MLC TEAM DINNER

We decided to have one MLC to start off the New Year instead of three! We brought all the Zone Leaders to Durban!

 We started the evening before MLC with a special dinner - but first a song!

 As part of my presentation in MLC, I wanted to have a special dinner where the missionaries prepared everything and worked as teams!

 I divided the missionaries into five teams of three each!

 One team was assigned a main dish, one assigned a dessert, and the other three were assigned side dishes of their choosing using ingredients I provided!

 Teams could choose between the ingredients available.

 This team of Elders are making a fruit salad!

 Our main dish!

 Side dish!

 Dessert team!

Part of our main dish!

 Things are going as planned!

 Note: all the vegetables did not get picked for any of the side dishes!!!

I decided to make a broccoli, cranberry salad! 

 All teams are nearly finished! 

 Part of a meal besides the preparation, planning, and execution, is having the proper tools to cook and to eat with. The missionaries set this up!

 Counter space was taken inside, so this team moved outside to finish the dessert!

 We are nearly ready!

 Homemade tortillas!

 Potato Salad!

 Here is the delicious food that our five teams made: battered fried chicken placed on a homemade tortilla, with a few cut up veggies, potato salad, broccoli salad, a tropical island slush, fruit salad, brownies.

 Fruit salad was delicious!

 Potato salad was superb!

 Chicken was made to perfection!

 The Elders were true gentlemen and dished the first plate for me!

I wanted to use this exercise in working as a team to demonstrate the importance of setting goals, planning, and executing them. Not one of these teams asked for a recipe to follow (something I'd hoped) - they already had skills and creativity to set a recipe to work - and they had each other. They worked together, and created something special and delicious. 

The next day in MLC, I explained that our experience of making dinner could be used to correlate setting goals and making plans. As we set a goal to make a meal, then plan it with detail, we can apply skills and tools necessary, in order to feast from our efforts - which is similar to missionary work!

We don't need to follow a recipe when teaching the gospel because we have the principles of the gospel as the key ingredients. Our goal is to teach and baptize converts! The plan is utilizing the tools to apply the principles - in missionary work, the tools are the scriptures, the Missionary Handbook, and Preach My Gospel. We are then provided with companions, Zone Leaders, etc., to make the incredible efforts here in Durban something good and delicious for those who partake of it. As each companionship works together, their efforts contribute toward the entire (meal) mission to make it complete and good! And, worthwhile!

And - it was a lot of fun!

And - it was honestly one of the best meals I've had in the six months we've been here!

Hats off to all our chefs!

 Before the missionaries retired to the bunk house, we had some scriptural thoughts and a game called, Zoom!

 As following up in missionary work is essential - so is cleaning up after enjoying a meal together!

The kitchen was clean in no time. I shared a quote that my mom always said, "many hand make light work!"

We even got some singing during clean up!