Geraldo owns a meat plant. He pays $500US to embezzlers or his family "will suffer the consequences". Anyone else in Juarez would have already packed up and left the City of Juarez. Geraldo is one of the few left in Juarez who can afford to do that. But Geraldo is a very strong Christian man, and so are his wife and kids. They refuse to leave the City that God has them serving in. Geraldo is not a Pastor and does not hold a church position. But He and his family, along with about 15 others venture out into the dangerous parts of the City on Thursday nights to bring the gospel message. Geraldo also provides the transportation, the food for the helpers, and about 200 meals to hand out where they minister. Several times during the year Geraldo takes this team on distant missions trips. He pays for everything.
Earlier in the week I drove to Geraldo's business to see if he would like for me to preach at one of his services. When he saw me he came over to me and told me that he was just about to call me. He said he wanted me to preach this Thursday night. The Lord worked it all out.
Thursday afternoon I drove to his place and we all headed to the North side of Juarez, known for drugs, prostitution, homosexuality, and every crime imaginable. Geraldo brings sound equipment, microphones, and musical instruments including a set of drums.
As soon as we get to the square in front of a Catholic Cathedral the mini-army begins to set up. The people know from past experience that they will be fed so the crowd slowly begins to grow. A quick visual scan and we see that the people are hurting, dirty, hungry, tired...hopeless. Some are prostitutes, addicts, most are unemployed...the Devil's punching bags...They have been beaten for so long that many have given up. They are very young...and very old. Some live in abandoned houses, alleys, under a bridge, in large culverts, or in an empty lot. Dogs in the United States enjoy comforts that these know nothing about.
In no time everything is ready and Geraldo's young daughter opens up with prayer, Bible reading and worship music.
Soon she introduces me and I walk to the small portable podium. My message was very simple. Luke 16:19-31...The rich man and Lazarus...with emphasis on salvation. I knew that in these type settings you have to get to the point quickly. During the message a young homosexual man kept walking in front of me and pulling his pants down. Just before the end of my message two women ended up in an argument and soon one of them emptied a cup of water on the other one. Within seconds one was grabbing the other one by the hair and trying to wrestle her down. Some men from our group came over and pulled them apart. They were about 10 feet from me. I understand the enemies tactics, so I kept going without hardly missing a beat. I made it to the end without any more major disruptions, but we still had minor ones. I made a strong invitation to accept Jesus and 8 came forward, including the woman wrestler. I saw tears in their eyes. I saw the pain. I knew that if Jesus had been there in the flesh that He would have held them in His arms. I did my best to represent Him in doing so. I wondered when the last time was that any of these had a loving touch.
One woman told me that she had strayed away from Christ and wanted to return to Him. Jerry told me that heroin had destroyed his life and he wanted out. Jerry spoke perfect English. He once lived in the United States but was deported for drugs. I prayed for all of them individually with the help of the team and counseled many.
Soon the feeding started but I kept walking through the crowd looking for more who needed prayer.
I heard a man screaming out at the top of his lungs as he sat by a large water fountain that actually had water in it. He was screaming out to God to for help. Others just stared at him and tried to give him plenty of distance. I went over and spoke to him, listened to his sorrow, and touched him. He immediately settled down. He spoke to me in a quiet, normal voice. He was very sincere. He told me that he was a thief. It was how he supported his wife and four kids. His face was scarred from a beating he took while attempting to burglarize a house. He wanted out of that lifestyle but didn't know how to do it. I spent so much time with him that he missed his meal. He was very hungry. We found him something to eat. He was the 9th person to accept the Lord. His name is Ismael. In less than 20 minutes Ismael's entire countenance and character had changed. (While I spoke with Ismael there was another young man who had found three pieces of used lemon around the square. He was squeezing the very last drop of lemon juice into a cup. Then he filled the cup with water from the fountain, where birds bathed, people spit in, and who knows what else...and then he proudly drank his lemonade.)
I was told of another young man whose father was a Pastor. One of the team members spoke to him but I never had a chance to meet him. He had become a heroin addict. He knew that it was his mother's prayers that had kept him miraculously alive all this time. The story of the rich man somehow broke his heart. They found him grieving and in tears. He was ready to go back home.
We finished the work at the square, the mini-army took no time in taking everything down again, and we loaded up. But we weren't finished yet. A few blocks away we stopped at a hotel were a number of prostitutes congregate right in front. They barely looked any better than the crowd at the town square. They received a meal and were ministered to on a one-to-one basis. A few of them walk away during the short time of ministry, but most of them stayed around. I was told that many of them have been reached for the Lord and are now leading new lives.
