Last year during our big Christmas Feast – I shared with everyone all the answered prayers from our 2012 Circled Prayer List. We as a staff had gone through the book by Mark Batterson called the Circle Maker. Then I had each of the employees tell me the things that they want to begin praying about.

I sent them away with chalk and it was beautiful to see the things they were literally drawing circles around. All of them had drawn circles in their homes too where they prayed every day & night.

As we saw God’s great provision & the way He answered 2/3’rds of our prayers already- I decided to give our kids the same opportunity.

So today we held our own church service this morning. We read the children’s version of the Circle Maker. Then I asked them what they thought we should spend 2016 praying for. Some of their answers were really sweet, some made me teary-eyed, and some made me laugh!

So that you can be praying along with our kids….I wanted to share with you the things that are on their hearts as we head into this brand new year.

CASTILLO CIRCLED PRAYERS FOR 2016

Asher:

• That I won’t get in trouble much at school.
• That Nana and Papaw move to the Mole.
• That the boat won’t sink again.
• That more groups come because it’s lonely.
• That everyone plays outside more and doesn’t fight.
• That the orphans don’t get sick.
• That I will grow up in Haiti
• That God will protect our campus and all of the people on it.
• That Auntie Lolo will come visit us in the Mole
• That we won’t be poor. That the people in Haiti won’t be poor.

Levi:

• That I stop biting my brothers and getting in trouble.
• That people will have water and won’t have to walk a long time to get it.
• That we will have a good school year so Miss Beth will always stay and be our teacher.
• That the fishing villages know God.
• That momma and daddy will have another baby.
• That we will always have food & shelter.
• That mommy won’t be sick.
• That we will have money to go to the states every year to visit.
• That sad people will find joy.

Gabriel:

• That I do better in math, spelling, & reading
• That I fight less with my brothers and sister.
• That I’m alive when Christ comes back so I can see Him come.
• That Nana and Papaw live long enough to see my children.
• That T-son & Rosie’s Granny will be blessed since they were treated so bad for a long time.
• That Miss Beth will have a good English class so they can know Jesus.
• That we see Auntie Lolo more.

Malaya:

• That we see Nana, Papaw, & Mamita more.
• That Uncle Billy’s family wouldn’t be sad this year without Billy.
• That Ruth will live along time and be healthy enough to come visit the Mole at least one time.
• That I will grow up and be a great lawyer and can come back to Haiti and teach the Haitians how they can be one.
• That Uncle Christian, Ledhis, Mamita, & Uncle Jose grow close to the Lord and know He loves them. That they won’t be sad.
• For the family of the little boy who was stabbed in Versailles.
• That Kathie’s (cooker) feet won’t hurt so she can come to Haiti more often.
• That everyone would grow in their card-playing & dancing abilities so there’s real competition! 🙂
• That we will have more babies come through our home like Fabe so we can take care of them and give them a better chance to survive.
• That Papaw gets a little bit sane! (LOL)
• For Nana who gets lonely and has to take care of papaw.
• For Momma Gigi’s blood pressure.
• Mme Nene will have enough money for her kids to all go to college.
• That mom/dad will stay together forever & not be sick.
• That we had enough funds to complete all the projects we want to do on campus.
• That more teams come.

Rosie:

• That the boys don’t pass me in schooling and I can be smart.
• That granny would be able to hear & to speak so she can know Jesus.
• That Miss Beth won’t be lonely and will have more fun.
• That Bena would know Christ.
• Elirose works so hard & is tired. That she will take care of herself and not be lonely.
• Tizzie is always traveling for the orphanage. That she will be safe.
• That Fabe would be okay.
• That Isebelle will be healthy and always be her sister.
• That I would control my anger.

Mikela:

• That everyone on this campus will really know Christ as their daddy.
• That Novenson (employee son) would be more active in church.
• That Fabe would start to grow and have a good life.
• That girls who are traded for sex wouldn’t get pregnant or diseases.
• That I will be a good police officer and stop abuse in this country.
• That the police in Haiti would do a better job at stopping abuse & punishing people who do bad things.
• That the orphans have everything they need and they stay healthy.
• That this campus stays healthy.
• That the mission will always be here & have what it needs to help others all the time.
• That people who struggle with life would find peace.

Things That Make You Go HMM…..

Three Weeks Ago…
Three weeks ago Fabi was brought to my clinic. Her mother has a learning disability and was completely overwhelmed. It was very clear this mother loved her baby and was doing all that she knew to do… she just really didn’t know/understand/have the resources to care for her baby.

