Exact Obedience is the Key

Elder Kelley really understands the key to being a successful missionary.

"I feel like I am learning something here at the MTC.  The difference between a good missionary and a great missionary is their obedience to the "small" rules.  A lot of elders will read letters during study time, be loud and rambunctious at 10:15pm, or leave class early.  I am striving for 100% obedience to all rules.  It is easy to get caught in the gray area if you let yourself." 

The only way a missionary will get the most out of his/her mission is by being 100% obedient.  I am so grateful, and I know the Lord is, that Jordan understands this concept at the start of the mission and not near the end.  So many blessings will come from being obedient with EXACTNESS.

"I watched Elder Holland's talk 'Missions are Forever' and man did he light into us!  His point was to obey all the rules, don't waste time, and go home without regrets.  He also said if you go home and feel like you can just go back to the way things were when you left then you've failed.  You've missed the while thing.  He talked about how Peter went back to fishing after the Savior's death.  Elder Holland said we'd better not go and grab our nets again when we go home.  We are tomorrow's leaders and we must begin learning the lessons required of us to lead the church in the future.  Pretty powerful stuff!" 

I cannot express how grateful I am that Elder Kelley is learning such vital missionary lessons at the start of his mission.  I am certain he will come home a change person - a better servant of the Lord.

Also, in Jordan's letter to Mom this week, he mentioned something very unexpected:

"Elder Hadfield [Jordan's Companion] got a letter and was reading it during class and he started breathing really hard and I heard him say, "NO!"  I looked up from studying and he had tears going down his face.  I put my arm on his shoulder and asked him what was wrong.  He couldn't speak so I told him to come out into the hallway and talk to me.  I looked him in the eyes and put my hand on his shoulder and he told me his dad was diagnosed with throat cancer and was going to be getting surgery that could prevent him from speaking.  I was at a loss for words.  I just gave him a hug and offered to give him a priesthood blessing.  What horrible news to get!  I can't even imagine!   He has been improving since then, but it's tough for him.  His dad can still write letters, so there is still communication from him.  It is so sad."

We, too, were at loss of words when Elder Kelley sent this email to us.  Life moves on while missionaries are away, but the amount of blessings that pour down upon the families of missionaries is amazing!  I hope Elder Hadfield chooses to stay out on the mission.  His family, especially his dad, need those blessings from having a child selflessly serve the Lord.

On a happier note, Elder Kelley and Elder Hadfield are doing great on their lessons!

"I have taught 6 lessons and committed one person to baptism already.  But it was pretty pityful haha.  I basically just read from a card when I teach.  It's tough to memorize the language.  So far, I have been getting up 10-15 minutes before the alarm goes off and getting a head-start each day.  I always feel energized in the morning and dead tired at night.  That is definitely a testament to the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood. (D&C 84:33)."
  
I might need to remind him to read his white handbook ;)  If I remember correctly, I am pretty sure getting up before your companion isn't recommended . . . hummm. Anyway, they are doing great!    

We received pictures this week as well!! Enjoy!!

Until next week  . . . 

The District (the only Ukrainian district at the MTC right now)

 Elder Kelley and Elder Hadfield

 Gosh, why are Sisters so stylish now! I am jealous . . .

Two weeks and I LOVE IT!

Elder Kelley has now been in the MTC for almost two weeks now . . . . and he LOVES it!  Thanks to all who have written him letters.  He enjoys all of them, as every missionary enjoys letters.

So far, we've received three letters from Elder Kelley - we have sent him approximately 50 (that's an exaggeration, but not much of one).  We've learned the joys of Dearelder.com  !  If anyone would like to send him a FREE, FAST, and EASY letter through Dearelder.com, the address you need to use is:

Elder Jordan Kelley
169 UKR-KYV 1218

If you would like to send him a handwritten letter then use this address:

Elder Jordan Kelley
MTC Mailbox 169
UKR-KYV 1218
2005 N. 900 E
Provo, UT 84604

Once Elder Kelley leaves the MTC, I will be sure to post his address that will be used while in the Ukraine.

Anyway, Elder Kelley LOVES his companion, Elder Hadfield.  His companion is the son of an Army Colonel.  Anyone who knows Jordan well knows this is such a blessing and thrill!  Elder Hadfield gives Jordan an intense workout everyday during gym.  JORDAN LOVES IT!

Apparently Elder Kelley is in FOOD HEAVEN!  Almost two weeks at the MTC and he has already gained 5 pounds.  In his words, "The food is nuts!"  Sounds like the Lord is really blessing him ;)

Also, he is not only learning Ukrainian, but they have also assigned him (and all the Ukrainian missionaries) to start learning Russian as well.  Holy MOSES!  They have already taught several lessons in Ukrainian and have had very special experiences with how the Spirit works with missionaries.

