Red Island Restoration is a response to God’s leading in our lives to see Madagascar restored in Health, Forests and Hope in Christ. Jamie was born and raised in Madagascar as a missionary kid and as a result, has a deep understanding of Malagasy culture and language as well as a powerful love for his home country and the…

Everyday, over 800 women die in pregnancy or childbirth due to preventable causes. Most of these occur in the developing world. (WHO). Women throughout the world deliver their babies at home, alone and unassisted. Other times, they deliver in facilities that are understocked in equipment, medications and professional…

An all-too-often ignored fundamental cause of extreme poverty is environmental destruction. In Madagascar, radical deforestation is wreaking havoc on millions of villagers as over 90% of the nation’s forests have been destroyed due to slash and burn farming, charcoal production and clear-cut logging. With the loss of inland…

In 1999, Jamie and long-time friend and ministry partner, Josy, traveled to Mahabana to live and fish for three months. During this time, a small group gathered by candlelight to read the book of John. This small group became a regular Bible Study which then became a small church in a village that was taboo Jesus and the…

” Better to love God and die unknown than to love the world and be a hero; better to be content with poverty than to die a slave to wealth; better to have taken some risks and lost than to have done nothing and succeeded at it. –Erwin Lutzer “

Is it Christmas???

Is it Christmas???

It's the afternoon of December 20th.  Christmas is 5 days away.... so technically 4 more days until Christmas. Have I done any shopping?  No. Have I sung any familiar Christmas hymns in church?  No.  Have I done any holiday baking?  No.  Have I seen any Christmas...

Market Day

Market Day

Tuesday is market day in our house.  There's nothing really special about why Tuesday is the market day other than the largest deliveries of fresh produce arrive on Tuesday and Friday mornings at the market that I shop at.  Of course, when I say "market", I don't mean...

Traditional Midwives…

Traditional Midwives…

I'm not sure of the number of traditional midwives here in Madagascar but I know there's a good number of them.  These women have no formal training but rather their knowledge has been passed down from older generations.  Dadan'i Sisy, pictured here with her youngest...

O Holy Night

O Holy Night

This is a guest post from Tara Livesay.  Tara is a gifted writer, a fellow worker and soon-to-be midwife doing what we're getting ready to do in terms of providing maternity care to some of the "least of these".   Tara and her family live and work in Haiti with...

A sickness and a prayer…

A sickness and a prayer…

You may have read about our doozy of a Thanksgiving last week... if not, my last post will give you the back story. I was sick.  Sick as a dog.  5 full days of raging fever, intense body aches, and extreme fatigue... and that's all.  No respiratory symptoms, no GI...

Holiday Doozies

Holiday Doozies

Celebrating major American holidays and living in Madagascar somehow just don't go together very well... or maybe we just haven't found our groove with them just yet.  In fact, the last 4 holidays we've celebrated in Madagascar have been doozies... starting with...