Unbroken Are We: THE WONDERFUL JOYS OF 2020

Greetings,

May peace be on our lips and in our hearts!

We are overwhelmed with great Joy to tell you that we had a wonderful and holy Christmas season and with the New Year upon us, I am so very grateful to share with you all the amazing things that God has allowed to transpire this year because of your amazing faith, prayers, and missionary heart!

****Warning this blog contains lots of pictures and great news to share!****

With that said I must say that it is undeniable that 2020 has been a year to remember and full of uncertainty in many ways. However, as Christians we must remember the words of Jesus that are found in the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 7:24-25 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock”

Praising God, and seeking joy and light in times of darkness is not easy to do at times. However to fulfill are duty as Christian we must understand that we are not called to comfort rather we are called to greatness. And though we can plan out to our likeness and understanding, our lives, we must be open and willing to die of ourselves and follow Christ to the cross.

Despite the rains that come and the wind that blows we can take courage in the words of our Lord and be confident that our home is built upon the rock. We can find encouragement to do the unthinkable, the undesirable, the unfathomable in times of darkness and the strength to fulfill our mission.

Despite the popular opinion of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the discomfort it has caused. It is not the desire of my family to tell you of the negative, but only of the WONDERFUL JOYS it has brought to us as a missionary family and to the poor we live among.

Our plans vs His plans

If you can remember it was after only 5 months after our family’s arrival to our new post, we found ourselves in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic, locked away from those we were sent to serve, hardly having time to acclimate to our new post. Jesus being who he is still found his way to the poorest of the poor, and he opened so many closed doors, both literally and figuratively speaking, for new ministries to flourish despite the repercussions of the virus.

The fact “we” had created the most perfect missionary schedule pre-COVID and had an idea of what our ministries in our new mission post would look like, we were quickly reminded that those were “our plans” and not His will for us. It was remarkable to see how He unfolded the most thoughtful and precious ministries for us.

The gift of food

With your help we were able to reach out to our communities that we began to serve, prior to the pandemic, in hopes to bring food and supplies to their isolated communities. We were able to bring over 500 hungry people food supplies and huge doses of Love and Joy, within a time of great darkness. It was so incredible and humbling to experience the harsh effects of Peru’s strict quarantine, which was put in place in hopes to protect its citizens. The effects of major roadblocks that disrupted the food supply to their remote towns, In an effort to stop the spread of the virus was done with good attention however as weeks went by there was a great need to reach these people with supplies. It was a privilege to be able to serve in this way.

4 Different Pueblos (500 families) were able to receive

food during the worst of the COVID Quarantine.

One of our friends who owns a bakery in town gave us a greatly discounted price on Hot Fresh Bread for the families. It was a rare treat for the families in the pueblos in the mountains. And of course we included suckers for the children.

Visiting the sick

We were given special permission by the Priest we serve and by the Military to visit the sick and elderly in our small pueblo of Cajaruaro. Though the military commander bluntly told us that we could not go beyond the borders of our pueblo and we had to be discreet about what we were doing considering we were not to be outside of our homes or visiting others, we still encountered so many opportunities to bring Jesus to the poor. It was an amazing experience and surreal knowing that we were trusted with such Holy work to perform.

Feeling a bit like a tactical team or rescue workers we responded to the calls of those who had fallen ill, isolated in their homes and in need of prayers, bringing along the Holy Eucharist to offer them for strength and healing.

I am grateful that God over time has stretched my heart in ways I can not even imagine, because I have truly grown to love the ministry of home visits, which creates such great opportunities of profound witnessing and lasting relationships.

Multiplication

I must share with you one of our many answered prayers. The prayer that was answered by God as he saw it fit to multiply the Eucharist that was reserved in our little church’s tabernacle. Though the church doors were closed due to the government's restriction each week we would visit Church members in their homes bringing the body of Christ to them after we prayed together.

Each Sunday my children and I would privately hold celebrations of the word, wherein we would each consume our Lords’ body which had been consecrated by Father Robert prior to the virus. It was a miracle that the consecrated host never seemed to dwindle.

