Partner with COTN through Malou Faublas
Barahona December/2025
Dear Friends and prayer partners,
Another year that goes so fast now reaching its end and once again it is Christmas season. Christmas time in the Dominican Republic is a lot of fun and beautiful weather which I appreciate because the past year I was in the super cold winter in St Louis Missouri where I spent my sabbatical year.
Like everywhere else it is a lot of activities. This year is a bit different for me because I had the responsibility to take care of the children and the staff of Eden in el batey la montanita. (Remember I told you of my double blessing to be the substitute missionary on behalf of my Canadian friend and mentored Kenisha who is spending her sabbatical year after 12 years here in the
batey la montanita). I have completely forgot about the waiting lines in the bank in December to get the money for the staff of course like always God’s grace has been sufficient for me.
Then something rare happened: I found out that the government was giving away a lot of food for the Christmas parties of the schools in Barahona . So since the end of October I was the very first person to apply for our Christmas party in la montanite. To make things more excited the lady manager that is in charge for the bateys is a sister that goes to my church so we know each other. I thought everything was perfect. They promised to call me in December: I never received a call. As the days passed no answer from the lady manager and I could feel the pressure piling up until I surrender the matter to our Lord according to 1 Peter 5:7 casting all your anxiety upon the Lord for HE cares for you.
Two days before the party still no answer , the same day no answer until the Lord sent another sister who went in the midst of the confusion to talk with the lady manager. My letter was misplaced this is why I never got a call but our Lord is never late: I brought a copy of my letter and they gave me ten big containers of food( rice and beans, pork, macaroni salad, spaghetti which is the children favorite Christmas dish, a big box of apples and grapes enough for our one hundred fifty people invited to the Christmas dinner. GLORY TO HIS NAME!!
In Haiti also our kids did not and could not have a Christmas party because most of our kids are still away for their homes meaning far from our mission , but those that got the chance to return to their homes got plenty of food to share with family and friends as you
can see on the picture. This was a blessing knowing the famine going on in Haiti.
Where is Christ in all these activities? APEN the Spanish name for Child evangelism fellowship , did bring a touch of the gospel to our Sunday school teachers all over Barahona and municipios. Teaching our kids about an extra ordinary gift that is Christ Jesus the Father’s gift of love to all humanity, so Jesus is truly the reason of the season.
The year 2025 has been a very challenging year for our mission: the retirement of our founders brought some situations that have affected Children of the Nations Dominican Republic positively and negatively Positively : our national leaders got to go back to our real Provider that is Christ Jesus our Jehovah Jireh Negatively : in the meantime our mission is experiencing what we called the “lean cows season” which is in the purpose of Christ Jesus ----Who is the Missionary by Excellence-- for us in this season.
I THANK GOD for your prayers and support during my thirty years of service in the Dominican Rep. May you have a blessed and joyful Christmas season with the Presence of Christ and friends and family.
If our King tarries may HE grant you a healthy and plenty of Grace during the year 2026. Difficult times are still ahead of us but HE is Faithful to His promises. HE will never leave us nor forsake us.
ADD YOUR PRAYERS TO MINE
SO grateful I am for my health and God’s Strength from His daily Presence in my life HALLELUJAH!!!
Grateful I am to Christ our Savior for the lives HE has allowed me to touch in a very special way for His Kingdom. ALL THE GLORY IS HIS!!!
My prayer of gratitude for keeping my steps in the time of trials and temptation and distractions . BLESSED BE THE HOLY NAME OF CHRIST OUR LORD !!
Add your prayers for our leaders : wisdom for daily decisions for the welfare of our staff , for love of Christ to reign now more than ever among us.
Pray that we will learn the lessons the Holy Spirit is teaching us in our “lean cows” season.
Of course I am grateful to our Lord for putting each and every one of you in my path, I appreciate your prayers and support during my thirty years of service in the His mission field. May your Christmas season be joyful and blessed with the Presence of Christ Jesus Who is the reason of the season.
