MLC and Worldwide Training

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.