Until next tIme

“The last year in Nicaragua has been difficult.”  Those are the words that we have heard many times on this trip, From an outside observer, you wouldn’t be able to tell it as our Nicaraguan friends have trusted God throughout the hardships and have seen Him grow their faith in the midst of it.  We were able to see firsthand, the great partnership that the clinic staff have with the nearby health department.  We also had the privilege of meeting a mother and daughter who both recently received Christ while visiting the clinic.  It is awesome to see God meet both the physical needs and the spiritual needs at the same time.  There are great things taking place in Nicaragua.  You know how amazing it is when you go to a place with the intention of encouraging someone else and you end up being encouraged just as much if not more than they are?  Well, that is what has happened.  Don’t get me wrong, the Nicaraguans need our encouragement and prayers, but seeing their love for God and hearing how He sustains them is exciting.  

It is always difficult to say goodbye but that is what we had to do today.  Even with the language barriers, working side by side with our friends creates a strong connection.  Knowing that we serve the same God just in different parts of the world  fuels that connection.  We are grateful for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Nicaragua.

Sunday Funday!

Sunday funday!! Today we started with breakfast and headed off to church.

Our missionary partner with us this week, Wade Cooperrider gave the message at service this morning.

We were able to see the new children’s facility in action! Oh what a joy it is to see it full of little faces that represent the next generation! So much hope and life in this space! We cannot wait to share more with you through stories from the team here.

After church we sat down with Pastor Denis and Karen to capture their story and let them share what God is doing here in La Esmeralda! God has provided us with perfect moments to bring home to share with you!

This afternoon we had a soccer tournament (the Fox River team opted to be the cheering squad instead of being on the field). It is so awesome to watch the youth engage in something they love in an environment full of Jesus! You guys God has BIG plans for this ministry!!

Tonight Pastor Rob is teaching at service and Kerri will be singing with Norvin. After dinner we plan to play Wii with the church staff (this will be the first time for many of them)!

Tonight is our last night here in La Esmeralda. Will you pray for the goodbyes that come tomorrow? This place makes sure we feel at home while we are here and it just gets harder and harder to leave. Pray for our hearts as well as the community here.

Sustainability

It was another beautiful day in “The Emerald”! The weather has been considerably ‘cold’, for the region, and the rain has been minimal. As I type, the men are preparing a bonfire... to cook s’mores... but most of us are excited for the warmth, too! 

This morning, our team and the Nicas split into two groups. We went walking through the communities doing visitations. Visitations, as the church calls them, are our chance to put a touch of love on the individual families in La Esmeralda. It consists of 2-3 of us asking permission to come up to a home, hand the residents a hygiene pack, and, if they will allow, praying for them. 

The hygiene pack, which is just a bag of basic supplies, does allow us to shows Christ’s love in a tangible way, but the beautiful thing is the Gospel being shared! The Nicaraguans that are with us have Gospel tracks prepared with Bible verses, local ministries, and an invitation for Salvation! It was wonderful watching their joy for sharing Jesus with their neighbors! About 70 packs were handed out today and many people heard about Jesus and were prayed for! 

After a short break, we were invited to Pastor Denis and Karen’s coffee farm. We got to hear a little of how the farm runs, like how the banana trees will provide shade for the coffee plants and when beans are ready to pick. 

Fox River, this farm is immensely important to the church and the people here! 

With all the trouble over the last year, the sustainability of the ministries in this community came into question. It was a sinking feeling for them, wondering whether they would even be able to receive our support, then or in the future. 

We will continue to support them in every way we can!! 

But, having this field of coffee plants helps to ensure their ability to survive on their own. It’s something they never expected to have and know only God could have made it happen! 

Thank you for being obedient to God’s calling, Fox River! 

~Stephen

Fun filled day

Today the medical association visited the clinic and we had the opportunity to see how the clinic functions. While the adults were treated the kids came around the back and we got to play with them for a while. 

While Abbey, Rob, and Stephen played with the kids I got the opportunity to talk with some of the patients of the clinic and hear a little bit of how it has impacted their lives. One man shared that the clinic has helped to change the community in many ways. One of the ways that he specifically mentioned was how the clinic is teaching people how to eat and take better care of themselves physically but is also touching them on the spiritual level. I wish you could all hear the thankfulness in their voices. 

After lunch we went to Las Nubes and got to spend a couple hours just playing and laughing and sharing time with the children of that community. To end the day we are hosting a movie night at the church. 

Thank you for your prayers! 

-Kerri

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.