Miguel Sanchez Ávila

Born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, the son of Apolonio Sánchez-Arostegui and Iris Noemí Ávila-Talavera, who was a well-known Pastor and Evangelist, founder of the “Be Filled with the Holy Spirit” Ministry and second daughter of renowned international Evangelist Yiye Ávila.

Miguel lived for a time in South America, where he had a difficult childhood, divorce and continuous problems between his parents, environmental problems, and certain types of people who were not the best, but God was always with him. He lived for a time with his father and an aunt, his father's half-sister.

He studied elementary school at the Christian school of the church he would attend as a child in South America called "To God be the Glory", a Methodist denomination and founded by American missionaries.

There were times when he accompanied his mother to her campaigns and always intervened with great capacity in Sunday Bible schools.

Unfortunately, he could not enjoy his mother very well as a child and vice versa, due to the divorce conflict, which went too far, and in which his aunt intervened, in a very harmful way. However, the one who was Miguel's grandmother on the father's side, María Arostegui-Suppini, had made an effort in her time so that Miguel's aunt had a good education, in this way, Miguel took advantage not only at school, but also with that aunt to find out all her family history and above all to "polish" herself in grammar, spelling and more.

In the Methodist church where I attended, they did not believe in languages, however, the Pastor's wife, who was from Brazil and spoke Spanish very well, like her husband, at the moment, in the service, began to speak in tongues and he could not stop, before an astonished congregation and a child Miguel joyful in laughter to see how God challenged human stubbornness..

When God's promise was fulfilled, that Miguel and his sisters would be with their mother; Miguel was very happy to be with her, since he had always had to see her off at the airport and see her leave, and he could only see her when she went on campaigns..

Only a few months passed, living with his mother, and Miguel was already working in what was the Ministry of his grandfather, Yiye Ávila, a pioneer in local Christian television in Puerto Rico.

Miguel always liked television and movies, the purpose of working with his grandfather was only for the summer to have funds from his work as an interior cameraman, and thus cover the cost of traveling from Camuy to San Juan to study his career in telecommunications ; and at the same time, he would learn the technical part of what he would have to study on his grandfather's channel, but God's purpose was another.

The University accepted Miguel's transcript of credits from his mother's "Luces de Vida" Institute, in relation to the courses on "religious" and theological aspects that he would have to take as basic courses.

His mother, Noemí Ávila, had degrees of MDiv, DMin, DD, PhD in Ministerial Counseling and in that Biblical Institute called "LUCES DE VIDA", she trained many leaders and workers for the ministerial work, including her son Miguel.

When I was just beginning university studies, insistent and POWERFUL spiritual experiences began. Visions with the Lord Jesus, angels, demons, spiritual warfare and much more. God called Miguel to preach but he refused. He tried to ignore everything, but it took a little more than two years of divine insistence until something happened one night: Miguel felt for a moment that he couldn't move in bed, it was God. The Holy Spirit began to beat his feet intensely from the inside of the body outwards, manifested in fire. When he got up, Miguel dragged his feet and for the whole day he couldn't walk properly, while with great difficulty he stood up every time he saw his mother, so that she wouldn't notice and then he would have to tell her and she would also insist that he God called him to preach.

For intense days, a voice manifested itself inside the heart of Miguel, who felt it burning like the bush of Moses, and who said PREACH! PREACH!

Contradictorily, Miguel covered his ears, because the voice came from inside, and in despair he was disgusted and complained to God: YIYE HAS 9 GRANDCHILDREN! Oh eight more! Go and call the others. Why are you looking at the one who wants to repair his life? I AM NOT GOING TO GET INTO THAT so that they do the same to me as they did to my grandfather and my mother. DO YOU THINK I DON'T HAVE EYES?!

The voice kept insisting stronger.

Just a few days later, that same voice, in his grandfather's ministry, during work hours, Miguel felt that it dominated him, and he "dragged" his feet down the stairs to tell his grandfather everything, who seemed to have been waiting for him.

