up within the labor-delivery-recover room.  Your mom's doctor (my partner), Dr. Kelley Dopson, who had just delivered you was still working on your mother. 

Within the first 2 minutes, I noticed that you were working a little too hard to breathe.  I made a comment saying as much, and the nursery staff reassured me that you were doing well, keeping up your oxygenation.   A few minutes later, I mentioned it again, and again they reassured me.

Then, I noticed that your breathing was a bit asymmetric, ...that one side of your chest seemed to be working harder than the other ...it was ever so slight, and I noticed that you were working harder than before to breathe, ...it was slight, but I noticed it.

AGAIN, the nursery staff reassured me, but, I turned and mentioned the issue to my partner, Dr. Dopson.   To reassure me, she asked the nurses to call the respiratory team from pediatrics to come assess you.   I felt better about that.

They came, examined you, watched you, ... I watched them watch you.  They listened to your chest, checked your oxygenation, etc.  And, after about 3 minutes said, "I think he's doing fine.  He just needs some time to adjust, but he's doing fine."   I had a sick feeling about what they were saying.  The best way to say it, is that it didn't feel right ...what was going on, and what they were saying didn't feel true.  Instead of feeling reassured, I felt more concerned.

I felt they were not seeing what I was seeing, and I said, "look at how he's breathing ...it seems to be asymmetrical ... one side is working harder than the other."  They answered, "he's holding his oxygenation fine."  I could see the monitor as well ... 

I was trying to not step on toes.   I was only there at the hospital, and in practice for only a month, and I knew I was slightly annoying the respiratory team of nurses and a nurse practitioner by continuing to question their assessment of your breathing.

I said as nicely as I could, "yeah, I can see that he's keeping his oxygenation up, but I don't like how hard he's working to do so."   They said, "we don't see that."

Finally, my partner, Dr. Dopson, who heard all this going on, asked the respiratory team if they could take you up and be checked out by the nursery critical care pediatrician.    The respiratory nurse practitioner rolled her eyes at the whole thing, ...I'm sure she was thinking that they all just needed to humor a new, nervous doctor at the hospital.

I followed the team as they transported you upstairs to the nursery, not yet the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), but not the regular nursery, either.  You were brought to the in-between nursery.   They asked me to wait just outside the nursery in one of the nurses' room.  (Parents don't normally go there, but since I was a doctor on staff at the hospital I was allowed to go into the nurses station next to the nursery.)

The respiratory nurse practitioner didn't know I could hear her make the call to the NICU pediatrician.   I heard her say, "We have a new ob/gyn on staff who is concerned about his baby's breathing."   A pause, ...then, kind of with some annoyance in her voice .... "yeah, his oxygen is fine.  He looks good to me ...the father just keeps saying he's worried."    It was clear that I had annoyed her, and I felt embarrassed, ...and, I thought to myself, that I didn't want to make waves, but I had no choice.

I could hear that she finished with the call, and said to the other nurses, with a sarcastic and annoyed tone of voice, "okay, the doctor wants to reassure the father that the baby is okay, ....go ahead and get a chest x-ray."

I waited near by.  It was a few minutes, and the mobile x-ray unit was wheeled near your basinet, ....the nurses and x-ray tech, and others were just talking as they went about in a relaxed fashion ... and I heard again, "yeah, we're doing this to reassure the father ...I don't think it's necessary, but maybe the father will leave us alone after this."   Again, I felt embarrassed, and started to question myself that I had been concerned; after all, these nurses and respiratory technicians do this all the time for years ....and I didn't have as much experience with newborns as all these nurses and specialists.  I wanted the everything to be okay too, but I couldn't shake the feeling.

Then, within 4 or 5 minutes after the x-ray, I could hear the respiratory nurse practitioner on the phone with the NICU doctor speak in an urgent and concerned tone, "the baby has a left pneumothorax ... we're going to move him to the NICU .... okay, okay.... sure."   She got off the phone, "the doctor is coming, ...get the surgical kit, ...quick ... let's move this baby to the NICU."

I could hear 6 or 7 nurses scamper about quickly getting things, and moving your basinet unit to the NICU, in the next room ...  I saw the NICU doctor running towards, and then into the NICU. ... and I was scared.  

