The Castillo Family

I recently made a post asking for a Helping Hand, on our ministry blog, molehaiti.org.

If you haven’t had a chance to read that blog, please click on those links above.

Instead of reposting that appeal again, I thought it might be more beneficial to share about our brand new therapy room! This room plays an intricate part in our approach to aiding  women & children who are  entangled in abusive situations, 

As I shared on the mole blog:  Over the past decade, I have passionately pursued resources, schooling, seminars, conferences, and spent many years training right alongside licensed therapists.  With each new layer of darkness exposed, I have had the best back-up that anyone could ever pray for.

Back in 2018, we opened the first play therapy room  for the entire northwest zone of Haiti. Here’s a link to that post: PlayRoom

The room was very small, but so was the ministry at the time. As patients came to clinic, anyone suspected of physical/sexual abuse were referred  to the therapy room.

We have had many children as young a 7 years old with sexually transmitted diseases. We’ve had women come to the clinic with broken limbs and bruises – scars that an accidental fall could never cause. We are just as serious in scheduling this appointment, as we would be for any other medical specialist. 

There are a variety of techniques that allow for vulnerable children/women to express what they feel without having to ask direct questions. We have puppets, paint, games, role playing, drawing, sand tray therapy, as well as a variety of other techniques. Honestly, whatever works with the kids usually works on the adults as well.

Once we have established a trusting relationship,  in an environment where they feel completely safe – they courageously share their pain quite openly 90% of the time.  It doesn’t happen right away, usually after 3-4 appointments. 

As the patients begin to share… as predators become identified… as their truth completely  exposes all the darkness surrounding them – we do our best to help. However,  it’s often more dangerous for the children if we intervene in any way. There’s no social services here.  

In fact, when I reached out to authorities back in 2017 , I was ordered to “stay out of it”.  I was trying to resolve a serious problem for an 11 year old girl.  Somehow I managed to inadvertently cause more harm, as I haven’t seen that girl since the day I tried to get her help.

I remember reaching out to my therapy team, explaining how hopeless I felt listening to heart-wrenching stories, knowing I can’t make it better.

 I was reminded that providing a safe environment, allowing children to be seen & heard, showing unconditional love, & talking about that glorious day when Jesus comes – it’s not nothing.

For them, it’s everything. The hugs, the love, the laughs, the smiles…. they look forward to it every week. Their demeanor from the first visit versus a month of meetings, is night & day. It feels like nothing when I can’t fix it…but it’s not nothing to them. 

So, as the ministry grew, so did the room! This past summer we moved from our little room into another one that’s 3-times the size! Not only did we gain more space, but it just so happened that my “back-up” (our therapist, Joan) was here to move us over. 

The President was assassinated the week she was here with her family and their trip got extended several more days. We didn’t waste a single moment, as we now had time to move into the new suite! I’ll share about their time here in another blog. But for now, I’m excited to show you our newly renovated space! 

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Please consider donating towards our ministry’s needs.

The financial burden we carry for this entire campus is heavy. I know life isn’t easy for anyone – no matter where you live

For us – less travelers, higher gas/food prices, Haiti’s political instability, my own continued medical/surgical emergencies, & the scarcity of needed supplies ….aww it’s a lot to carry.  

This is just one of many ministries that God has placed upon our heart. It’s often the one that gets overlooked, simply because meeting the needs of our children’s home takes priority and there’s little left afterwards. 

However, my prayer is that no only do our campus children grow up to be ambassadors for Christ, but that those in the community also feel His love & presence.

Please pray that HIS light doe not grow dim – as we strive to stomp out the darkness in Mole St Nicolas.

CHECKS CAN BE MADE TO:

NWHCM    7984 West State Rd 32.   Lebanon, IN 46052.   – OR   ONLINE GIVING – CLICK HERE

Please mark: HEALING HANDS in the memo/notes section. 

Tonight was our Children’s Church Kick-off (part 2).

We had to postpone Children’s Church for most of December because of our Christmas Movie Nights. Then I flew out in January for hand surgery.

So it’s been awhile since we’ve met. So, tonight we invited the community kids for a movie night. 🍿 We started with games on the basketball court where winners were given prizes! 🎁

It was a great success with over 200 kids in attendance! (We bought 200 bags of chips and ran out before the movie even started).

