In the coming months and periodically, I plan on reflecting on various individuals who have inspired me throughout my lifetime. Some are teachers, family, college friends and those in full time ministry and friends. I would like to begin by telling you about a man I met at Northeastern Bible College named Gil Torres.
When I tell you that I had very little in common with Gil I seriously mean I had nothing in common with him. I can think of four things that we did have in common...we are men, we are Christians, we both grew up in New York and we both had a heart for ministry. That's pretty much it. We could not have been any more opposite. When we started Bible college in 1982, Gil was outgoing and I was very shy. Gil grew up in New York City, I grew up in the suburbs of Long Island. Gil had an unfortunate history of drug addiction, I never laid a hand on any drugs. If you told me at freshman orientation that I would be friends with Gil, I would have said you were nuts....but I'm glad I could call him friend.
I will never forget how we met. Believe it or not it was through my Mom! On my very first day as a student at Northeastern Bible College (NBC), my parents and I were headed into Whittle Hall by the back door. A tall skinny man with a beard walked past us and nodded. I will never forget walking past the old switchboard headed down the hallway when my Mom said, "That man with the beard looks so familiar. I know I've seen him before." My Mom has an amazing memory! She then remembered that Gil shared his testimony at my home church, Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle. My Mom searched for Gil and found him during our lunch. Gil was in fact that man she remembered who shared his life changing testimony of how Jesus set him free from drug addiction. My Mom was the church secretary at SGT for many years. Gil was so happy and amazed at the divine appointment of meeting someone at the church where he got saved. He was very fond of our Pastor, Pastor Forseth. It was there that I met Gil Torres. I just thought of him as some guy who was commuting to school and doubted very much he would ever want anything to do with me. Boy, was I wrong!
I entered NBC as a very shy, insecure 18 year old kid. I knew I had a calling on my life and wanted so much to come out of my "shell." Little did I know that Gil would help me in that area without me even asking. Being at a small Bible College, you got to know everyone very well. One person I befriended was Frank Vasquez and the three of us were inseparable. Frank told us a story about a camp he worked at where the kids called him "Mr. Frank." After that began a nickname I had my entire college career and beyond....Mr. David! The only time Gil called me Dave was when we first met. That was it! Gil was ten years older than Frank and I and he took us under his wing. Many times he would walk with me, put his arm around me and tell me "Mr. David, God has a calling on your life." Gil was also the kind of guy who would tell you what is on his mind. I always thought he was misunderstood by many but many people did respect him. He made us all laugh! He was always call Frank and I a "Dirty Rat" and tried teaching me Spanish. He commuted to NBC which was in NJ all the way from Staten Island and was seen wearing a blue baseball hat backwards that said "Tough to Beat." Because he had this "tough guy" image, many from the school did not understand him. He truthfully had a heart of gold, he loved the Lord and he treated his NBC friends like family. He was also a lot of fun to tease. Whenever a class was boring (like Intro to Global Missions), Frank and I would draw pictures of Gil with his hat on backwards. One time during a class we all took together, Sociology, we all came to class wearing our hats backwards and even convinced our Professor, Dr. Furness, an older gentleman to do the same!
What I did respect about Gil was his work ethic. He told me that his one goal was to get on the Dean's list and he accomplished that, Gil worked very hard to get his associates degree and graduated in 1984. It was his goal, along with his wife Carole to develop a ministry that they eventually named Isaiah 61 Prison and Mercy Ministry. Carole had a heart for Mercy ministry while Gil wanted to be a prison chaplain. Gil achieved that goal as he became the prison chaplain at the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility in Staten Island, NY. When Gil graduated in 1984, I was so proud of him and thought I probably would not see him. Little did I realize he would move about 20 minutes away from my home in Smithtown. Carole owned a home from a previous marriage in West Babylon. In July of 1984, my home phone rang and my Dad answered and said, "Dave, telephone it's for you. Some guy named Gil." I grabbed the phone and heard, "Hey Mr. David! When are you going to come to my house and visit me you dirty rat!" On my day off from work, I went over to Gil's house and help him paint his refinished basement, That summer we hung our a lot! He always knew how to make me laugh!
