Great Great Week

Oh Man what a good week!   So for sure conference was super awesome - I loved it :)

I will list some of the highlights from it  (from memory for as again I forgot my notebook so I cannot really remember what 100% happened:

• President Packer. Such a simple powerful testimony that he knows God lives, that the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit, and that Christ lives. I felt as he was talking that it was the last time we would be hearing from President Packer. It was so good, just short simple and to the point as always it was really good.
• President Uchtdorf's talk in priesthood was hilarious talking about the airplanes and all of that. He is hilarious but has good insights to the funny stories he tells.
• I thought it was interesting Elder Bednar's talk about the load. It helped me better understand trials and work load in the mission field. You want it to be simple but you wont see anything come from it truly if there is no load, you will get stuck and wont be able to move forward. You must have weight on you in order to move forward.
• Elder Richard G. Scott story from his childhood about having an example in his life to explain to him the importance of having a good example and providing the importance as well of being baptized. 
• President Henry B. Eyring hit on this as well as he talked about the examples in his life of how to be a good man. It made me want to be that kind of a leader when I continue forward in my mission and in life. Always be that example that will help others strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ. 
• Lastly I thought the most interesting thing was the difference between KEYS and AUTHORITY that they hit on during the priesthood. We all have the authority to use it but not all have the keys, and everything must be done in regards to the keys. I have noticed that much through out my mission, you must work through keys because that is the only way the RIGHT work will get done. But you must have the authority to work with the keys. I just thought it was good that they hit on that so much because it is a problem right now in the world the outlook people have on women and men in the church.

Also from this week I replaced a light switch in my apartment. I through a picture in that shows what i did. Had to shut off the power to the apartment so i could switxch it out. It was bugging me that a light switch was there but did not turn on anything, so i went to home depot to pik up anew switch and now it works. Glad I know how to do common electrical fixes in my house.

My old neighbor Lane Valentine from Elma Wa -
(4th one up on the right) sang in the choir that was fun to see! 

The rest of the week was just a build up to conference that ended with just complete satisfaction. Conference is the Superbowl for missionaries!  Everything is going pretty well. I have learned that I do not want to be trunkie when i get to my final transfer or two out here on my mission. I want / desire to push myself until the end and not give up at all. So that is a lesson I have learned, push to the end and do not give up. This whole ENDURE TO THE END principle is the hardest one to apply in this religion. The only ones are pretty easy to know what needs to be done, enduring to the end does not have an exact checklist of what needs to be done, you have to pray and come to know what needs to happen for you in your life. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints preaches true doctrine, continue to do all you can to better understand it and better know what the Lord would have you do in your life.   

Thank you for all you do, I got your tapes, thank you for that, I will have one done this next week, so more of my thoughts for conference will be on that. keep up the awesome work you do and look to Christ in all you do. He is the only one who knows what you are going through. 

Love you both so much. You are the best and i truly appreciate you and all you do. Until next week :) 

P.S. Elder Holland's testimony at the end of his talk about priesthood ordininaces

FYI;

media links -

#LDSConf   @LDQuotable  @MORMONorg  @LDSMessages   Mormon.org   and 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 

Whoa....... March 24th

Woah, it is the last week of March, a quarter of the way through the year what the heck is going on with time!?!!?!?!

So this week, have a couple funny stories, the main one is last Thursday I auditioned for choir, mainly because I am pretty confident I am going to be a "tech" person, so I figured what the heck! why not? get involved see both sides of the audition... it would save travel stuff. 

Anyways in the audition and the guy running the whole mission choir thing is some actor who has been in the Bible videos. He has us all warming up and after about 10 minutes he looks at me asks me what my name is I tell him and he has me start the song, I didn't do to hot because the bass part was high, anyways after like 10 seconds, he asks; "Is your name really Elder Slapcheck!?" Everyone of course starts laughing and I am like "No it is Sobczak" and he says; "You see elders and sisters - singers must be able to sing as well as properly pronounce things (Making a crack at himself) then says; "Elder Sobczak we are going to invite you not to audition for choir"! 

Oh man it was hilarious! ;) 

Then for the rest of the time I just got to sit in there and listen to everyone else auditioning and some good, some terrible and listen to the guy just beat up on the people singing.  It was not to good of an environment for a missionary to be in, you spend all day getting yelled at then you get picked on at choir by a church member so it was for sure a laughable, awkward non productive experience. 

