My New Area

This week has been pretty good! We have been going around meeting all the members in both wards and trying to get them really pumped about missionary work!

On Tuesday it was Elder Wrights birthday (my Zone Leader) so we had a birthday party for him and we got a big giant pizookie from BJ’s! So that was pretty fun!

I got to meet the Sorensen family this week...the mom is a member-she hasn't been active since she was young- but her husband and kids aren't members! They have 3 boys who have been coming to church and they are the cutest little boys I have ever met in my life!! They are 14,12,&9 they are really good friends with another family in our ward (the Stones) and the 14 year old went to efy last week and loved it! But they don't want to take lessons without the Stones being there and the Stones don't get back until the end of July! But they have been reading the Book of Mormon every night as a family:) I can definitely see big things happening with their family so keep them in your prayers:)

On Saturday we got to attend a guy named Max's baptism! (He's has getting baptized into another ward) It's seriously amazing the spirit you can feel at a baptism! Max looked so happy after he was baptized:) I love being a missionary, I love seeing people change and how happy they can be through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Well I hope you all know that I love this Gospel so much! I love being on a mission! Hope you all have a great week & choose the right:)

Love Sister Sobotka

Sister Sobotka and Sister Kauvaka

Sister Sobotka's District

Sister Sobotka's Zone

I love my new area!

June 22, 2015

 Hi family & friends :)
(Warning this is a long email...but it's good so read it)
Ok, soooo I absolutely LOVE my new area! It is completely different than my last area, it's actually the exact opposite. It is so nice here in El Dorado Hills. We live with a member in their separate guest house & they basically live in a mansion!! They have a pool and ping pong table and 2 guest houses and yeah basically they are loaded$ just like EVERYONE else in this area! Some of the biggest houses I have seen in my life are in this area!! It's gorgeous here!

We are covering 2 wards and one of the wards is just a huge gated community where you aren't allowed to proselyte at all in that ward so you have to work with the members, which I LOVE! The members here are amazing. I am blown away at how excited they are about missionary work. My first night here we had dinner with the nicest family, the Danielson’s. They are the cutest family and Brother Danielson was like, "ya know what...I could be hanging out with my member friends all the time but how is that going to help bring people into the Gospel?” Their family is amazing and are so willing to help! I am so blown away by the differences between these wards and my last area.

My new companion is Sister Kauvaka! She is Tongan & really sweet, she's stressed out leading the area but she is such a sweet heart. I love that none of my companions have been white or from Utah because I get to learn so much about other cultures and I love it!! I like being the senior companion and kinda being in charge hahah. Sister Kauvaka is the most directionally challenged person I have ever met in my life!!! You're all probably laughing because you thought I was directionally challenged! But no, she is horrible and we get lost SOOOO MUCH hahah but I think I've got it almost figured out. Anyway I guess this is a tough area to be in because there are a lot of wealthy people who are happy with their lives and don't think they need religion, but I love it here, I LOVE working with these members! I'm excited to see what we can do in this area.

Yesterday, since we have 2 wards and 2 ward councils we had 8 hours of church but I really liked it! I got called up on the spot to bare my testimony in one ward so that was kinda freaky ha but it went well! In relief society we talked about the importance of the Holy Ghost and how important it is to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. President Ezra Taft Benson said, “I have said so many times to the brethren that the Spirit is the most important single element in this work. With the Spirit and magnifying your call, you can do miracles for the Lord in the mission field. Without the Spirit you will never succeed regardless of your talent and ability.”  I have realized the importance of doing things by the spirit and how you do need the Lords help in every aspect of life.

I absolutely love being a missionary! I love this Gospel so much and I am so grateful to be sharing it with others. I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and that we can change through it. I have been studying the talk, "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox lately (if ya haven't heard it you should listen to it) and it's truly amazing that Christ has payed for all of our sins and we just need to try harder and harder everyday. I've learned how much easier life is if you just take it day by day. I always think, "I just need to be a little better today than I was yesterday"

Anyway I'm sorry this email is so long, but I hope you know I love you all so much. I have realized how blessed I am with the most amazing family and friends. Thank you for all the letters and emails you all send, I can't tell you how much they mean to me & I save them all! Let me know if I can do anything for any of you:) I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Love,
Sis Sobotka

Sister Sobotka and Kauvaka with their District

Sister Kauvaka and Sister Sobotka

I AM BEING TRANSFERRED!

