HGTV Star Honors Late Pastor Who Gave Him His Faith
By Movieguide® Contributor
Israel “Izzy” Battres, the star of HGTV’s new show IZZY DOES IT, honored late pastor Sonny Arguinzoni Sr., crediting him for his relationship with Christ.
“I want to honor and remember a man who changed the course of so many lives, including mine and my brother Rudy’s,” Battres wrote in an Instagram post. “Pastor Sonny Sr. wasn’t just a pastor – he was a warrior for the broken, a lifeline for the lost, and a father to those who had none. He pulled the drug addicts off the streets, gave them hope, and showed them a new way to live.”
“Rudy and I were two of those lost souls. If it weren’t for Pastor Sonny’s vision, we wouldn’t be here today,” the post continued. “Battres Construction wouldn’t exist. The lives we’ve built, the families we lead, and the work we do – it’s all because God placed a man like Pastor Sonny in our path.”
“I will forever be grateful for the second chance he helped give us,” Battres added. “His legacy lives on in every life he touched. Rest in peace, Pastor Sonny Sr. Your impact will never fade.”
Pastor Sonny founded Victory Outreach International in 1967, a nonprofit focused on reaching those who lived in the inner city and were being targeted by gangs. He provided them with another path, and gave those he touched a chance at a much different life.
Battres experienced the transformation work of Victory Outreach personally, as he got involved with drugs early in his life as a coping mechanism. Battres eventually ended up in a recovery home where he learned that he didn’t have to let his past define him and found his way into becoming a productive member of society.
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“I’ve learned that second, third, fourth and fifth chances are a gift from God and that failure is not final,” he told HGTV. “You can learn and grow from your mistakes and that when you’re down, you really find out who your family and friends are.”
Helping with the construction projects on FLIP OR FLOP, Battres and his company were recently signed for a show with HGTV. While he is currently enjoying the platform this show will give him, he eventually plans on focusing his construction work in ministry, building communities for the underprivileged.
“I did missionary work for five years in areas like South America,” Battres said. “I think our latter years, [my wife] and I will end up building communities in poor countries and possibly starting a church.”
Battres’ life is only one snapshot of the impact Pastor Sonny had on the world. It is amazing how even through just Battres, he has brought so much good into the world. Multiplies across thousands of lives, it is almost inconceivable how positive of an impact Pastor Sonny had on the communities he touched.
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