REMEMBER

Oh man it is November already!!! Where is the time going???

So this past week or so (I guess it's more than that) has been awesome!! 
We have been teaching our investigator (I will forward you a picture of us and him and his mom) and that has been going great!!! He is so ready for this message and is soaking everything up like a sponge. We have been meeting with them almost every day and he is getting ready for baptism.

He is wanting to go to the Temple as soon as possible and Bishop said that he could the Priesthood within in a week and so it is looking like I will be able to go with him to do baptisms in the Temple before I go home!! Which is super awesome. His mom is coming along great. We had lesson last night with the Relief Society President Sister Nielsen and it was great. She talked about Visiting Teaching and she accepted to be a visiting teacher and to be visit taught!! How cool is that!! This family is so ready and they want to be involved and stay involved...so cool to watch them grow and learn and have things brought to their remembrance...

Other than them there is not to much else to talk about. We had a mission conference on Monday with Elder Andersen from the 2nd quorum of 70 and his wife and that was so cool. Really long day but there was a lot talked about and a lot that was learned. I was going to bring my notebook to share some quotes from the meeting but alas, I forgot it, and I have a companion otherwise I would just go and grab it but oh well...I will just share it in 3 weeks or so haha :)

SO not to much going on. Studies are going great. I have started going through the Seminary Teachers Manual for The Book of Mormon with a clean copy of the Book of Momron and writing in all of the notes and descriptions from the manual into the book, which is helping a lot better understand what is going on and the meaning behind everything that is happening. 

Also!!! I am going to LDSBC - I start 14 Jan 2015!!!  Hello UTAH!!!

Thank you both for everything you do, I truly appreciate it. 
Hope the next couple of days go great and you see miracles!!!
Keep up the awesome work!!! Don't break any more 400 dollar phones ;)

Love you so much

-- 

"Fourth Floor Last Door"

Elder Amric Zane Sobczak

California, Carlsbad, USA

January 2013-June 2013

California, Irvine, USA

July 2013-December 2014

What A WEEK!

Oh man, what a fun fun week hahaha!   

Lets see, to report on from this week, the biggest thing was this last friday we got called in to do a service project and well, it went for 14 hours. We started at 8:30 in the morning and then went until 10:00 at night. We had to help move a non member out of her house and move her into a apartment which was just insane. It is a long story but basically she got divorced, had to move out in that day and so that is what we did. TWO U- haul fill ups and then up to the 2nd story at the new place. We finished the move at about 8:30 and then we had to help put all the furniture together, so that took up the next,  oh hour or so ... but hey we got to help her out and gave her some good feelings about the mormons!  that is always good when we do that. 

Elder Byrd, Elder Tietijen and Elder Sobczak!

So the next day Saturday was a pretty tired day, but you know we kept doing the work. So that move is the reason you got a picture of my comps and I in service clothes, not on a Prep Day.

Lets see, Sunday we taught Elder's Quorum which was really fun, I always like teaching the classes, not much else about that.

So my thumb is doing much better, the picture doesn't really let you see it but its going good. Long story short i had a missionary stick a red hot heated sharpened hanger into my wart to try and kill it and burn it from the inside out. So it hurt pretty bad but hey it worked I think, we shall see in the next couple weeks as it heals over, pretty sure I am going to have a scar where the wart used to be as I am pretty sure I gave myself 2nd or 3rd degree burn with this thing I did. Don't worry I am telling you so I am obviously fine hahaha! Yikes!!!

Last night we had the departing dinner for Elder Tietjen so that is done, it was such a good dinner and we all had a really good time.

One last story, we went last night to a missionaries apartment after the dinner to pic something up and the gate guard asked me for my name so I said Rick, instead of Amric cause I hate having to go through the whole what did you say how to spell it thing!  but then he asked me for my last name, was not expecting that one so i was like "oh...uhm...It's Travis" hahaha!   so my new name if I ever get famous and have to create a fake name it is Rick Travis hahaha! note  picture of the gate pass.

