FATHER'S DAY EVENT...JUNE 2016...plus A CHEESY STORY

FATHER'S DAY CELEBRATION

Pastor Jim Ray

Jason and Amy Bowles

The first two full weeks of this month (June 2016) brought 2 teams to the area.  The first team was from the twin cities of Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota. They represented Valley Christian Church.  Pastor Jim Ray also traveled with the group of 13, most of which were the youth from the church.  The youth leaders, Jason and Amy Bowles did an outstanding job in leading the youth and doing months of preparation before arriving.  The team traveled for two days to get to El Paso and the opted to work their entire four days at Spanish American Evangelistic Ministries (SAEM).  

Some Valley Christian youth

Los Tres Amigos

They worked very hard around the SAEM campus doing some very much needed upkeep on the grounds.  They also worked inside the SAEM main building but most of the work was done outdoors.  Unfortunately the 100 degree temperatures showed up at the same time the team did.  They stayed busy from the time they got out of bed til the time they went back to bed.  But we also had times of devotionals, worship, sharing, lots of eating, and we also made a trip to El Paso's Scenic Drive Park. At the park the team took advantage of the not-so-hot evening and the beautiful view to sing worship music before all those visitors who were also enjoying the nice evening.  SAEM was left in great shaped after the team departed on their long two day trek back North.  Thank You Valley Christian!!!

The team from Valley Christian left on a Friday and the next day a small team of two men from Searcy, Arkansas flew down for a six day stay at SAEM, with daily trips to Juarez.  Mike Lee and Mike Lorton have worked with me in Juarez many times and they are now seasoned part-time missionaries.  

Before Mike Lee and Mike Lorton arrived there were two problems that I was trying to work through.  One was the the issue of Father's Day in Juarez  (one of the hardest things that you can do in Juarez is to get men to come to church).  And the second issue was the huge amount of used clothing that has been donated to SAEM over the years, which can't be crossed into Mexico because the government won't allow it.  So I decided to kill two birds with one stone.  I made up my mind to take all the men's clothing and start washing, folding, and packing, and crossing them into Juarez just a little bit at a time.  I was washing clothes for over a month.  And by the time the two men arrived most of the clothes were waiting in my house in Juarez.  Then I planned a Father's Day get together with a great meal at Pastor Manuel's church in Juarez.  When Mike and Mike arrived we finished the plans off by purchasing food and bringing it to the church.  We also took time to separate the clothing (pants, shirts, polo shirts, tee shirts, baseball caps, etc.) by sizes.  And we also took a day out to walk through the neighborhoods going door to door and inviting all the men to the celebration and free clothing.  Many said that they would come, but that's something I have heard before, but it didn't happen.  I did a lot of praying asking God to send the men out to this event.  Unfortunately, we did not attend the Father's Day celebration because I had to drive Mike and Mike back to Arkansas before the event took place.  I had left everything else in the hands of Pastor Manuel and his wife Lolis, who claim to be my adopted parents (even though they are younger than I).  Needless to say I was so very pleased and thankful to the Lord when the reports started coming in about the Father's Day event.  Many men had come, some with their wives.  And about a dozen or more gave their lives to the Lord Jesus.  And...they each carried back home plenty of clothes.  I was ecstatic about the reports and the pictures.  

All the praying done for the event, all the washing, all the preparations, all the visiting had paid off.  God was so faithful again.  There was one man in particular whom we visited and prayed for that I regretted not being in Juarez for to bring him to the event personally.  His name is Jose and he had a stroke many years ago.  He is mostly paralyzed and the only part of his body that he can use is just his left hand. He is barely over 50 years old.   He lives with his daughter, who is the one who feeds him, bathes him, and takes care of all his necessities. But she has to work.  So every morning when she leaves for work she pushes his wheelchair over the threshold of the front door where he sits without being able to move until she returns from work.  Jose can be  

seen on the very top picture in a wheelchair.   Jose is a Mexican-American and has rights to Social Security in the U.S. But Jose's brother stole his American citizen paperwork and is living in the U.S. pretending to be Jose.  Jose hasn't heard from him in years.  I wanted to be there to bring Jose to the Father's Day event but couldn't.  But Jose finally found someone to "throw" him in back of a pick-up and he was able to come and enjoy the evening with the other men.   I was thrilled to know that Jose made it along with a church full of men.  What a joy!!!  My "mom" Lolis fixed them a good salad, chicken spaghetti with alfredo  sauce, tea, and ice cream cones.  And I'm sure that she sneaked in some jalapenos in there somewhere. 

