Interviewer
Nicole Sauza
Project
El Paso Folklore (English 3374)
Summary of Interview
This oral history interview was conducted with Alvaro Sauza, age 81, a pastor, migrant minister, engineer, and founder of Adelante Naturopathic Center. Born in Monterrey, Mexico, he recounted his childhood faith, his family’s early connection to Adventism, and the spiritual calling that led him to migrate to the United States. He described discovering his hearing impairment while attempting to study English in seminary, which made learning the language nearly impossible and shaped the rest of his ministry. Despite speaking almost exclusively Spanish and navigating daily life with only a few English words, he built a long, border-centered pastoral career, preaching in bilingual and Spanish-speaking churches across Mexico, Central America, and the United States.
In this interview, he dives into his experience with migration, religious callings, his bilingual borderlands identity, family history, ministry work, natural health practices, community building, language barriers, discrimination, resilience, and intergenerational faith transmission. He was often invited to preach in U.S. churches during his temporary work stays, helping his son immigrate and begin his dental career, founding and developing congregations in Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, spending eight years living and studying in California, and later returning permanently to El Paso due to its proximity to Mexico. He also speaks on his experience with combining engineering, theology, and finance throughout his life, running a family-supported naturopathic ministry, and traveling widely to give sermons, health seminars, and prayer weeks. The interview closes with reflections on his daily spiritual practices, his favorite biblical verse, the Adventist roots passed down from both sides of his family, and his hopes that his children and grandchildren will continue the faith traditions that guided his life.
Date of Interview
11-20-2025
Length of Interview
45:15
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1798
Transcript Number
No. 1798
Terms of Use
Closed until 12/10/25
Recommended Citation
Interview with Alvaro Sauza by Nicole Sauza, 2025, "Interview No. 1798," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Student Created