Lots of People

1. Ghana has lots of people and not many like to learn about Gospel or at least the true gospel

2. To eat chicken is very expensive but makes missionaries happy.

So this week has been fun, not many exchanges so i have not been too busy on that front but we have been working hard to try and fill our teaching pole. Many people here in Ghana will let you teach a time or two and then when you try to go to them again they will never be around. It makes it a lot of fun to try and have two days worth of people to teach when both me and my companion have another person in the area with us.... We have been attempting to find a lot more people who will actually be able to make the steps of repentance, it has been fun to see the blessings of it. We have already seen a growth in sacrament meeting attendance. It has been a blessing to us since we have been working our tails off. 

This week it has been different, even today, it has become so easy to work now. I know when i first started i was not as bold as i am now. I have seen the changes in the way i act and talk. I really feel like a representative of the Lord. One thing though that came to my mind when preparing for a talk in sacrament (because the people suppose to give talks never came). So in the five min i had to prepare i thought a lot about commandments and following though with it all. But something also came to my mind. The idea of the Name of Jesus Christ written on our hearts. I found myself thinking that i never really want the name to leave. I pray that i have worked hard enough out here so the Name on my chest has burned deep into my heart. It reminded me of our Baptisml Covenant, we promise to be willing to take upon ourselves the name of Christ. We promise that we will comfort mourn with and lift all around us who need our help. What i love about the covenant is that it doesn't specify the person or their mentality it just says those that mourn, those that stand in need of comfort. We promised or will promise to do that for others. This led me to think of who we might need to help. It also got me thinking about promptings again. Too often we let our selves forget that even if a prompting seems to have not result in the end it will change everything. Can you imagine being Moses and being prompted to divide a sea!!!!!! Instead we are asked to visit to send a scripture text of even to say hi. Just do it and never have to feel the regreat of not followeing the Spirit.

I love you all and love talking about helping those in need. There is a lot that God would like to have us do, most of the time the only thing stopping the full speed of the work is his unobservant servants. Keep your mind open for God to direct you 

No More Scorpions and Will I Transfer?

1. No scorpions this week

2. Trying to carry water on your head is a lot harder then it seems.......

3. When you have a Nerf football (thanks, Mom and Dad for the birthday gift) and four Elders in an apartment, the games of catch are far too much fun.

There is something that I am working on right now: throughout my mission I have been in areas that I have been able to uplift and build only to leave before a lot of fruits become realized. I have never been too unhappy about it, and I have always tried to smile whenever it happens. However, it seems like it may happen again in this area. I expect to be transferred later this week. I am not too sad. To work without seeing the fruits of my labors come full circle is sometimes a greater blessing then seeing the fruits. We are told to walk by faith and not by sight. Many times throughout life we are all called to do things where we will not see or recognize the results and consequential blessings of our efforts. Whether that applies to your family, friends, school, or Church callings. It is not about seeing all the effect you had but being sure that there will be an effect because God would not have placed you in that area or in that calling if you would not have been able to do anything. We are supposed to stand tall and move on when we are told. To see the fruits of our efforts is a blessing but to be asked to leave before we get to see face to face all the effects of our labors, forces us to become more humble and diligent, recognizing that it is all up to God. Nothing we do can really be accounted for by ourselves so why worry who gets the credit, move on and smile.  That is the philosophy that I am trying to develop and nurture because I really do miss the people in each area that I have worked within.

Credit doesn't even belong to us when we are the ones who see the result, all good things come from God. Even one of the Greatest of the Prophets of God was asked to lead a people for over forty years and before he got to the land that he had been promised he was told that he would never enter there.... Instead he simply walked away and was not heard from again (or so it seems). God asks us to grow when he withholds us from something but in the end there was always something better for us to be doing. Just as if I had stayed in the other areas to see all my work progress, I would not have been able to strengthen the other areas that I went to in the same manner. You too may never see the full effect that you had but the ripple that we cause in the water of the world does not stop all that fast and it goes far beyond our ability to see. When a small pebble hits the water it doesn't know the ripple it caused to change and move the whole pond. Make your ripple and Know that God will control the effect long after you are gone.

