Tuesday, April 9, 2013

I am a WitNess...

Let's start the letter with some interesting news:
I am being Transferred. 
Today is my last day in gorgeous Dana Point
Hard to accept, but hey! the Lord knows more than I do so I know that I am needed at this point in time to go to another place the Lord needs me at.   We have a thought, as an apartment that I am going to get assigned to the Temecula Stake because in 4 weeks Murietta (Mur-e-etta) Stake is becoming a part of Carlsbad mission from the Riverside mission.
No missionaries from the Riverside mission are staying so they are going to be whitewashing a whole Zone. Thus we think a lot of us will get assigned out to Temecula, then moved into Murietta in four weeks. I will go and do but dang ...

  1. It is HOT out there in the summer like 115*! 
  2. Whichever I get assigned tonight will probably determine the mission I get assigned to!
  3. If I get assigned out there I wont be able to come to any baptisms in Dana Point because I will be to far away. So who knows???   but I will let you guys know next week where I am located. Mail still goes to same place so dont worry about mail you have already sent, I will get it, AND keep sending them!!!


Okay, now for some area news from the past week of being here in Dana Point. We have been crazy busy in getting the area ready for new missionaries to come in and that has taken a lot of time out of our week - because of all the stuff we needed to do (Planners, Map, Appointments, different things like that). But hey! it has made the time go crazy fast. Weird to think that it is the 9th of April already. Time is moving so fast and I am sure every transfer will just get faster and faster throughout the next two years. 

Elder Fallabella
Elder J R Holland
Conference was amazing. First off, did you hear President Eyring Basically say out loud he has seen Jesus Christ "I am a witness of the resurrection of Christ" and "I know as surely as Joseph Smith did in the grove".  All the missionaries were freaking out that he said that. I mean we already know they have, cuz really they are apostlesbut still, when they say it like that it just gives you goosebumps.   Also, It looks like Elder Perry has been taking Pulpit Pounding tips from our boy Elder Holland. Man, didnt Elder Perry throw down? It was AWESOME!!! SIN WILL ALWAYS BE SIN!! THE blessings of God are IMMUTABLE!! Yeah, I will tell you what, I totally felt the power dont know about you but hey! that was one of the best conference sessions I can remember.   Did Elder Fallabella come speak in Omaha? I know his name and could have sworn while he was speaking that I had heard that voice at a stake conference adult session. Let me know if he did...What about a temple in Cedar City huh?? The conference crowd gasped when he said that, who would have thought another Temple in Utah. 

Lets see what else???? 

K and her girls are doing good. We had an AMAZING lesson with them last thursday night. It was so cool I can't really explain what happened, just that the spirit was so strong and I could feel it testifying of truth to her and everyone else that was in the room as well. After the lesson I had the opportunity to give her a blessing of comfort and counsel and it was super cool. I seriously cannot remember anything I said, but when Sister T was telling about what she was feeling during it she said in her "50 odd years of life that was one of the best blessing she has ever heard". That it was so well worded. 
She and Brother T said I remind them of Nephi, Large in stature and spirit hahaha! That was really cool to hear that from them. They said I will be a great missionary and affect a lot of lives with the way I teach. I wish I could remember what I said but thats the thing, I didnt say it, the Spirit said it through me, those words are not for me to remember, They were meant for K and everyone else and are for them to remember. Our new investigator S and her less active boyfriend J are doing amazingly well! They are both honest seekers of truth and just want to know if God is really there and what He wants for them in their lives right now.

I got to say my goodbyes last night to the Rubalcava's, Tomlinson's, and Keli and her family. It sucked to say goodbye but i know I will be back to visit when the mission is over so this is not the last time I will see all of them. Brother Rubalcava told me I had to come and visit and he would take me out on his sail boat and we could go to Catalina Island. So parents, put that in your planners for April 2015. Coming back to visit Amric's mission!


