ONE GIANT STEP FOR ERNIE

    Ernie P. lives in Judsonia, Arkansas.  I have known Ernie for many years.  We have gone to church together and have we worked for the same company.  Ernie is a very quiet man.  Last Monday I was going to El Paso to change my Arkansas license plates over to Texas plates, order more Bibles, and order more reading glasses.  Ernie sent me a text message asking me to give him a call when I had time.  So I called him during my 2-hour wait in line from Mexico to the U.S.  Ernie told me that he had a surprise for me.  He had done something that even he couldn't believe that he had done.  Shy and quiet Ernie had gone around asking people for financial help so that he could order more reading glasses for the people in Juarez.  Even I couldn't believe that he had done that.  NOT Ernie!!!

Ernie even went to one of the Dollar stores in Searcy, Arkansas and had the whole thing set up to where I would only have to pick up the glasses at one of their stores in El Paso.  Surely, NOT Ernie!!!

Eyeglasses are a luxury to many people here in Juarez.   I wear glasses and when I go to places where I've never been before people look at me strange, and the kids always stare at me.  I look around and I am the only one with eyeglasses. 

There are no words to express the joy that one feels when a person walks away with a pair of reading glasses and with the ability to study the scriptures again.  My heart is really moved when a child, who is failing is school due to poor eyesight, is suddenly able to see clearly again. That always brings me to tears.

Ernie and I visited on the phone while I waited in line and we came up with some ideas.  I am in need of reading glasses, however, I only need specific strengths, not just a large box with samples of every strength.  The Dollar stores have them at a bulk rate, but we can't order just the specific strenght that I need.   So I suggested to Ernie that he order them from the company that I get them from, which lets you order whatever strenght you need.  They are usually under a dollar per pair, even with shipping costs.  But there is a catch...the order must be a minimum of $200.  I told Ernie this and he told me that it was exactly the amount of money he had collected, $200.  Imagine that!!!  I told Ernie that I could put in the order but he wanted to do that himself.  No, NOT Ernie!!!

Ernie went ahead and put in the order.  He took care of everything, and later he let me know when to expect the reading glasses in the mail.  It was a real blessing. 

But this story is not about glasses.  It's about stepping out of our comfort zone.  I preached a sermon last friday night about the Parable Of The Talents in Matthew chapter 25.  Three servants received 5, 2, and 1 talent each.  The first two went out and doubled their talents. The servant who got the one talent was paralyzed by fear, so he just buried his talent.  The Master gave out talents according to each man's ability.  The Master KNEW that this man could handle the one talent, yet he was fearfu, so he did... NOTHING.  In the end he is cast into outer darkness for being lazy and unfaithful.  Fear is one of Satan's favorite weapons.

God has given each one of us talents.  We need to learn how to tap into our talents by stepping out in faith. We can't afford to bury them and go through life as if we have nothing to do for God's Kingdom.  I appreciate Ernie for stepping out of his comfort zone.  Knowing Ernie it had to be very dificult...at first.  He found out that he could do something that he never knew that he could do.  It may seem like a small thing to others, but to Ernie it was a huge step.  And he was very blessed.  And many will be blessed by him.  Thanks, Ernie.



I have included some pictures from a church that I visited last December.  There were about 70 to 80 happy people as they received a pair of reading glasses.  I usually stay so busy during these times that I don't have time for pictures. Some of the eyeglasses shown still have the strenght label on them, and some still have the white part of the tag right over the nose area.  Tomorrow I will go to El Paso and pick up Ernie's gift.





Daniel Torres                                                                        for tax receipts send contribution to:
11985 Pellicano                                                                     Covenant Fellowship
Ste. G, Box 169                                                                     P.O. Box 8126
El Paso, Texas  79936                                                            Searcy, AR. 72145

