Mitch and Debbie Martinez Blog | News & Updates from The D.R. Mission Field!

Reaching Towards the Future in 2019 | Missions in La Vega Dominican Republic

March 8, 2019 By admin

With your help, the year 2018 was one of the busiest and most fruitful years of ministry for us in La Vega, and 2019 looks to be no different.

Below you can see the plans that have been drawn up for the new Cutupu Church/School. We are so excited about this! The facility will help educate 130 children that are currently meeting in a very poor and inadequate rented facility (seen below the plans). We are believing for the church and classrooms to be built in 2019, we will need $29,000.00 for the construction of the facility.

Some students study under a tarp at the current Cutupu facilities

In El Cafe (in the mountains of Constanza), a new sanctuary is awaiting doors and windows for it’s inauguration. Funds are already coming in for these two projects. Meanwhile, the “Raising the Rieles” Project is still waiting for the resolution of the land title before construction can begin to re-locate flood zone families. Please pray with us for this! Seventy to a hundred families will be affected positively for the Kingdom of God.

The Rose of Sharon Church in Barrio Inco

For the past year we have been serving as interim pastors in this church. How wonderful it was to be able to baptize six new believers! We are still a young congregation but we have a faithful nucleus hungry for the Lord.

La Vega Christian School Celebrates 20 Years of Service

With 350 children the school celebrated it’s 20^th anniversary with a special service recognizing so many of those who have helped in the formation of this school. So many short-term mission teams from so many U.S. churches came and donated labor and finances to make this school a reality. Local pastors and church families have contributed and supported the school over the years. This year we will graduate our largest class with 35 seniors.

Reaching out to bless 14 Haitian Education Centers

Through the Haitian education centers 795 children are receiving an education that they would not receive otherwise. As donations are received the salaries for all the teachers in these centers are being paid. As funds permit, either snacks or a meals are served in each center. If you are interested in helping to support this outreach please contact Debbie at 1-863-248-1119, or her cell at 1-809-696-9928. Her email is lavegaschool@gmail.com. For $25.00 a month you can invest in the future of a needy child, and “change a life forever! Learn more about becoming a sponsor here.

Sunday School in Rose of Sharon – Dominican Republic

June 11, 2018 By admin

Today was a fantastic day for our Sunday school class, which usually runs from 6-12 children ages 5-13. The children did everything in the service today. Laysa, 12, opened the service in prayer. Arvelis, 13, prepared a worship song for us, and then Laysa had another powerful song. Little Alvin, 5, sang along with a soundtrack, Jesus is my Superhero. Then Arvelis asked for the prayer requests and prayed. Afterwards Mario, 5, prayed for the offering and sang Hay Libertad en la Casa de Dios, There’s Liberty in the House of God. Those kids are anointed! Three boys didn’t show today; I think they were afraid to participate.

Right before we broke for Sunday School 4 new children came in with their grandmother. I found out after the service that these kids, plus two more of her grandkids who showed up a little later, go to a Compassion program in town and they are required to go to church. She asked me to write a letter next week certifying that the children are attending. As these kids were new to our Sunday School, it was a little hectic getting them to sit and listen to the story, but soon they were mesmerized by the flannel graph figures of Peter in prison. They retreated to the corner to play as soon as the story ended, but the older kids had good Biblical principles to derive from the lesson based on Acts 12. “This lesson teaches us to have faith!” It shows that God answers prayer!” “It proves that God listens to us when we pray and gets us out of trouble.” When I announced that we were going to draw a picture with markers and crayons the kids in the corner jumped up and ran to the tables. Such enthusiasm!

As soon as their interest waned I brought out the crackers and peanut butter. The older girls agreed that we should serve the visitors first and while two of them worked on their drawings, one of the newer girls helped me serve the snack. Although I had forgotten to bring the juice no one complained. They were hungry.

On the way out, one of the new boys, Ramoncito, 8, gave me a big hug when I invited him to come again. Outside I opened the van for my Sunday School bags and to load up the wheelbarrow, shovels and rake we had brought over earlier in the week to spread gravel on the playground. Ramoncito jumped in and told me he wanted to go home with me!

After they left, one of the moms told me Ramoncito’s family lives near her. “We have to pray for that family. They are always yelling and screaming bad words and hitting the kids.” I suggested a cell group in her house but she thinks we should pray about that first. Apparently the men in the household don’t approve of church.

One of the girls expressed concern about them coming to Sunday School. I assured her that we want them there, and that God can change their lives. I have seen it happen over and over again. I am blessed to be a missionary!

:: Debbie Martinez, Missionary to La Vega Dominican Republic

What God is doing with Haitian Schools in Dominican Republic

May 1, 2018 By admin

This short video shows the children and facilities of the different Haitian schools in La Vega that we have been working with. These ministries that help some of the most forgotten and overlooked children in the country wouldn’t be possible without support from people like you. THANK YOU!

God has used people all over the world to help bring funds to pay for facilities, improvements, chairs, desks, teachers’ salaries, food, and more. God has also sent missionaries to be on the front lines helping with the logistics and daily programs offered by these schools.

If you would like to donate or increase your donation amount, Send your check to Your Missionary Outreach, PO BOX 1761, Columbia, SC 29202. or use this page: How to Help from the United States

DR Haitian School Showcase 2018

Child Sponsor Update February 2018

February 13, 2018 By admin

Dear Sponsors:

We have a lot to share with you this month. Thank you for opening your heart to enable a poor Haitian child to attend school. We recently received a grant to start feeding the children in the schools where that wasn’t happening. It has meant a flurry of activity for us, and lots of smiles and warm bellies for the children. First we had to buy plates, spoons, cups, dish drainers and boxes to contain the food. We had tables made and are still buying more. One of our Haitian pastors, Odima, found a man who makes stoves for the big pots they use, so we purchased one for the Rancho Viejo school and another for Limoncito. We had to buy those big aluminum pots with lids, spoons for stirring, and gas tanks. Then pitchers for making juice and serving trays. Everything is so colorful! The pastors found women to cook within their churches.

At first we were buying food weekly until the cooks knew how much they needed. Now we are trying to buy the food monthly or twice a month. The menus include rice with black beans and sardines, (delicious, a little girl told me last week), chicken soup, cream of wheat, corn meal with milk, oatmeal, bread and hot chocolate, crackers and cheese, spaghetti with cheese or salami, and more. Thankfully I have the help of other missionaries to help with all the shopping and delivering. Believe me, when you start adding 30 pounds of rice, 10 pounds of dried beans, 20 pounds of sugar, and all the rest, that shopping cart gets heavy!

Some prayer concerns:

We still need to finish the classrooms in Barranca. Mitch recently posted a short video about the work there. (Watch it here)
The new classrooms in Sabaneta are full of happy students. We need funds to finish off the sidewalks and the stucco work.
Idovil’s school is overcrowded with 110 students in a three bedroom home. We are trying to find a bigger place for the school to meet. His wife is pregnant with their 4th child and due any day. Thankfully they were able to move into a nice little house just a block from the school.
Pray that the teachers apply what they learn in our workshops.
Many of the families are so desperately poor. This month we were able to donate washing machines to 6 Haitian families. The men need work. The women need hope. They all need Jesus.

Again, thank you for being part of this ministry. I pray the Lord rewards you for you generosity.

For the children,

Debbie and Mitch Martinez

Send donations to Your Missionary Outreach, PO BOX 1761, Columbia, SC 29202

Write Debbie at lavegaschool@gmail.com or call at 863-248-1119.

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March 19, 2015 By admin