I love Cape Coast. I love the people. I love my companions and our apartment is so awesome right now.  So much talk of my departure soon but I can hardly stomach the thought.  Thank you for your letters!

Love, Elder Edison

So Many Exchanges!

1. Having A week of three exchanges then a week of four and then a week of two has been a lot of fun. Finally on the downward with only two to go.

2. When eating in a chop bar (the Ghana equivalent to a fast food joint) be careful what you eat. It does not always sit well.... That day was rough

3. Found a centipede in our room this week. I had fun killing it.... it is among the hundreds that I have had to kill,,,

I want to focus on the scripture found in Mormon 8:4, this reference is given as part of the first farewell of Moroni. As he is preparing to finish the record he gives us the final details of his life. He tell us of his Father's murder, his people's destruction, and even keeps us up to date on the progress of the records. However, his line written in verse four has always stood out to me. This man, this Prophet, and great leader tells us that after he hides the book, it matters not where he goes. He straight up tells us that there is no one left, no one for him to turn to, no one to lead. He is utterly alone, but instead of filling the last few pages of this precious book with his story and hardship, he fills it with words of hope. He keeps the commission of Nephi found in 1 Nephi 6:4-5, that talks about how this set of Scripture must be filled with things of God. Though written on different plates, Moroni does not lose sight of this invitation. He walked away from it all. Brave man.

Often we are asked to do things that seem difficult but we too can be like this power house of a man. He ended it all and walked away from the only thing that stood for anything anymore and he trusted that God would take care of the rest. Nothing else was necessary. We are asked to leave a lot behind but when we know that it is for God that we are performing these great things, it should be easy to let the rest fall into place. 

When doing good we often make sure, at least in a slight way, that people take notice. We make sure to get our foot in the door just to make sure we get credit for the things that are happening. But I am learning how important it is to let those moments of recognition go.  Do something good, then stand up and let it go. As you study humility in the scriptures you discover that true humility is giving the credit of all good things to God. "all good things come from God", when we take credit we are trying to say that we were and are in charge of what happens here. That is what Satan wanted. He said that when anyone does something good (and in his plan that was the only option) He must get all the reward. We better not make the same mistake that he did. Smile and be happy about success but make sure you give all the credit to your Father in Heaven. We are only as good as He has made us and we will only be as successful as our efforts and His will allow us to be.  It all belongs to God!  He is our master and I love Him.

Love, Elder Edison

A Goat and a Scorpion

This week has been crazy, I went on three exchanges and have four planned for next week!!!!

1. When a goat breaks into someone's farm and needs to be chased out - if missionaries need to do it, they need to make sure they do it without misplacing their name tag. Yes, this happened to my companion this week. Took us awhile to find it.

2. The second scorpion climbed into our shower.... It is not fun trying to prepare for the morning and having to kill something all while trying to avoid begin bitten and dying.

There is something I want to focus on today: the line "close your eyes but keep your mind wide open". This line is from the movie, "Bridge to Taribithia". It is a great movie but this line came to my head recently. It has so much meaning: when it comes to life we often use our eyes and our own judgement and opinions to try and determine what is going on. In the movie, the line I quoted is teaching someone to use their imagination to improve their world and their place in it.  We can easily apply it to ourselves in everyday matters, as well. We do not always get to see the whole plan of our lives, the part we play or how we fit into it entirely. Just as a puzzle piece doesn't always show the full significance of the puzzle, we too cannot determine our own relevance in the plan of God. If a puzzle piece could talk it may talk about its vibrant colors while another may talk about its dark tones; but if either are missing we would have an incomplete picture. 

We need to make sure that when it comes to us trying to believe in God, we cannot always point out His constant actions in our lives, but we have to make sure we close our eyes and keep our mind wide open. That's how the Spirit can come into our eyes and into our heart. On mission I have met a lot of people who are expecting to have great visions and dreams when it comes to receiving personal revelation. Often they forget that God want us to walk by faith and not by sight. But often I feel that many of us who still believe that faith is foremost, unwittingly fall into the same pit of error. Though we may not expect a dream or a vision, we may expect more then we need. Be ready for God to remind you that your eyes must be closed and your mind must be open. 

