Jody Castillo – Travel Manager
Jody Castillo has served in various capacities at Northwest Haiti Christian Mission for almost her entire life. The daughter of NWHCM founding director Larry Owen, Jody grew up traveling frequently to Haiti. She moved to Haiti full-time in 2002, when she ran a pediatric clinic and eventually became the mission’s travel coordinator.
As travel coordinator, Jody facilitates flight and transportation arrangements for visitors, and works with other NWHCM staff to coordinate group ministry activities. She earned a B.S. in nursing at the University of Kentucky, where she also met her husband, Jose. They live in Mole Saint-Nicolas, Haiti, with their seven children. Click here to view the Castillo’s personal blog.*
Jose Castillo – Technology Director
Jose Castillo serves as the facilities manager of Northwest Haiti Christian Mission’s main campus in Saint-Louis du Nord, and also maintains communications technology for all NWHCM’s Haiti operations. He and his wife, Jody, moved to Haiti full-time in 2002. When not running around northwest Haiti with bags full of computer parts and assorted cables, Jose helps Jody run their home in Saint-Louis du Nord and care for their seven children.
Jose was born in Honduras and moved to the United States when he was 10 years old. He studied computer engineering at Sullivan University in Lexington, Kentucky, and also serves on NWHCM’s board of directors.
Melonnie Kelly – Group Coordinator
Melonnie Kelly first visited Northwest Haiti Christian Mission in 2002, after which time she began leading short-term teams to the mission multiple times a year. Melonnie joined NWHCM full-time in 2009. She works with visiting groups to help their ministry be as effective as possible, and she also supervises NWHCM’s summer intern staff.
Melonnie is actively involved in the worship and youth ministries at her home church, Tomoka Christian in Ormond Beach, Florida. She divides her time between Haiti and her home in the United States, where she lives with her husband and three children. Click here to view Melonnie’s personal blog.*
Beth Lockwood - Missionary (Mole St Nicholas)
Beth lives in Mole St Nicholas where she serves as the school teacher for the Castillo children. She also teaches ESL, loves on the kids in our orphanage & community, helps with American groups, helps with women's bible study, and recently began a beach ministry. Life motto “ if you don’t step out of the boat…you will never walk on water.”
Beth first vistied NWHCM in 2007 on a mission trip. She joined NWHCM full time in 2009. Before coming to NWHCM she was a swim coach for the Dallas Mustangs where she trained and taught athletes from novice to Olympic Trial qualifiers. She spent 3 years at Kansas University studying Education and Exercise Science. She also spent 7 years of study with Bible Study Fellowship International. Click here to view Beth's personal blog.*
Maureen Moore – Lab and Pharmacy Director
After helping establish the lab at Northwest Haiti Christian Mission’s clinic in 2000, Maureen Moore returned in 2001 as the full-time lab technician. Today she supervises our lab and pharmacy, and the national staff that runs them. She also helps manage the mission’s sizable inventory of surgical supplies.
The daughter of a Royal Dutch Shell employee, Maureen grew up all over the world, spending much of her young life in Africa. She earned her registered technologist certification in Hamilton, Ontario, where she also taught medical laboratory technology at Mohawk College. She divides her time between Saint-Louis du Nord and a home in Bermuda.
Heather Owen – Missionary (Saint-Louis du Nord)
Heather Owen moved to Haiti with her husband, Janeil, in 2001. In addition to her full-time job as a wife and mother, she is a leader in discipling the women among NWHCM’s missionaries in Haiti.
Heather studied business administration and management at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri. She interned at the mission two times before marrying Janeil and joining the mission staff to help manage an orphanage in Port-a-Paix. They moved to Saint-Louis du Nord in 2007 after Janeil became NWHCM’s executive director. They split their time between Haiti and their home in Versailles, Kentucky. They have four beautiful young children. Click here to view the Owen’s personal blog.*
Courtney Pierce – Miriam Center Director
As a college student, Courtney Pierce had a heart for ministry with special-needs children that almost took her to Africa, but a chance encounter brought her joyfully to Haiti, instead. Courtney visited Northwest Haiti Christian Mission twice on short-term trips before joining the full-time staff in late 2008 as director and advocate for the multi-faceted Miriam Center, NWHCM’s special-needs orphanage.
Pierce hails from Fullerton California and she is proud of her “Californianess.” She studied children’s ministry and Bible education. She lives at the mission’s main campus in Saint-Louis du Nord and loves reading and making art of unthinkable creativity. Click here to view Courtney's personal blog.*
Barb Andres – Stateside Travel Liaison
Barb Andres is part of Northwest Haiti Christian Mission’s travel coordination team. As Stateside Travel Liaison, she works with short-term travelers to prepare them for trips and set them up for an effective ministry experience in Haiti.
Before joining NWHCM, Barb served as a student minister and youth mission-trip coordinator at Northside Christian Church in the greater Louisville area. She first visited Northwest Haiti in 2007, where she saw first-hand the life-changing power of youth missions. Barb earned a BA in ministry from Lincoln Christian University and lives in New Albany, Indiana.
Mary Beth Winkler – Assistant to Executive Vice President
Mary Beth Winkler has worked for NWHCM since 1998 in various capacities. In her current position as Assistant to the Executive Vice-President she works in the areas of travel, finances, and the sponsorship programs on the St. Louis du Nord campus.
Mary Beth traveled on short-term trips to Haiti multiple times before joining the NWHCM staff. Previously, she worked for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. She studied Christian education at Lincoln Christian College in Lincoln, Illinois. Mary Beth lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, and travels frequently to Haiti.