About four hours was all it took for the Holy Spirit to touch and change many lives. I still remain in awe at the many needs and the many people who are hurting all around us. There are many who are wearing suits and ties and expensive evening gowns who are hurting just as bad as those who I see in Juarez everyday. Don't let the fanciness and the glamour fool you. If nothing is done they will wind up in hell as the rich man did in the scriptures that I used. As believers it is our responsibility to reach out to the lost, and with the power of Holy Spirit we will rob hell of those souls. Thursday night we raided the chambers of hell and rescued souls for the Kingdom of God.
Thanks to all those who backed us up with prayer.
Daniel
Daniel Torres
11985 Pellicano
Ste. G, Box 169
El Paso, Texas 79936
For tax credit contributions:
Covenant Fellowship
P.O. Box 8126
Searcy, AR 72145
Friday, July 6, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
THE COST OF SERVING GOD
I often tell people that our Salvation is free, however sharing the Gospel may cost us plenty...even our lives. Few Christians are willing to sacrifice for the Gospel, even fewer will put their lives on the line for the cause of the Gospel. In Luke 14:26, Jesus says that anyone who will not put Him ahead of their entire family cannot be His disciple. They are not denied salvation, they just simply cannot be His disciples. Living in Juarez, Mexico I get to see what real sacrifice and suffering is from many that I meet. Most believers in well developed nations cannot fathom what their brothers and sisters in Christ suffer. The prosperity message in most of the developed nations may portray those who suffer for God's Kingdom as losers who are weak faith. Yet, I have never seen such faith as I see in this City that has been beaten by the Devil as a rug on a clothesline. Lately I have been preaching messages of suffering and faith. If suffering is lack of faith then the Apostle Paul and the untold number of other servants of God failed miserably (see Hebrews 11). And what can we say of Jesus' sufferings? Suffering is as part of the Christian walk as is Love. Peter even had the nerve to write that we have been called to suffer (1 Peter 2:20). When we tell an unbeliever that God will fix all their problems, plus flood their lives with "things", we do a terrible service to them AND to the gospel. They will set themselves on a path to fill their lives with the "things" that prove them to be a servant of faith. They also fail to become a strong servant of Christ with all the sacrifices required. And when life gets tough they become disillusioned with their faith and walk away from God.
Yesterday I met Pastor Rosales. Someone had told him about some nut who had moved to Juarez and he wanted to meet me. He found the Lord in Jail after a long life of drug trafficking across the border. He carried 200 lbs of cocaine across the border at a time. He has been a Pastor for 6 years. His church building looks very impressive for the area that he serves. Most of his congregation comes from the same lifestyle that he did. They are mostly ex-addicts and traffickers. Pastor Rosales last sentence was for 12 years. Twelve years in a Mexican jail is no cake walk. As with others who have walked in his shoes, Pastor Rosales would visit Satanic churches and ask for protection from demons as he worked that lifestyle. The things that go on in those churches cannot be described here. Pastor Rosales even had demons appear to him. When he gave his life to the Lord he prayed, and for reasons that he still doesn't know he was released after just 100 days. He found a good church and served well until years later he became a full time Pastor. He never called me by my name. He kept calling me "Servant of God." I could say a lot more about this man but let me share about what he experienced last year.
Pastor Rosales has been followed by his old acquaintances from his old lifestyle ever since he became a Christian. They beg him to return to work with them. Surprisingly, they treated him well even when he tried to witness to them. But last year things changed. One man came to his church and told him that if he didn't come up with $8,000US that they would start killing off his family members one by one; starting with his mother and ending with his kids, wife, the burning of his church, and finally his own murder. They knew that the only way that he could come up with that huge amount of money was to return to drug trafficking. But what he did was to start selling all that he had, including his old car. The only problem was that he only had $2,300 by the set date before the murders would begin. Days before that he called a family meeting and told them what was going on. He told everyone to leave Juarez, but he couldn't leave his church. One member told him, "Pastor, if you die, I want to die with you. I will not leave you." I also met that church member yesterday.
The men came on the specified day and walked into his church, carrying their weapons. They asked for the money. Pastor Rosales simply told them that he only raised $2,300. He pointed to his forehead and to his heart. He told them to aim for those two areas so they can get it over quickly. But he finished by telling them that one day they would have to answer to Jesus for their crime. They asked him several questions about Jesus, he answered, they turned around and left. Pastor Rosales was left holding the $2,300 and staring at the member who was willing to die with his Pastor. The men never returned. Pastor Rosales took the $2,300 and put it all towards the completion of his half-built church building. It is a great looking building. I will preach there Sunday at 5pm.
Meeting people like Pastor Rosales in the flesh is one of my greatest blessings. I meet men and women like him all the time. They serve the Lord with such zeal and love, yet they struggle to meet the smallest needs. Truly, we have been called to suffer for Christ. We, like Paul, glory in our sufferings. Do you suffer? Do you know Christ?
