MLC & ZTM

Hey, everybody!

This week has been jam-packed with meetings. It was a lot of new stuff for me, too! The very first time I went to Mission Leader Conference and did training at a Zone Training Meeting!

MLC was amazing! We had president Mills skype in from the MTC to train us and it was awesome! I really learned so much stuff! It was like going to a General Conference! The fact that I'll be able to go every month (if I don't transfer out of here, that is) is something that really makes me happy.

I did my best to pass on the essentials of the MLC training to our zone at ZTM. I was kind of nervous before it started, but once it actually did everything went pretty smoothly. That's probably because our zone is so AWESOME, though. They're really cooperative and are really willing to share whatever experience and knowledge they have with the entire group. Actually, we (the zone leaders) didn't even do that much during ZTM: we just gave them the MLC stuff and then everyone basically trained each other. One thing that I also really liked this ZTM is that we actually assigned a few of our zone members to go to the stand and give a little training on Christlike attributes and teaching skills. It was super good!!

And then we had Stake Conference. It was really good, but I just wish the Japanese speakers would slow down a bit. Holy cow, they speak faster than machine guns spray bullets! Gah! Osaka, you're too fast for me!! Fortunately, President Welch was one of the speakers. I liked his talk, because it was really easy to understand (even though his Japanese is super good).

There was something in his talk that really stood out to me. He shared an experience where he recently received the new that one of his family members was being prepared to go to the temple by some one else and he expressed gratitude for something they did he couldn't. When he said that, I immediately recalled a scripture I had read recently, in Moses 7. In verse 18, it says: 

And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.

If we are all unified in our desire and our vision and Zion is established in our homes, wards and stakes, there will be no poor among us, because those around us will make up for the lack of our own talent and ability. In Zion, everyone completes each other. It was a really sudden impression I had, as soon as the president shared that. And this impression is really relevant to our zone (as one of our goals is to "Be One" and establish Zion, so we can build the Kansai temple). 

How can I apply this myself? Something to chew on, for sure!

Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you have an awesome week, wherever you are! I LOVE YOU!!

～聖徒長老、ELDER SANTOS

P.S.: Have some MLC, ZTM and Zone Conference pictures!