THE APPLE OF GOD'S EYE

THE MINISTRY TEAM: LUISITO, RODRIGO, LIZETH, AND ENRIQUE 

There was a time in Juarez, Mexico that the murder rate was over 3,000 a year.  I don't know how many years that went on, or if the numbers have truly dropped as the politicians would make us believe.  The fact is that the number of murders accounts for the very high number of orphans and widows in Juarez. Add to that the number of fathers who are in jail for robbery and other crimes, the ones who just decide to pack up and leave simply because their manhood (machismo) is compromised because they can't provide for their families, and even the ones who for the same reasons commit suicide, we soon get a reality check on what's happening in Juarez. So the City keeps growing with orphans, orphanages, and widows. The sins of the world have taken a toll on the most innocent: the children. They grow up in the streets. Many are bitter, angry, feeling the daily pains of hunger, uneducated, without hope, without direction, without a dad, many times without a mom, and without love. The drug cartels offer them a way out of poverty and many of them go into a life of crime. Then they begin to have kids and the cycle continues. It is very frustrating to see this going on...and very heartbreaking. What do you do?

LUISITO TAKES JOY IN HELPING WITH THE MEALS.
CUBED POTATOES AND LENTIL SOUP.

There are ministries in the City trying to reach out to these kids and families. God has placed it in the hearts of many to start feeding centers where kids and moms can come and receive a free meal once, twice, maybe three times a week. The kids go through a Sunday School type lesson before each meal, with prayer, worship, encouragement, games, and lots of love.
I have attended some of these feeding centers. One particular time the kids sat around the table and before offering thanks for the food the kids were asked to give a short testimony. One little boy stood up and thanked God because, as he put it, "Today I won't go hungry". All the adults workers stare at each other and fight the tears.

THE CHILDREN PLAY WHILE FOOD IS PREPARED

Wednesday morning I went out for a Prayer-Walk and passed one of these Children's Feeding Centers. It's only three short blocks from my house. I had passed it several times before but this time the Lord wanted me to stop in even though it was about 6 hours before they would offer a free evening meal. One of the men who helps out was on the premises and he was more than glad to let me visit with him. His name is Luisito Perez. I told him who I was and he gladly showed me around the place. By Juarez standards the place was big and comfortable. The kids had ample room for play and for eating. The eating area was outside, so eventually that would be a problem when the cold weather hits again. Luisito and Enrique Valle, the man who oversees the ministry live on the premises. There is a married couple, Rodrigo Campos and Lizeth Ferrazas, who are helpers, mentors, and counselors. Together these 4 adults do all they possibly can on a very limited budget to provide meals, teaching,  and love for the kids that come. They feed about 50 kids. I came back that same evening to visit the operation while the kids were there and to meet the rest of the small team. I promised the team that I would help them in whatever way I could. I also promised them that I would bring in a team of clowns to minister to the kids in a couple of weeks. The name given to this Children's Feeding Center is The Apple Of God's Eye. A very fitting name as we all know the special place that children have in the heart of Jesus. I thank God for people like the ones I met at this ministry. They are making huge sacrifices to change the City we live in.
About three weeks ago I was at a similar Children's Feeding Center. When I was leaving, 5 of the children stopped me. They asked me if I would lead them in a prayer so that they may accept Jesus as Savior. I couldn't believe my ears. I had them to hold hands as I prayed. They all closed their eyes. They repeated my prayer and smiled. I got lots of hugs. I told them that when I returned in one week that I would bring each one a Children's New Testament. A week later while approaching the ministry I wondered if they had forgotten about the Bibles. But before I parked they were all surrounding my vehicle and waiting on their Bibles.
The last time that I had a Pastor's Meeting I encouraged all the Pastors to get their churches involved in some kind of feeding program. If we can reach children for Jesus we can change an entire generation. Filling their little bellies and then filling their hearts with the love of Jesus is the way to go.

THE PLACE OF JOY. WHERE LIVES ARE CHANGED AS NEEDS ARE MET.

Ministries like these are opportunities for others to do something special. For a small amount of funds a lot of kids can receive a good meal and lots of love. As with any other project that I am involved in, if anyone wishes to assist these Children Feeding ministries just send any amount to my address in El Paso or to Covenant Fellowship and we will see that they get the funds that are sent.