Tell Dad this, Sell the Mazda  I love the car but its just a possesion and we do not need it right now. I love the car but we dont truly need it.  In this three months I have seen a single mom with a 3 year old child with severe ADHD be happy living in a 300 SQ foot flat paying 900 a month for rent. I have also seen people driving Ferrari's, Lamborghini's, Aston Martin's, and all sorts of other exotics.  People living in Ginormous 6,7,8 thousand sq foot homes be happy as well. The Mom has the Gospel and the others do not. Who will be happier in the long run? The mom with the Gospel and her child. Family and religion are two things that dont mix well here in So Cal. all you need to know is that I could have a 30 year old Lemon car or a Aston Martin. I will be happy no matter what because I have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and a family that loves me no matter what. The car is a possession that will go away. The family - the love and faith we have, that won't go away and thats what makes everything worth it. Sell the car, its just a possession! 

I know you are probably like who is this and where is my son? But this mission has changed me a lot up to this point and will continue to change me over the next two years so WATCH OUT!
The experiences that I have been able to have these past three months have shaped me and molded me onto the path of who I need to become. Heavenly Father has a specific plan for me in whatever mission I end up in. I know that I have had experiences and a certain testimony that is meant for at least one person in every area I serve in. With that Knowledge I close my time in Dana Point, I did not die with knowledge left in me and I will never die without my testimony out on the table. Stay strong to the faith, know that I am out here because I have a testimony that I was selected by revealation to serve in this part of the Lords vineyard for a specific task or reason. I love you all and hope all is going well. Stay true to the faith and do all you can to do the Lord's will.
I love you all...Peace Out!

"Fourth Floor Last Door"
"That's What's Up"
Elder Amric Zane Sobczak
California, Carlsbad, USA
January 2013-January 2015

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Time is Relative...

What in the world??? It is April already I cannot believe it at all. Time is moving so quickly which is becoming a curse and a blessing as well. Its weird to think I have been in Dana Point 2 and a half months and that I am in the last week of my training transfers. Time, it is a crazy - it'a a funny thing too when you get really busy and start to think. In my free time, yes this is what missionaries do, I broke down time - trying to relate God's time to ours. You know the whole 1000 years to us is one day to him. Lets just say, never try to do that because you will lose yourself and your brain will hurt! I kind of figured a little bit out where when we see Him again in Spiritual time it will only have been like 10-15 minutes we were gone even though physically we were gone 75-95 years. Like I said, super weird thing and it is probably never to be meant to be understood in this lifetime so I will just have to wait until all will be made known unto us! So think of me being gone in that way, like I said kind of difficult but just think, 2 years of time with no real physical face to face contact but think of the millenium, think of the eternity, 2 years of time is like 1 minute or so in a spiritual sense. So if you think of it that way 2 years is not that long and we will have literally = FOREVER to catch up, so dont be saddened by the time -- I will be back before you know it! 


DEEP THOUGHT:  from again Brother Mollenhauer, a man of much knowledge.  We talked specifically about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In the Garden they were in a perfect state in a Terrestrial world. They werent in a Celestial world because they were not resurrected he said a little more but I will explain more later (wish I had a recorder to "talk" it through!  When they partook of the fruit of the tree they ate a Telestial thing and brought that into their Terrestial Body/Spirit. There was way more said, I dont know I probably missed some key parts I hope what I have said made sense. All I know is that it was a really cool conversation we had at church.


Lets see, investigators...


M - Doing very well. Starting to understand and have his own experiences reading the Book of Mormon.  He will read and comprehend what the scriptures are telling him.  He is taking his time.  Really cool to see the growth he has gone through over the two months I have been here teaching him. This week sadly we will not get to meet with him because he is traveling to Alabama with a stop in Salt Lake along the way. We gave him a CD with some talks on it and some scriptures to read while he and Sister Melville are driving cross country. He is progressing very well and is a very humble man who just wants to learn and understand all he can which is a very good thing for a person investigating the church to have and want.

