August 13, 2007

  • From a Letter Dated August 13, 2007

    Dear friends, family, and random strange people who stumble across the blog of an awesome person,

    I am coming home from my mission next week!

    I can't wait to see all of you. I started packing tonight and have a long way to go. I haven't even figured out what I should do with my bike. It is pretty worn out after a lot of miles. Will I use it at BYU? Can I send it straight to BYU instead of to Chicago.

    All of you are invited to hear my homecoming talk on Sunday August 26th, 2007 at the Buffalo Grove Stake Center. (corner of Buffalo Grove Rd and Port Clinton Dr. in Lincolnshire- down the street from Stevenson High School) It is at 9:00 am. 

    Anyway. This past week I had to get a very painful ingrown toenail removed, and that in and of itself was painful. I feel like an old man- just worn out.

    I have been calling people to invite them to my departing devotional (you're all invited to that too, 150 W. Duarte Rd. in Arcadia, on the 19th at 6:30 pm). Yesterday I called Brother "R" from Temple City. When I was there more than a year ago, he was a less active man that nobody in the ward knew. I stumbled across him and started to become good friends with him. He came to church a few times while I was there. He and I talked a lot about how much he would enjoy the blessings of the church like a Patriarchal Blessing and the Temple covenants. Well, when I called him yesterday, I found out that he has been very active for about 5 months or so. 2 Months ago he got his Patriarchal Blessing, and now he working towards going to the Temple for the first time later in the Fall. Do you know what he said to me? He said, "Look what you started" and I about died. Suddenly I caught the vision that it would be impossible to really know what kinds of things have happened from small things that I started. Wow. I had always thought that all my efforts in that Temple City Ward had come to naught, but now suddenly every visit to a less active member seems worth it.

    Lest you think that I boast, be assured that it was not really me at all who started anything. I was merely an instrument in the Lord's hands doing what He directed me to do. And look at what He has started. Look at what He has done. My joy is ful in His labor and in His success.

    I can't wait to come home and share all of these stories I have with you. I am bursting at the seems with them. Please humor me and ask me about them, lol, because I'm gonna be talking about them anyway. At least if you ask me, you can ask me for the kinds of stories that you would want to hear. lol.

    Well, I love you,

    Elder Embree