Everyday in Ghana brings surprises - some are good and some are not so great but we manage to deal with all of them and come out better on the other side (or at least we try).
Today, because of the frustrating internet and all the crappy connections and computers in Ghana, I, again, have hardly any time to help lift you spiritually and enlighten your minds about Ghana. But, I will do my best in the time remaining. And, thank you for all your letters and notes. To my grandparents: I will not have time today to read your letters from start to finish but I will read them during the week and I am so grateful for the time you take to keep me in your minds. Thank you!
1. Taxis are now rising in price due to an increase in fuel prices which has been fun to balance on the funds we receive (next to impossible so lots of walking again).
2. Washing our clothes by hand (which I am doing once again because of broken machines and lack of water) can cut and rip your hands open, making washing in bleach water or soapy water very difficult and painful. I will appreciate every single time I press a laundry button when I return home.
3. As the days get hotter more water must be taken into the body but on fast Sundays this is an extra challenge all on its own. It gets pretty difficult when we add walking in humidity and sunlight for hours. But, I guess the whole point of fasting is growing from going without.
4. People love mentioning how amazing my hair is because it is different from all hair in Ghana. I have had people ask if they could receive some if i went to a barber.....maybe an extra income earner when I finish my mission!
5. People with phones here only turn them on when they need to call someone so calling someone and having them actually answer your call takes incredible luck and the Spirit. We actually feel like it is a direct blessing from our attempts at obedience when one of our phone calls to someone gets answered!
So today I want to talk about a very weird subject, Lasts. Let me explain: I am not scared of death and do not usually think of it but something came to me this week that I wanted to share. When I am going to die, which could be at any time, I want to be okay with all my lasts: The last movie I watched (not while on my mission, don't worry), the last words I said to my family, the last food I ate, the last good deed I did, the last calling I fulfilled, the last service I participated in, etc. All these are things that I want to be satisfied with being the last thing I did or had in that category. I realized that even though there are bucket lists of good things to do, I want to make sure that if something crazy happens I am always satisfied and comfortable with my lasts. I want to be able to look back right before everything finishes and know that I fixed things, made stories and changed the world with my last moments. We all have a life to live but why not live worthy of every moment being our very last that we may have. This is not meant to be a dark or creepy thought. It is suppose to be something to help motivate and inspire us to live so that we can be happy. If every last is worthy to be the final, then when that final comes there is nothing that blemishes our record. You can live knowing you have done the very best you could at every moment.
I love looking back, yet looking forward should be more important, with this new thinking I have found a way to make looking back change the future: if there is a last that I do not like, then I better find a way to change it to make it something I am happy with. I love you all I am sorry that this email is so short but as I said before internet is somehow disruptive in Ghana so I hope all of this makes sense and that you will work hard, with me this week, to make all of your actions worthy of being your last.
Love, Elder Edison
(Can't believe my brother is home from his mission!!!)
No comments:
Post a Comment