Category: NW_Frontpage

Posted in NW_Frontpage, Personal Stories

A Glimpse At Playtime…

Posted on by Castillo

This afternoon we took the girls and Gabriel to the orphanage to play! The kids were just waking up from their naps when we arrived.

I made a video and tried to capture some of the “action” of playtime! It’s quite busy! 🙂

Our internet won’t allow us to upload much so these are several very short clips. You’ll notice the video starts off with a little busy-body named Sachenka. I caught her singing while she was playing! She’s singing in Creole – “Read your Bible – Pray Everyday –  and You Will Grow”!

And here a few pictures from today as well! You can see that some of the little boys were grumpy! They didn’t want to wake up from their naps!

Posted in NW_Frontpage, Personal Stories

First Sunday With Our Little Orphan Babies…

Posted on by Castillo

The babies had a great night! I’m sure the bus ride tuckered them out! I know it tuckered me out.

This morning they had cornflakes and were dressed and ready for church! Our girls were pushing to get to church early so they could sit by the babies! Our new staff is SO good with the children. Their arms are always full! It was so cute to see them in the playroom on the floor PLAYING WITH the children! Our little Fedna was right on the floor too  – watching them play. It’s so cute to see her interact with her new family!

This afternoon Miss Beth, Jocelyn, and I went to check on those precious babies! We had heard that one of the little boys wouldn’t eat. His momma died less than 2 weeks ago and his little life has been flipped upside down.  I pulled out some candy and his little hand reached up! I found out later tonight he ate some rice. Poor little baby boy. I know he misses his mommy!

At dinner time I saw Momma Gigi with her Bible and songbook. I asked her if she was going to church tonight! Nope – she was off to the orphanage. She is staying 4 nights a week there (volunteering)! Tonight she is showing the ladies how to lead devotions with the babies! She was picking out scripture and songs that they were going to sing tonight! LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!

I’m still learning names and tomorrow I’m sitting down with the nurse to go over all the charts! I just absolutely LOVE our new family!

Posted in NW_Frontpage, NW_Personal Ministry Update, Personal Stories

Great Expectations/Humble Beginnings…

Posted on by Castillo

Great Expectations From Humble Beginnings—that pretty much sums up our news. Friday, after moving to the Mole 20 months ago, we opened our orphanage! YEAH!!

Hand in hand with opening the orphanage is making sure they have everything they need. I have been working on the needs list for the last several weeks. I’m constantly adding and subtracting. Honestly I’m 100% struggling with making the list.

Humble Beginnings 

I know the children in the orphanage are coming from nothing. They are hungry. They are lonely. They are poor. They may have seen their parents die in front of them. They no doubt have suffered in ways we can’t imagine. This will change their life – to go from that suffering –  to being fed, loved, and cared for. These orphans are going to start off so thankful for every single thing we give them! It’s going to be so hard not to spoil them! I already want to give them everything my children have! How could I not want them to be as blessed as my own children are?

My Dilemma 

A speaker once told this at a conference and it still sticks with me. His words really touched me:

I was in Africa writing a book about one of the tribes. I brought my camera and laptop so that I could document things along the way. The children were mesmerized! Many had never seen pictures of themselves before. I loved seeing their smiles when their photos came up on my laptop screen. They had never seen a computer before. I spent several months with them. Before I left these folks who had never known what a computer was – were begging me for one. All of a sudden the joy that I had in showing them their pictures was outweighed by the sorrow they had because I couldn’t afford to get each of them one. 

What God showed me is that people can’t covet a laptop if they don’t know what one is. They can’t covet an iPod  – if they’ve never seen one. As Americans we have to be so careful what we introduce in other cultures or we are going to create this “more” mentality that we fight in the states. 

**

I see that already in the orphanages we have. Years ago the children asked for a basketball and a baby doll. Their faces would light up when they got their very own tennis shoes! Now they want iPods and DVD players. Not that there’s anything wrong with those items – my children are certainly blessed with electronic devices! But there’s such a fine line when it comes to giving and introducing those things in a culture that’s not accustomed to it. I don’t want the children at the orphanage to be upset or feel cheated when they “only” get a basketball and a brand new pair of shoes! I don’t want them to feel disappointed that there wasn’t “more”.

Sometimes if we’re not careful – we push our own sense of “entitlement” onto the children. I want them to have EVERYTHING! Then we get upset when they feel entitled to having more!  So this is the reason I’m struggling to make our needs list! I go back and forth with every single item -trying to decide if these are things that will only hurt down the road!