🎈🎈

We are the only ones in town who have a weekly Children’s ministry. Pierre said when he goes into town, all of the kids ask him when we are going to start again!

Several of the children who come to our program are from abusive homes. And I know for a fact… that we recently lost two 9-year old girls (who ALWAYS attended) – because they were exchanged/trafficked out… and replaced with new girls. 

🎈🎈

For me, this ministry isn’t about sharing a generic Sunday school lesson.

It’s about making God’s Word come ALIVE!

It’s my chance to offer HOPE – that their pain, hunger, and hurt will not be forever.

Every service is about providing a safe space, sharing about a Father who loves them unconditionally, and reminding them that one day – Jesus will come for them.

It’s Night 1 of our Christmas Movie Extravaganza! 🍿 🎥

This is one of our best platforms for reaching those that never participate in our usual ministries.  There are many teenagers that never come to our church activities – but they’ll come to the movie nights. We have staff that pray over each of the chairs/benches of people. I usually give a 5-10 minute “talk” at the beginning of each night as well.

Typically, we do a full week of movies leading up to December 24th. It’s a lot of fun – but it’s also a lot of work. This year we decided to spread out the fun and have double features every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Everyone receives a ticket and a bag of popcorn as they enter the gates.  After the 1st movie, we will call out 20-30 numbers. For those who have the matching tickets, they will receive a special wrapped gift. 🎁 🎄

Before we do the drawings, we all give thanks for the gifts on the table! Once the drawings start, it’s like being on the Price Is Right! Everybody claps and yells out “thank you Jesus” as people come down to claim their gifts.  We taught them to root for each other -instead of being upset if they don’t win. 

Gifts include any of the following: toiletries, speakers, headphones, backpacks, peanut butter, rice, toys, clothes, jewelry, candles, phones, balls, skateboards, flashlights, and other various items.

🎊🎊🎉🎉

It’s very chaotic & often unsafe – to randomly pass out gifts within the community. BUT we have learned that “drawings/games” are considered an acceptable way to bless others – WITHOUT any of the madness and fighting.

So not only do movie nights provide fellowship, fun, and laughter – but it’s also an organized & safe platform for giveaways! 🥰

We will give roughly 300 gifts during this month’s movie nights!

If you want to check out the other ministries from this past week – check out our ministry blogs – molehaiti.org

Here are a few pictures from tonight…

Our Summer Children’s Church Series was all about Jesus’ Amazing Miracles!

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We decorated our cafeteria in a construction theme! With 180-220 children in weekly attendance, we were packed every Sunday afternoon!

We started doing Children’s Church at 4:30pm (instead of during normal church hours) so that kids didn’t feel the pressure to dress in their best.

Each week we learned a new verse, played a few games, participated in crafts/coloring activities, shared a snack, and dived into 7 important miracles.

Our Weekly Lesson Series Included:

• The Little Fix
  Scripture: John 2:1-11, Jesus Turns Water to Wine
  Objective: Kids will say, “Big or small – Jesus fixes it all.”
• Fixing Faith
  Scripture: John 4:46-54, Jesus Heals the Official’s Son
  Objective: Kids will say, “I have faith – Jesus can fix it.”
• Unexpected Fix
  Scripture: John 5:1-9, The Healing at the Pool
  Objective: Kids will say, “Jesus can fix things in ways I can’t think of.”
• The Big Fix
  Scripture: John 6:1-15, The Feeding of the 5,000
  Objective: Kids will say, “Jesus can fix it – I can help.”
• Fearless Fix
  Scripture: John 6:16-25, Jesus Walks on Water
  Objective: Kids will say, “I’m not scared, because Jesus can fix it.”
• Know the Fixer
  Scripture: John 9:1-17, 27-39, Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
  Objective: Kids will say, “Jesus is God’s son – He can fix anything.”
• Unfixable?
  Scripture: John 11:1-44, Jesus Raises Lazarus
  Objective: Kids will say, “Nothing is impossible for Jesus to fix.”
• Jesus Fixed It!
  Scripture: John 20:1-23, The Resurrection & John 3:16, God Loves Us
  Objective: Kids will say, “Jesus fixed it so I can be with Him forever.”

