We are so thankful for
you all and feel immense Joy to be apart of your life’s in such a Holy way! We pray this blog finds you well ! In
this crazy fast pace world it seems that there is so many negatives and so very
few positive things in our day to day life’s. But our hearts are over joyed to
be able to pray for each of you every day and to have the confidence that we
are not alone here at our new post, because we know you are praying for us.
Its December already. Since October we have been settling in to our new mission post. Patiently waiting like a horse chopping at the bit to run out of the gates. However we knew we needed to know the lay of the land a lot better before we started running straight into ministries. After a lot of prayer and a heavy dose of patience, we were able in November to begin our full time ministries.
Blessings in abundance
We have received so many blessings from our ministries in the alturas (the mountains). Nestled up high above the town we live in, is a little pueblo called Buenos Aires. When roads are dry we can make it in a bit over an hour. Each Saturday we play games, volleyball and catechize the children and a few devoted adults. We share fruit with them like mangos watermelons and tamarindo, a cherished commodity that is unavailable to them in the cooler mountain pueblo. Its so amazing how our world here is not based around money. The fruits we bring are given to us from the generosity of those we live among here in our home town. It’s not uncommon to receive a knock on the door of people bringing us fruits, rice or yuca. We receive so much there is no way we can eat it all. So we take it to those who go without. It’s amazing to see there eyes light up when we bring them such simple gifts of fruits and Jesus. You can tell they feel so much love and amazement that we would take time to visit them. The best part is they have no Idea of the wonderful gift that they give us each Saturday. Our hearts are so filled up from our visits with this simple and loving community.
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| Arriving to Buenos Aires |
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| Where the earth reaches the sky |
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| Some of the girls enjoying watermelon |
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| Watermelon and Advent wreaths |
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| Mangos |
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| And more mangos |
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| Tamarindo |
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| Learning about Advent |
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Young and Old enjoy making an Advent Wreath  |
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| Taking turns reading out of the bible |
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| Games , games and games |
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| The abundance of rain in the mountains creates these little water falls everywhere |
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| There is something magical about balloons here in Peru |
We have been asked by the priest here in Cajaruro to expose the blessed sacrament each Thursday. We take the task we have been given with great honor and respect. It’s a very new ministry here among our town and it has indeed had challenges for the first day. Despite explaining to them what adoration is, the concept has proven a bit difficult for the faithful to understand, and that there is no need to do anything, but sit with Jesus. The silence of adoration has not been very appetizing to them. Please pray that we can endure the strange looks, and the confused attitudes of those who attend each week. It seems my entire time in adoration is spent on my knees begging Jesus to speak to them loud enough for them to hear and to soften their hearts so they may be tender enough for him to reach into the depths of their hearts.
Come, You Spirit of Quiet.
Guide me into your Stillness that I might hear in myself the Word you speak.
Free me from all Fear hat all which binds me leaves me and leaves me to who I am.
Open as a vast chalice I want Your wonders, Your fullness, Your holy presence gently to seize me. Come You Spirit of Breath, breathe your breath into my thoughts, into my feelings. Come and take your place in me.My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you. My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you.
Amen
The Lord's Supper
Through our training with Family Missions Company in 2017 we were introduced and participated each Saturday night in the Lord's Supper. An evening filled with Songs, Reading of the Gospel, food and friends. In our old post in the Jungle our community did not partake much in the Saturday night Lords Supper. We were so spread apart from the other missionaries and everybody’s schedule made it difficult to make it happen. However while making our new families schedule both Julianna and Gabriel felt a great desire to open our home each week and invite people in our home to share a meal with them. To break bread with them. They were truly excited to have it on our schedule. Me however that’s a different story.
I knew Christ was moving us to a new post to teach us something profound and to grow us in Holy virtues. To soften our rough edges and make us more into His likeness. Becoming a Betty Crocker here in Peru is not easy and it was not much on my agenda. So you can imagine how God is working on my prideful thinking. Second of all He is working on my humbleness. It has proven to be difficult to keep things simple because I feel I must provide more for our dinner guest. Most days as the locals do we eat rice, bananas and eggs. Of course, inviting others over to your home to eat, I feel it calls one to make something fancier for them. After all in America that’s what we do is make a big Lasagna with a nice tossed salad and bread sticks or have a BarB-Q of the finest meats or plump juicy burgers, when guest come over. But I have found our two burner camping stove to be a bit limiting. So it’s been a bitter sweet ministry for us (Pun intended) . Serving a big helping of Eggs, rice and bananas. Along with a side of nervousness because, well I am not the best cook. We open our small one room home each week, pray with those we invite to dinner and share a meal with them in Christian fellowship. The highlight of the night is when we get to invite them to walk to the chapel to attend our pueblos weekly Adoration. Even though this ministry is not an easy one for me that I tend to dread while preparing for , it has indeed been very rewarding and fruitful. And more so a chance to grow and become more like Christ.
