We have roughly 15-17 baptisms in Cassequel on the 23rd.

    Again I am trying to catch up on posts, I have just posted the last 2 E-mails, today's, and Feb. 25, 2013

Dear Mom, Dad, Jane, Heather, Anna, Trent, and anyone else who gets/reads this thing,  March 4, 2013

I have had a crash course in seeking, understanding, and following the Lord's will lately.  I'm glad that He's patient.  =)

I heard about the exciting open houses with President Walton and President Merrill.  Wow!  I'm jealous--I miss the Walton's and would love to meet the Merrill's.  But don't worry about little old me--I'm just doing the best thing I've ever done with my life.  No big deal.

We have roughly 15-17 baptisms in Cassequel on the 23rd.  We'll see how many the other branches have.  =)

Everyone seems to be leaving on missions, coming back from missions, getting married, or having kids.  Life is just exploding!  I just heard that there are roughly 80,000 missionaries in the field right now.  How crazy is that?  The work is blowing up and the Lord is surely preparing the church and the world for something big.

We had 10 investigators in church on Sunday.  =)  Everything is really running.  In the upcoming week we're going to focus on finding--we've doing pretty poorly in that area lately and if you aren't finding, you're losing.  The people we have sure are great, though.

I had a really cool experience in church.  As some of our newer/recently reactivated members received callings and priesthood advancements, I just couldn't stop smiling.  I was just happy all day.  It was cool to see our branch have success and those whom I love have joy in the gospel.  It was really singular for me to feel so involved in the church.  It's a feeling I won't forget.  Through me the Lord's been able to help these people grow in the truth and do what's right.  I got to share in their joy.

I just want to share a little thought with you all about the scriptures.  As they have an increased presence in my life, I'm acutely aware of a reliance on them that I never would have guessed 2 years ago.  A day without reading The Book of Mormon is not a good day.  A day without pondering and searching and marking my scriptures as I truly search and apply the words of life to my personal existence is an empty day.  I just...  Love the scriptures so much.  I know that the Lord shows His love for us through His words.  I know that we learn every time we read and apply ourselves to understanding.  I know that the scriptures answer every worthwhile question and bring to light so many beautiful and glorious truths that would otherwise be lost.  I love teaching from the scriptures.  I love teaching about the scriptures.  In fact, this week we had a really cool experience.  Elder Whitaker (my spiritual better and teacher in all senses) brought up a really great point in one of our companionship studies.  We were talking about how to better use the scriptures and he said that he worries that missionaries spend so much time trying to convince people through the scriptures that we rarely truly teach from the scriptures.  So, we applied it to our lessons.  The Spirit was so sweet and strong in those lessons.  The doctrine didn't change.  The information didn't change.  Our attitude changed and the Spirit changed with it.  It was startling.

I love this work and I'm trying so hard to squeeze every drop out of myself before I have to leave it behind.  I hope I can!

Keep praying,

Elder Eckman

Angola Luanda will officially be a mission as of July 1st.

Dear Everyone,                                            Feb. 25, 2013

First off, my Mom listed off a million things that are happening to a million people.  From marriages to mission calls, I congratulate you all on your progression toward eternity.  =)  I know that the Lord will certainly shed forth His richest blessings upon all those who seek to do His will.

Speaking of His will, Angola Luanda will officially be a mission as of July 1st.  I'll miss it by about 3 days.  My will is certainly a bit different than His will on this one, but I trust that He'll provide the best things for me because of obedience.  =)  I trust that it's truly that way for all of us.

So, our goal is coming to pass and the blessings of obedience are shining forth for us!  Hooray for Angola!  Congratulations to this wonderful people who are oh-so-deserving of the autonomy that comes with a mission.  The next step will come in the coming 2 years (maximum--quote me on that):  A stake.  Angola is taking off.  We'll see another Brazil/Congo in no time.  Angola is truly opening itself to the Lord's plan of happiness.

Agosto and his family are progressing toward baptism smoothly.  We're hoping to see it happen on the 23rd of March.  We've also marked a few others for that day and are optimistic that everything will run well.

We've just had transfer calls, and Elder Whitaker and I will be together for one more transfer at least.  =)  It's definitely a good thing.  We work well together and get on well.