Not to much else to report on, I am doing all good. I got the packages thank you so much. Everything is awesome and helps with the work. Love the beanie haha laughed really hard when I pulled that out of the box. The suit will look even better once I get it tailored, going next week to get the pants hemmed and tapered and also have the suit coat taken in so it isn't as big on me, so once all of that is done I will have 2 good fitting suit coats and 4 pairs of good fitting suit pants. I have found out a couple things about myself out on the mission, the main thing is that I really like slim pants haha so when i get home I will be wearing weird color slim pants, bring some of California with me wherever I go.

I love you all so much. Thank you for all of the prayers and other things you do for me while I am out here, I really do appreciate. Keep up the awesome work and let me know if their  is anything i can do to help you out. 

Hope everything with the new house and move goes well and smooth. Love you so much have a great week!!!

"Fourth Floor Last Door"

Elder Amric Zane Sobczak

California, Carlsbad, USA

January 2013-June 2013

California, Irvine, USA

July 2013-December 2014

The Mission has Started up!!! and I am moving FORWARD....

Hey hey Family of mine, and the rest of you...:)

So the work out here in Foothill Ranch is moving right along. It has (in the past) had a string of misisonaries not working the area with the numbers to show!   We are picking up and moving forward though through the good graces of the Lord. This last week has seen some funny things happen and some amazing things at the same time which has made this week fly by.

Start off with the cool stuff...

• Sunday Tyler Feist a YM in the ward whose family are amazing missionaries went out with us to teach a lesson with a Former Investigator couple.   They love the missionaries and the sacrifice we make to come out and serve and just are interested in general with the church. We started talking with them just getting to know them and they led the conversation into how are we called as missionaries, who are our leaders, and how are they called?   We answered their questions well and they understood it. They got who apostles are, the revelation behind sending out missionaries and how a new Apostle/Prophet is called. They were pleased with our answers and then the Mrs. brought up a concern of her sons, which was "With all these Christian religions preaching Heaven Hell only in their doctrine". They know good people - and the question is; "just because they dont believe "The Right" way are they are going to hell?  It concerned them and thus presented us with the question. So we answered that from the scriptures with Tyler reading in Corinthians 15:11-13 about the degrees of Heaven. We even talked about JST (Joseph Smith Translation) and they accepted it and didn't bash with us at all. We ended the night with a prayer and set up a lesson for next Sunday at 8:00pm.  Yes we did!!!! -We had just picked up 2 new investigators! It was a really cool experience because looking back on it I can see the Spirit that was there leading the conversation, it wasn't any of us, it was the Spirit. 
  
• We have developed a solid relationship with a guy named Ethan who we found knocking on the wrong house of a referral we could not find. He liked us stopping by and told us to get a hold of him to set up a lesson in the future with him and his family. So that will be awesome if he becomes more interested. 
• Lastly, a member family we had dinner with gave us the name of their next door neighbor who are about as golden as can be. The mom has told them that she wants her and her children to be members. They come to all the activities, daughter is participating in Activity Days and they attened church when people they know are speaking. The problem is the dad is not as sold, which is always the case. I have come to realize on my mission as much as I hate to say it, Women are just way more in tune with the spiritual side of things then men. It is just a gift they have for some reason. So those are the cool stories. The ward is crazy, no bishopric in town on Sunday and everybody else it seems is out of town too. But hey it is July, we cant all be full time missionaries. 

6 months in the book! Easy as scoring a try from the 5 meter line. The mission is going quick and bringing miracles. I can tell everything is changing and only hope I can hold on and remember. The Irvine mission has started!!!

• OH I totally forgot one more cool thing:

We had a "Mission Kick-off" conference the other day where we got to meet the missionaries from Anaheim and President and Sister Orgill. They are so funny and completely different than President and Sister Cook.  This will take some adjusting!!!   They have that "Islander Swag" so to say. And I mean how could you not, after serving at the PCC (Pacific Cultural Center) for 12 years. The PCC Traveling dance promo team has made a deal with President Orgill that anytime they come to the states to do a promo tour they will always stop in his mission somewhere to do a show. So for the next 18 months I might get to see the PCC people a lot which i am super excited for and all the members are exstatic about. We told our members this and they were like "That will be perfect to get non members to!"




Deep Thought:
Does Faith precede hope?  hope precede faith?   or do they work in harmony in each other? through all my studies on Faith and Hope I cannot find a defining answer to settle this for me, only close one for me is Hebrews 11:1.... FEEDBACK and / or CONVERSATION is a good thing ?!?!?!


