(December 11, 2025)
I am sending you the final newsletter of 2025.
Time has passed incredibly quickly. It has already been two full years since our ministry began this work. From a human perspective, it may sometimes feel as though the fruit of the ministry is insufficient, or that things are moving far too slowly. But this is not the case at all. God has never rested—not even once. He has continued to work faithfully, and He continues to show us many things along the way.
Recently, I returned from my 9th mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Each time I go, I visit the same places. Because of that, it can begin to feel familiar—no longer new—and at times I find myself longing for something more stimulating or different. Yet God continues to show me new dreams and new vision through the same places, the same people, and the same cities.
This time, I would like to share the story of one of the Haitian villages I visited during this trip, a village called “Batey Toconés.”
https://maps.app.goo.gl/TTBAzk9WbNKpKuTu9?g_st=akt
1. The children ran away when they saw me.
We prepared snacks for the children and youth, and about USD 200 worth of groceries for mothers who are raising young babies. With those supplies, we made our way to the village. It was my first time there—a completely new environment. It was a small village where roughly 500 Haitian residents were living together.
As soon as we arrived, many children ran toward us. Naturally, I took out my black camera stand to take photos and videos. At that moment, however, all of the children became frightened and ran away.
They thought that I was an immigration officer and that the black object I was holding was a gun. In that moment, I was reminded once again that they live in constant fear—fear that they could be arrested at any time and forcibly sent back to Haiti.
It was a deeply heartbreaking realization.
2. A truck that sells groceries visits the village from time to time.
All around this village, there are nothing but vast sugarcane fields stretching in every direction. To reach a place where they can buy food or basic goods, they must drive over an hour. However, the city itself is a place of fear for Haitians, which makes even that journey extremely difficult. Because of this, trucks used to come into the village to sell goods to the residents.
The small truck carried a variety of food items, and I watched as the villagers gathered around it to buy chicken, meat, eggs, rice, and drinks.
It was a profound shock to me. We live in what is called the AI era of 2025, at the very center of cutting-edge science and technology. And yet, these Haitian villages where refugees have gathered are still living without running water or electricity, in conditions that resemble life from centuries ago.
3. Here as well, there is a small school.
There is a small elementary school in the village, so I visited it. Although the village itself felt desolate and seemingly without hope, the fact that there was a school there filled my heart with joy. I do not know who is running this school or how it is being sustained, but I truly felt that someone is doing something remarkable.
In the schoolyard, there was a surprisingly well-built playground. I later learned that it was built by a U.S.-based NGO called Kids Around the World.
As I saw people faithfully serving and dedicating themselves to the Haitian people in many different places, my heart was filled with gratitude to God.