Because of the recent change in age requirements for missionaries, all missionaries that were assigned to the MTC for 12 weeks are now cut to 9 weeks at the MTC.  There is to be a massive influx of missionaries anytime now - I think the MTC is already over packed.  HOW AMAZING!!! The Lord's work is moving forward more than ever.

Elder Kelley is doing well and is loving every moment of his mission experience.  In his own words,  

"I AM living the dream! I still can scarcely believe that I am a missionary.  It has taken me so long to get here and it has taken just as much work too. . .but I love it!"

Elder Kelley sends his love and appreciation to everyone :) Until next p-day . . .

 Obviously, he wasn't too excited to begin his mission :)  

 "See ya in two years!"

Reporting Day

It is here.

After getting my mission call on July 13, my October 10 report date has arrived. The speed in which this day arrived is surreal. But more than that, is all that has been accomplished in between those two dates as well. While speaking with a respected leader, I commented that preparing for an LDS mission has been the hardest thing I've ever embarked to do. Well, now that phase of my life is all but over. While there will be some preparation that continues throughout the mission, the more part of that is over. Now I am actually doing it.

Mom, Ashley, and I spent the last 5 days in Salt Lake City, Utah. During our stay, we attended 3 sessions of General Conference in the Conference Center, visited with some old missionaries, bought winter clothes, and enjoyed the view of the mountains. I have been to Salt Lake City three times and each time I come, I love it. It's a great atmosphere.

Tomorrow morning I will wake up, get ready and dressed in my suit, put on my backpack, and drive to the MTC in Provo, Utah. I will begin my two year labor of love for the people of Ukraine. I cannot think of anything that will test me, try my faith, or strain my body more than this. However, I cannot think of anything that will show my love for Jesus Christ more than this. I look forward to the experiences I will have in the times ahead with great anxiety yet great excitement.

God bless you all
-Elder Kelley

Down to the Wire

Today marks 12 days until I leave Montgomery (5 October) and 17 days until I enter the MTC (10 October).

So much has happened in the past 3-4 weeks. I left a great job that I loved, along with some very great people. When I left that job on August 24th, I started to get some serious "butterflies" about leaving for the mission. It is a pretty nerve-racking prospect to leave all that is familiar to you for two years. And believe me, the "butterflies" have only increased.

However, other things have increased as time has counted down: my love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, my testimony of it, my love for my family, my desire to work hard, and more. I will be serving another people on this Earth that I am completely unfamiliar with, in terms of their culture. But I know one thing about the Ukrainians: they are humans and spirit children of Heavenly Father just like I am. They chose to come down to this Earth to receive a body and endure hardship and trial just as I have. As of now, most of them don't know about this plan and the reality of their heavenly lineage. It will be my purpose as a representative of Jesus Christ to invite them to come unto Christ through faith in Him and repentance to be baptism and receive the Holy Ghost. This is my only purpose. It is incredibly simple, yet incredibly beautiful.

Whether I have realized it or not, I have been preparing for these two years my entire life. I shake and tremble at the responsibility that is being place upon my shoulders, but I know that through the Atonement of the One who has placed our salvation on His shoulders, I can be strengthened to meet this responsibility. I will not fail, but I will cleave to my Savior and preach with love and boldness to the people of Ukraine.

-Elder Jordan Kelley

The House of the Lord

"For behold, I have prepared a great endowment and blessing to be poured out upon them, inasmuch as they are faithful and continue in humility before me." -Doctrine & Covenants 105:12

Today I was able to take part of a great blessing the Lord has prepared us. I was able to go through the Birmingham Temple and make very solemn and sacred promises with the Lord, from which I will receive great and wonderful blessings. Needless to say, it was a very special experience to me. An experience where I could not control my emotions. I don't want to cheapen the experience with my words, or inability to express it eloquently enough. So I will post some pictures and let the visuals speak for themselves.

Dad and I prior to going in. 

Me after going through. 

Mom and I prior to going in. 

Ashley and I prior to going in.

Together Forever

Today I had a great experience with a co-worker. This experience came after I read and pondered over a talk given by Jeffery R. Holland called "We are Enlisted." In that talk, which I recommend reading, Elder Holland challenges us to be more bold, more courageous, and more devoted to the gospel. He dares us to live at a higher standard of morality and, if need be, repent of past mistakes and sins. We must devote ourselves to the Lord if we truly wish to do the Lord's work or live worthy of His support. There can be no fence-sitters. We can't play for both sides, Christ or Satan, and expect to bring others to righteousness.

