Celebrating Graduates of New Life Academy

Wednesday and Thursday we celebrated the 27 graduates of our school in Bomani, Kenya.

Enjoy some pictorial high lights.

The VIPs getting ready for the processional in feels like temps of over 100.

Preschool grads lead the professional

Barb and Amber were picked to join the traditional dance.

Jan presenting our gift to her sponsored child.

The top student trying out his new bike. Everyone was so excited!

The cake ceremony is one of my favorites. Two student representatives fed cake to the team.

Then the graduates and their parents feed each other.

We had some fun with the rest of the kids in the afternoon. Kathy and her little group of friends are video chatting with Abbey who was there in July.

We enjoyed dinner at Jenna and O’Neal’s home. The food was delicious and we learned to eat with our fingers!

Thursday we took the New Life grads to the mall to make their own pizza at Domino’s and do some shopping. Great conversation and lots of fun!

For 11 years Fox River and our partners in Kenya have poured into these precious kids! Some will leave our program. Many will continue on to our partner high school. They have grown up knowing the love of Jesus and receiving a great education.

Pray with me for each one as they progress to the next step in their journey and thank God for all He has done in these years to change the trajectory of their lives!

Crossroads Academy Graduates

Yesterday and today we had the privilege of celebrating the graduation of 26 of our grade 8 students from Crossroads Academy.

The class of 2019.

Awards for academic achievement include a foot locker for high school.

Handing out the Fox River gift of a messenger bag and Bible.

After lunch we had the opportunity to spend some time with the older students followed by visits to our sponsored children’s homes. What a great joy!

Today we took the Crossroads Academy grads to the mall to make their own pizza at Dominoes and explore the mall. It was a great opportunity for our team to have fun with them while they discussed a variety of real world issues from jobs to spending money.

The escalator was scary and fun!

It has been a joy to celebrate with these 26 students as they prepare for high school. Some will leave our program as they have been invited to attend prestigious national high schools. We are thrilled that God has used us to share the love of Jesus with them and provide a great education that has set them up for much success. Others will remain in our program and will attend our partner high school where we will continue to sponsor them.

Celebrate with us!

Celebrating the Graduates

It’s time to celebrate the class of 2019. Eleven of us depart today to celebrate with our 53 primary school graduates and our first ever high school graduates. Those 43 students have been with us since they were in preschool!

Please pray for our team and follow along as we represent Fox River and celebrate all He has done in the lives of these kids. Their future is filled with hope!

Welcome to the Family!

Oh, have we got some exciting news to share with you!!

The newest addition to the Fox River Missions family has made our hearts skip a beat and has a beautiful story to be told throughout their life!

Over the last year our Dear Missionaries, O’Neal and Jenna Nyanje, started the process of adoption! And we are beyond excited to share with you that they have welcomed in a sweet, sweet new addition to their family!

Without further ado, we introduce to you…

Etana Marie

ISN’T SHE ADORABLE? This family is SO loved and this sweet one will only make that grow!

As a family friend I have gotten to walk (from afar) alongside them as their story unfolds, and WOW! Just wow! Our God writes some crazy beautiful stories and this one is no exception! There is no part of this story that He hasn’t so intricately planned out and pieced together. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it!

I know that they will be able to share her/their story to bring God such Honor and Glory, but we will let them share that when the time is right!

For now we ask that you join us in celebrating and praying for this new family of three.

• For the adoption process (approval in court, finalizing paperwork, etc…)

• The newness

• The changes

• O’Neal as a new Daddy

• Jenna as a new Mommy

• Etana as a new daughter

• The unfamiliar

• The heart and hurt of adoption

Watch out Miss Etana Fox River loves big and I am confident you are going to feel that!

My Gift for Jesus

What is My Gift for Jesus?

Our December challenge to give a gift to Jesus during this Christmas season by helping children who live in extreme poverty in Kenya and Nicaragua.

How Can I Get Involved?

Please fill out a commitment card. This information is for planning purposes only. You can do that during one of the services in December or online here.

Choose your level of engagement:

• GIVE: Start by making a life changing donation. Monthly sponsorship is just $25. You can give weekly, monthly or annually.

• PRAY: Stop by the missions booth after a weekend service and pick up a prayer card for Nicaragua or a Kenyan child. Hang them in a spot to remind you to pray for these ministries. Not able to make it to one of our campuses in December? No problem. Email us at missions@foxriverchristian.org and we’ll get them to you.

• CONNECT: Write letters to the Kenyan child on your prayer card or write an encouraging note to one of our partners in Nicaragua. Visit our Connect page to get started.

• GO: Join us on one of the summer mission trips to Kenya or Nicaragua to see first hand what God is doing through your life changing donations. See our Trips page for more information on each trip or to sign up.

How Do I Give?

• Give online through Fox River’s website. Be sure to use the space marked for My Gift for Jesus.

• Place cash or check in the offering during a weekend service. Be sure it is marked for My Gift for Jesus.

• Mail a check to Fox River (S46 W24130 Lawnsdale Road, Waukesha, WI  53189) or drop off at the church office. Be sure it is marked for My Gift for Jesus.

What Does Fox River Do in Kenya and Nicaragua?

Kenya: we partner with local churches to offer a great Christian education that will give these young people the opportunity to know God and break the cycle of poverty in their family and community.

• Fully sponsor 2 schools with about 770 students from preschool through middle school and 80 staff members. This includes all school supplies, 2 meals on school days, and basic health care.