Instead of being relieved that they were doing something, now I was scared that something bad was happening, ...worse than I thought.   I guess it was a mixed feeling.  I did NOT want to be right, I wanted to make sure you were taken care of, and I was glad that they were getting the team to work on you, but scared that they needed to work on you, and I heard the nurse report on the phone,  "pneumothorax," which is what I was concerned about.

I heard the team in the NICU, and peaked through a small slit in the blinds of the window, .... I had to stay out of the way, but I could see the team around your unit.   I prayed.  With tears in my eyes, I prayed.  I had already been praying up to this point, but now I prayed with just as much urgency as the team was taking care of you.

Your mom was downstairs in recovery, continuing to ask about you, ...and I was upstairs near you, ...wanting to go down to be with your mom, but not wanting to leave where I could hear what was going on.   I wanted to be there when the NICU doctor came out.  I didn't want to be downstairs with your mom and miss the doctor; so, I called down to your mother who was worried sick.   I told her what was going on, and she cried. 

Grandma Donovan was already on her way that day.  It was just a coincidence that you were born on the day she was planning on coming already.  I had to pick her up from the airport soon.  I was concerned about that, because I didn't want to leave for the airport with you in the NICU.

Finally, about 45 minutes later, the NICU doctor came out and talked with me.  He told me what was going on, and that you were stable, but in quite a bit of danger, and would be for a while.  And he said, "It was a good thing the team picked this up early, as this could have been much worse."

On the outside you couldn't see what I was thinking ... "sure, ...what the "team picked up early," ... I would give him a break since he wasn't there to hear me make a pest of myself since the first 2 minutes after you were born.  I wasn't mad, just upset over the whole situation.  So many emotions.

The NICU doctor allowed me to get close to your unit, and I then saw all the tubes ... the IV tubes, one in one of your umbilical veins, the other in your umbilical artery.  A tube in your nose, going to your stomach.  And, of course, the tube in your chest.  The NICU doctor was explaining everything to me.  I felt sick.  I've seen this before during my NICU rotation in my training at George Washington Medical Center in Wash, D.C., but now, it was MY SON, who was there, so helpless and fragile. 

I felt love, compassion, and hurt for you, ...for me, ... for your mother.   I went downstairs to talk to your mom.  We hugged and cried.  I reassured her, but, I was still scared.

Shortly after that I left to get Grandma Donovan at the airport.  I brought her to the hospital to be with your mother.

They finally allowed your Mom and I to go back into the NICU, and touch your head, your hands.  There we cried.  There we prayed. 

You were in the NICU for several days.  Your Mom was in the hospital for at least 2 days.  While in her hospital room, after visiting you in the NICU, your Mom cried again with me, saying, "I can't do this again, Ladd.  I can't go through this again.  We almost lost Brandon, and then now, with David, it hurts too much.  I always wanted a girl, but, we'll just have to be a family with 3 boys."  

I knew she was upset and scared, ...and I knew now wasn't the time to make that decision, but it also wasn't a time to say anything different than, "I understand.  Whatever you want.  It will be okay."   Of course, that changed a few years later when your Mom had her own experience, and knew it was time for Julianne to join the family here on Earth.

You received a few priesthood blessings while in the NICU; from myself and our bishop and counselor; and again, after g'pa and g'ma McNamara came.  We visited you several times throughout the day, and after what seemed like days, some of the tubes came out and we were allowed to hold you, ...your Mom was again allowed to hold you.  She was aching to hold you again.  I don't recall if she was able to hold you immediately after you were born, but if so, it wasn't longer than a minute. 

Your Mom has a much better memory about these things than I do, but this is from my perspective.  You may want to keep this record, as this is the first time I wrote this up ...this part of your life; of your entrance into the world 20 years ago, today. 

I love you so much, and ache to see you and hug you again, as I did the day you were born.   I am glad you are there in Mexico, serving the Lord.  You came from the Lord's presence 20 years ago, ... you have been blessed by the Lord throughout your life, and you are now serving the Lord full-time; paying your "life's tithing," 10% of your life until now serving 2 years for Him.

Happy Birthday, David.  I am so proud of you, my son.  I am so blessed to have you as my son.

Eternally yours,

Dad

Week 34: Birthdays Come Early in Mexico

Hmmmm.....I guess that Birthdays come early in Mexico!! 

