Place & Space

We arrived yesterday around 12pm!  Just a couple luggage hiccups, but we made it and have reunited with our people!  

A huge prayer request...

Something was taken from us at customs and it is a very important item that we would like back.  Would you pray BIG with us that we can get the proper paper work and custom officers will give it back to us with no other issues?   

This trip is quite different than most.  This year we wanted to do something special for Pastor Denis and Karen.  We wanted to give them the place and space to rest, be refreshed, and encouraged!  That required a bit of spoiling!  Something we feel honored to do for them and with them.  

• Place: We have started our trip on the coast of Nicaragua at a beautiful resort.

• Space: There are no plans, other than to enjoy the beauty around us and each other’s company!

This time is very purposed and planned specifically for Pastor Denis and his family!  God has told us to come to Him when we are weary and promises to give us rest.   This is just that... A time that God has provided for this family to rest and our prayer is that they can walk away from this refreshed and encouraged by the time away, but more importantly by the Holy Spirit!  

We have spent the last day and a half swimming, playing at the beach, playing mini golf, and enjoying the time with each other!  

Tomorrow we will head up to La Esmeralda and spend a few days there!  We are excited to see more of our people!  

Long Awaited Trip

This week we are headed back to Nicaragua!!

You can count us on one hand, but we know for certain God placed the four of us on this team for a reason and we cannot wait to see what He has planned for us! Pastor Rob, Stephen, Abbey, and Kerri will head out Tuesday morning to spend time with our partners in La Esmeralda! A small team of veterans to be the feet on the ground for Fox River this summer.

This trip is long awaited after having to cancel last summer due to the state of the country at that time. We look forward to reconnecting with our partners, checking in, and encouraging the clinic and ministries! This week our plan is to encourage Pastor Denis, Karen and their team and we couldn’t be more excited!

We are confident that God has mighty plans for this next week and purposed each one of us for this trip. We have a great team of Nicas/Missionaries waiting and working for us on the other side and we look forward to the reunion we will have at the airport and then again when we arrive in La Esmeralda!

Will you pray for us as we go…

• Safety

• Health

• Energy

• Travel

• Growth

• Wisdom

Follow along this week on the Blog, FaceBook, and Instagram!

2018 Class Reunion

Life is very dynamic and amazing at the same time. All that one needs is opportunity and encouragement for you to see them thrive in their best selves. 

I had the opportunity of hanging out with the freshman class from both of our sponsored elementary schools who recently joined high school at Valerye McMillan and some other schools in different parts of the country.

When I met these young people, it was amazing to see the kind of individuals they have become. Most of whom I knew to be shy, not very articulate and vocal, came back with a different kind of ‘swagger.’  I mean attitude. The level of confidence and pride they had was just amazing.

They had opportunity to share with the current candidate class about their high school experiences. The sparkle in their eyes and excitement in their voices explain the joy they had in meeting new friends and having new life experiences away from home where they grew up. 

From the stories of their new school with the facilities and the kind of subjects they deal with, you could see they loved being in high school and are hopeful of succeeding in life.

As for the candidate class, you could see the desire to be part of this excitement and the experience of being in high school. I hearby request that we keep praying for our students, both in elementary and high school, that the joy and zeal to learn for the purpose of changing their communities may increase even as things get hard and confusing as they grow up. 

Count Your blessings

​We are back into the second semester of school here in kenya and we are happy to also have the rainy season with us. This season comes with loads of things from cool weather, water for farming and sicknesses and hazards due to poor infrastructure. 

our new normal weather from the heat and humidity.

We are grateful for all things and we count it a blessing. One of our high school student, Lenox, was involved in a road accident while coming from a funeral of a relative and unfortunately broke his arm and leg. God has been faithful for he is in hospital and is getting treatment and is slowly improving. let’s keep praying for him for a speedy recovery so that he gets back to school.

Lenox Daniel sophomore student at the high school. 

As we count the blessings we were able to celebrate 8 years of existence of the High School here at Vallary McMillan. We had a great day which started with fasting and prayer for the better part of the morning followed by a meal and fun activities. 

Student gathered in the chapel for prayer.

Principal Eve enjoying a bite of the goodness of the celebration cake 

One of the key prayer points was prayer for these coming months that we will be having our partners in ministry coming to visit and get to do life with us for a few days. We trust God will enable each one who has purposed to come. We pray other lady may be involved in seeing what God is doing in our lives through your partnership in his Kingdom. 

