I Heart Trios

Dear Family & Friends,

This week has been one of the funnest weeks of my mission! I got put into a trio last week and was transferred to the Sacramento Zone! We cover a ward in Elk Grove. My 2 new companions are: Sister Polatis & Sister Sili and I absolutely love them!!! Everyone hates on trios, but this is my 2nd one and I've loved my trios. Okay, Sister Polatis is from Blackfoot Idaho and she is your typical farm girl! She grew up on a giant potato farm and knows everything about potatoes and she's such a hard worker and she is hilarious!! It's her 3rd transfer out and she is just such a good little missionary, I love her. My other companion is Sister Sili! It's her last transfer of her mission :( and She's straight from Tonga!! My 5th Polynesian companion.  I can't even explain how much I love my Polynesian companions!! They are just full of love for everyone:) she is also hilarious!! I swear we spend so much time laughing. It has seriously just been such a good week! We live in apartment with 2 other sisters! They are sign language sisters! They're pretty cool too.

We are pretty much full time biking, I love this area!! It's not too ghetto, but there is a small section of south sac which is kinda hood haha! Also the work here is great!! We have seen so many miracles this week! One day we were out biking around and a 14 year old boy in our ward was walking home from school, we asked him if he knew anyone in the area who could use a message and he's like "yeah try that house with the red car" so we went and tried it. The house had a whole family who was super interested!!! They told us to come back the next day, we went and taught the restoration and the spirit was so strong!! They told us to come back this week! Ahh it was so cool!! Also, there is this lady, Cathy, who missionaries have been teaching for years who just decided to get baptized!! She's getting baptized on feb 6! We had an awesome lesson with her this week and wow she is just so prepared:) We had another miracle! While we were out street contacting we started talking to this lady and her 2 kids, she said her sons friend had just passed away and he was really confused about what happens after death, she said they'd been watching a video online about it. In my head I was thinking "oh no...they went to the Internet to find out about life after death" then the little girl started quoting a video and I recognized the words, it was the video from Mormon.org!! I was so stunned! They said they feel peace and comfort watching those videos, they said they would love to hear more about the plan of salvation so we set up an appointment with them as well!! Ah I'm just so happy and excited:)

Okay so something else super crazy happened this week! One night when we were biking home Sister Polatis was just being all crazy while she was biking and we were going pretty fast!! So I yelled out "hahah Sister Polatis stop!" and right as I said that she crashed soo hard!! and she was right in front of me and I slammed on my breaks as hard as I could but I totally ran her over!!! Hahahaha it was the scariest thing of my life! Then I flew off my bike. I ran over to her to make sure she was okay and she was just laughing so hard! I apologized like 2790 times and sister Sili was just laughing so hard. Ah I felt so bad!! We were both okay and biked home! The next day we woke up soo sore with bruises all over our bodies and only a few little scrapes:) but it was seriously hilarious.

This week has just been the best. We all work so well together and have so much fun! I love this area and I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father has a plan and how sometimes we just have to take a step back and realize that He is in charge.

Sister Polatis, Sister Sili and Sister Sobotka

Sister Polatis, Sister Sili and Sister Sobotka

Having a Firm Foundation in Christ

Dear Family & Friends,

Sis Hickman and I both have been super sick this week. I felt terrible because it was her last week! Poor thing. But we pushed through. I have absolutely loved this transfer with her. She is a big sister to me and will always be a missionary I want to be like! She has taught me so much this transfer. She has been straight up with me and has helped me improve so much!! We will stay close:)

We are still teaching Lee & Susan! They are both such awesome people and totally have testimonies, but they just don't come to church!!! It's so frustrating. Every time we teach the the spirit is so strong and I absolutely love teaching them. Every lesson they say "I will for sure be at church this week"  then every week they aren't there!! Hahah ugh.