Many miracles still go unnoticed today, many are overlooked. Too often we see simple things and believe them to be a natural consequence or a happenstance, however the people of Ghana have indirectly taught me a great principle: often when asking someone if they are alright, they will reply Nameadom (Na-Meh-a-dom) meaning by God's grace. There is a lot that God does on a daily basis that we forget is his handy work. We forget what really went into the creating and formation of this world and its laws. I would invite all of us to go back and try and see what miracles we may be missing in our day. But when you search your memories, make sure you close your eyes and keep your mind wide open.

Love, Elder Edison

Twentieth Birthday in Ghana

To My Friends and Family All Over The World:

Weird to be twenty...... I am going to miss the teens...

1. Birthdays in Ghana are somehow boring... Fufu is still the main meal

2. Teaching in zone conference is not all that great.

3. the sun beats me and then the rain hits me

I am so happy to be able to talk this week. I love all of you and am so happy for all that people have been doing. I have loved looking back recently and being able to see how revelation is able to do so much when it seems to do so little. Many times in my life I have searched for what God would want me to do. Only to be left "unanswered" as I would put it. However, as I have looked back (especially at the past year and a half) I can really see how God was making me into something and testing me at times to make sure I knew I was ready for what came next. Many times in life we look down roads as far as we can and then ask God what he wants, too often we forget that we are here to use our agency, when we ask and do not receive an answer, we still have to act. Mostly when our heart is in the right place we will be led to where God needs us to be.

Now I want to talk about how a smile changes everything! A few weeks ago I went on exchanges with the assistant to the President of the mission. When we went out the goal we set (or one of them) was that we need to smile. Often I find myself not smiling throughout the day. not because I am unhappy but because I do not always feel the need to smile. Lately I have been trying to do better at it. As I have gone around with a purposeful smile I have felt a change. Sometimes to not be Laman and Lemuel we just need to wear a smile. We forget that the simple acts are the way God works. By small and simple means great things come to pass. We are even told that some miracles may seem small to us but are great to God. The one I have come to know better is that a smile is a miracle from God. To be able to be happy and show it to others completes the commitment to let our light so shine before men. This is one of my favorite scriptures. We are meant to be a light. Now as a missionary I have a white handbook that has a lot of rules written inside of it, one of them talks about our appearance and how it is the first thing that many people see. We forget (or at least i do) that it is referencing more than just the clothes we wear. A smile can make a difference. Even in the play  "Anne" there is a song that talks about how it is "what you wear from ear to ear, and not from head to toe" that matters.  To smile can change a day from bad to good. To go about with the warmth of a smile can make all the difference.

Though I am still forgetful about smiling I know that when I remember, my day changes. Though it will still be hard I will see the good in it. and that means i can make it better for everyone.

Smile!

Love, Elder Edison

Have Joy - But No Fruit

Hello Family members and friends. I love you all so much!

1. There is no good fruit around right now......

2. Spiritual experiences happen when people are prepared (when you know it is true you know when you need to act)

3. When you smile all day you get a lot more done

This past week has been a blast I have a new companion. His name is Elder Muhlauyo (however it is pronounced Mu-Shlaa-ouy-yo) Many people cannot say his name so we end up laughing with all the people that we try and contact. It has been fun still pushing this area forward we have a lot of promising people that really know how and why they need to follow the truth. A few of the people we are working with are facing trials that are keeping them from committing, luckily my companion and I have come to know that when you are worthy of the Spirit it will make you say things that truly change the person. We have had some incredibly powerful lessons because of the Spirit's witness to them. You cannot do this work without the constant aid of the Spirit. The past week I have felt the influence a lot in our lessons! 

So recently we taught someone the Gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End). During the lesson we compared it to walking up mountains (because my area is nothing but large hills and valleys!) We talked about how the journey of the Gospel can be viewed as climbing a big hill. It takes faith to start, and without the faith to begin you cannot just continue. The steps you take are difficult and full of hardship (repentance) but every step you take is joyous because it means you are closer to reaching the highest point you have ever reached before. Baptism (as compared in the scriptures) we related to a gate you have to pass to reach the top, then as you pass the gate you are blessed to have somone walk beside you (the Holy Ghost) who can be with you as you continually walk to the top (enduing to the end). The lesson was so simple and plain, it felt so natural to talk about so it was a blessing that the Spirit could testify of it so completely. As Preach my Gospel quotes, "the more simple and complete a statement the more chance the Spirit has to testify of truth." 