After pondering this, I knew that I have not been vocal enough. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all of my heart, so why should I hold back when an opportunity presents itself? Or better yet, why don't I seek for these opportunities?

So with these thoughts spinning in my mind, I saw an opportunity with a good friend. This friend is a single parent with a 2 year old little boy and she frequently speaks of him with just as much love and fondness as any mother would. Knowing of this love, I felt that she should know of the great blessings that the temple of God brings. I told her that I would soon be attending the temple to partake in a very special and sacred ceremony that members of our church can experience. I clearly relayed at how special this ceremony would mean to me since it would be my first time. I then bore my testimony and shared my gratitude of the blessings that come from the temple. Namely, the sealing of families for time and eternity.

This is a precious truth that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints brings to the world. With the authority to act in the name of Jesus Christ, we can seal husband and wife together for eternity, not just til death. We can seal families together forever so that these precious relationships can be perpetuated beyond the grave. I know this blessing is real and I am eternally grateful for it.

Needles!

Mission prep is a work out, but it also generates some pretty funny experiences. Probably the broadest facet of mission prep is the medical side. Latter-day Saint missionaries are encouraged (if not required) to get their wisdom teeth removed, get corrective surgeries if they will inhibit the missionary's ability to work, get various vaccinations, etc.... Well, I don't need any corrective surgeries and I had my wisdom teeth removed two years ago. Also, up until a couple of weeks ago, I believed that I had received all of my vaccinations. I was very glad of this, because I hate needles.

I scheduled an appointment at my doctor's office to get a physical. I thought it would be a quick, in-and-out experience. I got all the procedural things done: weight, eyes, ears, so on. And as the nurse was looking over my sheet, she asks, "Have you ever received your 4th Hepititis A vaccine?" "Uh, yeah. I think so." I didn't even know there were 4 Hepititis A vaccines. But really, who remembers that kind of thing? Nurse says, "Well we don't have that noted on your sheet. Nor do we have the Hepititis B booster, the chicken pox booster...." Long story short, I had to get four vaccinations and a TB test. Two in each arm and the TB test in my forearm. (it was negative, by the way.)

So that definitely was unexpected on my part but after the fact it was pretty funny, too.

What Thinks Christ of Me?

The title of this post is also the title of a General Conference talk I read, given by Neil L. Anderson. Without really knowing it at the time, this talk is one that I truly needed to read. I sat down after church on Sunday and looked through the table of contents of the May 2012 Ensign to find a topic that would give me needed strength to continue to climb the "mountains" coming up this week. A few titles caught my eye, but I saw the title, "What Thinks Christ of Me?"

My eyes read it and I thought about it. I really began to ponder the question itself. "What does Christ think of me, today?"

Preparing to serve a two-year full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a tremendous task. Not only are there fiscal and physical preparations, but also mental and spiritual preparations. I can also tell you that preparing to serve a mission is without a doubt the most challenging endeavor I have ever ventured to do (so far...). There has been no shortage of days when I have felt overwhelmed, discouraged, or exhausted. Yet as I have consistently done the "little things of the gospel such as daily scripture study, daily personal prayer, church attendance, etc... with a willing heart, I have felt the promise stated in section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants: "Whoso is faithful...and [magnifies] their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies." Each morning I am able to get up and, despite the exertions of the previous day, I feel energized and ready to get back to work. The ancient prophet Nephi tells us "that by small means the Lord can bring about great things." Doing the "little things" of the gospel will enable and strengthen us to bring about great changes in our lives, even change our nature. Another ancient prophet, Alma, testifies to us that "it is...easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss." I know that doing these little things will strengthen us in unimaginable ways and will allow us to do the things that the Lord desires for us.

What thinks Christ of me? What thinks Christ of you?

If we do His will, we will have his supreme approval. Our love for the Savior will grow. We will be able to accept ourselves for who we are and rejoice that we must rely upon Jesus Christ every day. Our faith will grow and we will trust Him in all we experience. We will "feel his love and approval" of our efforts to become more like Him. I testify that these things are true, because I have felt them in my own life. I am humbled at the great power the gospel of Jesus Christ can have in our lives and and I am so grateful that we are offered an Atonement to be cleansed and sanctified. I challenge anyone who reads this to continue or begin to faithfully do the "little things" and I promise that you will begin to see great, joyful changes in yourself, in your life, and in your relationships with your family, Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father.

-Jordan M. Kelley

Forgive Yourself; That You May Serve with Love

I learned that I should not have a problem getting my visa for Ukraine despite my passport timing. Jaime at the Mission Travel Office was completely reassuring and promised that it would not be a problem.

Today I learned something about forgiving yourself. Also, a good friend of mine challenged me to show everyone I interact with the love that Heavenly Father has for them. These two things are related and I will share what I have learned about their relationship.