From March to November, we had not had a visit from our priest, therefore the supply of consecrated hosts was never replenished. It was with great joy and praises of thanksgiving that my family was able to receive such a gift during the worst part of the lockdown and that we could also share with others the bread of life with them during our home visits.

Dirt to Concrete project

The miracles do not stop with food supplies or multiplications, if you’re willing to believe we have so much more to be joyful for., like the Dirt to Concrete project.

It has been such an amazing project that was stirred into existence by the Holy Spirit. I was a bit skeptical due to the state of the world, anticipating that due to the virus many would not be able to share financially to the project. When the Holy Spirit laid the request on our hearts, my first thought was the timing is a bit off. But he assured us that he would prepare the way and that fruits would be born.

We cannot tell you enough of the blessings we have received as we watched the Holy Spirit move. We started receiving funds for the concrete floors in the month of August. We have to date collected over $4,000.00 for the project. We have already transformed 8 of the 13 dirt floors to concrete. The families are so very grateful for such a gift you have bestowed upon them. You cannot even imagine the change that it has made for these families. Thank you so much.

Cement and sand makes for some great concrete floors. Above are just three of the 8 floors we have completed. We currently have funds for 5 more.

One of my favorite floor project! Dona Flor, standing in front of her bamboo home with dirt floors. We have removed the collapsing and very dangerous roof and old bamboo and have poured her concrete floor and built a new tin roof for her. We are confident that the Holy Spirit will make way for her to have new walls soon.

Dona Flor with her new roof and concrete floor

We are still accepting donations for the project DIRT TO CONCERTE if you feel the Holy Spirit is nudging and asking you to make a donation, well he probably is!

Here a link to the original post : Unbroken Are We: PROJECT - DIRT TO CONCRETE.

You can make a donation to the project by going to https://www.familymissionscompany.com/project/karen-del-castillo/. Please place in the memo: Project DIRT TO CONCERTE

If you want to donate to walls to Flor's home you can use the Project name, just add the word: WALLS ex. Project DIRT TO CONCERTE walls

A Home

Though the Holy Spirit nudged us for concrete for the poor, that was not all he was asking. Can you believe that Jesus provided funds for us to build a home as well, for a mother of 3 small children.

Our friend Maritza, which we were blessed to start a relationship with upon our arrival to our new post, had made a life changing decision during the middle of the COVID pandemic to flee her home in the middle of the night and was living in a small home, made of tarps. She courageously made the decision to trust in Jesus and place the wellbeing of her small children over her own desires and after years of living in a relationship which involved severe domestic violence, she felt a tarp home was safer than what she and her children were experiencing in their current situation.

I received a phone call from her, one night, Maritza was humbly asking us for help to buy food for her children, when we arrived to deliver food the next day, we were overwhelmed by the home she had made for herself and children. We knew that the Holy Spirit was prompting us not to just help with food or with a concrete floor, I heard the Holy Spirit say,

"this beloved family of Jesus needs a home".

I said YES right, that very minute, to the call of the Holy Spirit. Before I knew it , I told Maritza we would build a home, not even in control of my own words, not even understanding were we would come up with the funds to do so.

I was overtaken by the power of the Holy Spirit and praise God I was, because if it was left to me I would have said it was impossible. To be real honest, I probably would have argued with myself the fact that I was being a bit crazy considering the fact she was only asking for food not a house. But all I could hear was this "this beloved family of Jesus needs a home"

His plans are always so much better than ours and what I had thought would be a service project of just a few concrete floors turned out to be much, much more.

The funds came in like a gust of wind to us, as the Holy Spirit had already softened the heart of one of our mission partners, with the thought of donating towards the floor project, but instead, they were moved to make a sizeable donation to build our sweet friend and her children a small home, oh and of course a home that included a concrete floor.

It was all hands on deck in the effort to make 1500 adobe brick.
The children worked as hard as the adults.

We almost cried seeing the walls go up. Almost a month and half went by before we saw this stage. We were blessed to have had help come in to make the walls. Before this it was just My family and Maritza and her children making the adobe bricks.

This is the result of a lot of work and prayers

Gabriel with Alex handling the job of applying Gesso on the walls. It helps keep insects and lizards out. As well as helps keep the home cool.