I've been feeling very exhausted lately and the end is starting to be in sight.  I'm not discouraged, but I am starting to feel the pressure.  Please keep me in your prayers.  =)  I can never have too many folks praying after me.

Mom, could you look into when my homecoming address will be planned for and what topic Bishop Laub would like me to speak on?  I'd like to know.  =)  If he'd just like me to choose something, I'd be fine with that, too.

Life here is good, I'm working, having success, and feeling good.  My mission is teaching me a lot and I'm trying to squeeze every last drop out of these last 4 months.  I'm trying to keep the mentality that I'm in the middle of my mission--we should always be in the middle of whatever we do, right?

My study of The Book of Mormon has changed drastically.  I've left behind the 10 times this year goal for one simple reason:  It's far too selfish and I have investigators to worry about.  Maybe I'll try it next year.  I greatly enjoyed how much I got from it while I did it, but that's not why I'm here.  So, I've changed it up and now I'm really trying to focus on my invesigators' needs and on how I can help them to understand, live, and love the Gospel.  It's helping, I think.

I'd best go.  I sure love you all and I thank you greatly for everything you do for me.  =)

Bye!

Elder Eckman

we walked with President K...., set a baptismal date, had a baptism, and started working more with A...... extended family

 Cody greeting other Elders at Zone Conference!!!

 

Dear Everyone,

Well, not too terribly much happened this week--it went by so fast!  Still, we walked with President K...., set a baptismal date, had a baptism, and started working more with A...... extended family--which is large and basically just needs to legalize a few marriages in order to be baptized.  There's a lot of potential there.  =)

M....... was baptized and confirmed this weekend and it was really cool to see her family there supporting her even though they don't believe in our message.  We also got to see 4 men ordained to the Melchizedek (check my spelling on that...  I'm used to seeing it in Portuguese these days) on Sunday.  So cool!  So much growth.  J....... compared it to ordaining 4 new Priests in the Catholic Church.  Though an... interesting comparison, it made me think about how deep and important the office of Elder really is--in other churches, men would train for a large portion of their lives to be inducted into a correspondent calling.  In our church I believe that the preparation is no smaller (spiritually) and that the responsibility is much larger due to what an Elder is expected to be able to do--lead.  Represent Christ.  In all things.  In things that have relatively little to do with doctrine or the training received in a seminary or institution of higher learning.  In act, thought, word, and desires.  In a small branch like ours, 4 more Elders is more more leaders.  Indeed, in a District and Branches, Elders can hold every single position.  It's a good step.

We're working really hard at contacting more and more prepared families and finding more and more success with it.  It's still in the ground stages, but if the area continues the way that it's growing, it'll one day see 10-15 baptisms per transfer.  Or more.  More is totally possible.  I'm seeing things in the work that I didn't know were possible lately.  It's hard to explain...  So suffice it to say that the Lord has bared His arm and shone forth His power abundantly on us.  I've never met so many prepared people in such a short amount of time that are just so willing to believe in our words and do what we invite them to.  The Spirit is so good at showing people what the need.

I hope that my last batch of letters got through!  I have been writing you all--I promise.  I hope you get them.  They were good letters.  Honest!  =)

I sure love you all and hope that life is treating you as it should.  If I can do anything, let me know.  I'm here to help.  I was called to serve, after all.

=)

Elder Eckman

Elder & Sister Cooks advice, it's great for everyone!!

Dear Everyone,

We had a great week, found 2 more married families, were visited by a member of The First Quorum of the Seventy (incredible!), and have been asked by President Kretly to take him on a split with us this week.  =)  The work's going well.

Elder Carl B. Cook of The First Quorum of the Seventy (also the 1st Counselor in our Area Presidency) paid our wonderful mission a visit this past weekend along with his wonderful wife.  It was so inspired and exactly what the doctor ordered.  I learned so much that I wouldn't even know where to begin explaining it all.  Suffice it to say that my experiences with Elder and Sister Cook have made me a better missionary, a better equipped teacher, a humbler seeker or obedience, and a person more prepared for life after the mission.  I know that it's not my place to say this, but I believe that Elder Cook is the sort of man that will one day be an Apostle.  He...  Changed my life over the past 3 days.

