In the Rough - The Blog of Joel McDonald Jr.

This weekend is a bit of a blur, but I want to write about it anyway.

Friday evening I did something I’ve never done before…*drum roll*…I did a load of laundry! Need to make sure I know how and wont ruin my clothes while on a mission.

Saturday I got a haircut, took a picture, made an 8×10 for my missionary farewell on Sunday. Went to the cajun festival with my mom and her boyfriend. Ate some really good food, tasted some really hot peppers. Toured a Portuguise sailing vessal. Partied with some sailors from Uraguay. Went to Jillians which is sort of like a bar and arcade combination. The games were awesome. Was the designated driver home. Got home about 2 AM.

SundayGot up and went to church. Had a high councilman speak on keeping the Sabbath holy. He said “What’s work for one person, might be rest and enjoyment for another” meaning what we can and can’t do on the Sabbath varies from person to person. I think for the most part everyone was 1.) Trying to stay awake because there was no flow to his talk and 2.) Wondering if he really understood the concept of the Sabbath. It was so funny in Sunday school when I told Ben my thoughts on the councilmans talk, and then another Ben (yeah…this is another Ben) sat down next to us and said the exact same thing. I can just see some little boy arguing with his parents now about being able to go out and play on the Sabbath because it’s “right for him”. I have to say that sometimes, very rarely though, some talks are just not inspired. Ben and I had our combined missionary farewell last evening. It was great. My grandparents came out and were there for most of it. It was fun introducing them to people and just great that they could be there. After everyone left save close friends and family of Ben, he was set apart as a missionary by the Stake President. I assisted in setting him apart. That was pretty cool. Afterwards we went to Ben’s sister’s house and looked through photo albums. Ben’s brother served a mission in Colorado Springs, so I got to see some pictures of the area and other rather “interesting” missionary pictures. After midnight (as not to break the Sabbath) we went to IHOP. Good stuff. Shouldn’t eat a big meal so late…er…early though before going to sleep. I got home and went to bed around 3:30am.

So yeah, I’m a bit tired now, but I had a great time. I’m so proud of Ben and it’s awesome that he’s going to serve a mission. The world needs more people like him. Sometimes his openess and humility amazes me. His ability to reach out to help someone even if he only just met them is such a wonderful trait. I have nother two weeks before I have to wish him a farewell for a couple years as I will see him at the MTC.

I’m looking forward to serving. Nothing else really matters to me. This is the time for me to serve and I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Gee…LJ seems to be running really slow tonight.

*sigh* Ben realized how much he had to do before leaving for SLC on Monday, and thus decided he would not be able to go to the Washington D.C. Temple tomorrow. Since I don’t feel comfortable making the trip alone, I’ve decided to cancel those plans. I don’t know how reliable my car would be on a four hour trip. Ben’s a mechanic so at least he’d have some clue if something went wrong. I was also just looking foward to dicussing the Temple with him as he has some pretty good insights.

I have 20 days before I report to the Missionary Training Center (MTC). Sometimes I think I’m on track in getting everything taken care of…and then other times I feel so behind. I orded every book in my approved mission library tonight. Hopefully I’ll have what I can take to the MTC before I leave. The others I’m having sent to my mission. I wish I would have ordered them a long time ago, as it would have been good to have already aquainted myself with them. Oh well, live, learn, make mistakes, learn some more, keep making mistakes, learn some more, die, and learn more than you every imagined. I believe that is how we progress.

Sunday evening is my and Ben’s combined “open house” at the church. Should be pretty spiffy. Anyone in the general area of Hampton Roads is invited. I heard the food will be really good. It’s from 6pm to 8pm. Reply for directions.

I suppose that’s about it for tonight. I tried to order my bike online and found I needed to fax it. I guess I’ll do that from work tomorrow.

Take care out there and God Bless!

