Blessings to you my friends and family.
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| Introducing Mallory and Sarah to the Bishop |
I pray each of you are well. It is hard to believe
that we are already in the 2nd week of Lent! I absolutely feel that I am experiencing
a new season not just within our Church but as well in my spiritual and physical
life.
Our time in the states was a blessed time. I was able to visit my first-born grandchild. Connected with friends, family, and many of you who support the mission here. I was also able to attend a silent Ignatius retreat as well as a leadership training that was packed full of helpful tips and training on how to lead with a servant’s heart in the mission field.
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| 1st time meeting my grandson Parker, he is so loved! |
With that said we returned back to our mission post on
the 22nd of February and praise God we did not come alone, we were
blessed to have the presence of two wonderful women join us. Sarah and Mallory
have just finished up their formation in Louisiana at our mission base and
Thanks be to God they were sent out together, to serve with us at our mission
post.
I cannot thank Jesus enough for his mercy and love for
us. It is an honor to receive these two young women and I beg for your prayers
that I may be a servant to them. That I may pass on what little wisdom I have to
them so they can adjust to the different challenging environment and customs
here in Peru as well as navigate the migration process in order to gain their religious
visas.
Settling in
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| Mallory and Sarah became part our community here. After serving almost 3 years by ourselves in the northern part of Peru God answered our prayers for more missionaries. |
Watching both Mallory and Sarah enter into life here
reminds me of many of our own first-year trials and struggles. Learning how to
take bucket baths and how to cook, learning to suffer like a saint when sick
from parasites. Please know that without your prayers many of these difficulties
of adjusting are made harder. Your continued prayer for them is most welcomed
as they learn to live life over again here in Peru and as they follow Christ
into the ministries, he has prepared for them here.
Upon our return to our mission post, Gabriel and I spent
most of our 1st week cleaning our home and unpacking, visiting with friends we
have missed, as well as helping the new women’s team set up their home. We even
reflected on our time back in the states and gave thanks for all the ways Jesus
showed us his love. Thank you to everyone who hosted us while we were back in
the states. It is amazing to see how God provides for us, we gave up everything
to follow him to Peru and he never once has let us down, he provided a roof
over our heads each night, food, and even vehicles were loaned to us so we
could get around during our stay in the US. Our time in the states proved His
love for us over and over again. For all those who opened their homes and
hearts to us I thank you and I pray for you each day that God will find favor
on you and your generous hearts.
Medical Mission Trip
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| These cuties at the medical mission trip. I had the honor of children ministry, what a blessing |
Last week we helped with the medical mission trip,
which took place back at our old mission post in the San Martin Region of Peru.
We were blessed to experience the zeal and love that all the nurses and doctors
from the United States had for the poor. We served and brought medicine and healing
prayers to 4 different pueblos. We were even blessed to do home visits in Shimbillo,
our old town that we called home for our first two years. I was able to visit with Magaly who many of
you may remember. It broke my heart to find her on the ground as she is no
longer able to walk. She had been spending her days crawling about the dirt and
feces of animals in order to get around. Before we left, because of the love of
a benefactor we were able to purchase a wheelchair for her that will help her
get up off the ground, the chair seems deep enough that she will not fall out
of it so that was comforting to see. Visiting Magaly is not always an easy
thing to do, her living situation and her life is far from anything I could
ever imagine having to endure. Visiting
her broke my heart this time and it made me reflect on my life as a missionary and
perhaps what the disciples felt like as they were also making new friends and
always advancing the Gospel Message, which comes with many hellos with just as
many goodbyes. It is sometimes the hardest to love with all your heart, to
become true friends with those we live with, because we are in fear of having
to say goodbye. But I have faith that God will allow me to once again to return
to my dear friend Magaly before He calls her home to be with Him. Please continue to pray for her as she endures
this incredible debilitating illness. Pray that she may hear and see Christ
each and every day as she withdraws inward and loses her ability to communicate
and speak.
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| My sweet friend in her new wheel chair |
A New Season
With Lent upon us and after serving for 34 months in
Peru prior to having our time of rest in the states I have been given a wonderful
understanding of the new season Christ has called me to. Before we left Peru,
we were able to purchase land in the mountains, as many of you may know God has
placed on my heart to build a woman’s home. Though God has not revealed his
whole plan to me, I have been reflecting on scripture and often find myself meditating
on the incredibly bold Yes of the Virgin Mary. As I give my YES to Him,
confident in His plan rather than my own I find myself in a new season which
begs of me to have trust in His plan.
During my prayer time and during my retreat while back
in the states, I was able to recall the different spiritual seasons that we as Christian’s
experience. Which in return made me very grateful for these different seasons
we can experience. There is a great need not to become discouraged because of
the different season we have entered. We can find truth in that as we read that
there is different season for everything Ecclesiastes 3:1 states that “for
everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” We are
all facing unique seasons in our life’s, and it is important for us to
understand which season we are in because it has a huge impact on our souls. knowing which season, we are in is also important because it allows us to
navigate and interact with others and with God accordingly.
I have recognized in my own life four major spiritual seasons.
I have experienced a Growing season, a Pruning season, a Wilderness season, and
a Harvest season.
The Growing season:
A season of change, a season to be stretched. He may be asking you to do
something you have never done or go somewhere you have never been. It can be
uncomfortable as we can experience growing pains as we are being stretched. It
is a season of risk and uncharted waters, but we must trust in Him and step out
of our comfort zone, out of our boats and into the waters. “The Lord makes
firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will
not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. Psalm 37;23-24.