One thing they both really focused on was the importance of love in a marriage and family.  He shared with us some counsel given him by President Packer:  Love your wives more.  It doesn't matter how well you're treating them, they deserve better.  It was very beautiful and inspiring to see how unified the two of them were.  They spoke on the importance of The Book of Mormon in the home, of doing things together, of being one flesh, of "peculiar behavior" (such as doing yard work and other chores around the house together), running simple errands together just for the sake of being together, and always focusing on loving one another.  "In a righteous people," he told us, "husbands love their wives and wives love their husbands and husbands and wives love their children--in that order."  He went on to explain that husbands should allow their wives to love them more by loving them more.  He said that as the Priesthood head of the family it is our duty to love our wives first and that all else would stem from that.  We can never do enough to value our wives as the daughters of God that they are.  Another example he brought up was Doctrine and Covenants 25.  He read the first 5 verses and made the observation that Joseph Smith was likely one of the busiest men to have ever lived.  He was Restoring the true church!  There was a lot to do.  We will likely never be quite that busy.  And still, it was important to the Lord that Joseph and Emma spent time together.  It hit me really hard.  I want to seek for reasons to be with my wife (when that time comes) and not away from her.

Elder Cook also had a lot of good things to say about Angola.  He told us that he felt that he had never met so great a volume of Elders with so much potential and that the Lord had chosen well for this pioneering time in Angola.  He foresees a stake here in less than a year-and-a-half.  He told us of The First Presidency and The Quorum of the Twelve's great personal care for Angola and that they expect many good things.

I was able to see and speak at length with Elder Borden!  I've missed him.  He and all the other Lubango Elders came up to see President Kretly and Elder Cook.

President Kretly and Elder Cook both got to meet one of our families--Agosto and Cesarina.  In fact, President Kretly and his wife are going to go teach them and another family (André and Helena) with us on Tuesday night!  We're way excited.

We'll also be sitting with 2 new families this week who seem interested in our message.  We're excited for the opportunity to help so many people come unto Christ during this exciting time of our mission.

On the 16th we'll be baptizing Maritza!  She's so excited and so ready.  We should see more baptisms on the 23rd of February and the 9th of March.  =)  More to come!

I love you all and hope that life is treating you as well as it is me.  I'm loving my mission and almost extended it this week--then the Spirit told me "no" and I had to accept it.  Oh well.  Let's all do His will.  =)

Have a great week--I know I will,

Elder Eckman

My week was full, successful, fun, and a good, growing experience.

Dear everyone,

I had a good, successful week.  I just want to laud the investigators who are making such cool changes and sacrifices in order to join with the church.

Agosto came to church!  And he loved it.  He showed up 2 hours early "just to be safe".  Without us even having taught The Sabbath Day commandment, he told his soccer team that he'd have to be done playing with them as they always play on Sundays and now he's a churchgoer.  Wow.  So cool.  He's giving up drinking, reading the scriptures, soaking in the Spirit and just...  Living the change.  I love it. 

At our last lesson with Agosto, we had a really cool experience.  In our companionship study, Elder Whitaker had been reading in 3 Nephi about how Jesus prayed for the people and how they felt so overjoyed by it to the point of being speechless.  He then made a really cool point:  We are Christ's representatives.  When we pray for our investigators do they feel this?  How can we help them to?  I liked that.  We talked about it for a while and went on with our study.  At the end of the lesson with Agosto, Elder Whitaker offered the prayer.  After he finished, Agosto looked up and said, "Wow.  I felt something different as he prayed today."  He couldn't really explain it, but it felt good.  What a testimony builder that was for me.  The Lord knows us and sends us little tender mercies every day.  We need to recognize them.

We recently met a man named André, sat with him once and invited him to church.  He came!  And we're meeting with him tonight--with his wife.  We're super excited.

Maritza gets baptized on the 16th.  She's so ready.  I'm excited for her and for her family whom she's trying to convince to sit with us.  They're coming to the baptism.