Every week the children earned points for attendance, memory verses, answering questions, and bringing friends. This summer we tried something new. As a way to earn more points,   homework was assigned weekly.

Our weekly coloring sheets had questions already typed on them – relevant to the story.  The kids were responsible for hanging onto the coloring sheet, answering the questions at home, and turning it back in the following week during attendance.

For those who can’t read/write – this meant they’d have to go home and seek help from someone who could. It was our hope that the children would not only gain a better understanding from the material, but also encourage them to share with others as they answered their questions.

I wasn’t sure whether it would pan out…whether the kids would take it serious or not.  The first week less than half turned in their homework.  We made a big deal for those that did! We cheered for them as they handed it in – and their little faces were filled with so much pride! The following week we had 80% of the homework turned in. I honestly was blown away –  as we averaged between 75%-85% participation every single week!

Asher thought it “wasn’t fair”  that the younger kids got the same points as the older ones… because it was obvious that someone else had to help them. For example, he said that Fabi had to ask Mme Nene for help.

I smiled and said – THAT’S THE POINT! Fabi had to ask for help, which meant she took the time to share about the lesson & work on the questions with someone. I hope every child worked on the homework with someone.

Several of the staff told me that their children came home that evening and immediately shared the story & showed them the questions. One of the cooks told me that it brought her a lot of joy when she got a glimpse into what her daughter was thinking.

Yes, there were a few questions that had very specific answers. Questions about:  how many jugs were turned into wine? In what village did a certain miracle take place? What was required so that a specific miracle could happen? 

BUT – the homework also had personal reflection questions: “What’s one thing you need God to fix for you? What miracle seems impossible to believe?  What verse brings you peace when you are afraid? What do you think the best part of Heaven will be? ” 

The cook told me she never even thought to ask her daughter those questions. She honestly never really thought about them herself.

So regardless of how the answers were obtained….I’m so thankful that the coloring sheets weren’t thrown on the floor as soon as our church was over – AND that the lesson was discussed outside the gates!

**

Below are some pictures from our summer series! I’ll be making a post soon on MoleHaiti.org with pictures from our 4th of July Party. The top 60 children who earned the most points were awarded with a fun-filled and unforgettable night! We even ended with fireworks! 🙂

From Facebook this past Thursday… 
At 9:45am, we received that highly anticipated call from MAF letting us know they’re on their way to pick us up! ✈️ 🎉

We didn’t land in time to catch the 1pm flight to Miami, so unfortunately I had to cancel my scheduled surgery.

We called the doctor’s office who completely understood but also informed us that the next opening isn’t until mid-August. 😔

Surprising  (just a few hours later) the nurse called back and said the doctor insisted that they work me in next week.  Phew! I’m now scheduled for Wednesday.

In the meantime, they want me to stop by their office for lab work and another blood transfusion. I have had a really difficult time with anemia.

SHORT UPDATE:  

On Saturday I went to the hospital for labs.  After receiving a few bags of blood & fluids – I was scolded  that my hemoglobin was critically low and I was just days away from being in a serious situation.   I was diagnosed with a slow-bleeding ulcer, hiatal hernia, and a few other intestinal/colon issues last month.

I may or may not  have asked/pushed/forced my doctor to let me return to Haiti last month because I was desperate to work with the therapy team.  I really needed their expertise to address several important issues involving children from our campus and community.

It was just supposed to be 10 days and I promised to fly out if things progressed.  I mean I have ALWAYS found a way to get out for my own medical emergencies –  which is what I told the doctor.

I was originally scheduled to leave last Friday & couldn’t because of the assassination of the President.  We moved our flights to Tuesday but then the plane  we needed had broke down again.

I  finally made it out of Haiti on Thursday – made it to KY on Friday – and made it to their office on Saturday!

I explained that I’m here right?  I made it!  I can STILL confidently say that I always find a way out!  I’m batting 100%! 😂  – They didn’t laugh!🙄

Although I can’t prove it – I’m pretty sure they stuck me a few extra times (when putting in my IV)  as my punishment! 🩸 💉 🤕

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Just a Side Note….✏️

Many people have mentioned that I don’t post as much as I used to. There’s several reasons why – but the biggest involves a voodoo tribe that closely monitors anything we say on social media.

