Election week in Luanda

My beloved family and friends,

Firstly, I'm not sure who reads this anymore but I have a request:
Someone get my dear friend Heather to get me her address in some way
shape or form.  I miss her dearly and would love to write to her.
Slash...  She owes me a letter.  Just saying.  =)

We'll be having elections this week, so our schedule a little wonky.
2 days before the 31st we have to be home by 6 PM, on the 31st we
don't go outside, and 2 days after the 31st we'll be home at 6 PM
again.  It'll be interesting.  =)

This week was great!  The upcoming elections made our lesson load a
bit lighter and our investigators in church a bit lacking, but I'm
confident that it's just a blip on the radar and that next Sunday
we'll see some more growth.  I learned a lot this week about humility,
joy, and focus.  The Lord has been very present and I feel unspeakably
blessed by His power.  Little by little He truly changes us into so
much more than what we are.  I've got cubic tons of work to do, but I
feel like I'm on the right track.  It's a good feeling.

I've decided that I'm going to start focusing on an attribute of
Christ every week for the rest of my mission/life.  It seems like a
good way to develop them more fully, right?  For this next week, I'm
focusing on the attribute of diligence.  I believe that we can always
do just a bit more, so I want to focus on going that extra mile... and
then some.  We can always do our jobs better.

Mom asked me a bit about my new companion.  Elder Clifford is 19, from
Mesa, Arizona, a little shy, an athlete, really smart, and really
willing to get out there and do things.  He's a funny guy and we goof
around in the apartment a lot.

The Thompsons have not yet arrived.  There is surely a wise purpose in
their rather long delay, but please keep their VISAs in your prayers.

We are going fishing next week for P-day!  I'm more excited than I can
express.  It's been SO long.  It still won't be quite like fishing
with Dad...  But, then, nothing is.

Life is great and I have no complaints.  The Lord is really good to
us--to His children.  He really just wants us to follow His course
because He knows that it's the only way to happiness.  It's true, you
know; There's no true happiness outside of the true gospel.  There's
strength here.  Passion.  Power.  Joy.  Serenity and peace.  When we
live it, we're greater than ourselves.  I testify of this truth.  The
Lord wants a powerful people, so it's all within our reach.

I'm probably going off on a strange tangent, but have you ever thought
about the measure of your creation?  Why are you here and what are you
here to do?  How are you fulfilling it?  Could you be doing more?  We
have guides to help us in the scriptures, the words of the prophets,
personal revelation, and our Patriarchal Blessing.  I think
understanding these questions requires a lot of temple attendance.  I
also think that it's infinitely worthwhile to think on it.  What more
can I do to fulfill my measure of creation?

I've been thinking a lot lately about my measure of creation and I'm
still filling in lots of blanks.  I do know this much though:  Right
now is incredibly important to it all.  My mission is a definitive
time in my life--as it should be in anyone's life--and I need to do it
correctly.

I know this all sounds sort of strange, but I think it's important to
find our reason for being here aside from just the general get a body,
experience and grow, find an eternal partner, and have an eternal
family part.  That stuff is huge.  Bigger than anything.  But...  I
think there's an individual and personal reason too.  One that we
can't ignore.  Just food for thought, I guess.

Well, I've talked your ear off.  Happiness is found in the true
gospel.  Christ made it possible through the Atonement.  We shouldn't
let that go unnoticed or set it as naught.  I love you guys!

Elder Cody R. Eckman