A man brought his son to Jesus (Mark 9:17). He informed the Lord that his son was demon-possessed and that when he brought his son to the disciples they were powerless over the demon. Jesus proceeds to heal the young man completely. Later, in secret, the disciples asked Jesus why He could drive out the demon and they couldn't. Jesus informed them that it could only be done by prayer and FASTING. A born-again believer who prays much and couples it with fasting will have the power to put demons to flight.
A few weeks ago I became aware that a lot of Pastors and Saints in Juarez, Mexico know very little about fasting. I was very surprised when I found this out. As a missionary in Juarez I knew that I had to do something about that. Immediately I went to work and make plans. Quickly I looked for some material that a great friend, Mike Lee, had given me on the subject a few years back. The booklet starts with instructions for a 4-day fast, along with a lot of other information about health, diet, and another 10-day fast.
I set a date on my calendar (June16), as the day that I would teach the Pastors about this fast. Initially I am looking for 20 Pastors, church leaders, and their wives who would commit themselves to this short fast. The fast will comprise mostly of distilled water and apple juice. Both of which I have not been able to find in Juarez, yet very easily can be found in El Paso, Texas. With 20 people participating in this "unity" fast, I need a large amount of these liquids. Eighty gallons of water, and 80 gallons of apple juice must be crossed over into Juarez. There are a few other things to purchase for this particular fast. This calls for many trips into El Paso to avoid problems at the border. This is why I kept the number at 20 people. I estimate that the supplies that I am getting for the fast will come to about $450 for the 20 people, but well worth it. (I would encourage every Pastor reading this to teach on the subject and start those willing to participate in periodical fasts as a group.)
Along with the Spiritual advantages, this fast has another unique advantage. With this 4-day fast it is guaranteed that the individual will have his kidney and gallbladder cleansed of all the stones they may have. Most everyone has gallstones, but the Mexican diet is even more prone to produce a larger number of gallstones. When I visit the hospitals in Juarez I come across a large number of people who are having gallstone problems.
As I began to prepare for this project I met with a Christian lady who was sharing with me about her abdominal pains that ran around to the right side and to her back. At times the pain would become excruciating. We both suspected gallstones, so I immediately asked her if she was willing to go on a four day fast to expel the stones without surgery. She gladly said yes and I brought her everything she needed. I sat down with her as she wrote down the explicit instructions for the 4 days. She started the fast a week ago on Monday. I stopped by daily to check her progress, making sure she was spending much time in prayer and in God's Word. After the fourth day day I stopped by again and her and her mom were in disbelieve. Her body had expelled the gallstones. She stopped counting them when she reached 108. Some, they said, were as big as the end of your finger. I suspect that her gallbladder was about ready to burst. The fast had taken her closer to the Lord, she loved the experience, she felt great all over, and now she was totally pain free. She even stood in front of her church and testified about her experience.
Her experience excited me more about the fast with the Pastors and their spouses. I know that the fast will bring about a much needed change and will start the wheels rolling towards a great revival in this land (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Some other topics: Three young adults were shot and killed just a few blocks from my residence. This is nothing new. So far this year Juarez has registered almost 500 murders, which is much lower that previous years. It's election time around here so the numbers are fixed to make things look better. I walked by the house where they had one of the caskets out on the carport. The crying and wailing were very moving.
I keep purchasing a handing out Bibles. I recently ordered 72 full Bibles at a cost of $172. There are many people sitting in the pews who still do not own a Bible. Gospel tracts are the same. It's hard to believe that it is difficult to find Bibles and Gospel tracts in a country that's next door to the United States.
Today I was asked to visit and help pray for a Christian businessman and his family who are paying extortion money. For 2 years he has been paying 5,000 pesos monthly (about $400), a small fortune here. If he doesn't pay, his family will be killed. Generally, what people do in a situation like this is pack up and leave the City. Geraldo refuses to do this. He says that God wants him to stay in Juarez. This is a strong Christian man who ministers with his family around the City and also does the same in other areas in the country. He carries the full burden of all the expenses plus he usually takes 20 to 30 others with him, all at his expense. A true servant of God paying out extortion money for Satan's cause. This will stop!
