CONNECTIONS....WHAT MAKES THE BLESSINGS FLOW.

ITALIAN MISSIONARY LEONARDO CINGARY AND MYSELF.

One of the things that constantly amazes me is the way in which the Lord uses me to connect the body of believers to work in harmony in accomplishing His work.  From the simplest of tasks to major accomplishments the Lord is working to see that it all gets done for the furtherance of His kingdom.  This is what the Lord wants us to do...to find a need and meet that need.  In order to connect blessings with needs the Lord has led me to meet a lot of different people with different types of ministries in the 13 months that I have been serving as a full-time Missionary in Juarez, Mexico.

CHILDREN RUNNING TO HELP SET UP.

LEONARDO'S TENT.

For instance, recently I met Pastor Marie Lara who didn't have anyone to lead the worship services at her new church.  The Lord had provided her and her husband with a great looking building to hold services. They started having church services 2 months ago. But they were without a worship leader.  Pastor Marie told me about her need and asked me to help her.  This was not a problem.  I just happened to know the perfect individual who could help her out.  I went to look for Manuel Ojeda, who is not only a great worship leader but he also plays the keyboard so well that you would think that an entire orchestra was in the room.  Manuel is also an excellent preacher.  Manuel was looking for a place to use his God-given talents aside from serving at his father's church.  Pastor Marie has services on Sunday at 11:30am and Manuel's father's church meets at 5pm, so there was no conflict in time.  Manuel could minister in both churches without a problem.  All I had to do was make the connection.  I made plans with Manuel last Sunday morning.  I picked him up at home and we both showed up at Pastor Marie's church.  Manuel not only led the worship but Pastor Marie also asked him to speak.  I made the connection and now Manuel will be coming to work with Pastor Marie on Sundays.  

CHILDREN ENJOYING THE OUTREACH

PIÑATA TIME....

A similar connection happened recently.  I was visiting the offices of Spanish American Evangelistic Ministries, a Spanish tract ministry in El Paso.  The Director of the ministry, Bety Garcia, showed me a small shipment of medical supplies that she had received as a donation to the people in Juarez.  Bety asked me if I knew what she could do with the supplies.  I knew of a Christian clinic in Juarez that would be thrilled to receive the donation.  I made the connection and soon a Doctor showed up at the tract ministry to take the supplies across the border to the clinic in Juarez.   

THE TENT CAN SEAT 450 PEOPLE.

GOODIES TO BE GIVEN OUT TO KIDS.

I realized the need to get Christians in Juarez baptized.  Very few churches have a place to baptize their people and since we live in the desert there are no ponds, rivers, or lakes to baptize them.  I contacted a portable baptistry manufacturer and they donated a unit, free of charge to the work in Juarez.  I actually have 2 units, and both were donated.  Last week there were 12 people baptized in one of the units. 

Last week I finally met another full-time Missionary to Juarez (I'll write more about him in this article).  His name is Leonardo.  He has a tent ministry and last weekend he had set it up at a Christian School for a three-day outreach.  He had a major problem.  He needed a team of men to help him take down the tent on Monday morning.  The Christian School offered him some students, but he needed major muscle power.  I knew that just a couple of miles down the road Pastor Javier Castrejon, who runs a Christian rehab center for ex-addicts and alcoholics, may be able to send help.  I made the Call to Pastor Castrejon and on Monday morning 20 men from the center gladly showed up to help with the tent.  The tent was down and put up in only 6 hours.  The men from the Rehab Center were thrilled to give back to God's work and Missionary Leonardo was blessed.  The connection was a blessing to both teams.

