by admin | October 16, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Do you have know those people that you totally look up to? Those that are doing awesome things? Doing awesome things as they allow God to use their giftings and their passions? And while at the same time, making a Kingdom impact as well as an impact on the lives of...
by admin | October 9, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
The other day I wrote the post, Part of the Solution to Poverty… part 1. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out as it’s a reflection of my thoughts and emotions. This post below is NOT written by me… oh, how I wish I had the writing talents...
by admin | October 6, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
“Part of the solution to poverty is doing whatever it takes to get your heart to stay with the poor.” ~Ann Voskamp Back in July when we were still in the States I had all these thoughts swarming around in my head. Thoughts of extreme poverty and extreme...
by admin | October 5, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
I have so many blog posts swirling around in my head that I may start to get dizzy. I’m always inspired to write when I’m here but don’t always get the time to do so. I’ve got some fun things to share, some stories to share, some people to...
by admin | September 24, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
We landed back in Madagascar just about 3 weeks ago. Time goes fast. The first few days back hit me hard. Not like being rushed and tackled by a 300-pound 6.5-foot linebacker with a grudge…. but more innocently– like being rushed and tackled by our...
by admin | September 17, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
I last wrote about our ten, make it eleven, 50-pound checked bags that we toted across the world to Madagascar from Santa Barbara. You may be asking yourself, what in the world do you pack that takes up 550 pounds?? Well, I’m glad you asked. For starters,...
by admin | September 15, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
The days leading up to our departure from Santa Barbara were a little hectic…. an all-day softball tournament, 3 church services, and a wedding…oh my. And that was just the 3 days before we left. In the 2 weeks between my midwifery licensure exam and our...
by admin | August 31, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
That’s right… I passed my NARM midwifery board exams! How ’bout a little “woohoo!” with me!?! I’m absolutely thrilled and so incredibly relieved! To be quite honest, in the last two weeks since my test, I haven’t spent too...
by admin | August 16, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
The last 3 years of my life have been forever shifted. It all started one day when I was vacuuming our house…. which really is a miracle in itself because I loathe vacuuming. It’s one of the jobs I leave for my incredibly awesome husband. Fortunately, in Madagascar...
by admin | August 6, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Yesterday I did something that I’ve only done one other time in my life as a parent for the last 6+ years… I left all my kids and husband and boarded an airplane and flew to another state. The last time this occurred I went to a Midwifery Volunteerism in...
by admin | July 19, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Ok, so I think I just totally made up that word…. the busies but nonetheless, that’s what life is these days. Full of the busies, with studying for my midwifery board exams, writing thank you notes, partnership development, purchasing plane tickets, organizing...
by admin | June 30, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Our Red Island Restoration website is getting a much needed new look…. thanks to Apple giving MobileME the boot which forces us to switch things up a bit. I can’t tell you when it’s gonna be done, hopefully soon, so keep checking back to this same address for...
by admin | June 30, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
We just spent a week at Redwood Christian Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We were the missionary speakers for their June Family Camp which entailed leading/teaching 4-one hour seminars, giving 3-five minute “mission moments”, and sharing about the work in Madagascar...
by admin | June 25, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Though Madagascar often lacks a lot of the medical means to help fight against death, the people of Madagascar certainly know how to be with their deceased. Traditionally speaking, the Malagasy actually worship their ancestors… but this isn’t what I’m talking...
by admin | June 23, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
We’re getting ready for a whirl-wind week. This afternoon we leave with the 3 kids in tow to drive north to Monterey where we’ll be presenting and preaching in both services at First Baptist Church of Monterey. This is an awesome church that has partnered with Jamie’s...
by admin | June 21, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Three days ago we spoke with our good friend and ministry partner, Josy, in Madagascar. He called to tell us that his older sister Maman’i Petana had just passed away. You may remember that I shared about Maman’i Petana in my last blog here. Cancer had wreaked havoc...
by admin | May 31, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
I know… not such a nice title nor subject. Nonetheless death in Madagascar is a huge reality. In one of the poorest countries of the world with little resources and most living in poverty, death is too common. Death from preventable and treatable diseases and...
