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You are here: Home / Archives for El Hatico

Expression of Gratefulness – 2025 Update

May 6, 2025 By Mitch Martinez

An Expression of Gratefulness: 

I know we don’t say it enough!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Thank you for partnering with us.  We are humbled by the trust and confidence you have shown us and our ministry over the years. Your generosity and steadfast support have been an anchor and a driving force behind our mission as we continue to labor here in the Dominican Republic.

Your contributions enable us to touch so many lives with the love of Jesus.   Your faith in us over the years has inspired us to accomplish tasks we scarcely would have dreamed of.

Currently we are working with many pastors and providing educational help and meals for 17 Haitian day schools w/1000 + children (See www.TeachFeedLove.Org).  Debbie continues to direct the expansion and growth of La Vega Christian School (LVCS), our ministries Dominican private school.   Current construction projects include finishing an arts building at LVCS, and a parsonage in Cutupu. On the horizon are a 5 classroom school facility in Ranchito, and two second story classroom additions to Haitian schools in Cutupu and in Sabaneta. We have been involved over the years in more than 45 construction projects which include churches, schools, and parsonages thanks to your prayers and support.

We deeply appreciate the trust you have placed in us. The impact of your help  encourages us and empowers us to continue our work with renewed strength and determination,  and provides hope and encouragement to those we serve.

Thank you, thank you, thank you again,  for your unwavering faithfulness and generosity. Your support means the world to us, and we are eternally grateful for your partnership in our mission.

With deepest appreciation,

Your Missionaries Mitch and Debbie Martinez.


Feeding the neediest in the community.
Family Day at La Vega Christian School
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: Cutupu, Dominican Republic, El Hatico, El pino, Ranchito, Sabaneta, Teach Feed Love, TeachFeedLove

A Huge Thank You! | 2023 Mid-Year Update

September 7, 2023 By Mitch Martinez

A Very Special Thank You to Our Donors and Visitors in 2023!

The Summer ushered in funds from teams and donors that propelled our needy projects forward. We are excited about the progress of the Barranca parsonage for Pastor Frantz (shown in the photo below). The foundation has been laid for the parsonage for Pastor Danis in Cutupu. By the time you read this newsletter, the roof should be in place for the El Pino church and school. All this in spite of increased construction costs. Thank you for responding to the nudge of the Spirit of God and lending us a hand. As you can see from the list at the left there are still some needs. Debbie had a great Summer with our U.S. teams as they provided awesome VBS (Vacation Bible School) programs for many local churches. This was an effective outreach to neighborhood families. Many decisions were made for Christ!

The teams also blessed and helped train our teachers in the Haitian programs, and also at our Dominican school, La Vega Christian School. Attendance at LVCS is at 350, and in the 14 Haitian school programs, the enrollment is 800+. Classes started up this week. We still need many sponsors at only $25.00 monthly for the children. (Click here to learn more about sponsoring a child with our program called: Teach Feed Love) Providing an education and feeding these children is a burden that Debbie carries on a daily basis. Thanks for your help and prayers as these programs move forward.


  • Progress at El Pino!
  • Summer teams helping with various projects.They came from Colorado, North Carolina, Ohio, and Georgia. What a blessing they were!
  • Barranca Parsonage for Pastor Frantz Progress
  • Pastor Alex needs a home for his family in Sabaneta
  • Ranchito students ministering in their church!

Ongoing Church/School Projects Happening Now

We are excited as funds begin to come in to help with some of our ongoing church and school projects. We believe this to be in direct response to the prayers of pastors, churches, and school directors. Join with us in praying for the following needs:

  • EL PINO CHURCH/SCHOOL $11,000.00 for completion
  • BARRANCA PARSONAGE $7000.00 for completion
  • CUTUPU PARSONAGE $11,000.00 for completion
  • RANCHITO PROPERTY $26,000 to purchase the land for the church/school project.
  • SABANETA PARSONAGE $25,000.00
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: Cutupu, Dominican Republic, El Hatico, El pino, Ranchito, Sabaneta, Teach Feed Love, TeachFeedLove

Teach Feed Love | Spring 2023 Update

May 1, 2023 By Mitch Martinez

Note from Mitch & Debbie: Contrary to popular belief, we are not slowing down while the Lord gives us strength and good health. God is so good to provide through the generosity of His children for all the financial needs of the Haitian children. May God bless you richly!