Last Friday I visited an orphanage that is dear to my heart. When I got there I found out that earlier in the week they had gone 2 days without water. I told them not to ever let that happen again, when they had my phone number. The orphanage is run by 5 family members: a mother, three daughters, and one son. All are highly educated. The Lord called them to Juarez from Mexico City to come and work here. The mom used to Pastor a church in Mexico City. Four of the kids are single and are licensed teachers. One is a Veterinarian. The Veterinarian works to support the ministry. The kids in this orphanage are very blessed to have all this knowledge around them. The kids are very respectable and very well mannered. There is very little need for a Veterinarian in Juarez. Even with a million people left here, she struggles for work. Even with her help this orphanage could not afford...water!!! So the young Doctor has recently taken on a second job. Unbelievably, this Doctor moonlights as a security guard. It is in this orphanage that I wish to start another project raising rabbits. I can't go wrong with a Vet on the premises.
Some quick notes:
The Lord continues to ask me to keep preaching and many doors are opening for that.
I will continue to work on Wednesday nights to build up a new congregation in an area where there are no churches.
Three brave ladies drove down to Juarez from Arkansas to minister. They worked in Juarez with Pastor Sylvia, who has a church in El Paso. It was great to visit with them during their stay. I only spent just over an hour with them. Thanks Sandy, Sharon, and Carol for the sacrifice. I know you were blessed.
I had another company who makes portable baptistries to donate a second unit. The first unit costs $250, and the second unit was $850. I already have both at no cost. My heart swells with blessings like these.
I will be very, very busy towards the end of this month. Pastors Luis and Dalys Acevedo, who are highly gifted by the Holy Spirit, are returning to Juarez with their daughter. They will be ministering for 2 weeks and I will be in all those services. I am really excited to see this couple again.
Spanish American Evangelistic Ministries, S.A.E.M., in El Paso, Texas is looking for a full time missionary with good computer knowledge. They print and ship gospel tracts and literature to Spanish Nations. Their campus has living quarters available. Call or write if interested in more information.
Temperatures in Juarez are back to 100+ degrees almost daily. We had a rare rainfall yesterday, so we are enjoying under 100 degree temperatures today.
I am closing in on one year in Juarez at the end of this month. What an experience!! I often struggle being here alone but God's grace is sufficient. The valleys have been low, but the mountain tops have reached heaven itself.
Blessings to all. Thanks for the prayers and constant love.
Daniel
Daniel Torres
11985 Pellicano
Ste. G, Box 169
El Paso, Texas 79936
1-501-827-7679
For tax credit:
Covenant Fellowship
P.O. Box 8126
Searcy, AR 72145
Yesterday I met Pastor Rosales. Someone had told him about some nut who had moved to Juarez and he wanted to meet me. He found the Lord in Jail after a long life of drug trafficking across the border. He carried 200 lbs of cocaine across the border at a time. He has been a Pastor for 6 years. His church building looks very impressive for the area that he serves. Most of his congregation comes from the same lifestyle that he did. They are mostly ex-addicts and traffickers. Pastor Rosales last sentence was for 12 years. Twelve years in a Mexican jail is no cake walk. As with others who have walked in his shoes, Pastor Rosales would visit Satanic churches and ask for protection from demons as he worked that lifestyle. The things that go on in those churches cannot be described here. Pastor Rosales even had demons appear to him. When he gave his life to the Lord he prayed, and for reasons that he still doesn't know he was released after just 100 days. He found a good church and served well until years later he became a full time Pastor. He never called me by my name. He kept calling me "Servant of God." I could say a lot more about this man but let me share about what he experienced last year.
Pastor Rosales has been followed by his old acquaintances from his old lifestyle ever since he became a Christian. They beg him to return to work with them. Surprisingly, they treated him well even when he tried to witness to them. But last year things changed. One man came to his church and told him that if he didn't come up with $8,000US that they would start killing off his family members one by one; starting with his mother and ending with his kids, wife, the burning of his church, and finally his own murder. They knew that the only way that he could come up with that huge amount of money was to return to drug trafficking. But what he did was to start selling all that he had, including his old car. The only problem was that he only had $2,300 by the set date before the murders would begin. Days before that he called a family meeting and told them what was going on. He told everyone to leave Juarez, but he couldn't leave his church. One member told him, "Pastor, if you die, I want to die with you. I will not leave you." I also met that church member yesterday.
