by admin | May 15, 2023 | Blog
Thank you all for your prayers as we traveled home to Madagascar last month. It was far too short, but what we lacked in duration, was made up for in the sweetness of our time on the Red Island! A Slice of Home to Carry us on… During the short but...
by admin | April 15, 2023 | Blog
The second term of the RVA school year is over, the students have spread across Africa back to their families and their countries of service and a hush has settled over the campus. Roadblocks… Over the last 20+ years of traveling to Madagascar or to remote...
by admin | March 12, 2023 | Blog
Life-Saving Impact… “I feel very blessed and happy to care for my baby. Thank you very much to the Sarobidy Maternity Center for the help and the prayers you have given me and my baby. This is my first baby and she was born prematurely… you really...
by admin | February 10, 2023 | Blog, Uncategorized
Partnering with Parents… BOARDING SCHOOL… what thoughts or feelings does this conjure up for you? For some, it may be a foreign concept. For others, it may come with negative connotations, beliefs or experiences. And for a relatively small percent of the...
by admin | January 12, 2023 | Blog, Uncategorized
Thank you to all who prayed for our return to Madagascar!! The amount that transpired in that month was a bit intense… good, hard, scary… we’re thankful for the ways the Lord protected and sustained us during this time! A Brief Recap… ...
by admin | December 12, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
Thank you all for your prayers last month as we wrapped up the first term of the school year at Rift Valley Academy (RVA) and as we traveled to Madagascar without being affected by the Kenyan Airways strike! End of Term in Kenya… The end of term...
by admin | November 8, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
There is rarely a quiet day at the Sarobidy Maternity Center. Mondays are prenatal days and are buzzing with women singing first thing in the morning, Bible study on the front porch as birds chirp in the trees overhead. Sounds of baby’s perfect and strong...
by admin | October 15, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
Birth work is beautiful. It is also quite primitive. The flow of hormones and surges and work and strength to bring a new life into the world. The tenderness of a woman becoming a mother for the first time or perhaps the 6th time. It is a sacred space where Jesus...
by admin | September 23, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
For the last 15+ years, Jamie and I have known with certainty, where the Lord has been calling us individually, as a couple and as a family. Madagascar. That big beautiful Red Island that is home to nearly 28 million people and that exquisitely feels like home to us....
by admin | August 7, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
As we’ve been in the USA for the last few weeks, we’re so thankful for the new life that abounds at the Sarobidy Maternity Center. New babies, new mamas, new papas… the exquisiteness of watching a family be born is breathtaking. We praise the Lord...
by admin | July 10, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
A bit of home in Kenya… Earlier this month we welcomed several of our dear Malagasy friends and co-workers to Kenya for the Eden Projects International Leaders conference. Eden has become one of the largest reforestation organizations in the...
by admin | June 10, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
Revisiting the Pair-of-Ducks… Years ago, in one of our newsletters, we wrote about the Paradox of life on the mission field. Also, lovingly referred to as the Pair-of-Ducks when our kids were younger. When our kids were little, we would often sit around the...
by admin | May 26, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
Here in Kenya…. Thank you all for your prayers over these last few weeks of packing, traveling and transitioning to Kenya. Just 10 hours before we were set to leave for the airport, Gavin spiked a fever and was feeling miserable. Within a few hours we determined...
by admin | May 1, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
A Time for Celebration… Each year, within the first few months of the year, the staff of the Sarobidy Maternity Center come together to celebrate God’s goodness over the past year and commit the year ahead to Him. We do so through...
by admin | March 6, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
There is something unique and really special about pregnancy, birth and the early newborn period that has banded women together throughout history, across generations and around the globe. At the Sarobidy Maternity Center, we have the privilege of witnessing this...
by admin | February 6, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
Anything but Normal… Under normal circumstances, we would be writing this update from Madagascar. Under normal circumstances, we would be sharing about how crazy or perhaps, how seamless, the return trip to Madagascar was and how excruciatingly painful it was to...