The family was so excited to go pick out paint and help us paint their home.

My sweet friend Maritza, She is so humble and kind.

The paint is still drying, but at last Maritza and her children have a safe home to live in. So much more than the tarp and bamboo home she was living in.
Praise God for your faithfulness and your servants heart.

Bamboo and tarp home - Before

New Home

We desire to help Maritza further

We really desire to build her a bathroom with a shower. Right now they have NO bathroom at all, just a tarp for walls and a hole in the ground. Currently they bath outside with a bucket or in the near by river.

For the inside of her new home we desire to buy her plastic totes to store food and valuables, in hopes to keep insects and mice out, 2 small cabinets, 2 metal bunk beds.

She currently stores clothes in cardboard boxes and rice sacks. and sleeps on beds made of bamboo.

If your interested in help this beautiful family further please feel free to contact me and / or make a donation at: https://www.familymissionscompany.com/project/karen-del-castillo/. Please use Maritza's home as the special project name.

Two hours away we found items like this that would be prefect for her tiny home.

This cost S/199- so about 67.00 US dollars

This tote cost s/41.00 which is about 14 US Dollars

This cabinet would be a great piece for Maritza's home It is about 67.00 US dollars

Gabriel gives a thumbs up on this bugger one. It is s/ 349which is about 117.00 US dollars

Fruits of labor

Our Spirit led ministries have borne fruit in such a beautiful and bountiful way.

Many of those we have journeyed with over the year have overcome their shock of "the Americans" living among them. They have seen us struggle this past year, with the same struggles they have had, due to the COVID Pandemic.

In some Divine way it has helped us bond with them. With that said we are so Joyful that they have expressed the desire to know more about the Catholic Faith and the sacraments. We are so happy to announce that on January the 10th, the day of our Lord's Baptism, we begin sacramental prep classes for adults, teens, and children in two of our communities we have been serving.

Please pray for them, especially for the 4 couples that have the desire to learn about the sacrament of marriage, please pray that the Holy Spirit will find home in their hearts and that a fire will set within them igniting them with courage to receive such a beautiful gift from Jesus.

Sacramental prep classes

Communion and Confirmation Prep

Marriage Prep classes

Our gratitude

To say the least in the year 2020 we have had so many wonderful opportunities to bring the Love of Jesus to the poor here.

My family has so much gratitude toward you and your sacrifices that you have made over the past year. It is an honor to be a missionary partner with you. As Baptized Catholics we are called to preach the Gospel at all times, and it is our responsibility to bring it to the ends of the earth. Thank you for doing your part to advance Christ’s Church here in Peru.

Mother Theresa once said, “Some give by going, others go by giving. The two go hand and hand and without your sacrifices and financial support the work here would cease to exist, as would the mission we have been sent out to complete.

As full time Catholic lay Missionaries who desire to advance the Gospel to those who have yet heard or know of Jesus's undying mercy, love and forgiveness, we left the world we once knew behind to live in solidarity with the poor. We rely on missionary hearts like yours.

Thank you for an amazing year, Thank you for your generosity towards the poor, your partnership and financial support.

Prayers

I humbly share with you a few of my family’s prayer intentions in hopes you would keep them close to your heart and in your prayers.

Please pray for my Adult son Mason and his wife Maddie as they welcome their 1st child into this world. Parker Mason Del Castillo was born on 1/26/21.

Also, for my adult son Maccray, as he is about to ask for his girlfriend’s hand in the sacrament of marriage.

Please pray for my mother who has been in and out of the hospital due to her kidneys failing so that she may have peace during her suffering.

We also humbly ask that you keep Julianna, Gabriel and I in your prayers as Peru once again faces overwhelming numbers of COVID cases and begins to shut down again, enforcing yet again another set of rules and quarantine which will no doubt effect our movements.

Please pray for us as my family discerns this next season about how the Lord is calling us to serve his beautiful people here. We pray that in the months to come we may be able to share with you what he has placed on our hearts. But until than please storm the heavens that so we may have clarity and a willingness to become what he desires of us.

**Please know we are praying for you, however we would love to pray for you more intentionally, please send us your prayer intentions, it would bless us greatly.