Great Expectations 

My heart is set on some Great Expectations for our children—but they have nothing to do with a list of material needs or wants. I expect our children to receive love and care. I expect our children to grow up in the full knowledge that they are wanted and will never be neglected. I fully expect our children to feel spoiled by the love of Christ lavished upon them by the hundreds of missionaries who come through to polish their fingernails, take them swimming, or just sit and rock and tell stories. I can’t wait for our children to truly experience a sense of entitlement when it comes to receiving the gift of salvation. I want them to know that no matter their background that through Jesus Christ they have an entitlement to life forever in Heaven and abundance on earth!

I know I’m just belaboring the fact that folks are still waiting for a tangible list but for now let me throw out to you what my orphanage really needs: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those are my great expectations and what I really want for all of them. Perhaps from this humble list… we will all see what is truly needed to raise a child in the fullness of Christ in favor of God and man.

 

Posted in NW_Frontpage, Personal Stories

Lexington Herald Leader – Wedding Ministry!

Posted on by Castillo

I can’t tell you how excited I am to see that Diane Cornelius ‘s Wedding Ministry is on the front page of the Lexington Herald Leader! It’s a little different than the article that was in the Weekender Today! NWHCM is very blessed to be serving alongside Diane as she ministers to over a hundred couples throughout the entire northwest zone! LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!

Here is the link: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/01/10/2022882/lexington-woman-changes-lives.html

Here is a cut and paste of the article!

Lexington woman changes lives by taking wedding gowns to Haiti

By Katya Cengel — Special to The Herald-Leader

Posted: 9:01am on Jan 10, 2012; Modified: 5:01pm on Jan 10, 2012

 

 

Saint-Louis-du-Nord, Haiti — Draped over hospital beds and hanging from IV poles are wedding gowns from collections with names almost as sumptuous as their beadwork: Elegante, Bliss and Dreams.

It isn’t exactly the ideal showcase for her dresses, but bridal store owner Diane Cornelius regards the scene with a smile.

“Welcome to Ruth’s Bridal Shop in Haiti,” she says.

The real Ruth’s Bridal is in Lexington, where Cornelius, 45, lives with her husband, Joe, and their four children. But for the past 2½ years she has been bringing dresses to Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. She plans to go again in July.

Before she made her first trip in March 2009. she says. “I would only go to a third-world country if there was a resort on the beach.”

Two years after an earthquake devastated its capital of Port-au-Prince — the anniversary is Thursday — Haiti isn’t exactly a tourist destination. But where others see devastation and destitution, and where Cornelius once feared she would find only voodoo and filth, she now sees something else — hope.

That’s not to say there isn’t hardship. One of the brides Cornelius outfits for the first of two weddings held during her most recent September trip scrapes caked mud from her ankles, the result of a long ride on unpaved roads. Another bride is stunningly beautiful but smells as if she has not been able to bathe for days.

Cornelius dresses them and seven other women in a medical clinic on the grounds of Northwest Haiti Christian Mission because the clinic is one of the few places with air conditioning.

In Saint-Louis-du-Nord, where the non-profit mission is based, there are no paved roads and little electricity or running water. When Haitian pastor Jean Claude Jean Baptiste started holding mass weddings here in 2005, he had only two wedding dresses shared by a dozen brides during ceremonies.

The mission’s U.S. headquarters are in Zionsville, Ind., and one of its longtime supporters attends the same Lexington church as Cornelius, Southland Christian. In 2008, he asked Cornelius if she would be willing to bring to Haiti wedding gowns she no longer could sell.

“I think what really got me was that I think I decided that it’s not OK with me that these women don’t have the same experience because of geography or finances, whatever the reason might be,” says Cornelius. “I knew that I could do something about this.”

And in Haiti she discovered marriages are more than wedding registries and bridal showers. They are a step on the path toward a better life.

In a place where church is often the only social structure, couples who are married are “accepted into their communities and into this culture in a way that they never were before,” says Northwest director Janeil Owen. A woman who was not allowed to sing with the church choir, once married, will be able to participate fully. A middle-age woman who has never been addressed by a formal title, once married, will be called Madame. And a young woman whose prospective in-laws shunned her, once married, will be treated with respect.

Weddings and funerals are two of the most important events in Haitian society, and families will go into debt to pull them off properly, says Owen.

While Cornelius takes care of the dresses and decorations, Magdala Petion Remy and Jean Baptiste, both of whom are associated with the mission, take care of everything else, from applying for marriage licenses (one costs $15, about two weeks’ wages in Haiti) to making sure the couples show. Some of the intended know Remy; others are recommended by their pastors.