Teacher doing a song in celebration of Gods goodness. 

Mattresses for Kids

Many children in rural villages in Kenya sleep on the dirt floor of their home. Families struggle to survive. Beds with mattresses are a luxury.

Dirt floors are often responsible for up to 80 percent of diseases. The parasites and bacteria that live in the soil can be contagious by either absorption or a simple contact. During the month of May, Fox River is partnering with local churches in Kenya to provide mattresses for children who would otherwise be sleeping on the dirt floor. These mattresses will offer comfort and create a barrier from the parasites and bacteria of the soil.

A $20 donation will purchase a mattress and help send the team to deliver them.

Will you join us?

Click here to donate and supply mattresses to Kenyan children.

Team Building

There is an African proverb that says: If you want to go quickly, walk alone - if you want to go far, walk with others.

New Life academy teaching staff.  

Crossroads academy teaching staff.

During the term break the teachers from Vipingo and Bomani had a great opportunity of building unity and team work as we set the tone for the year.

Plenary Session  

We had an opportunity to go and spend some time playing games and learning together as we reignite the vision and purpose of why we do what we do ...

Together we get work done faster and smarter. 

Our schools create so much more than a chance for primarily unprivileged families to give their loved children a great education ... but also a chance to know who Jesus is. And how people who follow Him act and live their lives. When we build ourselves as a team we enhance our output and rediscovered our different strengths and weaknesses and see how best to put them to use for the glory of Christ.

Nothing beats unity of purpose and prayer. 

Schools are back in session for 6 weeks before we close the first term - may these weeks bear much fruit.

Still in action

We know we have been pretty quiet on the Nicaragua front here in the blog lately, so let us change that today…

Quick overview :  2018 was a hard year for Nicaragua.  Loss of life, jobs, trust, hope, stability, safety… and those are just simple words that don’t do justice to the state of their country.    You can check out our blog from earlier this year if you want to know more.

Let us share what we can…

As much as we would like to tell you everything is good again and things have returned to normal that will not be the case.   A new normal (for now) is where they are.  At any moment things could go any direction.  There is still darkness in this country that is trying to win.  Never knowing what to tomorrow will bring is a scary place to live. 

Just this week the Government starting having dialog again.  Trying to come to some resolution.  This time of dialog is so important, but it comes with great intensity throughout the country as people wait to hear what is happening behind those doors.  Will there be resolution?  Will there be apologies?  Will there be more destruction?  Will trust be formed again?  So many questions and fear of what lies ahead for their home.

Pray with us for this time of dialog.  Pray that conversations are had and people are heard.  Most importantly that God will move in the hearts of the people in this dialog.  We know and believe that God alone can completely shift and change the nations!

Now more than ever people are searching for healing and hope in this place.  Now more than ever the news about Jesus and what He has done for us needs to be shared. 

The ministries throughout Nicaragua have stood and faced the ugly.   We hear day after day about the life change happening throughout Nicaragua and are so grateful we get to have a glimpse of how God is changing lives in the midst of this chaos.

The clinic and church in La Esmeralda has done the same.  Although facing the hard times and changes that come along with that they are still being a great light in their communities.   Countless patients have continued to be seen at the clinic and many people through the church, clinic, sports ministry have come to know who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for them.   This is possible because of your partnership through Fox River.   People are finding the source of true hope and healing in the midst of the darkest points of their lives.

Today, is another day that we can say ‘Yes and Amen’ as we fiercely pray for our friends, family and their home. 

We are praying healing over Nicaragua!!! Pray with us!

As always, thanks for following along as we do our best to follow God into the world as he has called us!   We appreciate you!

Mid Term

After 7 weeks of soaking up new knowledge and having fun with friends - it’s time to take a one week compulsory break!

Heading out to the village in Bomani 

The Ministry of Education sets rules and regulations (alongside the new curriculum) that makes it mandatory for children to get time out and then get back to books.

Switching classes the high school way. 

We ended the term very well in our two elementary schools and High School - we really thank God for that.

Pahe enjoying some story books  

Brains at work in the high school lab

For the High School, It’s been great and heart filling to see new students who have integrated so well. You can’t tell them apart now that they are all wearing the same uniform. We are one!