I AM BEING TRANSFERRED! (My address is still the same so write me at
the same address) Yeeee I'm going to the city of Folsom and I couldn't
be more excited :) my new companion's name is Sister Cavaka isn't that
funny? Sobotka & Cavaka hahah I've only met her once at zone conf and
she plays the ukulele and is a great singer so I am excited! Also I'm
going to be the senior companion! Soo that's a little freaky and we
are covering 2 wards so that means...FULL TIME CAR HOLLA!!!!!! No more
biking in the ghetto:) it also means I won't be going to the Modesto
mission and I'll be staying in the Sacramento mission:) I am so
grateful for the time I have got to spend here in Carmichael in the
La Sierra ward and the people I met here and all the crazy
things I got to experience, but I am excited for new adventures in
Folsom:)

Here's how my week went:

It got super hot this week and even reached 109!! One night we were
biking home and it was soo hot and we had about 20 minutes left until
we got home and then Sister Sahms bike chain just got jammed up some
how so we started walking home...and I was just about to start crying
and then a car pulled up next to us and it was this man who works at
this Chinese restaurant we always go to and he got out and helped us.
It was so nice!!! It's amazing to know that the Lord is always looking
out for us! I finished the Book of Mormon last week and started again
this week, I was reading in 1 Nephi 1:20 where it says, "the tender
mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen because of
their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance" I
am so grateful for all of the many tender mercies I have seen while
serving a mission, I know that the Lord truly loves us and always
makes sure there is a way to overcome our trials.

Thursday we did service at the cemetery with Elder Jaramillo and Elder
Snow (our district leaders) and we were riding around in a golf cart
and Elder Snow tried drifting around a corner and Sister Suzuki and
Sister Sahm just flew off the back of the golf cart!!! Hahaha! They
didn't get hurt but Sister Suzuki was soo MAD! Elder jaramillo, Elder
Snow and I were trying so hard not to laugh, but it was seriously
hilarious! Hahaha!

Basically the rest of the week was biking around in the heat and
talking to every one trying to find new people to teach, it was a long
week but we were able to add a new investigator who came to church and
loved it! Her name is Alicia, she is the nicest investigator I have
had! When we showed up at her house she had a pizza and fried chicken
made for us! They just moved to California... Her husband is a member
but super less active and she called the Bishop and asked to send
missionaries over. She had already been reading from the Book of
Mormon and Is praying about it, she is awesome and even asked to take
pictures with us. I'm sad to be leaving this area right when I met her
but I am so excited to hear more about Alicia.

Anyway that was my week, I hope you are all having fun this
summer and gettin super tan-I'm gettin pretty tan except with horrible
tan lines hahah anyway yeah have a great week love you all:)

Love,
Sister Sobotka

Alicia (New Investigator), Sisters Sobotka, Sahm and Suzuki

Sisters Sobotka, Suzuki, Sahm and Jack (Investigator)

Sister Clayson (Ward Member) Sisters Sobotka, Sahm and Suzuki

Lookin for some religion? You know who to call.

Hello Everybody:)
So this week has been really good! really long, but really good! I've realized how much easier missionary work is if you just tell yourself that you are happy haha and to just laugh off stuff.

Last Monday both of my companions ran out of money sooo I had to buy their groceries for them and I came to realize at the check out that I also didn't have enough money to cover all 3 of our groceries :-) luckily the sweetest lady behind us bought our groceries! She was a member in another ward and was SOO NICE! I know Heavenly Father is watching out for us:)

This past week we had a mission conference with the entire mission talking about iPads and how to use technology wisely. It was a really great conference, by Elder David F. Evans of the Seventy. So we should be getting iPads within the next week or so? (we hope). At the conference they talked about how they are splitting the mission and we will be getting a call before July 1st letting us know if we will be staying in the Sacramento Mission or transferred to the Modesto Mission! I am actually a little nervous and I just wish I knew where I was going. But I am happy to go wherever the Lord wants me to go:)

Not much more has happened this week, we have just been biking all day long looking for people to teach, so if any of you know anyone who lives in Carmichael California and are lookin for some religion you know who to call;)

--
Love,
Sister Sobotka