Zone Training

All of the Sarasota Zone missionaries met in the Sarasota building for a training meeting at 10 am.  Fortunately, the Elders in Sebring and Lake Placid were able to find a ride, so they were able to participate in person.  Neither of those sets of Elders have a car, and Elders are not allowed to ride in the Sisters' car.  At our last zone training meeting, they participated via Skype.  I suppose that is better than not participating, but not much.  So I was glad that they were able to meet with us.

Before I started the training, the zone discussed their goal for baptisms for July.  The three districts huddled and then they each set a district goal.  The total zone goal was 17.  This is double the number of baptisms that the zone has had in any previous month.  However, all of the missionaries were confident based on their progressing investigators that they could achieve the goal.  It will be interesting to seem how they do.

The training was in three parts; working with the Ward Council, using time efficiently, and focusing on our intent.  We used the Handbook, Chapter 5, to highlight the responsibilities of the Ward/Branch Councils for member missionary work.  To emphasize the need to use time efficiently, we showed that 40% of their week is sleeping, 30% is preparation, study, and meetings, and only 30% is available for proselyting.  To emphasize the need to focus on our real intent, we showed a clip entitled "The Parable of the Oranges" from a YSA devotional talk given in January 2015 by Bro. Randall L. Rudd, counselor in the General YM Presidency.

I think the training went well, but there was less interaction than I had hoped for.  The most questions came when I was talking about priesthood keys relative to who holds the keys for missionary work -- stake presidents, bishops, and mission presidents.  That was not a critical part of the training, but they had a lot of questions about keys.