Meet our Missionary Partners in Nicaragua

Introductions

Brian and Rachel Weed started Familia Avance Nicaragua in March of 2002 and have raised their three daughters Karly, Abi, and Brynna while doing the ministry God called them to.   

The Weed Family

Donna Woodson joined the Weeds in Nicaragua in Janruary of 2004 and has been serving along side the Weeds for 12 years.    

Donna Woodson

Familia Advance Nicargua

Familia Advance Nicargua began as a church planting ministry and kicked off in May of 2003 with their first plant in the city of Managua. Since then they have planted 9 churches across the country of Nicaragua.  Now Familia Avance Nicaragua has expanded beyond church planting to feeding centers, sports outreach programs, teen outreach programs, Rancho Nicaragua (a working farm which is being developed into a camp/retreat center), a Christian school (classes will start in 2017), seminary, and a medical clinic.  Their ministry continues to grow as they follow the direction in which God is leading.  

Churches Planted in Nicaragua

Partnership with Fox River

In 2004 the mission started a church in the very remote community of La Esmeralda.  In the spring of 2009 Pastor Guy along with some others took a survey trip to Nicaragua and met up with Brian where they were extremely convinced through God's promptings that Fox River was to partner in starting the medical clinic in La Esmeralda.  We broke ground for the medical clinic in the fall of that same year.  The medical clinic opened its doors in June of 2011, since the doors opened it has impacted the lives of over 32,000 people that did not have the medical care necessary.  Not only has it impacted their physical lives but also their spiritual well-being as the medical clinic partners with the church, each person who visits the clinic receives the gospel message before being treated.  Fox River also partners with the church in their sports outreach program which gives opportunity to reach even more people of that same community.  We are so excited to watch God continue to work and grow these ministries.  What a blessing to be a small part in God's grand plan of reaching the nations!

Clinic in La Esmeralda, Nicaragua

Stephanie's Story

In 2009 I started attending Fox River Christian Church. That first Christmas season is when I learned about “My Gift for Jesus.” I always wanted to sponsor a child, but never really acted on it. I dabbled with giving and then made the decision during the Christmas of 2014 that I needed to be serious about this. I decided that our family would sponsor 2 children as we have 2 children at home.  I selected a little boy and a girl.

Kiligesho

Rukia

I was so happy when I learned that I could be connected with them via Fox River's on-line database and could write letters to them.  Early in 2015 I began writing Kiligesho and Rukia. Kiligesho is still quite young so when I got his response it was written by the teacher and very special. Rukia is older, in 7th grade, so she was able to respond herself. I cannot describe the joy I felt getting a response from her and knowing just how much my contributions mean to her.

In July of 2015 I had the privilege of traveling to Kenya with our High School Ministry team. On our first day visiting the schools I was able to meet Rukia and she immediately embraced me. I knew it was her by that beautiful smile! Over the course of our stay there I was able to spend quite a bit of time with her by my side. We had conversations about what life was like before and after coming to our school. Rukia lives in one of the more rough villages and life is very hard for her there. Before coming to Crossroads Academy she didn’t eat well at all and said she felt there was no hope for her life. Her parents do not make very much money and so her neighbors often pay to send her by bus or taxi to school. If they can not afford to send her on any day then she can’t come.

Stephanie and Rukia meet for the first time in Kenya.

Many of the children that come into the schools there are very malnourished to the point that their hair is actually falling out in clumps.

What our church does for the children of Kenya is so very special. While not every one of you will be able to meet the child in the picture that you choose, know that you are helping to change their future in a huge way.  Without our help, they would not have an excellent education. Without our help, many of them would starve to death. Without our help, many of them would never know the love of Jesus Christ and be able to enter into an eternal relationship with our Savior!

I can not express the gratitude that I have for each person who gives as I was able to see first hand what an amazing impact this has on their lives.

This is a sample of the love I have received from Rukia in a letter:

This year we are planning to sponsor 3 children and I hope to meet them all.

Blessings to you all!!!

Stephanie

Jim & Susie Horne - Partner Missionaries in Kenya

Last weekend Jim and Susie Horne were with us at Fox River. They have been missionaries in Kenya for 40 years and our partners for 9 years. We have several projects in Kenya under Jim's leadership: a school with 370 children, nutrition center, pastor's institute and a rescue center for orphans.