The men came on the specified day and walked into his church, carrying their weapons. They asked for the money. Pastor Rosales simply told them that he only raised $2,300. He pointed to his forehead and to his heart. He told them to aim for those two areas so they can get it over quickly. But he finished by telling them that one day they would have to answer to Jesus for their crime. They asked him several questions about Jesus, he answered, they turned around and left. Pastor Rosales was left holding the $2,300 and staring at the member who was willing to die with his Pastor. The men never returned. Pastor Rosales took the $2,300 and put it all towards the completion of his half-built church building. It is a great looking building. I will preach there Sunday at 5pm.
Meeting people like Pastor Rosales in the flesh is one of my greatest blessings. I meet men and women like him all the time. They serve the Lord with such zeal and love, yet they struggle to meet the smallest needs. Truly, we have been called to suffer for Christ. We, like Paul, glory in our sufferings. Do you suffer? Do you know Christ?
Last Friday I visited an orphanage that is dear to my heart. When I got there I found out that earlier in the week they had gone 2 days without water. I told them not to ever let that happen again, when they had my phone number. The orphanage is run by 5 family members: a mother, three daughters, and one son. All are highly educated. The Lord called them to Juarez from Mexico City to come and work here. The mom used to Pastor a church in Mexico City. Four of the kids are single and are licensed teachers. One is a Veterinarian. The Veterinarian works to support the ministry. The kids in this orphanage are very blessed to have all this knowledge around them. The kids are very respectable and very well mannered. There is very little need for a Veterinarian in Juarez. Even with a million people left here, she struggles for work. Even with her help this orphanage could not afford...water!!! So the young Doctor has recently taken on a second job. Unbelievably, this Doctor moonlights as a security guard. It is in this orphanage that I wish to start another project raising rabbits. I can't go wrong with a Vet on the premises.
Some quick notes:
The Lord continues to ask me to keep preaching and many doors are opening for that.
I will continue to work on Wednesday nights to build up a new congregation in an area where there are no churches.
Three brave ladies drove down to Juarez from Arkansas to minister. They worked in Juarez with Pastor Sylvia, who has a church in El Paso. It was great to visit with them during their stay. I only spent just over an hour with them. Thanks Sandy, Sharon, and Carol for the sacrifice. I know you were blessed.
I had another company who makes portable baptistries to donate a second unit. The first unit costs $250, and the second unit was $850. I already have both at no cost. My heart swells with blessings like these.
I will be very, very busy towards the end of this month. Pastors Luis and Dalys Acevedo, who are highly gifted by the Holy Spirit, are returning to Juarez with their daughter. They will be ministering for 2 weeks and I will be in all those services. I am really excited to see this couple again.
Spanish American Evangelistic Ministries, S.A.E.M., in El Paso, Texas is looking for a full time missionary with good computer knowledge. They print and ship gospel tracts and literature to Spanish Nations. Their campus has living quarters available. Call or write if interested in more information.
Temperatures in Juarez are back to 100+ degrees almost daily. We had a rare rainfall yesterday, so we are enjoying under 100 degree temperatures today.
I am closing in on one year in Juarez at the end of this month. What an experience!! I often struggle being here alone but God's grace is sufficient. The valleys have been low, but the mountain tops have reached heaven itself.
Blessings to all. Thanks for the prayers and constant love.
Daniel
Daniel Torres
11985 Pellicano
Ste. G, Box 169
El Paso, Texas 79936
1-501-827-7679
For tax credit:
Covenant Fellowship
P.O. Box 8126
Searcy, AR 72145
FAST RESULTS
Greetings to all. I have been without Internet service for about 2 weeks so I am behind on getting some information out. Lack of good Internet service and phone connections are a constant battle. I will try to cover the highlights of the past few weeks with a couple of entries to this blog.
