Constructing a Future

God is at work in the community of La Esmeralda, Nicaragua, and it is time to follow as he provides for the future. 

This April Fox River Missions is sending a men's team down to partner with the church in constructing a building for their children's ministry and plans to get a bathroom built too.

Pastor Denis, his team, and a team from the Managua church have been hard at work getting the structure of this building up.  They have done all the the foundation work and just this week the team for Managua have been up there putting up the structure and roof.    Our guys will go in and finish the project up.  How exciting it is to watch the progress of this project! 

Let me share with you the importance and excitement for these facilities..

As of right now the children meet on the porch of Pastor Denis' home or in a home close to the church.  They currently do not have an inside place to hold Sunday school or any other children's activities during church services. 

This building will bring them inside so that in the rainy season it will not effect how they do children's ministry.  This building will give them a space that they can grow and have no problem having space for all the children who come.  It will also give them the capacity to have a nursery which has never been a possibility before.  A space that Pastor Denis and Karen's children and the children from the community can grow up and hear what Christ has done for them.  And so much more!  We are so excited to see how God uses this building!  

And for the bathrooms... currently the church has no bathroom.  This might seem silly, but having a bathroom on church grounds will be so beneficial.  I believe that this very simple thing will be used to grow this church.  This will be a huge blessing!

There are more projects on the list to continue to build up this church and just not enough time for our guys to get it all done.  But, we know Pastor Denis and his teams will continue to work towards the future, so that this church will continue to see lives changed.

We have called this project 'Constructing a Future' because this is all about the future of this church, the future of these children, the future of the Kingdom!  

Pray for this future with us!  

VIP's at Fox River

We have some very exciting news to share!!! 

Some of our mission partners from Kenya will be coming to the states for 6 months to experience life and ministry in a new way at Fox River!  

Pastor Gideon, his wife Joy, and three boys: Jotham, Joshua, and Jayson.   

This will be quite the exciting and a completely different life experience for each of them.  This will be the first time they travel to the United States...the first time these boys have been out of their home country.   

Pastor Gideon is the Executive Pastor at Crossroads Fellowship Church in the Mombasa area.  Our missionary, Jim Horne, is the pastor of the church.  This church holds a special place in our hearts as they have welcomed us in each and every time we have a group in Kenya!  Joy is involved in their women's ministries and she is the administrator at our children's rescue center in Vipingo.  These are big shoes that will need to be filled while they are here with us.  Will you join us in praying for their ministries that they have said 'see ya later' to for the next few months?  It's never easy to leave your people, ministries, and life.

This is a long trip for well traveled adults.  Which means for a family who hasn't done much traveling, none the less across the world with three little boys, it will be a long couple days!  This is something we ask you to pray with us about.  Smooth, safe, and a quick travel.  

They will also be experiencing the cold for the first time ever!  We want just one more snowfall so that they can see exactly just how magical a snowfall can be.   We know, we know...but, they have never seen snow before!

There are so many things we can show them and share with them while they are here, but the most important will be to share how God is working in and through Fox River.   They are excited to be here and to do life with us!  They will be around at Fox River in various ways, make sure you introduce yourselves! 

Will you join us in praying as they have started their journey here?  They will have traveled by train today and then will board their first flight just after midnight on Wednesday (3pm Tuesday here).   They will arrive in Wisconsin on Wednesday late afternoon.  In all, they will be traveling for almost 4 days.  

Pastor Jim at Crossroads, Commissioning Sevice.

We are so anxious for them to get here!!!  

Two Days of Celebrations - Friday

Today was graduation day at New Life in Bomani. It was our hottest day this week but we enjoyed celebrating new beginnings for these young people.  

I was privileged to represent Fox River

The processional. It is a slow rhythmic step that brought lots of laughter for the adults bringing up the rear! 

Traditional dance

Awarding the certificate and the backpack with Bible from Fox River

Gifts for visitors

Cake cutting ceremony

The graduates fed the parents

2017 graduates. They are all headed to high school. 

Gift bags from sponsors.  

We had a delicious lunch with the teachers. I had the privilege to pray over them before we left.  

The evening began with the first large group meeting for Celebrate Recovery in our sister church in Mombasa, Crossroads Fellowship. Jeff came on the trip to help them prepare for this beginning. It was a wonderful first night for them! 

Jeff with the team.  

We finished the evening with our partners and friends, Bechtels and Owanos.  

With two days left before we depart, I will be wrapping up all that needs to be done. We greatly appreciate your prayers for us! 

