The Church is Ture, The Book is Blue

Hello Everyone!

This week has been full of trying to find people to teach! Woohoo!
Haha well remember the couple I talked about last week? We had the
lesson all set up & everything was ready, we had this other active
couple going to the lesson with us & everything was going to be
perfect. Then we got a text from Charity (the less active member)
cancelling on us! I was so upset. Anyway we've been trying to get in
contact with her but they've been super "busy"

Since I've been on my mission I've come to really dislike the word
"busy" people are always "too busy". There is a quote hanging in the
relief society room of the church building I go to right now that
says, "if you are too busy to read your scriptures, pray, or go to
church you are way busier than God ever intended you to be" ain't that
the truth? I know people have other obligations & lives & all that,
but shouldn't Heavenly Father be our first priority?

Anyway one day we were biking down the street this week & we street
contacted this guy who wasn't interested at all, but was super kind &
gave us Popsicle's so that was nice. We also got this referral from
other missionaries this week for a cute old couple. We knocked on
their door & this super sweet old lady answered with "well hello
beautiful wonderful messengers of God" I almost fell over because I
don't think anyone has ever said anything that nice to 2 random
missionaries standing at their door! She invited us right in & poured
us ice cold water & gave us cheese & crackers on these fancy China
plates. She was treating us like celebrities I was so excited! Anyway
we started talking to her & her husband about their religious
background, both Catholic, but both have relatives that are extremely
active LDS members, they have been to primary programs & baptisms &
even the Sacramento temple open house, but they weren't interested in
the slightest:( but I had a copy of The Book of Mormon with me that
had a testimony written in there from a 5 year old girl named Mandy.
It was the sweetest thing. It said "I know the Book of Mormon is true
& helps me everyday. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen" even though it
was super simple & written in crayon, It really touched my heart. I
loved the simplicity of that testimony. & how I also know The Book of
Mormon is true & it helps me everyday! I've been able to read The Book
of Mormon multiple times while I've been on my mission & have been
able to testify of its truthfulness almost everyday. It is such a
blessing to have this book of scripture here in our day. I was able to
bear my humble testimony to them & to leave them with that copy.

We got to go to the temple this week & do an endowment session & it
was the biggest tender mercy. I am so grateful to have a temple in my
mission! It has been such a blessing.

The rest of the week went well! The Laguna Creek 5th ward has the most
amazing members who take such good care of us missionaries & each
other. I really think another reason why Heavenly Father wanted me to
go on a mission is so I could learn from the members of the wards
where I have served. I have been so amazed & touched by the members
examples of charity & love toward the people around them & it's helped
me learn how to be a better member when I get home. I know I say this
in almost every email but I love being a missionary so much. It has
truly been the most amazing experience & I've learned lessons here in
Sacramento that I would've never learned if I was still in Provo going
to school. I have truly been so blessed to be here.

I hope you all have a great week & aren't "too busy" to take the time
to do the important things! CTR❤️

Love always,
Sister Sobotka

Pics:
1. Apartment 280 sisters
2. Members in our ward know how much I love hot pockets so they buy
them for me every time they go to Costco :)

243 Cancelled Appointments

Hello family & friends!

So it's been a lovely week here in Sac. It's been different now that
we only cover 1 Ward! But it's been good, I missed my 5th ward
friends. So we have been biking all over the place & talking to
literally everyone! It feels good! We had like 243 cancelled
appointments this week so that was kinda disappointing & we started to
get down on ourselves, but we kept prayin that we would be happy &
enthusiastic haha so we just choose to make the long days of biking
fun!

On Saturday we had the biggest miracle! It had been a full day of
biking in the heat & we were about to go home for the night, but I had
a feeling that we should visit this couple we've been trying to see
for about 2 months. They just moved here from Reno & the wife is a
less active member, & the husband isn't a member. We had met them once
briefly at the door before. So we knocked & they happened to be home!
They started talking with us forever & they're just the sweetest
people. They told us about how they were raised & the husband said he
had been raised Catholic, but doesn't really go & I asked him if had
ever been to an LDS church before & the wife started laughing & said,
"no he's too scared!" Then he started laughing & said, "I am not
scared!" Then I said, (kinda joking, but mostly serious) "okay so we
will see you at church tomorrow?" & he said "yes! I'll be there" I was
shocked. Hahaha so then we were just super pumped! Then he started
asking us all these questions about life after death & I explained
that we teach a whole lesson about God's plan for us & he set up his
own appointment & said, "can you come over Thursday & teach it to us?"
I was just literally so excited!! They came to church yesterday &
loved it:) the Ward did an AMAZING job at welcoming them in & ah I'm
just so excited!

