RAFAEL A.

CASTILLO
February 12, 2020
Credentials Committee:
My name is Rafael A. Castillo, by the grace of God I am a Local Minister in charge of
the new mission in Lake Alfred, Florida.
I met my wife, Rosa E. Perez, on October 15, 1988 through a co-worker. A year after I
met her, we got married on October 18, 1989. Three children were born from this
marriage.
After six months of being married, the problems began, having poor communication. We
were Catholics but we did not have the Lord, we were always arguing. My ex-wife was
very domineering and continually used bad and irritating words against me and the
children. This situation affected the environment of our family for a long time.
One Sunday morning in June 2010 while I was at home, I felt something telling me to
get up and go to church. I left and arrived at a Baptist church very close to my house.
When they made the call, I took a step and received Jesus as my Lord and Savior. For
two years I was attending church, but my wife never wanted to accompany me, because
she did not agree that I was evangelical because we were Catholics.
A friend invited me to visit the Church of the Nazarene in Winter Heaven, Florida where,
upon hearing the pastor preach on sanctification and live consecrated to God. These
aroused an interest in me to continue listening and learning about what I know today as
the entire sanctification.
I requested a transfer of membership and in 2012 I became a member of the Church of
the Nazarene, but still without getting my wife to accompany me. I continued attending
church and on a Sunday morning in the middle of a very special presence of the glory of
God, crying I passed the altar asking the Lord to fill me with his Holy Spirit and sanctify
my life. That morning changed my life forever; I consecrated my life to the Lord and
continued to live with the desire to be like Jesus.
The situation with my wife continued, her fights, continuous abuse and rejection (many
years without being intimate) was our daily bread. I spoke with the pastor asking for
counseling and prayer, I also asked him if he could give me and my wife couple
counseling, but she was never willing. On the contrary, she said “I do not needed to talk
to anyone and less to a pastor.”

We were separated for seven years, during this time of separation as far as I am
concerned I was never unfaithful. She continued to reject me, I tried to stay close to my
children and her, but the situation was intolerable. She asked me for a divorce and I
started the divorce proceedings by mutual agreement, on November 18, 2016 the
divorce process ended.
I continued to serve the Lord in the church of Winter Heaven where ever I had the
opportunity; teaching Sunday Bible School, visiting, as an usher and in what I could
help the pastor or some ministry. I met Yanexis Castillo, who is my current wife, in the
Church and after having the approval and blessing of the pastor, we got married on
March 18, 2018.
We thank God for allowing us to reach the church of the Nazarene, for the gift of our
baby (Joshua Castillo) born from our union. We thank God that we have been
transformed through the Holy Spirit and restored by the power of his word. Together we
will continue to serve the Lord with a great passion for lost souls, as pastors of the new
Hispanic mission in Lake Alfred, FL.
YANEXIS CASTILLO
In 1996 I married Jose Valdez and we were married for six years. From this marriage we
had a daughter, Michelle Valdez. In 1999 he left me in New Jersey with my daughter.
He went to live in Miami and began another relationship where he had another
daughter, outside of marriage.
In 2000, though I was still legally married to Jose Valdez, I met Freddy Gomez with
whom I had a relationship without being legally married, for ten years. As a result of this
relationship we have our daughter Eleonora and our son Enzo Gomez. After 2 years in
to this relationship I became a victim of domestic violence that affected our environment
and also the lives of my children.
In 2001, my divorce from Jose Valdez was finalized, during that time I was living with
Freddy Gomez. At that time I was not serving the Lord. However, in 2008 on the street
someone told me: Jesus loves you! It was a Saturday and those words were etched in
my mind and heart. The next day I called a friend and told him to take me to church and
that Sunday in a Baptist church I accepted Jesus as my Savior.
My heart filled with peace and joy, I began to congregate and became a member of the
church. I asked the pastor to help me by giving advice to me and my friend. I wanted to
do things right and get married, but he didn't want to and preferred to end our
relationship (we weren't married).
A few months later in a praise and worship service at our church, I asked the Lord to
transform my life and fill me with the Holy Spirit. At the moment I felt like a fire that
covered me from head to toe.
I didn't understand what was happening, but it was wonderful. Since that day my life
changed, now I understand that at that moment the Lord began a process of
sanctification that has led me to want to be like him.
I started visiting the Hispanic Church of the Nazarene in Winter Haven in 2015, where
I became member of the church and helping in the church. During that time I met
Rafael Castillo and we got married on March 18, 2018. We serve the Lord by being in
charge of the church mission in Lake Alfred, Florida, under the supervision and
guidance of Dr. Edgar Diaz, Hispanic Ministries Director.
Cordially Yours,

_________________________ ________________________
Rafael Castillo Yanexis Castillo