One of the most exciting events has been the four day fast with Pastors, their wives, and a few other souls who wanted to join in. We had a total of 25 initial 'fasters'. It took me a number of trips to El Paso to gather all the things needed for this particular fast. The supplies are not easily found in Juarez and, if found, cost almost twice as much. The total cost of this fast was about $500. We met on Saturday June 16 so that I may give instructions for the fast, plus hand out all the liquids needed. The Spiritual re-awakening and cleansing is the most important part of any fast but, as an added benefit, this fast also totally empties out the kidneys and gall bladder of any stones. A good fast also helps to detoxify our bodies. It serves as a great tune-up for out physical as well as our spiritual being. If Jesus fasted, how much more should we? It is a certainty that all individuals who still have a gall bladder and who have not done this fast before have gall stones. A few also have kidney stones. During the meeting I stressed the importance of the Spiritual fast. We know that the believer's body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and what affects the body also affects the Spirit of man. The Pastors wanted to start the fast the following Monday, the 18th of June. I called another meeting the following Saturday, to share testimonies of the fast and to enjoy Communion together. Before the second Saturday came around I was already hearing of some amazing stories. Here are some of the fast results:
Everyone who fasted prayed for everyone else who fasted. Everyone involved in the fast experienced Spiritual renewal including words from the Lord, wisdom, knowledge, direction, and guidance, along with renewed hope. One Pastor was told by the Spirit of God about a wolf in sheep's clothing in his church, whom he thought was a great servant of God. The Pastor did some investigating and, sure enough, he was very alarmed to find some disturbing truths of things going on in his church, right under his nose. This surfaced before the fast even ended. The pastor corrected the problem even though he lost a few members in his small congregation. He was very happy with the way things unfolded, though he was also saddened by the events. That same Pastor spoke about how "grossed out" he was when he passed parasites on the third day of the fast. He passed them though his urine and they were still alive. He asked his wife to come see them as they swam in the commode. They said that they looked like tiny octopuses bobbing up and down in the water. The Pastor had been suffering with severe back pain prior to the fast, but not after. This same Pastor's wife, in her early 40's, testified about some physical problems that she had experienced in the past two years. Two months before the fast she felt that she couldn't go on any more. Before she finished the fast she felt 100% better. She wept uncontrollably as she testified about her experiences during the four days. She was extremely thankful for her new life. Another lady passed about 200 stones along along chili seeds from her gall bladder. She also had been suffering physically for 2 years. During the last 12 months she has been in constant 24 hour-a-day pain from head to toe. After the fast the only pain that she had left was a slight headache. We prayed for her to get total relief from her headache. Another incredible testimony was the one given by an evangelist couple. I wrote a story in this blog about them titled THE SHOES OF THE HAIRSTYLIST. Daniel pumped his body several times a day with hormones. He did this for 20 years to become a woman physically. He gave his life to the Lord and was instantly set free from homosexuality, however, ten years later, he still felt that his body was filled with the toxins from all the hormones. During the fast he was totally cleaned and he no longer felt the affects in his body. His wife, Irene, had body aches for the past two months, including swelling of the feet. She was also set free from the toxins that were causing all her troubles. Some couples testified about how much younger their mates looked after the fast.
Everyone passed gall stones. The number of stones ranged from approximately 100 to 200. Everyone got up to the microphone to testify. They ALL thanked me and their American brothers and sisters for this huge blessing. We had communion, celebrated, laughed, cried, and prayed. The fast brought the Pastors and leaders closer together.
Before the fast ended I was called to visit a few people who are on the list for gall bladder surgery. One particular 20 year old woman had traveled 2 hours (with her 4 month old) by bus to come to Juarez for Father's Day. She started having gall bladder problems a year ago. While in Juarez she became very ill, was hospitalized, and told that she needed gall bladder surgery. She refused surgery for several reasons. I went to visit her. I took her everything that she needed and started her on a fast immediately. Today she is back home with her baby and husband and is free of stones in her gall bladder. Currently, I have 3 others with severe gall bladder problems on the fast. I always stress to them the importance of prayer and Bible study during the fast. I also have a list of 10 people who need the fast. I have had to increase my trips to El Paso from one to two and three a week. I have to bring what I need from El Paso a little at a time.
I sense that people here are getting excited about fasting, which was something that they rarely did. Most people spoke about only fasting a half a day in the past, but even that had been years ago. I have asked church leaders that we must make fasting part of the Christian lifestyle and to teach their people about fasting.
In the near future I will be introducing many leaders to a 10 day fast. Prayer and fasting is what the Lord wants so that He may change lives. I have also been told by a medical Doctor that he may call on me to speak before a group of Doctors about this fast.
Moving on to other FAST RESULTS... I now have seven baby rabbits living in my back yard. I started with four adult rabbits on May 22. They all seem to be doing well. However, on the other side of town we started with a dozen rabbits and we are down to only one. The rest have died. I suspect that there are several causes for this. When I visit that place I often find the rabbits without water (temperatures are now above 100 almost daily), and cages not cleaned properly. I also suspect that too many children are allowed to play with the rabbits without adult supervision and they are being mishandled. I have spoken to them about this before. I decided not to bring any more rabbits to that area and to just raise chickens there. The chickens are doing well there. Recently they had 9 eggs hatch. I also plan to bring the remaining rabbit to my back yard until I can move them to another place where I know they will be taken proper care of.
I plan on writing more about current events very shortly.
Thanks to all for your continued prayers, support, and words of love and encouragement. As usual, you are free to share these stories.
