August 17, 2011

Today we got up earlier than normal for the Zone Leaders to pick us up by around 7am to go to our Leadership Training Meeting. The meeting was scheduled to begin at 8am and run through 1:30 pm with lunch. We actually didn’t get started until 8:30 and the meeting ran until just before 3pm including lunch. I gave them some doctrinal instruction including my “Riding Time” story. This story is about our wrestling section in P.E. in the 8th grade. I was the second largest person in the class. The largest person outweighed me by over 50 lbs. However, he was not particularly athletic. Under the rules of wrestling you can get points for a take down. I generally could get this done. However, my opponent would quickly roll to his stomach and I was not about to be able to move him. I would spend the rest of the round looking busy trying to roll him over. First one side and then the other. However, I know full well I was never going to succeed. The rules of riding time would could the time I was in control so long as I was trying to make progress in the event. I got very good at looking like I was trying.
I explained to the missionaries that we cannot allow ourselves to go through the motions looking like we are busy when we are really not making a real effort. We reviewed the paragraphs in Preach My Gospel regarding diligence. I testified that the Lord is our judge in this service and he will not be fooled and give us credit for “riding time” when our real intent is not there.
I also provided a 45 minute training reviewing the Church-wide new missionary training program and also a 60 minute training on working with stake and ward leaders. In between my training parts, we had some training by the Zone Leaders on receiving revelation through prayer. Jan gave some training on the importance of obedience. Her’s was my favourite training. She is so good and the missionaries have to recognize how good she is at training and how sincere she is in her message. She gave them a sound talking to regarding their responsibility to write to the Mission President weekly. We also had training by Elder Coffey (one of our new district leaders) on how we receive revelation through Church attendance. Also Elder Maker (another new district leader) gave us a very good training on the role of the Holy Ghost in conversion.
Following this leadership training session, I got a chance to interview 8 of our missionaries prior to the time I had scheduled to meet with a brother from the district in a disciplinary council setting. This was my first disciplinary council in French. This was quite an intimidating process as I reviewed the handbook guidance in French with the 2 district presidency counsellors, then conducted the meeting and finalized the results. Following that disciplinary council, I found we had 6 members waiting for temple recommend interviews! I finished my work around 8:15 and the Zone Leaders picked me up, then went and picked up Jan who had been making cinnamon rolls at the sisters apartment, and we got back to the hotel room about 8:45. I grabbed a quick bite to eat, got caught up on e-mail and wrote this entry in my journal before retiring for the evening. I even surprised myself with how much of the training I did in French. I can say that when I do so much in French in one day, I do feel very drained. I think I will sleep well.