We went to victoria today to have some fun with the rest of the zone. All we did was just play basketball outside for about 30 minutes then we ate some good mexican food! It was pretty decent. I got to talk with the american elders in english. Theres one elder name Elder Gregory. Which i sent a picture of us last time we went. He is so cool. I would consider him my bestfriend in the mission. We just talked about some crazy things that have happended in our mission. (Which i havent told you guys and wont until i come home..sorry!) But the sad thing is..He has 22 months in the mission. So hes going home in september. 

But i got 4 packages and a letter! A package from Katie, From the christensen family, Mama, and mama! All of you might be a little mad at me when i tell you this but im in mexico and theres no way i could wait a week looking at those packages and NOT open them. So i opened them all about 30 minutes ago...i tried but it was too tempting haha Lets just say that i have an amazing girlfriend and an amazing Mom and family! A BUNCH of candy which is always acceptable. A jump rope, A ton of pictues, letters, ties and those mesh garments....i think my comp is going to buy them from me. haha sorry mom. I might try them if i have ganas. 

Anyways. Unto some missionary buisness. After we finally arrived here back from victoria we were walking to our house (the church) and there was this one guy in front of me walking towards us and he was kinda creepyingly looking at me. So when i got closer he put his hand to shake my hand so i said to myself, why not shake his hand, and what do you know? He starts speaking to me in english and he used to live in provo and west jordan! haha how crazy is that? and he is from Columbia and has been a member for 41 years. Wierd but cool little experience.

This past week was the birthday for a recent convert. So in the morning we decided to buy her a cake and visit her. Because she is usually alone at her house and her husband is rarely there with her. We read some scriptures in the bible about difucties and problems we have in life but we need to always stay strong and have faith even when we think everything is going to fall apart or we dont understand why we need to do the things we need to do. It was a good lesson with her. She has a parret (a bird i cant spell) its pretty funny when it speaks spanish. Ill send a picture of it.

This past week we have taught a lot about repentance and forgiveness.I just want to tell you guys about one lesson we had with one of the investigators in the other area in soto. Because we are in a trio we have to preach in this whole town! But we were teaching her with her sister and a member. Her sister got baptized a few weeks ago and we are preparing her to be baptize. So we were re viewing lesson one with her about the restoration and stuff. And we were helping her with her doubts she had. And some how it turned into a testimony meeting. Her sister bore her testimony to her, then the member, and then i decided to bare my testimony to her as well. 

I told her about when i first gained my testimony when i was 15 when i went to EFY in Kirtland. We watched a video to start out the EFY week. About christ and about jose smith and the rstoration. And i felt the spriit so strong watching that, that i started to cry and decided then that i was going to pray that night and figure out if this church is true and if jose smith was a profet and if christ loved me.

I will never forget that night, NEVER! The strongest testimony to me that i have ever had. I received an answer to my prayer right away and i knew everything that i asked was true and i couldnt deny it! So i shared that with her and told her that i know for 100 percent that this church is true and i felt the spirit so strong re afirming that experiece i had when i was 15. It was the most spiritual lesson i have had her on my mission!

Im ready for the next transfer! Which is on my birthday!!! oh yeah. I will be 20 and never a teenager every again in my life...a little scary actually. I think im getting cabbin fever with my comp. You all know how that is. Just ready to get another compaion and learn from him!

Welp family. I love you all so much.

Love,
Elder McNamara ( Last email as a teenager)

Email Elder David McNamara at: David.McNamara@myldsmail.net

Week 33: Blessing the Lives of Those We Serve

Hey family. Hows everyone doing?...great? oh great me too!

well another week down in the missionary life. Im kinda ready for the transfers haha Elder R is getting lazier and doesnt want to work that much so our numbers are going down. Its pretty frusterating at times but im trying to be patience. On the up side it looks like i might be training a new missionary. Well thats what the zone leaders are telling me because the AP have been asking about me. I want to train a new missionary because i will learn a lot pretty fast! A lot about teaching and a lot of patience haha Which i need more of.

SO this week something interesting happened! We are in a trio now. The fat elder in the other area got changed out of here on special transfers so his comp. Elder Flores is now with us. He is a cool kid. He just barely turned 19 but he has been out on the mission longer than me. But before that happened i got my first opportunity to give a blessing in spanish.

