Maria Dolores

THE story of the week. The baptism that almost killed me. So it's Friday morning, and we're studying.  A member of the bishopric calls us and tells us that he thinks there's still water in the baptismal font from the other elders from a week ago.  So after we finish studying, we go to the chapel, and we open the doors and it just reeks of mold. Sure enough there's nasty week old water in the font.  I'm almost gagging!  The elders come to help us drain it and they bolt out of there.  We wait about an hour for the water to drain. Then I get to work with a mop and some bleach cleaning it out.  At this point it's about 2 and we're supposed to eat with a member at 2, but the closet is locked and that's how we turn the water on to refill it.  So we call the Bishop.  He has other appointments and so he has to come at 2:45.  This is the part where we tick off the member with a phone call about the situation and they don't want to bring the food to the chapel. Then the bishop comes with his huge key ring with about a million keys right?  Well not one of them works.  Then he pulls his tools out and literally takes the door off. We go to turn on the boiler.  We get one side lit but the other side was a little harder and it smells like gas and I'm thinking we are seriously going to blow up the church right now.  We say a prayer and get the boiler lit.  It takes two hours for the font to fill up. It hits 6:30 and Hermana María Dolores is no where to be found and isn't answering her phone. I´m thinking, there is no way that after all of this she doesn't come. Suddenly she and her son round the corner and I'm jumping in the air. 

Now this is where is gets good. We had the most beautiful baptismal service. Hermana Buttars and I sang ¨Yo sé que vive mi Señor¨We had parts going, tears were shed, but in all honesty, the Spirit was so strong. I LOVE this hymn. Then she was baptized by her son. As she was changing, I just felt the strongest Spirit. This is why we´re here, to help people get to this point. To help people be as prepared as she was to make covenants. I shared my testimony before leading the closing song and just blubbered like a baby. She´s truly working her way back to our Father in Heaven. I know that we´re going to the temple with her in a year. I just love her a ton and she is so special to me.