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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| DIOS PROVEERA CHURCH |
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| NEW HOME!!! |
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| 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
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| AGUSTINA DISTRIBUTING BLESSINGS |
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| OLD HOME |
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.)
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| 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