A member here named Pablo, he is the one who owns this internet cafe in front of the church, was really sick and asked us to give him a blessing on thursday. So we went over and we asked him who he wants to give each part of the blessing. So he chose my comp. for the annoting of oil and me for the sealing and blessing! To be honeset i was really nervous because i didnt know what to say and even more i didnt know what to say in spanish! haha So my comp wrote on my agenda the words that i needed to say for the annoiting so i read that and then i continued with the blessing. It was cool! I didnt really think about the spanish i just waited for what i need to say. i dont know if that made any sense or not haha but it was a cool experience for me.

Then on saturday we taught this one family who hasnt been to church in so long. Its actually the brothers family of pablo. Pablos brother doesnt want anything with the church but his wife and little kids listen to us. Her kids have been coming to church with pablo for the past 3 sundays. So we went and we read Helaman 5:12 and talked about how we need to be firm in the gospel and how we can be. And if we are the tempatations and challenges that life brings will be easier to pass. They will still be way hard and seem impossible at times but if we never let the gospel of jesus christ go..everything will be okay. It was a really good lesson between the 3 of us! And guess what?...she went to church with her kids this past sunday! I was happy about it! That about all thats cool that happened.

Yeah mom about julie lexie and kelie all together it it is a wierd situation because almost always someone feels left out...that how i feel here right now in the trio haha 2 mexicans and one gringo. They just go off talking about all sorts of things. I talk with them too but they just start talking really fast and slur their spanish so sometimes its hard for me to understand fully what they are saying. haha my spanish has really improved a ton. My comp has even told me that! He said since we have been comps unitl now my spanish has gotten a whole lot better. Oh and i forgot to tell you guys that i taught sunday school 2 sundays ago! haha it went pretty well. It seemed like everyone understood me. Here in this small branch the missionaries pretty much do everything. One of the missionaries is the 2nd counsler, which is elder F, and we take turns teaching the class every sunday. We bless and pass the sacrament and we usually give talks in sacrament meeting! Pretty insane huh? 

Well thats my week for you all that read my letters.

I only got a email from you mama! only you! Im sure the rest of you are busy but i would appriciate a email even if its a short one. Thanks mom for the email.

On saturday i wanted to climb this water tower haha so we did! It was kinda scary climbing up the later and even more climbling down! But it was way cool from the top looking out at the whole marina! 

I love you all.

Love,

Elder McNamara

we all got burned pretty badly today. We were out side all day haha can you tell if im wearing a shirt or not?

Email Elder David McNamara at: David.McNamara@myldsmail.net

Week 32: Elder David McNamara Prays for Nedi to Feel the Spirit

Hey family! Hows everybody doing?

I miss you all. This week was pretty good! Last monday we changed houses. After i wrote you guys we went and moved all of our stuff. The x president of the rama owns a really big construction company here so he sent a driver and a truck that has a flat bed to help us move. But guess what? It started to rain pretty hard haha so we moved all of our stuff in the rain. and we all stood on the bed making sure the stuff wouldnt fall off so we all got soaked! It was pretty fun!

So our new house is pretty tight. It has 2 floors and the bedroom is pretty big and has a high techo. and the bathroom is pretty nice for mexico. I really like our new house!

Okay first foto (above) is me with a bat in our house! We came home one night and it was flying around!! We were freaking out! haha   the next is me feeding a caballo!

This week went pretty fast and we.had some good lessions. We have taught this one lady named Nedi. She is so big and has the biggest behind i have ever seen in my life!! haha but she is nice. We taught her the first lesson like 2 weeks ago and this past week we taught her about the book of mormon. Her daughter is a member but hasnt gone to church in like 10 years or so. 

So when we went to visit with her she said that she had a dream. I dont really remember that much about what she said. But then her son told us that he had a dream when the missionaries first came over to thier house. He said he dreamed he was in a big flied of wheat following this wierd path and thinking to himself. Where the heck am i going. then all of the sudden her saw this huge tree. The biggest tree he has ever seen. And then the fruit he saw was shining white and then a bird came and started to eat the fruit and the bird started to shine really bright white! then he woke up...what does it sound like to you guys? the tree of life huh? haha i was about to pull that out and read it with him but he said the other missionaries already did that! haha 

Then we taught the lesson about the book of mormon and we finished and asked her to say the last prayer. And she didnt want to but was scared to so after 10 minutes she finally said it. And oh my gosh! It was so powerfull! You could tell she was praying with her heart and she prayed for her family and for her problems she is having right now. And she started to cry. While she was saying the prayer i was praying in my heart just asking PLease let her feel the spirit please let her feel the spirit. And she finshed and looked at us with tears in her eyes and just smiled. I couldnt stop smiling back at her. And that was honestly the first time i found myself praying and wanting so bad that someone could feel the spirit! And im pretty sure she did! It was a really cool experience for me!

me feeding the hourse again but with it in my mouth! ahha

Well nothing really else happend this week! Just being a missionary you know! SOunds like your pretty busy dad with all your speaking in different states and stuff. And mom with you working with the chinos! haha 

Well sorry this is a little short! I love you guys! 

