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

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

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!

Kenya Pastor’s Conference

Pastors from the Kenyan coastal area and regions beyond joined us for this year’s pastor’s conference.

Each heart connected with the challenge of EOBO (every one bring one) our in Kiswahili, KMLM (kila mmoja leta mmoja). Young and old alike personally accepted the challenge for themselves and their congregation.

Everyone had the opportunity to share the impact of God’s working in their life through the conference. On several occasions I was moved to tears as I listened to their stories - tears of joy and worship. This impact on church leaders all across Kenya makes the trip and the investment so worth while.

We concluded our time together with worship and communion which was holy and powerful!

The book that was given to each one was received as a great blessing with deep appreciation. I pass along a heartfelt thank you to each of you who gave to bless these servants of God.

Thanks you for all who prayed for me, Denise, Scott, Evan, Reid and Ginger. God has worked through this team!

Fox River and all who have joined us in My Gift for Jesus - YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE HERE IN KENYA - AM INCREDIBLE DIFFERENCE!

May God richly bless you in your generosity.

Blessings!

Pastor Guy

Guy teaching

Scout teaching

Reid teaching

More Reflections from Kenya

When Denise asked us to share a highlight from our time in Kenya, that seemed a nearly impossible task. From the very beginning, I saw God at work in big and small ways. He was present in ear to ear grins, moments of song and dance, commencement speeches that challenged not only the graduates but all of us to recognize that thousands of daily choices shape the people we will be tomorrow. He was tangibly present in times of prayer and expressions of faith and gratitude from both the students and their parents. He wrote a remarkable story in the connection between two occupational therapists from opposite sides of the earth that will have immeasurable impact on hundreds of children.

Two standouts, however, would be comments made by two of the high school graduates:

Edgar, from Bomani, shared with me that he was not even able to write his name when he started school at age five and he cannot praise God enough for the opportunities that his future may hold with his certificate. His family struggles greatly after the loss of his father two years ago and he considers himself the man of the family now - a great burden to find ways to feed his family of seven. Despite that, the great desire of his heart is to work hard and find a way to someday sponsor another student in his village so that they, too, might have that same chance. I feel challenged by his desire to sow seeds into the lives of his village to honor God by how he has been blessed.

Secondly, Phousteen spoke of the very real change he has seen in Vipingo over the many years he was a student at Crossroads Academy and then Valerye McMillan. Initially there was cynicism when the school opened but he tells of how the change in not only the students but their entire families is having an impact on the whole village. I cannot overstate how My Gift for Jesus is blessing those in Kenya! -JoAnn

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This is my third time to Kenya.  This trip, the small group time with our graduates really touched me.   Having the small group time with the 8th graders on their day to City Mall & Dominos really affected me.    Most of these students have never seen the world outside of their village.  Coming along side of them, having time to talk to them, teach them and guide them was really humbling.   I really enjoyed teaching them, observing them as they navigated though the day and mostly, seeing the joy on their face!   I love that this day trip not only was a fun rewarding day, but also allowed us to teach them some life skills and most of all, let them see what else is out there for them! -Kathy

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As a first timer I went into the trip with eyes and heart wide open, not knowing exactly what to expect. Now with the experience in hand, I can reflect on a few of the many special moments that God presented to me.

Spending time with "our" kids and their families were moments I'll treasure. As parents we carried the same goals in our hearts, making sure that our children have an opportunity to grow and prosper. Their parents were so appreciative of us coming along side of them, helping to give their kids an opportunity for great; Christ centered, education. Then to hear the firsthand; heartfelt, testimony from the kids that we are impacting over a lunch experience they never imagined, at a restaurant we easily take for granted. We got to tearfully listen to their love of Jesus, and the hope they carry for a bright and prosperous future.

Seeing the country and the abject poverty that abounds, the young children already working hard labor everyday in an attempt to earn enough to carry them through that day. At the same time the striking resilience of the Kenyan people making do with so little, wasting nothing, families and villages working together, their bonds are tight. All lessons we would do well to make part of our lives. We are, and can do more with what we consider to be little. - Tim

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The countdown for this 2020 Missions Trip to Kenya, Africa for my second time began well before the trip was even an option. My heart had been left in Kenya, after attending the High School Missions Trip the summer of 2015. After that trip, I knew God had a plan for me to return to see my sponsor child, Faith, graduate from 8th grade in the coming years. We communicated often with one another and a beautiful letter shared between Faith and I was shared to the entire Fox River Christian Church in January of 2019. Shortly thereafter I had learned that I would be able to attend the January Missions Trip of 2020 to assist with all the 8th grade and High School graduations occurring! I was ecstatic and so was Faith!

