Sister Lauren Arnold: A Journey To God Over Years of Heartache

This Week in the Nevada, Reno Mission

Hector is one of my favorite individuals to meet with! He has overcome challenges right and left and his story is truly miraculous!!!

 He was born in Puerto Rico and went to grade school with his sweet heart Gladis. Life was hard for him growing up and he was a rebellious fellow. After high school, he and Gladis went their different ways and he ended up studying accounting, then during his last year decided there was more to life and joined the marines. He became an underwater ice expert and traveled all over the world (including the North Pole). While doing all of this he played upper level basket ball and baseball and even coached too. Then went back and took his CPA exam and now he is CFO of a green energy company. During this same time, he was married, divorced, and angry with God because he felt like there was something more but he had no idea what it was.

 As he became CFO of this green energy company he took many business trips to Puerto Rico. While there, he ran into Gladis and they reconnected and fell in love all over again. They realized they were each other's love of their life and even though time had past God put them together again to find each other. What is most wonderful though is that Gladis is a member of the LDS church. She helped Hector see how God had guided him through his life and never left him alone; but was always there. Hector knew Gladis had faith and her faith was one of the things he loved about her. She wore her religion on her sleeve and started to share the gospel with him.

 Hector went back to the US but him and Gladis continued their relationship and gospel discussions. She prompted him to go to church and then he just showed up at our sacrament meeting (with Gladis in his ear on Blue tooth). Since then he has regularly been meeting with the missionaries and is now preparing himself for baptism and eventually to be sealed in the temple to Gladis. His testimony of the Lord and his gospel has just been blossoming every single day! It has been amazing to see how the Lord has watched over Hector his whole life and prepared him to hear the gospel at this time. Our God is a God of miracles and Hector's life has been one I've been witness to recently.