This week I've been thinking a lot about my moms heart attack which happened 2 years ago this week! I thought about how it happened when I was a senior in high school and it was the beginning of 2014, I had just made a New Years goal that I wanted to have a better relationship with my Heavenly Father. Who woulda thought that 9 days later I would be hit with the hardest trial of my life!! Anyway, I've been thinking about that night we found out that she'd be having open heart surgery the next day. I remember driving to the Provo hospital with my siblings in tears. When we arrived in her hospital room I remember walking in and seeing tears in both of my parents eyes. My dad explained she'd be having an 8 hour open heart surgery the next day. I remember feeling so nervous and scared!! I don't remember too much of what happened next, but there is one experience I will never forget...We all knelt down on the hospital floor around my moms hospital bed and said a family prayer, not knowing if it would be our last. During the prayer I remember feeling an incredible amount peace and love. I remember feeling that no matter what happened that everything was going to be alright. I felt the love of my Heavenly Father so fully in that hospital room that night. Through this trial I learned so many lessons that helped me become the person I am today. I realize now that Heavenly Father gives us those hard trials to help us grow. I grew closer to my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I became a better person through this trial. I realized the importance of having a firm foundation in Christ, because when those winds blow they will have no power over you!!

We got transfer calls this week and I am staying in Goethe Park Ward and will be training a new missionary! I'm nervous and excited! I just hope I can help her as much as Sister Lavea helped and loved me when I was a scared little new missionary! We saw the list of new missionaries and there is a Sister coming in from American Fork! So who knows, maybe I'll be training an AF homie! hahah! She flies in today and I'll be with her tomorrow.

It's going to be so hard for me to say goodbye to Sister Hickman tomorrow! We have had so much fun together, from getting our ipads stolen, to biking for hours, to teaching some amazing lessons. I will always be so grateful for her.

I hope you all have a great week and remember to read your scriptures and CTR!!!

Love always,
Sister Sobotka

I Did Liken All Scriptures Unto Me

Dear Family,

Happy 2016! Can't believe it's 2016. It's crazy to think I've been out for almost a year!!  It's been a good week setting goals and reflecting on the things I've learned this past year while being a missionary.

I started the Book of Mormon again this week and I have made it a goal to really think about whatever I read that morning, through out the entire day, ya know like likening the scriptures unto myself? It has been going great so far and it's helped me realize how the Book of Mormon is totally written for our day. One day this week I read Lehi's vision and how the people in the great and spacious building were pointing and laughing at those who were holding on to the iron rod. Then that day while we were biking some guys just were laughing at us and I was just so embarrassed!! I'm just this little nerdy missionary girl biking around in a skirt and helmet. But then I thought back to what I read that morning and how people are going to laugh and mock those who are holding to the rod and I thought of the importance of clinging to the iron rod. People are going to make fun of my beliefs but it so important to hold to the rod.


 Another day this week Sister Hickman and I literally biked the entire day and not 1 person let us into their house. We were on our bikes for about 6 hours. I was starting to get so frustrated. It was freezing cold and nobody would let us in. Then I remembered what I had read in the Book of Mormon that day. I read about when Nephi, his brothers and dad were in the wilderness and Nephi's bow broke. I remember while reading it how I always thought it was so strange that even Lehi complained against the Lord. Then I realized that is what I was doing in my own mind, I was wondering (complaining) why Heavenly Father wouldn't just help us out right then! I was so annoyed that nobody would let us in!! I thought of how Nephi reacted to his situation, how he didn't complain when trials came. How the trial of his broken bow did not stop him. I thought a lot about how I react when trials come.

Haha anyway that's some insights for the week. The good thing is after the 6 hours of biking we stopped at little Caesars to buy some crazy bread and the guy just gave it to us for free! HOLLA TENDER MERCY FROM THE LORD! 

We are teaching this really solid lady Susan, she's on date for baptism on January 30th and we are still teaching Lee! They are both so awesome and totally know the church is true and I absolutely love teaching them but they both haven't made it to church!!! ugh just wish people would keep their commitments. We've been biking like crazy this week. One day we biked like 30 miles. Sister Hickman is a beast on bike!! Haha but it's good she is helping me to work hard and to talk to everyone.

Oh also Shaye came and visited me in Rancho Cordova and took us to lunch at Costa Vida!! I was so happy to see her & catch up:) I really miss my El Dorado Hills people!

Well I love all of you and hope you have a wonderful 2016!!! (You all probz will since I get home this year;) ) hehe but for real, I hope you all set some good goals that will help you draw closer to Christ. Read your scriptures & CTR!!

Love always,

Sister Sobotka

Shaye Bastian and Sister Sobotka

Sister Sobotka and Sister Hickman