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

Week 63: Being a Missionary is the Best Thing Ever!

Hey folks, familia, y cuates 

You guys are probably wondering why im writing so late. So ill tell you why. So today we went to Micos here in the city of valles. Its so cool! Its a bunch of waterfalls and rivers and stuff like that. Too bad we couldn't go swimming; but oh well. haha   I took pictures but i forgot to put my stupid camera cord in my backpack so i wont be able to send pictures this week...that will be next week.  I'll send a ton next week so be prepared. 

So monday and tuesday i was in Tampico getting legal in this pais again. So now im legal here in mexico. I went with an elder in my district, Elder Rawlins. He is really cool and one of my best friends in the mission. We talked all night monday until like 4 in the morning and woke up at 6:30 haha good thing that the best ride is 3 hours long back to my area. 

Wednesday we had the district meeting. Which i taught pretty darn good, im not going to lie. Thanks to the spirit. Before the meeting i told my district that they had to come to the meeting with atleast 3 contacts in the street, and we all did. wooohooo. Then i talked about that they really are people prepared in our areas. Like Preach my gospel says in chapter 10, have faith that the Lord will put you in the path of a person or will put a person in your path. 

Its so true and I fully believe that, that there really are people prepared for each missionary. We just have to have the faith, and faith is action, so we got to do everything in our propio (power).  Like i said last week, i have no idea where all my faith is coming from haha. So a goal that president jordan want us to have for new investigators for this week is 17 new investigators. That number is pretty up there. But 2 weeks ago i was praying about it, and if it really was possible for our areas. And i recieved an answer that ya it is possible. And that we are going to find those 17 new people. I also felt that this week we are going to see a miracle.  I don't know what or when but there is going to be a miracle this week, i can feel it. 

Speaking about miracles, there were 2 lessons this past week that were amazing. One was with this women named Ana Cristina. We found her by contacting her mom and then later going to her house and met Ana. She is really open to everything and understands everything that we have taught. So 2 weeks ago we gave her a book of mormon and told her to read it and she did. So last week we asked her what she learned and understood from 3 nephi 11 and she understood that Jesus gave authority to people so that they were able to baptized. Then she asked the golden question, She asked us if there is anybody on earth today that has this authority. Boom, i was taken away by that question. Ive never heard someone ask it here. BUt i told her yes and then i explained to her when jesus was here than he died and the apostles died and didnt give anyone the authority. Then i explained to her about Jose smith and his story in detail. And recited the first vision and the spirit was there so strong. 

Then i testified to her about the first vision and that it really happened and that through Jose smith the Lord restored that authority. Then my comp went on teaching about baptism. Then later we invited her to say a prayer right there in front of us to ask god if what we were teaching is true. I cant even explain to you guys how strong the spirit was there, it was like my whole body was burning with the spirit. The whole area where we were. The wind started to pick up and blow the trees back and forth. Im not even joking. It was the best feeling ever. 

She then told us that she feels like she was being backed up against the wall but that she will do it when we leave. So after a while we left and when we walked to the fence we looked back and she was staring at as strangely. Once we left i realized that she was looking at us like that because right then and there she realized that we are servants of the Lord. That we are sent by God and that she felt something different when we were there. What an amazing time to be a misionary. 

Another lesson. On Saturday we went to a new investigators house and there we met her cousin, who had listened to the missionaries when she was 16, that was 12 years ago. We taught about the Book of Mormon and read a little in it. Then she started telling us about her life and that it has been really hard for her. That when she was litle her parents treated her badly and that her dad beat her. So at the age of 15 she got married, hoping that everything would get better. No, just the opposite. 

Her husband would drink and drink and other bad things would happen. She told us all that and after i sat there for a few moments and felt impressed to talk and i started talking to her. I told her thanks for sharing those experiences with us. Bad things always happen to everyone but you know why god allows those things to happen? Because that's the only way that we can progress, to learn, to grow, and to become the person he wants us to become. Maybe those things happened to you so that you could have become a better mom for your kids. God loves you and Christ loves you and suffers with you. Then i testifyied of Gods love for her. The words that i spoke were not my words. As i was speaking i felt that my whole body was burning with the spirit. I wanted to cry because i felt the enormous love that God had for that women and for me. Another amazing experience. Being a missionary is the best thing ever. Definitely worth every sacrifice. 

I think that im finally realizing the power of my calling. I'm a representative of Christ himself.  What a huge but sacred opportunity. I'm loving it, but it's still hard. 

In 2 weeks a family in my area is going to get sealed and i get to go!!!  I'm super excited. It will be my first sealing I'll get to see.  

I love you all and have a good week! 

Love,

Elder McNamara

Week 62: Encouraged by a Seventy on Valentine's Day

Hey everyone! Hows it going? 

This week was a ton of traveling also! We didnt have much time to work here in our area. And guess what else? Im going to tampico after i write this email to renew my visa for the last and final time! Wow the time really flies! 