Love,

Elder McNamara

Email Elder David McNamara at: David.McNamara@myldsmail.net

Week 31: Me So Happy ....Love You Long Time.

What up fam?

Well i first got to give a shout out to someone. Yo brandon!! I got your dear elders letters you sent me! Thanks man i really appreciated them. I have played all the call of duties they are so sick. But halo is so much better! Thats awesome that you started school. Well back on the 20 of June or something like that. You got a 100 percent on a test? well im speaking another language everyday and the people can understand me...BOOOM!!! haha i want to here your boom you got. Thanks again for the letters man, it made me feel a little piece of home here in mexico! Love you brandon! 

So as you can see i got letters from when we went to Victoria! We left on thursday night and stayed until friday night. I got 12 letters!!! I was so excited. I got 8 from the most amazing girl ever:) and 3 from brandon and 1 form Wendi. It definately made my week!

Well this week was pretty decent. Not a lot happened to be honest. So im going to catch all you guys up on some stuff! I forgot to tell you all that on my second day here in soto la marina guess what we ate?....We had shrimp. Oh my gosh i about threw up! She served about a pound on everybody's plate. I have no idea how i finished it. Everyone finished and i was still there trying to eat the rest. About after 10 miuntes after everyone finished i managed to eat it all. 

First time i ate sea food on the mission. it was funny because the night before elder rojas and i were getting to know each other and he asked me what kind of food do i not like and i told him all kind of sea food. And he told me that the whole time he has been here they havent had sea food. And the next day we had shrimp! haha I felt sick all that day back on May 14! Then 2 weeks ago we had sea food again! but i kinda liked it...it was breaded fish. I used a lot of Limon so that help the nasty fish taste! I actually had seconds that day so i think im started to like fish...a little bit! 

So this week when we went to victoria on thursday night we got there at like 9 because its 3 hours away from our little town. so we stayed with 2 other elders. One american and one from Peru! The american he name is Elder Cardinal. Hes from Bountiful Utah. Well pretty much all the americans are from utah! haha He graduated the same year with me but didnt leave until January. He is pretty cool. And the peruvian? he is funny and nice guy. But they didnt have extra beds at their house so the elder from peru pulled his matress off the frame and told me i could sleep...on the frame! haha it was probably the most uncomfortable i have ever slept in my entire life!! Im not even exactrerating ( i cant spell i know) 

Then we had the zone conference. It was good we talked about how we can and serve with all our hearts, might, mind, and strength. Then we had president Jordan talks to us. He talked about repentance for about an hour. It was pretty intense. Im pretty sure every elder there was questioning themselves. It was good though! Then after i got all my awesome letters. We went to say bye to pres. Jordan. And i shoke his hand and he said to me.. Elder McNamara, You seem happy all the time, Why are you so happy?.. So i told him. I dont know, im sorry. and i put my hand over my face and made a sad face and moved my hand and said is that better? haha he laughed. But that was nice of him to say that. I really needed someone to say that to me because i feel pretty lonely here in a small town in the middle of nowhere! Dont worry though! Im all good.

Then we went to little ceasars and then we went to the bus station to wait for our bus. So i had to go to the bathroom so bad so i tell my comp. and he tells me it cost money, 4 pesos! So i pay it and go in and oh my gosh....the most disgusting bathroom i have ever seen. Which didnt bother me that much. But until i see the toliets..because i had to go poop. First of all..none of the toliets didnt have toliets seats and second of all. No toliet paper! There wasnt even a place to have toliet paper. They dont put paper in the public bathrooms! So i left and jokingly complained to my mexican comps! haha they all just laughed. 

So today we packed up all of our stuff and our house because we are moving to another, better house! We are moving our stuff later today! Well thats all i got for you all this week!

