Well I’m alive!!!!! - 07/19/2016

So the last two weeks have been absolutely crazy here!!!! I still only have an hour to write so I hope I can get everything I want in here in here. So travel to the field was good, I didn’t get my package Mom but Hermana Moore was very happy to forward it to me. We got to the field and had lots of people from the mission home waiting for us. Once we got to the mission home we stayed there for the night and then the next morning we went and met our new companions. So my companion’s name is Hermana Chaparro and she is from Lima. She actually speaks a lot more English than I thought. I can’t attach pictures here they don’t have SD cards inserts so I’ll check every week, but it might have to wait a while or until the end of my mission, I’m not really happy about that. Next time I’m at the mission home I’ll check and see if my package is there and if the thumb drive is there if there’s any possible way for me to send pictures from Hermana Marbles computer. Here’s hoping!

So I live in a tiny room right next to the bishop and the bishop’s wife is actually our penchanista, and I will never make my own food here, ever. I will also never do my own laundry. The bathroom in my room is so small I have to sit sideways on the toilet and when I shower if I don’t want to get electrocuted I have to shower in cold water and if want to use hot water I have to have something in my hand when I touch the handle because if I don’t I get nice shock goes up my arm, that’s pretty terrible. but Hermana Marble is gonna try and have that fixed.

oh and if I leave the area I have to either go with my zone or my district, we can’t go shopping without my district...... kinda weird.

Mom could you send out a group email for me????

um so this last week has been spent crying and crying and lots more crying. it’s been super stressful. my companion wants to learn English so she will talk in English and she has been directed not to because I need to learn Spanish but she still doesn’t listen. I always have her repeat in Spanish because I refuse to disobey and I need to learn this language. Fries are a meal here and so is granola and fruit and surprisingly it is very filling. Hermana Clark is in my zone so I can see her 3 times a week and that’s been nice because this last week has been terrible for both of us.

Saturday I got to attend my first Peruvian wedding and so that was really weird, there was like 20 couples in the one wedding, because if they can get more than 10 couples to get married at the same time its only 30 soles instead of 250 soles. I will be honest, Dad remember how you said Peru is about 15 years away from being a first world country??? yea no I would say more like 30 mainly because they have technology yes, but they are living in dirt holes in the ground. It’s so sad they have everything but the houses are not even close to being secure. I’m in an area called Centenario 2 I think the city name is Laredo. it’s about 35 minutes from the mission home. It’s very crazy here and the people are super nice.

My 2nd day here we taught a new investigator name Marisa and she is literally this living in a 2nd story apartment. and me and Hermana Chaparro sang “soy un hijo de dios” (I am a Child of God) for her and the spirit came in like a wrecking ball. It was very powerful and I’ll be honest I cried. I am not even kidding I have never cried so much in my entire life! But it’s been good crying most of the time. I’m sorry my typing is so terrible the little internet shop we are writing in has very sticky keyboards and they are not the easiest things to type on. I was very spoiled in the CCM.

I also have never realized how much I have underappreciated my family since being here. I’m not even kidding! Most of the missionaries around me don’t have family in the church. and so they have no support out here in the mission field. it’s very sad. But I want to say I love my family very much and you have no idea how much I miss you guys! There have been so many times this week I have wanted to call president and tell him to send me home! It’s been so hard especially since I can’t understand anyone. I’ve been paying very close attention and I can pick up a lot of stuff but its only if they talk really slow. I’m hoping that I can understand a bit more every week and talk more every day. I can understand a lot of stuff when I read it but it’s a little difficult. I also had to bear my testimony Sunday in the ward I’m serving in and I got 2 sentences in and my mind froze and I couldn’t remember anymore Spanish so I finished and went and sat back down. But all the people told me that my testimony was amazing so I hope it was amazing because the Spirit testified of my testimony to them. Also one of our investigators his name is Luis has agreed to baptism in August and I will most likely still be here in this area so I am very excited for that. Also Wolder and Rolando have agreed to baptism we just have to get them to church which is turning into a problem but we aren’t giving up. there isn’t much else to write. Mom if you could ask questions that would be awesome! I’m not sure what you guys want to hear?

Love you all!

Love Hermana McNamara

P.s. Just in case I have to get off before you respond. Love you lots, miss you like crazy! Tell Julian’s family I’m really sorry and I hope they are ok! Also if you can keep me in your prayers I can use all the help I can get! It’s so hard here Mom, I’ve cried myself to sleep every night and I just want to come home but I’m going to keep persevering because God needs me here for some reason. When I get home you and dad had better be the first 2 people to give me a hug, I’m not even kidding I have missed your guys hugs so much this last week and one from my companion or the mission president’s wife just is not the same! I really miss you guys and at the current moment I can’t wait to come home. I know it’s not good mind thinking but it’s been a really rough week. I just want to sit down and talk with you. Please pray for me I feel like a really small child here and honestly I’m scared but I just need some help, and I know Gods willing and I’m working my hardest but I need help. Love you lots!!!!