Daniel Torres                                                                  For tax-deductible contributions:
11985 Pellicano                                                              Covenant Fellowship
Ste. G, Box 169                                                              P.O. Box 8126
El Paso, Texas 79936                                                     Searcy, AR 72145
d_torres53@yahoo.com

WHEN VISIONS BECOME A REALITY

Sometimes we stand in awe when we get to witness a vision turn into reality right before our eyes.  I will start with a quick review of how this vision came about.  About 50 years ago when I was just a small child, my dad had chickens running loose around the house.  He also had caged rabbits. We enjoyed many meals from the eggs, chickens, and rabbits.  One particular day my dad asked a young lady from across the dirt road if she would like to try out a special chicken recipe he had prepared.  She agreed and took some home.  She came back bragging about my father's chicken.  My father had lied to her.  It wasn't chicken, it was rabbit.  But he knew that she would never eat one of those cute little furry animals.  When he told her the truth she became furious. 
Not long after moving to this needy of City of Juarez, Mexico the Lord brought back that 50 year old experience.  The point being that if the young lady can be fooled into thinking that rabbit meat was chicken meat, then rabbit meat has to be as good, if not better tasting, than chicken meat.  The Lord wanted me to initiate a Chicken-Hare Project.  It would provide eggs, chicken and rabbit meat to the poorest of the poor.  Most importantly, it would also provide opportunity to share the gospel message with the people.  Oftentimes Jesus would share the gospel but He would feed the masses before they left.  This ministry would work the same way.  Food for the Spirit, food for the body. The Lord spoke to me about this at the end of 2011.  Then the Lord connected me with 2 engineers, who are husband and wife, who said that they wanted to help.  Octavio and Teresa asked an American ladder company here in the City of Juarez for materials.  The materials took a couple of months to show up.  In the meantime I asked the Lord where He wanted the Chicken-Hare Project started.  The Lord led me to Pastor Luis Garcia, whose church is in one of the poorest sections of Juarez.  Prior to that I had only met Pastor Luis once, and that was only for a couple of minutes.  I went to visit the Pastor after setting up a meeting via phone.  He took me to his tiny office so he could hear what I had come for.  But before he heard my story he wanted me to help him understand a dream that he had the previous night.  I am not Joseph or Daniel, I thought.  I don't have the gift to discern dreams, but I let him go on with the story of his dream.  He said his dream only involved one word, but it was an English word which he did not know.  He had the same dream several times.  He had asked his wife and she told him that I knew English and to just wait til I got there.  Pastor Luis found a piece of paper to write down the word and he shows it to me asking me what the English word meant.  The word was PROJECT.  I sat back on my chair, amazed, and with a knot in my throat.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing as the Pastor kept holding the word in front of me.   I told the Pastor what that PROJECT all about.  We prayed about the project, and left it in God's hands.
Three weeks ago we finally broke ground.  We made up the plans as we went.  We just kept asking God for guidance.  I kept making trips to El Paso to buy supplies because they are much cheaper there.  Sometimes I would get in a pinch and had to buy some things in Juarez.  The day we poured the concrete we were there 13 hours.  We worked into the night hoping to finish.  We used the headlights in my car to be able to see what we were doing.  Pastor Luis' wife, Sylvia, would prepare us lunch and sometimes dinner.  I kept her pantry stocked for this.  We had a lot of help.  Men without work volunteered to help.  Women wanted to help.  They were excited and wanted to be part of this blessing.  Kids wanted to help. 
We finally got to the point where we needed to build individual nest boxes for the chickens.  I didn't really know how I would do it.  One evening I was in bed and I asked the Lord for guidance in building the nest boxes and I went on to think about other things.  Suddenly the Lord shows me how to do the nest boxes.  He showed me 5 gallon bucked on its side.  Very simple and effective.  I shared that with the agricultural engineers and they were amazed at the simplicity and convenience of using 5 gallon buckets.  That day as I drove back to the church I asked the Lord where I was going to get  5 gallon buckets.  And there on the side of the road was a man who had them for sale.  He had exactly the number of buckets that I wanted.  Imagine that!! 

We finished the chicken and rabbit house, with an area for the chickens to wander around and scratch the dirt.  I still have to build individual cages for the rabbits.  Currently, I am waiting on the engineers to drive me an hour away from Juarez where they say we can start buying the animals at a very reasonable price.  Eventually we will need more materials and feed for the animals.  It would be an incredible blessing to carry these same plans to the hundreds and hundreds of poor churches and orphanages throughout the City of Juarez.  The bottom line is the souls that will be reached and blessed.
I stand back in delight.  I look at this project and realize how it once was just a thought, an idea, a dream...a vision. 
I thank my Lord, who is the only one who can turn the invisible into the visible.  He puts the thoughts in the heart of man, and He helps us every step of the way to make those dreams a REALITY.