That day another cameraman was supposed to play to make the cameras for the program "La Cadena del Mediodía" of Yiye, and when he did not go, Miguel played in "relay".

As he began to tell his grandfather everything, Yiye stared at him, listening to something that he seemed to already know. Miguel still didn't want to preach, and he told more or less some experiences, when suddenly, immediately after finishing, the fire he felt in his heart shot out towards Yiye, who received the immediate impact and began to speak in tongues. The atmosphere in the room seemed to be clear and there was a brief glow and intense clarity.

And there it happened: Yiye would immediately save a date for Miguel to preach in a service on Fridays; broadcast on television, one day on May 31.

From that moment, Miguel's ministry grew very fast. He had his television program, at the idea and initiative of his mother and grandfather, and he went out to preach a lot in Ecuador, where hundreds of people were converted. Campaigns for weeks of 400, 200, 300 converts.

He visited in small campaigns carried out in Guatemala, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and later he was in Peru, Argentina and Chile, also with hundreds of converts.

 

While he was praying with his grandfather one morning on the third floor of the Ministry, a vision transported him to a stadium, where he was preaching to many people and the stadium was packed with people. According to the vision, difficult events had happened and now the people were seeking God. Miguel opened his eyes and looked at his grandfather and other brothers in the faith and everyone was quietly praying. I would close and open my eyes and the vision was there and manifested. He went to the bathroom to wash his eyes and the vision continued insistently.

He also studied acting and did an MBA with a concentration in management, since he understood that there was more reputation and "weight" in secular studies, which would help him apply himself in the Gospel and academically, than to continue in other theological institutes where anyone He graduated easily and they even gave him the "title", and even many times, where there was a lot of doctrinal confusion.

Also writer of several books such as "Unmasking", "FAITH to be snatched away" and more, with biblical spiritual and prophetic content.

He was always fond of sports, but being "Yiye's grandson" did not help him in Puerto Rico, since they always saw him as a competition.

In 2017, after Hurricane María and years after the death of his grandfather and his mother, and having waited patiently and enduring the unspeakable, Miguel left his handwritten resignation letter on the table of the "owner" of the Ministry.

The Yiye Ávila Ministry passed into the hands of Mr. Tommy Figueroa, who had been the vice president of the board of directors and Yiye's campaign coordinator.
His mother's departure was difficult, dying in the missions in a foreign country and then going to remove the body and taking a week to process, but his grandfather's was worse, than when he was about to die, no one from the Ministry, nor of the family, he called it.
Miguel found out that his grandfather had died while doing the cameras in the Friday service, where his ministry had begun, and through the mouth of Mr. Tommy Figueroa and his board. It was when he left the camera and went to his grandfather's house.
From New York, currently, and after the pandemic, he directs prayer broadcasts and biblical messages of depth and power through various networks, where thousands of people around the world are connected while he continues to appear in campaigns as well as train through classes on the Internet to fellow believers around the world.
Miguel has always witnessed the power of God in healings, miracles, conversions of many and reconciliations in his campaigns, live broadcasts and when he was a child.

There is more to happen... One can only say: "TO GOD BE THE GLORY".

Noemí Ávila-Talavera (Mother)

Pastor-Evangelist...

Until a certain age, she and her sisters accompanied their father to great campaigns in Argentina and more, but the more time passed, the more people came who took advantage of Yiye's kindness and seemed like a Sanhedrin, meddling even in family matters that were not corresponded to them, putting their hands on what was not theirs, and sowing tares among the family itself due to the traditional culture: ENVY, JEALOUSY AND GOSSIP. Noemí decided to follow her ministerial path later, getting married and having three children: Miguel, Sulabel and Sunaholy. The names of their girls were the result of a mixture of biblical names to want to make them original and their own spiritual meaning. Unfortunately, his marriage was unsuccessful and he was even required to leave his ministerial calling, something in which Yiye also intervened and tried to mediate and expressed that it was impossible.

