In the Rough - The Blog of Joel McDonald Jr.

Greetings,

Yes, yet again I am a week behind and yet again I am on a computer that won’t allow me to send pictures with this e-mail (actually it’s a more technical issue…. but that is what it amounts to).

Transfers are the 26th. I’ve pretty much come to face the fact that I will probably be transferred. I hate change, but then of course you probably know that. The neat thing is that the end of this next transfer is pretty much my year mark…and that’s pretty cool. I can’t believe I’ve survived a year…and I hope I’ll be able to make it through the next.

We are still (well…actually always) working with some great people. We’ve been preparing the daughter of a less active/part member family for baptism and in the process have got the family coming to church again. That in-and-of-itself is awesome. The daughter’s baptism is the 28th, and we are hoping that the father, who is not a member, will also be baptized that day. He said he would pray about it. We’re hopeful, as it would be great for the whole family to be joined in the gospel.

We have a few others whom we hope will be baptized by the end of this month or early next month. Barriers keep popping up. Someone wrote me a while back and said that it seemed that whenever he (on his mission) was about to find someone or help someone progress toward baptism, Satan seemed to do all he could to keep those things from happening. I’m thinking that is what is going on here. He’s being a bit irritating. Heh. Good things will happen and the work of the Lord will press forward no matter what Satan throws at it (you would think he would have figured that out by now…lol).

Brother Ruggles, from 10th ward (where I am currently serving) had a business trip to Virginia and stopped in on my grandparents and sister this morning. They called me while he was there. It was pretty neat. Great members out here (and everywhere).

My bike was broken two times last week…and neither time was I riding it at the time. We had team-ups with the Zone Leaders on Monday, and Elder Fale wrecked my bike while visiting some people. An Elder in my District was able to fix it though. Two days later Elder Clark, who lives with us, was riding it up hill and snapped the chain (which was probably weakened by the earlier wreck). I think this is a sign that I’m not meant to ride my bike. I’m considering just sending it home. We’ll see.

Sorry about not being able to send any pictures. I hope to get to a point where I will again. I hate using public computers.

So long, take care!

God Bless,
- Elder Joel A. McDonald Jr.
Colorado Colorado Springs Mission