The Pruning Season: We can experience trials and tests, sometimes
one right after the other. God is preparing us for something greater. But
before we can reach this, He knows there are somethings such as behavior,
beliefs and even people that we must let go of before we can enter into the
next season. He is desiring to reshape us in this season and to transform us
into the person we are called to be. “These
trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested, as fire test
and purifies gold- though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So,
when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much
praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole
world.” 1 Peter 1:7
The Wilderness Season: This
season is a time of waiting and suffering. This season can be very lonely, more
so when God is choosing to be silent. As we wait for God, we must fight the desire
to become angry and we must refuse and rebuke the lies of the devil during this
season. We must cling to God’s truth, and even though it does not seem like it,
God is closer to us during this season than any other season. “The Lord is
near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” Psalm 34: 18
The Harvest Season: This
is a very busy season, and we are reaping the seeds that were planted in
previous seasons. God trusts us and it is important for us in this season to cling
to God as we may often lose focus during this season because things are going
well in our life’s. It is important to remember how blessed we are, and it is important
to not become complacent and remember we still need God, and we still need to
seek him during this season. “Even now the one who reaps draws a wage
and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be
glad together.” John 4:36
Unplanned and uncharted
I would have to say that most of my journey with the Lord has seemed to fall into the Pruning Season. As I needed a bit more molding, readjusting and reshaping in the last 15 years or so. But I truly feel that I have gently and ever so humbly moved into the Growing Season. This season has already begun with so many small little YESES! Saying yes without really knowing what even Jesus wants to do with them. I have said yes to receiving the new women’s team here, I have said Yes to building a home for unwed and abused mothers and their children without even knowing how to fund or make this possible. The immense need to Trust in the Lord and to seek answers from him has had me on my knees in prayer more than ever. I can not help but laugh at the things Jesus is asking of me. I often remind him who he is talking to (as if he needs a reminder). But I cannot help but place my confidence in Him Knowing that he has moved mountains and he holds the entire plan within his hands. That it is merely my humble chore to be obedient to Him, to seek him and follow His voice no matter what my own thoughts or the world may say. You see I have come to understand that when following Christ many things cannot be explained. Miracles upon Miracles happen every day and it is a blessing and honor to be so removed from the world while serving His beloved poor to see the Miracles he performs each day.
As you can see, I am walking in unplanned and
uncharted waters this year in this new season my trust in the Lord in every
aspect of my life has grown. Even trusting the Lord with my daughter Julianna.
Julianna has decided to step away from missions for the time being. Please pray
for her as she navigates the next season in her life and as she seeks the will
of the Lord. She has been discerning returning to the states to attend
formation as a single missionary, but she also feels called to not leave Peru.
She is young and steadfast in the Lord, and I must trust in the ways and the
timing of the Lord in her life. I beg
you to continue to pray for her as she makes her adjustment of living apart
from Gabriel and I in this new season.
An invitation
I challenge you to prayerfully pray about what season
you may be in. Embrace the season and be confident that Jesus desires to meet
you each and every day of this season. He desires to grow and to stretch you
beyond your wildest imagination. The Journey with Jesus is the best you will
ever experience and to my knowledge there has never been a person who has said
I wish I never found or knew Jesus. So, I invite each of you to trust in Jesus,
allow him to come close to you in prayer. Allow him to enter into the depths of
your heart this Lenten season and trust that he desires to have all of you. Not
just parts of you or just a few minutes of your day or an hour on Sundays. But
allow him to have all of you. Your life will be so much sweeter when you do. Perhaps it may
look foolish to some but most definitely it will be a life full of miracles and
you will experience an insanely wonderful growth once you do. I am reminded of
Saint Paul’s words during my own journey with Jesus as he says, “For the message about the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the
power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18
During this Lenten season I encourage you to try something new, Try to
just give all of you to the Lord and experience the sweetness he has to offer
and savor it, I am certain you will find that your heart will be satisfied in
so many ways.
Become a
mission Partner with us!
With that said I also ask you to prayerful consider partnering with us. I Boldly ask you to give from your richness He has given you. Much as Saint Paul begged for help from believers, I too do the same. If you truly know the love of Jesus and the miracles, he has performed in your own life’s than I am confident that you desire others to know of His immense mercy and love. Saint Paul said “God who supplies seed for the Sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your generosity. He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us.” 2 Corinthians 9: 10-11. God has used the cross I carry and my own testimony to serve the women here in Peru and he desires to do so much more, and he desires to invite you to be a part of this incredible calling.
Our fundraising efforts
have produced a great deal of miracles thus far. We are roughly $45, 000.00 US dollars
from reaching our first goal for Saint Mary Magdalene home. This first goal of $100,00.00 will allow us
to build housing for unwed and abused mothers, a small chapel and community home for community
meals, prayers, and education for both mothers and children on the land that we have already purchased.
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| Land purchased in the mountains- soon it will be a home for unwed and abused mothers and their children |
A second opportunity to partner with us would be to help support my family. We as a family live here by the generosity of others. We as full-time missionaries live on donations alone since we are not allowed to work here in Peru. We are currently in need of monthly support. It can be as little as $50 dollars a month, to help us purchase are basic materials and supplies, food and alms giving, (such as medicines, uniforms, bibles, medical expense for the poor). We are currently in need of at least 10 mission partners that would partner with us for $50.00 a month to be fully funded in this next season of missions.
Please prayerfully consider
if Jesus is asking you to be generous with the gifts he has bestowed and entrusted
with you. Here is a link you can follow to partner with us.
Karen Del Castillo | Family Missions CompanyFamily Missions Company
We love you all so much and pray for each of you by name. Please remember to send your prayer requests to us. Allow us the honor to pray for you and your intentions. You can send them via email to karendelcastillo@familymissionscompany.com or via whatsapp to 51-941-992-525.
May we love like Christ !
Karen and Gabriel Del Castillo