by admin | May 25, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
[singlepic id=71 w=320 h=240 float=center] From the remote fishing village of Mahabana in Madagascar to the sprawling park of Disneyland… this is our life in two worlds. We’ve been back in the States for 3 weeks now. It’s been a period of adjustment as we...
by admin | May 18, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
If you’re in the Santa Barbara area, this Sunday, May 20th, we’ll be presenting in all three services at our home church, the Free Methodist Church on the Mesa. You’ll be able to see our latest video with lots of pictures, hear all about what God is doing in...
by admin | May 5, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Late Tuesday night, we made it back to the USA…. the land of the free, the oversized, and the paved and clean roads. It’s nice to be “home” for some time. It’s also weird. Weird on a lot of different levels. We’re living with my folks, in the house I grew up in...
by admin | April 30, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
As we get ready to re-enter into our American life in Santa Barbara, we’ve been thinking and talking about all the things we’re looking forward to. Here are just a few: We can all say we’re looking forward to family and friends and worshipping in our home church in...
by admin | April 29, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
We’re on the eve of our departure from the Philippines. It’s been a blessed 6+ weeks here as we experienced a new culture and new way of life. Though we’ve written other blog posts about certain aspects of our time here, here’s a larger recap and closer look at...
by admin | April 29, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
The Philippines, like other cultures is unique. One of the many unique characteristics about the PI is the names of some of the people… sure, there’s some Tom’s and Sally’s, Mike’s and Jenny’s but there’s also names like Jha Jha, Bong, Princess Fay and...
by admin | April 25, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
During my time both here in the Philippines as well as in Madagascar, I’ve been with women during childbirth in hospital settings. On this blog, I can’t describe in detail the things I’ve witnessed, experienced and heard… they are not my stories to tell and to...
by admin | April 14, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
My midwifery courses are nearly all complete, my internship is wrapping up in the Philippines, and most of my “required numbers” are fulfilled. In less than a month, Lord willing, my formal midwifery education will be complete and all that will remain will be studying...
by admin | April 14, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Do you all remember Steve Irwin… AKA The Crocodile Hunter? I have always shared a similar love and passion for the wild and the animals within. Last week I finally got an hour to go for a run so I decided to explore the forests of Subic Bay Freeport Zone. In...
by admin | April 4, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
The last three weeks I have shifted not only countries but also roles as Alissa is doing an intensive midwifery internship with the Mercy In Action midwives. As she is working many hours a day and on call 24/7 for births, I am at home with the kids. I have become Mr....
by admin | March 31, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
For some odd parental reason I now have the kids song, “the ants go marching one by one” stuck in my head thanks to the catchy title of this post! In the last week here at the Mercy Midwives Birthing Home we’ve had 4 deliveries… 4 precious new babies...
by admin | March 30, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Mercy Midwives Birthing Home is the birth center through Mercy In Action that I’m interning at here in Olongapo. Though Mercy In Action has initiated, successfully operated and turned over many birth centers in the last 21 years here in the Philippines, this...
by admin | March 20, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Last week we arrived in Olongapo, Philippines where we’ll call home for the next 6+ weeks. We were blessed beyond measure as our teammates here had already found and furnished a small house for us… no easy feat in a developing country! As though this isn’t gift...
by admin | March 20, 2012 | Uncategorized
One of the great benefits of the missionary life is the requirement of traveling through other countries to get to your final destination. For example, we’re currently in the Philippines so that I can complete my midwifery training (more to come on this one) and the...
by admin | March 11, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
It’s been a week since we left the great Red Island of Madagascar. There are several aspects of our life that we already miss… and there are some aspects for which we’re happy to have a break from. Here’s our top few…. TO MISS… 1. Friends…...
by admin | February 26, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Flashback to October 9, 1999– I stepped off a Malagasy sailboat and into life within the village of Mahabana. A village barely touched by the outside world and so entrapped by the vices of poverty on every level. A village where 30% of the population controlled...
by admin | February 23, 2012 | Uncategorized
Since we’re below the equator here in Madagascar, our seasons are reversed. So while many of you are enjoying some cooler days, perhaps even too cold, we’re suffering through some intense heat and humidity. If you’ve ever been to my hometown of Santa Barbara, you know...