Emanuel

I also wanted to report that Pastor Martin Nuñez, whom I've reported on before, has a new addition in his orphanage.  Pastor Martin has been getting kids off the streets of Juarez for some years now.  These are very young kids who are hooked on drugs and live in the streets.  His new addition is Little Emanuel, 2 months old, who was birthed by a young mom on cocaine.  The child will go through regular drug withdrawals, but if anyone knows how to handle that it's Pastor Martin and his wife Letty.  If anyone wishes to help Pastor Martin, his church, and his orphanage, please contact me.

And now for the cheesy story:  One day Mike Lorton, Mike Lee, and myself went to the wholesale area of Juarez to purchase food for the men's event.  After we left the Holy Spirit asked me to return and buy a wheel of cheese for one of the nursing homes (see last blog entry).  So I told my two companions that we had to turn around and go back.  I bought the wheel of cheese which came out to about 17 to 18 pounds.  We drove to the "old folks" home, greeted them, and set the wheel of cheese on one of the kitchen tables.  I set it right next to a small piece of cheese (about 1 1/2 pounds) that was on the table.  Viridiana, one of the directors froze and kept staring at the cheese that I brought.  And she kept staring at the cheese! Until finally I started thinking that I had done something wrong and had to ask if I did.  Then one by one tears started to roll from her eyes.  The lady cooking for them just smiled at us.  Finally Miguel, Viridiana's husband and director, explained it to me.  He said that in the morning they decided to make quesadillas for the 32 people who were at the center.  So they took all the money they had and went to the store to get cheese.  Miguel had returned with the small piece of cheese that was on the table.  So the cook asked, "so you want me to make quesadillas with that little piece of cheese"?  Miguel responded, "At least we can say that it has cheese in it".  And Viridiana added, "God will multiply it!".  And then 5 minutes later...I walk in with the large wheel of cheese. God had provided as He always done.  When Viridiana was able to speak she told me, "It's not just about the cheese; it's God letting us know that He watches us, that He cares for us, and that  He knows that we're here".  Yes, God knows where you are, He watches over you, and He cares for you.  Shalom!!!

Please leave comments below. I would like to hear from you. 

*Double-click on pictures to enlarge.

Daniel Torres

650 Linwood Drive

El Paso, Texas 79928

d_torres53@yahoo.com

501-827-7679

For tax receipts send contributions to:

Covenant Fellowship Church

P.O. Box 8126

Searcy, Arkansas 72145

LIVES OF SACRIFICE

MI ESPERANZA - IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JUAREZ DESERT

I have known Miguel and Viridiana for about 10 years.  I first met them on one of my mission trips to Juarez, Mexico long before I moved here full time.  They are the one of the many unsung heroes that I have had the pleasure of meeting in Juarez.  This blog will briefly highlight their work along with another couple, Pastor Jose Luna and his wife Agustina.

MIGUEL AND VIRIDIANA

When I first met Miguel he was about 20 years old.  His father, Pastor Rosalio, had started a ministry for the aged and he also pastored a church.  Miguel and Viridiana did most of the work at the "old folk's home".  At the age of 20 Miguel would care for the men with all the love, kindness, gentleness, and patience that you would expect from someone much older.  Miguel bathed the men that could not bathe themselves, and on some he would have to change their diapers.  He would also get them up in the morning and put them to bed at night.  In between all this Miguel found time to do loads and loads of laundry plus 100 other jobs at the center.  I wonder: how many 20 year-old young men are willing to do that 24/7?  Viridiana helped Miguel with whatever she could plus she prepared 3 meals a day for the men.  At that time the center only allowed men, but in the last couple of years a new dorm was constructed by a team from the U.S., so now women are living here also.  Today, about 11 years later, Miguel, now 31, and Viridiana are still doing the same thing.  Except that now the young couple has 3 children of their own and they have that as an added responsibility, plus all the trips to school daily.  The center, called MI ESPERANZA, My Hope, is strictly operated by faith and whatever people of goodwill and faith will bring them.  Oftentimes they get volunteers who will commit for a few weeks or months of help.  Volunteers also help with cooking, haircuts, work around the facility, and time visiting with the men and women residing there.

 The ministry also has a small chapel where Miguel and Viridiana hold regular church services.  Of course, Miguel also plays the musical instruments. 

Most of the time in Mexico when men and women end up in retirement homes like these it is because they are adult orphans; they have no family.  Miguel and Viridiana become their family.  

