Almost 90 teenagers attend Hispanic retreat that enables them to voice emotions, anxieties
Revealed: July 6, 2022
By Aprille Hanson Spivey Affiliate Editor
courtesy of Serio Torres
Almost 90 youngsters, ages 13 to 17, got here from everywhere in the state in addition to a from Louisiana and Tennessee for the first-ever youth retreat Could 27-29 hosted by Fuerza Transformadora.
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courtesy of Serio Torres
Almost 90 youngsters, ages 13 to 17, got here from everywhere in the state in addition to a from Louisiana and Tennessee for the first-ever youth retreat Could 27-29 hosted by Fuerza Transformadora.
When one teenage boy walked into the first-ever youth retreat hosted by Fuerza Transformadora Could 27, chief Serio Torres stated the younger man was hostile.
“There was this child who stated, ‘I don’t imagine in God. I don’t wish to know something about God.’ That’s when he got here on Friday,” Torres stated.
By Saturday, he was laughing and hanging out together with his fellow retreatants. On Sunday, the teenager shared a sworn statement about how a lot he cherished the “Remodeling Pressure” retreat.
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“After Mass he was ready for me exterior, and he stated, ‘I wish to say one thing.’ ‘OK, inform me.’ He stated, ‘I wish to ask for forgiveness about what I stated after I got here to the retreat. As a result of I did not know what I used to be saying and now I do know that Jesus does exist,’” Torres shared, including he stated he’d be attending the following retreat this summer season. “He stated, ‘I wish to study extra about Jesus and assist others.”
“Since its founding in 2006, Torres has led Fuerza Transformadora, which ministers to individuals who battle with habit and violence, to find out how God can change their lives.”
He was one among 89 youngsters, ages 13 to 17, who got here from everywhere in the state in addition to a handful from Louisiana and Tennessee, to attend an Hispanic youth retreat targeted on sharing about their struggles and listening classes led by Torres.
Since its founding in 2006, Torres has led Fuerza Transformadora, which ministers to individuals who battle with habit and violence, to find out how God can change their lives. At the moment, there are six retreats every year, in addition to weekly conferences in Rogers, Springdale, Conway, Little Rock, Texarkana, Hope and De Queen. A big part of the ministry on the time was outreach to gang members, a life Torres knew properly as a former gang chief in California. He discovered Jesus’ presence after a launch from a Rogers jail that modified his life.
Immediately, Torres stated not many leaders of the Fuerza Transformadora teams within the state perceive the way to minister to gang members. The group pivoted to deal with individuals who battle with addictions and violence.
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Because of a $50,000 grant, Torres is making a youth part to Fuerza Transformadora. There can be retreats and a gaggle of Hispanic teenagers in Holy Spirit Church in Hamburg started assembly weekly June 15.
For the reason that COVID-19 pandemic started, Torres stated he’s acquired calls from dad and mom about suicide makes an attempt, despair, medication and gender idenity struggles.
“A number of the youngsters are feeling lonely, they’re feeling lonely of their homes. They will’t exit, they’ve to remain at their homes and a few of them began utilizing medication,” in the course of the peak of pandemic isolation, Torres stated. “Despair; a few of them began considering they have been going to die due to COVID-19. And the dad and mom didn’t know what to do, so the one factor they stated was ‘Let’s go to church.’ And a few of them don’t know something about church.”
The weekend retreat, held at Camp Beaverfork in Conway, consisted of actions, reward and worship, Mass on the camp by Father Tony Robbins, pastor of St. Joseph Church in Conway, and Mass the ultimate day at St. Joseph on the midday Spanish Mass, in addition to testimonies from retreatants. Price was $90 per individual.
Torres led all of the talks, which included his personal private story and discussions concerning the seven lethal sins. Torres stated the retreat was completely different from different youth choices as a result of they waited till the ultimate day to debate how Jesus walks with them on their journey.
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Valeria Mares, 14, a parishioner at St. Theresa Church in Little Rock, who will attend Mount St. Mary Academy this fall, stated she attended the retreat as a result of her father, newly ordained Deacon Juan Mares, really helpful it. She stated this retreat was completely different in that the leaders spoke on their degree and gave them an area to debate their struggles in an sincere method. Mares stated, from her perspective, culturally, “Hispanic or Mexican dad and mom do not understand about psychological well being till it’s delivered to their consideration.”
“I’ve struggled with despair and nervousness for a extremely very long time and after (the retreat) I advised my dad and mom I used to be suicidal, it lifted this weight off my chest as a result of I didn’t have to carry onto it any longer. … I used to be scared at first to inform them, however on the finish of the retreat we had a sworn statement half. I made a decision to construct up the braveness although I used to be shaking loads, I went and advised them,” in the course of the testimony, Mares stated. She stated the retreat helped her see how a lot she is cherished.
“We’d not be the richest in cash, however we’re the richest in household bonding,” Mares added.
Torres stated the retreat is an efficient alternative for Hispanic teenagers to learn to hear and share, and convey these instruments residence.
“(Mother and father) say, ‘You must do that’ and that’s why they hate church. They’ve to sit down down with them and listen to what they assume, what are their ideas as a result of from our tradition, the factor is typically your voice does not depend if you wish to say one thing … (it’s) ‘Don’t say that. I’m an grownup,’” Torres stated. Following the retreat, he acquired a name from one mom who thanked him for his work along with her son.
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“He advised her ‘You recognize, I discovered this at that retreat. We now have to sit down down and I wish to share one thing. That is what I believe. So what do you assume?’” Torres stated.