E - is a busy busy lady who is currently working for three other people due to quitting and vacations of coworkers which has made it that much more evident she wants to learn because she keeps meeting with us no matter how busy. She is slowly starting to see the picture of the Gospel but is still a little skeptical about some parts. Which is perfectly okay. We are not out here to baptize people. If you ever get a missionary in your ward like that correct him. We are out to teach people guide them down the path and make sure we do all we can so they can make their own thought out decision. If that decision is - "no", then if we have done all we can do.  If they want to move forward and get baptized thats great. It must be done in their own time. We explained this to her and she was relieved because she did not want to let us down by not getting baptized in three or four weeks like she thought she had to do. She is a good sport but like M she is out of town this Easter week and the week after.

K - They are getting ready for the 18th of May. They all know it  is the right thing to do but they want to do it all as a family on the same day, in time she will make choices that need to be made I just know it. So we are being patient teaching her and helping her build tup her faith to know that through doing what Heavenly Father asks of us He will bless us in more ways than we could ever imagine. It is crunch time for them, I feel.  If it goes longer than the end of June I feel we might lose them because they will keep putting it off and off until Satan grabs them. keep them in your prayers as they are needed greatly for all aspects of their lives. They all know Baptism is the right thing for them to do and they need to have the Spirit consistently in their lives. She is just trusting to much in the arm of the flesh. Satan is a deceiver and wants us to think we have all the time in the world.


Things going on for me;

  • Transfer planning is going on and we will know for sure by Saturday if Elder Armstrong or I are leaving on the 9th. Hopefully we do not. But hey if one of us does or both, then obviously God needs us in another area at this time and we have done our part in Dana Point ward, we have fought a good fight and exerted ourselves everyday using our time wisely.
  • Dad- Way to Testify of truth to the J-Dubs. When I return we shall take the time to have pleasing and long conversations about bashing situations and testimony bearing with the very opinionated people of the County of Orange =the J-Dubs, Born Agains, some of the people - they hate us! Nothing like someone trying to run you off the road while you are riding your bike. People don't understand and without the right information they just hate us. The only thing you can do is bear your testimony and bear truth. God will judge accordingly.
  • Mom and Ayris Too! -You rock and thank you for the Easter box. Really appreciate it a lot and all the other things you take the time do to make sure I am being taken care of. LDS Living magazine was a hit in the apartment and we all read it. keep on keeping on and trust and love the Lord in all you do :)  Ayris thank you for the boxes you send and the money you donate, especially as a college student!  It's humbling and very COOL. This time for you will prove to be quicker than you think now and profitable temporally and spiritually in the end.
  • Glad you have the countdown Mom. Glad someone is counting because I am trying really hard not to count down time - haha! Somedays are harder than others to stay focused. Dad is getting old  you need to find that episode of KOTH and watch it before he goes in. Dont worry about an Easter tie - I have ties! Easter was great...spent like four hours at a family home. We had a huge dinner and lots of fun. Nice break and I knew you would love knowing I was being taken care of and having family time. Hey there is a guy in the ward who works for with theatre unions in LA and is going to give me information and contact stuff that I can look  up when I get home. Also, I now know an author and her book is being turned into a movie and she said to look her up when I get home and she might have work for me but for sure she would take me on set and walk me around!!! Hey it might all work out in TIME!

The Gospel is true and always will be. There is nothing anyone can say to prove us wrong.  We are the TRUE church! In time all will know that too. Stick that in your back pocket!  I love you all so much and thank you for your prayers, letters, packages and all you do. Stay safe and keep the faith.  Endure to the End. 

Until next TIME!


"Fourth Floor Last Door"
"That's What's Up"
Elder Amric Zane Sobczak
California, Carlsbad, USA
January 2013-January 2015

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

3 Months just Flew By....

 21 months to continue to learn and Grow

“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."  Anne Frank
April 2

March 2013

The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving." Oliver Wendell Holmes

Ok, so next month I need to not reposition the notebook and picture frame it's not as obvious how much He's grown but he has and every month it will even be more obvious!  
  Go Go GO Elder Sobczak! 

Alma 32:30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow.  ANd now, behold, will not this strengthen your FAITH? Yea, it will strengthen your FAITH: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow...
37: and behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great car, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth good fruit.