I love you all :)

Love,

Elder David McNamara


Email Elder David McNamara at: David.McNamara@myldsmail.net

And, Katie is back home, enjoying Independence Holiday with her family at the lake. 

Week 30: "Count Your Blessings," Starring David McNamara

Que onda familia?

Voy a escribir esta carta en español. Espero que pueden entenderlo! jaja Esta semana pasada fue bien. Tuvimos lecciones y predicamos el evangelio a las personas aqui en soto la marina! Ayer recibimos dos mas referencias que quiza van a bautizarse. Pretty exciting! 

Okay im just kidding im not going to write the whole letter in spanish. But the first week of the new cambio has pasted and i have 7 months in la mision! Crazy. The time is going pretty fast. The days seem like they are going faster. I wake up and study then we teach one or 2 lessons then we eat and after we eat the day flies and then im laying in my bed again. Thats what it feels like to me!

The first picture is of me doing a back fliip! I was a little scared to do it on the dirt ground so i had an elder spot me! I landed it!

haha the next is of me and my companion. Yesterday it was so hot so i decided to roll up my pants and i walked around for little bit like that! So i struck a pose on the dead tree trunk 

We found this one lady named Nedi. Well actually she found us! So every tuesday there is a rodante. Which is where everyone sets up stands in the street and sell of sorts of things. So the street that everyone does it is on our street we live on! Its pretty packed full of people. So we were walking and she called us to her stand she has. And we talked with her and she wanted us to sing a hymn for her! She had count your blessings printed up and told us to sing for her. So we sang the song and set up a cita with her. That was like 4 weeks ago. 

We finally found her again this past tuesday. We talked with her and got to know her better. Her daughter is a member but doesnt go to church and Nedi was listening to the missionaries but like 10 years ago but she didnt get baptized because her husband didnt want her too. But she told us about her experience she had when she went to church. She said when she first went to church and steppped in the building she felt a strange feeling that she has never felt before. She said that she felt at peace. And when she took the sacrament she felt the same wierd feeling that she has never felt before! Then when she left she said the feeling went away and she went again the next week and felt the same feeling! 

While i was listening to that i was amazed how the spirit is so powerful at church. Us as members we get into the habbit of just going every week and sitting there then going home. But we need to pay attetion to the spirit that is there and LOOK for it. Because the spirit is only with us if we constantly look and seek for it! Because the spirit is there in ever meeting it depends on us if we want to feel it or not. That was a testimony builder for me about the power of the spirit at church! We taught her again on thursday about the restoration and it was good. And we invited her to church and pray about the message. But the sad thing is that she didnt come to church! AHH. We just have to be patience and try to help her in every way. 

Oh yeah. At our district meeting, of four elders, we took some time and we shared a spiritual experience that we have had on our missions. It was cool to hear other elders experiences. I shared my experience of when i baptized the little girl and felt the power of the preisthood through my body as i said the words. And another elder shared when he comfrimed a new convert to the church. It was the first time and he said as he said the words recieve the holy ghost he felt power, or i dont know how else to describe it, go from his hands to the persons head and that the person kinda jerked a little bit! ha cool huh! 

WEll thats what i have for you all this week! I love you all. Im going to Victoria again on wednesday. I get to get my letters that have been waiting for me in tampico. The zone leaders say that i have like 10 letters! haha im excited. And its the 4th of July this week. I will be missing out on some fireworks. Thats too bed..
Oh well. I love you all!

I forgot something! So the Branch presidents wife finally came back from texas! She was there taking care of her mom. So i met her for the first time yesterday at chruch and after church we started talking and we talked for like 15 minutes. Just her and I! She is so cool and she told me smoething that made me laugh, She asked if i was the youngest of the family and i siad no, Then then said that i have the face of the youngest one! I kinda laughed and asked her why does she think i have the face of the youngest one and she said because you just have a good looking face and that you dont do anything bad! haha It was cool.

(see more pictures below)

Love,

Elder McNamara

Email Elder David McNamara at: David.McNamara@myldsmail.net

okay so the first picture is me after we got water at like 6 30 in the morning. I got my hair cut last week!

Next i let one of the elder try to hit the clothe off of my head. haha

Week 29: Growing Like Bamboo in Mexican Mission

Hey family!

