Day 2 - A Word from JoAnn

How is it possible that I have only been in Kenya less than 48 hours?? Today we headed out in the morning for graduation in Vipingo - what a wonderful celebration of the 8th graders!! My heart burst with motherly pride for this milestone in the kids’ lives and I was filled with great excitement of at the thought of all the potential sitting in that room. They were challenged to consider what role they may play in the future of their community, Kenya as a whole or even the world using the gifts and talents they’ve been given from God. Would you join us in praying for them as they start high school and face a multitude of new challenges?

Though I shared in a blog post about a month ago how I felt about getting the opportunity to meet the two students whom I have sponsored for the past four years, I was vastly ill prepared for the flood of emotions I felt when I made eye contact with Fredrick for the first time as we walked into the church where the graduation was being held. After lunch, I had the joy of walking with him to his home where I was able to meet and spend some time talking to his father. He gushed with appreciation for his son’s education and what the sponsorship means to them. Fredrick gave me a tour of the school buildings, pointing out various things he has learned. He found my attempts at speaking Swahili for naming the major organs of the body quite amusing!! We then sat beneath the shade of an enormous tree, sharing tidbits about life in America, what it’s like to fly in a plane and I tried my best to explain snow to someone who’s not seen ice. In a nutshell, it was a time of being able to love on in person a boy whom I’ve prayed for and cared about for years from the other side of the world.

Besides meeting Fredrick, (I get to meet Pahe tomorrow!!) I spent chunks of time being swarmed by beautiful smiling faces, wishing I were an octopus as two hands were not nearly enough to accommodate the swarm of hands vying for a turn to be held. Oh the ability to put a tangible touch of love on some of the children that Fox River is supporting! We have heard about My Gift for Jesus quite a bit lately. I can promise you that the administration, the teachers, students and parents, appreciate and are so aware of the life change your generosity is having. The mother of one of the graduates spoke at the ceremony and she thanked Fox River for giving the students, “not something that would be used up, but that would last for a lifetime.” That is what your partnership with Fox River any My Gift for Jesus does. There is nothing more hope-filled than that!!

On the ground

The team made it and settled this morning at 4am!

Pastor Gideon

They rested for a couple hours then off to Crossroads Fellowship for services!  It was a blessing to hear Pastor Gideon preach a great message this morning! 

We had lunch together as a team and did some shopping & prep for the first graduation! 

Now it’s time to get some rest!

Tomorrow is Graduation day at Vipingo!  Pray with us as we celebrate the growth and accomplishments of these students! 

Off to Kenya

Our little group is traveling to Kenya today to celebrate 60 of our kids graduating from grade 8. Please keep us in your prayers. We look forward to sharing all of our adventures with you!

I Saw Joy

We love it when team members share how they have seen My Gift for Jesus come to life! Check out how Mark has seen the impact with his own eyes…

When I hear “My Gift for Jesus”; the words Hope, Joy and Love are the first things that come to my mind. I was blessed with the opportunity to join a mission’s team from Fox River on a trip to Nicaragua earlier this year and was able to see the Hope, Joy and Love that is a result of our support to the community of La Esmeralda. The support helps to provide staffing and supplies at the Medical Clinic and this year it also funded the construction of a Children’s center and Restrooms at the Church.

The Medical Clinic is a blessing to the men, women and children throughout La Esmeralda and the neighboring communities. For them to have the ability to receive medical care is something that was not easily available to them prior to the existence of the Medical Clinic. One major function the clinic is providing is prenatal care. By having a nurse and doctor available to a pregnant women or her infant is priceless as this country tries to decrease its infant mortality rate. The thought of losing a child at birth is something we rarely think about or encounter here in the US, but in Nicaragua the rate is nearly 18 out of every 1000 births that this will occur. There is a level of Hope of Survival that I cannot even comprehend!

Another type of Hope that is being spread through the community is Salvation through receiving Jesus as their savior. The church in La Esmeralda is spreading the Gospel of Jesus and sharing with God’s love with the community. By adding the Children’s Center there is a new ability to reach the young children and have an early impact on their walk with Jesus. This Hope of Salvation is priceless.

This Hope of Survival and Salvation has brought Joy to this community. In my visit to La Esmeralda, I was taken back by the amount of Joy I saw and heard from all of those I encountered. Despite the fact that they live without the conveniences we have I saw Joy like I’ve rarely seen before. Even as we labored to dig holes, move earth, stack blocks or mix mortar there was laughter and smiles.