Mitch & Debbie Martinez, Missionaries to the Dominican Republic

Teach Feed Love

At every one of our 14 schools for Haitian children living in the Dominican Republic, we teach them the Word of God and the academic subjects, we feed them a hot meal every day, and most importantly, we love them. They love to come to school with the pastor and teachers and their friends. Most of the children have made decisions to serve Jesus. This is only possible with the help of generous donors.

The Haitian School/Feeding Program is now called “Teach Feed Love”!

You can sponsor a child for only $25.00 a month. Please contact Debbie at her email lavegaschool@gmail.com to get started. Donations can be made on our teachfeedlove.org page also. Help us to teach, feed and love these 800 plus children, who otherwise would not have a school to attend

  • Coloring Time for the little ones
  • Chapel at Rose of Sharon
  • Lunch at Las Lagunas!

Ongoing Church/School Projects Happening Now

We are excited as funds begin to come in to help with some of our ongoing church and school projects. We believe this to be in direct response to the prayers of pastors, churches, and school directors. Join with us in praying for the following needs:

  • We still have a great need to help Pastor Etienne Altes in Sabaneta with his home!
  • The Cutupu Parsonage will launch in June with most of the funds on hand for this. PTL!
  • The Barranca parsonage is just $5000.00 shy of completion. Pastor Frantz is excited.
  • Ranchito: Still a great need for funds ($25,000) for a property for the church/school.
  • El Pino church/school: The walls are rising! PTL!
Pouring the foundation in February for the El Pino Haitian Education Center. Currently the walls are rising.
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: Cutupu, Dominican Republic, El Hatico, El pino, Ranchito, Sabaneta, Teach Feed Love, TeachFeedLove

Making Headway on Projects! Fall 2022 Update

November 1, 2022 By admin

We appreciate each and every one of our partners, whether you are praying for us or are part of the financial lifeline. We are so thankful for you and for God, for what he is doing here in the Dominican Republic. Wishing you a special Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends! 

Mitch & Debbie Martinez, Missionaries to the Dominican Republic

Project Updates

By the time you read this note, the Limoncito Sanctuary Project will be completed. Downstairs, the Haitian Education Center will finally have its own space for classrooms. A team from Evangel Assembly, MA will be with us to help partition the classrooms, and will minister to children and adults plus provide healthcare.

The El Hatico Sanctuary Project is moving forward and our goal is to have the sanctuary complete before the end of November. We are grateful for the funds we have received for this project. Hopefully within a week or two the floor, electrical, windows and doors should all be in place. This congregation will celebrate Christmas in a new sanctuary!

We are receiving funds for small homes for three pastors. Pastor Frantz of the Barranca project, Pastor Alex of the Sabaneta Project, and Pastor Danes of the Cutupu Project. These ministers work sacrificially and have tough living situations. What a blessing for them if we can help them. We are estimating a need for $11,000.00 each. Material costs are affecting us strongly. We have received $9000.00 thus far. PTL!! 

  • El Hatico Project Progress
    El Hatico Project Progress
  • El Hatico Project Progress
    El Hatico Project Progress
  • El Limoncito Project Finalizing!
    Limoncito Project Finalizing!

El Pino Needs a Building!

Our Haitian Education Center in El Pino has been under some pressure to move from the church where they have been meeting. Thanks to our donors, we were able to purchase a property and have the funds to start with the foundation. We will need $25,000 to complete this project; this will ensure 4-6 classrooms for up to 100 children. This Thanksgiving will you consider sending funds to help with the El Pino Education Center and Church Project? Your gifts are tax deductible. Pastor Wilner is committed to helping these children.

Without the school many children would not receive any education. Public schools are over-crowded and the Haitian children are last to be offered placement in a classroom. They don’t speak the language, and they may not have proper legal documentation They are part of the immigrant population fleeing the dangerous living conditions in Haiti. Debbie has been raising funds to support 15 schools with over 1000 Haitian children on a monthly basis. She believes it is a crime for a child not to be able to receive an education. Will you consider providing help? For $25.00 a month you can sponsor a child. If you would like to help with this project, or provide on-going support for the children’s programs, please email Debbie at lavegaschool@gmail.com or call her at 1-809-696-9928 or 863-248-1119. You can donate online at https://www.tfaforms.com/4840424 (under Donation Designation select “DR Schools – LaVega and Haitian”

Debbie at El Pino Shared Classroom
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, El pino, La Vega Christian School, short-term missions

New Projects are Launched!

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

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