Venezuelan student reaching others at Samford

Angel Torres has a heart for God and a passion for people. A sophomore at Samford University majoring in religion, Torres has found numerous opportunities to share his testimony on campus.
   
Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, to Catholic parents, Torres became a Christian when he was 12 years old. He and his older brother were invited to a prayer meeting by a neighborhood friend.
   
After the service, the youth from the church presented the gospel to Torres, his brother and their friend. All three boys began a personal relationship with Christ that night.
   
Torres and his brother immediately began to share Christ with the rest of their family.
   
Within a year, the entire Torres family became believers.  Torres was baptized when he was a young teenager and has been a Baptist for the past five years.
   
While he was in high school, Torres enrolled in an intensive language study program to learn English. In addition to his regular high school attendance, he spent 10 hours each week learning conversational English. 
   
Although he had no plans to travel to America, Torres now sees “God’s plan in learning English.”
   
With his new English training, Torres was able to interpret for internationals who visited Vene-
zuela.
   
In 1996, Torres translated for the medical missions team from Brookwood Baptist Church, Bir-mingham, during their stay in Venezuela.
   
He shared with team member Robert Sartain about his desire to attend a Bible college.
Sartain told Torres about Samford and encouraged him to consider attending. Torres said jokingly, “Samford was last on my list, but it was first on God’s list.”
   
He now feels a definite leading from God to be involved in ministry.  As he struggled to realize his calling, Torres prayed that God would give him direction because he did “not want to go on without God’s support.”
   
Torres claimed God’s promise in John 15:16, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit.”
   
Patricia Hart, chair of the department of human sciences and design at Samford and former missionary to Venezuela, met Torres during his freshman year.
   
Hart said Torres’ testimony and his enthusiasm about the Lord allows him to have a wonderful ministry.
   
Torres encountered one of his best experiences in ministry last year when he spoke to the Samford student body during the weekly convocation.
   
“It was my first chance to share with so many students. I just challenged them and shared my heart with them,” said Torres.
   
According to Jim Barnette, minister to the university, Torres is “an outstanding public speaker who shares his faith with clarity and with confidence.”
   
Hart further noted that he has “a burning desire for evangelism and tries to make himself available to reach others.”
   
He is involved in a group on campus that ministers to internationals and missionary kids (MKs).
   
He has also been part of a Spanish Bible study with the grounds crew and physical plant employees who are mostly Hispanic.
   
Torres said he always tries to speak Spanish to the workers when he sees them on campus.
Recently, he interpreted for a mission outreach to migrants sponsored by Samford’s school of nursing.
   
Torres is also involved in ministry at Brookwood Baptist Church. He plays drums on the praise team and interpreted on the church’s most recent medical missions trip to Honduras.
  
Why is he involved in ministry? According to Torres, “I just love people.”
   
Barnette agreed. “He shares that passion verbally and simply through how he conducts himself each minute of the day. His authenticity really shines through.”
   
Torres plans to attend seminary after graduation. His goal is to return to Venezuela and train people for ministry.
“I’ve learned to be patient, do my best now and trust God because He’ll take care of everything,” Torres said.