Once in a while bad news comes...the death of one of the ''gramps".  Miguel and Viridiana cry and lament as if their own relative had passed away.  They have a choice to turn the remains over to the city, where they will be buried in mass graves, or they will do all they can to give them a decent burial.  They sacrifice and choose the later.  A couple of years ago they had about 5 deaths in a matter of 3 months.  Many of these men and women are in wheelchairs.  Almost all of them are on medication, which is almost a full time job just keeping that organized.  And one never knows when one of them will be called home.  In all, this is a very happy place considering  all the challenges that go along with it.  Miguel knows to call me in case he has an emergency that he needs special help with.  And I often stop in to visit and bring them food or whatever I can get my hands on to bring.  His father, Pastor Rosalio, is no longer in Juarez; he has moved to another part of Mexico to start another retirement center.  Miguel and Viridiana are left alone but no one is as capable as they are to minister to these precious ones. Surely this is pure and undefiled religion. 

PASTOR JOSE LUNA AND AGUSTINA

Pastor Jose Luna and his wife Agustina are also also unsung heroes.  Their church is in the middle of the desert outside of Juarez just like Miguel and Viridiana's ministry.  Actually they're only a couple of miles away from each other.  Less than a year ago Pastor Luna had a good size church with very good facilities.  But when you live in prime crime areas and violence is the norm you pay a price.  One day some men showed up at Pastor's Luna's church demanding money.  Of course he didn't have any.  He also operates strictly by faith also.  So the men kidnapped him in his own van after having stabbed him  several times in the abdomen and on his right side.  As they drove off with him in the back of the van they came to a place where two of the tires were punctured and went flat.  And this is what saved the Pastor's life.  The men left but the pastor remained in the van bleeding until someone found him.  Pastor Luna has left that area and has started another small church just about a mile away.  The new church is called DIOS PROVEERA, God Will Provide.  The church, located less than 50 feet from his house, has a dirt floor but the pastor has found scraps of carpeting to put down in order to keep the folding chairs from sinking in the dirt when people sit on them. He has also found scraps of plywood, boards, and anything else he can nail down to raise up the small church.  He has about 60 people who attend on Sunday morning and more are coming.  Pastor Luna has promised the Lord that he will feed everyone who comes on Sunday morning and he has been able to keep that promise.  Usually all that is collected in the offerings are coins.  The pastor and his wife work feverishly to help out the people of their church and all those in the poor community. A ministry team came recently for the U.S. to build a tiny house for one of the families in his church.

DIOS PROVEERA CHURCH

NEW HOME!!!

WORK TEAM FROM THE U.S.

The team is affiliated with a ministry called CASAS POR CRISTO, Houses for Christ.  The team can finish a house in three days.  They even allow their children to get involved in the construction work.  I take as many things as possible to Pastor Luna including food, blankets, clothing, and I speak at his church often.  He has also received help to pay his medical bills and for repairs on his van.  And Pastor Luna and I have also worked together

AGUSTINA DISTRIBUTING BLESSINGS

OLD HOME

going door to door and ministering to the people in their homes.   Pastor Jose Luna dreams of having a church that is structurally sound.  So by faith he has started  digging behind his house to construct a church made out of concrete block and cement.  It may take several years for this to be completed but with this man of faith it WILL get done no matter how long it takes.  It has been a real pleasure to work hand in hand with this man of God. 

Both Miguel and Pastor Luna could use assistance in some projects.  Miguel started to add to their dining area but has not finished for lack of funds and manual help.  And Pastor Luna can use funds and/or manual labor in getting his new church construction going.  These are excellent opportunities for any construction teams wanting to venture out by faith to help these men of God.  So plan a trip to Juarez or help them out financially...or both!

Personally I've not seen my daughters since last October so this June I'll head to Arkansas to make my rounds and spend some time with them.  And I'm still hoping to make a trip to Puerto Rico sometime this year to visit the rest of my family whom I haven't seen in 5 years. 

Thanks to all for supporting my work in Juarez.  This year will be the greatest year of my life and of God's work in Juarez. 

Blessings to all.

Daniel


(Double-click on pictures to enlarge.  Please forgive the long gaps in this story, I could not fix them. Sorry.)

My lil friend loving some donated banana milk

Daniel Torres 
650 Linwood Drive
El Paso, TX 79928

For tax receipts send contributions to:
Covenant Fellowship 
P.O. Box 8126
Searcy, AR 72145