Cornelius estimates each trip costs her and her husband, who accompanies her whenever possible, several thousand dollars, and she solicits donations from customers, colleagues and the community. She is in the process of establishing a non-profit and, on her most recent trip, expanded her mission to include supplying one woman with three dresses so she could start a dress rental business.

Although she was raised in the bridal business, following after her mother and grandmother, Cornelius delivers the saccharin of the industry with a strong dose of reality. Joe is her second husband, and when they talk to couples before the ceremonies they advise them to be patient and work through their difficulties.

While visiting the community of La Presqu’ile on a previous trip, Cornelius met a woman who expressed her desire to be married. On her most recent trip Cornelius returned to the fishing village where this woman, Louisilia Magiste, lives. Located on the northwestern tip of Haiti, the community consists of 150 people who live in thatch homes that lack electricity, running water and any form of real furniture. Inside Magiste’s home it is dark and hot, and the only place to stand is in the center where the slanted roofs meet.

On her own, Magiste, 37, would not be able to afford to marry the father of her five children in the way her community expects. But with Cornelius lending the dress and footing the bill for wedding rings, marriage licenses and a reception, Magiste and two other women, a bride of 18 and a 50-year-old mother of seven, are able to marry.

“When you are not married it’s like you are someone with a bad sign on you that says, ‘Hey, this person is an outcast from society,'” Magiste said through a translator. “But when you are married, then the sign is removed, and everybody sees you as a complete person.”

It is the need for something we take for granted that still surprises Cornelius, even after six trips to Haiti and 121 brides.

“I never imagined something like this could change someone’s life,” she said. “Even if just for one day, (the bride) feels important.”

Katya Cengel, a former reporter at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, is a free-lance writer.

Posted in NW_Frontpage, NW_Medical, NW_Personal Ministry Update, Personal Stories

Health Care In Haiti…

Posted on by Castillo

My very talented friend Tiffany Parsons recently had an article published in Transformed Magazine! She shares our personal story & work in Haiti –  as well as other information from my Thanksgiving blog! I feel incredibly humbled by her kind words and SO GRATEFUL she was willing to share her personal story! She gives all of us a reason to be thankful for the blessings we DO HAVE!

Here is the Link: http://transformedmagazine.com/justice/health-care-in-haiti/

Here is a cut/paste copy of the article:

HEALTH CARE IN HAITI

JAMIE-LEA | 06 JANUARY 2012 | JUSTICE, ZFEATURE 1 | 0 COMMENTS

Denied. It’s only one little word, but it sure stung. I was a 29-year-old white female in overall good health. I had no health concerns, no history of surgeries and was on no medication. I was, however, what I considered to be overweight. Little did I know, I had a BMI of 41. This classified me as “obese,” therefore giving the private insurance company for which I had applied for health insurance reason to deny me coverage.

I was in shock. Weren’t they obligated to give me health insurance? Sure, they could jack up the price if I was obese, but they couldn’t simply deny me coverage, could they?

Yes. They could legally deny me coverage, and they did. To add insult to injury, they included in my denial letter a quote of coverage for the rest of my family. They quoted us $320 per month to cover my tobacco-chewing 28-year-old husband with high cholesterol and my two healthy toddler daughters.

My inability to qualify for private health insurance was a determining factor in my decision to return to work after my husband lost his job and golden employee-sponsored health insurance.

We were unable to afford the monthly premium. Once my husband started his own business, our income surpassed the limits to qualify for state health insurance. To our delight and relief, I was able to quickly find a job and regain health insurance coverage for our family through my new employer.

My home isn’t the only one where health care has been a touchy subject. Health care has become a political and social hot topic. Americans are up in arms across party lines in regards to health care reforms, either ongoing or recommended. After my aforementioned experience, I have to say I, too, was discontent with our health care system. During those weeks we went without coverage, I lived in constant fear of a bone fracture or car accident or even the smallest cold that would have meant hundreds of dollars in medical bills. After being denied and then struggling to find affordable private insurance, I was completely convinced that our health care system was “broken.”

After reading Jody Castillo’s blog, I quickly realized how blessed we are to have health care, even in its broken state. Countries like Haiti are fighting for health care at all, while we fight for reform. Jody is an inspiring sister in Christ. As a registered nurse, mother, wife and missionary of Northwest Haiti Christian Mission, she blogs the words of her heart as she shares Christ with Haiti. As I read through her thanksgiving of health care, I soon realized that I had great cause to be grateful for a health care system I considered in need of change.

