[quote=@t2wave]
Question, what was it that the characters from Edolas did to have abilities?
[/quote]

The people with the Meta abilities had to go through a dangerous surgical process to gain their ability. The process is dangerous because tiny (microscopic) pieces of lacrimas are inserted and infused into the patient's while body. The surgical process took numerous lives from (unwilling or tricked) subjects who weren't fully aware of the life threatening risk. 

There are only a few that has the ability. But after the events from the Edolas Arc, they are currently stuck on Earthland.