The subsequent retreat can be held July 22-24 at St. John Heart in Little Rock. For extra info, electronic mail .
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Arkansas offensive line signee Bubba Craig is expected to report Fayetteville this weekend for the spring semester.
Craig, 6-6 and 315 pounds, of Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College picked the Hogs over Temple, Liberty, Texas -San Antonio and others.
On3.com industry ranking list him the No. 1 interior offensive lineman and No. 23 overall junior college prospect.
Nickname: Bubba
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Favorite thing about playing on the O-line: Moving people
Football has taught me: Patience
My parents stay on me to: Be great at whatever I do
My favorite childhood memory: Building a fort in my yard. It fell over because I was like 10 years old and my siblings and I didn’t know we were doing but ut was still cool.
How Arkansas addressed receiver position in transfer portal
Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino lost plenty of production in the passing game to the transfer portal and NFL Draft following the 2024 season.
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With starting quarterback Taylen Green set to return for a second season in Fayetteville, the Hogs had to find the 6-foot-6 passer some new weapons. Star receiver Andrew Armstrong is on his way to the NFL, veterans Isaac TeSlaa and Tyrone Broden are out of eligibility, and speedster Isaiah Sategna transferred to Oklahoma.
Along with those departures, younger prospects Dazmin James and Davion Dozier also elected to hit the portal, which left plenty of recruiting for Petrino, receivers coach Ronnie Fouch and head coach Sam Pittman.
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Armstrong led all Southeastern Conference players with 78 receptions for 1,140 receiving yards in the regular season, but it was really a one-man show with him all season.
TeSlaa added 545 receiving yards and Sategna was second on the team with 37 catches. At 6-foot-7, Broden could never break through as a true difference maker, as he caught just 15 passes for 197 yards and barely played late in the year.
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Of the players the Hogs are set to return at wide receiver — Jordan Anthony, CJ Brown, Krosse Johnson, Bryce Stephens, Monte Harrison and Shamar Easter (moved from tight end to receiver for Liberty Bowl) — the production from 2024 only combined for a total 18 receptions, 243 yards and one touchdown.
Incoming freshmen such as Warren (Ark.) product Antonio Jordan and Missouri City (Tx.) four-star Ja’Kayden Ferguson are intriguing prospects, but it was clear the Hogs needed to add talent in the transfer portal.
So far, the Razorbacks have signed five transfer portal wide receivers. Three of them put together very solid seasons in 2024 for their respective programs, while one — former four-star and Pine Bluff native Courtney Crutchfield — redshirted and the fifth, Ismael Cisse, was a contributor at Stanford.
Arkansas Wide Receiver Production
Note: Courtney Crutchfield is not part of the table, as he did not record any statistics in 2024.
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O’Mega Blake (6-foot-2, 180 lbs) began his career at South Carolina, where he spent three seasons and caught 20 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns. At Charlotte in 2024, Blake caught five passes for 205 yards and three scores in the Nov. 23 win over Florida Atlantic.
Hailing from Fresno State, Raylen Sharpe (5-foot-9, 165 lbs) is very familiar with Petrino. Sharpe spent 2022-23 at Missouri State, where Petrino was head coach from 2020-22. Sharpe caught 73 passes for 991 yards and seven touchdowns at Missouri State in 2023.
Kam Shanks (5-foot-8, 180 lbs) will more-than-likely be the favorite to return punts after leading the nation with 329 punt return yards and two punt return touchdowns this season. Shanks caught five passes for 31 yards and one score in the Sept. 14 loss at Arkansas.
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After being committed to Arkansas for nearly seven months out of high school, Courtney Crutchfield signed with Missouri and redshirted after appearing in just two games in 2024. He was rated by Rivals as the No. 2 overall recruit and No. 1 wide receiver in the state of Arkansas in the 2024 recruiting class.
The latest addition to the class, Cisse signed with the Razorbacks on Monday evening following a visit over the weekend. He logged 381 snaps as a freshman in 2024, per Pro Football Focus. Cisse is a former three-star recruit out of Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colorado.
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Overshadowed by Arkansas’ 52-point offensive performance was the difficulties the Razorbacks had stopping Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier, who scored 29 points on 10-for-20 shooting, including five threes in a 24-point loss against the No. 1 Volunteers.
Now, the Hogs must deal with a quartet of guards against No. 23 Ole Miss. All four can score in the “randomness” of coach Chris Beard’s system. The Rebels’ top four scorers, Sean Pedulla, Jaylen Murray, Matthew Murrell and Dre Davis are all listed as guards and average double figures.
“These guys run motion,” assistant coach Chin Coleman said. “It’s all random and it’s all different and so, while they’re moving and cutting and screening, you’re going to have to guard every kind of screen there is in the game of basketball. That motion is unpredictable. The freedom of movement, cutting, screening. It’s hard to scheme against. It’s hard to scout.”
Arkansas also must contend with an Ole Miss team that wins the turnover battle on both ends of the floor. The Rebels commit the ninth-fewest turnovers in the country (9.3) and are third-best in turnover margin (+7.0).
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“We want to stay on the attack and make plays for one another and not have a lot of live-ball turnovers,” Coleman said. “Those are the ones that we can’t defend against. We want to make teams play against our set defense, which is one of the best in the country. If we can do that and not have live ball turnovers, we’ll be fine.”
Tennessee forced the Razorbacks to commit 15 turnovers, picked up 10 steals and turned it into 13 points. Ole Miss ranks fourth in the SEC at 10.2 steals a game.
Tipoff between Ole Miss and Arkansas is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
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