May you and your loved ones be blessed with good health : physical, emotional, mental and spiritual every day of the coming year 2026.
Love and blessings from your missionary friend in Barahona Dominican Republic,
Malou Faublas
Feel free to contact me with any questions at cotnbara@gmail.com
or call 786-901-2534 or Barahona 809-524-5273
To view my book: go to Amazon.com/books and type in Malou Faublas in the search)
Dancing in the Fire: The true story of Malou Faublas, a single woman missionary in Haiti & Dominican Republic
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08QWSDNHD/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_PD9B3ABK0JH4MYXRAFYQ
The Life of a Stateless Child
Published Fri, Sep 03, 21. Written by Kelly Flannery.
When the COVID-19 pandemic threw the world into chaos, many governments tried to provide aid and relief to their citizens. But what if you weren’t a citizen of any country?
Many of the children we serve in the Dominican Republic would have been left to face the pandemic alone. They are stateless.
These individuals were born in the Dominican Republic (DR), but because their parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents are from Haiti, they aren’t recognized as citizens.
In the eyes of many in the Dominican government, they do not exist.
That means more than 133,000 people in the DR don’t have access to any public services like education, medical care, clean water, or government aid. They can’t vote. They have no rights.
This keeps them in a vicious cycle of poverty that is nearly impossible to escape.
Imagine being told you don’t belong in the only home you’ve ever known. That you also don’t belong in the country your ancestors are from. That you aren’t worthy of the care and compassion the other people around you are shown. What would that tell you about your worth? How could you feel any sense of dignity?
In the DR, one of the most dire secondhand effects of the pandemic has been the food and hunger crisis. While Dominican citizens received food from the government, children and families who are stateless have not.
This affects many of the children that Children of the Nations (COTN) serves in the DR. About 50% of them are stateless.
COTN usually receives funding and meals to feed these children through the school system. But this support went away when schools closed during the pandemic.
Francisco, our country director in the DR, says that during the pandemic many of the parents weren’t able to leave their homes to find work—it seemed that there would be no way for them to feed their families. But “Thanks to [Children of the Nations], during the pandemic the children had food on their tables every day.”
Thanks to your generosity, not one child in the communities we serve has gone hungry during the pandemic. You helped feed 1,451 children and their families throughout 2020.
You also provided clean water, hygiene kits, medical distributions, health checkups, and more to keep children and their families safe during the pandemic. Without your help, the children would have no access to these resources.
The problems Haitian-Dominicans face are a big part of why Children of the Nations came to the Dominican Republic. Now, you are changing the lives of thousands of these children—children like Luisa.
Luisa grew up without any basic services. She could not dream of attending school—her community had none. “In the past,” she shares, “it was very difficult to study because we did not have a school and we were discouraged to study.” But that changed when COTN came to her community and built a school. Finally, Luisa could get an education and dream of a better future.
Now, she works as a teacher for COTN and is an inspiration to the children in her community. “Many children say they want to be like me in the future, a teacher,” says Luisa.
COTN also serves Haitian-Dominicans through our medical clinic. Because of this clinic, children and their families who can’t afford medical care are able to receive the life-saving surgeries, medicines, and treatments they need. Hundreds of surgeries are performed there each year through the help of visiting surgical teams.
Because of you, lives and communities have been transformed. But there is still much more work to be done.
The DR has been hard hit by the pandemic, and they had another severe spike of cases in June. During this spike, schools had to return to virtual learning, ICU capacity filled up, food prices skyrocketed, and some of the children and staff were infected. The challenges of this pandemic aren’t over yet.
But with you by their side, these children will have the physical, educational, social, and spiritual care they need to become the next generation of leaders. These children will know they matter, they are worthy of care, and they belong right where they are.
P.S. To help children in the Dominican Republic, donate to the Dominican Republic - Most Urgent Funding Needs fund.