CLOWNS REACHING KIDS FOR JESUS

HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM

Recently a new project was started in Juarez by a hand full of people to try to bring more blessings to the City of Juarez.  We meet every Tuesday to come up with ways to help the multitudes here in Juarez.  There are tens of thousands of widows and orphans in Juarez due to the murders of the past few years.  There are an untold number of kids and elderly folk who go without food daily.  The basic necessities of life are far beyond the reach of the majority of people in Juarez and surrounding areas.  Our small team was very excited when a ministry in McAllen, Texas, about 800 miles away from El Paso, offered to donate 20 tons of food, clothing, and shoes.  This would be a huge blessing for the City of Juarez and its people.  The problem was getting the 20 tons of donated items from McAllen to El Paso.  But I had my connections already. I just made a call to Francisco (Paco) Salas, President of Root International in Mexico, who lives in Juarez.  I met Paco a few months ago and we have worked together in the past.  I invited Paco to join us at the next meeting and....yes, Root International will be able to help get the 20 tons of blessings from McAllen to El Paso (more details on that later in this article).  As an added blessing Paco informed us that Root international has received a gift of another 20 tons of nothing but rice.  The shipment of rice has already been brought to El Paso where it is waiting Mexican government approval so that it may be crossed over to Juarez.  This is, without a doubt, a great blessing. 

Connections are of vital importance in God's kingdom.  I have been very blessed as the Lord continually brings new people in my life.  Every time that I meet someone new I know that He has brought them to me for a purpose.  I know that sooner or later my new acquaintance will play a major role in God's work as He brings together the members of His Kingdom to hold hands with one another in unity and love...all for His Glory and Honor. 

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MORE GOODIES THROWN OUT TO ALL

KIDS ENJOYING THE CLOWN ACT

I continue to purchase Bibles to give away to those in need of them.  I never cease to be amazed at the joy in a Christian's face when they receive a new paperback Bible.  I know that most Christians in the U.S. have a super abundance of Bibles in their homes.  I have seen grown men weep as they receive a new Bible.  Most Christians in Juarez cannot afford a Bible and there are very, very few Christian bookstores in Juarez. 

I keep a steady supply of beans, rice, and other things with me to give out as I run into people with needs.  You don't have to look hard in Juarez to find families and ministries who have no food. 

I also carry reading glasses with me to hand out to those who can't see to read their Bibles.  This has been a great blessing to many.

Recently I have also been helping many people avoid surgery by providing them with the means to pass gall stones.  People cannot thank me enough when I show them how to avoid this type of surgery, plus it provides a means to share the gospel with many.   

I wanted to mention Missionary Leonardo Cingary again. He has been in Juarez for 8 years.  He comes from Italy and his wife is from England.  He speaks perfect Spanish.  He has used his tent in 50 outreaches thus far, and each outreach lasts for several days.  I have posted some pictures of the most recent outreach to children in Casas Grande, Juarez.  I have been blessed to meet Leonardo.  I no longer feel like the Lone Ranger in Juarez.  The Lord is preparing more full-time Missionaries to come to this City to help with the great move that He has already begun. 

Lastly, I wanted to briefly mention some of the Mexican government requirements for bringing bulk items across the border to Juarez.  First of all, used clothing are not allowed, no matter how clean and de-contaminated.  Even new clothing has to be approved.  If the clothing is made in China it may not meet Mexican standards and may be refused.  A list of every single item has to be made, including brand, size, amount per box, and amount per pallet.  Expiration date is also a must.  If the items expire in less than 4 months they will not be accepted.  The list is turned in to Customs in Juarez, they send the list to Mexico City, where it goes through the channels of approval/disapproval, and it is returned to Customs in Juarez, who then contact the organization making the initial request.  That's why anything that expires in 4 months will not be approved.  We will follow the government's requirements to the letter in hopes of getting help to the Mexican people.  We realize that governments are set up by the Lord and they have their purpose.  We pray that the channels will be opened for us and that favor will be on our side so that we may bless and reach as many for the Kingdom of God as possible.

Some of my days here are long.  There are days that I get home at 9 or 10 pm.  Yet, I still ask the Lord why it was me that was chosen to receive such a huge blessing.  Why was I chosen to come to Juarez?  What did I do to be so honored? I didn't do anything!!!  I am just a small part of the over-all team.  It's all God's abundant grace.  It's all God's great love.  Truly we are all very blessed. 

