MLC comes around again.

Every month we host a Mission Leadership Council. It used to be once a transfer, but the missionary department asked us to increase the frequency and bring our leadership team together for trainings, discussion and counseling more often. They also meet in the mission office and pick up supplies at the meetings.

This meeting is being held just a few days before our May 31, 2016 transfer.

 

It is so valuable to bring together all the zone leaders and review our goals, discuss changes and policies and share best practices.

 

This particular meeting was special because we had a guest speaker. Courtney McBeth was visiting us from Salt Lake City, as she has been on a business trip throughout parts of South Africa and Botswana for her job at the University of Utah.

Courtney works for the Hinckley Institute of Politics and she helps place over 400 students on annual internships, locally, nationally and internationally.

She is working on her PhD in Higher Education Administration and she spoke to our Elders about life after their missions.

This tied into our planned discussion topic of the church’s new program called “My Plan.”  We are working ot help our Elders prepare for life after mission and learning while on their missions to articulate the learning and growth experience they had while serving for 2 years.

We also started the meeting off with a Café Rio copycat burrito.

 

We appreciate the help of our senior couples in setting up, serving and clearing.

 

We had excellent raining from President Dunn, as he shared valuable training received at the recent mission president’s seminar. He talked about the idea of “opening your mouth” more as a missionary and encouraged discussion about how we might possibly turn this into a key indicator. It might be listed as a GC- “gospel conversation.”

We will come back and revisit this topic in our next meeting on June 9^th.

Elder Pickup and Elder Clegg run a terrific meeting. They put together the agenda, plan all discussion topics and prepare the updated goals broken out by each and every zone.  It is so impressive to see their leadership skills develop more and more.

Elder Dean and Todd enjoying lunch.

 Elders Mapenda, Bergman, Broadhead and Ratsimbazafy

 Elder Dube, Elder Di Ruscio and Elder Tekurio

 Elder Downs, Elder hentunene and Elder Dean

 We celebrated Elder Broadhead's birthday which landed on this very day- May 26th with a special gingerbread cake with lemon sauce and candles of course.

 Post meeting time together! Below- Elder Weg and Elder Swindlehurst

 Elder Bergman and Elder Broadhead

 Elder Pickup with Elder Mdletshe- this great area seventy has his office right outside our meeting room- so we often share our treats!

Today we were able to introduce Courtney Mcbeth to Kumbalane Mdletshe. I predict they stay in touch and coordinate on some great project in the future.

 Always lots to pick up from the office after the meeting.