The Hope and Joy that I witnessed in La Esmeralda is so amazing and it is possible because of the Love that we have shared with them. Over the years we have sent numerous teams to help reach the community and improve the environment. All of this is possible because we say yes to God and give our support through financial gifts, our time and our prayers. All of us here at Fox River play a role in this Hope, Joy and Love I witnessed in Nicaragua. I ask that as we celebrate the birth of our Savior that you will pray and ask God what your role in providing Hope, Joy and Love to the people of Nicaragua is.

~ Mark Gitlewski

Thanks for sharing Mark! The Hope, Love and Joy that you have shared through your willingness to be a part and say yes to God’s promptings has touched many lives!

There is always time to get involved!

Sponsor story - JoAnn

The impact of ‘My Gift for Jesus’ doesn’t just happen in the places we are partnered, it also happens in us as we give, take a new step, and allow God to work in our lives. Check out the impact ‘My Gift for Jesus’ has made on one of our sponsors, JoAnn.

Four years ago, I was challenged by my daughter at Christmas time. Instead of wanting presents for herself, she asked for her gift to be a sponsorship of one of the “My Gift for Jesus” kids. I am embarrassed to admit that I pushed back against that a bit.  Didn’t I have to give my child (who was clearly wiser and more giving than her mom at her 17 year old age) some actual “thing” for Christmas? Today, I’m happy to say that my decision to make this “my next yes” was one of the best and most rewarding that I have made. I’d like to tell you why…

Our sponsorship allows me to consider things I would otherwise take for granted. We actually sponsor two children in Kenya, one at each of the schools there. Each month when I am able to contribute the $50, I am reminded about the multitude of blessings I take for granted all too often. My girls both received great educations in the public school system here in Waukesha and have both gone on to college. I think of the gift that education has been to them and how our sponsorship of Fredrick and Pahe gives them an opportunity they would not otherwise have.  They are fed – not only actual food but the truth about Jesus that has fed their souls and ensured their eternity in heaven.

Additionally, this relationship has turned into more than I expected it to be. At first, I truly only thought of my relationship with Fredrick and Pahe as something I was giving to them.  Boy was I wrong!  When I receive letters from them, they are bursting with joy, filled with gratitude and are often my teacher. Fredrick once wrote when I inquired about the weather, “It is neither cold nor hot. We are enjoying the climate since what God brought is a blessing.” I felt challenged beyond measure to consider whether I am able to have that same type of response to the circumstances of my life. Often times, not.  But with some change in perspective through those kids, I am getting better.

Writing letters to them has been wonderful and I had always believed that was going to be the extent of our relationship. Through some incredible circumstances, I am thrilled to say that I will be going to meet those two beautiful souls in 2019. Pahe has experienced some tragedy in her family and the thought of being able to hold that beautiful girl and love on her in person is more than I can fathom.

As this Christmas season nears, I cannot urge you enough to prayerfully consider allowing God to work through and in you by sponsoring one of the “My Gift for Jesus” children. This is just my story and how it has unfolded through my willingness to say yes to God. Your experience will be unique to you but unless you’re willing to step out in faith, you’ll never know how God may use you to change a child’s life – and your own!  

We are grateful for you JoAnn and so are a couple of very sweet Kenyans!

JoAnn has shared so beautifully just how great of an impact this has made on her life and challenged and encouraged us to say our “next yes” and allow God to work in and through you!

Is your ‘next yes’ joining us as we give a gift to Jesus this season? Is it joining the next team as they go to Kenya in 2019? Is it praying asking God to show you? As you can see there is always something in that yes for you!

Are you are ready to Join Us?

Because you give - Nicaragua

This is our favorite time of year hear at Fox River! So make sure you follow along this month…

Our last blog was all about ‘My Gift for Jesus’, how you can get involved and where exactly God has partnered Fox River internationally! Check it out if you missed it!

These places have become very near and dear to our hearts and we want to share that with you!

Today we will share about Nicaragua and the partnership we have in La Esmeralda…

We could (and often do) share story after story about the life change, but today I want to share about the importance of our partnership in Nicaragua.

For over 7 years now several communities in the mountains of Nicaragua have had access to health care that they would have otherwise gone without.