As a mother of seven children, some with special needs, Jody knows all too well how Haiti’s health care system works: If you don’t have money; you don’t receive care. If there is an emergency, there must first be payment before services are rendered. One of Jody’s youngest sons began having seizures last summer, which resulted in an emergency flight back to the states.

There was no seizure medication or MRI equipment in Haiti to help her son, leaving them no hope but to seek refuge in the health care of the states. Once returned to the states, her son was immediately hospitalized and started on anti-seizure medication without pause.

Haiti is said to be the poorest country in the Western hemisphere and most areas lack even the basic necessity of health care provision. Most areas that do have health care available are unable to take in patients incapable of paying for services. Jody and her family had the fortune of being able to come back to the states and receive the much-needed treatment for her son.

Children in Haiti simply don’t have the opportunity to receive health care. The mortality rate of children under 5 is grim. Though statistics in Haiti are hard to come by, the World Health Organization (WHO) is especially concerned about the ongoing outbreak of cases of cholera in Northern Haiti. The recent rainy season has made some roads to health facilities inaccessible. The WHO issued a Health Cluster Bulletin in November focusing on plans of action for the region.

Cholera, an infection of the small intestine, is characterized by watery diarrhea and vomiting. It’s contracted mostly through the consumption of unclean water. As you can imagine, a small child could especially be vulnerable, easily becoming dehydrated with such symptoms. Oral Rehydration Treatment, IV fluids and antibiotics are used to treat cholera. Given that the simplest things such as clean water and IV fluids are hard to come by in Haiti, the disease continues to plague the people.

Shining light in the darkness, Jody’s passion is medicine and children. She is excited about a clinic that she’s been able to open in her Haitian town where she can attend to patients’ basic medical needs such as stitches, wound care and fluids in a clean environment. Healthy Happy Hearts Pediatric Clinic is a medical ministry of Northwest Haiti Christian Mission that is able to work on the front lines. Imagine as a mother being unable to provide help for your ill child. I can imagine that in Haiti where such simple basic needs are hard to come by that the Healthy Happy Hearts Clinic must be a beacon of light and hope. It’s a way to share Christ in a real, tangible way.

In stark contrast to Haiti, in the United States we are able to take our children to the doctor for congestion or a low-grade fever. Our children do not and probably never will know such diseases as cholera. While without insurance, I never would have hesitated to take my daughters to the Emergency Room if they had injured themselves. Despite my fears of medical bills, I never worried that my children would go untreated. I had no worry of lack of medical care. Only months ago my youngest child pulled a cold iron onto her head, slightly cutting her head open. I was able to call and consult my doctor’s office. Free of charge, I spoke to a nurse and decided to take her into the emergency room. There I saw two doctors and a nurse. Though no X-ray or stitches were required our co-payment of $75 was.

To think that I complained of that meager $75 co-payment now slightly sickens me. The Lord has softened my heart and opened my eyes to the unbelievable blessing we have here in the United States called health care. If my child needs stitches or has a fever, I can have them seen immediately. Within seconds an ambulance could be at my door with medications and safe and clean instruments to use. If my child develops a fever in the night or begins to have a seizure, a medical center is only miles away. That medical center is open 24 hours a day and is clean and available to serve me and my family, whether we can afford it or not.

Sadly, that is just not the case in Haiti and other countries around the world. What we consider commonplace, an MRI or X-ray, is not available to every one of God’s children. How blessed are we that we can consider reforming our health care instead of building our health care system.

Next time you take a trip to the doctor, have an X-ray, your yearly pap smear or that dreaded mammogram, be grateful. Be grateful for a clean facility and well-trained staff, for God has blessed us with their services.

Want to know more about Northwest Haiti Christian Mission and Jody’s Healthy Happy Hearts Pediatric Clinic? Check out their website at http://www.nwhcm.org/. And follow Jody as she shares her heart and the love of Christ with the Haitian people in her blog. You can pray for Jody and the NWHCM team and can donate to their ministries on their website.

Love Tiffany.

Tiffany is a Versailles, KY native and resident. She shares a crazy and love-filled home with her husband, Christian and daughters, Eden & Isla. She’s a self-proclaimed “name nerd” and dreams of writing a baby name book one day. She enjoys blogging, crafting, and traveling. Though she committed her life
to Jesus at a young age, she’s thankful for her recent “life interrupted” that’s allowed her to know Him more.