Anyone desiring to help with this project and other projects in Juarez may send financial gifts to my address in El Paso.  If you need a statement for tax-deductions, please send your contributions to Covenant Fellowship listed below. 


Daniel Torres                                                                              Covenant Fellowship
11985 Pellicano                                                                           P.O. Box 8126
Ste. G, Box 169                                                                           Searcy, AR 72143
El Paso, Texas 79936
 d_torres53@yahoo.com

ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

I have written several times about Elvis in my e-mails.  Last week a chapter in the life of this young man was closed, and a new one is about to open.  Angelica Lopez was cutting hair in her salon back in December 27th of last year.  She said that the Lord spoke to her to close up her shop and go to downtown Juarez, which was about a 40 minute drive.  She closed up and left.  She knew that she was sent to witness to the masses that afternoon.  She walked up to a large Catholic Cathedral. Sitting on the steps she spotted a young man who later she came to know as Elvis.  Elvis had not eaten or drank anything in three days.  She walked to a store and brought him food and drink.  He handed him some tracts and eventually led Elvis to the Lord.  Elvis had made a 23 day trip from Honduras to Juarez.  His purpose was to reach the U.S. of  A. and live the American dream.  He and his family were suffering in their native country and so one day he packed up a couple of things, and without notice, left his mom and his one-year old daughter.  He thought he could be of more help if he lived in America.  During the 23 day journey he saw horrible things.  He was assaulted by the Federal Police, robbed by them, and at one time was made to strip naked along with many others while their clothes were searched for valuables.  Most of the trip was made by jumping on moving freight trains.  The rest by walking.  He saw hundreds trying to jump these freight trains.  He saw pregnant women run to catch up with them.  He saw father's, with kids on their shoulders, making the run.  He saw a teenage boy fall under the wheels of the moving train.  Both legs were instantly cut off.  He heard the cries of the young boy.  Elvis would go days without food.  At times Christians would stand by as the train went by and they would throw food up to those who were making the "Great Escape".  Elvis suffered through freezing temperatures to make it to his dreamland.  Twenty-three days later he arrives at Juarez.  Now he is just one step away from his destination.  He went around asking for food.  He offered to work for food.  There were no takers. For three days!!!  Finally he finds the Catholic Cathedral and sits there wondering what to do next.  He was so close, yet so far from his dream. He looks up and his Heaven-sent Angel looks at him.  God had made a connection.  Angelica had arrived.  After food, drink, and the experience of meeting Jesus, the Savior, Angelica asks him to come with her.  For over 3 months she offered him room and board.  She would pick him up and drive him to church.  She would introduce him to all her family and friends.  Including me.  I had the pleasure of taking Elvis with me just about everywhere I went to reach out to the poor, to the hospitals, to preach, to witness...to minister.  Elvis began to grow in Christ.  He put down strong roots.  Many times I told Elvis that he had already found his fortune.  He no longer needed to risk going into the U.S.  I suggested that, in time, he return to Honduras and re-unite with his family and his daughter.  Even with the very high unemployment rate in Juarez, someone offered Elvis a job. Angelica's neighbor had seen Elvis and asked if he would help him in his engine shop.  Elvis worked hard with the man for almost a month.  Eventually he had enough money to make the 6-day bus ride back to Honduras.  I spent the last two days before he left with him.  I took him to Pastors that he had met while traveling with me and they prayed for him and counseled him.  Elvis cried at every stop.  Finally I drove him to the bus stop.  It was a bitter-sweet moment.  Angelica went with us.  She cried too.  Elvis had become like a blood brother to her.  God brought him to her and to me for a purpose.  He has a bright future ahead in the arms of the Lord. He has learned how to live by faith and how to trust in God.  We left Elvis but I'm sure that we will hear about him again.  When we least expected. 