We got a new sister in the apartment. Sister Brown from Holliday Utah!
She went to the same Highschool as my roommate from BYU, Sarah Pugsley
& did cheer with her! Super weird huh? She's way cute & it's been fun
havin another sister here!

Anyway things are good here. I love the church. I love being a
missionary. Have a wonderful week! CTR

Love always,
Sister Sobotka

South Sac Biking

Hi family & friends,

Woohoo transfer week! So yeah I'm stayin here in Laguna Creek 5th ward
with Sister Koyle. Sister Christoffersen is staying in our apartment
but she's getting brand new comp, so she's training too!

This week was really good! We were able to bike, one day it was super
hot and we decided to bike out to South Sacramento which takes like 45
minutes haha it was such a hot long ride, but it was totally worth it!
We were able to meet some pretty cool people out in South Sac. It's
like super ghetto down there, but hey the people are humble.

This past Sunday was such a great one! It was fast and testimony meeting
which I always love. In the 2nd Ward we had a less active member come
that we have been working with for quite sometime! She was so happy to
be there! During the middle of the meeting she leaned over to me & was
talking about her own testimony & I said "well you should go bear it!"
& she said, "are you daring me to bear my testimony?" & I said "yes!"
So she went right up! & the first thing she said was, "I only came up
here because Sister Sobotka triple dog dared me" hahaha but she bore
such a powerful testimony. Ah it was so awesome.

We moved Sis Christoffersens bunk bed into our room so her new trainee
can stay in our room with us, it basically took us 3 hours to
dis-assemble that dumb bunk bed.

Things are still goin here in Sacramento. Crazy I only have 3
transfers left! We got 3 new investigators this week & they're all
super sweet. So yeah things are goin well! Tons of tender mercies &
miracles :)

Have a great week & choose the right!

Love always,
Sister Sobotka

Pictures:
Hermana Stevens & I-she's one of my mission besties
South Sac Zone!

April Fools

Hi everyone!

It has been another lovely week in the Cal Sac mission. I think I say
this like every week, but the weather here is so perfect right now! I
love being out & biking:)

So, Sister Christoffersen has been super sick this week. So that's been
pretty sad. One day she was just not feeling well at all so another
sister came and stayed with her in our apartment while sister Koyle and I got
to go out and bike all day! It was such a good day!! We were able to add
a new investigator and have a lesson with Jose! Jose is still
progressing, he's just a super busy guy! He's just got a lot of
stuff going on right now.

On Aprils fools day we went to a members house for dinner and we then
had dessert and she brought out tapioca pudding for dessert & let
me just tell you, I hate tapioca pudding!! But I ate it because that's
what you have to do when you're a missionary haha the third bite in,
I tasted something super nasty! I was like uhh what the heck! But I
kept chewing and it tasted like a paper towel, I was like "well I guess
I'll be nice and just swallow it!" Hahha I didn't know what else to do.
Then 2 minutes later I look over at sister Koyle & she's pulling
a nasty thing out of her mouth and I was like what the heck is that?
The member we were eating with yells "April fools, I put cotton balls
in your pudding!"  I was like "I ate mine!!!" everyone started
laughing so hard. So yeah that was embarrassing!

I seriously have no time to email so sorry this is so lame, but I hope
you all enjoyed general conference!!! It was the best. During the
first session during the closing prayer as the man who said the
closing prayer blessed the missionaries I started to cry! It was my
last time general conference as a full time missionary. I am just so
grateful to be a missionary!!! ❤️

Oh also I got to go to Coloma today with all the missionaries who go
home in July & August & it was one of the funnest days of my mission!!
So yeah life is going good.

Have a great week & CTR!

Love always,
Sister Sobotka