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 “

Unsung Heroes (part II)

Unsung Heroes (part II)

Last month, we started part I in a series entitled “Unsung Heroes”; a tribute to all the Malagasy people who work so hard, day after day, to eek out a living in order to care for their family the best they can. Just outside of Antsirabe lies a small wet valley where 7...

Hello

Hello

Here on the island there’s a hundred different ways to say “hello”... or at least close to a 100.  Because the country is made up of 18 different tribes, all Malagasy, they each have their traditional way of saying “hey”.  Some of my favorites and their...

Trilingual

Trilingual

We hope and pray, that one day, our 3 kids will be trilingual like their daddy.  As they play with Malagasy friends they’re picking up Malagasy and as they attend French School, they’ll soon be speaking French. In the picture above, our five-year-old drew a picture of...

Cooking Challenges (part II)

Cooking Challenges (part II)

As I’ve said before, cooking in Madagascar is no easy feat at times.  Though it has drastically improved with the number of items we can get for which I’m so incredibly thankful!  There are however, still a number of ingredients we can’t get or we need to improvise...

French School

French School

The kids just completed their second week at the French School here in Mahajanga.  Isabella entered Grande Section, the French equivalent to kindergarten and attends 5 days a week.  Eliana started Petite Section, or preschool and attends 3 mornings a week.  Now brace...

Sunday Fun

Sunday Fun

There isn’t an overabundance of fun activities for kids here in Madagascar.  Thankfully though, we live on the northwest coast of the island where the days are hot and the beach is close.  As a mom of young kids, this lack of activities is definitely an unwelcome...