Fabi was lethargic. She could not hold up her head. Her eyes would not track my finger. She did not reach for anything. We started her on formula – believing it was simply a malnutrition issue.

Two Weeks Ago…

She came back for her follow-up visit and the baby was very alert! She was reaching for my finger and tracking every movement in the clinic. So we gave her formula again. She’s 7 pounds. Perfect size for a cute little 2-month old baby! Yeah we win she’s going to be okay!

This Week…

This week she came back. The mother had been given enough formula to last her two weeks but she came back less than 4 days later. She said she was out of milk. She said the baby was constantly throwing it up. A conversation exploded in the waiting room where the patients/people waiting to be seen – began making fun of the mother. To the point that now the mother is sobbing.

We also got confirmation of a rumor about little Fabi. Fabi is not a perfect little 2-month old. NO. Fabi is 9 months old – born in May of last year.

WHAT? Can’t be right.
Nope. That’s right.

This perfectly proportioned – seemingly perfect little newborn baby – has only grown about 2 inches in 9 months. I feel like if she was born a decade ago we’d be putting her in the circus and you’d be paying a dollar to see her!

As many of you know – I’ve had over 17 children pass through my home – needing extra medical attention. All of the came from my clinic. Some stayed for a few weeks, some months, some years, and 4 I call my own! I have seen severely malnourished/failure to thrive babies. Gigi was 2 years old and 7 pounds. But her arms, head, & legs grew. Mikela was 10 months old and 4 pounds…and she measured 10 months old.

This little baby is simply not growing. She doesn’t show any signs of typical dwarfism that we can tell. So on Monday we brought Fabi home with us from the clinic so I could just monitor what she does all day. How much does she sleep? How much does she drink? Can she sit or roll over.

I still have some baby things from Isebelle…..which was ultimately from Asher/Levi. It’s not like I can go to Walmart here. But I found Asher’s pacifier that he took until he was 3. I have no idea why I saved it but we found it in a tub with their old clothes and baby items. We also found his picture with that same pacifier!! SO I cleaned that sucker off and BOOM – Fabi is hooked!

Here’s what I’ve learned…..

1) Our kids love babies! I can’t believe how much Gabriel and Asher fight to hold her.

2) Having Chronic Insomnia is really an asset when monitoring a baby at night…. just don’t take a 5-hour energy when you really don’t need it…..makes for a jittery/miserable day.

3) I forgot how much I love the smell of babies and how good it is to hold something small that doesn’t bark or talk back!

4) I forgot how much I love my job…. putting my medical thinking cap on – – measuring inputs/outputs & sleep/activity…..trying to find ways to help little ones thrive regardless of their disability.

**
Here’s what I have tracked/done….

Day 1
She only slept 3 hours total. She only drank a total of 12 ounces of formula…no more than 1 ounce at a time about every 85 minutes. She did not have a wet diaper until 16 hours after she was in my care. She’s not a fussy baby. She keeps her knees bent and her arms tucked close to her. She wouldn’t stretch her legs out…she won’t put her feet down for you to try and have her stand. She cannot sit by herself. She cannot roll over. But she’s actively watching everything around her. In fact she’s actually glued to the TV already!! LOL! AND SHE LOVES THAT PACIFIER!!

Day 2
Now drinking 2 ounces per sitting but still only 12 ounces for the whole day. When swaddled up & with a pacifier – BINGO – baby slept 14 hours this day. She’s now passing stools & we’re regularly changing wet diapers. I spent 15 minutes – 4 times a day – stretching her legs.

Day 3
Now drinking 3 ounces per sitting….but still on track for 12-13 ounces for the day thus far. Spending 15 minutes – 4-5 times a day helping her sit on her own. AND she’s starting to do it some! 🙂 Her sleeping is more balanced today. AND she’s stretching her legs out now all on her own.

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I’ve contacted a few doctors who are trying to help me diagnose her – she just doesn’t fit any typical case they’ve seen! Please if you know anyone who could help – share the story! We’re driving ourselves nuts trying to research it online.

Just like any child we’ve taken in…. I don’t know exactly how long she’ll stay….  sort of depends on her progress and the mom’s understanding of how to care for her. BUT – we are excited to help her thrive any way we can.

It’s taken a few days to upload the pictures from our Christmas Eve Service. The cafeteria was packed with people – many having to stand in the back. Pierre shared about the birth of Christ & I shared about what the people of the Mole mean to me & the anticipation of Heaven.  The women sang Thrive as their music special. Then we had two ladies lead the congregation in a few Christmas songs.

After the “service” part of the program – we passed out hot chocolate & peanut butter sandwiches. Then we showed the Nativity Story.