Daniel Torres

11985 Pellicano

Ste. G, Box 169

El Paso, Texas 79936

STARTING THE SECOND YEAR IN JUAREZ

Gregoria Reyes

On August 1st, I started my second year as a full-time missionary in Juarez, Mexico.  It is hard to believe that time has gone by so fast.  It has been an incredible and blessed first year.  The most amazing thing is that I KNOW without a doubt that God's blessings will be even greater as time goes by.  I have seen a lot of souls come to the Lord in the past year and multitudes blessed.  I have struggled with loneliness, extreme cold and heat, and attacks of Satan.  Untold number of times I have come home and broken down over God's blessings and how He has used me.  And many, many times I have come home and travailed in tears at the sufferings that I have seen and in which I felt so helpless.  The sufferings here are indescribable and almost impossible for those in the U.S. to visualize and understand.  After a year here I still do not have a kitchen, nor do I have hot water.  Those are comforts that I sorely miss.  My biggest pain right now is that I have not seen any of my 3 daughters in 5 months.  I have never gone that long without seeing my girls.  Yet I have been blessed with wonderful daughters who understand the work that I have been called to.  Yet, my pain remains.  (My oldest daughter, Christina, will be receiving her Master's Degree soon and she also landed the job of her dreams, which is working at the Orpheum Theater in Memphis,TN). My comfort is that our life on earth is but a candle in the wind, and we must seize every moment to make it count for God's Kingdom.

Margarita

Antonio, Ruben, and Margarita

Pastor Abel's kids. Bath time.

My first year in Juarez was to close out with 14 days in which we had 20 services planned with a family that came from Orlando, Florida.  The first week was great, but at the start of the second week I received a call at 2:20am telling me that they were going back to Orlando.  Nothing else was said and I thought that maybe I was having a nightmare.  Unfortunately, it wasn't.  So I was left with several churches to call and apologize to.  I still have no idea what happened, but a few of those churches had gone through great pains and expenses to host the family.  I also went through some expense.  I covered the preaching in most of the churches, however it wasn't me that they were expecting.  I was sick to my stomach for the rest of the week because I felt so bad for the Pastors who had programmed all this at my asking.  I felt very responsible.   

RUBEN

Yesterday morning I was with a group of Pastors and leaders from the U.S. and Juarez.  We met to discuss a 3-day crusade that is coming to Juarez in October.  The crusade is estimated to cost $50,000US, so it will be a massive venture.  It's also a faith venture, we're trusting in the Lord to provide the funds.  We have more meetings planned before the day of the crusade.  

One most recent blessing to me has been a ministry in El Paso called S.A.E.M., Spanish American Evangelistic Ministries.  They have been printing gospel tracts for Spanish countries for about 48 years.  This ministry has a small campus which has several buildings, each with a purpose to aid Juarez.  One building is used as a small warehouse for clothing, shoes, and other much needed items to be taken to Mexico.  People send donations here and Pastors or leaders can come to S.A.E.M. to pick them up.  The ministry goes through great trouble to keep the donations neat and organized.  They also get food to distribute to Mexico.  I have taken lots of rice and beans across the border which were given to me by S.A.E.M.  The ministry is also able to house small teams who want to come to minister and bless Juarez.  One such team from Ray of Hope Church in Comanche, Oklahoma was there a couple of weeks ago.  I was invited to cross over and meet these fine folk who truly have a great heart for Juarez.  My hope is to stay connected with this team.  Thanks to Ken and Carolyn for their love for Juarez.  Another personal blessing from this ministry was that they have opened their doors and are allowing me to stay at their premises anytime I wish.  I took advantage of that a week ago and I was gone from Juarez for almost 24 hours.  The house that I was given to me for that day had a bedroom and a kitchen/living room combination.  It is fully furnished and has pots and pans, and plates, and everything needed for a comfortable stay.  My most exciting part was the use of the shower with HOT water.  Thank you, Jesus!!!  This ministry is looking for a full time missionary to help in the office.  They need computer experience and must be bi-lingual.

