The girls cannot wait to move….they want the house to be done already. They keep talking about how cool it is that they are so close to the orphanage! The kids already feel at home there.

The employee homes are just a stone-throw away! The kids are loving that they can see them anytime they want! Which is great for the kids…..but maybe not so much for the staff!

The boys are REALLY enjoying the “process” of building! They ask every day if they can go to the construction site and see the men work! It’s so funny to see how interested they really are. Every time the men put up a panel they clap their hands and cheer them on!

Jose & I are headed to INDY for a few days for the mission’s board meeting. It was SO HARD to leave! We LOVE watching the daily progress! I’m thankful Miss Beth is there to take the boys to the site and to watch the progress!!

They each came up with their own way of gift giving! The boys are always hilarious and creative in their gifts! All three of them had a promise of no bed-wetting or dirty diapers! If only every day was Mother’s Day!

I was most touched by Rosie’s thoughtful gift. She took her sensory brush and brushed my arms, legs, and back – just like I do for her. She said every time I brush her that it shows her I love her. So this was her way of showing she loved me!

I couldn’t have asked for better gifts…but God certainly sweetened the day with the arrival of 5 trucks full of supplies!

Three trucks were carrying all the panels/walls of our home along with boxes of supplies for the orphanage. This was shipped from the states at the end of March and it’s already here!

The other two trucks contained all our roofing, plywood, & building materials!

This week we will start putting up the walls to our home! I can’t believe I get to say that!! Let me say it again. THIS WEEK we will begin putting up the walls to our home!

It should take about 2 weeks to build the home & roof it. Then we have electricians coming into Haiti at the beginning of June to put in all the electricity!

As you can imagine – even in the states  - building a home requires a lot of patience and there’s typically a ton of problems throughout the process! Everything has to line up just right to even get started. I honestly wasn’t sure if we would even be able to start building in May.

Everything in Haiti takes about 10 times longer than the states. We have been hitting our knees hard and praying for God’s divine intervention. It is a MIRACLE that everything has arrived here and we’re still in May!

The boys want to go to the property every chance they get. When they heard the “big trucks” were here – they begged to go to the property and watch them unload! I am so thrilled for my boys to have such a large playground! Today they were literally climbing up our walls! Hopefully that won’t happen once they’re actually up!

As you will see below…little LEVI is so excited to show you all the supplies that have arrived!

They were SO excited as we began to draw the outline of their rooms!  The boys were running all over! They told me that we don’t even need walls just to leave it all open like that!  It really felt like home….Asher was already telling Gabe to stay out of his room!

We pretended it was night-time and we all laid down where our beds would be! It was funny listening to Gabe tell everyone to be quiet so he could sleep! I have a feeling with wooden walls – we’ll all be yelling “shhh…..” just like Papaw does!

The kids cannot wait to move….neither can we! I love the fact that we are right there by the church, orphanage, employee homes, school, clinic, etc.  It will still be important to walk through the town though….we never want to lose touch with the community! I love that the boys who desperately need a safe place to rip and run – will finally have a huge area to play in. At least if they jump on our neighbor’s beds this time – it will be our own Mission Staff!

The children enjoyed playing so much today that they didn’t want to leave when we were done drawing everything out! Mikela said, “We’re using our imagination and we’re not done thinking”!

The kids pretended to have class where their school would be! Finally  there’s a place big enough for 6 little kids to learn. Asher and Levi just started going to school this week! I asked Levi how old he was and he told me GREEN! So they’re starting school just in time!

We drew out Miss Beth’s room & even got her to pretend she was laying in her bed in HER room!

It was a fun-filled family afternoon…playing house!

We have really missed our two girls –  Gigi & Isebelle.

It was really precious to hear some of the stories about Gigi. Each time that we leave, Gigi stays with her aunt who works for the mission. Her aunt now lives on the property right beside the orphanage. So I told her instead of watching Gigi at our house the whole time – let Gigi hang out at the orphanage with some of the other kids.

Gigi actually let some of the little orphan kids sit in her lap!! She won’t even let my kids sit in her lap! Gigi and Fedna have become fast friends! She gives Fedna high-fives every time she reaches out for her! Fedna will just sit with her for hours on end  - both of them looking at their hands! Fedna will even bring her toys and when Gigi throws them – she will go get them and bring them back to her.

My little butterball Isebelle is all about dancing and singing for Jesus! She loves to raise her hands and say in Creole – “Praise the Lord”! If you tell her it’s time to pray  - she will put her hands together and say  - “AMEN”!

So now that we are home – I wanted to take a few moments and share some updates with you!

Housing Update

I want to thank everyone who sacrificed so that our large family could have a place to call home in Mole St Nicholas!  We’ve had a lot of sleepless nights ever since we found out we had just a few months to vacate our rental. We honestly had no clue how we were going to raise the funds in such a short amount of time. God revealed to us – it’s not about who WE know  – but it’s all about who HE knows!