Two Days of Celebrations - Thursday

So much has happened since I last wrote. Yesterday we took the New Life graduatates to tour the mall and make pizza. Here are a few highlights. They had so much fun broadening their world just a bit. 

Jeff got in on the fun. 

And O’Neal

In the afternoon, we had a short visit to the high school. 

Gifts from sponsors brought so much joy! 

Girls dorm

Inside the girls dorm. 

We closed the day preparing for the graduation ceremony at New Life in Bomani. This is a crew of our friends that helped sign Bibles and pack the back packs that we give to each graduate. Many thanks for the help and fun! 

Work and Blessings

This morning was filled with meetings, followed by blessings. I had the opportunity to eat lunch with some pretty amazing teachers. The food in the center is always good and the staff is always amazing. I so appreciate the thoughtful conversations and lighthearted moments of laughter. 

After lunch we were privileged to distribute gifts from sponsors. This year sponsors had the opportunity to purchase a gift bag that we assembled in Kenya. The process began with two hours of shopping last night. The men with us were great troopers. We divided the list and off we went. 

Purchasing

Two hours later we checked out with 180 each: reusable shopping bag (small plastic bags are now illegal), washing soap, sugar, fun pens and pencils, cookies and a Choco Pie treat. The older kids received a couple of gender appropriate gifts. The high school students also received a toothbrush and toothpaste. 

Assembly line

The Crossroads Academy upper primary kids are filled with joy.  

Even the little ones are thrilled with their treasures! 

Crossroads Academy kids say thank you to their sponsors!

Mall Tour & Pizza

Today was a fun day where we did some activities with the graduating class from Vipingo. We went to the mall (city mall the largest in the Mombasa). We crowned our day with a stop at Dominos Pizza where all the kids got to make their own pizza which is usually fun to do because it’s a first for most of them. 

Dominos is where we gathered to do fun activities like make our own pizza.

Fun facts about making pizza and tricks of spinning the dough.  

Dorcas is a fast learner. She got her pizza ready before everyone and is just waiting for the oven to heat up. 

Yummy!!!

Let’s cut it to size and go enjoy it. 

We enjoyed a last outing with these precious young people that have been a part of our lives for 11 years. Some will continue in our program to our partner high school. Others will leave us to attend other high schools out of the area. We thank God for the privilege we have had to be a part of their journey and pray that God will richly bless all of them as they follow HIM.

Preparation & Celebration

After arriving safe in Kenya with all of our bags on Saturday morning, we spent the rest of that day and Sunday preparing for the week, reconnecting with friends and partners, supply shopping, signing Bibles and preparing book bags for the graduates and so much more.  

Today, Monday, was the graduation ceremony for the 29 graduates of Crossroads Academy primary school in Vipingo. This is the first class of students that have gone all the way through the school. They started with us in Kindergarten 1 when we opened the school in May of 2007. It was such a joy to see them finish well and prepare to move on to the next step in their academic journey. 

Receiving their certificate of completion

Presentation of awards including the book bag and Bible from Fox River that Jeff was able to present.

The cake cutting ceremony is a part of every Kenyan celebration

Trying to get the whole "bite" in there!

I had the privilege to speak to the graduates and challenge them as they take the next step in their journey.

The 2017 graduating class

Will you join me in praying for these precious young people? Pray that they will never forget their roots in faith, family and love. Pray that they do well in high school and become a generation of influence in Kenya.

Kenya Bound

Jessie, Jeff and I are on our way to Kenya. We will be in country for 9 days during which time we will host graduaton ceremonies in both of Fox River primary schools, celebrate with the graduates as they prepare to enter high school, spend time with our partners and enjoy the time with our precious kids!

Thank you for praying for us, it is making the way. We fly to Istanbul and then on to Mombasa where we will land around 3:30am Kenya time on Saturday morning.

A little deeper into Nicaragua

It is so easy to grasp what we do in Kenya.  We sponsor schools so that children can have a safe place to come learn, be fed, have clean clothes, to be loved and so much more!  Something that makes sense, something that we can grasp when hearing about it, something that is easily communicated!  We get to share the faces and the names of all of the sweet kiddos, we get to connect you with them.  We love it!  

But, did you know that when you give to Fox River Missions you give for the ministry in Nicaragua as well?  We know that it is hard to grasp and understand what exactly we do in Nicaragua.  

So let me share with you how God is using your gifts in Nicaragua...

Fox River has built and continuously funds a Medical clinic in the community of La Esmeralda. 

