November 27, 2013- PA Training summary

We really enjoyed the game drives. We learned so much from the gentle beauty of all the animals we saw. Our lives will be forever changed by that amazing experience.

Our schoolroom while at the Game Park

We also loved the training and the things we learned there. When you get that many temple recommend holders together who are on a mission for the church in all parts of Africa, the spirit is so strong that the learning is greatly advanced and you get a sure knowledge that what you are learning is true and the Lord is pleased with what you are doing.

Learning about Strategic Events

We learned about strategic events, Helping Hands, 'task pyramids', funding, the unified core message, websites and Mormon Newsroom, reporting from each unit, planning for success, creating country plans, talking about 'the new brand, setting goals, councils, callings and training, building powerful relationships with opinion leaders and religious leaders, and we did a couple of team exercises. The best one was 'lost at sea' which Sean chose because he used to be a Merchant Marine. We were given a list of items that we could take on our life boats with us when our ship sunk. We were supposed to number them in the order of the ones we would have taken first, etc. Then we had an opportunity as a group to talk about them and decide whether to keep or change the items.We each got individual scores for our answers. I had one of the worst scores, because my total focus was on staying alive. Apparently that was the wrong goal. What I should have been thinking of first was getting rescued, which I did, but I wanted to stay alive long enough to be rescued. Elder Kyle got a better score, but we both 'missed the boat'...ha. The other one was a peg with round rings on it of all different colors and graduate sizes with the smallest size at the top. We were supposed to (as one of two teams) transfer the rings from one peg to another one at a time without putting a larger ring on a smaller one. We gathered on the deck and had to go out in the yard where the two pegs were about 20 feet apart. Only one person could go with one ring and when they got back another could go. I'm sure there was a strategy but we certainly didn't figure it out, nor did the other team. I think Sean thought we were the most inept people he had ever trained...and this is after he told us were the best group he has worked with. Ha.

SE Africa Senior Couples with guides