A Thank You From Pastor Denis

The year of 2020 was full of many uncertainties, disappointments, fear, and unexpected changes. In the midst of all that, God was at work in our lives and in the lives of the people we support through My Gift For Jesus in new and exciting ways.

In every season God is working, whether we can see it or not His hand is at work always. Pastor Denis shares about that in a letter he sent for each of you:

Hello Fox River Church!  We send you hugs and greetings from La Esmeralda-Nicaragua, from our church and the clinic staff. It is an honor to be able to send this message to you.

Today we want to say thank you so much for your love, work, and dedication to us through this year, 2020. Today we want to say thank so much for joining us in this glorious year, we are so thankful for the missionary hearts that you have as a church. You are truly our family, our sister church, that fights with us in the battles and stands beside us through the tests. Thank you so much for being with us in every moment, in the moments of joy and the moments of sadness. Thank you for completing the command of Matthew 28:19-20, you are an example to follow, a missionary church that is 100% involved in reaching all people even “to the ends of the earth”. Thank you for your mission work and obedience to this command from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Today, we can say that hundreds of people have heard the Gospel this year because of what you do. Many of whom have come to the feet of Jesus: children, teens, and adults are now part of our church. Incredible stories of people coming to God. Many communities are full of profound gratitude and this is all possible because of the work you do in global missions.

We do not have words to express how thankful we are. The changes we have seen after you obeyed the call of God to this country and more specifically this community are amazing. Again, there are no words to thank you enough. There has been an incredible impact of which spiritual impact has been the greatest, all because of your heart for missions.

We encourage you to continue this effort, we encourage you to give to My Gift For Jesus! There are eternal rewards and every time that you and I obey Gods call, the heart of Christ is glad because this is the way to reach the world…

Missions is the heart of God, thank you for being connected to Him.

We love you so much!

May God bless you richly,

Pastor Denis and Karen Fuentes

Let us praise God for His working in Nicaragua! As we look forward to this year, 2021, may we open our eyes to see what God is doing in our world and in the lives of those we may never see. Your gift and you prayers touch more lives than you will ever know.

If you didn’t have a chance yet to join the My Gift For Jesus movement for 2021 its not too late! Just click here to be part of what God is doing in Nicaragua and Kenya.

We are expectant and excited as we step into this new year and can’t wait to share what God does!

How does My Gift For Jesus Work?

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?

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.

You can get involved through sponsorship here. Your pledge helps us to plan for the work we will be able to do in the year ahead.

 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 800 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 this year we were able to furnish it with a birthing suite.

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

We also support a sports ministry that gives an outlet for hundreds of children and teens to engage in wholesome activities and hear about Jesus.

To all those who give and pray we would like to say THANK YOU, ASANTE, GRACIAS! We would not be able to make this impact on the world without you. Our partners in both Kenya and Nicaragua want you to know they are so grateful for your love and generosity towards them.

WE ARE BACK

It’s been a whole 7 months since March when we first had to close our school due to the COVID Pandemic.

We stayed home faithfully and followed the ministry of health guidelines to curb the spreads of The diseases by social distancing.

Food supply

Maize Flour beans and maize rations

Thankfully we were able to work with our faithful partners to continue a variation of our past feeding program, distributing Whole Foods! We also tried as we could to continue our learning program while giving materials to assist them staying up to speed with learning during the time out.

small packaging

Food ration and school supplies packages

Now that we have done a partial open (class 4 and 8) there are plenty of new things we have have to set up to enable us stay healthy.
many things that were sure you’re also seeing in the state’s.
wearing masks, washing hands, and keeping space is something we’re all trying to uphold as we slowly open.

View fullsize

Breakfast is served

Whole meal porridge is good meal to start the day.

As we said, Only our class 4 and 8 students are back and have checked in. We wait for directives as to when the rest of the classes will be back from the ministry of education. This is both New life Bomani and Crossroads Vipingo Academy’s . As for the High school, they reported later in the the day because they are boarding.

We are making a special prayer request this time round. We ask for good healthy and for understanding on how to run this new school program with Covid guidelines. We pray to understand how to manage the student and keeping them safe from any infections. Most of all for success in their academics now that they have missed a big amount to school.

