This was one of the best weeks of my mission!
Mostly, for the fact that Bryan Mandujano got baptized! For those of you who don't know, I started my mission in North Las Vegas in a Spanish Ward named El Rancho. While there, Elder Rivas and I were working very closely with Bryan. Over the course of the last year and a half since I left El Rancho, a few crazy things have happened to bring Bryan to last Saturday... His baptism. Here is his story. This week Bryan Mandujano and his wife got baptized. He is a true example of the love our Savior has for all of us and that our Savior's hand is always extended to us... no matter how far we think we are. Bryan was found by missionaries about 19 months ago. He has always had a sincere desire to follow Christ and be baptized but he has struggled with substance abuse and addictions for the last couple of years. Missionaries have taught him constantly and tried to help him for the last 18 months with dozens of potential baptismal dates which all failed because of his relapses. Many of us who taught him even began to question and lose faith that he would ever be able to overcome his addictions. At one point, it even got to where his girlfriend had a plane ticket to leave but at the last minute decided to stay with him. With their newborn son she felt she couldn't break up the family.
Things continued on for about 3 months after that. Just 1 month ago, Bryan was in the car with one of his friends that is a member of our church. They got in a really bad car wreck and his friend died because of the crash. Bryan was in a coma for a month and they weren't sure if he would make it, but he did come out of it. When he woke up he had limited use of his body and had permanent damage. However he said that during his coma, his friend who had died in the crash came to him and told him he was ok. His friend told Bryan that he didn't need to worry about him because he was in spirit paradise waiting for Bryan because he had made the covenant of baptism. Bryan immediately changed after that. From that point, he started progressing for real and since his first meeting with the missionaries. He finally was clean of drugs for the first time! All that remained for hi to enter into the covenant of baptism was to be married to his girlfriend Maria. This past Saturday Maria and Bryan were married and baptized directly after the wedding. For the past 18 months many missionaries have worked with Bryan and Maria and he finally has entered the fold. Bryan and Maria are now striving towards an eternal family through their future temple sealing and overcoming all the odds against them!
Maria, Bryan & their baby boy surrounded by many of the missionaries in the Nevada Las Vegas Mission that have taught and helped Bryan
Love,
Elder Isaac Faldmo
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