So tuesday we all did super divisions. The whole zone just mixes and yeah haha so i stay in the city of Valles tuesday with an Elder named Elder Ortega from Puebla. He s new here in the misison and asked me a lot of things haha. The main thing that i was asked to teach him is how to contact. Because i guess that everyone says that i can get into any house haha It was a good time. 

We taught a woman that had listen to the missionaries like 2 years ago. we taught her the restoration again and it was a really spiritual lesson. I liked it a lot and she had never heard about the book of mormon?? How is that possible?  The other missionaries hadnt even taught her that. wow. So we taught her the book of mormon and she seemed pretty comitted to read it. 

Then afterwords we were looking for some referencias they had and we couldnt find them! Its so frusterating because there are never the names of the streets no where!! ANd i mean nowhere! And the numbers of the houses dont even make sense haha one house could be 110 and the one next to it can be 600. Really difficult to find referencias. So we started to ask around and i started contacting them haha we asked this one old man with like 50 años. I asked him and he didnt know then i started talking about him about whatever and the bottom line is that he invited us in his house haha I dont even remember what we talked about. After we left Elder Ortega was like (How the heck did you do that?) haha Then later that night we taught a less active family that i fell in love with the family in 20 minutes. They are so cool and really nice. I'll send a picture of me with them.  A really cool family.  

(This computer is not recognizing my camera connection, so I cannot send pictures this week.  Sorry.)

Wednesday were Interviews with President Jordan. We were there the whole day. I enjoy talking with president Jordan. He explained to me something that really touched me. He was talking about when Chirst died and was talking about the apostles and what they might be doing. He said that they were probably there in a house with the 11 there in silence. Thinking about what had just happened and becoming a true brotherhood. Putting there arms around each other and asking quietly..What do we do now?. Then they other 10 look to peter and asked, what do we do? And Peter saying I dont know and the others, Well Christ gave you all the keys for the church. And president asked me how do you think peter felt in this instant? I told him really overwhelmed. And then later the apostles going in the upper room and there was christ. WHen i was just imagining that those moments, the apostles coming closer to each other like a true brotherhood. Thats exactly how the mission should be. All the Elders and that how my district should be a brother hood. 

On Friday we went to Valles again because a 70 came to the stake! It was good because it was Valentines day and i didnt want to see all the couples in the street and all the love in the air hahaha so instead we listened to a 70.  He talked mostly about the ward counsel and how it should work. Which there is a ton of emphasis on ward consel here in Mexico, i dont know about the states though. And at the end he started talking about our scared calling as a misionary. How blessed we are to be servents of the lord when he is hastening the work!  He talked about how the apostles choose the mission of each missionary. That preaching the gospel is the duty of the apostles but theres only 12.  So thats why they call us. Young men and women, to preach the gospel.  Then that they send a special letter to the stake president of a missionary, giving the stake president apostolic keys to set apart the missionary.  And that we have the same sacred calling as the apostles.  Wow, what an amazing meeting.  He obviously said so many more things and said it better AND in spanish but thats just a little taste of what happened haa. 

Nombre!! Church this week was good and spiritual. The only thing is that there were only 11 people! Including us. Oh my gosh. Its pretty difficult here but we are moving along little by little. I dont know why or where it came from but these past 3 weeks I have had a ton of faith and ganas for my area. I honestly feel like this area is going to grow and explode with baptisms.  We just have to have the faith to see the miracles.  Like it says in Ether 12, God cant do any miracle unless there is faith. 

Have faith family and friends and youll see the miracles you need. I know my redeemer lives and im happy to be a missionary! Love you all.

Love,

Elder McNamara 

Week 61: Finding the "Prepared" in El Pueblo. Life is Good!

Hey guys,

Que les va?

Well this week was pretty bomb. It was a really good week for my comp and I. We have found so many new investigators! 10 in one week. Every since president jordan talk to us about there are people prepared and all we got to do is have the faith and actually believe theyre there! So i have been focusing on that thought the whole week, believing, praying, asking so we could find those people....and we did!

Its been awesome! I have had a really good attitude about everything and just happy and this week i have noticed the spirit guiding me even more. The best feeling one can have, the companionship of the holy ghost. And i got to give some of the credit to my comp, elder soto. He is one of the most obedient elders i have meet, no the MOST obedient elders i have meet and has really helped me be even that more obedient. Its so true that obedience bring blessings!

So we found this one investigator named Audo. He is about 17 years old and his brother is a less active member for about 15 years. His name is Uriel, and he has lived in the USA for like 10 years and was in the army. One day we were walking in the street and we past uriel but then he said something to me in english haha so i went and talked to him. And thats where everything started! When then taught his brother the first lesson and after 5 minutes he cousin walked in and sat down, then 5 minutes later his other cousin came in and sat down and later his uncle came in and sat down. haha  All our new investigators now! How awesome is that, ey?  2 of them have baptism dates for the 29 of march! Oh yeah. So we are going to prepare them for that.

