Beginning from the middle.

I know you may be wondering about the title of this blog, but it’s actually our current state of the school year here in Kenya as we’re making up for lost time at school.

Our Vipingo student enjoy the graduation

We are grateful for a successful and productive school year. It started with a lot of uncertainty and lack of direction from the ministry of education due to the pandemic. We had shutdowns and lockdowns in the country as measures to mitigate the spread of Covid. With these measures in place schools were shut down for the whole of 2020 hence disrupting the coming 2021 school calendar. 

It’s never gets any cuter than this at bomani

We had to play catch up with the calendar to finish the year and we have just ended the 2020 school calendar this last week. We’re so thrilled - but at the same time there’s not much time to rest as we break for just 1 week and start the new school year.

Our lovely vipingo student

The normal school year in Kenya is 3 terms. You have 3 months each term and a months break in between. So there are a lot of adjustments. We thank God for our teachers who have taken up the challenge and have worked tirelessly to make sure our students get to finish the syllabus and are ready for the next classes in record time. 

Bomani and high school teachers and staff having a fun and games day before schools started.

We seek to ask for prayers as we start this new year and face new challenges of squeezing everything into a smaller time frame than we’re use to. We seek to ask you to pray for our teachers as they prepare materials, to have wisdom on how to do it in a short time and be able to examine the learners in that same period. May you also pray for the students as they prepare for the new class they will come in with new challenges and little time for adjustment, compared to what they are used to in their former classes. 

Our Teachers from Vipingo with our current High school graduates.

We also have graduated several into universities and other institutions in the country which is a great praise! 

Happy high school teachers and staff at games day.

I can testify and say we have been able to send 30 students to the university and 60 into tertiary institutions since the beginning of the schools program here in Kenya. Most of the students who have been able to get to this level of education are the first in their entire extended families. 

Our current high school graduates heading into university

As we begin this new year, may we get to understand and adapt into the new normal, and succeed in achieving dreams and showing Christ to the children through your support, that we are truly grateful for. 

Covid Days in Kenya

We greet you again from Kenya! 


We hope you are still keeping safe and keeping clean as we go through these tough times in our life time.

I bet you can also identify that many of the day’s seem to look the same. We will be so thrilled when we can be back together with our students and our teachers. It might be a while before we take these long ministry days for granted.

Kenyan 47 counties

Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Nairobi counties in Kenya have been given another 21 days travel ban (no travel between counties) and an extension of 21 days of night curfew from 7pm to 5am. The numbers of the infections have been increasing but we thank God none of our staff or students have been found positive as yet. The Education Minister extended the schools closed until the end of May.

This is hard on a good number of our families that the schools are closed. It’s hard on ALL of them educationally. There are families who we know have depended greatly on the schools for food (breakfast and Lunch) each day. With seeking much wisdom and trying to help within the pandemic, we are so thankful to Fox River that we are still able to feed the students with food bundles we send home with them as they come to pick up study material packets to work from home.

Student with study material to take home.

Our teachers and other staff team have done this distribution beautifully with keeping as much social distancing and high hygiene standards as possible while getting the food out to the families. We have done this twice in both of our elementary schools and are planning to have a similar exercise for our high school students and their families this week.

Food bought in bulk

Packed in bundles of Maize flower, beans, cooking oil and some other essentials.

A teacher filling a container with cooking oil for a parent to take home.

The response from the community has been so positive. This pandemic has affected everyone. We are so grateful that through your giving the schools are STILL able to be a source of hope in the community. As missionaries here seeing some of the struggle first hand, we are boosted in spirit that there are still ways that we can meet real needs.

Here are some ways that you can continue to pray for our ministry partners and schools.

Teachers: Pray that our teachers and support staff (cooks, cleaners, gardeners) to remain healthy and well. We so look forward to being together soon.

Students: Plainly put, that they would stay at home. Normaly if there is no school, that would signal to all our kids that being outside and playing is the norm. Pray that they will remain safe and make healthy practices.

Kenya: For our leaders to have wisdom on how long our shut down will be and how the Ministry of Education will make up for this strange school year. (Our school year in Kenya starts in January!)

Isabella with her food bundle to take home.

Thank you for your ongoing support and prayers! We are so grateful for the support you give our communities.

~O’Neal Nyanje

Mid Term

After 7 weeks of soaking up new knowledge and having fun with friends - it’s time to take a one week compulsory break!

Heading out to the village in Bomani 

The Ministry of Education sets rules and regulations (alongside the new curriculum) that makes it mandatory for children to get time out and then get back to books.

Switching classes the high school way. 

We ended the term very well in our two elementary schools and High School - we really thank God for that.

Pahe enjoying some story books  

Brains at work in the high school lab

For the High School, It’s been great and heart filling to see new students who have integrated so well. You can’t tell them apart now that they are all wearing the same uniform. We are one!