Another funnny story was on Saturday night we went to a social gathering for old singles that were on the ward and in the stake. You see us as missionaries will go to any activity on the grounds there will be people there that will be nice and food to eat, maybe even people to connect with to eventually teach!  So we go, it is at someones house, actually the home of an ex-communicated member, who loves the church. The food is eaten and then all of a sudden a Karaoke thing is turned on and everyone is singing oldies from like the 60's and 70's. It was so weird ... weird I tell you, seeing 45-60 year olds singing and dancing in someone's living room singing to old songs with Karaoke machine!!!!

Those are my funny stories, the work is going good. This is the last week of the transfer so on Saturday we will all be finding out who is staying and going. Should be fun and exciting to see what will happen. 

Yesterday had the opportunity to interview a lady for baptism that is always a fun experience. Her husband has been a member for about 3 years and she is now making the decision to enter into the waters of baptism so it is always awesome to hear people's stories on how they got to where they are, experiences they have gone through, and lessons learned. 

Glad to be out here on the mission. Life is good and miracles really do happen every single day. Keep your eye focused on the little tiny blessings and IT WILL never seem like life is difficult hard or tuff!   Those things do happen, but it is dwelling on them that makes it all worse.

Keep up the good awesome work and do all you can to be guided by the spirit. 

Love you all so much and again thank you for all you do for me. 

Have a great week :) 

-- 

"Fourth Floor Last Door"

Elder Amric Zane Sobczak

California, Carlsbad, USA

January 2013-June 2013

California, Irvine, USA

The reason we start things is rarely the reason we continue them...

"It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action and discipline that enabled us to follow through."  

Hello out there in the World!  Hummmmmm... let's see, this is going to be short again. Mom In answer to your questions; no box arrived, neither the clothes, I have the one pair of pants left I will get by til they show up I am excited to get them here.  Riding the bike is getting to be more and more fun than it used to be.  I do like where I live, I'm getting so used to it  - that I'll probably get transfered next transfer!!  

EHS Class 2013 Top TEN (Go Logan!!!)

I did hear from Audrey, I miss her and Omaha!  Crazy that she, Drew, Morgan, Ashtyn, and Lorraine graduated and HOPE got married!!!!!!????
Where does time go and what is this world coming to????  this is what I ask myself?!  Oh High School - what a life!

Deep thought -  

Look up Alma 18 and read the chapter - while doing so underline all the things that Ammon does with King Lamoni that give description of how to be a good missionary.  Report Back!for reference see;  

http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/18?lang=eng
http://www.lds.org/search?query=ammon&x=-1043&y=-241&lang=eng&collection=media

Caton

Calvin

FOOD
I have been eating oatmeal and a banana for breakfast.  Yes! I am eating Oatmeal again!!!  Oh Caton and Calvin - I miss them!  Just a hint from the past - Never cook your hotdogs in the left over Oatmeal water!


THE MISSION IS - Picked up a new investigator whose son has a nursery in Rochester, small world.  Also have the opportunity to pick up another investigator this week.  The work is going well.  Like and work well with Elder Neal, for him it's a different kind of work here in Carmel Valley than his last area.  

I also have scriptures for my plaque.  I cannot decide on which one to use, but I have narrowed it down to these 4!!! My mission might be over before you get that plaque on the wall!!!  

• Isaiah 1:16-18 ¶^aWash you, make you ^bclean; put away the ^cevil of your doings from before mine eyes; ^dcease to do evil;  ^aLearn to do ^bwell; seek ^cjudgment, ^drelieve the oppressed,^ejudge the fatherless, plead for the ^fwidow.  Come now, and let us ^areason together, saith the Lord: though your ^bsins be as scarlet, they shall be as ^cwhite as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

• 2 Nephi 31:7   Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be ^aobedient unto him in keeping his commandments.

• Doctrine and Covenants 24:12 And at all times, and in all places, he shall open his mouth and ^adeclare my gospel as with the voice of a ^btrump, both day and night. And I will give unto him strength such as is not known among men.

• Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21 There is a ^alaw, irrevocably decreed in ^bheaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all ^cblessings are predicated—    And when we obtain any ^ablessing from God, it is by^bobedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

these scriptures Speak for me; Elder Sobczak!!! -- at your service!

"Fourth Floor Last Door"

"That's What's Up"

Elder Amric Zane Sobczak

California, Carlsbad, USA

January 2013-January 2015

Missionary Work and the Atonement