Quick two years

It's a little odd going to my Brother-in-law's missionary homecoming today. I know he's been gone for two years, and I've been writing him most every week. But it just seems a little odd that he's home. It's one of those things that you just never thought would come, yet you knew was on the horizon. Can't really compare that to anything else. I was going to compare it to the birth of my daughter, but that doesn't even come close!

The greatest irony, is that it was oddly similar to keeping a blog. Why? Because he only ever wrote back to me once. He did write a note to us embedded in a letter to his parents once, and it was a birthday greeting for my wife. But the last week he was in the mission field, he wrote specifically to me. It was short, but well meaning.

When we met him at the airport, he thanked me for continuing to write to him although he didn't write back much at all. I told him it was much like keeping a blog. I didn't mind.

His talk today was very good. I shouldn't really compare it to other homecoming talks, because I haven't heard that many. The bulk of the talk referred to what he learned on his mission, which boiled down to five things:

!) Be Patient... with the Lord
2)
3) Diligence - go at your own pace
4)
5) Solve your own problems

Ok. My memory is a little shoddy. I would have taken notes if my daughter wasn't crawling all over me during the meeting, and I didn't feel bad taking out my cell phone to take notes with. I suppose I could have asked someone for a pen and paper. Hindsight.

But the strongest bit that I liked from the talk was this: "A lot of returned missionaries say their mission was the best two years of their life. I would like to say my mission was the best two years FOR my life."

Then we had the pie night reception earlier this evening. Great success, but I can't help but think we should have done it on a later day. Why? Because all the pies were cooked yesterday, ON THE HOTTEST DAY OF THE YEAR! The thermometer outside read 38C at the hottest point. Not to shirk in duties, but the saying holds true: "If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen." That I did. I hid in the basement for most of the day, and also entertained my daughter in the cooler areas on the house for as long as her interest could hold.

I jokingly implied we should have another pie night on March 14, and my Mother-in-law seemed to be in full agreement. Hmmm. Maybe we won't have it on the same scale as we did tonight with 50 pies. Then again, it won't be 30C in March. We shall see.