Let me set the scene as to why this is such a big thing… You see the community of La Esmeralda and several surrounding communities are over an hour away from a hospital/clinic and that is if you have a vehicle. Many of these people do not and it would take hours to walk to get the care they need and that is if they could even attempt the walk. Women would go without prenatal care, they would give birth in their homes without the help they would need, that baby would be born and if it survived it would have nowhere to be checked on, nowhere for someone to make sure babies lungs were clear, that the umbilical cord was cut and kept clean properly, and so on… Farmers would get an infection from getting injured or being sick and would have no access to medication or a facility to have the wound cleaned. Are you seeing the need?

This is where the Medical Clinic has impacted the community of La Esmeralda and surrounding communities.

There is a local place for people to go and get the basic healthcare that they need, that we take for granted. They can go and see a Dr and Nurse and get medication from the pharmacist. Mothers can can be seen from beginning to end of their pregnancy. They receive prenatal care as well as care during and after the birth. These babies are born in a clean environment with equipment to care for them right after birth (we are hoping and praying we can better this space soon). We just celebrated baby #25 last month! We see this as one of the most beneficial pieces of the medical clinic. Healthy babies help make a healthy future! The clinic is able to call for transport if needed for patients in more critical condition! We could go on and on about the benefit of having this clinic in this place!

The Clinic also gives a platform for a way to share the Gospel, a place that the love of Jesus is and always will be something shared as soon as someone steps on the clinic grounds! We want people to know about the hope and freedom that comes from knowing their Savior and that will be something they hear every time they are at the clinic!

Lives at this place are being saved physically and spiritually!

Through the partnership of the clinic Fox River fell in love with the people and community of La Esmeralda, which has opened many other ways we could partner with the local church there.

After growing relationships and seeing how God is moving in this community and church we wanted to be more involved. We partnered with the church as they built a Soccer League Ministry. This ministry reaches youth with an activity that they enjoy and they use it to equip them and grow them in a safe environment!  Each team member is encouraged to attend church services each week and are also a part of devotionals during each practice. This ministry is turning teens who may have been caught up in the wrong things in the wrong environment, into leaders in the church and the community.

Coming to know their Savior through an activity they love? Who wouldn’t want to be involved?

These are just a couple of the things God has allowed Fox River to partner with this community in and we can’t wait to see where else he takes this partnership!

You can be involved! You can join us in making Jesus known through meeting the needs of children, women, men, communities… We are praying with expectation for the big things God is working for this community in the year to come! We hope you will join us!

Thank you for reading, praying, giving… You make these things possible! We are grateful for you!

My Gift for Jesus

December is the time for celebrating Christmas - the birth of God’s Son, Jesus.
During the month of December, Fox River focuses on International Missions and our works in Kenya and Nicaragua.

IN NICARAGUA, we partner with the church in La Esmeralda to provide:

• A medical clinic in a mountainous region where no health care is available. The clinic is staffed with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist and administrator who see over 10,000 patient visits per year during which their souls are cared for along with their physical needs.

• A sports ministry that gives fun and spiritual direction to hundreds of children and teens.

IN KENYA, we sponsor:

• 900 students from preschool through high school by providing

  • a quality, Christian education

  • 2 meals a day on school days

  • basic health care and health education

• Clean water for the communities

• Adult literacy classes

• A rescue center that provides a loving environment for abandoned children

• A pastors institute to train pastors for ministry

How do we do all of this? We do it TOGETHER!

For just $25 a month, you can join us in making a huge difference in thousands of lives in Kenya and Nicaragua.

We offer different levels of involvement to suit your interest.

• Give to a great cause that is truly making a difference.

• Pick up a prayer card at the My Gift for Jesus displays at any campus during December.

• Get connected to a Kenyan child through our online database. You can learn more about the schools and your child. You can see your child’s grades and write to your child.

• Go on a mission trip to see first hand what God is doing. In Kenya, you can meet your sponsored child and their family.

How can I find out more about Fox River Missions?

Learn more at www.foxrivermissions.org

2019 Kenya Mission Trip

Information meetings:
Waterford: Sunday, December 2 after the service
Muskego: Sunday, December 16 at 10:30am
Waukesha: Sunday, December 16 at 10:00am
For more information or to sign up for the trip, click here.

How do I get involved in MY GIFT FOR JESUS?

Fill out a pledge card at one of the weekend services or by clicking this link: JOIN IN

Support donations to Fox River can be given:

• Weekly, monthly or annually

• One time donations to help with projects are appreciated

• Cash or check in the weekly offering - please be sure your donation is marked for My Gift for Jesus

• Online giving is easy and convenient. Make sure to click on “Other Account” and select “My Gift for Jesus.” You can even set up a recurring gift!

