From Ghana With Love

Hello Everyone:

This week is going to be really weird around here. There have been a lot of new changes that have happened in the missionary communication arena and I am sure you have all heard about it by now.  I don't know how it will effect our mission but lots of the guys seem interested in the change. We are now allowed to communicate in a lot of ways. However, I will probably stick with the way I have been communicating; to change now and attempt to call or video chat every week would cause far too much of a hassle for me and those I work with.

1. People here love to party during funerals! They put the fun in funerals with drinking and dancing. It is crazy. Also people go to the funeral that did not even know the person who passed away so they can partake of the party.

2. Trying to find  people to teach when there is a funeral going on is very difficult when the majority are running away from you because they know that we do not approve of the drinking and getting drunk.

3. When you make fried rice, just go for it because it will work out. (it did for me - I managed a great fried rice dish this week made from all sorts of things that we have in our apartment)

4. When a presiding person is still being trained there are times the missionaries are called on for some really awesome experiences, like helping plan the agenda for sacrament meeting.

This past week has been cool to say the least. I have gotten a new companion, his name is Elder Mununga. He is a really cool guy and is still new enough on mission that he still wants to work and he is ready and willing to work with me in this crazy area. We have been re-finding a lot of the people who we had been teaching and they are finally progressing so we will continue to help them along the way to ensure they are baptized.

I want to talk about studying the Book of Mormon and other Church materials. This past week I have been trying  lot of new ways of studying. However, as I attempted to find the way that best worked for me, I came to the understanding that I was doing things and studying the way my past companion have been studying. Now I have begun to understand that even though this was not a bad way to find the best way for me to study, if i just mimicked their techniques, I would only ever learn what they would have learned as well. 

God has prepared the greatest treasure trove of knowledge with a very unique attribute; of course, the gospel is the same but the pieces of it are different for everyone at different times and necessary for everyone at different times, and must be found in different ways. We are all individuals; all made in the likeness of our Heavenly Father, but we were all made differently. We have been called to do and become different from others around us. If we limit the way God can teach us, to how he teaches others, we will limit our personal revelation. Only when we discover for ourselves the way we must uncover the treasures hidden and written plainly in the scriptures, can we find where and what God needs us to find. 

Each of us have a very different perspective that has been derived from both the nature we were formed in, and in the way we have been brought up. God talks to each of us differently, often times in ways that make sure we are paying attention or in ways that ensure we act. However, it may be that we need to understand that as we increase our knowledge we have to be doing so in God's will and in the way He needs us to be. Mimicking another's study habits may help us find a better way for us to learn and grow but if we let ourselves stop there, we limit the knowledge that God has in store for us as individuals. Never forget that God made you like no one else alive because He knew He needed you to do something else that no other could do. He gave you different talents; some more vibrant and some hidden beneath our knowledge to make sure we were prepared for our path, not the path of another. Never hate your gifts or covet others', your gifts and weaknesses will make you what God has planned for you to be. Never wish to be another because your job in this life is just as important as theirs.

Love you all hope you can understand all my crazy ideas

Love, Elder Edison

The Church is True!

HI

1. When a new branch presidency has three weeks of Baptisms every sunday they are incredibly happy about it.

2. People here hate it when missionaries leave because many work hand in hand with us to fufill callings and even help us teach.

3. Referrals work so much better then people missionaries find on their own.

4. There is a lot of work to egt done with many people but when they are actually willing it helps.

The Church is true! I am now going to write about that statement alone. A missionary just said it behind me so i am going to take it as my topic. Many times on my mission i have found people that have had trouble seeing that if the Church was true at their conversion it will still be true even when something they do not agree with happens. They are times when i have seen individuals fall away just because they took offense with what someone had said to them or about them, this causes a large drop in blessing that you recieve, if you can imagine. One hard tradition for many here to egt past is that Church is not suppose to be based on social expectations. It does not matter if you are a big mn in the world, having money does not mean you should have position. Having friends does not mean you should have control. 