I woke up yesterday morning to the sound of my beeping alarm. Upon looking at the time I was puzzled. It was far to early to get up for church and I couldn’t think of anything else I needed to wake up for. It took me five minutes to figure out where I was, what I was doing, and that I needed to go to work. I was so completely lost it was not even funny. Even crazier is that this happened in Tuesday, and not Monday. I don’t understand myself sometimes. I think perhaps my job is just insignificant to me right now. My tasks are slowly being delegated elsewhere, as I’m leaving in a couple of weeks. If it wasn’t for the fact I needed the money, I think I could just stop working now.

Went bowling with a few friends last night. Had a pretty good time. Bowled an 84, 124, and 105. How crazy are those scores?!

Ben, who is leaving for the MTC on the 28th, and I really want to go up to the Washington D.C. Temple. We both went to the Temple for the first time within the last two weeks, and we really want to go back. I’ve not been to the D.C. Temple as I went in Seattle. Another Ben, who is leaving for the MTC on the 27th might also go with us. I hope he does. Two reasons, he has a newer and more reliable car, and he’s fun to hang out with. If he doesn’t go, we might risk taking my car up there. I’ve sort of sworn off driving long distances (it’s about a 4 hour trip) because I’m not sure if my car can get there and back. In fact I bought a bus ticket to visit my grandmother in North Carolina before I leave to the MTC. She lives about 4 hours to the south. We’ll see. We might chance it…might be a good adventure. Anyone know if it’s okay to give a priesthood blessing to a car? *smiles*

On June 16th I flew out to Seattle Washington to attend the wedding of my very close friend, Heather-Ann. It was an awesome trip, but not without some bumps along the road (since when are there never any bumps in the road?).

To start I arrived at 0′dark thirty to Norfolk International here in Virginia. The airport looked a bit dark, but I just figured it was early and the lights weren’t turned on. Actually…the whole airport was without power. Luckily the power at the ticket counter came on just after they wrote my ticket by hand. I was able to get my printed boarding passes to get me through Detroit. I then sat for a bit in a darkened non airconditioed terminal. When the pilots arrived and found there was no power at the gate to do their visual inspections I heard them say, “Well…we’re going to have to wait till sunrise.” Luckily we only left about 20 minutes behind schedule. I had an hour layover in Detroit so there was no problem.

Apon arriving in Seattle I got my luggage at 11:45am. This was right on schedule according to the “plan”. According to this plan I would pick up my luggage between 11:30am and 11:45am and meet Heather-Ann and the gang at the Alamo Rental place. There just happened to be an Alamo accross the room from where I picked up my luggage. I got my luggage ontime and wondered why no one was waiting by the counter. I waited for a bit and then found out there was another Alamo way down on the other end of the building. I went down there and found nobody waiting. I then found out there was another Alamo in the parking garage. Sure enough Heather-Ann, her mom, and Jeff was there. It was really good to see them again (and meet Jeff for the first time). We then realized her aunts were also looking for the Alamo so we went back into the airport to hunt them down. Funny thing is that I passed them a couple of times…but since I had never met then before…I didn’t know.

After returning from the airport we checked into the Hotel and had lunch…subway…yum. We then got ready to go to the Temple. On the way to the Temple there was a sign on the side of the road asking “Will the road you’re on take you to my place? - God”. We all were like “Yes!”. When the Temple appeared above the trees as we got closer I just stared in wonder. It was the first time I had seen a temple with my own eyes. It was beautiful. My first experiance in the Temple was both beautiful and overwhelming at the same time. There is just so much to learn and know. So much symbolism. I’m really looking forward to going again, and again, and again to understand more and more. Even the Prophet has said that he learns something new everytime he goes. Hopefully the roadtrip up to the Washington D.C. Temple will work out this Friday. I am sooo ready to go back.

After the temple we went out to a really good Mexican resturaunt. Had a good time talking with everyone and taking those wonderful candid dinner shots.

