Hope Taking Root… From Madagascar to Kenya
A Tiny Treasure and A Mighty Love…
Malagasy babies are often quite small at birth compared to those born in the developed world. At the Sarobidy Maternity Center, the average newborn weighs about 6.4 pounds, while in the United States, the average ranges from 7.0 – 7.6 pounds. Chronic maternal malnutrition plays a major role in these lower birthweights. While I haven’t seen official statistics for babies born elsewhere in Madagascar, I wonder if the average birthweight may be even lower, since at SMC we provide education on nutrition and supplement mothers with protein-rich foods.
When babies are born prematurely in Madagascar, their birthweights are, of course, even less. Just over a week ago, 22-year-old first-time mama, Mauricia, went into premature labor at 35 weeks. After our initial examination, the SMC midwives accompanied her to the government hospital so her baby could have the best possible support if additional medical care was needed. We praise God that, although baby Judith was small, she was strong!!!
As with every mother we serve, our midwives have provided postpartum home visits to Mauricia and her little girl. These visits ensure both mother and baby are healthy and healing well, that breastfeeding is going smoothly, and that ongoing education is provided– covering the early days of postpartum, danger signs, and, in Mauricia’s case, the importance of Kangaroo Care.
This simple, powerful practice of skin-to-skin contact, especially vital for premature and low-birthweight babies, has incredible benefits: greater physiologic stability for the newborn, enhanced bonding and attachment, and improved breastfeeding and brain development. Mauricia and baby have fully embraced Kangaroo Care, and we’re delighted to share that baby Judith is growing and gaining weight beautifully!
And just look at the pure love and devotion radiating from this young mama’s face as she gazes at her baby…
May this sweet image remind us all, ourselves included, of the Father’s deep, tender love for us!
Thank you for your continued prayers for the moms, babies, and staff of the Sarobidy Maternity Center! As the year quickly draws to a close, would you prayerfully consider an end-of-year gift to SMC?
While we don’t have enough regular monthly donors to fully sustain the center, your generous year-end gifts play a vital role in keeping our doors open and allowing us to continue providing compassionate, life-giving care to mothers and babies in our corner of Madagascar.
Celebrating Two Years of Restoration…
Red Island Restoration and Accelerated Restoration Collaborative have just marked their two-year anniversary, and what an incredible journey it has been!
Over the past two years, we’ve witnessed the rebirth of our forest restoration efforts through strong partnerships with our Malagasy leadership and local communities. Together, we’ve planted more than 1.5 million seedlings and propagules and created jobs for over 145 Malagasy team members, both part-time and full-time.
Thanks to the dedication of our Malagasy and international teams, large-scale forest restoration continues, natural ecosystems are being restored, and life-changing employment opportunities continue to grow. Every tree planted and every life empowered is an act of worship, honoring God and His creation and bringing hope to those living in extreme poverty.
To see a short video celebrating two years of restoration and impact, click here!
More of Him, Less of Us…
Imagine the scene: in the highlands of Kenya, overlooking the expanse of the great Rift Valley, sits a school for missionary kids that has stood for nearly 120 years. It’s the Sunday following Spiritual Emphasis Week.
The church is full, students from elementary through high school, staff, and parents fill the rows. An incredible sermon on the life of Moses is drawing to a close. The final truths echo through the room:
* God calls us to holiness.
* Yet we so often abandon our freedom in Christ for the slavery of our sins.
* God is both perfectly just and perfectly gracious.
* And He longs to be the object of our affection and attention.
The sanctuary is still. You could hear a pin drop. Hearts are stirred, thoughts are racing, emotions are raw.
Softly, a keyboard begins to play. The preacher, a beloved staff member and dorm parent, steps forward and invites anyone longing for freedom in Christ and a life of holiness to come.
“Depth in your relationship with Jesus isn’t about doing more,” he says gently, “but rather about doing less– less of our idols, less of our selfishness, less of ourselves. More of Him.”
And then it happens. Teenagers rise form their seats. They walk to the front and kneel on the steps. Broken, tearful, surrendered. Staff members– dorm parents, teachers, administration– more forward, surrounding them, laying hands on their shoulders, talking with them, whispering prayers, offering comfort.
Other staff remain in their seats or standing, arms outstretched, worshipping, praying, singing softly. The room fills with holy reverence, a tangible sense of God’s presence and grace.
Seeing teen hearts kneel in surrender and tears of devotion fall is a powerful reminder of God’s work in our midst. Please join us in praying for these young lives and the staff who help to shepherd them, that each of us may continue to grow in freedom, faith, and love for Christ. Our prayer is the same for each of you!
Ministry Video…
Your prayers and support make stories like these possible– please take a moment to see the impact of your partnership in this short ministry video!
In addition, we’d love it if you shared our ministry video with your friends, family, and church community to help spread the word about what God is doing in East Africa!
As mentioned at the end of our ministry video, we remain stubbornly underfunded and the need is becoming increasingly worrisome and urgent. We would be deeply grateful if you prayerfully considered joining our monthly partnership team. Every gift– whether $25, $50, or $100– makes a real difference in sustaining these life-changing ministries for moms, babies, students, and families!
To make a tax-deductible gift, click here to be directed to our sending agency, WorldVenture.
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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 (be sure to check your junk mail just in case it lands there!).
In fact, there’s already new content waiting for you on Epistle and we’d love for you to check it out and stay connected!
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 of His restoration and grace.
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Each prayer, message, and gift is a reminder that we’re not in this work alone. Thank you for being part of what God is doing– restoring lives, renewing creation, nurturing students and reflecting Christ’s love.
With thankful hearts,
Jamie, Alissa, Isabella, Eliana and Gavin
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