by admin | January 10, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
New Life… The first baby of 2022, a little boy, was born at the Sarobidy Maternity Center early this morning. I never cease to be amazed by God’s intricate design when it comes to pregnancy, birth and the bonding of mom and baby. We’re so...
by admin | December 15, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
Everyday tragedy… The world over, there’s a massive disparity in maternal mortality with higher rates of death in impoverished communities and women of color. Madagascar, of course, is no exception and reports an average of 10 women a day...
by admin | November 25, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
While in high school, Alissa took several jewelry classes which she quickly fell in love with. The process of creating, cutting, soldering, and polishing sterling silver, gold and precious stones became a passion and creative outlet and continued after...
by admin | October 29, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
The Unrelenting Love of a Father… We’ve known Fredy since he was a young child. At two years old, his parents made the decision to ask Dina and Maman’i Aby to raise Fredy because they couldn’t afford to raise him themselves. His parents were...
by admin | September 8, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
The work of Eden Reforestation Projects continues to grow and flourish in Madagascar– new reforestation sites spreading across the red island, new land contracts with the government, new managers rising into leadership, new employees receiving steady wages, new...
by admin | August 18, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
Invitation to Education When we began the work of the Sarobidy Maternity Center 8+ years ago, we reached out to a well-respected local physician who has her own full-scope clinic and asked if she would consider being the back-up consulting physician for our...
by admin | July 7, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
A Grim Reality… In Madagascar, like many developing countries throughout the world, women die all too frequently due to preventable complications in pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the immediate postpartum period– globally 800 girls and women...
by admin | June 30, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
Thank you for your steadfast prayers that traversed the globe with us…. quite literally! If you missed our newsletter last month, we made the decision to return to the USA two months earlier than our scheduled home assignment in order to get Isabella, our...
by admin | May 5, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
Maman’i Pao and her family are one of the longer standing families in our community. Historically, they’ve also been one of the most materially poor families in our community. Mother to 14 children, only 7 babies survived birth, infancy and early...
by admin | April 7, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
Grace Abounds… As many of you know, in January, our oldest daughter, Isabella, began Rift Valley Academy, a boarding school for missionary kids in Kenya. She has loved her time at RVA– the friends, the sports, the community! RVA operates with three...
by admin | March 19, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
…At the Sarobidy Maternity Center Rota is the National Director for the Sarobidy Maternity Center. Before the center even opened, she moved 12 hours from the capital city to the coast to help open the center. She was young and a new graduate midwife. Over...
by admin | February 18, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
Thank you for your gracious prayers, emails and messages of encouragement since sharing the news last month about the imminent transition of taking our oldest to Kenya to begin high school at Rift Valley Academy! The Lord was incredibly gracious...
by admin | January 6, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
Ten Year Anniversary… On this day, 10 years ago exactly, we arrived in Madagascar as a family of five. At the time, our kids were 4 years, 2 years and 6 months old. We arrived in the wee hours of the morning on January 1, 2011… the five of us and all 26...
by admin | December 9, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
In September 2014, Patricia delivered a beautiful baby girl with Rota, the national director and one of the midwives of the Sarobidy Maternity Center. This sweet baby girl was named, Sarobidy (precious), and was the first namesake of the Sarobidy Maternity...
by admin | November 24, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
Fighting fires…. Wildfires continue to be a devastating force to the islandof Madagascar. High temperatures, extremely dry landscape, slash and burn farming, and charcoal pits that lose control are a recipe for disaster. This year we’ve had multiple fires...
by admin | October 9, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
Continuing medical education for doctors, nurses, midwives or any other health professional is not a requirement in Madagascar. Once a diploma is granted, learning can essentially cease. This lack of continuing medical education, coupled with rogue memorization only...
by admin | September 14, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
Some of the most common questions we encounter when we’re in the USA on home assignment are: 1. So what’s Madagascar like? 2. Do you like living there? 3. What do you eat there? 4. What’s a typical day look like for you? ...