It was very strange returning to NBC in the fall of 1984 without Gil but life goes on. While I worked hard at Bible College, Gil & Carole were trying to develop a new ministry and raise support. I honestly did not see much of him for about a year or so. I was invited to his stepsons high school graduation party. I was not able to attend but my parents attended. My Dad had a lot of respect for Gil as well as my Mom and they spoke very highly of him. 1985 was not a very good year for me physically and spiritually. I remember sitting at the Villager Diner in Smithtown with Gil and he looked at me with a serious face and said, "Mr. David, you need to get your eyes back on the Lord!" He was right! That spring in 1986 I graduated NBC and was so happy Gil was there. The night before the graduation I got to share a testimony and one of the people I thanked was in fact Gil. I went on a 3 month missions trip to England after graduating and from then on Gil and I stayed close. I got to travel with him and Carole to various churches as they tried to raise support for their ministry. Gil had a way of really connecting with each congregation. I traveled with him as far as Yonkers, NY! Smithtown Baptist Church which is now Grace church also supported Gil & Carole. I thought it would be so cool if Frank and Jane from NBC surprised them so they drove out from NJ and on a Sunday night we attended the service they spoke at. After the service we hung out at my house with my parents and ate cake and laughed for hours. It was a lot of fun. A few months after that night, while I was playing for our church softball team in Lindenhurst, I heard a very familiar voice yell from across the field "MR. DAVID!!!!" It was guess who!! He knew the players from the church we were playing. All I can say is that I had a hard time playing that game and when I did get a hit I heard "MR. DAVID" loud and clear. Fast forward to a year later. While my ministry to kid was growing, Gil was always intent on getting me to join him in the prison ministry. Let's just say I was a huge chicken. "Hey Mr. David. Learn ventriloquism and I'll bring you to the prison ministry with me." I was happy reaching kids! He did ask me to bring one of my characters to a ministry Christmas Party at his house. I did it but I was petrified!
in 1989, things would change for Gil. With life getting crazy for both of us, we lost touch. I will never forget my Dad sitting me down and telling me very sad news. Gil went back to a life of drug abuse. The pressures of ministry got to him. I did not see or hear from him in 5 years. His Aunt Aida attended my church and every time I saw her, she would always say, "Pray for Gilbert." I wanted so badly to invite Gil to my wedding but I had no idea how to contact him. Even his Aunt lost touch with him. Finally, in 1994, Gil's Aunt told me he would be at her house for Christmas. I will never forget going to Aunt Aida's house and seeing Gil, who looked very frail laying on a couch wrapped in a blanket. I showed Gil pictures of my kids and it was there I learned Gil was infected with the AIDS virus. I was so heartbroken for him. His marriage to Carole was over and so was is ministry. The same man I respected so much was suffering big time! I got to pray with Gil and said goodbye. The very last time I saw him was in 1997 at our church picnic. While I was setting up my ministry stuff in the field to do a puppet show, I saw a very frail man in the parking lot in a wheel chair. Of course, he saw me and yelled "MR. DAVID!" We talked for a while and it was there that Gil told me he wanted to start up his ministry. That would be the last time I ever saw him. Gil died only a few months after that. My Senior Pastor called me into his office to tell me. I always felt bad that I was not told earlier and could not pay my last respects but it is what it is.
So, I'm sure you are wondering after reading this long blog, why would a man who basically fell back into temptation inspire me. Truthfully, it showed me the dangers of drugs but it also helped me in my ministry to always have a good work ethic no matter what. Now that I know ventriloquism, I would have loved to join Gil at Arthur Kill Correctional Facility. I also would have loved to tell him that I got to share at the Riverhead jail and I loved it.
Ministry is very hard, but when you keep your eyes on Jesus, He will always direct you and give you the strength you need to get through. Thanks for reading!!!
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