Changes

Wow. This week has been humbling. Not to say that I have been prideful before, but now I just have a whole new understanding of humility. The Lord qualifies whom He calls and this week I have been called to train a new missionary! 3 months in Ghana and the Lord wants me to use the minuscule amounts of knowledge I have, to TRAIN a brother who was on the same page I was only a small time ago! I don't know anything! I can't speak Fante! I still eat fufu like a white man! I don't know everywhere in my area and I still have trouble even remembering all our investigators names! I am so inadequate! But then I think of the words of the amazing missionary example in the Book of Mormon, Ammon. "Yeah, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak... in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise in his name forever." Wow. I feel so blessed for this call to train because it truly showed me that I, Elder Riehle am. Nothing. BUT even at the depths of my doubt I know with all my heart that in His strength I can do all things. I, Elder Riehle, will go and do what the lord has commanded me with all my heart, might, mind and strength and I know he will prepare a way for me to accomplish his call! I am grateful for the amazing example of Elder Harris as my trainer and it is not easy saying good bye, for me or the people of Agona. He has been here for 10 months and has completely laid the foundation and now I have the job of stacking the bricks!

I have grown so much in the past 3 months and have become such a better teacher because of him. There is a problem though. For the past 3 months I have been here and for a while before, the Ghana Cape Coast Mission has been using a teaching system called the Covenant Training Pattern (CTP), where we would teach ONE principle at a time and leave a 'promise'; for them to complete to make sure they understand the doctrine and to judge seriousness to commitment. It was a very good way to sort the wheat from the chaff and not wast our time. I have become proficient with this system and am able to talk about any gospel principle for 45 minutes! But here is the problem, starting this week,  CTP is dead. Gone. It will be "disobedience to revelation" to keep doing it. So now, I need to forget allllllll the teaching skills I have developed in the past three months and now teach how to teach the new system which I cannot teach myself! Once again, "I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak... for in his strength I can do all things" Oh boy, oh boy, the next few months will be fun. But don't think I am complaining!! I love a challenge! I love that now I will have to rely on the spirit 24/7! I love that I will have the chance to have a new companion that, in large part, will become the missionary he will be from what I teach him! 

No one ever said it would be easy. They only said it would be worth it.

Everyday, I wake up and know it is worth it. I have written on a Sticky note and stuck it on my mirror and I read it every morning. It says, " You can choose to be happy :) or you can choose to be sad :( CHOOSE HAPPY." That's what I have going through my head all day. No matter how hot it is or how racist the things the drunk man is saying, I AM HAPPY!!!

I love Ghana so much and I am loving every moment that goes by.

Alma 26:12-- In His strength I can do, not just some, but ALL things.

[Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.]

Elder Riehle