Posted in Mission Stories, NW_Frontpage, NW_Personal Ministry Update, Personal Stories

Not Her Day…

Posted on by Castillo

After living in Haiti all of these years – I still cannot wrap my mind around this. I’m watching my 2 year olds covered in orange from a bag of Cheetos – stains on their shirts from the bowl of rice & beans they just ate. And I can’t help but think about the little girl I saw this morning. Those big brown eyes – that precious little  mouth.

I have clinic Monday-Wednesday. I was walking a patient out of my office and letting the next patient know they could come in. I swung my door open and I watched a young mother slap her 2-year-old daughter right in the mouth. The little girl cried and the mom yelled at her. She wasn’t next in line but I told her to come into my office.

Here is our conversation:

What is your baby’s Name?
Her name is Michelet.

What’s going on? Why did you slap this beautiful little girl?
Because she was crying. I can’t listen to her cry anymore.

Why is she crying?
Because she is hungry.

When did she eat last?
Yesterday – Sunday morning.

Tell me about your family?
I am 23 years old. I have 4 children. I have no husband. I have no help. I work in the field making charcoal. Michelet knows it’s not her day. She needs to stop crying.

Why isn’t it her day? What does that mean?
I have 4 children. They are 6, 5, 3, & 2. I don’t have money to feed them every day. My 6 & 5 year old eat today. My 3-year-old and Michlet will eat tomorrow.

I’m sitting there listening to this young mother – watching tears stream down from Michelet’s big brown eyes. It’s 48 hours between meals for these 4 children. Understand what I mean when I say “meal”. I’m talking about a small cup of rice every 48 hours. They eat Sunday morning and then the next time will be Tuesday morning. This little baby is SO HUNGRY and the mom is slapping her because she won’t quit crying. This 2-year-old is somehow supposed to understand that today is not her day! OH.MY.HEART.

My kids act like they’re starving at lunch if they miss breakfast. How do I tell Rosie and Malaya that you can eat a cup of rice Monday, Wednesday, & Friday. And nothing else all week-long.  And Gabriel and Asher can eat Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday. How do you make any child at any age understand that “today is not their day”.

The young mother was tired. Overwhelmed. Discouraged.  At 23 – her life was already too much for her to bear alone. She was doing what she had to do – clearly just going through the motions. She wasn’t “present”. And she is just one of hundreds of thousands of mothers who are just trying to make it each day. Mothers who listen to their babies cry themselves to sleep – only to wake up and cry all day long. No hope of stopping the tears – they’re mentally spent – no patience left. So they take their frustration out on their babies – or they tune them out and shut down all together.

The last team left some crackers and granola bars. I opened a pack of crackers and the little girl shoved the whole cracker in her mouth nearly biting her little fingers. STARVING.  I counted out enough items that all 4 kids could have something each day this week. But that’s just this family…..for just this week.

Lord.Have.Mercy.

Posted in NW_Frontpage, NW_Medical, Personal Stories

Singing Her Into Heaven…

Posted on by Castillo

I remember years ago locking the door to my clinic after an extremely difficult day had ended. I had lost 2 babies that day in my clinic. Their parents waited too long to bring them. They died right there in front of me. I wrapped them with white sheets and watched their mothers fall to their knees in anguish.

There were also two young girls – a 7-year-old and a 9-years-old with AIDS who had less than a month left to live. Here they should be jumping rope with their friends, playing games in the dirt, & singing silly little songs! But they were too weak to run – too weak to play – too weak to just be the beautiful children that they were.

Feeling completely helpless I remember sitting on the clinic floor and crying out to God. I can’t really explain it but in that moment I felt Him reach out His arms and physically hold me. His arms were strong yet gentle. He held me tight so that I knew that He was there with me. He didn’t let go until I was ready to stand-up.  His embrace that day was something I would never forget.

Yesterday I met a little girl named Natacha in my clinic. She is absolutely beautiful! No more than 5 years old – Natacha is very sick. In fact her father carried her over 2 hours just to come and see me. He told me his daughter has AIDS and is dying. The mother has already died. She is all he has left. So he carries her everywhere – looking for healing.

My eyes filled with tears as I saw the love this father had for his precious little daughter. He had been everywhere trying to save her. He heard there was an American clinic in the Mole and so he carried her to me. She could barely lift up her head and her pulse was thready. Her time here was coming to an end. I could see he put all his hope in me. I run a simple little clinic. I don’t have the means to save her.

