Nicaragua - My Story

One of the things the team did to help them build relationships and share their God story was to create a My Story booklet with pictures of their life. They have already been able to use them to share their story with new friends in Nicaragua. The church in La Esmeralda has a strong team of young leaders who are connecting with our team of young leaders to encourage and challenge each other. The Nicaragua team surprised our group by creating their own My Story books to share and had them translated into English.

Life for the Nicaragua Team

The church people built stairs leading to the Morena House to make it easier for the team to haul supplies up the hill.

Meals are prepared in the clinic kitchen and served in the pavilion on the clinic grounds. Even eating is an adventure!

Preparing for activities:

The bus ride up the mountain and to neighboring communities for outreach events is always an adventure!

La Esmerald is in a cloud forest for the team is learning to live with the jungle creatures.

Thankful for the doc when we need to have something checked out!

Nicaragua - Outdoor Fun

Safari

The medical team took some much needed rest and recoup while on safari Monday and returned today. It was a nice opportunity to reflect, process and enjoy the beautiful Tsavo national park. During our closing meeting last night, everyone shared their thankfulness and spiritual growth that has taken place over the past week and a half. It was an encouraging time, and I hope that you will take the opportunity to ask them about their personal journeys.

I am so grateful for these hardworking dedicated people who said yes to God and came to serve in Kenya on this medical trip. I am grateful for all of their time and effort, I know it has been a long and difficult week. Thanks for your service, thanks for your teamwork, and thanks for the love that you have freely given this week.

Nicaragua - Day 2

The first night on the mountain went well for the team. Today began with a water shortage, but that was soon remedied by our beloved friend Don Hugo. The morning activity was a VBS at the grade school near the church in La Esmeralda. They brought the children to the church for the activities. There were 75-100 children from age 4 to grade 5. The event went well and was a good first run at what will be repeated in several other schools in the area over the next few days. They have prepared a Bible lesson, a craft and outside activities for the children.

After lunch the group prepared for field games in the late afternoon. There is a field about a 10 minute walk from the clinic that is used for the sports program that Fox River supports in the community. On Mondays they play field games before the soccer teams practice. The team planned the games for today.

The rain fell as they walked to the field. They pushed through during periods of rain and had great fun with the students that came. When it was time for the soccer teams to practice the girls returned to the Morena House to shower while the guys stayed to play with the teams. All in all, they enjoyed the time!

The Morena House is a large house next to the clinic that is leased by the government to be used from time to time when officials are working in the community. They have agreed to allow us to use it to house our teams. It has large rooms to form a girls dorm and a guys dorm. Meals are eaten under the pavilion at the clinic because the meals are all prepared in the kitchen at the clinic.

Just one was a bit under the weather today, but seems to be doing fine after an afternoon nap. The report is that the team is doing great! They are working well together and enjoying serving together.

I hope to have pictures to share with you tomorrow. Thank you for praying!!

Denise

Nicaragua Team in La Esmeralda

I received a message from the team. They made it safely up the mountain in time for the morning service. In the afternoon they were preparing for the week's activities and then back to church for another service this evening. Tomorrow they begin with their first vacation bible school program in the public schools in the area.

Communication from the mountain is very hard, but we plan to find a way to connect each day. I will post what I hear and share pictures if someone can get to a place with wifi to send them.

Thank you for praying for this team of young adults as they grow the relationship between Fox River and La Esmeralda. Please pray for health, safety, good weather, good spirits and the ability to overcome the language barrier in order to share the love of God.

Clinics over, reflecting time

A word from Jen:How can one put into words a moment or time that stands out during this week. How can I pick just one when I have been so blessed with so many moments that have taken my breath away. The kids, men and women of Kenya have brought such joy to my life through their love, song and prayer. I knew I would change as a person but I never knew the depth of change that would occur in my soul. I am forever thankful that God chose this path for me...

