Friday, February 28, 2020

Inexpressible Joy




Inexpressible Joy 






 


  I pray that you are well and that this Lenten season will bear much fruit for you. You have been very much in our prayers and in our hearts. We are so grateful for your constant support. I want to ensure you that your prayers for us and those we serve can be felt by us in a very real way. We cannot thank you enough.  


  As you must know,  In this season of our Catholic faith we are encourage to strive to improve our relationship with Christ and others. In hope of removing the things in our life’s that keep us away from Christ. While improving in other areas of our life this constant conversion creates a desire to increase our faith,  which in return calls us deeper into our relationship with Christ. 


   A few weeks ago I started preparing a talk about Lent for the three different pueblos we serve here in Peru. Beyond the poster boards and the images I needed to find to complete my talk; I also needed a fresh inspiration for the age old talk that I have been giving for over 10 years,  I felt there was nowhere better then to seek what I was looking for than in prayer.   

God’s amazing faithfulness to me was once again made known when I was given the word JOY during my prayer time. The word Joy struck my heart like a word I had never heard before. I remind you I was in search for a new inspiration for a Lenten talk not for Advent or the Christmas season. It wasn’t the expected word like penance, it was not  the word sacrifice, nor was it the word prayer, it was the word Joy. I must confess Joy was not ever a word I associated with Lent and the truth is I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to use it in my talk. Focusing on the powerful meaning of such a little word, I accepted the fact I needed to allow the word Joy to stir in my heart and figure out why Jesus spoke this tiny little word to me.

As I pondered on the meaning of Joy I figured it would be best to start by up the word and its text book meaning.   In which dictionary.com states the meaning of the word Joy is “The emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying. I was also led to the bible verse 1 Peter 1:8-9  

Though you have not seen him, you love him.

Though you do not now see him,

 you believe in him and rejoice with JOY that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”



  With new eyes and the tiny word Joy,  I have a chance to see this Lenten season in a new light. As Christ is calling me to this Lent as a season to radiate Joy over past redemptions,  Jubilate over trials and sufferings. Rejoice in the great things that Christ has instore for me. All while revealing the Joyfulness found in the paradox of believing and loving the unseen savior Jesus Christ.


  Forgetting not that Peter saw Jesus with His own eyes. He was trained by him for three years and had a Face to Face experience with him. When Peter wrote the words found in 1 Peter 1:8-9 he was marveled by the fact of the vast believers in Christ despite the fact that they have never laid eyes on him, as he had. Perhaps Peter was reflecting on the words Jesus spoke to Thomas   “ Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29) when he was writing his own words. Peter was truly amazed and drawn to the belief and joy among so many in which he encountered despite the fact they had never seen Jesus Face to Face. 


  Peter was referring to A Joy that flows from having a true relationship and a growing confidence in Christ; which allows the faithful to encounter His immense love. It is this same inexpressible Joy that all Christians must strive for, being cautious not to obtain this Joy only for themselves but for all those they encounter. Christians have a duty to share this Joy with the entire world. 


  We too must look at Lent as a chance to practice the gift of Joy.  Perhaps this Lenten season we could turn away from the oh so common mentality of, “ I must give up something for Lent like Chocolate or Facebook”, but perhaps we could also focus and be encouraged by this little tiny  three letter Word JOY. Because although it is super small it is a very meaningful and powerful word to focus on during Lent. 


  Growing up perhaps like most of you,  I have heard the clever acronym that Joy stands for Jesus, Others, Yourself, in that order


 The letter J is for JESUS -  meaning, placing Jesus first in your life and truly desiring a personal relationship with Him and desire to serve him.  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.( John 14:6)


 The letter O  is for OTHERS speaking of the immense desire that cannot be hidden of the relationship you have with Jesus; a light that shines throughout the world as a beacon of hope to others. It’s a desire to make Jesus known to everyone you meet. but woe is to me, if I don't preach the Good News.”(1 Corinthians 9:16).  


  Last but not least is the letter Y which is YOURSELF. Meaning that you are a worthy servant, a faithful follower of Christ,  because you know that despite the hardships of this world, the struggles of picking up and carrying your cross each day that you have found delight and favor in the Lord Jesus Christ. You have found the love He has to offer that is forever satisfying. Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”( Matthew 16:24-26)


  The Joy of believing is powerful and contagious. Pope Francis speaks of Joy coming from the Gospel, being a Joy that radiates from our love for Christ and our willingness to serve Him and others. As Saint Faustina said "Act in a way that all those who come in contact with you will go away joyful. Sow happiness about you because you have received much from God."  It is this contagious  inexpressible JOY in believing in all that Christ has done for me and will continue to do for me that I am striving to share with all those I encounter. 


   I would like to share a few pictures of our ministry of the beautiful children we serve which live high in the mountains above us. It has been a blessing to visit them each week and to see the group grow. Last week we even brought 9 other children from another town that had heard of our visits each week and had asked if they could join us. Their confidence is growing in the Lord each and every week, the locals have grown use to my children and I and soon we will the help of Christ we will no longer be looked upon as  . It fills my heart with delight to see their inexpressible Joy in their journey of believing and  trusting in Jesus. We must Praise God for all he has done in the last 5 months because he has truly soften the hearts of this pueblo. 


  I pray that you may enjoy the pictures as much as I do. You will find them attached below.  I ask Jesus to bless you and your love ones this Lent season. I earnestly pray with all my heart for you to encounter Christ this Lent in a special intimate way. That you may have a unexplainable conversion that leaves your heart burning to spread the Joy of his life and resurrection  to all those you encounter.



Here are a few of our families blogs you might like to read 



















Prefect families do not exist

















Please we beg for your prayers. Our mission here is impossible with out your support. Please know that we are praying especially for you. Please remember at any time please feel free to send us your special prayer request.   You can send them to us by email



If this Lent season you feel called to help support our families mission here in Peru, by following the link below



We thank you for your prayers and your support. 
Without the sacrifices made by each of you this work would be impossible. 


Karen,  Julianna and Gabriel Del Castillo 













These two Chelsey an Evelyn are all smiles.  


Our families mission is to visit, spread love and Joy while spreading the Gospel 

How simple it seems, balloons have been a way to the children's hearts


This group of children have watched us pass through their Pueblo for 5 months on our way up the mountain, they finally had the courage to ask to go with us to the Neighboring mountain town Buenos Aires. 




Gabriel inviting others to join by going house to house. 




Each of them are getting so much better learning how to use the bible.


Evelyn is super excited to use Julianna's bible


Josue, he has been a delight to watch grow with the Lord. 

Julianna admires these girls amazingly beautiful long hair. and while coloring she braided their hair together.