The Chruch is true because of the Power and revelation that still direct it today. We have to be willing to follow and obey even if we do not think it is right because our leaders have been called by God not because they are popular. We even see in 1 Nephi 16:2 that when we take truyth (knowledge shared by God) to be hard it is because in some way we are guilty of disobedience. We have to see that at any time God is in charge of his Church and will not let go of that control. This is how he teaches and guides us today, not through poularity or position but by those he knows are the ones who can and will lead.

taking offense and using that as an excuse to hinder your own progression to try and hurt the person that offened you is worthless. the only one who gets affected by that is you and people you do not mean to hrut. Our personal progression is based on truth and knowledge tghat God has and will continue to give to us. When we allow another to stop us recieveing direction we only injure ourselves more. When offense happens let truth bind up your wound, no offense is worth your salvation. 

Keep working to grow and progress yourself so you do not hinder those you love. salvastion is a personal matter but exaltation is a family matter. DO not be a weak ink, let anger greed and fear move away and jump head first into the trtuth of the Church. Imbrace the teachings and the love held within.

The Church is true and nothing in this world would ever be able to change that. So use the Truth you have been given and follow it, never let anything small or big get in the way of what you know to be right. Move to God nevr try and force him to move to you. God's rules never change his requirements do not alter, never expect him to lower his values because sothings is hard. The Bar God sets up will not fall. In the high jumop the bar is set the smae for every jumper just because you cannot jump that high they will not lower it to let you keep competing. Keep pushing yourself to reach the bar, train if you cannot pass it yet. 

Become the Child God needs you to be.

Dry Season....NOT!

Hey people. Miss you so much.

Well this week has been awesome, over the past two weeks we have had two baptisms and even have one planned in two weeks from now! It is so great to see amazing things happen in God's plan. We have been working so hard and have been pushing ourselves well past our limits (thanks to God) and have been able to see fruits from our labors. 

We have been trying to help many people see the need of repentance in their lives especially the part about restitution and enduring to the end. Many people have struggles but the more my companion and I try to help them, it seems the better and better they progress. The Power and influence of the Spirit is real. We are going to see some amazing things happen in the coming weeks. We even had ten people that we are teaching come to Church on Sunday!!! I have never had so many people follow through with that challenge! HARD WORK AND Prayer pay off.

Tidbits of my life in Ghana:

1. When you eat fufu many people will bring well water for you to drink - it is supposed to help wash it down....doesn't really work but it is kind of them to help us.

2. Giant spiders do not like being sprayed with water - and, I do not like giant spiders.

3. The Snakes here come at the worst of times - and all of the time! 

4. When you wash clothes, running out of bar soap makes it very difficult and very time consuming.....

I have seen a lot going on while I have been on mission. There have been a lot of changes and different developments in the areas I have worked in, in myself and in my companions. With so many changes I have found myself downtrodden at times and frustrated. However, what I love about mission is that it shows me how to love the little things. Many people forget that it was simple acts that fueled a giant miracle. 

For example: Alma going back and finding Amulek; Ammon asking to be a servant; Lehi praying; 2000 warriors fighting battles against armies far greater; and how the Book of Mormon was written over the span of 1000 years. This book may not take too long to read but it took a lot longer to write. 

We have to see that there is more then just what we read going on. There were days that Helaman and his army trained. Days where Samuel the Lamanite felt sick. All the heroes and people we talk about have their changes, their frustrations and their hard days. Many times we just see that they had power and success but what about the days we don't hear about. 

Many great heroes have a few amazing stories but they had days in between. They probably had moments where they felt tired and would rather be sleeping. They had times where they must have asked where is the miracle I was told would come from following God. Think about it: we hardly hear about the daughters of Ishmael while they had to have children in the wilderness!!!! That must have been hard but we are never told of the days where they got up because they knew they needed to and kept walking while holding their child's hand while he or she screamed "are we there yet". These alone could be seen as battles.

The reason I am writing this is because we all look at the victories of so many heroes around us but we forget that the victory is only the end of the story. Many of all the heroes we love have been through all that we are going through. Moroni was a child once who wanted nothing better then to go play. 

Your story may seem slow and hard but do not worry, your victory is coming and that is what you get to remember. The dialog of your life is happening but that is just giving you time to prep for the on coming storm (shout out to Helaman 5:12). Keep working, everyone lives a story and everyone has battles they win and lose. Just do not let the days that seem to mean nothing go without your personal growth. Everyday is your story even if the fight is the best part.

I love you,

Elder Edison