MTC follow Up

 "...Do Not even look like you don't believe! ...  In the 21st century we cannot flee any longer ... You Can never check your religion at the door..."  holland  in sept.

I like this picture looking out the window, cuz
I can imagine him in my mind looking out and what he is thinking!!!

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring!"  

Provo MTC

Study session

 I'm still putting names with faces
And for me, it's easier if I can
look at them and read the letters!
Be patient with me while I work
 thru this process --
Plus, I just miss him and want a 
reason to blog about him inbetween
letters!

 

 "The Second Coming Started in the Spring of 1820 in Palmyra New York and this is the Dispensation in which we WILL SEE Jesus Christ and HAnd his Church over to Him and we WILL Succeed in the battle against Evil."  --Holland at the MTC in January!

This one of Elder Sobczak's favs:

Matthew 4: 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Elder - May the Force be with you <3



https://www.lds.org/church/news/elder-holland-addresses-new-mtc-presidents-and-visitors-center-directors-concerning-the-doctrine-of-the-godhead?lang=eng

 http://www.lds.org/church/news/elder-holland-says-to-live-gospel-in-small-ways?lang=eng

Dana Point California!

Okay now to update you on my first week in Dana Point California...

Tuesday was a blur...Got up at about oh 345 in the morning to finish packing and get to the MTC Bus station by 5 in the morning.  The flight sucked I got the very back of the plane couldn't lean back the  Elder in front of me leaned back all they way...I was jammed in!  Dad would have freaked out in there.

Got to the mission home in Vista had some breakfast burritos (Best Ever) then laid around listened to the AP's and around 3 we went to the mission office still in vista. We listened to the people about cars, caring for the apartment and again our appearance. We then went to transfer meeting where we sat in front of everyone so they could all see us. I get my assignment for Elder Armstrong to serve in the Dana Point Area. I got my bike and on I went. That night I went to teach a lesson to a family of four and have dinner. Very chill family it was a great first experience.  It was really cool to see them understand and listen to what we were saying. We then went back and unpacked and got set up.

Okay got the first day I will give a brief overview now of alll the days no particular order.

I was really sick for a couple days...  I think the Tap water or I'm my Mother's son with nerves, IDK it made me real sick. Had the cold shakes, fever felt like i was going to throw up, and of course a headache!. But I worked through it for three days and eventually got over it. Our stake center Is BEAUTIFUL. It is on a bluff that overlooks the city and the ocean. Its amazing. Its been raining the past couple days but yesterday the weather finally cleaned up and we had blue skies but I am sure you already knew the weather - right Dad?  :) 

The members here are super awesome, they are awesome missionaries and the reason appearance is so pushed is because these people are not going to let you go to thier friends homes and preach the good word if you look like you are not a professional grown up person. So I have learned that its not a bad thing what was put in the letter, its the only way to get to the members, which here is the only way to get contacts. Tracting does not work in the Area of Southern Orange Country that I am in. Mission leader for the ward is an awesome guy Brother Rubalcava. He is the most down to earth person I have met.

I am getting fed...someone is signed up to feed us every night this new month. The members love helpign out.

Dad - How are the young men? You need to immerse them in Preach My Gospel...They need to know the PMG Doctrine like the back of their hand before they get out here I did a lot and I am still playing catch up.

Mom- Oh sweet mom, I love you so much. Keep reading the Book of mormon as it is a great tool. Read the bottom Two paragraphs of the Intro and think about what it is saying. It really helps to do that.

Oh I got another suit. The Elders before me were moving someone out and they gave them a suit and it was to big for everyone but not for -it fit me just right!  A really nice wool medium gray suit. Its awesome that I have little miracles like that happened to me this week. Everyday I am becoming more converted to the Gospel and the Church. I know without doing that I can in nowise expect these investigatorsI teach to become converted unto the gospel of Jesus Christ, how can I teach something I don't know and teach it with the spirit without being converted myself?

Just think tomorrow I'll have been out for almost one month and it doesnt seem like it has been that long already!  I love you all so much thank you for the time and the letters and packages and the prayers you say for me. Be safe and remember who you are.

I love you all so much...Write you again next week.

