All the missionaries yesterday were in attendance at the stake center in their zones to watch the worldwide
missionary training. It was from 9:00 –
11:00. President and I received training
in December in conjunction with what all of the missionaries were going to see
in January. President Felix felt it
would be really good for the zones to have a zone council following the broadcast
to discuss the change in schedule. The
zone leaders were asked to do a zone council and were told it would be
regarding what they learned from the broadcast.
We told the assistants a week and a half ago about the change in
schedule so they could experiment and see what worked for them. Monday night, all of the zone leaders were
contacted and given a heads up as to a change in schedule and that would be what
they would counsel on after the broadcast.
The broadcast was
wonderful as we were reminded to teach repentance and baptize converts. It was great seeing the executive missionary
council in action as a council. We all
loved what we heard and felt.
Assistants
Elders Swenson and Taufatofua
Zone Leaders
Front: Elders Palmer, Morby, Slaugh, Bradley, Bronson, Hunter, Christenson, Holm
Back: Elders Davis,Wayment, Hales, Huston, Allison, Harvey, Peart, Gemar
Sister Training Leaders
Hermanas Anstee, Wright, Scott, Wiles, Sisters VanDerWatt, Barnum, McClure, Baird
Spanish Elder Training Leaders
Elders Suarez and Peisley
Today we had MLC and
tomorrow will be zone meetings. This
week will be monumental. Following the
accountability and stewardship report and after some reminders President
conducted a council focusing on the weekly missionary daily schedule and preparation
schedule. Each zone was able to share
with us how their councils went. It was
reported the missionaries like the use of agency, less stress, planning in the
morning, extra sleep, flexibility, extra time in the morning, companionship
study moved, having a specific time to write in their journal, and that they
would be learning a life skill. The
concerns were: lunch only a half an
hour, review time of the white handbook and orientation book, when to update
the area book, and would they be reporting contacts.
The purpose of the
new daily schedule is to help missionaries:
1. Be more productive each day.
2. Set more inspired goals and plan more
effectively.
3. Be more healthy.
4. Use their agency to make righteous decisions
about how best to spend their time.
Our council was
focused on the flexibility of the schedule.
Blue is weekly and green is Pday schedules
The weekly morning schedule will be set but planning and personal study
can be interchanged. The components of
the new schedule are set, it’s just when things will be done is flexible. It was
determined: missionaries in the mission
12 weeks or less will have an hour for companionship study which will include
reading from the white handbook and the orientation book, no phone calls after
10:00 p.m., in district meetings time will be given to read from the white
handbook and or orientation book and discussed, weekly planning will be on
Thursdays, district meetings and zone meetings will start at 10:30 a.m.
Preparation day
allows for two extra hours from what has been in the past. This day is to get things done so the rest of
the week they can focus on the work. It
will be prioritizing and getting things done.
This day they get up and pray then they can get dressed in exercise
clothing if desired or proselyting clothes prior to eating breakfast, planning,
and personal study. From 8:00 – 6:00 the
missionary will determine in what order they are going to get things done. The components for Pday are: laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning apartment
and automobile, communication with President Felix and family, lunch, dinner,
recreation and exercise, and showering.
The evening is the same as the weekly schedule.
I believe the
missionaries feel the trust that the Lord has in them with this change of
schedule.
There are just too many broken box springs in the missionaries' apartments.
Elder Floyd was able
to “show and tell” about box springs. He
reminded the missionaries that tithing funds are used and they need to be respectful
of what is given to them.
We had some training
on accountability, communication, and obedience to help the missionaries
proceed forth. The assistants talked
about accountability. Agency is a
gift. It is an eternal principle and with
it comes accountability. Agency needs to
be used righteously. We should be
accountable daily to the Lord for what we do.
PMG states “The attitude you have toward your mission experience is a
reflection of your love toward your Heavenly Father and His Son and your
respect for the priesthood.”
Sister Felix discussed
communication which included keys for good communication, barriers to
communication, benefits of communication, managing conflict and
compromise. Deciding on how to go about
accomplishing the different components of the day will require communication
and compromise.
President Felix
shared a letter from an Elder who recognized that “choosing to be exactly
obedient and aligning our actions with God’s will then we will see miracles because
we are not in the way of His plans.” Obedience is the first law of heaven, it is an
act of faith. President Felix encouraged
missionaries to be obedient to the rules.
President Monson said obedience brings blessings.
We learned in the
worldwide broadcast that the key indicators were changed from nine to
four. Key indicators are powerful, too
many of them can cause to lose focus and key indicators are the key to convert
baptisms. The four are: Investigators baptized and confirmed,
investigators with a baptism date, investigators who attend sacrament meeting,
and the number of new investigators.
Elder Oaks said key
indicators are to effect the behavior of missionaries.
Interacting to edify
was at the end of MLC. It is such a
treat to hear from every one there as to what they felt or what they were going
to do. We have GREAT leaders.
