A Season of Twists, Turns, and God’s Goodness…
It was a joy to see many of you during our recent travels back to California! Those six weeks flew by as we packed into them what we’d normally spread across a five-month home assignment– church presentations, Sarobidy Creations sales, thank-you notes, college visits, medical and dental appointments, and sweet time with family and friends, just to name a few. Even in the busyness, we returned to RVA with a renewed sense of balance– mentally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. Thank you for your prayers, conversations, and all the hugs along the way!
Unexpected Bumps, Twists & Course Corrections…
After many years overseas and the unpredictability that comes with this lifestyle, our whole family has learned to adapt quickly, shift course, and embrace unexpected turns. These last few months have held more than a few of those twists:
1. College Education–
Our daughter Isabella graduated from Rift Valley Academy in July 2024 and had been accepted to Point Loma University this fall after completing an amazing gap year. For 10 months we prayed for the Lord’s provision, especially after receiving her financial aid award letter– one that left us in tears of discouragement. Despite countless prayers, many conversations with the PLNU financial aid office, and faith-filled waiting, her package never changed. Just three weeks before move-in, we had to make the painful decision to withdraw her enrollment.
This has been both heart-wrenching and faith-stretching. Yet we continue to trust the Lord’s kindness, faithfulness, and sovereignty, even when it looks different from what we hoped or prayed for. Isabella is at peace, attending our local community college in Santa Barbara and living in a women’s Christian ministry house with 10 other girls through a short-term sublease.
Our hearts, minds and spirits are weary from several years of ongoing financial challenges and it’s hard to know how to ask for prayer. Still, we invite you to pray with us as the Lord leads.
2. Dorm Life–
At Rift Valley Academy, dorm parents typically stay with the same students for two years. This provides continuity which builds trust and allows for authentic life-on-life discipleship to occur. We were excited to welcome back our sophomore guys this year– until we learned just days before the school year ended that, due to understaffing, we’d also be receiving a brand-new group of freshman. Overnight, our dorm swelled to 22 boys, plus 9 day students who join us regularly– 31 teenage boys in all! And if that weren’t enough, we also have another 10-12 guys who just love hanging out in our dorm. Let’s just say: testosterone is practically seeping from every crevice of our cement house!
While we absolutely love dorm parenting, this sudden twist of numbers and ages changes both the culture of our group and how we run every aspect of daily life within the dorm. And dorm life is only part of our work. Jamie is teaching Environmental Science, coaching, preaching, mentoring and serving in Child Safety, while I continue developing and leading the TCK Care program for 400 students, training staff, developing curriculum, resourcing parents, and leading two teams.
In all our years of oversea ministry, last year was by far the busiest year we’ve experienced. As a result, I felt real fear returning to RVA, knowing we couldn’t sustain another year like it. While we’ve released some responsibilities, the workload remains heavy, and we’re already in conversations with leadership about some changes. Please pray with us for wisdom, healthy margins, appropriate changes, and the Lord’s strength to work through our weakness.
3. Surgery-
Last week, Jamie underwent an urgent and unexpected kidney stone surgery in Nairobi. While he’s recovering, the procedure was only partially successful and requires that he return to the operating room next week and then again two weeks later. In the end, between the two of us, we’ll have had five surgeries in the past 10 months in Nairobi. We’re so thankful for God’s goodness in placing us in Kenya, where medical care is strong– especially compared to what would have been available in Madagascar!
4. Finances–
For 15 years, many of you have walked alongside us through the joys and struggles of ministry in Africa. God has used your prayers, encouragement, and generosity to bless not only our family but also the mothers at the Sarobidy Maternity Center, the communities touched by reforestation, and the missionary families we serve across Africa. Your sacrifice and generosity has honored the Lord, blessed our family, and has borne lasting fruit in Madagascar, Kenya, and across Africa.
Yet, as many of you know, our monthly financial support has been strained since July 2022. We’ve sought fundraising coaching, reduced expenses, cut projects, spoken with our leaders, and streamlined both ministry and personal budgets. Just as the gap was beginning to close, our mission organization, WorldVenture, shifted its assessment fee from a flat fee to 13% of contributions– dropping our support back to 88% of budget.
We’re praying about and looking into alternative long-term solutions, while also asking the Lord to restore our support to 100%. Would you prayerfully consider:
- Increasing your current support (even a modest increase makes a big impact!)
- Becoming a new regular supporter if you haven’t before.
- Following and resharing Red Island Restoration and the Sarobidy Maternity Center on Instagram and Facebook.
- Introducing us to friends, family, or church connections who might be interested in partnering with us. After nearly 15 years overseas, our U.S. networks are much smaller– we’d be grateful for your help in opening doors!
There’s three ways you can join our team or increase your current giving…
1. CLICK HERE and follow the link to set up your secure account with WorldVenture where you can proceed to make an on-going commitment or special gift.
2. CALL(800) 487-4224 and select option #1 to speak with someone 8am-4pm MST (M-Th).
3. MAIL a check to:
WorldVenture
20 Inverness Pl E
Englewood, CO 80112-5622
** Please specify your donation by writing account #173 in the memo line. **
(Note, for tax purposes, our names should not appear on the check.)
Sometimes these bumps and twists bring us to our knees. Too often, in our attempts to course-correct, we try to manage in our own strength and limited understanding. As you can imagine, that never works well.
Lately, I’ve been reading through the book of Hosea and marveling at the Lord’s grace, patience, and forgiveness– true in Hosea’s time and still true today. Despite our unfaithfulness, His commitment to remain in relationship with His people is unwaivering, pure, and everlasting.
That reminder of His steadfast love makes this simple prayer– shared in a Bible study by Priscilla Shirer and now sitting on my office windowsill– all the more true:
Lord, heighten my spiritual senses to
see that which is not visible,
hear that which is not audible,
sense that which is not tangible,
believe that which is unbelievable.
Teach me to sort through
the noises of this world to
hear and discern Your powerful,
wonderful, pure, precious voice.
And finally — if you’ve made it this far, we have one more important update!
Starting at the end of this year, we’ll be moving our newsletters to a new digital platform called Epistle — think of it as a social media space created specifically for missionaries.
On Epistle, we’ll be able to share shorter, more frequent updates, and you’ll get to choose how often they land in your inbox: daily, weekly, or monthly.
There’s just one catch: if you’d like to keep hearing from us, you’ll need to subscribe. Simply click this link:https://jamie-alissa-redislandrestoration.epistle.org/subscribe, and then confirm your subscription via the email you’ll receive.
The Lord is doing incredible things in the lives of people in both Madagascar and Kenya, and we don’t want you to miss a single story!
Friends, thank you for standing with us– in prayer, encouragement, and support– as we walk through these unexpected bumps, twists, and course corrections. We couldn’t continue without you, and we’re deeply grateful for the ways you join us in this journey and ministry!
With love and gratitude,
Jamie, Alissa, Isabella, Eliana and Gavin
Blessings to you as you continue to serve. Yes, it sounds like you have a lot on your plate. The boarding situation at RVA sounds like it is overwhelmed right now. That is sad to hear, but also way to pray.
Levi also took a gap year and is now at our local community college. We have the same issue in that the financial packages offered do not make sense. Levi was offered a package that said he could attend one school for a very reasonable amount. It looked really good on the surface. But of course, there was a catch. they offered him such a good deal because tin the fine print they required us to take $10,000 in loans each year. HA, that is not going to happen.
So sorry you guys have been keeping the surgeons busy. Praying this year will go better than expected.