For example:

• If I ask for prayers for my health, they’ll read that and spin it. They’ll take credit for it … claiming it’s proof that their curses against us are working.
• If I say I need surgery – it’s already rumored within hours -that their last sacrifice worked.
• If we post about where we are going – like to visit another village – they show up.
• If we mention we are flying back home to the Mole – they show up at airstrip.

We had a natural hedge of protection (cactus/trees) along our back property. They cut down all the trees surrounding our property line and have services right at that line. We wake up to slaughtered animals in our back yard frequently.

We’re engaged in a fierce spiritual battle – and any public mention of a struggle is just seen as a victory for them.  So I was a bit hesitant to share about our latest and greatest drama. But I’m SO glad I pushed through those doubts.

The reason we were able to leave today is because a stranger read our post and gave up their flight. They don’t personally know us, but are friends of friends. They “randomly” came across our prayer request and decided to help. WOW!

I almost missed out on a big blessing because I didn’t want to post anything that might add fuel to the fire. 🔥  (Which they don’t need any more fuel – as their fires already burn brightly during the services they hold behind our home).

Anyways – I don’t know what doubts you have  or what fears are keeping you from fully embracing what God is calling you to do. BUT – there’s blessings to be found if you push through it!!

THANK YOU for being such faithful prayer warriors for us! I needed the reminder that we aren’t going through this life alone.

As my dad would say…. Don’t rob others of the chance to be used by God because you are too afraid to speak up.

The reward we reaped today – had everything to do with the abundance of prayers from our friends, our families, and apparently very selfless strangers!

So… yeah…. Everything is great! 😉😂

I’m happy to report that the teams made it out safely this past Sunday.

Malaya and I were scheduled to leave on Tuesday, because I have surgery scheduled this Friday.

The plane that MAF just fixed is still having trouble. So their entire schedule this week is a mess. Everyone wanted to leave after the assassination of the President, so their schedule is booked solid.

Their next “confirmed” availability is July 21st, unless someone cancels or their plane gets fixed.

We just confirmed that the Helicoper we were looking at is also full. All other planes have been grounded since the small 5-seater plane crashed a few weeks ago.

We are praying that something will work out… but worrying about it only aggravates the slow bleeding ulcer I already have! 😂

🔸🔸🔸

A Lesson From God’s Divine Intervention

I told Malaya that when my dad had a heart attack in 2011, Jose and I decided to rent a truck late that night. It would be a 5-hour road trip to PDP where we would then take a 7-hour bus trip to the airport. It broke down less than 10-minutes outside of the Mole. I was so mad at God. I mean didn’t HE know that this was important?

The very next morning, we found out that another truck headed toward our village was robbed at gunpoint… less than 30 minutes away from where we broke down.

🔸🔸🔸

Another Lesson From God’s Divine Intervention

Just last month, after needing a blood transfusion from a significant drop in hemoglobin, we flew to the states again. I convinced the doctor to let me fly back into Haiti with a scheduled therapy team – as long as I promised to come back out after their trip here.

On June 24th (when we arrived at the little airport to board the 5-passenger plane) the pilot was a no-show.

Yet again, I felt frustrated. It was the twins 12th birthday and nobody knew we were planning to surprise the whole family. They weren’t expecting us until the following week. Thankfully, MAF stepped in and made a last minute flight for us.

That EXACT same plane that we were scheduled to fly on (the one where the pilot was a no-show) was tragically the same one that crashed killing everyone on board.

So… I don’t know if God is saving us from something… if we need to be here right now for some unknown reason… or if it’s simply just the the luck of the draw.

What I do know is – I can’t change what I can’t control. Most things don’t go as planned for MOST people. Everyday is a tragedy for someone.

So we will use this extra time here wisely, and we are still packed and ready to go if we ever get the call that a plane is available.

🔸🔸🔸
As far as our over-all well being…

We have secured extra barrels of diesel, an extra month of food for our campus, AND we absolutely feel safe. We are NOT afraid but still trying to process the tragic news for this country – a p that has been a 2nd home for the past 41 years.

AND… on the bright side – because the past team was stuck here a few extra days – we were able to move into a newly renovated therapy space.

This beautiful room will no doubt be a welcoming/safe space for the physically/sexually abused children that I’m working with. It’s twice the size of my old one – and purposefully/thoughtfully arranged by the real professionals! 🥰