I found myself with that same hopelessness that I felt all those years ago – sitting on the floor in my clinic. I can’t explain it but to say that in that moment –  God wrapped those same loving arms around me and reminded me that He is there. I could feel His presence right there next to me.

But did that father know that He was there?

He had put his hope in me – but that precious daddy needed to put his hope in Christ. In that moment I saw that God brought him on a 2-hour walk  – all the way to the Mole – not so I could heal her – but so that HE could save their family.

I spent the next 30 minutes with tears talking about Jesus. How he wants the little children to come to Him! That Jesus is waiting with His arms wide open to embrace little Natacha! That she will run and play again – in Heaven.

He told me he had been to the witch doctor but he couldn’t save his daughter. He has been to the hospitals and they can’t save her. Someone must save her. Please save her.

I told him about the Great Physician – that HE will save her and HE can save him too.

Through the tears we prayed together and I encouraged him to come back and talk with our pastor.

He asked me what should he do right now?

As her respirations were few and far between – I told him to spend the next few hours holding her, kissing her, and singing her into Heaven…..

 

Posted in NW_Frontpage, NW_Medical, Personal Stories

Healthy Happy Hearts Pediatric Clinic…

Posted on by Castillo

Dear God,

I humbly come before You today. I know through You all things are possible. Thank You for allowing me to return to my first love – helping sick little children.

Packing the shelves with medicine in my office/pediatric clinic filled my eyes with tears. Knowing that each medicine on the shelf already has the name of a sick child on it – I pray over it – so that it may bring healing. That it won’t be just physical healing – but spiritual healing.

Lord, I pray to be gifted with the means to help those that can’t help themselves. The line outside my door is overwhelming. The needs of this community is so burdening.

Lord allow this ministry to be more than just providing medical services. Allow me to personally touch individuals that I might never have the chance to know if it weren’t for this medical ministry.

Lord, Monday I saw 40 children and 20 adults. And the line barely made a dent. They just kept coming and coming. My heart aches for the little baby suffering with 3rddegree burns from the pot of hot rice that fell on his tiny little feet. …For the incredibly malnourished 2 year old that can barely hold up his little head. …For the precious little baby who is covered with so many sores and scabies that it’s difficult for her to stand-up without being in pain.

I know our hearts should break for those who break Your heart but it’s been a couple of years since I ran a pediatric clinic and I forgot how much my heart hurts. Thank You for giving me another chance to do what I love.

You know the needs of this community and the fishing villages that surround it. Please provide the desperately needed medications so that I can continue to minister.

I pray today for your peace and for our strength. I pray that You will bring others to bear this incredibly heavy burden I am carrying for these sick babies. May Your healing power reach into the homes that don’t know You. May the people who curse my steps and seek to destroy Your work know You one day.

In Your Name,

Jody

Posted in Mission Stories, NW_Frontpage

Flag Day Part 1..

Posted on by Castillo

We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here in St. Louis. We arrived Sunday and will be heading home tomorrow! Seeing friends and family – fellowshipping till the wee hours of the night – getting to hug some of our favorite kids – LOVED IT!

Today was incredible! The parade lasted about 2 hours! My family rode in a black truck at the front of the parade. It was funny watching the babies and kids wave to everyone like they were little celebrities!

We started at the mission – went down by the town square – then to the cemetery – then to the river – and back to the soccer field! We were carrying water in the truck to pass out to everyone marching behind us! Everyone was so dedicated. Some were wearing long sleeve jackets – marching right in the sun!

Wow – it was the most organized flag day we’ve ever had here! Other churches and schools joined in and then everyone performed on the soccer field!

Here are some pictures from today’s celebration. I’m making a video for the next post!

Posted in NW_Frontpage, Personal Stories

Get Well Cards…

Posted on by Castillo

My dad has now moved to a regular room at St. Joseph Hospital!! PRAISE THE LORD!! We hope he will be discharged on Friday! He got rid of his chest tube today! I know he’s so sore but he really does look good! He has been having some panic attacks but overall he’s doing very well. It’s just a long recovery ahead – especially for a man who can’t sit still.

My dad is very old-school. Since I can remember – every year at Christmas he has taped up his Christmas Cards on his wall. He told me every Christmas he gets less and less – especially since everything is now online. I want to show daddy we all love him and appreciate all he has done for us and the people of Haiti! I want so many cards there isn’t enough wall space to hang them! (He loves it when kids draw him pictures too).

If my dad has touched your life or if you just want to touch his – please send a get-well card to:

Larry Owen
799 Marcella St
Versailles, KY 40383