THE HIRED KILLER

I met a "Sicario" a while back.  A sicario is a hired killer.  They make a lot of money.  He has always been very nice to me.  I knew without a doubt that someday I would meet someone like him.  I just didn't knew it would be this soon.  He respected me even though I tried speaking to him about his errors and God's love.  He spoke to me about the horrible things that he did, but the love of money had him bound.  One time I asked him if he realized that he was surely sending people to hell, without God.  He told me that I was wrong.  He explained to me how before he kills them that he makes them get on their knees and ask forgiveness for their sins.  I told him that he was wrong, they were repenting, but not from their hearts.  Then I asked him about his own salvation, and about the possibility of someone killing him.  He told me that he knew how to ask forgiveness for his wrong doings.  To me it sounded like pure mockery.  We would shake hands and speak again another time.  Last Tuesday afternoon I looked behind me in church and he was walking in.  He was carrying a large object wrapped in a black plastic.  I knew that it was his shotgun.  Under his shirt he carried a revolver.  I was surprised that he was there and even more surprised that he carried his weapon into church.  But I guess I was the only one there who knew that he was carrying in two weapons.  At the end of the sermon he came forward and asked the Lord into his heart.  He was at the altar with his weapons.  We prayed.  He wept.  After the service, outside the church, I asked him what had happened.  He told me that was time.  It was time that he changed his life.  He has a lot of obstacles ahead.  Now he will be the one who is being hunted.  He will no longer make huge amounts of money in a poverty stricken land.  He has a hard road ahead, but with God all things are possible. 

THE SHOES OF THE HAIRSTYLIST

His name is Daniel Garcia.  He gave his testimony at the second church service that I attended last Sunday.  For 20 years he dressed like a woman, spoke like a woman, walked like a woman, acted like a woman.  He worked as a hairstylist by day; by night he was a prostitute.  Many of his friends were dying of AIDS.  His customers at the hair shop knew him as Adriana. They never questioned his femininity.  They would have never believed that Adriana was actually a man who pumped his body with hormones and wore mini skirts.  His body had become the body of a woman.  When he got on the bus men would stand up and relinquish their seats to Adriana.  When he stood in a long line men would proudly and gladly let him move to the front.  His family rejected him.  Daniel hated his lifestyle.  He would try to speak like a man, walk like a man, and act like a man, but failed on all counts.  He felt trapped.  Then someone spoke to him about a man that could get him out of this lifestyle.  He had heard of Jesus before but he doubted His power to set him free.  But one day Daniel grabbed his purse and walked into a church wearing his mini skirt.  He was desperate and curious about Jesus.  The church service moved Daniel and his heart.  Before long he was kneeling at the altar.  With the miracle working power of Jesus, Daniel got up from the altar and was 100% delivered from the demons that overpowered him.  Daniel got up from the altar a totally free man.  Immediately all the female manifestations in his life departed.  Daniel was totally set free.  He returned to the hair shop as Daniel, not Adriana.  When they asked him about Adriana he told his customers that Adriana died.  Twelve years later Daniel Garcia is an evangelist who preaches under the powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit.  He walks like a man, talks like a man, and is proud to be who he was created to be.  He is happily married and has 3 kids.  His wife is a fireball for the Lord. She has been preaching since she was a teenager.  Recently he was invited to be at a television program to speak about his sexuality.  He baffled all the experts who have the crazy notion that it would be impossible for a man like Daniel to be a full man.  We just celebrated Easter.  Daniel's powerful testimony is proof of the RESURRECTION power of Christ to set the captives free.  The resurrection broke the devil's back and Satan lost the war.  We have become more than conquerors through Christ.

LIVES TRANSFORMED BY THE POWER OF JESUS

 

About a month ago I woke up out of a sound sleep and was unable to fall asleep again.  I turned on the television expecting to find nothing interesting but a program caught my attention immediately.  It was the testimony of a man whose life started off on the wrong foot almost from the very beginning of his life.  I only caught the last ten minutes of the program.  I didn't even get the man's name.  However, his life was radically changed by the power of Jesus and today he pastor's a church.  I went back to bed so impressed with what I had witnessed that I asked the Lord to allow me to meet that pastor someday. 

