I hate Chickens and Roosters.

Hola Familia!

Ok so seriously I hate roosters and chickens. Waking up to them every morning is really getting old and well, I hate them.  

Ok so this week has been good. Last P day we went to the Canache and its basically just a nature park and the only thing we could do there was take pictures and walk up the sand dunes.... Well based on my pictures you can guess how big that dune was. High enough my companion got altitude sickness and threw up all over the top. It was pretty fun!!!! Also this last week I had an intercambio with Hna. Messina and I learned so much from her it’s pretty awesome!!! I was really grateful for the intercambio because me and my comp needed a break. but it’s all good now. We are getting along great! I’m just being a duck.  (some advice she gave me was to just be a duck, let everything roll off my back like water. and I took it to heart and its made a difference.)

I will admit though I didn’t want Hna Messina to leave. I started crying at lunch actually right before she left and my pennionista came over and was just hugging me and kissing my forehead and just saying " Mi gringita!!! Mi missionera" haha which translates to my gringro!!! ha-ha I felt much better after lunch! and honestly my pennionista is the best! 

So one of my investigators is progressing really well! His name is Victor I sent a picture. He’s awesome! I have seen a change in him I’ve never seen before in anybody else. PMG says " As we rely on the atonement of Christ, He can help us endure our trials, sicknesses and pain. We can be filled with joy, peace, and consolation. All that is unfair about life can be made right through the atonement of Christ" And I’ve seen this in Victor. he’s happier then when we first met him, he’s more awake, more excited for life! Honestly he’s awesome!!! 

Oh and that picture I sent of the jello tamale, ya that was gross. I didn’t like tamalis before my mission and now I really don’t like tamalis. 

Anyways nothing much else to report! I’m trying to think of what else to write but can’t think of much else.... 

Oh the ward I’m serving in is having a talent show Friday and my zone leaders are making me sing..... yea glad these people can’t sing in tune. 

Anyways love you all and miss you so much!!!

Love Hna. McNamara

*items in italics I added from our "not so instant chat" 

Please Send Oreos!!!!!!!!!!

Ok guys Peru’s got a small problem. Their Oreos don’t taste like Oreos! AND They don’t have Swedish fish, peanut butter, or Cheese-its! I might die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Jk jk JK it’s all good, but seriously I went to go try an Oreo from Peru and it tasted like rotten tooth paste. it was so gross! I made sure it was sealed so I’m not sure what’s wrong with them. Also the snacks here are pretty awful, lets just say we are really blessed in America when it comes to snacks. Oh sad part about my mission, I can’t eat strawberries because of germs and such, but its strawberry season here and man am I craving them like none other... I’m gonna want a big bowl first thing when I get home in 15 months.  Oh did I mention? I have now completed 3 months in the mission. Yup! that’s a little weird. Matthew your birthday is my one year mark, thought that was cool! Also time is starting to go a little faster. The days feel like weeks but the weeks feel like days. 

So I learned this week that the people here really really hate dogs. They’ll throw rocks at them and just flat out abuse them. it’s really terrible. There are a few people I’ve met that actually have pet dogs and they actually treat their dogs with a little more respect. I would still consider a lot of it animal abuse and some lessons are really hard to sit through. But I will say thank you for teaching me Cesar Milan Mom, it has definitely been helpful! One member has learned he can hide behind me because I know how to get rid of them or help them be friendly. It’s great. One follows me around everywhere and it’s even better because when he’s with me the drunks won’t come near me at all. So I’ve started calling him my amigo. ha-ha 

Ok so the older lady in the picture with me is Kristel and she is such a sweet lady! she is one of our investigators, and she’s struggling a little bit with getting to church because her husband is very much against it, and honestly her husband scares me. But she believes the book of Mormon is true and all that jazz so I feel like if she is patient the Lord will bless her. 

The second picture is of me and Rafael Camacho and his sister Dayana. Ok Rafael is literally the funniest 12-year-old I have ever met! He is a hoot! Whenever we have a rough day in lessons we go teach Rafael because he always makes us laugh. 

So this weeks is short because I left my notes for this email in my apartment. But things are better! I’m not very homesick anymore and I’m able to participate in the lessons more. The Spanish is improving. oh I did learn this week that I have been saying dad wrong. There are 2 ways to say papa ... papa and papá. that little accent makes all the difference. Sorry dad I’ve been calling you a potato since I got here.... oops.... Anyways love you all lots!!!! Hope your week is great!!! 

Love

Hna. McNamara

Hermana Chaparro,  Kristel, Hermana McNamara

Kristel, Hermana McNamara

Cassie in her new dress!  She finally got her package we sent her 3rd week in the MTC.

With Flash....LOL

Without Flash. LOL

Rafael & Dayana Camacho & Hermana McNamara

Grandma McNamara's 75th Birthday Wishes!

The long lost package.....

Happy Girl, she got her package and American candy. LOL