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!