She spent years without being able to enjoy his children and shared with the children of other brothers in faith, riding a bike and playing tennis and more. However, circumstances made her stronger and there were always hundreds of converts in the evangelistic campaigns, opening works in Venezuela and Puerto Rico where she later pastored and organized a group of missionaries with whom she visited the works and did campaigns, sang, preached and They taught and there were powerful testimonies, conversions and reconciliations.

God sent her to various places in the Caribbean, North, South and Central America to preach the Word of God and give conferences, where there were powerful testimonies of healing, miracles and conversions.

He attended university studies where he obtained his degrees of MDiv, DMin, DD, PhD in Ministerial Counseling and had a Bible Institute called "LUCES DE VIDA", where he trained many leaders and workers for the ministerial work.

He gave seminars at the secular and doctoral level on inner healing, how to overcome fear, women's issues, crisis management, effective communication, among others.

She raised powerful Intercession groups, mostly women, in works and ministry and stood out in charitable works in Venezuela.

During the last 10 years of her life, God allowed her to live with her three children, as he once promised her, the first years being a beautiful time of restoration and revival in her church in Puerto Rico.

 

Yiye Ávila (José Joaquín Ávila Portalatín)

He was born on September 11, 1925 in the Zanjas de Camuy neighborhood. Son of Herminia Portalatin and Pablo Avila. He married Carmen Delia Talavera and from that marriage three daughters were born: Iris Noemí, Carmen Ilia and Doris Mirna. His biography is extensive. He graduated from high school in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, and entered the Inter-American University in San Germán, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences. For 21 years I have taught biology and chemistry for the Department of Public Instruction.

Yiye Ávila was born to be a teacher, he taught and learned. He had the ability to explain with simple words the difficult and complicated things of science. At the same time that he was a teacher, he was also dedicated to sports. He was one of the great Puerto Rican athletes of his time. Although he was in baseball, where he stood out the most was in cult fitness.

In the basement of his house, he built a gym where great athletes who brought glory to the country developed. From there came three Mr. Puerto Rico in the discipline of bodybuilding, one of them was precisely Yiye Ávila in 1952. Later he also won the Mr. North America championship in 1954.

This infected many Camuyans who for years practiced this sport in the town. In addition to bodybuilding, he was an outstanding player for Camuy Arenas. A few years later, an arthritic condition stopped his athletic career and his success in sports. There would begin the second part of his life, dedicated to the gospel.

Yiye Ávila, until the early 1960s, was when he saw a television program by evangelical preacher Oral Roberts, where he was convinced to dedicate his life to the gospel. In 1967 he retired as a teacher and dedicated himself fully to evangelical work.

He became a preacher and in 1972, together with some friends and family, he founded the Cristo Viene Lightning Squad. His preaching made the movement grow and there was a need to build a building to house his parishioners. His preaching resonated with groups of churches and evangelists in Latin America who invited him to preach in their churches and communities. Its impact was great and the need to hear it in many countries led her to create a radio program and later a television channel called Cadena del Milagro. This is how it reached many homes in America. The growth of his ministry was very considerable and, in addition to radio and television, a printing press was added where he was able to publish books, magazines, audio and video tapes, and continuous television programming. He visited many cities in the hemisphere and other continents where he was received by countless rulers and famous preachers in the world. Since 1973, he has published his own books and other writings dedicated to evangelization and the salvation of souls. He went through many challenges, including the death of two of his three daughters. In January 1989, Carmen Ilia, who was murdered by her husband, and on April 28, 2009, Iris Noemí, lost her life in the middle of a missionary campaign in South America. José Joaquín (Yiye) Ávila Portalatín departed with the Lord at the age of 87, on June 28, 2013. His life dedicated to teaching, sports and the gospel, was thorough, clean and transparent and a source of pride for all of the Christian people.