In the Service of the Lord

This week was very challenging yet very rewarding. So on Monday night my comp and I took a 7 hour bus ride to Montevideo, the Capital of Uruguay, for a leadership conference with our mission president. We spent Tuesday there and it all went great! However, I ate something that made me sick. Before getting on the 7 hour bus ride home, I noticed my stomach was not okay, but I ignored it, got on the bus and fell asleep. Anyway, after an hour, I woke up with pain in my stomach and jolted to the restroom. My stomach refused to process what I had eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner that day so the food all came out the way it came in. This pattern of running to the restroom to throw up was repeated about twice an hour for the next three days until Friday morning, when I got better! The mission doctor told me that I had a virus and that I had to stay in bed and drink gatorade. Hahah what a combination. I´m 100% okay now. I only tell you this story to avoid starting the blog with what happened on Friday.

So on Firday, we had a zone meeting with the missionaries in the department of Salto and it went well! We have a solid group of dedicated missionaries who know why they are here. We visited the Esponda family, had a great lesson with them and invited them to Maria´s baptism on Saturday!

On Saturday Morning, we received a text from a less active sister asking us to come by to give her a blessing of counsel and comfort. We were surprised by her text, but very happy to do it. She told us that she wanted to change her life and come back to church. So we shared a scripture with her, invited her to the baptism and to church the next day. And she came to both!
Then we went on divisions and I went to work with President Tate, 1st counselor in the stake presidency, and we had an incredible lesson on the Book of Mormon with Antonella (a new investigator). When we gave her the Book of Mormon, she was extremely happy and said "Yes! Finally!" She promised that she would read it and that she and her daughter would come to church on Sunday! Two promises that were fulfilled!
Then.....Maria´s baptism!!! It was perfect. Maria was very nervous yet extremely happy. After her baptism, she bore a powerful testimony. Her feelings of peace and joy brought her to tears at the end of the baptismal service. It was an amazing life-changing day for Maria. On Sunday she was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost. She will forever be a strong servant in the Kingdom of God.

This was by far one of the most rewarding weeks of my life. Fulfilled in the service of the Lord.
Elder Teloma

Playin with Pitbulls...oh yeah