The Coat: A Story of Charity (+playlist)

The Reason Behind Christmas (+playlist)

What Shall We Give? - Christmas Music Video

You Never Know who's ready... listen to the Spirit it will Guide YOU!

Hey hey there family, how is everything going for you this week?

A general Skate Board!

For me this week was actually a pretty good one. We actually got to teach some investigators which was really nice as we had not taught an investigator in about 2 weeks I would say. It started on an exchange on Friday and Saturday with my Zone Leader Elder Mackey. We were stopping by some LA members in an apartment complex and ran into this guy, Michael who was out skateboarding through the complex. We stopped him and started talking to him about what he was up to and how his holiday season was going. We asked about his religious background in which he stated he goes to the church his GF's uncle is over just a tiny little Christian Church, then he asked what we teach and believe in. We shared about God being our Father and the Love he has for us which is what we need to remember this time of year. We set up a time to go and teach a lesson to him on Sunday which ended up being awesome. We went Sunday around 12:00 and taught him outside his apartment on the main balcony walkway between his and someone else's apartment. We shared the first lesson emphasizing that because we have a Heavenly Father who loves us we need to show our love for him by following the example of Christ as fully as we can. Shared the Joseph Smith Story which as always was a powerful moment in the lesson. My companion then extended the baptismal invite to Michael. He responded with ... he had already been baptized which we then taught about Priesthood Authority going back to Jesus Christ which he seemed to start to understand. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said he would start reading from the beginning. Set up a lesson for next Friday at 8:00 PM but sadly he is 20...and single...which means to follow the Order of the church we had to pass him over to the YSA elders. Kind of a bummer but hey, it's the same church still a son of God, doesn't matter who "Baptizes" him, just that he gets baptized.

 

A guide to the Word of Wisdom

On Sunday as well we taught the Gonzalez family who is so ready to get baptized. We taught them the Word of Wisdom and committed them to live it. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be especially since she drinks coffee all the time. She said though if that is what it takes to be baptized then I will stop drinking it! We are going to be setting a date with them next week around the last week of January beginning of February which is awesome. It is so cool to see someone who has just been prepared and is ready to make this step. So keep them in your prayers that they will stay strong and keep the desire to be baptized so they can be sealed as a family. They are already wanting to be sealed and married in the temple and yesterday were asking about how long they had to wait before they could go, so that is there ultimate goal which is awesome to see.

San Diego Temple

As far as christmas goes plan probably around 11:00 11:30 California time to be on. Depends on when the Baptism is that day. But yeah Google Hangout should work going over to a  members that has a computer and ipads and laptops sou it should be easy. Be thinking of questions and stuff to talk about.

Our Christmas Tree

Thank you for all you do for me I really appreciate it so much :) Dad if you mail the package to the mission office as long as it gets there before Tuesday the 24th at 11:00 I should get it by Christmas. Mail it and just to be safe probably have it arrive Friday or Saturday. Love you all so much thank you for all that you do and cannot wait to see and talk to you\
:) You are the best keep up the good work!! :)

-- 

"Fourth Floor Last Door"

Elder Amric Zane Sobczak

California, Carlsbad, USA

January 2013-June 2013

California, Irvine, USA

July 2013-December 2014

Leave the Party

Crashing, Teaching, Serving, Partying = MISSION!

So before I write my weekly update I wanted to first start off by explaining the situation my companion and I got in on Saturday afternoon...

So we had just finished getting ready for the day after a morning full of service. We go out to leave our apartment complex and are at the stop line. It has been/is raining for the past few hours and so we were waiting for the right time to go, when all of a sudden Elder Madsen starts yelling to "back the car up", I was confused and looked left and guess what I see...an AT&T Service Truck has slipped across three lanes of traffic and is gaining speed heading right towards us. He jumps the curb, almost hits a brick wall but instead slams the right front of his truck into a palm tree at 45+ MPH which flips him, he does a full barrel roll in the air over the sidewalk and lands on all fours (Or should I say Three seeing as how the palm ripped off his front right tire) landed five feet from the car we were in. HOLY CRAP! Seriously seeing the aftermath of a accident is one thing, seeing it actually happen is SO different. The guy who was driving jumped out before I could even back up and turn the car off. I felt like I was watching a movie, car driving straight at us, the flip glass, car parts, fire truck, cop cars. It was insane. Afterwards the cop who was taking down witness information asked me what my birthday was and I told him and he was like "oh happy birthday, that was a close one you almost didn't make it". Seriously though, if the guy had missed the tree or the tree wasn't there he would have hit us dead on at 45+ MPH. 

Hi there family glad to hear that all is going well in Zion wherever that may be for you at this present time. The week went well, Elder Madsen are doing good working together and trying to get the ward on board still to meet with us so it is a work in progress. Other than the whole truck experience there is not to much to update on for the week. I mean heck we taught a total of 9 lessons this week so that sucks. 