New kids on the block

Who knew this guy is new  

As you pray, remember our students as they come back for six more weeks of the remaining first term of school. Pray for the teachers to keep up with the great work and the energy and innovation that teaching requires. As for the students, pray for a teachable spirit and clarity of mind to grasp all that they will learn, and open hearts towards the Lords call to salvation.

Pizza and Graduation

Introducing Bomani!!! To think we get to do this twice?  

During the second half of the week we were able to celebrate the wonderful job done of our Bomani graduates with both a pizza outing and graduation ceremony!   

Check out these moments:

Preparing the dough with a smile

It’s ready  

Oil it right and box it

Let’s eat and be merry  

I scream you scream we all scream ice cream. 

Ready for graduation  

Scouts honor upon flag raising and national anthem. 

Preschool graduates 

Class of 2018

Fox River gift is a book bag and a Bible  

Traditional Dance to add more color to a colorful day. 

Traditional cake cutting ceremony  

Grandma Enjoying the fruits of success  

Word of counsel from Denise

The Team  

Hurray!!! And now onto the next level of learning and fun.

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.

Intake day ....

The early birds eagerly waiting for interviews.

It's one of the most anticipated day's in the Vipingo community and the school, but it is equally very hard. 

Final deliberation for task ahead

As we get to the 3rd term of the school year we also start to look for the next kindergarten class for our school. This week Crossroads Academy opened up the doors for interviews.

The train of hope for the future

Our school in Vipingo aims to find families that otherwise would not be able to afford quality schooling and offering them a full scholarship through YOUR donations.

Parents getting welcomed

The look of wonder of how this works

We have 3 communities, Vipingo, Rea and Bureni, which circle our campus. This time we had 87 families come to seek a spot in the 2019 kindergarten class.

Ready or not here we are

We look at many different aspect of where a family is coming from to determine who most greatly needs a spot at the school. Most importantly, we pray for wisdom and discernment. We pray that we would be the hands and feet of Jesus and His wonderful plan for the school age children and their families in our community.

Family ready to get their girl a future.

Patiently waiting to serve

Shhh interview in progress

Through this long interviewing process we hope to pick 34 little ones for our next kindergarten class. By the end of the Month they will be coming in for uniform fittings and initial meetings as they join the Crossroads family. Pray with us as we work out all these logistics that would change a whole community and for God to be glorified through it all as always.

All's Well That Ends Well

This last week both our schools in Bomani and Vipingo have taken a break after finishing term 2 successfully. This is common to do here in the Kenyan Education System.

Bomani grade 8 students at Haller Park with the Fox River Team

Vipingo grade 8 students at Haller Park with the Fox River Team

Community is such an important aspect of our Kenyan culture. Relationships always trump agendas and we try hard to make sure we make time for the good stuff -  fellowship with each other.

The Team that makes everything happen at the schools.

This was a longer term for the schools and was also filled with the blessing of many visitors. We decided to wrap up a little bit differently with a gathering of staff from both schools. We met at Vipingo where we watched a movie titled Mully - (worth looking for), played games and finished up with eating some nice Byriani - a Kenyan coastal speciality.

Inspirational Movie Time - Mully Movie

All work and no play makes us all dull.

Lunch was scrumptious 

We had this time of fellowship to focus on the ever important community that is being built every year as the schools grow. Both schools are uniquely different but have one main focus - to educate young children in their faith and their academics to one day change their own destiny, direction and community.

After Fellowship came Swallowship

O’Neal moderating 

We ended the term with a real bang and were so thankful for our time together. Please keep our students in prayer over these 3 weeks term break that they may:

- Stay safe while at home.

- Continue their walk with Jesus by attending Church and youth programs.

- Make good choices and return back to school rested and healthy.

In Team there is no Me.

Please also take time to pray for the teachers and the support staff. They do a wonderful job and we are immensely grateful for them!

Let’s Connect

The Tech Booth at Crossroads Fellowship Nyali.

The Fox River missions team is excited to introduce you to a new boots on the ground partner in Kenya- O’Neal. Hear from O’Neal today... 

This is going to be an interesting read because this is my first time to blog. In as much as I work at the Media Department at Crossroads Fellowship Nyali. Writing stories is not my cup of tea. My wife Jenna is quite a story teller and is giving pointers- which I am thankful for, together we are a great team. I say this because I am a thinker and a tech guy not a writer.

The Nyanjes 

I have decided to take up the challenge, because then I get to share with everyone stories of God’s goodness through the different hands and feet he has used to bring hope to children and communities here in Kenya.

Community outreach day at vipingo

I have had numerous opportunities of seeing smiles and hearing of dreams of little boys and girls at both New Life in Bomani and Crossroads Academy in Vipingo. I want to share these moments with you as I get to interact and do life with the rest of my people out in Bomani and Vipingo.

Pizza Day with Graduating class

As you read this please keep praying for Jenna and I as we serve and love our people. Being a tool in God’s hands is the best part of our lives and we couldn’t ask for anything more than being where we are. Looking forward to sharing more stories of life in Kenya and Gods goodness. Stay Tuned. 

Medical camp at Vipingo