Homesick

This week everything finally hit me.

One morning I was getting ready and I realized that I am not going to see my family for 18 months! I realized how much I missed my family and I finally realized what I had gotten myself into. I just started to cry and my companion and I just cried for about an hour about how we missed our families.  But I guess that had to happen sometime!

This week on Wednesday we had exchanges and I was companions with Sister Barfuss for the day.   It made me realize how grateful I am for my real companion Sister Lavea!

On Thursday we went and visited a Less Active member, Sister Kerns...she is really over weight so it is hard for her to stand.   We cleaned her kitchen... dirty dishes were piled up everywhere and it smelled sooo awful, but i just held my breath and cleaned. It took us about 2 hours and Sister Lavea and I were trying really really hard not to gag! So all of you who are at home be so grateful for your moms and that she keeps a clean kitchen.

We have 2 investigators right now.   Lola who is 10 and is so adorable.  Jo Anne, her husband passed away last year and she had us clean his car this week which was pretty fun and then she bought us pizza which was so nice of her!

This week I have really recognized the importance of the gospel being taught in the home. There is such a big difference when you go into someones home and you know the parents have really focused on having a Christ centered home. I hope all of you remember to read your scriptures with your family or even just have family prayer everyday because by small and simple things, great things are brought to pass:)

I hope all of you have a great week and remember to CTR.

--
Love,
Sister Sobotka

My District

I made it to Sacramento

Hey Everyone!

I made it to Sacramento!

I flew in on Tuesday and was picked up at the airport by President Jardine and his wife, along with the 2 AP's Elder Shaw and Elder Gray.  Elder Shaw is 6'10 and is playing basketball for BYU next year and they are both super cool!  We went to the Sacramento Temple grounds and walked around and they have so many different kinds of flowers and trees around the temple.  It is so pretty!  We went into the chapel and talked about the importance of missionary work.  When we came out of the temple, the sun was setting and it was so beautiful.  I was overcome with a sense of peace and a feeling that this is exactly where I need to be right now.  After that, we had dinner at the mission home and got to know the Mission President.  We slept at a member’s home near the mission home that night and then the next morning we got out new companions/trainers.  It was sad saying goodbye to my MTC Companion, Sister Marks!  I learned a lot from her:)

My new companion is Sister Lavea from Auckland New Zealand!  Which is really cool because that is where my Dad served his mission.  I love Sister Lavea and I have already learned so much from her.  She is one of the most Christ-like people I  have ever met (right behind my mom) and she is an amazing singer!  She also can beat box which is really sweet!  I am currently serving in the La Sierra Ward in Carmichael!  It is gorgeous here!   So many trees and it's so green!  The members in our ward are so awesome and we have dinner at a members house every single night.  The first 3 nights in a row we had SPAGHETTI!!!! (for those of you who don't know I love spaghetti and it was the last meal I had before I went into the MTC) haha so I really knew that I was put in this area for a reason;)  It's amazing to see all the little, tender mercies the Lord places in your life when you look for them!

We ride our bikes almost everywhere which is really fun, but I get soooo sore.   hahaha!  I’m going to have super buff legs when I get back and as you can see in the picture below I look really good in a helmet;) hahahaha!! (jk I look like the biggest nerd) when we don't bike (pretty much only on P-days) we have a car and I get to drive because my companion is from New Zealand and her license is not recognized here! We get lost a lot because we are both new to this area, but we are figuring things out:)

We are really lucky and have a piano in our apartment so sister lavea and i take turns practicing. It is amazing the spirit you can feel while listening to church music!

I've got to meet so many different people already and I am so happy here. I have never felt this kind of happiness in my life. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to be out here serving the Lord. It's like I feel the spirit all day long and I am so close to my Heavenly Father.  I love getting to know people and see what they have been through and that everyone can change through the power of the Atonement!

Love,
Sister Sobotka

Sister Sobotka and Sister Lavea.  First Area.  Carmichael, California

Sister Sobotka and Sister Lavea selfie on the bikes

Sister Marks and Sister Sobotka Sacramento Temple

MTC Photos

Sister Sobotka and Sister Clements

MTC Roommates

MTC District

MTC Companion Sister Marks and Sister Sobotka

Sister Sobotka receiving her first package from home.  Lindsey worked so hard to decorate this for her big sister:) 

MTC Cafeteria with Elder Harris

Provo Temple

MTC Letter

Hey guys!!
I made it through the first week:-)
Ok wow I don't even know where to start. I have done so so so much this week! Ok so first of all, my companion's name is Sister Marks.  She is from Dallas Texas and she talks like a black girl from the hood, but it is so funny!  Everyone in my district is really different than me, when we eat we often talk about NASA, global warming, Chemistry, and Lord of The Rings hahaha so I basically have no idea what the heck they are talking about.  I just say stuff like "yeah global warming is crazy ya know" hahaha idk. Anyway the 2nd day I was there we went into a classroom and Logan Whittaker (jensen's older brother) was my teacher!! And I was so happy to see him!  People are horrible at pronouncing my last name so no one ever calls on me to say the prayer.  I have been sharing a room with 4 other sisters who are going to Tampa Florida and one of the sisters is named sister Faalalalau and she is so funny! She is half tongan half samoan and her and my companion say the funniest things. Okay so one day it was really cold and my companion hates the cold, and she was in a bad mood so she just picked up a giant rock and chucked it at a tree has hard as she could.  It was so funny! hahaha also when Sister Faalalalau was bearing her testimony she was about to start crying and then shes like "imma stop now because thugs dont cry" and the girls here are definitely crazy but i love them!! Something weird about the MTC is that every night at 10:15 this guy comes over the intercom and yells 'ITS TEN FIFTEEN QUIET TIME' and its like we are in some video game hahaha! But I really do love it here. I love my district even though they are completely different from me I have learned so much. The most important thing I have learned is how important it is to be nice to everyone. I have learned that everyone comes from completely different situations and people have gone through some crazy stuff. It made me realize I wish I was nicer to people while I was in high school because everyone is going through a hard trial. Well i hope all of you have an amazing week and remember to be kind to everyone! Thank you so much for all the letters and emails!!

Love,
Sister Sobotka