Jen's baptism:

A word from Chris: We are now finished with the medical clinics, and I have to say what an experience. I was in charge of keeping track of the numbers. We saw well over 3,000 people in the medical clinics. A few of my favorite memories are getting to play with the kids, getting to hand out the shoes, and getting to see God's work happen up close. This has truly been a wonderful experience and I would love to get the opportunity to come back some day.

A word from Jane (one of our beloved translators): I just completed my third year helping out in the medical missions. Every year the Fox River Medical Team comes over is a life changing experience for me. Watching them minister openly without qualms but with love, joy and zeal to my people is just amazing. People come over seeking cure and wisdom from the doctors. It is not easy but daily I experience the grace of God working through them and us. My people get treated and go home happy while the team gets blessed and learns more about us, medicine, and the ways of the culture. Never ceases to amaze me, the giving culture of the Medical USA Team and Kenyan Team. Hearts are changed, illnesses are touched too. Mostly life is never the same after each medical team leaves. God Bless you Fox River Christian Church!

Nicaragua: Up The Mountain We Go!

We are clean, fead and ready for the adventure up the mountain!

Nicaragua: God is Good!

We were very blessed today with God's traveling mercy! We made all of our flights, all of our bags arrived, customs didn't give us a hard time, we made it to the hotel safe, and just had a hot meal! God has been good to us today! The team is growing closer as they spent the day traveling together, please pray that God will help us continue to grow closer together so we can serve Him at our full potential!I have to say the team is all in bed after the long day of traveling. Tomorrow is another early start at 6:30am, we will be heading up the rest of the way and settling in to the mountain side for the week! I'm so excited as we are almost there and our partners there have sent word on the buzz and excitement that is in the community about us coming. Please join us in praying for a safe journey!

Perani & Tumaini clinic day

Today we split the team up and headed to 2 schools, overseen by missionary Jim Horne. We split the medications and supplies up as well. At Perani they saw 302 people and dental saw over 125. In Perani we tend to see more patients but we were told that there were 2 funerals in the area so we would not see as many adult patients. This held true. At Tumaini, we tended to 320 people. Many doses of Albendazole were administered, and many vitamins were given out. For those two things, I am most grateful to be able to provide. It was a shorter day, packing up at 4:00 and heading back to reach Mombasa by dark.
We love Dr. Beverly!

And another very important mission, providing shoes to those who do not have them. Some very sad conditions are due to lack of shoes.

A word from Amy:
I am so enjoying learning from all the Kenyans. Each day has been a blessing, but one moment that I will hold onto is when a mom brought her baby with a piece of cloth wrapped around his little wrist with a stone or "charm" on it. It was from the witchdoctor and said to protect him. Clinton was sick and in need of medicine but mom was leary about allowing me to cut off this fabric. Another team member had one of Fox River's Hope, Love and Faith bracelets on and allowed me to give it to mom (Asha) and baby, introducing Jesus to her and allowing Upendo, Tumaini & Imani to take the place of this charm.

A word from Katie:
Jer. 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I am especially glad that God already had a set plan for me on this trip. Although I really didn't know what to expect, I had a picture painted in my head for what the trip would look like and specifically my role as a pharmacist. When we began to set up the first day that picture went out the window and organized chaos commenced. I have learned so much about how to operate with just the basics, new names for drugs, and new dosing for different health conditions. God has stretched me in so many ways and for that I am grateful. My heart would rather be loving on the little children all day, I am glad God called me to use my talents to help run the pharmacy and to be able to make life as easy as possible during the day for all of the clinical officers, nurses & doctors.

I would like to add that Katie was a huge blessing to this mission. She worked with a smile on her face during the most demanding times. She was so patient, kind and flexible (the most important of all - flexible) and was the perfect person we needed to run the pharmacy. Her knowledge and dedication was so valuable, and her ability to make adjustments where needed. I am grateful for her and her husband Chris (master statistics recorder)!