Kingdom Impact…
The Far Reaching Impact of RVA…
This note of encouragement, written by the parents of one of our last dorm guys, speaks to the incredible ministry of Rift Valley Academy, not only to students, but to their families and ministries spread across Africa.
“Hi Alissa and Jamie! I just wanted to thank you for being such good dorm parents to E these past two years. I really appreciate how you’ve been so kind and gracious to him, being supportive of him, and taking good care of him when he was sick. Thank you for your investment in our kids through your time and energy. I don’t think we could still be on the mission field if it weren’t for people like you at RVA, taking good care of our kids. Our second son, D, is looking forward to being in your dorm when we return from home assignment in January. With many thanks!”
New Year, New Students…
We’re already into our 9th week of the new school year here at Rift Valley Academy. With this new school year, we’ve welcomed 10 new guys into the dorm with another 3 guys returning to campus in January to bring us up to 13 ninth grade boys. Add to that the 8 station guys, Gavin included, that join our dorm on a regular basis for dorm meetings, dinners, and events.
These young men are Ethiopian, South Korean, South African, Kenyan, Brazilian, Dutch, British, and American. Their families work in 7 countries across Africa…
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Mozambique
* Uganda
* Tanzania
* Comores
* Djibouti
Indoor soccer is a regular highlight…
First prank of the year– compliments of the 9th grade girls…
Anytime the wrestling mat is pulled out…
Friday Night Lights– Kickball edition…
Starting over with a new group of guys has felt a bit tricky this time around. It takes time to build new community, to build healthy dorm culture and trust. Part of the trickiness comes because we were quite close with the last group of dorm guys, and part of it because we experienced a traumatic event within the dorm at the end of last school year. But slowly, slowly, as a dorm, we’re getting there with every passing week and we’re so thankful!
Would you join with us in praying for our dorm and for us as we continue to get to know one another and walk with this group of young men? May our hearts be open, may conversations be sweet, may relationships be built, may the Lord move amongst us and in us.
In addition, would you stand with us in prayer for one of the dorm guys, J, whose father was recently diagnosed with cancer after they dropped him off at school. Walking with a young man who is away from his parents for the first time, while his parents are on a different continent and facing all that cancer entails, is a delicate situation. We are praying for healing for his father, comfort for the family, and wisdom for us as we navigate the complexities of this situation.
TCK Care Coordinator…
You may remember from our January newsletter that Alissa had recently taken on a new role at Rift Valley Academy as the TCK Care Coordinator. The majority of her role at that time involved reviewing RVA policies in relationship to current Third Culture Kid (TCK) research and best practices.
At the end of those six months, Alissa presented the research as well as her findings and recommendations to the RVA leadership– namely, to have a dedicated position and team on campus. A few weeks ago, Alissa was given the green light to pursue spearheading these efforts.
Like many international schools, Rift Valley Academy was established well over 100 years ago for missionary kids. And like many international schools around the world today, up until this point, RVA hasn’t had a dedicated position and team on campus to educate about, and address the needs of our “people group” — third culture kids and cross-cultural kids.
Alissa is excited as she develops this new-to-RVA position and team as we work towards an intentional, preventive, and multi-faceted approach to the long-term health and resilience of third culture kids and cross-cultural kids. This includes 1. staff education, 2. walking alongside staff families throughout their (and their kids’) transitions, 3. equipping and training dorm parents and teachers with practical tools that can be implemented in their specific settings, and 4. sharing resources with parents across Africa.
We know the Lord has a heart for missionary kids, third culture kids, and cross cultural kids– kids who sacrifice and experience a lot (both good and bad), while their parents serve across Africa and the world. We praise the Lord for opening these doors to start and develop this new aspect of care at Rift Valley Academy and we pray for His hand to guide and mold and multiply these efforts because of His great love for these kids and for His glory! Please pray with us!
Financial Update and Year-End Giving…
We’re grateful for so many of you that generously and sacrificially give so that we can continue to live and work in Kenya and Madagascar!
* Your vital partnership allows us to pour into the lives of third culture kids and cross-cultural kids at Rift Valley Academy– in the dorm, in the classroom (Jamie is teaching French!), on the soccer and rugby field, in Sunday School (pictured below), in mentoring relationships with students, in preaching on Sundays, in spearheading a new Third Culture Kid/Cross Cultural Kid Movement on campus and through the many teams we sit on: Dorm Parent Coaching, Preaching Team, Land and Launch Team, Student Wellness Leadership Team, and the Mental Wellness Accreditation Team. As RVA relies solely on missionary volunteers, your generous partnership allows us to do all this voluntary work as we invest into the lives of students, and as a result, missionary families across Africa.
* Your vital partnership allows Alissa to continue to oversee, as International Director, the large operations of the Sarobidy Maternity Center as the midwives walk with and care for pregnant women and babies through health education, laboratory testing, ultrasound services, prenatal, postpartum and newborn exams as well as the labor and delivery. In October alone, the midwives at the Sarobidy Maternity Center provided…
– 205 prenatal and postpartum/newborn exams
– 23 postpartum home visits
– 54 ultrasounds
– 7 safe deliveries
– 17 new women welcomed into the prenatal program
Your generous partnership is providing life saving care and making a difference for families in our city!
* Your vital partnership allows Jamie to cast vision for and direct the new work of Red Island Restoration as they rebuild the reforestation efforts, partner with local communities, collaborate with government agencies, and resume hiring men and women to protect, plant and care for the environment around them. In fact, Jamie is currently on the ground in Madagascar doing all this and more! Your generous partnership is offering a new glimmer of hope for a parched and weary land and for men, women and children that call this island nation their home.
Since the SOS email that we sent out in August 2023, several of you have either started partnering with us or have increased your monthly giving. Thank you, thank you, thank you! In the last few months, a few large donors have shifted their giving to other amazing ministries that they felt led to partner with– we are so thankful for their generosity over the years and thankful for their generosity to these new ministries. With that said, our support calculation dropped by an additional 10% with the loss of these donors.
As you consider your end-of-year giving and financial commitments for 2025, would you prayerfully consider joining our financial partnership team? For those who already generously partner with us, would you prayerfully consider increasing your regular giving by 10%? Every donation or increase, small or large, is vital to our family’s ability to stay in full time ministry in Kenya and Madagascar.
After being under-supported for nearly two years, we would love to be back at 100% funded. Would you consider partnering with us in one of the following breakdowns to help us get there?
5 partners @ $200/month
9 partners @ $100/month
10 partners @ $50/month
15 partners @ $25/month
** All donations are tax-deductible through our mission organization, WorldVenture. **
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 one-time 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.)
We’re thankful for the privilege it is to join in what the Lord is doing in the hearts and lives of many, in both Kenya and Madagascar. And we’re thankful for the privilege it is to partner with you in this Kingdom work!
With love,
Alissa, Jamie, Isabella, Eliana and Gavin
*** To view this newsletter in it’s original format, click here ***
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