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| Gabriel playing a game of Jenga after dinner with Mrs Rosa |
Sunday’s spent in Paradise
We have been spending some time in a Pueblo called Paraíso (Spanish for Paradise) on Sunday mornings. Its about a 20 minute drive from our home. The road is a small two lane road most of the way. Luckily we have been in a bit of a dry season and have not had to much trouble making it down the dirt portion of our travels to them. The community has not had anyone to open the Church and lead Celebrations of the word each Sunday. So we felt called to help them out. It’s a community with not many youth mainly elderly people but they are so loving. The education level of their Catholic faith is the equivalent to a small child with only the basic knowledge of who God is. Many, many of them cannot read. We have been so delighted and blessed to have the opportunity to teach them new and wonderful things about the Catholic faith. Like how to pray and lead the rosary. Or like last Sunday we introduced to them the meaning of Advent and made advent wreaths. I pray fervently that one day God will see our work and teaching worthy and fitting enough for us to bring Jesus to them in the Eucharist each week.
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| Of the beaten path |
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| We are blessed to have transportation to reach the small town |
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| After a drive through a bit of mud we have arrived |
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| These cuties always are waiting for us |
Walking into the Darkness
We also visit a nearby Pueblo called Chariaco, that is walking distance from us. It’s a very desolate place. Dry in the Physical sense as well as Spiritual sense, it’s one of the poorest pueblos in which we visit. And is home to a strong spirit of darkness and despair. You could say the majority of the Pueblo do not care for our presence there. We knock on doors and have had quick opportunities to introduce ourselves, with no warm welcome to enter. Despite the reaction of most of the Pueblo we have been grateful for the two homes that have welcomed us. Both very stark in contrast. One home in which we visit each week is the home of three beautiful children. The mother is warm and welcoming but with reservations. The Father is a well-known medicine man or witch doctor and he leaves eagerly when we arrive. We can feel an evil spirit among the home. However we have been welcomed and we go each week into the field of combat. In our standards we seem not to be making headway. The most we can do is just have pleasant conversations about the weather or the children’s school. But never failing to cease the opportunity to pray the rosary with the 8 year old and 15 year old girls who live there. The two, seem to be more open to us than anyone else in their family. While praying the rosary at their home I often wonder if they know the power of the rosary. The spiritual battles that have been won by faithfully praying the rosary. We offer our silent intentions for this family to come to know and have a relationship with Jesus; for Jesus to open the doors to this pueblo so they may one day come to have a relationship with Christ.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
Amen.
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| A typical home in Chariaco |
Catholic Church that has been under construction for 4 years.
It now has been a project that has been abandoned
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| Soccer Fields |
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Finding Light in the Darkness
The other home we visit in Chariaco is set apart from the rest of the pueblo. Far enough away that it has not been engulfed by the evil spirit in which lurks and prowls about in the main area of the pueblo. It has been protected in a sense perhaps due to the faithful family who lives there. At first glance of this home you would not ever know of the Joy that lives within its walls made of Bamboo. To be honest when we first found the small bamboo hut we were a bit scared of what we would find. After knocking on doors and having them shut in our face we were not in high hopes that this home would welcome us. However we were greeted with such kindness and love.
In the home lives Milton and his
wife with there three children. Faithful and devoted Catholics despite their
hardship and poverty. Doing all they can
for others before themselves.
As Marixa
stays at home caring for their three children. Milton struggles to find enough
work to provide for the needs of his family at times holding down 3 different
jobs. If that’s not enough Milton was recently told to leave one of his jobs,
as he confronted his employer and tried to defend the 32 underage
children (some as young as 8 years old) working in the factory where he had
been working at. Even with the struggles this family has seen financially both
Milton and His wife know that they must praise the Lord and to be obedient to
Gods will for them. That they must not lose faith.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
has not overcome it. - John 1:5
A Home
for the Poor
Milton and his family have become such wonderful friends to
us. I am so ashamed to admit that I
struggled to see the poverty that they lived in. After
all there is no illness or addictions in the family, there is both dad and mom
in the picture and the entire family attends mass every Sunday together.