The next day I shared that moment with a Christian friend who is a hairstylist.  She was impressed with the partial story that I told her.  Less than two weeks later she calls me to tell me that she had shared with one of her customers about the testimony that I had seen on T.V.  The customer, she said, went to that pastor's church.  I went to the salon to speak to the customer.  At the time the pastor was out of town.  But I found out where his church was.  It was only about 5 minutes from my house.  I didn't even know that the pastor lived in Juarez.  I thought he lived in another city.  The day that he returned to the pulpit was the day that I met Pastor Martin Nuñez.  God had answered my prayer about meeting this pastor.  His nickname is El Gatito, or the Little Cat.  

Pastor Nuñez is about 37 years old.  His wife's name is Leti.  Their humble church has a rehabilitation center for drug and alcohol addicts.  They recently bought property right next to the church to start another ministry focusing on troubled youth.  They have been interviewed by news people from practically all over the world.  I want to share their story.

Martin's mother stabbed her husband when Martin was only two years old.  She received a sentence of 10 years in a Mexican prison.  It's hard to believe and understand but here you can bring your kids to prison with you.  So Martin's mother took him along for the ten years.  While in prison she had two more kids.  Again, it is unthinkable but jailers here make a lot of profit by selling the female inmates to the male inmate population.  For a certain amount of money a woman is dragged out of her cell and placed in a cell with men where she is repeatedly raped.  Hours later the women are returned to their cells, often beat up, bruised, bleeding...

Martin was used by the inmates to carry concealed drugs from one cell to the next and return the payments to the drug dealers inside the jail.  By the age of 12 Martin knew all about drugs.  He knew how to sell them, and he knew how to use them.  When the veins in his arms were no longer useful he would inject his neck. When he got out at 12 he had a job waiting outside. 

When he got caught and was sent to prison, to him it was like being sent home.  Prison was where he was raised.  

By the age of 16 he had already committed murder.  He stabbed one man about seven times and, if that wasn't enough, he took a concrete block and in a rage destroyed the man's head.  He was also arrested and put in jail for car theft.  Martin was so out of control that he was in solitary for 4 years.  Martin's grandparents, parents, and practically all his family were all drug dealers and users.  In this world Martin didn't stand a chance.  

Martin wanted to end his life.  He stabbed himself but he survived.  He cut his arms at the bend of the elbow, he cut his throat, all to no avail.  He would meet with a counselor who often told him that if he continues his life in that way that it's going that he would be reincarnated as a cow or a donkey.  Martin didn't care.

Finally a glimpse of hope arrived, although Martin didn't appreciate it.  A preacher came to see Martin.  He told Martin that Jesus loved him.  Martin cursed him and threw him out.  But the power of those simple words penetrated his very being.  The words would not stop echoing in Martin's heart.  He would cover his ears with blankets to try and stop the sound of the words which had taken root in his spirit.  But the roots of those powerful words kept growing.

Finally, in a moment of complete hopelessness, young Martin cried out to God and begged Him to change his life.  Immediately he felt God's soothing presence.  At 22 he was born again.  Martin had found a new home!!

Martin asked to see the Prison director.  He wanted to see the preacher again and apologize for the way he spoke to him that day.  He also asked him for prison liberties.  Martin wanted a job but with his reputation no one wanted him.  Not even in prison.  He was finally given a job where for the first time in his life he began to appreciate God's creation.  Martin was actually taking the time to look UP and see God's handiwork. 

Within three months of his conversion experience Martin was preaching in prison.  It was there that he met Leti.  She was a drug dealer.  Eventually they got permission and were married in prison.  Before long his prison ministry was attracting from 400 to 500 inmates.  Many were saved.  The day came when they both walked out of prison free.  Totally and radically free!!

Today, Martin and Leti continue to reach out to the lost.  Their church is located in the same building where Leti used to deal drugs.  Martin is a very gifted and anointed speaker.  I have been very impressed with his knowledge of the scriptures.  At the front of the church a man, who was once a drug addict, can be seen dancing and rejoicing because he has finally received his own personal copy of the Bible.  The excitement that is felt inside that church is the contagious.  It is a place of hope where the captives, like it's pastors,  are being set free. 



Daniel Torres
11985 Pellicano
Ste. G, Box 169
El Paso, Texas 79936

d_torres53@yahoo.com