Cesar is preparing himself for baptism really well.  I think he'll make the 23rd without any problems.  We taught him the Plan of Salvation and it just... clicked for him.  He got it.  He's pumped for baptism and to enter the straight and narrow path.  =)

I had a couple of really cool personal experiences this week.  I have recently started feeling more...  Adult.  Mature?  Grown-up, at least.  I don't feel like were just a couple of boys out here calling out a message to our "superiors" or "elders".  I feel like I'm a man with an important message and that the Lord is behind me.  I feel like I'm making adult decisions and doing adult things every day.  I'm feeling less and less like a kid.  It's a good feeling.  I actually compared it in my journal to feeling as though a piece that had once been there was recently fit back in.  I just feel more complete.

Mom, you asked about mail and a safari.  Those are both news to me!  I've heard nothing about anything like that.  Mail is working fine (I just got a letter from Rachel and have recently sent out a bunch of letters) and I don't know of any plans to go on a safari.  I sure hope that one's true.  =)  I did get the package and I love the pants.  Tell Grandma hello for me and that I love her and plan on visiting soon after getting back.  It sounds like the house is going to be incredibly different when I get back!

A thought I've been bombarded with this week (by members, missionaries, and my own silly mind) is the future.  It got out that I've only got 4 fast Sundays left after yesterday and the members won't stop talking about it!  I've been asked when I'll get married more in the past day than in the 8 months before it.  Geesh.  It's a funny thought, you know--life after the mission and marriage.  I don't want to sound like "that missionary" but I truly have a hard time remembering what it feels like to not be a missionary.  I'm not completely sure what to expect when I leave the bubble.  As far as marriage goes, I'm not in a hurry but I'm not waiting either.  I'll get married in the Lord's due time to the right girl in the right place.  (Missionaries, I've found, make far too big a deal about how quickly other missionaries will get married.  It's a silly subject.)

So, my week was full, successful, fun, and a good, growing experience.  I love my area.  I love my mission.  I love the Lord.  I'm reading in Ether right now and I'm loving it.  3 Nephi was a doctrinal high and I will always recommend Christ's visit to the Americas as good reading.  I sure love you all and hope that your collective weeks were as good as my singular one.  =)

Stay Golden,

Elder Eckman

PS 
This week, as I read my Patriarchal Blessing, charity jumped off the page.  The word is only used once, but its the definition of many of the specific counsels given to me in the blessing.  I've realized that I'm not a very charitable person but that the Lord wants me to be.  So, this is my new focus.  I believe that as we focus on others, our problems really do disappear.  I have a testimony that charity is truly the pure love of Christ and that as we seek Him we develop it.  I love my Savior and I'm trying to love my fellowman as He loves them.  Bit by little bit, I'm growing in it.  I recommend a study on charity to anyone who's seeking more peace in this life.

Feed My Sheep, Feed My Lambs

Dear everyone within the range of my words,                               

What.  A.  Week!  Oh my goodness, I feel highly blessed of the Lord right now.  Exact obedience is truly bringing miracles.

So what happened this week?  I'll start at the beginning.  We decided to scrap many investigators last week, contact and find a bunch more, and just try to build up the area as best we could in a week to use as a jumping ground for this week.  Well, the Lord wanted something more.

We found a family (married parents, 4 kids, ages 4, 13, 15, and 17--two of them potential Aaronic Priesthood holders) who accepted the message of the Restoration outright and will be baptized on the 23rd of February!  They are so ready for the Gospel.

What else could possibly have happened to make me so joyous?  During church, 2 separate men (in their mid-twenties) came up to us and set up appointments with us for this week.  They also said something to the effect of, "We need to be baptized and serve God as quickly as possible."

This transfer, Elder Whitaker and I had set a goal of 8 baptisms and we didn't know how we'd meet it, but we felt right about it.  And now...  Well, the Lord is providing.  Our faith is being met with responses.  And we're awed by it.

Mom, you asked how I get along with Elder Whitaker.  The short answer is that I love him and I find him to be one of the best missionaries I've ever met.  He's exemplary, funny, a great teacher, a focused planner, good at goals, and has such a testimony of this work.  We're seeing miracles together.  He's a true friend.

I'm getting toward the end of Helaman and I'm loving my reading in The Book of Mormon.  I'm more and more touched by its simple, powerful message.  The Book of Mormon truly answers our doubts, enlarges our souls and brings us closer unto our Savior and our Father.  I love it and I'll never put it down.

