Life Skills Simi Valley and Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks Zones

Counter clockwise:  Hermanas Ames, Morales, Elders Powell, Snyder, Pace, Payne, Peterson, Garrard, Sisters Mendoza, VanDerWatt, Orme, Ulassin

Sister Stewart instructed us on giving talks. This is the blue print of how to give a talk.  She made it very clear that we better not READ our talks; that's boring!

We need to listen with our eyes for body language.

After listening to Elder Pace explain how to get from LAX to his home in St. George, Sister VanDerWatt tried to retell us the directions.  She really did a remarkable job.

Sister Stewart explained to us how to be better communicators.  When teaching, sit more on the edge of the chair and be enthusiastic with eye contact.  

The human's attention span is 8 seconds compared to a goldfish which has 9 seconds.  (I wonder how that was discovered.)

Check yourself when someone is praying that you are aware of what is being said.

Be aware of the "bubble" (one's personal space).  If you break through that bubble, people get uncomfortable.

In teaching, take turns with your companion, it makes it more interesting.

Listening -- you have to stop talking.  Listening is when you hear something, you think about it, and then you give feedback.

H.A.L.T. is the acronym for hunger, anger, lonely, tired.

Don't try communicating when the person is hungry.  You can't teach when someone is angry.  Anger takes away logic.  When someone is lonely they just want to talk about themselves and don't listen.  If you can tell the person is tired, try again later.

You are a child of God.

Things that you do.

Remember criticisms are what you do, NOT who you are.

Companionship inventory is done at least weekly at the end of weekly planning.  Embrace the differences and ask
"How can I learn from this person?"

Sisters Mortimer, Fisher, Houseman, Scott, Bosshardt

Sister Bosshardt, Elders Boyce, Deem, Pierce, Slaugh, Herrera Loya, Liddiard, Dorius

Elder Ruby is doing the dirty work.

In the middle of the sessions the refreshment was rootbeer floats and cookies.

As outlined in Adjusting to Missionary Life, the levels of stress are green, yellow, orange, red.
When Sister Hardy talked the missionaries through a relaxation technique, it was funny that one of the elders apparently was totally relaxed and nodded off.

Front:  Elders Blaylock, Swenson, Sisters Capener, Dye, Elders Holm, Christenson

Back:  Elders Chesley, Peart, Hermanas Peterson, Mulloy, Hurley, Zurita

Sister & Elder Floyd, Elders Crook, Corbridge, Gemar, Haines, Plummer, Rosenlof, Willis, Morby

Elders Carpenter, Gardner