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