Thanks to your donations –  we have finished the foundations for our home, the school, and Miss Beth’s apartment. Our container of panels (the walls for our home) is in Port-au-Prince right now and we are expecting them next week. I have some pictures below of the construction on the foundations. 

Our renters are giving us through the end of June to move out of our current home! Otherwise we would be packing up RIGHT NOW and moving into the school!! Praise the Lord for small miracles!

If you are wondering where our home will be on the property – we made a road on the far left side of the church – towards the end of our property line. The road goes all the way to the back of the property. Our home is in the back left-hand side… right before the mountain starts. 

Several have asked if we have reached our goal? Yes and No!

Our original estimate of the house didn’t include the windows, doors, plumbing, electrical, shelving, kitchen counters, etc. So while we met our original estimate – we are still a little short on fully funding the housing complex. But our God has performed non-stop miracles for us this past month and we know HE will continue to provide.

This Summer:

We are gearing up for our summer groups – expecting over 150 travelers in the next two months for our campus alone!

Our Mole Service Projects will include: building the medical clinic, clearing out land for a soccer field, painting the school, building our home, & digging the foundation for our church.

Never A Dull Moment:

I always say there’s never a dull moment in Haiti…. yesterday was no exception.

While we were in church we got a phone call that there was an explosion in our children’s bedroom. The twins were home with the babysitter so we hurried to the house.

The boys were in the living room when it happened and were okay. One of the Ryobi batteries that were charging exploded and then caught on fire.

Luckily someone was there to hear it or the whole room would have burned. Our babysitter ran and got the neighbor and they threw sand on the fire to put it out. God REALLY  protected our family and our home from something that could have been devastating.

I guess you could say that the Castillo Clan is – ON FIRE FOR JESUS!

• We got to hang out with Jose’s family in NY for a few hours
• The Easter Bunny Came
• We ate at Chick-fil-a (about 3 times)
• We visited my sister in Ohio
• We’ve spent LOTS of time with special friends and family
• We’ve already driven the grandparents crazy
• ALL the kids have seen their doctors/specialists
• We’ve had great family counseling
• We’ve ALL got new devotional books
• The kids got to go to Michigan for the first time
• We’ve made all kinds of new friends
• We went to an indoor water park
• Have eaten pizza almost every day
• We experienced snow IN APRIL
• And we still have MORE fun and travels ahead…..

Here’s a peek at our last two weeks!

Since the moment our feet hit the ground in Haiti this year – there were often no words for “the books”.

Our family has been going non-stop the last several months. Unfortunately my post-surgery complications took a life of their own. God has exposed & confirmed darkness in ways we still can’t process. We’ve been personally attacked and persecuted in ways I never imagined.

Satan has been relentless – absolutely relentless this year.

I’ve been doing my own personal Bible Study  – Psalms Study by Beth Moore. Right in the heat of satan’s fire – I began studying this passage.

Psalm 123

New Living Translation (NLT)

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1 I lift my eyes to you,
O God, enthroned in heaven.

2 We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.

3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt.

4 We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud
and the contempt of the arrogant.

Perhaps as you began reading this blog – you thought this was going to be a sappy, depressing one! Quite the contrary!

Satan can yap all he wants. He can persecute all he wants. He can try to steal my joy – my peace – my patience – my compassion – my heart – my family – my kindness – my goodness.

But God  - who is enthroned in heaven –  is on my side. He wraps His loving arms around me daily. He wipes every tear before it hits my cheek. He stands in the gap between my enemies and me. He is not surprised or shocked or overwhelmed or discouraged or defeated.

Though the war wages I find victory daily. He guides my steps. He unleashes His mighty power during the darkest moments. He is my sounding board. He is my defender. He is my shepherd. He is my Hope. He is my heart. He is my Savior. He is my provider. He is my healer. He is my daddy. He is my salvation. He is my purpose. He is my strength. He is my protector. He is my redeemer. He is my advocate. He is my conqueror.

I will not be afraid. I will not get angry. I will not be discouraged.  I will not back down. I will not walk away. I will not give-up. I will not lose hope.  I will not be defeated.

He goes before me. He stands beside me. He protects behind me. He is on my right. He is on my left. He is above me. He is under me. I cannot open my eyes without seeing Him. I cannot take a step without feeling His presence. There is no place I can look -  no place I can go – where He is not there.

He knows my heart. He knows my soul. He knows my dreams. He knows my thoughts. He knows my wounds. He knows my intentions. He knows my ministry. He knows my family.

He knows the good in this world. He’s not intimidated by the evil. He stands for justice. He stands for goodness. He stands for righteousness.

And therefore I can find infinite comfort – find peace that passes ALL understanding – fall fast asleep  – and take complete refuge in my father’s soft, strong arms. And He will consider it ALL joy as HE holds me with one hand and fights my battles with His other.

Yes –  my God is on my side.

And even if the evil is persistent– even if the battle rages daily–  Yet I will STILL praise Him.