by admin | February 17, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
These two words don’t seem to make a lot of sense when put together… why would someone choose poverty? Why when someone has lived their entire life in poverty, married into poverty, birthed their babies into poverty and currently are raising their kids in...
by admin | February 13, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
My husband is a Third Culture Kid (TCK)…. I am not… I’m a Santa Barbara kid! Yet we are raising TCK’s. And what exactly is a TCK? Well, I’m glad you asked… By definition the Third Culture Kid “is a person who has spent a significant part of their...
by admin | February 4, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
A week and a half ago we made the drive to the capital city, Antananarivo. 2/3 of the way there, we pulled over on the side of the road for a potty break and to stretch our legs. As we got out of the car, there was a man and two women walking towards us along the...
by admin | February 4, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Traveling between our city of Mahajanga and the capital city of Antananarivo is roughly 350 miles but travel takes 10+ hours with only small towns dotted along the two lane national highway. As such, there are only small take-your-chances-on-getting-sick restaurants...
by admin | February 1, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
This last week has been an interesting one with ever-changing plans. The kind of interesting that happens with life in ministry and the associated spiritual battles. Last Thursday our family made the 10-hour drive to the capital city to take care of some things before...
by admin | January 29, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
The drastic contrasts we experience in our life in Madagascar on a daily basis is phenomenal and sometimes overwhelming. The cold of our air conditioned car to the oppressive heat outside, the filth on the streets to the cleanliness of a nice restaurant, but by and...
by admin | January 20, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
When it comes to shopping, and I’m talking shopping for food, this statement is so true here in Madagascar…you never know what you’re gonna get. When we lived here 9 years ago, the food items in terms of variety were limited, very, very limited. When we...
by admin | January 16, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Last post I told you about our Family Outing to a Birth and promised that the story wasn’t over yet. Unfortunately it wasn’t over… and three weeks after the birth of this little girl, the story still continues. Medical care in Madagascar is, we’ll just say,...
by admin | January 15, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Family Outing to a Birth My days lately have all been running together, but sometime before Christmas we experienced a new type of family outing… to the birth of a baby. We were enjoying dinner out with a couple who are considering returning to Madagascar when...
by admin | January 11, 2012 | Blog, Uncategorized
Quiz: A customary gift of friendship here in Madagascar is: flowers a froofy-smelling candle a chicken a stuffed fish on a plaque to hang on the wall If you guessed C. a chicken, congratulations! Yes, a chicken is the traditional gift of friendship here in...
by admin | December 31, 2011 | Blog, Uncategorized
Last weekend on Christmas Eve we had a family first. In the days leading up to Christmas, I was in a baking frenzy, making our hot kitchen all the hotter. In total, I baked 19 dozen cookies as well as some bars. We celebrated Christmas Eve day by delivering these...
by admin | December 26, 2011 | Blog, Uncategorized
A few days a week, after school is over and kids are awake from naps or rest time, our kids play with a regular group of 6-7 Malagasy kids. It is awesome! It brings joy all around– to our kids, the Malagasy kids, and to us. Usually they play games like prison...
by admin | December 25, 2011 | Blog, Uncategorized
If you didn’t already know, I’m a Master’s trained Family Nurse Practitioner and practiced for 5 years in the States before returning to school once again to attain my Midwifery licensure. For the past 2 years, I’ve been slowly chipping away at my midwifery academics...
by admin | December 24, 2011 | Blog, Uncategorized
Christmas in Madagascar is… well, I’ll just say a little different than in the States. It’s hot, it’s humid, there isn’t the Christmas music playing in the stores since before Thanksgiving. There isn’t the buzz to go shopping and spend loads of money on...
by admin | December 20, 2011 | Blog, Uncategorized
There is something amazing about seeing my children being cared for by the friends of my youth. In truth, it is a dream come true. I love watching my children experience the world of Madagascar that I grew up in, a world one would not appear to fit into and yet...
by admin | December 13, 2011 | Blog, Uncategorized
Last week I shared with you our family’s deep love relationship with Mangoes. We’ve had the privilege to introduce numerous short-term folks to the scrumptiousness of this fruit… as well as how to cut the perfect mango. So, with no further hesitation, I’ll...
