Em sent the following email on Monday, Dec. 16, 2013:

Hey Familia!

I did get my birthday package and I felt so much of your love!!  I love everything!  I sent you a Christmas card and I'm guessing it could get to you today or tomorrow. 

You'll get to read about Adrian.  He is absolutely wonderful.  

People who have been prepared by the Lord will be able to recognize us as servants of Him and will be ready to act according to the invitations that we make.  We are looking really hard to find these families.  We are knocking lots of doors and testifying of the Savior.  It's such a cool thing to be able to proselyte and preach the gospel.  There isn't another time in my life that I will be able to knock an apartment complex and tell people that I am a representative of Jesus Christ.  I won't be set apart at any other time to do that.  I won't have charge over an area like this at any other point in my life.  I like this privilege and I do recognize that it is a privilege even though it isn't in the past yet :)  Privilege is a hard word to spell. 

The mission really is changing me and helping me to be more Christ-like.  Dad, that talk that you send me about us being dually co-creaters and masterpieces in progress really hit me.  There are lots of things from that talk that I think about and refer back to often.  My absolute favorite part is the part where is says that one of the most Christ like things we can do is unexpectedly forgive someone.  

Ok, I'm going to just type this part from the article:

Esau is another unheralded example of one who showed us how to shape our lives in the image of God.  When his brother, Jacob, tricked him out of the birthright, Esau was enraged to the point of seeking to kill his brother.  After many years of avoiding each other, there was a dramatic moment when Jacob encountered his brother.  Jacob, fearing for his life, prepared gifts for Esau.  When Jacob met his brother, Esau unexpectedly forgave him.  Looking into Esau's forgiving face, Jacob exclaimed, "For therefore I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God."  The image of God is forgiveness.  As Brother Nibley always used to remind us, "the two things you can do in life are to repent and forgive."

Ever since reading this when you send it to be months ago, it has been my goal to unexpectedly forgive someone.  I'm too imperfect, and Heavenly Father has forgiven me so I want to always forgive people too. 

Love, Em