I love you guys! Both my families..The McNamara and the Christensen! haha

Well today is the start of new cambio or transfer. Im still with my old comp Elder R.  Another 6 weeks with him that is until August 4! Its going to fly by. He has 20 months in the mission and he is starting to die..in missionary terms. I dont know how i feel about another 6 weeks with him. He lacks work. Its a little frusterating at times but i know there is something i can learn from him and from these next 6 weeks! 

A few things have happened since the last time i wrote you guys on wednesday. Elder R. and I found a better way to travel to the other side of our area accros the  river besides walking all the way to the bridge and then to our investigators house which takes about 30 mintues walking...I tell you about that a little later on. 

So we went to teach a menos activo that hasnt been to church in who knows how long. He was baptized like 25 years ago. He is a little crazy haha  Last week we were talking about christ and the atonement and then he said that jesus died on thursday and ressurrected on saturday...so i told him no he died on friday. and rised on sunday. 

The this week we went back to planchar him a little bit. I found the scripture where it says that the jew didnt want to leave the bodies on the cross on the sabbath which was saturday so they took him down the a little later on it says that on the first day of the week mary went to the tumb which was sunday. He still didnt believe us...haha then he went on telling us how the light of the moon can do many things. Like if you want to have a son instead of a daughter..you and your wife should do your busy on a full moon and you{ll have a son.  And that he heard that one man had really deep cuts on his arms so he slept with the window open with the light of the moon and the next morning he was healed! hahaha He is a bit crazy. 

But after an hour of talking about the moon he show us a better way to go to barrio which was on the other side of the river. He has a little paddle boat! SO he took us on that accros the river! haha it was fun. 

so we went to go teach the lesson but they werent there so we went back to where he dropped us off and called him and he came for us...so my companion got in a little shakey and then it was my turn to get in and i was slowly going down the steep mudding hill being cautios. And apprently Clemente, the less active, told me to wait but i guess it didnt connect right away because it was spanish. then...BOOM i slipt and fell into the river haha all the way to my waist then i climbed into the boat! We were all laughing so hard haha it was pretty funny. 

Then on sunday we had church and one of the speakers talks i liked a lot. He talked about bamboo and how it takes about 5 to 6 years to come out of the ground because its streghtening its roots and he compared that to us. THat god never leaves us that he is always there. that when we have problems and challenges in our lives that all of it is for our good. That sometimes its really difficult to overcome the problem but god doesnt allow anything to happen that we cant overcome! And that God is strenghtening our roots! That he is preparing us for something great either in this life or in the life to come. BUt the promise is there all we need to do is press forward with hope and faith in christ! 

But faith has 2 parts. The belief and the action! SO we need to do our part }. Which is all the things he asks us to do. ALl the primary answers and serve others! I added a few more things to that but his talked really effected me! I liked it alot. 

Then we went to eat and came back to the church for the special leadership training thing. I started to get really homsick before it started. I dont know why. I was about to cry! I would have cried if i didnt held it back. But then it started and i loved it! 

The missionaries that are in the MTC sang and her was funny. I thought that the Elders were empty seats in the background! There is so many missionaries now! And a ton of sister missionaries! 

Holland said that now there are 70,000 missionaries. Just this past conference there was 64,000 missionaries. 6,000 MORE missionaries in that short space of time. The Lord is really hastening his work and preparing for something great! 

BUt they showed a video clip of a young boy getting baptized then recieving the priesthood then doing some activities then a group of friends watching their friend open his mission call then getting set apart as an Elder then saying bye to his family at the MTC and then recieving his name tag. Then they showed a bunch of different missionaries around the world teaching and preach the gospel. 

It was so cool. I started to cry during the little video clip. Because i just thought about all that happened to me! Me getting baptized by michael when i was 8..took him 3 or so times haha then me recieving the priesthood then me filling out my mission papers and then opening my call at katies house with you guys on skype and then getting the higher preisthood. Going to the temple. Then finally saying goodbye to you all at the MTC and now me here in Mexico! 

Its definately a blessing that I am here on my mission and im so grateful for this opportunity. No doubt that it is really hard at sometimes. Being away from you all and with spanish and teaching. BUt this is the best thing that i could ever do!

Well here is some pictures for you guys! I love you all so much!:) 

Love,

Elder McNamara

Email Elder David McNamara at: David.McNamara@myldsmail.net