Daniel
Daniel Torres
11985 Pellicano
Ste. G, Box 169
El Paso, Texas 79936
For tax credited contributions:
Covenant Fellowship
P.O. Box 8126
Searcy, Arkansas 72145
One of the most exciting events has been the four day fast with Pastors, their wives, and a few other souls who wanted to join in. We had a total of 25 initial 'fasters'. It took me a number of trips to El Paso to gather all the things needed for this particular fast. The supplies are not easily found in Juarez and, if found, cost almost twice as much. The total cost of this fast was about $500. We met on Saturday June 16 so that I may give instructions for the fast, plus hand out all the liquids needed. The Spiritual re-awakening and cleansing is the most important part of any fast but, as an added benefit, this fast also totally empties out the kidneys and gall bladder of any stones. A good fast also helps to detoxify our bodies. It serves as a great tune-up for out physical as well as our spiritual being. If Jesus fasted, how much more should we? It is a certainty that all individuals who still have a gall bladder and who have not done this fast before have gall stones. A few also have kidney stones. During the meeting I stressed the importance of the Spiritual fast. We know that the believer's body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and what affects the body also affects the Spirit of man. The Pastors wanted to start the fast the following Monday, the 18th of June. I called another meeting the following Saturday, to share testimonies of the fast and to enjoy Communion together. Before the second Saturday came around I was already hearing of some amazing stories. Here are some of the fast results:
Everyone who fasted prayed for everyone else who fasted. Everyone involved in the fast experienced Spiritual renewal including words from the Lord, wisdom, knowledge, direction, and guidance, along with renewed hope. One Pastor was told by the Spirit of God about a wolf in sheep's clothing in his church, whom he thought was a great servant of God. The Pastor did some investigating and, sure enough, he was very alarmed to find some disturbing truths of things going on in his church, right under his nose. This surfaced before the fast even ended. The pastor corrected the problem even though he lost a few members in his small congregation. He was very happy with the way things unfolded, though he was also saddened by the events. That same Pastor spoke about how "grossed out" he was when he passed parasites on the third day of the fast. He passed them though his urine and they were still alive. He asked his wife to come see them as they swam in the commode. They said that they looked like tiny octopuses bobbing up and down in the water. The Pastor had been suffering with severe back pain prior to the fast, but not after. This same Pastor's wife, in her early 40's, testified about some physical problems that she had experienced in the past two years. Two months before the fast she felt that she couldn't go on any more. Before she finished the fast she felt 100% better. She wept uncontrollably as she testified about her experiences during the four days. She was extremely thankful for her new life. Another lady passed about 200 stones along along chili seeds from her gall bladder. She also had been suffering physically for 2 years. During the last 12 months she has been in constant 24 hour-a-day pain from head to toe. After the fast the only pain that she had left was a slight headache. We prayed for her to get total relief from her headache. Another incredible testimony was the one given by an evangelist couple. I wrote a story in this blog about them titled THE SHOES OF THE HAIRSTYLIST. Daniel pumped his body several times a day with hormones. He did this for 20 years to become a woman physically. He gave his life to the Lord and was instantly set free from homosexuality, however, ten years later, he still felt that his body was filled with the toxins from all the hormones. During the fast he was totally cleaned and he no longer felt the affects in his body. His wife, Irene, had body aches for the past two months, including swelling of the feet. She was also set free from the toxins that were causing all her troubles. Some couples testified about how much younger their mates looked after the fast.
Everyone passed gall stones. The number of stones ranged from approximately 100 to 200. Everyone got up to the microphone to testify. They ALL thanked me and their American brothers and sisters for this huge blessing. We had communion, celebrated, laughed, cried, and prayed. The fast brought the Pastors and leaders closer together.
Before the fast ended I was called to visit a few people who are on the list for gall bladder surgery. One particular 20 year old woman had traveled 2 hours (with her 4 month old) by bus to come to Juarez for Father's Day. She started having gall bladder problems a year ago. While in Juarez she became very ill, was hospitalized, and told that she needed gall bladder surgery. She refused surgery for several reasons. I went to visit her. I took her everything that she needed and started her on a fast immediately. Today she is back home with her baby and husband and is free of stones in her gall bladder. Currently, I have 3 others with severe gall bladder problems on the fast. I always stress to them the importance of prayer and Bible study during the fast. I also have a list of 10 people who need the fast. I have had to increase my trips to El Paso from one to two and three a week. I have to bring what I need from El Paso a little at a time.
I sense that people here are getting excited about fasting, which was something that they rarely did. Most people spoke about only fasting a half a day in the past, but even that had been years ago. I have asked church leaders that we must make fasting part of the Christian lifestyle and to teach their people about fasting.
In the near future I will be introducing many leaders to a 10 day fast. Prayer and fasting is what the Lord wants so that He may change lives. I have also been told by a medical Doctor that he may call on me to speak before a group of Doctors about this fast.
