José Joaquín Ávila Portalatín (September 20, 1925 – June 28, 2013), better known as Yiye Ávila, was a Puerto Rican Pentecostal Evangelist and writer of Sephardic origins. His preaching and messages were characterized in proclaiming that the coming of Christ is imminent. He is considered one of the most influential Protestant preachers of the Spanish language. He was also the second runner-up for Mr. North America in 1953.

Early life

José Joaquín Ávila Portalatín was born in Camuy, Puerto Rico. His parents, Pablo Ávila and Herminia Portalatin, were both Sephardic Jew schoolteachers that had converted to Christianity, and he eventually followed in their footsteps. He enrolled at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico San Germán campus, with plans to study medicine. There he graduated with a bachelor's degree in natural sciences and completed his pre-medical studies. He chose to return to his hometown of Camuy and teach chemistry and biology at the local high school, where he taught for the next 22 years.

Sporting life

He began playing baseball in the Double A level and training as a weight lifter. In 1952, he competed and won the Mr. Puerto Rico bodybuilding contest, and would go on to become the second runner-up for the title of Mr. North America in 1953.

thumb|Yiye Avila in his youth

While training for the summer Olympic Games of 1956, Ávila experienced terrible pain in parts of his body and, after various tests, was diagnosed with chronic arthritis by his doctors. This prevented him from participating in the Olympics or in any other future sporting event. The pain was so intense that Ávila suffered limited mobility and could not even perform everyday chores. He turned to Christianity and began praying, seeking divine intervention for his situation. According to him, he received a divine revelation through the reading and study of the Protestant Bible, where he received healing from Jesus Christ. From that time on, he dedicated himself to ministry. On June 28, 2013, Yiye Ávila died from cardiac arrest at the age of 87. He was buried at Cementerio Municipal el Remanso de Paz in Camuy, Puerto Rico.

Literary works

{| class="wikitable"

! Title !! Theme !! Publisher/publishing date !! Notes

|-

| The Fast of the Lord: Fast of Victory

| Fasting; spiritual life

| Yiye Ávila (January 1, 1976)

| English, ASIN B0007B0N86

|-

| Perfecto Amor: Comentarios Basado en 1ra. Corintios 13 (Perfect Love: Commentary Based on Corinthians 1 Chapter 13)

| God is love; religious aspects, Christianity

| Editorial Unilit (August 1998)

| Spanish,

|-

| Señales De Su Venida (Signs of His Coming)

| Second advent; eschatology

| Editorial Unilit

| Spanish,

|-

| El Engaño (The Deceipt)

| Truthfulness and falsehood in religion (religious aspects)

| 1990

| Spanish

|-

| Los Dones del Espiritu (The Gifts of the Spirit)

| Biography; spiritual

| Editorial Unilit

| Spanish,

|-

| El Anticristo (The Antichrist)

| Antichrist (biblical teaching); the Great Tribulation

| Editorial Unlimited

| Spanish,

|-

| ¿Pasará La Iglesia Por La Gran Tribulación? (Will the Church Go through the Great Tribulation?)

| Tribulation (Christian eschatology)

| Editorial Unilit

| Spanish,

|-

| Sin Santidad Nadie Le Vera (Without Holiness No One Shall See Him)

| Sanctity; spiritual healing

| Editorial Unilit

| Spanish,

|-

| La Ciencia De La Oración (The Science of Prayer)

| Prayer; spirituality

| Editorial Unilit (December 1995)

| Spanish,

|-

| ¿Quiénes Se Irán?: El Arrebatamiento De La Iglesia (Who Will Go?: The Rapture of the Church)

| Rapture

| Editorial Unilit (December 1995)

| Spanish,

|-

| Sanidad Divina: Y Por Su Llaga Fuimos Nosotros Curados (Divine Healing: And By His Wounds We Were Healed)

| Biography; spiritual healing

| Editorial Unilit (December 1995)

| Spanish,

|-

| El Cuerpo Glorificado (The Glorified Body)

| Resurrection; Afterlife (Christianity)

| Editorial Unilit (August 1998)

| English and Spanish,

|-

| Perfecto Amor: Una Exposición Acerca De Cual Y Como Debe Ser El Amor Que Servirá De Puntal

| God; love; religious aspects; Christianity

| Editorial Unilit

| Spanish,

|-

| El Cristo De Los Milagros (The Christ of Miracles)

| Christianity; spiritual healing

| Editorial Unilit

| Spanish,

|-

| El Profeta Elías: La Fe Y Obediencia De Un Hombre Que Consagró Su Vida Al Servicio De Dios

| Biblical teachings

| Editorial Unilit

| Spanish,

|-

| El Sacrificio De La Cruz (The Sacrifice of the Cross)

| Biography; atonement; salvation; the Holy Spirit

| Editorial Unilit (December 1996)

| Spanish,

|-

| El Valle De Los Huesos Secos (The Valley of the Dry Bones)

| Biblical teachings

| Editorial Unilit (December 1996)

| Spanish;

|-

| Perfecto Amor (Perfect Love)

| God is love

| Editorial Unilit (August 1998)

| Spanish,

|}

See also

  • Billy Graham
  • List of Puerto Ricans

References

  • La Cadena del Milagro (Miracle Network) official page