The clinic is the only medical facility in the area, which means they would have to travel up to 2 hours to get to another (and that's if they have a car/ride).  They have over 10,000 patient visits each year (6 years = over 60,000 patient visits)!  Every patient is treated for their physical need and will also hear the gospel while at the clinic. 

Women are being treated during pregnancies, babies are being born in safe environments, men, women, and children are being treated with basic healthcare they would otherwise go without. This clinic has brought health and hope into the community of La Esmeralda as well as the surrounding communities!  God has brought so much life and life change through this clinic!  

We also sponsor a Soccer ministry that focuses on reaching teens with an activity that they enjoy! Each player must attend a weekly church service to participate.  They come, they play, the church gets to pour into their lives and we get to see God at work in young lives!  

We partner with Santuario Familiar Bautista to encourage the ministry they do everyday!  God has linked our churches to be the Church to the people in the mountains of Nicaragua.  What a pleasure it is to serve alongside them as they desire to live out what God is asking of them!      

Fox River has built a home for Pastor Denis and his growing family and a home for the Doctor of the clinic.  We have purchased land for our partner church to plant another church in a neighboring community...  Growth!!! We see growth everyday!  And these things are happening because you are giving, because you are trusting that God will use you!

We hope that this shows you how your gifts are being used in Nicaragua!  If you ever want to experience it for yourself, just join us for a trip!  

How are you going to Pray, Live, and Give in new ways in the New Year?  Will you join us in Praying for these ministries?  Will you Live by joining a team?  Will you join the team of supporters by Giving?  #TogetherWeGainMomentum #HereAndAcrossTheWorld

We are just words without you!  Thank you!

Missions for Everyone

Missions.  This word might mean something different to everyone.  To some it is a trip they take, to others it is somewhere they give money, and others it is something they feel like they can’t be involved in.  This video shows different ways people have chosen to be involved in Missions...

Missions is something that everyone can be involved in.  No matter what age you are, what job you have, or how your health is.  Just because you can’t go on a trip, can’t support monetarily, or maybe there is something else keeping you from getting involved.  

Let me share with you all the ways you can support and be involved in Fox River Missions.

#1 PRAY!  Did you know that your prayer makes a difference?  Let me share a story with you...  

Scott, went on one of the construction trips (6 or 7 years ago) to build the medical clinic in La Esmeralda, Nicaragua while he was there he worked with the Nicaraguans from the community.  He made a decision that week to pray for one of them for the rest of his life.  Knowing that he may never know what came of this child’s life.  Years later, Scott, had the opportunity to go back to Nicaragua on a Medical team to work in the clinic.  One night a young man was sharing his story with the team.  A story of heartbreak and struggles, a story of a young man who decided to give up everything to follow God.  After he finished sharing his story, Scott was able to talk with him and share that even though in those trials it seemed he had been alone, he never was because, he was always praying for him.  Jorvin is now studying so that he can continue to dedicate his life to full time ministry!  Prayer changes lives!

#2 LIVE!  There are opportunities in 2018 for you to go and see first hand what God is doing in Kenya and Nicaragua.  I can tell you from personal experience that God is doing a great work and it is an honor to be involved in it.  Being there and seeing with your own eyes the life changing impact, is like nothing else in the world!  If you open yourself up to it God will bring you to a place where you will make life long friendships and lifechanging realizations about yourself and the way God wants to use you.  Join us!!!

 #3 GIVE!  Without those who give none of the ministry that is being done in Kenya through the schools and in Nicaragua through the clinic, would be possible.  Your money is literally giving people life, hope, and a future.  

In Kenya, the children who attend our schools are being fed  two meals a day, they are given clothes and shoes to wear, they are being educated, which gives them hope for their future, and they are hearing the Gospel and being saved through it!  We have over 800 students that we see growth in everyday!

In Nicaragua, through the clinic lives are being saved by having a place to go to see a Doctor. Women who are pregnant are able to go for regular check ups and some are giving birth in the clinic (a new baby just this past week!).  Since the opening of the clinic a substantial amount of lives have been saved just by the basic care of a Doctor and nurse that they would other wise go without.  The clinic has over 10,000 patient visits a year!  They not only get their physical needs met when they walk through the doors of the clinic, they will also hear the name of Jesus and how He can change their lives!  

That’s where your gifts are going! 

Our Pastors have encouraged us to Pray, Live, and Give in new ways this year!  Maybe, your ‘new ways’ will be through Missions!

Let’s build Momentum in Missions together because #TogetherWeGainMomentum!