He must increase; but I must decrease. John 3:30

This morning the kids came into class all ready to tell who did what, who’s fault it was, who was angry with who and what crazy dream they had that night. I walked out and shut the door…about minutes later I came in with a basin of water and a towel and began to wash the kids feet. For the first time in quite a while they had nothing to say…and many of you know these precious ones:>) I began to tell them of Jesus and His disciples in the upper room. I told them that during Jesus’ time when they went into a home there would be someone there to wash the dust and dirt from their feet. The roads were dusty and dirty and just like here, people walked from place to place with no shoes or wore sandals. It was a common practice to clean those dusty, dirty feet.

I told them how Jesus went, picked up the basin, wrapped a towel around Himself and began to wash the disciples feet. I explained how Peter didn’t want His Jesus to stoop down to do this. That this was considered a lowly position…a humble position. Just as David the shepherd boy was looked upon as a lowly position…being a shepherd. He was looked down upon because he was probably dirty, dusty and smelled like the sheep that he lovingly took care of . This is the position that a foot washer played then. For Jesus to do this….Peter didn’t want his Teacher, Friend, God’s Son to bend the knee to him. Jesus explained to Peter that He had come to serve, not to be served. I explained to the kids that this is why I came…this is why their Daddy and Mommy came…why their Paw Paw, Nanna, Uncles and Aunts do what they do….because they desire to serve the One who sent them.

By the time I reached the last kiddo I was overwhelmed with emotion. Overwhelmed by the example Jesus sets for us. He has shown us how to serve and be humble. I have fallen short so many times. I have spoken when I should have kept my mouth shut. I have kept my mouth shut when I should have spoke. I have allowed past sins to tempt me and my mind. As I began to pray for the kids and for the reason we are here in Haiti my heart flooded with all those that do not know Him. That haven’t experienced the abundant life that comes with wallking with Jesus Christ. “It is by His grace that I have been saved through faith in Jesus.” He alone has set me free….He paid the price for me by sacrificing His life. There is no greater love than this. He took upon His self all of my sins and was willing to die for them. What other God can we say do this? He freely gives us the choice to accept Him….some will and sadly some will choose to go their own way. Living in a country where you can feel the presence of evil and at times even see it….it makes me grateful that I have Jesus and that He leads me.

I have come to Haiti to serve….to serve the Castillo family as they serve….to serve the children in the orphanage…to serve the children in Mole St. Nicholas….to serve the women in the Mole…to serve Christ Alone, because He is worthy.

Philippians 2:1-18

My question to you is….Whom will you serve?

No matter what situation you find yourself in right now, just know that all you have to do right now is just leave it with King Jesus my brothers and my sisters.

Choir

All of your problems, all of your pain, lay it down, lay it down.

All of your heartache, all guilt and shame, lay it down, lay it down.

Cast your cares upon him, he’ll hear your call, lay it down, lay it down.

Promise he will never leave you, Non forsaken friend indeed, lay it down,

Lay it down.

Lead: Oh Christ

Choir: Ooooh oh oh oh, oooh, oh, oh oh, lay it down, lay it down.

Ooooh oh oh oh, oooh, oh, oh oh, lay it down, lay it down.

Repeat

Vamp:

Lead: All your problems

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: Your pain

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: Situation

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: Lay it down

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: Your marriage

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: Got a situation

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: Can’t sleep at night

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: So much pain

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: It’ll be alright

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: I’m a witness

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: That if you trust him

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: He will deliver

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: Oh yes he will

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: He promised

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: He’ll never leave you

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: He will be with you

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: Through all your problems

Choir: All of your problems

Lead: God will do it

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: God will fix it

Choir: Lay it down

Lead: Oh oh

Back to – Ooooh oh oh oh, oooh, oh, oh oh, lay it down, lay it down.

Ooooh oh oh oh, oooh, oh, oh oh, lay it down, lay it down.

All of your problems, all of your pain, lay it down, lay it down.

Take these hands and lift them up

For I have not the strength to praise you nearly enough

For I have nothing, I have nothing without you

***

Take my voice and pour it out

And let it sing the songs of mercy I have found

For I have nothing, I have nothing without you

***

All my soul needs

Is all your love to cover me

So all the world will see

That I have nothing without you

***

So take my body and build it up

May it be broken as an offering of love

For I have nothing, I have nothing without you

***

All my soul needs

Is all your love to cover me

So all the world will see that I have nothing

But I love you

With all my heart

With all my soul

With all my MIND

And all the strength that I can find

***

And all my soul needs

Is all your love to cover me

So all the world can see I have nothing

***

Take my time on this Earth

Let it glorify all that you are worth

I am nothing, I am nothing, without you

Today begins our pilot evangelism program.  We will be pairing 20 strong Christian women with 20 women who only know darkness.

We pray these strong Christian ladies will help us bring them into a relationship with Jesus. It is our plan to also provide them with a donkey –  which will allow them to find new ways of caring for their precious babies.

Hope.

Honestly our goal for this program- our ultimate hope….. is simply to bring them Hope.

Pray for blessings….