Making guacamole with Jennifer

Orlando's 180-degree lifestyle change

We first saw Orlando sitting in his doorway with his head in his hands, crying. My companion Hna Infanzon and I approached and asked if we could help him. He replied that he was drunk and had gotten drunk because he was sad and really missed his wife. She had died about three years before.

Hna Infanzon and I felt strongly impressed to talk with him. We bore our testimonies that God had a plan that would allow Orlando to be together with his wife forever. He looked at us with pain in his eyes. Desperate for answers, but at the same time afraid to ask lest it turn out not to be true.

After scheduling a time to return and teach Orlando more when he was sober, Hna Infanzon and I went on our way. We were grateful for the experience and excited to return to visit Orlando. However, when we returned, the house was silent. No one answered the door. We left and returned on a different day. This time, a young neighbor boy announced helpfully that Orlando wasn’t ever home.

We returned a few more times to his house, but we never found him at home. Regretfully, we made plans to visit the house just once more before writing it off as "contacted."

As we approached Orlando's house for what we thought may be the last time, Hna Infanzon and I were overjoyed to see him sitting on the front step - exactly the same place in which we met him. This time, he was sober. He invited us in. Yanet, who was accompanying us that day, followed us into the house.

Orlando turned out to be every bit as prepared an investigator as we'd hoped. The Spirit wasted no time in witnessing to him the truthfulness of Joseph Smith's story. We didn't have to worry about bringing him to church; Orlando brought himself, and he always arrived early.

During the lesson on the Word of Wisdom, as we explained God wants us to keep our bodies clean of drugs and alcohol, Orlando told us that since the day he first met us, he hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol. He got choked up as he continued: "I feel happier now than I've felt in a long time."

We got choked up as we testified: "You will see your wife again."

I was transferred out of Apopa not long after that memorable lesson. Hna Infanzon and her new companion continued working with Orlando. He was baptized in July. The neighbor boy was also baptized, shortly thereafter.

I admire Orlando for his courage and faith. He made many changes in his life in order to align himself more with God. And oh, how God blessed that humble man in return!

The tropical heat of El Salvador

When I stepped off the plane and into the non-air-conditioned airport, my glasses fogged up instantly - my first taste of tropical, humid heat. I was in Apopa during the hottest time of the year (January-May), which is one of the hottest areas for sister missionaries. There were some nights when it was too hot to sleep. I figured out that if we kept all the windows open and I slept with frozen water bottles (like icy teddy bears), I could sleep through the night quite comfortably.

I heard some of the elders talking about what they did when it was too hot to sleep... basically they just exercised and wrestled one another until exhaustion overcame all. Elderes... :)

First attempt at making Salvadorean food

Today I tried making a quick and easy meal that I often ate in El Salvador: a tortilla with beans and avocado. Down there, beans are frequently mixed with cream cheese (queso crema). I personally also like onions, tomato, and cilantro, so I went the easy way out and just mixed the avocado with medium spicy salsa with fresh cilantro on top. Then I thought, all this is going to the same place anyway, and mixed my semi-homemade guacamole with the beans and cream cheese.

After utterly charboiling my first tortilla, the rest of my burritos turned out okay. Next time though, I'll have to be more careful about mixing everything better. The bean mixture came out kinda chunky. :) but delicious!

How my mission changed my life

About this time two years ago, I was waiting anxiously for a white envelope to arrive. My mission call. The letter that would finally tell me where I would be spending the next 18 months of my life.

My mission opened my eyes to many things. I learned to be grateful for things that seemed so natural before- things like air conditioning, having food on the table, and clean water. It taught me how to rely on the Lord, and provided limitless opportunities to practice following the Spirit. I am a much better person now than I was before- or at least, I'm trying to be.

If someone out there is even just half considering serving a mission, I encourage you to take a leap of faith and do it!