The next day we went down to downtown Seattle and visited the space needle. We didn’t actually go up because it’s a $12.50 elevator ride. I’m pretty proud of myself…I guarded my money pretty carefully the whole trip. It was nice to walk around the area though. Later we went to Pike Pl. Market. The fresh fruit was soo good (we took some back to the hotel). We also went to the fish market where they throw fish through the air. It was like a show of sorts…many people just standing around watching them. I have some pretty good shots of fish in the air.

Friday was the big wedding day. The sealing ceremony in the Temple was just awesome. The blessings pronounced were amazing. Not to mention the sealing room is probably the most beautiful room I’ve sat in (besides the Celestial room in the Temple). After the wedding I think hundreds of pictures were taken. I can’t wait to see them. Heather-Ann and Jeff seem to be a really great couple and their families mesh so well together. I wish them all the best!

Wondering where these great pictures are? I should be receiving a CD in the mail with over 200 pictures from everything we did. I can’t wait to see them myself!

On the way back I almost missed my flight out of Seattle due to the amazingly loooong security line. I arrived at the desk and the attendent say “I’m sorry…we just closed the door”. I was like “No! Open it back up!”. Another woman who was also with me pleaded with her as he father passed away and she was trying to make her way home. I don’t think anything I could have said could have convinced her to open that door back up. The words of a grieving daughter opened that door. A blessing in disguise I suppose. The rest of the trip was smooth sailing and I got back late evening on the 19th.

ANNOUNCEMENT: If anyone reading this is in the area (Virginia Beach, Norfolk,…Hampton Roads in general) please come by my open house next Sunday the 27th anytime between 6 - 8 at my church (reply for directions) for my open house for my mission. It should be fun!

Anyway…sorry this entry is so long…just thought I’d share my trip. If anyone will let me know how to do an LJ cut, I’d be happy to place a good portion of this entry behind one to save space.

God Bless!

This morning was Stake Conference. The general session was very uplifting and it seemed that all were in good spirits. It would have been difficult for anyone to leave that meeting without a smile either on their face or at least in the inside. The Stake Presidency’s proposal that I be ordained an Elder in the holy Melchizedek Priesthood was sustained. After Stake Conference I went with Ben Farrell, another missionary in preparation, and his mother to the Young Single Adults Branch in Chesapeake where he was asked to speak on “the keys of the priesthood”. I know that Ben will grow so much from serving a mission, as I hope I do as well. After leaving the meeting in Chesapeake I came home and partook of some left-over fried chicken that we dined on the prior evening. Following the chicken I enjoyed some home-made peach cobbler and chocolate cake. I don’t usually eat so much, but for some reason I did today. I left a bit later to venture to the Stake Center for my ordination. After a few words about the Priesthood, I was ordained. Unfortunately the Bishop was not able to be present, likewise his counselors weren’t either. Regrettably I can not remember the name of the brother who ordained me. I have difficulties remembering names. I must have spoken with him at various times in the past. His name will be on my ordination certificate, thus I will have to record it in my journal at a later time. In attendance was Vickie Farrell, John Farrell, Eddie Farrell and another young man who I also can’t remember his name. I will certainly have to work on remembering names while on my mission. Ben Farrell was also present and assisted in the ordination. I can’t say that I felt a transfer of energy or the obvious presence of the Spirit when I was ordained. Perhaps I should have fasted to magnify the Spirit. As I meditated on my ordination and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving I did notice a change. As I cleared my mind and placed my thoughts on the Lord I felt an energy within me stir. The feeling is similar to being excited and anxious, but different. I definitely feel renewed and ready for what lies ahead. Next week I fly to Seattle, Washington, to attend the Temple with Chad, Ann, and Heather-Ann Jenkins and Heather-Ann’s fiancé Jeff Johnson. Two days later I have the honor and privilege of witnessing Heather-Ann and Jeff be sealed as wife and husband for time and all eternity. It should be a very spiritual trip and a wonderful reunion. Brother Chad Jenkins will be my escort through the Temple. He also confirmed me a member of the Church on Okinawa, Japan. I look forward to the many wonderful things that next week will bring.