Prayer for the Nyanje's

This is an update we can say we never wanted to write nor one that we would have ever imagined having to.  Yet, we share this so that you can join us in praying for and encouraging O’Neal and Jenna Nyanje, our Missionaries in Kenya.

Over a year ago O'Neal started having back pains that were unexplained and that have continued to get worse.  April and May brought severe amounts of uncontrollable pain.  Not only were they in quarantine, but O'Neal was stuck on the couch and couldn’t do normal things around the house.  At the beginning of June, O'Neal's pain became too great, they decided it was time to seek out a doctor who would be willing to see him. It was time to get some help with the pain and some answers.  O'Neal spent a few days in the hospital having tests run and his pain managed.  These were hard days.  They couldn't be together. Jenna could only visit for short periods because curfew is still set in their cities. 

After several tests, conversations, and second opinions, they have been given a diagnosis.  Never did they imagine that back pain could be something that world turn their world upside down.  O'Neal's biopsy has come back positive for a blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma. 

O’Neal will start 8 weekly chemotherapy sessions on Tuesday, June 23. Pray with us as we know everyone responds differently to chemo.

O’Neal and Jenna truly believe that God is at work and will walk in faith knowing that He holds their future.  In the times that it gets harder to do, they know that they have an army behind them.  Thank you for praying for O'Neal and his family.  

As you can imagine, expenses for O’Neal’s care will add up quickly. The Nyanje Help Fund has been set up for donations to help them prepare and to have peace of mind.

There is a Caring Bridge page that you can follow to get updates along the way.

Nyanje’s - Your Fox River family is praying! We love you!

We’re gonna see a victory
We’re gonna see a victory
For the battle belongs to you, Lord!

Counting It All Joy - Even in Loss

We have introduced to you in the past a particular Crossroads Academy Student who we are very proud of. Salim is now in the graduating class 8.

Salim

Salim is a special student of ours who came to the school in 2016 and has overcome many obstacles. He has put a LOT of work and devotion into his schooling. We are so proud of his accomplishments at the school - taking one of the top 3 positions in subjects like math and science.

Salim’s grandma

Salim lives with his grandmother who has been sick for some time. This last Sunday, May 24th, Salim's grandmother went home to be with the Lord. It is easy to talk about his accomplishments in the classroom but perhaps what has touched our hearts the most is his relationship and care-giving he has given to his grandmother. He is one outstanding young man who was responsible for more in the home than someone is at his age.

Salim with the grandma and his sponsor, Catherine

So we grieve along side him as he has lost someone so dear to him. Our safety precautions due to Covid have changed the way funerals are done here in Kenya. Now some of the standards include having the burial 24 hours after the passing of a loved one which doesn't always afford extended family members to get there in time, which is an important part of our tradition.

This hurts our whole community, but there is no other way. In light of this necessity - please pray for Salim.

Nixon Sanga

Pray also for our student Nixon Sanga and his family who lost his little sister Nuru. She was in kindergarten class at New Life Academy in Bomani. She fell ill and succumbed to illness after being taken to hospital.

Linah Nuru

Thankfully there was a good representation of our staff team that was there for the funerals in consideration with government directives on social distancing. Our teachers have stepped in before, during and in the days to come to help Salim and Nixon and their families to cope and navigate these hard times. We could not be more proud of the representation of Christ that they have been. Thank you so much for your prayers and for joining us as we trust God with the heartache of losing loved ones in our communities.

Let us stay safe and trust in God for better days to come to the honor and glory of His name.

Nicaragua Update

We have prayed and thought about how we would share an update from Nicaragua with you… as you can imagine the information we get is always changing. We will do our best to share with you how our partners and the clinic are doing as they face the pandemic in their country.

We have stayed in communication with our partners to keep up on the things and changes happening. As we have known Nicaragua’s timeline of this unfolding there has been delayed compared to here in the States. As it has here the day to day life has changed significantly. One of the biggest ways this has and will continue to impact Nicaragua is their access to nutrition. The lack of nutritional food is a great fear and a real possibility for the people of Nicaragua.

Our ships may look different, but we are all facing the same storm. Differently, yes. But, the same none the less. Our greatest similarity is the fear of how this impacts lives!

As for the Clinic and the Community of La Esmeralda… The clinic is open and serving the community as usual. Dr. Soza has worked hard to prepare the community for the impact Covid-19 could have on their community. We are so grateful for him and the service he is giving this community.