Anyways, Friday we had the ward Christmas party which ended up being a really good time. Lots of people came and a lot of the members brought their friends with them so we got to meet a lot of different people that night. The ward did these sweet shirts with Elder/Sister and the last name for all of the missionaries serving from the ward and everyone signed them and then the family sent them out to them. They also did that for us, the missionaries serving in the ward which was awesome. I will just be sending the shirt home so it will be coming and you will get to see it so don't worry. It was an awesome way to remember the ward after I get home and a fun shirt to wear during Christmas time.

The family we are teaching, man is that just being a hit and miss. The non member wife and kids have been out of town for three weeks and we were supposed to meet with them yesterday, sadly though the parents came but all of the kids had strep throat so we could not meet with and they moved the lesson to next week which will hopefully work out.

Yesterday was a good day. We went over to the Souths house for dinner and had this sweet Swiss dish (They lived in Switzerland for I think 15 years and Sister South's bday was yesterday as well). It is called Riclete I think. You cook meat on top of this grill in the middle of the table and underneath you melt this slice of cheese from France that has garlic/onions/tomatoes whatever you want on it. You melt it then scrap it onto potatoes and eat it with the meat. OH MAN So good!!! So we did that and then the kids had to a choir practice so we came back like about 2 hours later and had a party. A couple members came and they even got me stuff haha . A bunch of swiss milk chocolate a cool multiple color pen, Chapstick and are going to pay to have my suit and a couple shirts dry cleaned. So don't worry parents all is good here in Mission Viejo.

The mail system is screwy so I probably will get all of your packages this week, but that is okay, I am taking the Apryl approach; it is my birthday all month long :)

There is not to much else to report on so I hope this week goes well and that you see lots of miracles. Parents, stop feeding the missionaries dessert with dinner haha anyone who feeds the elders stop haha. We get it every night and it causes weight gain :) 

Again I love you all and hope you all have a great week filled with the Spirit of Christmas as this is the season for service and charity Moroni 7:43-48. I love you all God Bless! :)

"The Way of the Disciple" - Dieter F. Uchtdorf: Mormon Message

And Nothing Shall Offend Them - David A. Bednar - October 2006 General C...

Be Prepared for Anything ...

11 months ago today I entered into the MTC. my oh my! oh it does not seem like it was that long ago, time has been moving so quickly I cannot even believe it. Good and a bad thing I guess, good because well time is moving quickly, bad because well,  time is moving quickly! I just need to soak up  every minute I have learned and write it all down because there is no way I could ever remember it all.

This week was for sure better than the rest of the past couple ones. I got to keep Elder Madsen, he was originally scheduled to get transferred and I would stay with Elder Redhouse but the day before transfers we got a call to go up to the mission office and meet with President Ellis and well transfers were changed. So it has been fun working back in a regular companionship, much easier than being in a trio companionship that is for sure. 

With Thanksgiving this week there were not to many opportunities for teaching as everyone was out of town but we made the best out of the situation that we had. Thanksgiving itself was a blast. Had dinner at the Millers house that was a little awkward, nobody under the age of 80 at the party one guy was 93 so ya those are the people I hang out with on holidays, my ward is super old, not a lot of families with young kids or teenagers, lots of retired couples who just love having the elders over. Got to carve the Turkey at the Millers, because you know old people that shake holding a sharp carving knife didn't sound like to good of an idea. IT WAS TERRIBLE - hahaha!!! I must learn how to carve a turkey before I get to involved with the rest of my life, I just ended up ripping it apart piece by piece because it just was not cutting - so dad, prepare yourself and every needful thing Christmas 2014 haha! After that we headed over to the Timpke's WML, Did not eat a lot there because well, I was stuffed out of my mind. After there we headed over to Brother Carter, 83 year old guy who is WM and we love him, he is the best. Had some pie with him (Oh man, so much pie I have been in heaven)!  

After that, President Orgill and made the announcement earlier in the day that he wanted missionaries in their apartments or at a church building by 7:00 pm thanksgiving night which was weird but awesome. Thus we Watched "The Best Two Years", at the stake center with the rest of the Zone and let me just say this here and now - that movie, WAY more funny when you are a missionary haha!!! everything makes much more sense to me now.  So that was turkey day, oh and we played in the turkey bowl with the YSA ward that morning which was a blast!  Lots of people turned out so it was a really fun time, towards the end it turned into a game of rugby which as always made it even better :)  

Let's see, rest of the week there is not to much to report on for me at least. Yesterday was a good day, as always. Hung some lights for a neighbor of a member which was nice to do.

 

OHHH! I just remembered!!

 We also got to Celebrate Hanukkah with a ward member this week!  That was interesting! 

Well, that is me for the week. Yes mom I have a dinner on my birthday and there is a family in the ward where the mom has a birthday on the same day so we should be going over there sunday night after dinner so I am being taken care of.

to me!!

"Fourth Floor Last Door"

Elder Amric Zane Sobczak

California, Carlsbad, USA

January 2013-June 2013

California, Irvine, USA

July 2013-December 2014