Elders Gibbons and Parks getting in one last picture before Elder Parks goes home.
Elder Manisela and Elder Tancayo, what are you thinking?! All I could think was let's not have a big scene.
Now that's more like it.
We held our three Multi-Zone-Conferences (MZC) this week. Our pattern in these MZCs for speakers is to have Sister Macdonald speak and normally one or two others (typically one of my counselors in the mission presidency or a stake president in that area) then I will speak. After that we have a workshop put on by the assistants (which I participate in too). After a break for lunch we gather together and I give another “talk”. In that talk I am normally very interactive with the missionaries. In addition to the talks we also have incoming and outgoing missionaries offer their testimonies and have various short lessons given by a few missionaries. Well with that background this week was slightly different. We had planned it out with minor changes (having missionaries talk instead of my counselors) but I was feeling that we needed more talks about Christ and His sacrifice with Easter and Conference coming up. When I mentioned this to the assistants they said they were feeling the same and that they had felt impressed to teach more about the atonement rather then doing role plays during the workshop portion of the MZC. I was so grateful that they had been moved by the spirit in the same way and that they had come up with a plan that was excellent. They are a great help to me and to this work.
So while outwardly we didn’t change major portions of the outline, the portion they taught was so appropriate and fit right in with other teaching done by Sister Macdonald, me and the others. In addition to having one or two highly effective missionaries teach at each MZC, we had the Bishop from Ashland (where the work is especially strong) speak. In each conference roughly the same thing was taught, but one of the conferences I would only give a “B” grade versus the other two receiving an “A”. There was one missionary who came to that particular conference less prepared and his body language was negative. It caused a tangible change of feeling and I didn’t feel like I was as effective in my teaching as I would have liked to be. Of course I visited with him afterwards and worked through his concerns and I think he is OK and back on track. I think it emphasized that it is as important for us all to come prepared to hear as it is for the speakers to come prepared to teach if we are going to have the desired results. As discussed in Mosiah chapter 2, I need to come having my tent door facing the temple if I am going to be edified during general conference or any other meeting I attend.
At one of the MZC –before it started - I was visiting with an elder in another portion of the building and I came into the foyer where almost everyone else was standing. As I entered the foyer a hush fell over everyone there and I felt like I was being watch by all present. I noticed Sister Macdonald, my assistants and the Bishop from Ashland particularly, looking at me. Then I noticed why they were staring at me. Many missionaries will wear matching ties (called companionship ties) to the MZC. The thing that had created the hush was that two elders had worn matching pink shirts as well as companionship ties. One of them was going home and the other was his new elder just being trained. Now I knew why everyone was watching me – they wanted to know how I would react. I asked the trainer how far he lived from the chapel. He said, "About 5 minutes". I said, "OK, I will see you in 10 minutes." He said, "Oh, come on let us wear them." I was kind - but firm - and sent them home to change. The Bishop said what everyone else was thinking, "I wondered how you were going to handle that." They were back in the foyer in 2 minutes. They had brought their white shirts to change into. Their pink shirts still had tags on them as they planned to return them. Once I knew it was a joke I was much more relaxed and Sister Macdonald and I got before and after pictures with them afterwards. Later in the conference I modified D&C 68:25 and said if any new Elder is not taught well by his trainer that the sin be upon the senior companion. Anyway it was funny, and I am so glad it was just a joke and not someone seriously trying to change the dress code.
After MZC I did make a few changes to the transfers and then I spent Friday after 9:00 PM and early Saturday morning making leadership calls. Once again I am excited for this new transfer and the work that will be done. I was impressed that when I was making the calls that a few elders said they had their door facing the temple (something I had taught during MZC) and they were prepared to listen. Boy these are great missionaries we have here.
So while outwardly we didn’t change major portions of the outline, the portion they taught was so appropriate and fit right in with other teaching done by Sister Macdonald, me and the others. In addition to having one or two highly effective missionaries teach at each MZC, we had the Bishop from Ashland (where the work is especially strong) speak. In each conference roughly the same thing was taught, but one of the conferences I would only give a “B” grade versus the other two receiving an “A”. There was one missionary who came to that particular conference less prepared and his body language was negative. It caused a tangible change of feeling and I didn’t feel like I was as effective in my teaching as I would have liked to be. Of course I visited with him afterwards and worked through his concerns and I think he is OK and back on track. I think it emphasized that it is as important for us all to come prepared to hear as it is for the speakers to come prepared to teach if we are going to have the desired results. As discussed in Mosiah chapter 2, I need to come having my tent door facing the temple if I am going to be edified during general conference or any other meeting I attend.
At one of the MZC –before it started - I was visiting with an elder in another portion of the building and I came into the foyer where almost everyone else was standing. As I entered the foyer a hush fell over everyone there and I felt like I was being watch by all present. I noticed Sister Macdonald, my assistants and the Bishop from Ashland particularly, looking at me. Then I noticed why they were staring at me. Many missionaries will wear matching ties (called companionship ties) to the MZC. The thing that had created the hush was that two elders had worn matching pink shirts as well as companionship ties. One of them was going home and the other was his new elder just being trained. Now I knew why everyone was watching me – they wanted to know how I would react. I asked the trainer how far he lived from the chapel. He said, "About 5 minutes". I said, "OK, I will see you in 10 minutes." He said, "Oh, come on let us wear them." I was kind - but firm - and sent them home to change. The Bishop said what everyone else was thinking, "I wondered how you were going to handle that." They were back in the foyer in 2 minutes. They had brought their white shirts to change into. Their pink shirts still had tags on them as they planned to return them. Once I knew it was a joke I was much more relaxed and Sister Macdonald and I got before and after pictures with them afterwards. Later in the conference I modified D&C 68:25 and said if any new Elder is not taught well by his trainer that the sin be upon the senior companion. Anyway it was funny, and I am so glad it was just a joke and not someone seriously trying to change the dress code.
After MZC I did make a few changes to the transfers and then I spent Friday after 9:00 PM and early Saturday morning making leadership calls. Once again I am excited for this new transfer and the work that will be done. I was impressed that when I was making the calls that a few elders said they had their door facing the temple (something I had taught during MZC) and they were prepared to listen. Boy these are great missionaries we have here.
1 comments:
you two are great. hope you're having a great time - love you!!
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