New kids on the block

Who knew this guy is new  

As you pray, remember our students as they come back for six more weeks of the remaining first term of school. Pray for the teachers to keep up with the great work and the energy and innovation that teaching requires. As for the students, pray for a teachable spirit and clarity of mind to grasp all that they will learn, and open hearts towards the Lords call to salvation.

Goats and Chickens - an update

Flashback to the spring of 2016 when the Fox River family was invited to "Show Love" and give in new ways by blessing our Kenya family with goats and chickens. I loved this idea and allowed for it to snowball a bit. I gathered donations from family, friends outside of Fox River and my classroom in kids' ministry to be able to broaden the blessing. Ultimately, we had enough to purchase 10 goats and 20 chickens. How fun is that?!?  To make it more personal, I purchased dog collars and made name tags for the goats.

The two children we sponsor received Bunco Billy and Henrietta. Imagine my joy when a letter the following year let me know that Bunco Billy had a kid who was named Paul (after the one and only from the Bible!) Fast forward to this January when I was able to see Bunco Billy's newly born second kid, Silas. Seeing the literal harvest of seeds planted years ago was amazing. My mind and heart continue to swirl with the lessons learned on sowing and reaping that is talked about so much in the Bible. 

Bunco Billy with baby Silas

Besides seeing the goats, there was the flurry of fuzzy little chicks scurrying after their mamas.  Walking through the villages, the abundance of this blessing was crystal clear. From eggs to babies growing up to have more babies, God's ability to take what we offer and exponentially expand what we give was mind blowing. I had been guilty in the past of underestimating the impact my giving through "My Gift for Jesus" had on the lives of not only the children I support but also their families. When I had the opportunity to visit Pahe's home, they had prepared a special lunch in honor of my visit. This included chicken which they had specifically sacrificed out of thanks for what I am able to do for their family through my $25 each month. I was overwhelmed by their generosity in light of their daily struggle to provide for their family and have enough to eat for themselves. I was challenged to consider if I ever give to that extent and was so grateful for their example.  

God continues to work in my heart upon my return. I will continue to pray that He will show me ways to pray, live and give in new ways. What might He be calling you to do? Imagine the possibilities if you say "yes" to Him!!

Meet Paul!

I wish you could have heard her laughter as she tried to get a goat to pose for a picture!!

The Journey Home

Final thoughts from JoAnn:

How is it that our time in Kenya is already over? I anticipated this trip for months and couldn't begin to imagine all it might hold. My time in Kenya, with people that I'd never met, exceeded every expectation I might have held. From the moment I stepped foot in the place I had only dreamed of visiting someday, I felt welcomed and at home. I was warmly greeted by the adults and clamored all over by children whose gigantic smiles and big brown eyes were dwarfed by their gigantic hearts and appreciation for their opportunity to have a school to attend. 

Meeting Pahe for the first time.

Oh how I loved spending time with Pahe and Fredrick as well as the throngs of other children! What a joy it was to expand the graduates' world by our time at the mall and see the wonder in their eyes as they rode elevators and escalators for the first time, walked through a toy store discussing how it would take several months of their family income to purchase various things that we find so commonplace and opening up a world of possibilities for jobs they could hold in the future. My appreciation for the multitude of blessings in my own life grew exponentially. 

Prior to leaving for my trip, I quelled any anxiousness by reminding myself that God would see and care for me just as well in Kenya as He does in Waukesha. I saw Him at work in more ways than I can count over the past 11 days. He was present in private conversations and prayer, in our travels on crowded Kenyan roads, in time spent sorting through beans with other moms who are trying to care for their children as well as any other mamma and in laughter and fun with the children. As I pondered all I had seen and experienced, looking out of the window on the return flight, the world somehow felt bigger and yet smaller at the same time. 

We really are all the same - no matter what end of the globe we call home. I would challenge all of us to take the little slice of life we are given and to make the most of the opportunity to make this world a better place, whatever that may look like for you. I already miss the faces of all those I met as well as the rest of our team. Though I left a chunk of my heart in Kenya, it was also filled to bursting in ways I never dreamed of. I pray that God will continue His amazing work at the schools your generosity supports and, God willing, I will return one day. 

Sorting beans and learning Swahili with the kitchen staff.

Mamas and babies in the rescue center.

Kids in the community at Bomani

Praying with a sweet high school girl.

The flight home