You can catch a glimpse of all of their ministries in Kenya through this video.

Along with the many mission works up and down the coast, Jim pastors a large contemporary church in the Mombasa area called Crossroads Fellowship. Susie uses her music and leadership skills to lead the worship team at church.

Pastor Jim Horne leading worship at Crossroads Fellowship in Nyali, Kenya.

Susie Horne, Pastor Jim's wife, playing the keyboard and singing in worship at Crossroads Fellowship.

Jim and Susie have 3 married children and 5 grandchildren that are spread out in 2 states in the United States and South Africa. Every few years they all gather for Christmas. This year they gather in Georgia for a long anticipated family Christmas with all of them together.

If you missed Jim's inspiring message, "Hope for the World," be sure to catch it here:

Hope For The World from Fox River Christian Church on Vimeo.

November 29th, 2015 - Pastor Jim Horne stops for a visit to teach us one of the many lessons he has learned in his travels across the world. Jim teaches us the message that we are the "hope for the world" and how God's plans for us will help spread his love to others.

Where does the money go?

It's a safe bet that you've heard about the International Missions that Fox River supports in Kenya and Nicaragua (especially considering the fact that you're reading our blog). 

You may have heard about Fox River Missions in a weekend service at Christmas time when we talk about My Gift for Jesus. Perhaps you've had a friend go on a missions trip and you followed their journey on this very blog. Maybe you're even considering partnering with us by financially supporting the missions.

But have you ever wondered, "Where does the money go? What does Fox River actually do in Kenya and Nicaragua?"

Glad you asked.

Nicaragua

• Partner with churches in La Esmeralda to bring the love of Jesus to their community
• Build and staff a medical clinic that sees about 10,000 patient visits per year
• Created and organize a sports program to reach youth in La Esmeralda and surrounding communities

Kenya

• Partner with churches in Vipingo and Bomani, two villages north of Mombasa, to bring the love of Jesus to their people
• Build and staff two K-8 schools that provide an excellent education
• Serve two meals each day to students on school days 
• Provide basic medical care for students age 3 through grade 8
• Bring free clean water offered to the communities surrounding the schools
• Offer literacy classes to adults in the villages 
• Fund a farm project to provide milk to the school children

God is certainly at work in Nicaragua and Kenya and we are excited to be a part of what He's doing there. Whether you are praying with us for the people we serve or are ready to join us in financially supporting these missions, you are touching lives around the world and serving Jesus himself as He said:

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

— Matthew 25:40

Safari

We have had an amazing opportunity the past 2 days (Sunday and Monday), to go on Safari.  It was such an incredible experience to see God's glory all over nature together as a team.  We saw 10 lions, and some even came within 10 feet of our Safari vans. We were told that is an incredibly rare opportunity! It was indescribable, to say the least! 

Abby B.  

Hey everybody! The past two days we were on Safari in Tsavo East National Park. It was pretty amazing. We were up before the sun on Sunday just so we could leave on time. During the first game drive we saw three lions, which I'm told is pretty uncommon. It was impossible not to see God in the beauty surrounding us. The mountains, rocks, trees, everything. Sunday night we had a mini worship session and bonfire. While we were singing I started crying just realizing how present God was in this place. It was nice to have a couple days of relaxing, but I kept wishing that I was back in the schools.  How anyone would ever want to leave this place I have no idea, but I can only pray that God allows me to come back.

Bill:  

“haiku wa safari”

 red soil on white skin

for Him, all was made by Him

praising with creation

Tomorrow we start our long trek home. We will start the day off with 2 more baptisms (buyah), and then we will be heading off to The Horne’s home (local missionaries here in Kenya), to debrief as a team and have pizza.

 Please pray for our team as we start the journey home, and try to acclimate to life back at home.

 Thank you so much for following our God adventure with us!

 We love you!

 Ashlyn 

Youth Outreach

Jambo from Kenya! 

We had a great day here in Kenya! We started the day off with 4 sweet girls getting baptized in the Indian Ocean this morning. Abby W., Cameron, Charissa, and Alyssa proclaimed to the world that they were followers of Jesus Christ, and they wanted everyone to know. 

It was absolutely beautiful, and you can check out pictures of the baptisms on our Facebook page! 

