So Much Paper Work For A District Leader

So I do not have enough time this week. I had to do a lot of paper work for people in my district.  This District Leader calling brings with it quite a bit of busy work but it is necessary. I am learning that the church is all about records and record keeping.  Sorry but this letter may be a little fast but it comes to everyone with lots of love and gratitude for my birthday cards that came from all over.  I am so grateful.  There are not too many moments when the elders out here can feel very close to home so those cards were so important to me. Thank you for thinking of me.  I really appreciate it and they make my desk look happy.

This week I have had my mind blown by the intense power of God and His love for us. I have come to realize that I have been praying wrong my whole life. I have seen that most of the time I have indirectly been asking for things to be solved for me. I didn't mean to be running from my problems and I wasn't trying to get out of trials but I always just asked for them to go away without giving much thought for what my part was in those trials or troubles. This is not how it should be, just as the Brother of Jared we must make sure that our prayers are not asking God to fix everything but to ask for the power to do it ourselves. 

I should have known this and paid attention to it much earlier.  My brother and I have always loved Power Rangers and our "sign off" to each other is always "May The Power Protect You".  I recognize now that the Power comes from our Heavenly Father but I have to put that power into action and do something on my own without just assuming He will come to my rescue without my own efforts. 

Too often we ask for problems to go away or ask for assistance in things rather then asking for the knolwedge or power to do it ourselves. We must make sure to put our best foot forward to ensure that we allow ourselves to grow. That is why God puts trials in our way, not so that He will solve them but that we will grow above them. Every challenge and trial is supposed to test us as individuals, it is not something that will ever just disappear.

I have begun to see that instead of asking for things to be solved I have decided that it would be better to ask for the knowledge to grow beyond what I face. I never imagined facing the trials and issues that are here in Ghana. Everyday brings new difficulties and challenges but they aren't impossible to handle.  For instance, it is not always easy to find ways to bring the missionaries together in this place.  I don't know if it is culture or poverty or just differences in attitude.  I have tried hard these last few weeks to bind the missionaries in my apartment together and didn't have much success.  But, with lots of prayer and some creativity, this week I discovered that gathering all of them in the evening after our studies and prayers, they were all interested in martial arts so we have a exercise/martial arts session each night and I am able to use my skills to bring all of us together working/laughing/exercising and growing together.  It is helping. I will keep trying.

I love you all and am so grateful for all you do for me. Especially the prayers.

have a great week praying for inspiration in all things -

Elder Edison