Here’s some pictures from our Christmas Eve Service – and a few extra ones of my kids! 🙂

The Castillo Clan is at it again! This afternoon we headed to the orphanage to make a special delivery! We brought a snowflake craft, cupcakes, and presents! The kids are ALWAYS so well behaved on Christmas Eve! 🙂

My kids took a lot of joy and pride in buying the orphans their Christmas gifts this year. So when it sank on the boat they were devastated.

But thanks to several teams who traveled into Haiti this fall – we were able to replace all of the gifts and get them to Haiti just in time!

It was just as much fun watching the children eat their cupcakes –  as it was to watch them open their gifts!

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

It’s hard to believe that this month has come and gone.

We began the month in the states repacking crates & barrels. We ended it with our Annual Women’s Conference in Haiti!

Reliving, replaying, & elaborating on each of the things I’m thankful for has been SO good for me. I think it’s really important for all of us to count our blessings – not just this month – but EVERY single day!

They said satan sank our boat but God was faithful. We needed a miracle to replace everything we lost on the boat……and we got it! I doubted and God was faithful. I got frustrated and God was faithful. I lost sleep and God was faithful! I was afraid and God was faithful. I had panic attacks BUT God was still faithful!

We wanted to make His presence known in this village through this tragedy – but honestly – I think one of the biggest things He did was make His presence known to my family. 

The way that everyone reached out to us – people we’ve never met – people we’ve known our whole lives. God used you in such an incredible way to show us His never-ending love, compassion, mercy, grace, & faithfulness.

Throughout the entire year – we’ve been wonderfully blessed by the love & encouragement of our faithful supporters. I don’t know where we would be without you all.

Jose & I have been married for almost 15 years. We held our wedding in Haiti because we wanted to share this day with the people we would spend the rest of our lives serving. In lieu of wedding gifts we asked for support to build our home in St. Louis du Nord. AND we’ve been SO blessed by those of you who’ve walked hand & hand with us ever since. You believed in us before our family even started. Through good times & bad – over all of these years –  you have offered your prayers, support, encouragement, time, & love! This is something we have treasured so much.

Since moving to the Mole we’ve also been blessed by the new friends God has brought into our lives. During a time when ministry was so lonely & so difficult – seemingly out of nowhere – we were embraced & loved in a way we had never experienced before. God has used you to fill in the gaps  – in each & every way – and remind us that our ministry is worthy of the calling.

So today I am SO thankful for the supportive people God has surrounded us with. People who’ve made & continue to make – so many sacrifices just so our family can serve here.

 Thank you for loving us – listening to us –  embracing us – praying for us – encouraging us – and giving towards our financial needs!

SO Thankful…Day 30

Whenever I’m stateside and people ask me about our living conditions  – they’re baffled when I say we have a generator that powers our home & campus.

Think about your life right now. How easy is it for you to just flip on a light? Yes the power you use does increase or decrease your electric bill –  but it doesn’t take a lot of work on your end to make things happen. It’s just a bill you pay online.

For us – each month we have to go to Port-de-Paix (4-5 hour drive) to buy 5 barrels of diesel, two tanks of propane, & 15 gallons of gasoline. This is what it takes to run our campus each month. Even still – we can’t afford to run our generator 24-7.

We typically run our diesel generator from 8am-12pm & 5pm-midnight.  The propane gives us hot water & allows us to use our stove. The gasoline runs a smaller generator that we can run when solar dies.

If we don’t plan just right – if we run the generator a little longer than our typical hours – we won’t have enough fuel to get us through the month. If the military truck isn’t running – and can’t pick up the fuel – that causes a whole other slew of issues.

Yet all that work & planning – is SO worth it!

Asher has heat-sensitive seizures. Being able to turn on an AC to cool him down is priceless. Being able to make ice – having something cold to drink – flipping on the light late at night – plugging in fans – charging computers & phones  – having internet –  watching TV – decorating an entire courtyard in lights – plugging in our Christmas tree – running our clinic equipment – being able to print & make copies of needed documents….these are a few of my favorite things that electricity provides!

So today I’m thankful for electricity! I’m thankful for the way God provided us a generator when our other one exploded last year. I’m thankful for the people he’s sent to provide maintenance on the one we have now. I’m thankful for the way electricity literally brings light into our world! For all the different ways it brings comfort to our orphans, staff, family, & friends.

SO Thankful…Day 29

It’s amazing how a song can take you on a journey – snap –  just like that. Whether you’re driving, sitting in a restaurant, waiting inside an elevator, or staring at your Christmas tree  –  music has a way of instantly transforming our minds & bodies to another place – another time.