Moving on to other FAST RESULTS... I now have seven baby rabbits living in my back yard. I started with four adult rabbits on May 22. They all seem to be doing well. However, on the other side of town we started with a dozen rabbits and we are down to only one. The rest have died. I suspect that there are several causes for this. When I visit that place I often find the rabbits without water (temperatures are now above 100 almost daily), and cages not cleaned properly. I also suspect that too many children are allowed to play with the rabbits without adult supervision and they are being mishandled. I have spoken to them about this before. I decided not to bring any more rabbits to that area and to just raise chickens there. The chickens are doing well there. Recently they had 9 eggs hatch. I also plan to bring the remaining rabbit to my back yard until I can move them to another place where I know they will be taken proper care of.
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I plan on writing more about current events very shortly.
Thanks to all for your continued prayers, support, and words of love and encouragement. As usual, you are free to share these stories.
Daniel
Daniel Torres
11985 Pellicano
Ste. G, Box 169
El Paso, Texas 79936
For tax credited contributions:
Covenant Fellowship
P.O. Box 8126
Searcy, Arkansas 72145
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
THE FAST WAY TO BRING CHANGE, REVIVAL, & TRANSFORMATION
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
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
UPDATES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have not written any Blogs since I wrote about the visit to Juarez from Pastors Luis and Dalis Acevedo. They traveled from Kissimmee, Florida. Their visit was a huge blessing to me and to all those who came into contact with them. Pastor Luis Acevedo called me last week to inform me that they were going to return to Juarez for another visit, quite possibly by the end of July. I will be involved in arranging some of the places that they will visit and minister at. This came as a great honor to me. I am very excited that they will be returning to Juarez.
The Chicken-Hare project is moving slower than I would like, but we are beginning to make some progress. I built two rabbit cages to go inside the larger cage. This will be to facilitate the separation of the rabbits in order to keep them multiplying as much as possible, and to keep the males from causing bodily damage to each other and the young. On the chicken side we have 15 hens and one rooster. On the rabbit side we only have two rabbits for now. One is a full size female, and the other is a male who is a little smaller, but he will reach full size soon. They both share the same small cage so hopefully we will see baby rabbits in several weeks. A couple of days ago I drove to purchase more rabbits but both places that I went to were closed. I recently heard some people talking about how they would like to start raising chickens and rabbits which to me was very encouraging. If enough people would do so, the hunger problems in some of these communities would ease up. As soon as I can get this project up and running I will be bringing Pastors for a tour to show them what they can do for their communities. This will turn into an incredible ministry.
One project that has been heavy on my heart is the Prayer Tent Project. It seems that every time that I want to get it off the ground something comes up to stop me. This will be an incredible outreach project. I purchased a large neon-green tent that will be set up as a portable Prayer House to be used at the local flea markets. These flea markets are about the biggest highlight of the weekends in Juarez. Last Saturday I had time to take a walk through one of these flea markets that are all over the City. I estimate that the one that I visited must have over 10,000 people walking through in one day. These flea markets are open 2, 3, and some 4 days out of the week. I have everything that I need to set up the Prayer Tent. The sign outside will read, "GIVE US A FEW MINUTES TO PRAY FOR YOUR FAMILY". That should bring many inside. Hopefully I can get this started very soon. I also have almost 20,000 tracts to hand out. Once I get this off the ground I should be able to get Pastors and other saints to help. It will take 8 to 10 people to properly run this ministry. Some people will be inside the tent and others will minister outside.
Something else that I have been wanting to do is to get Christians baptized. Juarez is in a desert. There are no ponds, rivers, or lakes to baptize new saints. Very, very few churches have the luxury of a baptistery. In many areas of the City water is still brought in and sold to residents by water trucks. Many people have a difficult time paying for the water. Many Pastors find a church that has a baptistery or a small pool and bring the new saints over for baptism. They leave the host Pastor some money for the cost of the water. After a few calls and e-mails to friends I finally connected with a Company in Corpus Christi that sells portable baptisteries. After just one e-mail to the company they told me that they would send me their $350 portable baptistery totally free. Once I receive it we will have mass baptismal services.
This Saturday morning I have a breakfast with some men representing Gideon's International. Later that day at 6pm I will be speaking at a church service. Actually, there are several churches that came together and they invited me to be the speaker for that evening. The churches asked the City permission to close off the street so that we may have an open-air service. So, I will be speaking right in the street. I am very excited about this and I look forward to seeing many souls rescued and God's hand move.
Finally, the murders, violence, and unlawful acts throughout the City remain the same. There were 6 murders in Juarez yesterday. The unemployment number is still very high, the ones who work are paid very little, education is of low priority, corruption remains a mammoth problem, the cartels offer people a quick fix with lots of money, and drugs and alcohol are used by many as a temporary fix to forget their problems. This, of course, only creates more problems. It's a vicious circle. We know that Jesus is the only permanent answer. (With all this happening there are three brave women who will be driving down from Arkansas in about 4 weeks to minister here in Mexico. Maybe I'll get to see them, but regardless, they need out prayers.)
