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You are here: Home / Archives for News & Updates

Interview with Mitch & Debbie

January 25, 2022 By admin

Dear Friends and Supporters:

We recently did this interview for our TMCI supporters. It’s a little bit of history, some family stories, a report on what we are doing now, and a way for you to get to know us better. We are thankful for all our prayer partners, financial supporters, mission team members and of course, our family. Thanks for taking the time to listen!

Yours in Christ, Mitch & Debbie Martinez

God Moving in the DR: Bishop Mitch and Debbie Martinez Interview

Please feel free to reach out to us using our contact us page.

Filed Under: News & Updates Tagged With: Dominican Republic, Missionary

New Projects are Launched! Fall 2021 Update

November 15, 2021 By admin

We are humbled by the faithfulness of God’s children during this extended COVID period. We expected our budget to be badly affected. Instead, our supporters and supporting churches gave priority to making sure support to their missionaries continued. Thank you for your help and know that God has not overlooked your act of charity during this time. The Lord richly bless you! Thank you for partnering with us.

Haitian Program Needing A Boost!

The staff of 86 teachers, cooks, and administrators of the Haitian schools by faith have received a good salary increase this school year. We are trusting the Lord to touch supporters’ hearts to provide for this much needed raise. They will still be way below the national average. If you feel the Lord leading you or your church to help with this contact Debbie at lavegaschool@gmail.com.

Construction began on the El Hatico Project in earnest after the new year.

This project is one of the most ambitious yet for a Haitian School. When finished i t w i l l have 10 classrooms and hold 200 children or more. This is the culmination of the efforts of RIP Ministries to take care of the two schools that they sponsor. By combining the two into one building they will free up monthly expenses and provide an excellent facility for the children. Making Christ the center of the education program is the chief goal in all this. Mitch has been overseeing this construction project. 

The combined Faith Church ministries from Summerville and Charleston, SC, brought a team of men to make sure the building was ready for the opening of classes. They welded the tr usses in place and setup for the industrial metal roof that covers almost 8000 square feet of floor space. Classes started October 4th in the new facility. The next phase of the project is to finish the second story and then build the sanctuary that will serve as an auditorium for the school and a church for the Haitian congregation.

The Limoncito Project is moving forward with the 2nd Story Sanctuary addition.

Pastor Petit Techner has been waiting a while to see progress on this church project. They have been meeting downstairs in the same area used for the classrooms for his school program. 70 children meet here daily for classes. Every corner is used for a classroom. This area is also used for his church meetings. Unfortunately there are many columns obstructing the view of the pulpit area on this first floor. This building had been a warehouse before and had rows of columns supporting the concrete roof that will serve as a floor for the 2nd story. The 2nd story will expand the size of the sanctuary almost 25% and this without the obstructions of the columns down below. Currently the trusses and roof have been installed. We are hoping to get the exterior walls up soon and are still $5000.00 shy of projected expenses. If you or a your church would like to donate to this project, please call us at 863-248-1119, or you can email Mitch Martinez at dominicanmissions@hotmail.com.

Congrats to our daughter
Sarah Joy Rios
Ordained as a Minister
In October
in Massachusetts!

For Info on how you can give, CLICK HERE TO GIVE
call us at 863-248-1119. Your gifts are tax-deductible.

 

Filed Under: News & Updates Tagged With: Dominican Republic, El Hatico, La Vega Christian School, short-term missions

Spring 2021 Ministry Update

June 22, 2021 By admin

Progress continues on the El Hatico Project.  This will be a 2-story structure with 10 classrooms for 200 children.  In a week or two we should see the walls rising on the 2nd story.  Our goal is to have the building ready for use by the end of August.  It will take some prayers!

We are starting to see requests for hosting short-term ministry teams.  This June we had our first team visit from Timberline Church in Colorado.  They went all out with end of school children’s programs for four of the Haitian schools. In Cutupu they repainted all the blackboards, all the school benches, and even built 8 more benches for the children.  This was a hardworking team of six. Their trip to Limoncito reminded me that we are still gathering funds for the badly needed 2nd story addition there.  Construction materials have increased on an average 40%.  We are estimating $22,000 for the cost of this addition.  We have received $10,000 and a promise of $3000 more.

Currently we are still living with curfews and mask rules but La Vega is one of four provinces with a late curfew because of the low incidence of COVID-19.  Your prayers are working!

short term mission trip to DR
A freshly made school bench thanks to the Timberline Church Ministry Team

On the Homefront

We had an opportunity to be in the States last month and were blessed to visit our children and grandchildren. From sunny Florida we travelled through North Carolina, where Paul, Nicole and their awesome four children live. We then visited Debbie’s dad, Mike (94 years) and his wife Roz in New Jersey. Then travelled near Boston to visit Sarah, Aaron and their five beautiful girls. They are all doing well. Our biggest concern is that COVID has held up Karina’s (Joshua’s wife) request for residency in the U.S. This means she can’t currently travel to the US. Their two boys are ready; Ken and Ethan have their US passports. Please pray for them, they have been waiting over 2 years now for this approval!

We found some stowaway grandchildren.


 

Haitian Schools Update

End of Year Parties – We are so thankful to our faithful supporters who provide funds to feed the children. More funds are still needed! Write me at lavegaschool@gmail.com.

