3 days till I leave for Provo. 5 days till I enter the MTC. :)

Has time really gone by that fast? It still seems almost unreal to me. Is it really time? Am I ready? Have I finally grown a foot or two?

I think I'm ready. Well, as ready as you can be. I still need to finish packing, print pictures I want to take, buy more socks (I keep forgetting to do that), and various other random things. But I feel ready inside. I have wanted to serve a mission since before I can remember and the time is finally here! I feel like my legs have permanent jumpies lately, I can never sit still.

My dad spoke with the mission president here in Kentucky a couple of months ago and asked him what was the most important thing for missionaries to do to prepare. Read the Book of Mormon? Study Preach My Gospel? Surprisingly, that's not what he said. He said that the most important thing for a missionary to do to prepare is to know why they were going to serve. I love that answer. If you think about it, that really is one of the most important things. I can read the scriptures and study all I want, but if I don't know why I am going to serve a mission, it won't mean much. When times get hard, which I know they will, there won't be that motivating force behind me to keep me going.

So, I want everyone to know why I am going to serve a mission. It isn't because anyone told me to. It isn't because I feel pressure or any other outside force. It is because I know that Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ love me. Because they love me, I have been blessed with so many amazing things in my life, the biggest one being the gospel of Jesus Christ. I would be lost without it. It has changed my life. The knowledge of who I am and the blessings that are available to me not just in this life, but for eternity, if I am a worthy member of this church, bring me so much joy! The gospel brings light into my life. As I have felt of my Father in Heaven and Savior's love for me, the gospel has become more and more important to me, it has become who I am. As I have felt joy and appreciation for all of these blessings, I feel like I can no longer contain all of this love- I have to share it with others. It would be selfish of me not to. The world needs this gospel. And there are people waiting and ready to accept it! At night when I pray, I love thinking and praying for the people in Belgium and The Netherlands that I will meet. I want them to know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love them. I want them to know of the blessing and happiness that are found in this gospel. I love them. I don't even know them yet, but I do.

I know that this church is true. It's a simple statement, but I mean it. In the hardest of times in our lives we frequently become desperate for answers. I can promise with a testimony that has come from real experiences in my life, that the answer is always found in the gospel. In times of doubt, when you are looking for peace, when you want to be happy, when you feel weak, when you need to make a decision, when you begin to doubt, when you want courage, when life just seems hard, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has the answers that you need. The Gospel is REAL. Everything that we need in life can be found in the principles and ordinances of the gospel. I know that our Savior lives. This past month I have had the privilege of serving in Primary. There is a new song that the children have been learning that has touched my heart. It talks of times when Christ was with the children. I love the message of the first verse- "A long time ago in a beautiful place, children were gathered round Jesus. He blessed and taught as they felt of his love, each saw the tears on his face. The love that he felt for his little ones, I know he feels for me. I did not touch him or sit on his knee, yet Jesus is REAL to me." I know that just as the children sing- Jesus is real to me. As members of this church, we worship a Savior who has promised us happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come if we will do our part. I am so grateful for such a wonderful promise and for such a joyful gospel to live for.

What an amazing thing to share with the world.