So there we go, another week in the books and in the memory. Time goes quickly when you stay invested and stay consecrated. I love you guys so much, thank you for all of the things you have done for me since starting the mission. We will all be blessed for this great sacrifice. 

Stay amazing and stay classy, the Lord is always there if you just ask:) Until next time!:) 

Love you all :) 

"Fourth Floor Last Door"

Elder Amric Zane Sobczak

California, Carlsbad, USA

January 2013-June 2013

California, Irvine, USA

July 2013-December 2014

Love it when Families drop by!!!

Even just in messages!!

we love getting know those who serve and know Elder Sobczak!

Cherish your human connections: your relationships with Family and Friends.  -brodsky

It's a 4th of July Weekend of just that all over the world FAMILY AND FRIENDS:

Six Month Mission Served 18 Month Mission Called to Serve

March 2013 

6 Months
Jan 2nd - July 2nd
What they see at home!

Six months in the bag just like that. Oh man that is crazy to say. This past week has been super crazy and wild and hectic but it has already been a week into the new mission and it's July!!!??? Where is all the time going? 

I am currently serving in the Foothill Ranch Ward in the Rancho Santa Margarita Stake in the California Irvine Mission. Yes I know that it is a mouthfull to say. The area I am in is another area in need of fixing. I feel like that has been my calling out here so far. Help in getting the area organized and give it a specific direction for future missionaries and then -- ok -- we will transfer you! Hopefully it doesnt stay like that forever, but it has been nice cause for sure I have learned and I know exactly what needs to be done and how it needs to be done by now, of course as I heed the Spirits direction!!!  Every Area does have it's own needs!

My companion is Elder Darian Bosely from Mesa Arizona. He has just finished being trained so I am what they call "Greenie Busting" him. Basically the companion after your trainer is called that. They are suppose to break you of the bad habits your trainer gave you and help you see multiple ways of doing missionary work. The sad part though is that we will most likely be companions only until July 23rd which is our next transfer. 

http://www.lds.org/church/news/nea-cn-mission-president-assignments-2013

Speaking of that let me give you a break down of what has happened in the past week with starting as we start a new mission:

If you stayed in "Irvine" as a Carlsbad missionary you are on a 9 week transfer.

If you got transfered to "Irvine" a week ago you are only in a 4 week transfer. 

What that means in simple terms is that my mission got cut an additional three-four weeks short. So counting the week from when they shortened the MTC time I've lost I think 4-5 weeks off of my mission which sucks big time. Time was already going too quick.

We have a mission wide conference this Thursday the 4th of July from 10:30-2:00 getting to meet our new Mission Presidency. I just checked my other email to talk to President Orgill and he said on the 23rd of this month 30 missionaries will be joining our mission with lots more to come in the coming months. So this mission is about to blow up number wise.

The Newport Temple is in my mission. Hopefully this means I can attend the temple more.

HOT HOT HOT in my new area!!!!

All in all this is going to be the best time ever. President Orgill was President of the PCC in Hawaii so that should be fun and he is living in my stake so I will be seeing him around while I am here. I had it confirmed to me the other day that this is where I need to be. The Lord knew this mission was going to be made and I needed to be out in January even though I needed to serve in this mission. Missionary work is changing, it will never be the same again.

I love you all and I am so thankful for all the help you guys provide to me. Stay classy and keep the faith. The Gospel is true and that is all that is need to know. Have a great week and will talk next week :)

Deep thought:

I was studying the word "Order" the other day to best help the area because the area book was in no way "ordered". I got reminded of my study of Ordinance and how Ordinance went back to old Latin - into what? "Order". So think of it, being organized, having order is an "Ordinance of God".   Ponder this verse in Doctrine and Covenants 132:8 Behold, mine house is a house of ^aorder, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion. Without the order of the Church, Order of the Temple, Order of the Priesthood, no body would be saved. To be organized in itself is a saving ordinance. That is why we need to be organized and have order even in temporal matters because that is a reflection of our spiritual conversion to the Gospel. Hopefully that makes sense.

"Fourth Floor Last Door"

Elder Amric Zane Sobczak

California, Carlsbad, USA

January 2013-June 2013

California, Irvine, USA

July 2013-December 2014