These sweet girls above are thankful for a hot meal, a party and a gift to take home. Most of all they are happy they can go to school and learn about Jesus

The schools are growing

Pastor Gesner’s school grew from 12 to 20 to 45 in just two years. His landlord is building a bigger facility behind the present school.

Teacher Training – We had a successful teacher training on June 12. The teachers are hungry to learn how to effectively teach the children. They are determined to come, even like this!

 

For Info on how you can give, CLICK HERE TO GIVE
call us at 863-248-1119. Your gifts are tax-deductible.

 

Filed Under: News & Updates Tagged With: Dominican Republic, El Hatico, La Vega Christian School, short-term missions

Dominican Happenings Winter 2021

February 24, 2021 By admin

Relief Efforts

THANK YOU!

A Total of over 3200 Care Packages distributed since November

Debbie and her faithful team of missionaries have delivered over 3200 care packages of food to the 800 students and teaching staff in the last three months. She was accompanied by missionaries Sandy Poe, Chris and Doug Wilson, and Leomar Sirit. They also gift wrapped and delivered over 400 presents to students in the Haitian school programs as part of the Three Kings Day Christmas celebration. Families were given rice, beans, oil, sardines, etc.

 

This would not have been possible without generous donations from our friends in the States. The need for food during COVID continues. If you would like to help please call Debbie at our home phone 863-248-1119. Or email: lavegaschool@gmail.com.

Various Project Needs Met in the Past Year

It was amazing to see how the Lord provided for the Cutupu project (below). This is probably one of the most ambitious school projects to date (besides La Vega Christian School). This was built for the neediest school among the fourteen schools we are helping. 130 Haitian children were meeting in a dilapidated wood and tin structure, no more than 20 by 60 foot long. Seven classrooms were crowded into this building with their separate blackboards. Actually, if the weather permitted it, two classes would meet outdoors. There was no bathroom for the children or the staff. Permission to use the bathroom was asked of the neighbors in the tenement building next door.

The purchase of the property itself was a challenge costing $32,000.00 dollars. It is over an acre of land and was purchased planted with rows of banana and plantain stalks. As soon as a section was cleared for the building, we poured the footer and the columns for the foundation. Two teams came and helped with this, one from Colorado, and the other from Florida. As funds were provided we began to raise the walls for the sanctuary and the classrooms. By the end of January 2020 rumors of the virus began to filter in. Again finances came in and the walls, the roof and the floor were finished. Then in March everything was stopped by the government as a complete nation-wide shut down was put in place. No work could be done. Only pharmacies and grocery stores could be open. Finally, months later businesses were allowed to function again. From February 2020 until now no teams have been able to come and help and yet God used churches and individuals with a burden for this project to provide the finances to finish. $50,000 dollars later, it is ready to go. Nice clean bathrooms in place, and a nice kitchen setup only lacking for stoves and a refrigerator. Praise the Lord!

In Villa Altagracia teams came in late 2019 and early 2020 to help work on the second story area which would serve for the offices of the different ministries and staff. Recently I was able to visit and see the finished product. Our US teams worked extremely hard carrying materials to the 2d floor and digging footers under very difficult conditions. It was exciting to see this area come to fruition. You can see by the photos how nice everything was finished. In spite of the current living situation God is still on the throne and His kingdom advances!

Church offices and stairwell (above) completed in Villa Altagracia Project

On the Home Front:

We are doing fine, PTL! Our kids are fine and our 11 grandchildren are fine. We are a little nervous as it seems the virus is getting closer to us all the time. Our daughter-in-law Karina just got over it.

Watch our brand new video on our home page.

 

Filed Under: News & Updates Tagged With: Coronavirus, Covid-19, Cutupu, Dominican Republic, Missionaries, Relief Efforts, Villa Altagracia

Dominican Happenings Summer 2020

June 18, 2020 By admin

Relief Efforts

Since March we have been busy delivering food for needy families. Early June we teamed up with Missionary Joseph Kim and his family to hand out 890 food packages for each of our Haitian students and staff. The funds raised were used to purchase rice, beans, cooking oil, etc. It was a joy to see the smiling faces of the children.

   

 

 

Cutupu Project Update

The COVID-19 saga took a toll on our Cutupu project here in the DR.  We had all our teams cancel and lost our project funds also.  We are still praying for the $9,000.00 needed to complete the school facility for the 130 children attending in Cutupu.

Cutupu Church Dominican Republic
Help us get this building ready before the next school year! 130 children need it.

Updates on Covid-19 Curfew in The Dominican Republic

We are going into the fourth month of the government imposed curfew here in La Vega.  Businesses are beginning to open with some restrictions.  Our students at La Vega Christian School finished the year online.  Churches opened their doors for controlled fellowship and worship June 7th.  The Rose of Sharon Church where we are active in ministry saw a good renewed attendance in spite of the obstacles of the last three months.

The Bridge English fellowship will continue meeting via Zoom until July.  It is hoped that the University across the street will open up later this summer and the El Cafe Coffeehouse Ministry can start reaching out to the students again.  Every one is still required to wear masks out in public, though not everyone is following these rules.  Word of businesses closing down are starting to circulate.  Certainly, it is not a time for the church to stop praying!


We hosted 12 stranded Guatemalan Missionaries for two months.  The Guatemalan ambassador paid us a visit to check on them (in black suit).

Filed Under: News & Updates Tagged With: Coronavirus, Covid-19, Cutupu, Joseph Kim, Relief Efforts, The Bridge

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