After baptisms, we all got ready to head to Butterfly Park for a Youth Outreach with Crossroads Fellowship Church. They invited all the youth in the area to join us for a nature walk, that had challenges along the way.  They all divided into teams, and hit the trail. They were able to compete in challenges along the way, and they were scored based on their time. After that, Pastor Bill gave  a challenge to all the teens, and we ate pizza and talked with one another.  It is so great to get to see the team interacting with other people their age, from an entirely different culture. 

We had about 150 students join us, and after Bill gave a challenge, 6 gave their life to Christ. God was glorified in this event! Please be praying for the 6 students that gave their life to Christ, that the Holy Spirit would strengthen them, in the beginning of their walk. 

We leave for Safari at 6:30 AM tomorrow morning, so you won't hear from us tomorrow! Please be praying for safe travels!

Thanks for praying!

Ashlyn  

Fort Jesus : Class 8 Field Trip

Today was a busy day, filled with relationship building! 

We started the day off at Fort Jesus with Class 8, from both Vipingo and Bomani schools. Fort Jesus is a Military Fort, turned prison, turned museum. We broke into groups, Americans and Kenyans and took tours together. It was fun to get to walk around with the students and learn more about their lives. It was also amazing to get to experience more of their culture with them, and learn alongside of them. It is a place filled with Kenyan history and culture. 

On the way home Pastor Guy brought us the most amazing homemade potato chips any of us have ever had. It was a wonderful treat! 

We then headed off to Crossroads Fellowship to help get ready for outreach night. We swept, set up chairs, hung lights and got the stage ready. We were so thankful  to work alongside their youth and team, to get the church ready for this event. 

We jetted off to the hotel for quick showers, and back to Crossroads Fellowship for Youth Outreach, Talent Night. There were many amazing Kenyan and American talents that we got to watch, and O'Neal gave an amazing challenge to the group that had gathered there. We had authentic  Swahili food for dinner, it was so delicious! 

Pray for our team as many are still feeling ill. 

Tomorrow we have another community outreach at Butterfly Park. Please pray that we can share the love of Jesus with the youth that God brings there with us! 

Thank you for praying! 

We love you! 

Ashlyn 

Mud Hut

Today we had the great opportunity to build a mud hut in Vipingo! We were able to bless and pray for the future family that will be living there! Please pray for Joseph and his future wife and family!  

We also had to say goodbye to the sweet friends we had made in Vipingo today. It was a very hard day for everyone on the team. Please pray for the friendships that have been made and that they would continue in the future. 

 Charissa:

Today we went to Vipingo and built a mud house. The frame and most of the roof was finished before we got there. As we were slapping the mud on, I met a girl named Louisa. When we were building the walls, Louisa was singing a gospel song. I though it was awesome that she was praising God, even in her situation. We were covered in mud as we walked back to the school. After I cleaned up, I had a chance to see my friend Zuena one last time. She had been by my side everyday that I was there. Saying goodbye was heart-wrenching. When I got on the bus I was tearing up and I figured since I was already emotional that I should open the letters I got from the kids. By the time I was done with the first letter I couldn't see the page because my eyes were filled with tears. Overall it was an emotional day. 

Miranda: 

 So today was really good, but really bad. We got to help a family by building their house for them. It was really fun and exciting. We got to stomp in the mud and then smash it on the walls it was a very good experience. The bad part of today was that we had to say goodbye to the kids in Vipingo, it was a very emotional time because both of my girls ran to me while I was on the bus and grabbed my hand and kissed it it was so sad. I will miss them forever.

 Brooke:

It was a happy/ sad day. This morning we went to Joseph Mallo's home and helped him build a mud hut. Which was a ton of fun by getting muddy, giving a family the blessing of praying for them. We finished the mud part but we didn't do the roof part. The second part of the day was sad because we had to say goodbye to our little friends at Vipingo.  Everyone on the bus was wiping their eyes because they were crying, so much. I am hoping to see those kids again. After we got back from the hotel we all relaxed, it was so nice because we have had crazy days so far. Most of us played volleyball, went swimming in the pool and swimming in the Indian Ocean. I hope tomorrow we will have a good day, and that God will teach us a lot tomorrow. 

Tomorrow we take Class 8 to Fort Jesus and participate in the Crossroads Fellowship Youth Outreach night! Please be praying that God be glorified!  