When we went and followed up in another lesson, they came forward with concerns stopping them from making commitments. They are fully aware of what they must do to follow Jesus Christ and they Believe all that has been testified to them (from Joseph Smith to the Plan of salvation) but to act has its challenges. While talking we again related it to the hill we had talked about the lesson before. We discussed how as Christ declared, we must all pick up the cross and walk with him. This lesson was hard to talk about. We shared with her the the journey we are on is not without challenge or burden. Instead we are commanded to take up our burdens and push forward anyway. The cross we have to carry up the hill is our personal witness to God that we are willing to follow him and His Only Begotten Son. We talked about their challenge and concern and showed how, though my companion and I love them and do not want them to suffer, they have been asked to push forward (not by us, but by God) and get to the top. The Spirit was so palpable i could have cut it with a knife. We also Promised them that as they pushed forward their burden would be made light (not taken away) because of the Love of the Savior.

I learned a lot in that lesson for myself. Even as we go forward in this life a lot happens but instead of seeing it as a burden we have to view it as another chance to prove to both God and Jesus Christ that there is nothing that can stop us following and serving them. The walk up this hill is a long one, full of gullies and bumps but it is all worth it if we can reach the top. Making it is part of the fun, as we know "Adam fell that men might be, and Men are that they MIGHT HAVE JOY" (emphasis added)

love you all

Coconuts Instead of Mangoes and Say Your Prayers!

People of Earth! It is good to once again talk with you.

1. Fresh Coconuts nearly make up for no mangoes (nearly)

2. Fresh coconuts are so much better then store bought

3. When you invite everyone to come to Church and a fraction show up, it lets you see the miracle of even one investigator coming to Church

This week has been normal, to say the least. We have been busy with a lot of things and many exchanges but no giant things seem to have unfolded this past week. I am not sure if that is good or bad. I have realized that on my mission I have been waiting for the picture perfect (Golden Investigator) baptism. I can now say with a lot of confidence that those stories are rare. 

Being in Ghana, Baptisms are common; however, throughout my mission I have seen so many great and wonderful people struggle with singularities and personal obstacles that stand in their way. While they seem to be so prepared to enter into baptism, there is always something that seems to be getting in the way of them making the full commitment. However, this seems to be more of a blessing then a curse. 

I have decided to look at these singularities as God's way of trying them. No person we meet is perfect, all must be prepared. We all know one of the ways that God likes to prepare his children is by testing them. To prepare many for their first covenant many going through a trial of faith. It takes the missionaries, God, and even Satan to see that this person is ready to follow God at all times.

As we give up our natural man we are testifying to God that we are going to give our all to him. Giving up our personal desire for a greater one and being willing to follow the Father, is hard but possible and it is what God requires of all of his children if they wish to inherit all that the father possesses. 

My Mother mentioned prayer in a recent talk that she gave. I wanted to mention it here. To pray with real intent is what makes the difference in my mind. As Moroni 10 3-5 states when we pray with real intent and a pure heart that is when we get a manifestation of our answer. A story was given in a recent Liahona that talked about a little girl praying that her brother's bird trap would not catch anything. When her father heard her prayer he was worried because he had made the trap and he assumed that it would be successful in catching something. When he talked to the daughter about the possibility of the trap catching something, she proudly proclaimed that it would not. The father tried to help her understand that it very likely would catch something but she declared with unwearyingness that it would not. Finally the father broke down and asked how she could have so much faith. the Girl replied that she knew the trap would not work because she had already gone out and broken it to pieces!. I loved reading this story. It shows so much more then a common amount of faith. Faith without works is dead. When you pray you better be ready to do something about it. If you don't who knows maybe you're the reason it will go unanswered.

Love you all 

Elder Edison