TOGETHER
WE CAN MAKE A GREATER IMPACT IN THESE NEEDY AREAS OF THE WORLD.

WILL YOU JOIN US?

Final Lap

When you think about it - the test that our 8th grade students are about to take is one that they have studied for 11 years!

Our students are getting ready to take the The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (K.C.P.E). This is the last test they will take as primary school children.

This is an exam that you might have heard of if you have followed us before. In short, it is a critical test that will determine IF and WHICH high school our students will get into. The pressure as you can imagine is great.

The teachers help to balance the students out by making sure that their environment balances the stress of the importance of the exam as well as the students needs to unwind.

Sometimes the teachers are found playing soccer with the kids in the later afternoons. Sometimes it’s just sitting during breaks and giving the students something else to think about rather then the exam coming. Either way our teachers are amazing! Please be praying for them and our students. We would also like to give you a few other ways that you can be praying for them.

Please pray that that our students: 

- Will have confidence in the preparations they’ve made for this exam.  

- Will have wisdom afterwards for the schools that they will pick.  

- For our staff teachers to finish the academic year well.   

Thank you for caring for your sponsored student and remembering them in prayer. We are so confident that they will do well and that God will be given honor in the outcome.  

 Blessing to you New Life and Crossroads!  

Mark Schwartz’s Story

One of our favorite things is sharing stories from team members. Today we have Mark’s story… Mark has been on a couple of our teams (Kenya and Nicaragua) and has willingly offered to share his story and experience.

“From an early age I have been involved with missions. When I was young, my parents investigated becoming a missionary family to Papua New Guinea, but at the last minute the Lord closed the door. After finishing high school, I took my first mission trip to a remote area of Southern Mexico. The team I was a part of was doing church planting with the indigenous people, many of whom did not speak Spanish but rather local native languages.

After returning from Mexico, I explored becoming a full time missionary, but the Lord led me into engineering school and then a career in healthcare, first at a large corporation and then later in starting a business. During my career I was able to participate in missions by prayer and financial support but was unable to participate directly through mission trips.

A little over two years ago, the Lord helped me to sell my company and this allowed me to go to Kenya last year with the team from Fox River. I was a bit apprehensive in going to Kenya, because it had been a long time since I had worked with children and my own children were now grown up. However, I thoroughly enjoying working with the students and teachers in Kenya and I made a number of wonderful new friends. God willing, I hope to return to Kenya next year to renew friendships and once again work with the teachers and their students.

Back in April I was able to go to Nicaragua with the team from Fox River. This was a construction trip and the work we did was physically hard, but the experience was also enjoyable and rewarding. The part I liked best was forming close relationships through working together. For example, I worked with El Jefe (in English “the boss”) and at the beginning of the week it was all about the work, but by the end of the week we were sharing details about our families and parted with a warm embrace. I hope to go back to Nicaragua in the future to see what God has done in the lives of the people I grew to love.

It is always fascinating to see how God works – had I not been in Nicaragua with my background in healthcare, we might never have known the clinic had an ultrasound system that failed. Since returning home, I have located a replacement and look forward to the day that it can be used in the clinic!

In thinking about the future, I realize I’m not as young as I used to be and may not always be able to go on future mission trips. I believe the Lord gave me this thought – would I be willing to donate the income I earn during the same period as the mission trip if was physically unable to go? I’m writing this blog because I believe the Lord may wish you to consider and pray about making a similar commitment.”

~Mark Schwartz

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Thanks for sharing Mark! We love how God uses missions to show us new things.

Have your ever asked yourself how you can be involved in missions? We are always available to answer any questions you may have! Ask us on… FaceBook (Fox River Missions), Instagram (@foxrivermissions) or email us (missions@foxriverchristian.org)

Class is in Session

Class 8 student at Crossroads Academy 

Class 8 students at New Life 

It’s been a long term break and we are glad for God’s goodness and answer to prayer. All the students were able to report back to school with much enthusiasm and excitement to start this last term of the school year. 

Fun and excitement to be back at school. 

Friends united after a long break

This being our last and shortest term of the year, there is a lot of things packed into this term that determine a lot about the progress of a student into the next class.

The look of hope and expectation.

Learning with joy.

Pray for the class 8 students in both of our schools as they put the final touches onto the journey of their primary education. They will be sitting for the national examinations which will determine whether they can proceed to high school.  Our prayer is for each one to be called into a good high school.

Brains at work 

Learning in progress 

Join us in praying for a productive and fruitful 9 weeks of this term and clarity of mind for the candidate classes.