February 2013 Zone Leader Council

The February Zone Leader Council looked pretty normal at first: fourteen Zone Leaders, two Assistants, and one Mission President assembled at the Mission Home in Louisville, Kentucky. They did their usual talking, listening, learning, reporting, and counciling, ate lunch, then once again met in the Training Room downstairs at the Mission Home. 

That's when the unique scene began to unfold. Starting with President and Sister Woodbury, and Elders Murphy, Daynes, Shutt, and Anderson, a circle was formed 

then people started pushing each other around. 

Shocking you may say, that such behavior would occur on a mission, but rest assured, it served a purpose. 

Instructed by Shawnee Branch Mission Leader and business consultant, Brother Gretz, they and the people watching, were learning about teamwork in a memorable object lesson showcasing the differences between thinking of one's self and one's own self-interest, as opposed to to thinking about others and their welfare. 

Standing on one leg in a circle while holding shoulders, the individual missionaries were easy to push over when they were thinking only of themselves and how to stay balanced. 

When their focus changed to the others in the circle, keeping everyone strong and upright, 

no one could be moved even with the hardest force the outside person could muster. It really was quite remarkable and proved the adage, "United we stand, divided we fall." 

Everyone in the original demonstration got a turn at being the outside force, and the object lesson repeated in subsequent groupings until everyone had experienced it.  

The activity and its lesson will be taken back to the Zones and implemented.

The Mission theme for February love, illustrated in John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  President Woodbury reminded the Zone Leaders that we are all friends in the GKLM, and especially friends of the Savior, and that we show our love for Him, our investigators, and our fellow missionaries by forgetting about ourselves and instead caring for, serving and loving them. These fine mission leaders are good examples of this principle.

Above: Elder Ahern, Elder Rost, Elder Warner, President Woodbury, Elder Duran, Elder Shutt, ELder Daynes
Middle: Elder Quick, Elder Thomas, Elder Broomhead, Elder Murphy, Elder Taylor, Elder Anderson
Front: Elder Beagley, Elder Wood, Elder Raney, Elder Jolley

Actually, great examples...