Our History
The Journey to Burundi, Africa
2005
In 2005, Isai Torres traveled to Burundi, Africa, to work and train in local churches and to establish a bible school.
2006
In 2006, he returned with Samantha and continued strengthening and training leaders in local churches. During their time in Burundi, they witnessed many children suffering from hunger and rejection in the streets and many simple people becoming dependent on handouts.
As a result, these people lost their sense of virtue and purpose. In addition, Isai and Samantha found many children who had lost their parents and were left to fend for themselves. They gave up their hopes and dreams as they were forced into a new life of struggle and pain, often having to leave school and become servants.
Founding The Cries of a Child
a calling
Upon returning to the US months later, Samantha continued her work with foster care and adoption. Together, they continued ministering to the homeless and drug addicts in centers and detention centers for youth. As the months passed, they could not forget the faces of those suffering, searching for hope. During this time, Samantha had two vivid visions. The first vision was of Isai and Samantha leading many broken children over a green mountaintop to a place of safety and peace. The second vision was of children’s cries coming from a big, broken-down building in the valley whose doors were chained with a big lock. As Isai and Samantha broke off the lock, they saw scared and broken children piled one on top of another. One by one, they rescued the children and restored their hope for the future.
Starting in 2009 – Present
The Cries of a Child was birthed from a burden to rescue children and restore them in their communities and the Kingdom of God, raising them as future leaders in their nation. The Torres family moved to Burundi in 2009, shortly after their first son passed away. They later gave birth to their second son Malaki in 2010 and their daughter Isabella in 2012 and continue to lead TCOAC in the mountains of Bukeye.
The Lord has put the following mandate upon their hearts and given them a passion for bringing the lost home to the Father’s house, as freely they have received, freely they give. Once they were bound by addiction and hopelessness, but now they have been set free and restored for the glory of God!