In the end, I know that the Lord will turn this City around to the shock and amazement of this world. And I'll be here to witness it.
Blessings to all.
Daniel Torres For tax-credit contributions:
11985 Pellicano Covenant Fellowship
Ste. G, Box 169 P.O. Box 8126
El Paso, Texas 79936 Searcy, Arkansas 72145
This month the Nation of Peru was added to the list of Nations that receive this Blog. Please forward this blog to family and friends so that we may add more Nations to the list.
I tried for hours to load up some pictures, but for some reason I was not able to. Hopefully by the next Blog this problem will be fixed.
I tried for hours to load up some pictures, but for some reason I was not able to. Hopefully by the next Blog this problem will be fixed.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
WILL THE TRUMPET BE SOUNDING SOON?
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| Daniel Torres with Pastors Luis and Dalis Acevedo |
The end of April marked my 9th month as a full-time missionary living in Juarez. I know that the Lord birthed something in me last week that will take me deeper into what He has for me and for this needy City of Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. On the last week of my eight month in Juarez, the Lord brought Pastors Luis and Dalis Acevedo into my life. They pastor a church in Kissimmee, Florida. I know that they were God-sent. But not just to me, but to the multitudes that they ministered to. Only one other time in my 35 years of knowing the Lord have I seen such a powerful and anointed ministry. Just hours before they were scheduled to arrive at the El Paso Airport I received a phone call asking if I could pick them up and bring them to Juarez. I had been wondering why my agenda was empty for those days. God works in mysterious ways. The plan was for them to be in Juarez for 5 days of ministry. Some days they had 2 services scheduled in one day. Some of the church services lasted 4 to 5 1/2 hours. I ended up driving them to their respective churches, and then back to the Airport on April 30th. I got to know them well after those 5 days. It was a huge blessing to have known them. As it turned out they are both from Puerto Rico, the place of my birth.
One of the things that I began to notice immediately about their ministry in the churches of Juarez, was the vast number of new Pastors and leaders that the Lord was calling out through them. This included worship leaders, singers, and musicians, which are the front lines of spiritual battle. The ones called were both older folk as well as...children. Pastor Luis and his wife Dalis have never been to Mexico or Juarez before. Everyone that they met here, they met for the first time. Yet the Holy Spirit would show them who He was calling out, and for what specific work. They also spoke to me about my calling as a missionary and the work that the Lord had for me in Juarez. The end result, as I saw it, was that the Lord has been, and is preparing a huge Spiritual Army for the great move of God that is about to transform this City, known as the Most Violent City on Earth. In every church that we visited God was calling out workers into the fields. As a matter of fact, some were called to leave Juarez to go to other Nations. Some were called...to the United States!!
When people remind me that this City is the Most Violent on Earth, I just tell them that it just makes the harvest here greater than anywhere else on Earth. I ask them to get to work on the harvest.
To me this is not only marks the start of the transformation of Juarez, but the Spiritual Tsunami that will hit the Earth soon. And then...the Lord will return in the clouds to receive His church, His bride, the ones that He died for and accepted His sacrifice (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and The Book Of Acts 1:9-11). I believe that the greatest Spiritual revival that the world will ever know will start in Juarez and the revival fires will sweep in every direction throughout the globe.
Pastors Luis and Dalis are scheduled to go to Costa Rica, Venezuela, Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, and England, I believe, in 2012. They also plan to return to Juarez in June of this year. I can't help but to think that, in those other Nations, God will call many more into the vast Army of laborers that He is preparing for these last days. And I know that this couple is not the only one that the Lord is using to call others into the Field of Souls.
If you have no idea about what I am talking about, then you owe it to yourself, and to those around you, to find out what all this means. It's a matter of eternal life or eternal death. I often tell people that there is something worse than going to an eternal hell-fire...and that's ending up there, looking around, and finding out that, through your example, you brought others with you...even your own children.
The harvest is all around us!!
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the Harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field." Matthew 9:35-38.
And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But as these things start to occur, raise yourselves erect and lift your heads up, because your deliverance is getting near. Luke 21:27,28.
This blog was opened 24 times in Russia the last month. It has also reached Germany, England, France, India, and other Nations. Please forward this blog to family and friends and let's see where it will go to next.
Blessings to all.
Daniel Torres
11985 Pellicano
Ste. G, Box 169
El Paso, Texas, 79936
For Tax Receipts:
Covenant Fellowship
P.O. Box 8126
Searcy, Arkansas 72145
Sunday, April 22, 2012
ONE GIANT STEP FOR 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
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