I came to a sad realization this morning:  I have 5 Fast Sundays left before I head home.  I'm...  Not ready to leave!  It's gone by so fast.  I don't know about you all, but it scarcely feels like it's been a year-and-a-half since I left home.  It's been a good run thus far and I know that the next 5 months will be even better and even more filled with work.  I'm tired, but I can sleep when I'm released.  (I know it's not true--there's too much to do to get life started again when I get back!  Still...  I have a 2 day plane ride to sleep on, right? )  ;)

In other news, Anna, Heather, Jessi, and Jane should expect letters in a few weeks.  I finally sent them off today.  My goal to write 2 letters a week has been going well--now I need to make one to send 2 letters a week.  =)

I guess I'll share a poem I wrote this last week with you.  I'm reluctant to do so as I'm no great talent, but I like its message.  Be kind.  =)

Feed My Sheep, Feed My Lambs

I'd offer gold and precious gems
For love engraved on perfect hands
But all He ever asked of men
Was, "Feed my sheep, feed my lambs."

Still, now and then I've wandered blind,
Losing sight of His perfect plan--

Ignoring as His voice reminds

To "Feed His sheep, feed His lambs."

With arms outstretched, He gathers home

A wand'ring flock into His land

And asks that we help do the same
And "Feed His sheep, feed His lambs."

I wondered at the easy way

Forgiveness caused my soul to stand

And I promised there, that very day,

"I'll feed Thy sheep, feed Thy lambs."

--C.R.E.

I'm loving the work, I'm loving the scriptures, I'm loving the people, and I'm loving the Lord.  I love the changes I'm starting to see in myself.  I'm growing more and more content with my work ethic, with my goal ethic and with my organization ethic.  I feel like a successful missionary--and I would even if I hadn't had one of the best weeks of my mission just barely.

Work, work, work--there's nothing better.

I love you all and I wish you the best.

Elder Eckman

Hey! This week was great!

 

   Again I have to say I'm sorry for posting last weeks e-mail with this weeks, I spent part of the week in Vegas and just did not get around to doing it after I got back home. The time just seems to be rushing by, before we know it Cody will be home, He will be released sometime the last week of June, only a few more months and he will be home, Yea for us, I'm sure that he has many mixed feelings.

 

 

Dear people of various places,

Hey!  This week was great!  Now I'm with Elder Whitaker and I'm loving Cassequel.  I'm District Leader and feel very honored to work with these elders.

This week, in a nutshell:

I arrived in Cassequel B this week and we got to work. It wasn't a perfect week (there are many things about the area that both I and Elder Whitaker are still learning) but it was a good week. Our focuses next week will be contacting, meeting goals, extending baptismal dates, and dropping those who are not progressing. It will be a wonderful week.

I'm loving working with Elder Whitaker and I find him to be an outstanding missionary, incredibly intelligent, and very sensible. He has a good head on his shoulders. I'm excited to see where this transfer will take us.  Although he only has 2 transfers here, he speaks Portuguese so well.  It's impressive.

As District Leader, I've had the opportunity this week to speak with the Cassequel District and define our biggest concern for this transfer. We've decided that it's the Spirit and seeking his presence with more hunger and diligence. I have been very worried that as I build the "skeleton" of missionary work, I'm missing the "meat" which is the Spirit. I am incapable of converting anyone. I can, however, rely on the Lord to do so so long as I invite well, do my job correctly, and follow the examples and guidelines given me by my leaders. So, as a district we are focusing on exact obedience, Preach My Gospel, and seeking the Spirit more fully this transfer so that we can made equal to our task.

I'm personally focusing on Humility as of late and have felt the blessings. I've realized that I truly don't have much self-control or ability to help others in and of myself. I have to rely on the Lord a great deal to do anything. Alma 37 comes to mind.

I am so amazed lately at the completeness of the Gospel.  It has an answer for just about anything.  It makes the tough times better, the hard times a little lighter, and the hurtful times and little less sharp.  I'm amazed by the Atonement of Christ and what it can do for our lives.  It's so...  Complete.  Full.  Perfect.  So, I'm working to use it every day and to become a better, more complete person in return.

I love you all!  I hope life is running well.  Keep up the good work there and I'll get to work on getting some families baptized here.

Elder Eckman