We asked them to share how has this impacted the clinic…

The truth is this has impacted us mostly because of our culture. It is so far outside of how we are used to living, people don’t want to respect some of the changes that need to be made for us to live wisely through this pandemic.

We have had to limit the number of people we allow to wait inside the clinic. Which means some have chosen to leave and not be seen by the Dr. Those who can’t wait inside wait around back.

The amount of respiratory issues has risen with the climate change to winter, which is a concern because of the fear of the virus.

We see patients as usual and give the care they need. And we continue to share the love of Christ with everyone who walks through the doors.

Ministry is still in action through the clinic and church in La Esmeralda. They are working hard at making sure the people of this community and the surrounding communities are loved, healthy and taken care of.

As it is here, fear of the unknown is real and it can so easily take away from God at work. Will you pray with us for the people of Nicaragua? For the health and economy as things change and shift like they have here. Pray for our partners as they make decisions for their ministries.

Some fun updates to share… As we shared previously the clinic has been getting some updates. We are excited to share the progress with you. Since we last shared about the labor and delivery room a lot has changed! All they have left are some finishing touches and we will be ready to have a mom and her baby in this space. It is so exciting to have a room dedicated just for labor and recovery which includes a room for the mother and baby, a full bathroom, and a waiting room for family members. They have also spruced up the area outside of the room and made it even more welcoming to visitors.

The new waiting room

Connecting hallway from waiting room

World impact!

In light of the world wide pandemic we ask that you join us in praying for our students, staff, partners, and missionaries in both Kenya and Nicaragua. We really are, all in this together!

Read below to hear from O’Neal and Jenna as they give us the inside scoop on what is happening on their side of the world right now and how we can best pray and support them…

Faith, Love and Hope from Kenya

We wanted to share from our hearts how we are coping and give an accurate picture of what life has been like for our schools and our community.

Since the COVID-19 news broke we have been watching intently and waiting to hear from our leaders in the Kenyan government just how we need to respond.

On March 15th, the president addressed the nation and gave a directive to close all learning institutions for the sake of keeping physical interactions as low as possible. This has also reached to our places of worship. It is in the best interest of us all to individually steer on the side of caution and be responsible on our part - being quarantined.

Early Monday morning (March 16th) we sent the children home as some of them still came to school. It's not always easy to send mass communication easily with the region we are in. We have prayed over our students asking the Lord to watch over them. We have encouraged them to be hopeful and be helpful at home for whatever span of time we won’t be gathering.

Some of our students highly depend on the meals that they are getting at the school... our feeding program is such a big part of our ministry. We are working hard to make sure those families get the food that they WOULD have eaten during school for individual cooking. This takes a lot of wisdom and thought on how to distribute. Our intention is to meet the need... not cause any alarm.

We are so hopeful and have great peace in our hearts that the same God who has been sustaining us for so long has not forgotten about us. And will be the Rock upon which we stand on no mater what is down the road. We trust Him.

As for now, our students and staff will be at home. We pray for when we can resume back to our studies and see our students faces every day!

Let’s keep each other in prayer and ask God to grant us all peace of mind and heart that surpasses all understanding. May He meet all of us at our points of need and grant our leaders wisdom worldwide on how to lead during these hard and difficult times. May He also help our medical practitioners by giving them strength and wisdom to find an antidote for this ailment. May we keep the faith and not forget that God is in control even when things are not going as we know and expect.

We are praying for you!

As they mentioned, our God is bigger than this! We believe that He has gone before us and is in this with us! Let this be an encouragement to you as we walk through this together!

Fox River is praying for our World!!

Because their faces make our days brighter!

Clinic Updates

Updates that will make a huge impact on what the clinic is able to do.

Back in October they started some of the needed updates and additions needed at the Medical clinic in Nicaragua. We are so excited about how these updates will improve care at the clinic.

This first step was to build a storage building to be able to properly and conveniently store equipment and supplies. This space was built to open up the rooms currently used for storage to be used in new ways.

Now that the storage building is up they have started the process of updating the space inside the clinic to be used for labor and delivery room. This is the more exciting part of the projects! They will be creating a space that our mothers and babies can be cared for in specific ways to birth and after birth. A space designated for bringing new life into the world!

Follow along and we will share stories of how this changes things at the clinic!

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.