Training in Mexico City!

I am finally getting caught up on the blog!! Between a lot of travel, missionaries coming and going and the internet and power continually going out on us, it has been hard to keep up. However, this is my third post this week so if you haven't read the blog for a while, be sure and scroll down to see it all!

A week ago we flew to Mexico City for our semi-annual mission president's training.

We didn't see much (any) of the city though, as we spent our entire three days in the airport hotel.

Under the direction of our area presidency, we received training as couples, had a breakout session for Presidents in one room and their wives in another, and then the following day met with the area authorities in Mexico for training as well. We also got in some good visiting time with the other couples which was a lot of fun.

To be honest, all the training a bit overwhelming, but we know that this is the Lord's work and He can perform miracles.

Here is a picture of our "generation" or in other words the couples who all started their missions the same time we did.

Here the sisters are being trained by Sister Johnson, wife of the Area President, Elder Daniel Johnson. Sister Johnson is definitely one of the cutest, kindest and fun people I have ever met. She is from Idaho but has lived most of her married life outside of the United States--and speaks great Spanish!!

And here are some of our favorite people, the Calls in Mexico City. My husband went to high school with them both and we have kept in touch with them over all the years. I am so grateful for that. Sister Call has been my "phone a friend" over the past year, answering all my questions. It was a lot of fun for us to be able to spend some time with them.

 And here we are on the last day of training. This was when we were joined by the area authorities as well. We went home after this meeting and they stayed for another day of training.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the training we received.

"If you can go back to your missions and teach your missionaries that it is the Spirit that teaches, then this conference will have been a success." Elder Daniel Johnson

"How can you measure the success of your mission? It is in the progress of your missionaries."Elder Daniel Johnson

In regard to teaching . . . "Plan B is what you have prepared. Plan A is what the Spirit teaches." One of the other presidents, I don't remember which.

"There are four groups of people we teach. The investigators, less actives, active members and recent converts. It is your job at zone conferences to use Preach My Gospel to teach the missionaries how to find and teach these people." Elder Benjamin De Hoyos

After being told that we need to do a very long list of things very quickly, and realizing the difficulty of the task, Elder Johnson said, "Just do the best you can." That made me feel a little better. But in church on Sunday I heard a testimony of a woman who told her conversion story, which was pretty miraculous. That was so comforting to me. It reminded me that this is not our work, it is the Lords, and He will take care of the impossible, after we have "done the best we can". So now my husband and I have a new motto. It is, "Do the best you can and then pray for miracles."

And my favorite . . . "We aren't teaching a lesson just to get references. We are teaching a lesson to save a soul." Elder Daniel Johnson