• About 120 students sponsored in our partner high school.

• Clean water for the community surrounding the school.

• Farm project to supplement the feeding program.

• Adult literacy classes.

• A rescue center that provides a loving home for children who have been abandoned.

Nicaragua: we partner with the local church in La Esmeralda to provide healthcare in a remote location where no healthcare in available.

• A clinic staffed with a doctor that sees hundreds of patients each month.

• The clinic specializes in prenatal care and will soon be furnished with an updated birthing suite.

• Beyond the physical care, the pastor and staff share the gospel and minister to the needs of the soul.

• The sports ministry gives an outlet for hundreds of children and teens to engage in wholesome activities and hear about Jesus.

A Life Changing Trip!

Join us next summer on a mission trip to see first hand what God is doing through Fox River in Kenya or Nicaragua. Your life will never be the same and the impact you make on those you serve will change their lives too!

This weekend we will hold information meetings about those trips. Come and learn more about how you can make a difference.

• After every service at every campus

• Basic details covered in about 15 minutes and then we will answer questions

• The Nicaragua Mission Trip is June 24 - July 3

• The Kenya Mission Trip is July 18 - August 1

To learn more, check out our trips page and then join us after one of the weekend services to learn more about this incredible experience!

Ready to sign up? Fill out the form at the bottom of the trips page and we’ll be in touch.

2019 Kenya Team

Loving on our kids!

Fox River team with Nica partners

Community outreach

A Night to Thank YOU!

Dear Fox River Missions Sponsors and Friends,

We have something planned just for YOU!

We are getting ready to launch a new My Gift for Jesus season! But first we want to celebrate!

Sunday, November 17 we will be hosting our very first Fox River Missions Thank you Night. This is a night designed to let you know how GRATEFUL we are for YOU! We want to give you the chance to hear the difference you are making on a deeper level. We want to fill you in on some of the exciting things happening in both Kenya and Nicaragua. We want to be together as we launch the 2020 My Gift for Jesus season!

We will spend time in fellowship as we gather, thanking you, celebrating what God has done, look ahead at what we are praying for this season, and hearing from one of our partners that will be in the building with us!

Come, join us, celebrate, and be spoiled a bit! Our partners in both Kenya and Nicaragua want to thank you for how you are making a difference!

Date: Sunday, November 17

Time: 5-6pm

Where: Waukesha Campus

Light snacks will be served.

Register here and let us know you are coming!

Kerri Update

Hola Fox River Missions Followers,

We wanted to give you an update on Kerri and what she has been up to in Nicaragua.

Some of you may ask… Who’s Kerri? Kerri is a Fox River member who has been changed by International Missions and has a calling on her life to serve in Nicaragua. Fox River Missions has been partnered in Nicaragua for almost 10 years and are in full support to have Kerri on the field.

Over the last several years you have joined us in praying and supporting as Kerri followed the call God has placed on her heart. You’ve watched as she has been on Fox River teams over the years and as she has spent several months there learning more about the culture and the heart behind her calling.

You have heard us share about what has taken place in the country of Nicaragua over the last couple years, as you can imagine the call on her heart has only grown stronger. Kerri has waited and prayed about when God would send her and what that would look like. He answered!

Kerri is finishing her second month of living in Nicaragua. She is in language school and living with a fantastic family that loves her like their own (thank you)! Her program is 9 months and she is being immersed in the Spanish language at school, home, church, and life overall. This is one of the many steps she needed to take to follow God and the calling in her life! As she is there studying she is praying about what the years ahead will bring, but most importantly she realizes that she is already on the mission field and can use every moment to Glorify our God!

Family

Family

School!

While Kerri is there she also has had and will have more opportunities to visit our Partners in La Esmeralda. She was able to go up and spend time with them and share at their women’s retreat. She has been able to go up and get some updates of exciting things happening at the clinic (stay tuned for this news)! We love having Fox River on the ground there to go and encourage our partners! Thanks Kerri!

Our Nica partners in La Esmeralda!

Will you join us in praying for Kerri? Praying that she absorbs the language. Praying that she ceases every moment to make Jesus known. Praying that she has open eyes and heart to what God Has next for her.

Let her know you are praying for her. Follow her blog as she shares stories of God’s working here.

National Exams in Kenya

The 2019 Kenya school year is in the books! School officially ended last Friday with preschool graduations and a closing awards ceremony.
The new school year begins in January, but before then we have almost 100 students finishing primary school and high school that will be taking national exams that will determine their next steps.
Fifty three students finishing grade 8 are sitting for their national exams today, tomorrow and Thursday. The results of these exams will determine if and where they will attend high school. They have prepared well.
There are 43 of our students finishing high school. Their exams will take three weeks in November. Students who do well will be invited to attend university that is highly subsidized.
There is a lot of stress for these students. Will you please pray with us for them?

Heading Home

The team is in the airport and ready to board our first flight home.

View fullsize

The 2019 Kenya Missions team with our missionary partners, Jenna & O’Neal

The goodbyes (or “see you next times”) are always hard, but knowing our partners are in good Hands makes the parting a bit easier.

As I write this, 12 of us are in line to board our first flight, a 2.5-hour trip to Ethiopia. After a short layover, we’ll have a 17-hour flight to Chicago with a brief refueling stop in Dublin.

Please pray with us for smooth and uneventful travel!

The team about to board at Moi International Airport in Mombasa