When we were in the states we drove to Kansas City to see our friends. Each of us took a turn picking out a DVD to play in the van. We often rent DVD’s at Red Box but we also have slew of DVD’s we’ve collected since the girls were little.

So when I looked through our old DVD collection – I had to smile when I saw we still had Hi-5! For Mikela’s 5th birthday we took the girls to see them in concert in Louisville, KY. My mom & Angel went with us. How is it that it’s probably been 6 years since the girls have watched that DVD but as soon as it came on I instantly knew all the words to their songs!?! LOL! My mind took me to a place before there were little boys in our world. A home that was ALL about Disney Princesses, Barbies, and baby dolls.

I have a crib that every single child in my home – starting with GIGI – has slept in. I remember coming home after a long day in the clinic – when we were living in St. Louis du Nord.  I walked into the girls’ pink & white princess room. Malaya couldn’t walk yet but she was sitting on the floor clapping her hands. Gigi was bouncing in that crib like Tigger from “Winnie the Pooh” while Rosie & Mikela were dancing to Hi-5!

**

When it was my turn to pick a DVD again – I smiled when I saw we still had the Wiggles Christmas DVD! My nephew DJ was consumed with the Wiggles. He took a blue, red, yellow, & purple crayon everywhere he went. They were the Wiggles to him. It makes me feel SO OLD but those memories are priceless.

My girls were still pretty little but they too loved the Wiggles. My mom, my sister, DJ, Jose, & all my little girls went to see the Wiggles in Concert in Columbus, OH. As the girls grew out of their “Wiggles Phase” the boys entered into it. I STILL love watching their Christmas DVD. I know all the words to it too. My favorite it Henry The Champion Christmas Wrapper! He’s an octopus so just imagine with 8 arms how quickly he can get the job done! I always wished I could be as fast and do as good of a job as good ole’ Henry!

**

Memory Lane continued when I saw we still had the Doodlebops! They were on the Disney Channel too. In fact when we went to Disney World – we were able to sit first row for their concert. Angel was with us again. Angel and the girls – including Gigi – were all dressed with pink hair & the purple costume. I wish I could find their pictures.

MY GIRLS WERE ON A DOODLEBOPS COMMERCIAL! The Disney Channel was there filming commercials for the Doodlebops and our girls got interviewed! Of course they did – they were such little cuties!

***

Those are just a few of the wonderful memories that took me to another time & place –  as I read through my blog below.

So today I’m SO thankful for music. For the way it allows us to express ourselves. For the way it can brighten up a cloudy day.  For the way it can bring forth so many emotions – both happy & sad. For the way it paints my memories – some of the happiest days I can remember.

SO Thankful…Day 28

When we moved to the Mole I knew immediately who I wanted to take this ‘missionary journey’ with. I just wasn’t sure if they would want to come with me. Sometimes I think if they knew then how hard it was going to be – maybe they would have had doubts about following me here.

I told the staff that they could take Thanksgiving off and enjoy the rest. As soon as I told them to take the day off they were like “Great. Now we can clean the orphanage depot!’

Wait. What? It’s like they don’t know how to ‘not work’ – how to just be still. FYI – they didn’t clean the depot yesterday but they still ended up spending the day doing their laundry.

If a truck full of supplies arrive at midnight – here they come – helping us unload everything. If a team shows up at 3am – they’re here to help us welcome them. I have never met a group more dedicated or loyal than the staff we have now.

We have SO much fun together. You’ve seen our posts where we play games and most of them cheat! Lol! Yes there are times where we get annoyed with each other, step on each other’s toes, take a joke too far – but that’s with any family. We also show each other compassion, give each other more grace and mercy, and really rally behind one another.

I knew the staff I brought very well but had no idea that I would become just as close to the staff we hired in the Mole. I lived in St. Louis most of my life but there are some very precious staff here that I am very close to. It’s as if I’ve known them my whole life.

I often get the credit for the teams we host, programs we lead, activities we engage in, and the love/compassion we pour into this community. But the truth is – I’m a very small part of our successes. There’s absolutely no way my family could do it alone. Our staff work tirelessly, sacrifice more than is required, and give all they have to this ministry. They take full ownership in playing their part to advance the Kingdom.

So today I am so thankful and so blessed for the staff God has surrounded me with. A staff who would die for each other. A staff who truly beam the face of Christ to everyone they meet. A staff that enjoy and take great pride in being the hands and feet of Jesus!

Pic taken from hide-n-seek game last year. 

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SO Thankful…Day 27