by admin | August 4, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
Last month Jamie and the Tahirin’Ala team drove 30km up the coast to a quickly disappearing forest. This dry deciduous remnant forest is illegally being divided and small plots of land sold to people. Sadly, the first thing most people do when they acquire land...
by admin | July 9, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
Did you know…? * Madagascar is the world’s fourth-largest island. * Despite Madagascar’s close proximity to the African continent, ocean currents have isolated the island, resulting in high rates of endemic plant and animal species. * Approximately...
by admin | June 6, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
Amidst the Covid pandemic, Dengue Fever epidemic and continuing to live in planet prison as one friend hilariously referred to it as…. this month has been sprinkled with several small victories to celebrate. In our...
by admin | May 7, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
An epidemic amidst the pandemic… Amidst the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, our city on the northwest coast of Madagascar is facing a DENGUE FEVER epidemic! The last such epidemic on the island was in 2007. Dengue Fever is a nasty disease...
by admin | April 7, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
Like each of you and most of the rest of the world, we are navigating new waters here in Madagascar. March 20th marked the first confirmed case of COVID-19 on the island. In the week prior to this first documented case, we saw the writing on the wall and began making...
by admin | March 18, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
Thank you all for your prayers for our safe return home! We arrived in country 2 weeks ago and after taking care of some business and seeing friends in the capital city, we made the 10.5 hour drive to our home city last weekend. The mission field is often...
by admin | February 14, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
Throughout Madagascar, life is ruled by taboos as an attempt to maintain harmony with the ancestors in whom the Malagasy worship in order to communicate with the Creator God. There are varying levels of taboos… individual, family, community, land and even tribal...
by admin | February 3, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
As I’m sure many can echo, the last decade has been an eventful one. As we remember the milestones of the last ten years, we’re astonished and ever so thankful for the sweetness of the Lord that has sustained us, encouraged us and propelled us forward...
by admin | December 17, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
Over the years, many of you have heard stories, seen pictures and have been praying for our friend and ministry partner, Rota. For those who may have missed these, Rota is the national director of the Sarobidy Maternity Center. We’ve known Rota since she was a...
by admin | November 2, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
For the many who have followed the ministry in Madagascar over the last two decades, you may remember that the remote village of Mahabana was once taboo Jesus Christ and the Bible. At the time, in our single and kid-free days, Jamie and I would travel to Mahabana by...
by admin | October 14, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
Legally blind by the age of 5, Tovo learned Braille at a school started by Lutheran missionaries in Antsirabe, a small town in the highlands of Madagascar. For the last 25+ years, Tovo has been living with his wife and three kids (ages 9-25 years old) in the...
by admin | September 17, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
In early August, we enjoyed our fourth annual all staff party for the Sarobidy Maternity Center, Eden Projects leadership team, Sarobidy Creations, Tonga Soa Guesthouse and those who we and other missionary teammates employ. In total, along with their families, we...
by admin | August 31, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
In July we traded the greenery and the majesty of the Alps for the rugged beauty, coastal breeze and the unmistakable warmth of the Malagasy people. We traded speaking in French to speaking in Malagasy. We traded our work environment from our...
by admin | July 16, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
It’s hard to believe that 10 months has come and gone and our departure from France and return to Madagascar is upon us. Ten months ago we cried as we left our dear friends and home in Madagascar. Ten months ago we cried the first day as we sat within our...
by admin | July 3, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
There must’ve been something in the air in Mahajanga as up until just this month, three of our Malagasy midwives were expecting babies!!! We praise the Lord for the safe delivery of two of these three babies over the last few weeks! A...
by admin | May 28, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
Home Stretch… We’ve entered the home stretch of our formal french language learning here in France. Sadly, our brain cells seem to be shrinking rather than expanding lately– forgetting simple conjugations we knew in the past, becoming confused with...
by admin | April 8, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
In Madagascar… For the last three years, the employees of Eden Reforestation Projects and the employees of the Sarobidy Maternity Center pay a small amount each month into the “SAEDEN” Association (Sarobidy + Eden). This...