However God insisted that I see them with His eyes. To see their needs and
their worth. I am so grateful that God placed such a desire within me that
allowed me to see the great need our new friends have.
To know
that Jesus had it planned for our families to become friends with each other and
that he would place a desire within us to try to help them with a home. Giving
us, a chance to reflect on all the rich opportunities that we as Americans
have. Even as my family lives here in among the poor of Peru, we as Americans,
if the struggles become to unbearable we could always return back to are
wealthy country. Where I have been guilty of not ever having to worry about the
rain storm coming in . Never have I feared that it would soak the dirt floors that
lay within my home. Or have been in fear if the storm comes in with a wind that
it will soak everything within my home such as the beds, and clothes. I as an
American am guilty of being consumed with what I can fill my home with or what decorations should I purchase to hang on the
wall. Furthermore I have never had to worry a bit about having to cut bamboo to replace
the rotted wall before it falls. So I am so grateful for this opportunity to
become friends with Milton and his wife because they have become such treasures
to us.
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| A humble area. Clean dry clothes hang on a line, because their is no drawers. A table made of blocks and bamboo. |
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| The children's bed, with sweet little Alondra taking her afternoon nap! |
They have reminded me and my children why we are here. Of the great
wonderful opportunity to have been given to know and love such a beautiful
family. To see the poor as God sees them, which is VALUABLE. A bit of a oxymoron, if you will, one can not help to think, how can the poor who suffer and go without basic needs be so valuable?
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| One of their beds, made with blocks and bamboo |
Pope Francis’s call to all Christians
to remember the poor “the treasures of the
Church”.
Pope Francis asked “ Do I, a Christian have at least one poor person as a
friend?” Pope Francis reminded all, that
“the
poor are valuable in the eyes of God”, that “they need someone to take them by the
hand”.
But more so “the poor remind us how we should live the Gospel: like beggars
reaching out to God.”
We have launched a campaigned for
them called “A home for the Poor”. For under $5,000.00 we can build them a more
suitable home. Made of bricks and with concrete floors.
If you fill called to help build Milton and his family a home please make a donation at our homepage:
https://www.familymissionscompany.com/p…/karen-del-castillo/
If you have more questions about the Project or feel the Holy Spirit is calling you to come in person to Peru to Help with the Construction please feel free to contact us.
Karendelcastillo@familymissionscompany.com
Christmas in Solidarity with the poor
We beg for your prayers during this advent and Christmas season. Most missionaries travel back to the States for a time of rest and to visit family during this wonderful season. Although my children and I would love to return this year, it was not in God’s plans for us to. He made it known that he needed us here among the poor this year. To make humble use of our benefactors donations in which were made to us. We felt a profound call to be present among the poor of our new mission post. The call we have heard is not an easy call; it’s even harder to be cheerfully obedient to Gods will.
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| Our homemade tree. Made of wire, garland, and homemade paper ornaments. |
Please pray for us as we live in true solidarity with the poor whom we serve this Christmas. Pray we will be strengthen and that Christ fills us with his immense love for us, especially Julianna and Gabriel. Please pray that our presence can be felt and our unity can become true within the Eucharist among our family, friends and benefactors back home as we courageously serve Christ in ways that sometimes are very difficult for us and our human desires to understand. Pray that this years Christmas may be filled with immense Joy, and Love.
We pray for each of you to be filled with the true Spirit
of Christmas. That you will open your hearts to receive your King wrapped in
swaddling clothes, whom was humble enough to be born in a stable, poor and
lying in a manger. We pray that your heart will rejoice over His birth.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
The Del Castillo's
Karen, Julianna and Gabriel
Thank you to all who have heard the call to help us bring the Love of Jesus to the poor here in Peru. The mission here would not exist without your generosity and sacrifices.
If you would like to become a monthly supporter of our mission here please click on the link:
All donations are tax deductible.
Your donations make it possible for us to live here among the poor of Peru and allowing us to bring the Gospel to those we live among.