God is moving in big ways here in Kenya in our team, thank you for praying!  

The team members that hadn't been feeling well, are now much better!  

Ashlyn  

Bomani VBS Day

Today we were able to do VBS in Bomani, with Class 7 as our helpers.  God is going to do big things through those students. Please be praying for them! After VBS we were able to help serve the kiddos their lunch, and hang out with them for a bit. The teachers and staff of the Bomani School presented us with beautiful gifts. They are so loving, and giving, their generosity continues to amaze us, all the time. We were then given the opportunity to visit some Class 7 student’s homes, in groups.  It was such a blessing for us to be able to pray with families in the villages, and hear about how our schools and feeding centers have changed their life paths forever. We then had to say goodbye to all of the friends that we have made in Bomani, and quite a few of us had a hard time with that.  Please be praying for the bonds that have been formed in the name of Jesus, and that we would continue to think and pray for them as we go about our lives.

Magen:

Today we had our last day in Bomlani. We did VBS today, Alyssa and I got to spend our day with the baby class. We had a lot of fun seeing the joy in the kid’s faces from the smallest things in life. I think it was impactful to see how carefree and happy children can be because they don't know any better, or see any bad in the world, they're simply carefree and happy. Along with VBS we got to visit homes in the surrounding villages. My group went through the village and handed out dresses to little girls as we visited. Multiple times while handing out dresses the children would look at us in awe, like they couldn't believe something this incredible was really being given to them. To me it didn't seem like it would be a big deal however I could clearly see in the little girls faces. This would change their view on life, and that the moment and the joy they felt would stay with them for a long time.

Elena:

My day was so amazing.  I loved being able to just teaching the kids about the bracelets we made. I love how the kids are so interested in my photo book and learning about my friends and family. I am so blessed that I have been able to see all three of my family’s sponsor children, and I have loved it! I am really excited about the work that God is doing in my life, here in Kenya.  I am having a blast!  

Please be praying for us as we have some teammates that are battling illness, pray for a safe and speedy recovery.  Also please pray that everyone else is able to escape any illness.  

Tomorrow our team gets the opportunity to build a mud hut in the community of Vipingo.  Please be praying for the family that will make their residence there.  Please also be praying for the team as we have to say goodbye to the people that we have come to know and love at the Vipingo School.

Ashlyn

Vipingo VBS Day

We were able to have another great day in Vipingo today with the students.  We started the day off bright and early, meeting with all of the students and getting them name visors. They looked very smart in those visors, I will tell you! We then dispersed into our groups and had fun doing VBS with all the different classes.  It was fun for me to get to watch the students interact with the children, and have fun while sharing the love of Christ. We were able to partner with the class 7 students, and really get to know them.  It was awesome getting to watch them take over leadership roles in the group, and see where their gifts really shine. We then were able to serve our classes lunch, and play with the kids.  It was a little bittersweet, because besides saying goodbye to them on Thursday, this is the last time we will get to play with the students. Please pray for our team, as we process those emotions! 

Jacob:

Today was an amazing and spiritually impactful day. We had a VBS day in  Vipingo school. The games were exhausting, and the lunch was AMAZING. Beans and rice are way better than I ever would have thought. After lunch, we went into one of the small villages. We prayed with an old woman that didn't even remember how old she was. She had lived so many years and said she had never received Jesus. So we prayed with her and we brought her to Christ. It was so powerful and moving, and totally a God moment. We kept walking and met some other families and prayed with them. We brought a husband and a wife to Christ. He was laughing and making lots of jokes and was so funny, even though I didn't understand exactly what he was saying, because I don't speak Swahili. It was very powerful and moving. Today was great.

Alyssa:

Today was our Vacation Bible School day at the Vipingo School. It was so awesome to see how happy the kids were when they were singing songs, making bracelets, and playing games.  I was in the games group and some of the games we played were follow the leader, throwing balls through a hula hoop, and jump rope and the kids loved it so much. Each group had some helpers from class 7 and so after we were done with all our activities we got to visit some of our helper's homes. We walked through the village of Vipingo seeing the small shops, mud huts, and small children running around. The students house that we went to was nicer than most and his family was very welcoming. They even climbed a tree to offer us coconuts. We then got a tour of his home and prayed for the family. I really enjoyed visiting the home and seeing the village because I can understand the culture more and where these kids came from.