Pastor Abel's kids

I still seem to keep finding folk who are suffering from gall stones or have been scheduled for gall bladder surgery.  I have helped many people like this with remarkable results.  Few things make a person happier than to know that a simple 4-day fast will avoid a surgery.  My most recent case was Gregoria Reyes, 60 (pictured).  Her daughter is single and has 6 kids.  I often take food to her.  Last week she was in tears because her mom (Gregoria) was in the hospital.  Later I found out that Gregoria had been released and scheduled for gall bladder surgery.  I went to see her.  I knocked and knocked and she finally came to the door.  She was bent over as she came to the door.  She was in deep pain.  She told me that she was in the bedroom praying that her Jesus would send her another way to get rid of the stones without surgery.  I smiled and told her, "I'm here!!"  During her hospital stay, even in her pain, she was helping one of the ladies in her ward who had just had gall bladder surgery.  She would get up and help her with the wounds and try to make her comfortable.  She saw the terrible pain that the lady was in and could only think that in one week it would be her turn.  She came to fear the surgery.  When I told her how I could help her she was very excited.  I returned home and I had everything she needed for the fast and headed back to her place to start her immediately.  On the same day that she had been scheduled for surgery, Gregoria passed almost a cup of stones.  She didn't need to but when I visited her that day she had saved them for me to see.  It really wasn't necessary. Gregoria now keeps thanking her Jesus and me and all the folk who help me so that I may help folk like her.  She now walks upright and is in no pain.  She had me laughing as I saw her overwhelming joy. I have other people on the list for non-surgical gall stone removal.  I just need to keep making trips to El Paso to buy what I need for the fast.

I posted some pictures of three brothers during bath time in one of the hundreds of poor neighborhoods in Juarez.  The temperatures are over 100 degrees during the summer, so a cool place to bathe is a lot of fun for these kids.  There are many, many places here without running water so they have water delivered by a truck.  But that water is usually contaminated with worms and other unhealthy critters.

Finally, I posted some pictures of Antonio, 76, his wife Margarita, 78, who is very short (she is actually standing next to me in that picture), and their son Ruben, 43.  I met this poor family about 7 years ago on a one of my first mission trips to Juarez.  I also still take food to them when I can.  Ruben is my spiritual son.  When I first met Ruben, a few years ago, he walked up to me and was demon-possessed.  He roared at me like a lion and his eyes rolled back.  I placed my hands on him and rebuked the demon(s) in Jesus' name.  Immediately he fell to the floor and when we helped him up he had no idea where he was at.  Today it is a joy to visit this dedicated man.  He continually reads his Bible and just the other day he asked me for another on.  His is getting really worn out.

People like Ruben are my joy.  They are the ones who put a sigh in my lungs and make my journey a remarkable one.  Changed lives, transformed by the power of God is what I am blessed to see everyday that I'm here.  It is what makes my life without hot water, and a kitchen a blessing.  The smile on Gregoria's face is all I need to feel that I have given someone that "cup of water" that our Master spoke about.  Taking bunny rabbits to visit orphans may not seem like much to someone who has it all.  But to this precious ones it is life changing event.  A pair of reading glasses that cost us less than a dollar is the difference between not reading the scriptures or growing in Christ as they partake of His word.  Or it may be the difference in a child's school work...will they fail or pass...due to a pair of reading glasses. Giving someone rice and beans is the deciding factor of whether that family will go to bed with full bellies or empty ones.  Telling someone about Jesus will be the turning point in that person who is hell-bound.  A hug, a smile, a pat on the back, a visit, a tear shared with someone hurting.  Jesus' strongest word to His saints is GO.  He will not tell you the how, where, or what, just yet.  He waits for the first step in obedience to His GO, the slowly the rest comes.  It's all about faith.  I can't ask if He has called you to GO, because ALL are called.  But I can ask you if you are...willing.

My sincerest thanks to all who have helped to keep me here for a year and for taking a part in the work that Jesus is doing in the City of Juarez.  This City is the catalyst that He will use for end-time world revival.  This place is a ticking time bomb that will release God's glory throughout Earth.  I stand in awe that He has called me to be part of this.  And all those who support this work though prayer and finances have their share in this blessing. Blessings to all.

And girls, I hope to see you soon. Your dad loves you very much.




Daniel Torres
11985 Pellicano
Ste. G, Box 169
El Paso, Texas 79936
d_torres 53@ yahoo.com


For tax credit:
Covenant Fellowship
P.O. Box 8126
Searcy, AR 72145