--

"Fourth Floor Last Door"

"That's What's Up"

Elder Amric Zane Sobczak

California, Carlsbad, USA

January 2013-January 2015

Just a few pictures to check in on him with...

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A
 MISSIONARY IN THE PROVO MTC

the classroom

Just a few pics to share

I like that "The Sister" was the one that knew how it would all go down!

Missionary Porn is what they call this drawer!  Yikes

Downtime!

nice little fort!

you've got to be kidding me!!!

Jan. 21, my last night in the Provo MTC ...

Mom and Dad

I want to Thank you so much for everything.  You guys have prepared me so much for this adventure that I am embarking on tomorrow morning and have been preparing for the last 3 weeks.  I can't wait to see how much everything changes over the next two years, count 'em 2 years!  ...  
I have been blessed with an awesome companion, district, teachers, area, and testimony.  Whenever people ask me; "Why are you on a mission?"  My response is simple; "I've seen the greatness missionary work has done for my family.  We are an eternal family and my Dad remembers and knows to this day the names of the missionaries who taught him . . .  I want to have that happiness in my life and I want to teach people to come unto Christ.  Dad has brought into our family 4 Temple marriages, Plus more thru Temple Work, 3 Full time Missionaries, 3 BYU-Provo Students and 16+ people sealed to us in the Temple with Sobczak blood that I can think of right off the top."
That knowledge pulls me through everything...
You guys made me who I am.  Thank you.  Now you be strong and of good courage in your tough times ahead ....   Remember "Turn outward like Christ, when the natural man would turn inward."

Love your son,
Elder Amric Zane Sobczak

Sobczak & Strong

Bloomfield & Sobczak

           aka; "Discount Sobczak" hahaha!
and otherwise known as "Papa Bear" by the Romanians!  

It's me, TheMOM!

Mom and Amric

I am having an especially hard time today, with the absence of my youngest son :(

ASU! Amric and DAD!!!!

Don't get me wrong, I am pleased as punch (what does that mean anyway) that he wanted to and is serving a mission, I am proud (in a humble way) that he has given up this time in his life to go and serve the Lord and the fine upstanding people of Southern California.

But i find myself sitting in his room.  Wearing his sweatshirts.  Making posters to count down the days til his return!  Hunting for information about his area, pictures of his Temples, Flags, oceans, trees, boundaries - you name it I'm wondering!

• Does he have his sunglasses?
• DId he buy or does he need an umbrella?

• WELL, Lets face it - TODAY I AM WONDERING WHERE HE IS!  

• WHAT IS HE DOING?  WHAT IS HE EATING?  DO HIS FEET HURT?

• Is he shaving every day? 

 has he got a hair cut yet??

• Is he being the BEST companion EVER?

• Is he being a thought provoking prayerful young man or the wise aker he can be???  

•  Is his trainer treating him good and kind and patiently?
•  DID HE GET HIS ONE SUIT CLEANED YET?
• HAS HE HAD TO SPEAK SPANISH TO ANYONE?  ( I hear it's a spanish speaking state!!!)  BAAAhaha as Ayris would say ;)

•  DOES HIS MISSION PRESIDENT AND HIS WIFE KNOW WHO HE IS ARE THEY PRAYING FOR HIM AS I AM?
•   DO THEY KNOW HOW HARD HE WORKED TO BE THERE RIGHT NOW, AT THIS TIME?
• DO THEY LOVE HIM??  Oh man now I'm going off in song in my head it must be time to Quit!  

Miss you Elder Sobczak 
Remember who you are and the family you belong to
Love, 
ksmsTheMom!

http://youtu.be/_di6aAq4AB4

Elder Sobczak Reporting in...

remember the words of David A. Bednar and

 "Turn outward like Christ would when the 

Natural Man would turn inward." 

Think on that one. 

THE PART

The District
Really???
 I don't know think he's got him
beat on the tie collection!!!

Elder Ure - he went to Phoenix from MTC

THE EYES

THE BADGE!  - YES IT'S REAL!!!

Some just can't stay awake!!!

