No Hablo Espanol

As many of you know, the past few months have brought about boughts of great change for the Castro familia.  In the past several months, Sergio and I have sold nearly everything we own, resigned from our current jobs, shipped a few boxes overseas, said goodbye to our friends and family in Georgia, and moved in with my parents in South Carolina.  We have been living with my parents for about five weeks now, which has been an awesome time!  We've been enjoying some time to relax and rest from the craziness that preceded this move and Isabella is living large!  She's loving being spoiled by "Granna" and "Pawpaw" and harassing my mom's poor dog Buddy.  My parents have been so gracious and hospitable by opening their home to us for the summer and we're so grateful for that.

On August 8, the Castros will be boarding an airplane in Charlotte, North Carolina and flying to South America.   We will be making our new home in Barranquilla, Colombia.  Sergio will be transitioning into the lead pastoral role at Camino, Verdad, y Vida, the church where his father has pastored for the past thirty years.  I will be working as the Bilingual Program Director at Coleigo Cristano El Salvador.  We are both humbled, honored, excited, and anxious for beginning the work that we feel God has called us to do!

Backing up to some time ago, Sergio and I had both been privately sensing a stirring in our hearts and a feeling of  restlessness.  We soon realized that we were both feeling/sensing the same thing!  We realized that God was preparing us to make a big move!  As hard as it was for us, we felt that our time in Franklin Springs was drawing to an end and that God was possibly leading us elsewhere.  At the time, we were contemplating Colombia, but we weren't exactly sure.  (To make a long story short) We went to Barranquilla in December of 2012 and the leadership of the church approached us about his father's desire to retire and asked if Sergio (and I) would be willing to consider the possibility of assuming the leadership of the church.  No answer was given--just the understanding that we would all think, pray, and seek God for His plan for the church and for our lives.

We came back from Colombia with even heavier hearts and burdens.  We began to really seek God for guidance and direction and decided to participate in the 21-Day Daniel's Fast.  Our sole purpose being to receive guidance and direction for our lives.  Needless to say, God really spoke to our hearts separately and we both felt that God was indeed leading us to move to Colombia.  We spent many nights laying in bed asking each other, "So, what do you think we should do?"  "I don't know, what do you think?"  Finally we both verbalized what we already knew in our hearts needed to be done and it's been a whirlwind since then!

Following what we feel to be God's plan for our lives hasn't been without reservations, tears, fears, or uncertainty, but we are continuing to be humbled by God's provision and confirmations that He has most certainly been sending our way.  We are thankful to all of our friends, families, and strangers that have loved us, supported us, released us, and are anticipating with us!

So here this goes--whether I speak spanish or not!!  This is just the beginning, but in the [paraphrased] words of a new (unreleased) Elevation Worship song that I heard last sunday:  I will look back and see that You were faithful / I move ahead trusting that you're able/ Because You Oh Lord, are Lord of All

xoxo,
Kristi