Mission Leadership Conference

Each Month on the first Wednesday of the month, the mission President (President Senior) gathers his young missionary leaders from all over the country for a training session. This includes the 14 Zone Leaders(ZL) - two from each of the 7 separate Zones.  Also invited are the 9 or so Sister Training Leaders(STL).  These are experienced Sister Missionaries designated as training experts.  They use their knowledge and experience to switch off with less experienced sister missionaries much like Zone Leaders do.  Essentially there is 1 STL in each Zone but is not always one STL for one zone. The Assistants to the President (two young very talented missionaries), President Senior and Sister Senior all have a part in providing the training which lasts about 3-1/2 to 4 hours. 

The missionaries come from all across the country.  Those that come from the 4 zones not near Bangkok, ride a bus all night long to get here in the morning.    Sister Meeker and I have the opportunity to serve breakfast to these Missionaries at 8 AM in the morning.  So we serve abut 36 Missionaries.  Some of the STL come with their companions who do not participate in the leadership meeting, but do need to eat.  Thus the larger qty of Missionaries for breakfast.  The custom has been established before we arrived to feed them pancakes.  So we have continued that tradition.  We have added to the ritual by introducing the missionaries to sweetened Pineapple/Orange/Banana Syrup. 

We fry up pork link Sausages and make lots of pancakes. Of course we are blessed with the opportunity to provide fresh pineapple and some great tasting bananas.  It is quite a production.  Today just as we were nearing the home stretch in pancake making, the grill stops working --- so we had to scrounge up a couple fry pans to compete the pancake making.  Lois does the majority of the mixing and flipping. I tend to be in charge of the logistics - table setting, ice water, serving etc.  We do get some help from those Missionaries that arrive early.  I sent two sister missionaries off to a local street market to buy the banana's.  Lois sent two missionaries off to 7/11 to buy the milk.  Milk costs are the same at the grocery markets as at 7/11.  Milk cost 89.5 Baht for 2 liters or about $3.00 per gallon. 

See the attached facebook link for a picture of the Missionaries attending the meeting today.
https://www.facebook.com/mormonthai