Ángel Cruz

Project Director

Ángel Cruz was born at the El Buen Pastor Clinic in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. He attended third grade at the Domingo Ruiz Elementary School. His parents then moved to New York, and three and a half years later, they returned to Arecibo. He graduated from La Roosevelt Elementary School in the town of Arecibo. His parents moved to Camuy, where he graduated from Pablo Ávila High School. He attended several student reunions at the famous Yiye Ávila “Basement.”

He began his university studies at the Arecibo Regional College of the University of Puerto Rico, majoring in Sociology. In 1973, he interrupted his studies to join the US Army, where he trained in combat weapons and graduated from the Parachute School at Fort Benning, GA. He served in the 82nd Parachute Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In January 1975, he became a member of the US Army Ceremonial Unit. Honor Guard in Washington, DC, where he served two presidents; President Gerald Ford, and he was in the honor cordon for President Jimmy Carter’s arrival at the White House during his inauguration in January 1977.

Ángel returned to Puerto Rico in January 1978 and began his studies at the Inter American University, Buchanan Campus, and joined the 201st Combat Support Hospital of the Puerto Rico National Guard and worked in the VA Hospital library. In October 1979, he returned to Washington, DC, where he joined the Virginia National Guard’s Combat Group and worked as Assistant Manager at Bakers Shoe Store. A few months later, he met a young woman, Rhina Escoto, whom he knew from his time in the Honor Guard. They married and today have been together for 43 years and have three beautiful daughters, Sobeida, Anisha, and Shaira, and six wonderful grandchildren. In 1985, they were invited to a Community Group meeting and began to change their lives and seek the Lord Jesus. His wife was transformed immediately, but it took him a couple of years, but the Lord called him with cords of love. They were baptized at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD, where they served for 20 years in Visitation and Children’s Ministries.

They moved to Orlando in 2005, where he completed his career with the US Postal Service after 37 years of federal service, and have been part of El Calvario Church since then. During a Missions Assembly at Calvario Church, God called them to the mission field, and they were interviewed by Pastor Ruth Ayende, but it wasn’t until eight years ago that they finally fulfilled their role in Medical Missions. He has also served as a teacher and facilitator for the Starting Point program during its pilot launch, as well as an Ushers’ Ministry and Chaplains’ Academy. He has served two terms on the Board of Elders, and currently leads the Church’s Deacon Corps. He has served several missions to the Dominican Republic and was a mission leader on his last trip. In addition, he has made missionary trips to Texas on the Mexican border, Matamoros and Reynosa, Mexico, Panama, and Cuba. His family supports him, and his wife is his backbone, covering him with her prayers.

Ángel says, “There is no greater privilege in the world than to bring a medical need to a community and present the Gospel of Christ as the Healer of the heart, mind, and soul.”