We found another family contacting in the street. My comp and I believe that there are the people prepared that we were looking for. We taught them lesson one as well and the spirit was super strong. Its a little funny, while we were walking to their house my comp and i started to get nervous for the lesson, that hasn't happened to me since my first weeks in mexico, but the family understands really well. Its a young couple with 3 kids. They're really nice and all that good stuff.  We will see what happens this week with them!

So at church yesterday guess what i did?....I was presiding the meeting and my comp lead the meeting. I blessed the sacrament and my comp passed the sacrament, I gave a talk and my comp gave the other talk. My comp gave the first class and I gave the last class.   WE ARE THE BISHOPS HERE! Its all good though. The spirit was present, that's all that matters!

Thanks everyone for your emails. You know how mail is for missionaries!!! Julie im giving you a special shout out. YA YEA!! Can i just say that im so proud of you!! With your missionary moment with your friend. It touched my heart and im so happy you're doing what your doing. And yeah..guys are retarded. Ive told you that so many times.  haha

I love you all ...MOM, DAD, Michael, Brandon, and Julie!   Have a good week.

Love,
Elder David McNamara


making eggs with cut up hot dog at 6 in the morning.  haha do i look tired?

so we were walking in the street and passed this cow and it saw that i was eating some chips and started following me and came right up next to me so i fed it a chip. haha

Week 60: Watering the Small Branch and Praying to Connect "Converts"

Hey everyone,

Hows things going?  I hope things are going pretty well there!

Well this week for me was alright.  A little crazy and full of travel!  Its a little difficult here in this area. Just with finding new investigators and trying to help this small little branch.  Like yesterday guess how many people came to church....only 19, including us.

And the president ended sacrament early and ended church at 11:30 when church started at 10.  I was SO mad, but im doing good now.  We just have to teach our president here how to do things around here, no one said the mission was easy.

Last monday, we had an awesome lesson with a family that is ready to get sealed in the temple.  All they are waiting for is to talk with the stake president.  We taught them the restoration, and the spirit was so strong. They have 2 little girls with the ages of 9 and 8, they are so cute.  I got a picture book thing that i like to use to teach with little kids and the little girls loved it.

We taught about prophets and they knew about every single prophet that i had a picture for. haha  Then with the first vision they all were paying attention and the spirit was testifying to all of us and we ended it by talking a little about the temple, and thanks to the preisthood and everything we are able to be with our families forever.

Talking about the temple that time touched me more than usual.  When i was teaching some image popped in my mind, it was of the plaque for missionaries that says, "Leave your family for 2 years so that other families can be together forever."  I felt the spirit so strongly and thats so true!  Im here to help other families recieve the blessings of the temple so that one day i can have my own eternal family.  I have been thinking about that a lot this week.

So thursday morning the zone leaders called me and told me that i had to go to valles so that all of the leaders could go to Tampico.  So i went to tampico thursday and got there thursday night.  6 hours in the bus!!!  I was exhuasted but once we got there the assistants put together an actividad where we had to practice asking for references.  I learned some new tactics so thats good!  I got to see all my friends in the mission, its was nice.  My friends that are still in Huejutla and other missionaries ive meet.  We got to eat pizza from little ceasers, un buen de pizza!!!!!!!!! haha

Friday was the capacitacion por los lideres en la mision.  It was pretty good. i learned some things, and president jordan taught a little more about the plan for mexico.  He was also saying that a lot of missionaries have lost that spark of missionary work.  That they have lost the reason why they are here.  We are here to baptize converts!!  He put a lot of emphasis on that.  And friday night i stayed in valles with the zone leaders, and we didnt get back to our area, tanquian, until saturday morning!!

Sunday was good, execpt for church. We were looking for some reference we had and we went to this house to ask them if they knew where the person lived.  So i said buenas tardes buenas tardes, then the guy inside said, "I dont want anything! GO away."  haha   He only said that because he thought we were one of the people that sell bread or something like that.

Then my comp said we just have a question.  Then he came out and saw us and we started talking about soccer and his job and stuff.  It was a really smooth conversation. Then i started talking to him about the gospel and taught him a little about the book of mormon, and he seemed pretty interested.

Then i paused and thought for a second and i got the impression to share my testimony with him, so i did!  I told him that i knew the book of mormon is true and that this church is true. I stared him in the eyes saying that to him and i knew he felt the spirit. I felt covered with spiritual power in that moment!!  OHH YEAH!!  It was so cool.

Well that was my week. It was decent. I miss you family. I love you all. I got 3 packages this week. One from you mom, with those wierd toy things you sent, haha.  Then one from grandma and grandpa McFerson, and from grandma Donavan!  Thanks guys!

I also got a letter from Katie.  Thanks Katie, i really appreciate it.  It helped me out!

I Love you guys!

Love,
Elder McNamara