Dear Friends and Sponsors:
Ministry is joy and sadness, hope and disappointment, fighting for justice, leaving it in the Lord’s hands, being thankful, praying without ceasing and just plain standing firm and not quitting. Our last two weeks in the Dominican Republic impacted me heavily. Here’s a glimpse.
There is joy in visiting a Haitian school. The kids receive us with hugs, handshakes, fistbumps and kisses. They were so excited with the puppet presentation by the group from Evangel Church in Massachusetts. The afternoon we walked into the school in La Laguna we all felt goosebumps as the children worshipped with pure hearts. The medical team weighed and measured them for our report to Convoy of Hope. I can tell the kids liked to be called by their names, seen, touched, and loved. Plus they liked the stickers and lollipops!
I saw hope as the group built two classrooms in the Cutupu school, and worked on the parsonage. The pastor now has 4 children and is looking forward to the day he can move in. We still need funds for the floor and windows. Mitch estimates another $10,000 is needed to finish it. The parsonage for Pastor Frantz is almost finished. With another $3000 the doors and windows can be bought and installed.
We were all sad to hear a teenage boy pray at the end of the program. He desperately cried out to the Lord for protection as he and his friends walked home from school. The children don’t know if they will be picked up by Immigration, or if their parents will be home, or if there is food in the house. We began to understand the uncertainty, instability and fear these children face daily.
While we were there a teacher and his wife were picked up by the Immigration officials. The director made a phone call, and we were told we could pay a fine and set them free. It was way out of my comfort zone to attempt this task, but we had a happy ending. Was that justice? Please help us pray for safety for our teachers, pastors and students and their families.
We are so thankful for your offerings and sponsorship, without which the schools could not operate. The ministry has a special request. We would like to give each child a present in January for Three Kings Day. Would you like to help make that possible? It will be a moment of great joy and excitement for the children to have a present, and it may very well be the only gift they receive this Christmas. We will buy the toys in the Dominican to save on shipping costs. Let me know if you have items to ship.
You can make your tax-deductible offering on our website, https://teachfeedlove.org/, using your checking account or a credit card. For those who prefer to send checks, please make it out to Teach Feed Love, and send it to TMCI, PO BOX 1761, Columbia, SC 29202.
I have included some photos at the bottom of this email. You will see those happy faces, our American team and the projects in Barranca, Cutupu and El Pino. God is faithful! We are not quitting! Thank you for standing with us. We appreciate you.
Your missionaries,
Debbie and Mitch Martinez
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