In the Rough - The Blog of Joel McDonald Jr.

Wow, I can’t believe November is wrapping up. It seems like only yesterday that I was excited about its arrival.

Firstly this week I would like to apologize if my updates have been a bit on the dull side. I make an effort to write some interesting things, however, as with many things, I think I routinely fail in that effort. I’ll try to do better. Just be glad there will only be 34 more of these coming your way over the next 236 days.

Things are going well here in Dodge. I think we are getting settled with the new way of doing missionary work here (two companionships). Sharing the car has become less of s struggle.

My companion, Elder Adams, and I had a wonderful day last Friday. We took a trip down to Minneola, Fowler, Bloom (the smallest town I’ve ever been in), and then out to Montezuma. There was a request for a Book of Mormon and a request for a Finding Father in Christ DVD down in Minneola. We were able to deliver both of them and teach about the restoration. We then visited all the members in the four towns. There were six in all, but four don’t attend church anymore. It was one of those days where everything seemed to fall in place (that doesn’t happen very often). We also taught a great lesson that morning to a lady we tracted into a few blocks from our apartment.

Chelsey, who was baptized last Tuesday, was confirmed and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost this past Sunday at church. She is so excited about everything. She called Elder Larson on the mobile Saturday night and was upset because her new work schedule had her going in at 10:00a.m. Sunday. She said, “I have to be confirmed tomorrow and I need to take the sacrament!” She called in and told them she would not be in until 10:30. The last couple of weeks she had Sundays off. At least she was able to come for most of sacrament meeting.

Wow, it is Thanksgiving week. I hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving tomorrow. We have been invited to have dinner with a family out in Cimarron (Spanish for Cinnamon). They are a great family with very…um…energetic children. It should be fun. I’m looking forward to it.

I wish I could list all of the things that I was thankful for, but to do so would be futile. I have been blessed so much in my life and I am grateful for so many things that happened and the people who were and are in my life. If you get this update in your e-mail, then you be positive that you are someone I am thankful for. As the story goes, the pilgrims sat down to a feast with grateful hearts because they were blessed to be able to survive. I am grateful for everything and everyone who has aided in making me who I am, assisting me in doing what I needed/wanted to do, and kept/keeps me going even when I felt/feel like the world was/is crashing down on me. Thank you.

Home, home on the range…

It’s that time again! Yes sir (or ma’am)! Time for my weekly update!

This past week has been one of figuring out how to best accomplish the missionary work here in Dodge. Now we have two companionships, one English and one Spanish, two apartments, three phones (including the mobile) and *one* car. The car issue is causing a little bit of a headache. Right now we’ve agreed to trade off every other day, and be together on P-days and Sundays. Yesterday we had the car, but ended up being together most of the day, and today we were supposed to be together but the Spanish elders decided they “wanted to walk”. I think it’s becoming an issue now that they’ve experienced what not having independent access to the car is like (they’ve had it since Friday). Oh well, we will figure it out I guess.

Yesterday was great! Chelsey was baptized!!! She was supposed to be baptized on Sunday, but she caught a bit of a cold, so we postponed it until last night. It was a great service…one of the best I’ve been to. It was great to see Chelsey enter the waters of baptism to make her first covenants with our Father in Heaven. I knew from the first time I met her (about three months ago) that she would be baptized.

We are in a bit of a finding mode right now. I hope that we will be blessed as we seek those who area searching for the truth, that we will find them and lead them to Jesus Christ and His Restored Gospel. Finding is most definitely the most difficult part of being a missionary. I believe, however, that as we just get out there and be among people and open our mouths, the Lord will guide and provide.

I would provide a few pictures, but my JumpDrive won’t fit in this computer (frowns). Please forgive me, I’ll have a few next week…I promise.

I hope all is well with you. If you find the time…drop me a line!

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

Yes…it’s that time again!

Things are going really well out here in Dodge City. Yesterday it was confirmed that Elder Larson and I will be staying here at least for another six weeks, but we are receiving new companions. Now there will be two companionships here in Dodge, one English and one Spanish. Elder Larson will now be serving with Elder Rubio, from Colonial Juarez Mexico, and I will be serving with Elder Adams. Not sure which Elder Adams it will be. We will have separate apartments in the same complex. Other than that, we don’t know any other specifics. I hope this next transfer is good. We are excited to stay and to see what the new arrangement will do for the area.

Chelsea, whom we have been working with for about 7 months, told us on Sunday that she wanted to be baptized. We told her to pray about a date. We had a lesson with her on Tuesday and she told us that she didn’t know what date, but she felt it needed to be soon. We talked about the things that she had learned and I reviewed the questions used to interview people wanting to be baptized. When I asked if she believed that Joseph Smith was a Prophet and that though him the Lord restored His Gospel, she paused for a moment and said with a lot of conviction, “Yes. I do believe that.” I asked her what that meant to her, and with tears in her eyes, she said, “It feels so good to know it.” I told her that the Lord did want her to be baptized soon and invited her to be baptized Sunday after church. She accepted. It was a wonderful experience to see her make the decision to follow Jesus Christ. She had her interview today and we look forward to her baptism on Sunday.

I feel there is so much potential here in Dodge. I hope and pray that Elder Adams and I will be able to do our best to help people come unto Christ. It is so important. I think I, even as a missionary, don’t always realize how important it is. All I really can say is, “Wow.” I truly do stand all amazed at the love Jesus offered me. I am confused by the grace that He so willingly offers me. I tremble to know that for me he was crucified, that for me a sinner he suffered and he bled and died. Amazing.

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

Happy November!

Things continue to go well here in Dodge City. We had three guests and four less-active members at church last week. We were pretty happy about that. We continue to hand out invitations to church every opportunity that presents itself.

I gave training on inviting people to church last week as District Meeting and present the Garden City missionaries with the invitations we made. They took it back to their Bishop and he approved them for use in his ward and is going to have them professionally made. I’m excited about that. I sent a copy to the mission president and told him I would upload the file to my site for download by other missionaries if he wants. No reply yet, still waiting for my pres. letter.

We had lunch with a woman who works in Senator Roberts’s office here in Dodge City. She mainly works with the Hispanic people that come in. She also assists people with immigration issues. It was interesting to talk to her. Very nice. Yes…we invited her to church as well.

We found out the other day that President is considering placing two more missionaries out here in Dodge, making two companionships here…one Spanish and one English. We are thinking that Elder Larson and I will stay in Dodge but get new companions. There may be an issue with those plans though…and so we hope to stay together.

A few random pictures are attached to this e-mail for your viewing pleasure. After District Meeting last Friday we found a mock set of gold plates (like the ones The Book of Mormon was written on) and we couldn’t resist getting a few pictures. Later that day we drove by a sign painted on a wall in a parking lot that reads “Jesus is Coming Soon…Are You Ready?”. We had to get pictures there too. The other picture was taken in front of the old Boot Hill Cemetery building.

I hope everything is going well for you. I would love to hear back!

[Note: Pictures are obviously not attached. I have no clue why the heck LiveJournal is not posting my updates with the pictures. It makes me mad. Considering not renewing my subscription. Anyway, you can find the pictures on the pictures page at: http://pics.livejournal.com/jamweb2003/gallery/00001dd9 ]

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