Hope, Growth & New Beginnings.
Supporting Students between Cultures…
I’ve been married to an Adult Third Culture Kid (ATCK– often also referred to as a Missionary Kid) for nearly 23 years, and together, we’re raising three amazing third culture kids of our own– all of who are courageous and strong, compassionate and wise. I’ve also been a Cross-Cultural Adult (CCA) for more than half of my adult life. Living overseas and navigating the complexities that come with it have both become normal and a gift, shaping not only how I live, but how I see and care for the teens growing up in these same spaces.
One of the meaningful ways the Lord has been growing my role this past year is through the continued development and spearheading of the TCK Care Coordinator position at Rift Valley Academy. Over the past 18 months, I have been developing and spearheading this role in response to the growing needs I was seeing among our students. Through this role, I’ve had the opportunity to advocate for expanded care and programming for our Third Culture Kid (TCK) and Cross-Cultural Kid (CCK) students, working alongside faculty and leadership to help this vision take shape.
Many of our students grow up navigating multiple cultures, frequent transitions, and complex identity questions. While these experiences can shape them into adaptable, globally minded adults, they can also bring unique emotional and relational challenges. Because of this, RVA continues to expand our TCK and CCK learning program using developmentally appropriate curriculum created by TCK Training.
These lessons help students better understand their experiences and develop tools that support them both now and in their future.
Each topic is taught through a four-part lesson series designed to build knowledge and skills step by step. During the 2024-2025 academic year, students in Kindergarten, Grade 4, Grade 8, and Grade 12 participated in the four part Transitions series. This year, those same grades have or will again receive the Transitions curriculum.
We’re excited to expand the program by introducing a new Emotional Regulation series to Grades 3, 7, and 11. This unique series helps students grow in emotional awareness by learning to identify their feelings, practice healthy coping strategies, and develop resilience through practical and engaging activities that support overall well-being.
One of the sweetest confirmations of this program’s impact came from a Grade 7 co-teacher and RVA alumna. As someone who experienced boarding school at RVA as a TCK herself, Shelah shared, “As an adult TCK, I wish I had learned this when I was a boarding student. It would have helped me recognize why I was reacting a certain way in different situations and equipped me with valuable coping skills for dealing with grief and transition.” Hearing reflections like this reminds me how deeply needed this care is for our students.
Looking ahead, as TCK Training releases additional curriculum over the next two years, we’ll continue expanding these opportunities through a phased rollout across grade levels. Our goal is that by 2028, all 400+ RVA students, from Kindergarten through Grade 12, will receive TCK and CCK-focused education each year they are here.
Please join us in praying for our students– that they would feel deeply known and loved, grow in emotional resilience and self-awareness, and be equipped with healthy tools to navigate transition, loss, and change with hope and confidence.
Welcoming Six Babies…
The Sarobidy Maternity Center was especially lively last week, welcoming six beautiful babies into the world.
Late Monday night brought a flurry of activity. Three babies were born in quick succession– the first two arriving just six minutes apart, and the third following only 35 minutes later. SMC only has two rooms set up for deliveries, so it was an especially full night and one that required ingenuity, quick thinking, and teamwork– all strengths our midwives embody!
Two more babies were welcomed on Wednesday, just two minutes apart, and then on Thursday, one determined little lady made her debut on the road while en route to the maternity center. What a week!
2 precious little boys.
4 precious little girls.
6 strong mamas.
We are grateful to share that all moms and babies are home, healthy, and bonding well!
Moments like these keep a dream alive that we’ve carried for years: building a larger maternity center on the land we already own– a space that can serve more women, welcome more babies, and safely accommodate more deliveries. This week was a joyful and timely reminder of that vision.
We praise the Lord for His hand of protection over each of these lives, mothers and babies alike. We praise Him for new life and life abundant!
At the same time, we continue to trust Him for daily provision for the maternity center. Amazingly, we currently receive less than 50% of our monthly budget through regular giving– and yet the Lord, in His mercy, continues to sustain the ministry. We cannot always explain how it happens. It often feels like the loaves and fish– somehow what has been given stretches farther than it should, covering needs and carrying us through each month. His provision may not always look the way we expect, but it is always faithful!
As we celebrate this six precious new lives, we also look ahead as we continue to pray for additional partners to help close this monthly gap. If you’re encouraged by what God is doing through the Sarobidy Maternity Center, would you prayerfully consider becoming a monthly partner or making a special gift? Every gift– large or small– becomes part of the Lord’s multiplying work, helping provide safe deliveries, essential supplies, and compassionate care for mothers and babies. Together we can continue strengthening this vital ministry and move closer to the dream of expanding our maternity center to serve even more families!
Join us on EPISTLE for continued updates!
Beginning last September, we started moving our regular updates to Epistle, a new platform made to increase engagement between missionaries and partners. So far, it’s been a great move– more people are reading our updates and responding. We would LOVE it if you joined us there as well!
Once you subscribe, you’ll get shorter, more frequent updates. You can also choose how often they arrive in your inbox: daily, weekly, or monthly.
Just TWO simple steps…
1. Subscribe here. https://jamie-alissa redislandrestoration.epistle.org/subscribe
2. Confirm your subscription via the email you receive (be sure to check your junk mail just in case it lands there!). This second step is essential.
There’s already new content waiting for you on Epistle that we haven’t shared in our newsletters yet, and we’d love for you to see it!
Thank you for being part of this journey with us. Your prayers, encouragement, and faithful support truly sustain both the ministry and our family, and we are deeply grateful. It is a gift to know that this work is not carried by us alone, but by a community the Lord has gathered from many places to care for students, mothers, and families in His name. As you pray for us, please know that we are also praying for you—that the Lord would bless you and keep you and that His face would shine upon you!
With love,
Alissa, Jamie, Isabella, Eliana and Gavin
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