I speak from personal experience. When we sin, we can know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ cleanses us from that sin and can give us added strength to withstand the temptation to give into sin the next time. We know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are perfect individuals that have perfect love, perfect mercy, and a perfect capacity to forgive. We believe in the prophet Moroni's words, "But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven." We can believe at times that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will forgive us if we have real intent, but we still may not forgive ourselves. Sometimes, we carry these heavy burdens on our shoulders with the thought that, "I can't allow myself to commit this sin again. If  I do then I didn't really repent and will make a mock of the Atonement." We don't accept ourselves for where we are on the path to Heaven, instead we reject ourselves because of where we aren't! Those aren't my words, but they ring true in my ears. We don't say to ourselves "I am trying my absolute best and have progressed. I love the Lord and I know he is aware of my efforts." Instead we say, "I haven't made any progress because I made the SAME mistake AGAIN. How can I forgive myself when I know better?"

To receive the peace that Alma the younger describes in Alma 36, the "exceeding joy" and "exquiste and sweet" forgiveness, we must look at ourselves the way our Father sees us. We came to Earth to be tried and tested and sometimes we will fall. We have "mountains to climb" in this life and with every step we come closer to God. With every lesson we learn, we become stronger and better. With our weaknesses, we turn to Jesus Christ and know that we can't do anything of eternal worth without His perfect help. This isn't to say we should become complacent and comfortable to the point that we don't TRY to progress, but we should be comfortable with our absolute best efforts. If we are honest and true, we can have peace and be happy; we can move forward with faith.

How is this related with showing Heavenly Father's love through our actions? If we don't forgive ourselves, we don't believe that we have any self-worth in God's eyes. If we've no self-worth, we don't feel we have anything to offer to others and become self-absorbed with trying to make ourselves feel better. When we forgive ourselves and see our self-worth in God's eyes and His love for us, we then have the capacity to share the love that we feel from Him. We can pay it forward, if you will.

I was challenged to show love to everyone I come in contact with this next week. To make sure that when someone says "Hi" to me, or shakes my hand, they feel His love. Whether they realize that it is from God or not, they will feel loved. I can't do this without out forgiving myself for being mortal. Human. With the capacity to fail. But as soon as I grasp the vision that Heavenly Father has of me, I can do as He would do. This is my challenge.

-Jordan M. Kelley

Visa Woes...

So I applied for my passport on the 17th. This was 4 days after I received my call. I thought that that was pretty quick, but it seems that it was too quick.

2 days after I applied for my passport (the 19th), I got a letter from the Mission Travel Department (MTD) saying that they needed me to send my passport, along with other information, to them by 20 August so that I can get a visa to live in Ukraine. The problem is that I didn't expedite my passport because I was told that the process would take 4-6 weeks, which seemed pretty quick  since I don't report to the MTC until 10 October. I didn't know at the time when I applied for the passport that the MTD needed that info so quickly. The letter from the MTD told me that if they do not receive this information by 20 Aug. then my MTC report date could be delayed AT LEAST 6 weeks.

Yeah, I feel pretty sick about this now.

But I did the best I could with the information I had at the time. I'll just have to play things through. I also know that Ukraine has a 90-day visa free policy for foreigners. At least, I have read that they have this policy. My hope is that with this "time buffer" for a visa, I will still be able to report on 10 October and move along unimpeded.

-Jordan M. Kelley

Preparing for the Journey

Well, I have received my mission call to serve in Kyiv, Ukraine. I can hardly believe that this day has come. It is truly a dream come true. I know that I, Jordan Kelley, am supposed to serve in this mission. I know that the call is from God, my loving Heavenly Father. Indeed, I believe that mission calls are chosen from the pre-mortal life. I feel this belief for three reasons: my patriarchal blessing, my mission call, and my prayers. 

Now, I must prepare to leave and report to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah. There's alot to do. First on the list, is starting this blog. I had the idea to document my mission in three phases: Three months before reporting to the MTC, two years in the mission field, and the first three months after I come home. I love to document aspects and events in life, and then look back on those events during the years after. I begin this blog also for my posterity. In the world of technology in which we live, it is my hope that I will be able to show my children the pictures and stories of my full-time labor in the Lord's Vineyard in a way that is more interesting than physical books and letters (albeit physical books and letters will still be a part of it). So I hope that anyone who reads this blog and follows it regularly (yeah, right haha) enjoys what they read and will find touching experiences that lift them up to serve their brother's and sister's of God. 

So hear we go! Wish me luck and pray for my family as I take this "small step for [myself], one giant leap for [Christ]."

-Jordan M. Kelley