The Chicken-Hare Project is still moving slow. We have the animals now, we just need them to start reproducing fast.
A few weeks ago I spoke to a couple whom the Lord had called to be Pastors. I asked them why they had not started yet. They said that they were a little fearful. I knew that right next to their house was an abandoned house. I asked them to meet me there last Wednesday with anyone else who would like to come. The object was to start a new church. Three other couples wanted to come but two could not make it at the last minute. Anyway, it's another project: a new church. We will meet again this Wednesday.
One final thing...People here are not as easily baptized as in the United States. Very, very few churches have baptistries, and since we live in a desert area ponds, rivers, and lakes are not available. (Water is scarce and some areas still have water trucked in everyday. The water these trucks sell is not cheap for the residents and it is not drinking quality. It often has bugs and worms that are readily visible. The people in these areas have no choice.) I wanted to help in getting these Saints baptized. I remembered that when I ministered at the White County Jail in Searcy, Arkansas that we had a portable baptistry made available to us to baptize inmates. So I started contacting some businesses who make these portable baptistries. One in particular had a portable unit for $350 plus shipping. The unit weighs 30 pounds. This was by far the cheapest one, but I still asked to see if I could get it even cheaper and explained the situation and that I was a missionary in Juarez, Mexico. Immediately I was told that they would send me a unit at absolutely no cost to me. Even shipping was free!!! I was so excited and so very thankful. I came close to shedding tears when I picked up the unit at my post office box in El Paso, Texas. I set it up in my back yard and the unit will work wonderfully in Juarez. Any church that needs to borrow is certainly very welcomed to do it. I'm still very excited and so grateful for the generosity of this company.
I just completed my 10th month in Juarez, Mexico and I still keep asking the Lord why He chose me for this wonderful blessing. There is no greater joy than to serve Him as a missionary.
Blessings to all who keep praying for me, for the City of Juarez, and for God's mighty move that will soon shower this dry, dusty, and thirsty land.
Daniel
Daniel Torres For tax credit:
11985 Pellicano Covenant Fellowship
Ste. G, Box 169 P.O. Box 8126
El Paso, Texas 79936 Searcy, Arkansas 72145
One final thing...People here are not as easily baptized as in the United States. Very, very few churches have baptistries, and since we live in a desert area ponds, rivers, and lakes are not available. (Water is scarce and some areas still have water trucked in everyday. The water these trucks sell is not cheap for the residents and it is not drinking quality. It often has bugs and worms that are readily visible. The people in these areas have no choice.) I wanted to help in getting these Saints baptized. I remembered that when I ministered at the White County Jail in Searcy, Arkansas that we had a portable baptistry made available to us to baptize inmates. So I started contacting some businesses who make these portable baptistries. One in particular had a portable unit for $350 plus shipping. The unit weighs 30 pounds. This was by far the cheapest one, but I still asked to see if I could get it even cheaper and explained the situation and that I was a missionary in Juarez, Mexico. Immediately I was told that they would send me a unit at absolutely no cost to me. Even shipping was free!!! I was so excited and so very thankful. I came close to shedding tears when I picked up the unit at my post office box in El Paso, Texas. I set it up in my back yard and the unit will work wonderfully in Juarez. Any church that needs to borrow is certainly very welcomed to do it. I'm still very excited and so grateful for the generosity of this company. I just completed my 10th month in Juarez, Mexico and I still keep asking the Lord why He chose me for this wonderful blessing. There is no greater joy than to serve Him as a missionary.
Blessings to all who keep praying for me, for the City of Juarez, and for God's mighty move that will soon shower this dry, dusty, and thirsty land.
Daniel
Daniel Torres For tax credit:
11985 Pellicano Covenant Fellowship
Ste. G, Box 169 P.O. Box 8126
El Paso, Texas 79936 Searcy, Arkansas 72145
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