ADDRESS FOR LETTERS AND PACKAGES

Please feel inclined to write letters;
New Address for US Postage type mail as of now -

Elder Amric Zane Sobczak
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
California IRVINE Mission
23 Lake Rd
Irvine, CALIFORNIA  92604

greatest experience of my life....

So today is day like 16 out in the mission field, not like im counting or anything. So far the days have felt like an eternity but the weeks have flown by. I love it here in the MTC but there is something about living behind a "Fence" that doesn't strike my fancy, for sure never want to go to prison haha.

A quick update on the week other than the obvious ringer of the week;

• We got our travel itinerary for next week
• With that flight information I will be leaving Tuesday morning
• Mom that day I got the Chips and Queso was a great day...The whole day I had been in a funk because it was a monday and I realized I had not any Tacos in like 4 weeks!!! So the whole day my whole district had to hear me whine about not having tacos and how badly I wanted them...So when I opened up the box I was SO HAPPY!!! It completely made my day. I opened it up and enjoyed and it was the best thing i had in a long time. 
• Im getting better at 4-square, but for sure not living up to Austins skill...All the people that are good right now are the ones going to Norway,Sweden,Denmark, and Italy  ...So the people that have been here for 8 or 9 weeks! I am keeping up with them though and they give me props for doing it. Every sport at gym time has its own family that has its own connection So its pretty neat to make friends with people I have known for about 10 days.

And now for the awesome story...

     So, last Tuesday,....We all knew the MTC Mission Presidency was getting released and we knew that a General Authority had to set apart the new mission president ... so we knew something was going down...The devotional started at 7 at night and at 6 there was a line out of the building we were standing in... When they finally let us, We all rush in to the gym which has now been turned into a conference center - just like every talk and get seats about 10 yards to the right of the pulpit.  I was right there to see whoever was going to speak. 

And then it happened...at 6:55 Elder Jeffrey R. Holland walks into the building and everybody stands up as soon as they see him. It was a crazy spiritual experince because I could just feel his presence. His talk was awesome!!! 

He talked about the second coming, and that it started in the spring of 1820 in Palmyra New York (when Joseph Smith restored the Church of Jesus Christ), He said that this is the dispensation that will see Christ and hand his church over 

to him...

Yeah how intense is that?   I had never thought of it that way before.

 He talked about how there is no better time to be on a mission than January 2013 and to be a part of all the changes the church is making. 

He said Preach My Gospel took 8 years to write and that it was started when President Hinckley said in a meeting, "There is something wrong with the missionary program." Elder Holland said "Thats something thats scary to hear when you are the head of the missionary program." HAHA!

He told us "If you come home and become an inactive returned missionary, you wouldnt want to meet me in a dark ally, I'm a little unstable about this issue." HAHA!!! It was pretty funny...He said in his "Holland Voice" "I command you to come home with at least one convert and that convert is YOU!!!" He said "You can't expect the investigators you to teach to believe the things you are saying or keep the commandments you are telling them to keep if your self dont follow them or believe what you are saying." 

You have to be obedient and teach His gospel THEN you will have the Spirit to teach. He was joking around saying how he wanted to "revoke free agency" then said he felt like he was going to get struck with lighting and asked if the podium was grounded? hahaha! 

At the end he gave a dedicatory prayer for 3 newly renovated building on the MTC Campus...The Anston Pratt, Matthew Cowley, and Dan Jones buildings. The first two are residence halls and the Dan Jones one is a Class building...my class building so that was awesome. If you can find the prayer I would highly recommend reading it. 

Hearing Elder Holland was one of the coolest experiences of my life. I know he said lots more but I forgot my notebook in the classroom and cannot go in there in P-Day Clothes.

Parents I love you and thanks for everything. 
I would recommend not sending letters or packages unless you know for sure they will get to me by Monday (DearElder) for example, letters written today will et to me tomorrow and then ... well wait til you get a california address to write, but then please...keep writing!
I will be sending a letter on Monday to the Parents which will have my MTC memory card on it so those pictures will go up by the end of next week. 
I will send an email or letter next week as soon as I can so you guys have my new address in California. 

Be safe I love you all...Have a blast of a week and Be safe.

"Fourth Floor Last Door"

"That's What's Up"

Elder Amric Zane Sobczak

California, Carlsbad, USA