Some huge highlights among this trip for me included standing before Life Spring Center where it said “Imani” beside me, which means Faith. Less than an hour after that picture was taken I was able to see my sponsor child with the biggest smile on her face and my heart filled while she stood in line with all her fellow graduating classmates. Faith is so beautiful and has always been and today was her big day to look the most beautiful and special than ever and she did! 🎓 We share an amazing connection and don’t get me wrong but I think it’s pretty cool that my graduation from nursing school and her 8th grade graduation were only a few months apart, where we both had big tests to study for but we succeeded together, while praying endlessly to God for what was meant for us in the end. Faith is excited to go on to study medicine to become a doctor, just four years prior she wanted to be a special education teacher for children with special needs. I cannot wait to watch and hear about her experiences that God guides her on in the coming years after high school. ❤️

Faith and I have impacted each other’s lives in numerous ways. One big impact on this trip for us was when we were on our way to visit her home, I had chosen to provide her the shirt I wore in 2015 the first day we had met each other. Before I could explain she said, “This one the first day we met you wore”🥰 I couldn’t believe she remembered and my heart was filled with joy. I like to think that although we’re miles apart that we will always hold each other and our friendship in our hearts forever ☺️

Lastly two big impacts personally for me, was taking the graduates shopping and learning so much from them as I taught them about budgets and what to buy for certain circumstances. Also for the high school graduates helping them to buy a formal outfit for a college or job interview coming up! Just amazing opportunities throughout. Speaking of opportunities, I had always wanted to participate in an African Dance and I was given that chance on the Bomani Graduation day! Right before this trip I talked about dancing with the kids and to be chosen out of the group to participate with Barb as well was just amazing and what I call God sent. There’s so much more to this trip to talk about and breathtaking moments and experiences, but for now enjoy this blog of my team members high lights and impacts overall! ☺️ -Amber

Reflections from the Kenya Team

Our Kenya team has been home for 1 week. Jet lag has passed and our lives have returned to the routines we left just 3 short weeks ago. We were in Kenya for just 10 days. Ten days that changed our hearts forever! Today I share highlights from the team.

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Going to Kenya always changes me. In some fashion or another- and I pray God continues to allow me to go back to Kenya more and more so He can continue to change me. 

This trip was special in a lot of ways- one of them was that I got to visit with a student from Vipingo, Salome. I met Salome on my first trip to Kenya in 2015, and we formed a special bond. Our family has prayed for her, her family and her schooling. She is a hardworking girl that we are really proud of. This year my husband and I got to visit her in her home. We were able to meet her mother, grandfather, grandmother and siblings. We had the opportunity to pray with them, and just do a little bit of life with them. Seth was able to speak into how proud we are of her, and that they are in our hearts always. It was an experience we’ll never forget. 

Home visits are just one of the amazing ways that we get to do ministry here in Kenya. If you get the opportunity- go. You won’t regret a single second, a single dollar- you just won’t. - Ashlyn 

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Something that sticks out to me is spending some quality time with my sponsored child, Jemmimah.  She was among the Vipingo Class 8 graduating class and we spent time at City Mall.  Being able to see the students decide how to spend the money they had was great.  Most bought something that they could share with their families and were very discrete as to what they chose.  It was sad knowing that Jemmimah would no longer be associated with Fox River because she, among a large group of graduates, are headed to a national school.

I can’t talk about Kenya without talking about one of my favorite places which provided a number of highlights.  Sahajanand, the special needs home/school provided some great hugs and many, many smiles!  I was able to spend time with my beloved Jimmy.  On our second day at the center, JoAnn and I were able to introduce some of the supplies that she had brought to the children and their Physical Therapist. 

My observation of God’s greatest impact came from a conversation I had with a high school graduate, Martin.  He so perfectly exemplified the results of our efforts with these children.  He is a God loving, joyous and incredibly grateful young man.  These children are given a rare opportunity to know God and receive an exceptional education.  Chatting with these students brings such warmth to my heart.  We see so many young people on the streets and in the villages who have not had the opportunity that our students have had. - Barb

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"When all you have is nothing, there's a lot to go around" is the song quote (from the 1998 movie 'The Prince of Egypt') that crossed my mind during this, my first visit to Kenya. The children, adults, teachers, and parents are blessed with the culture that both welcomes generosity and genuinely strives to provide the best for their visitors. The fact that they have much less than I do does not hinder this action - rather, they prefer sharing what little they have over being aloof and indifferent towards their guests. The level of comfort and gratefulness I experienced from nearly everyone I crossed paths with - people I had never met before and possibly, though realistically, never see again - is a notion that I never thought to experience while there but will without a doubt follow me for the rest of my life. -Ami

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The main purpose of my trip to Kenya, was to attend the Valerye McMillan High School graduation of Julius, as part of the 1st graduating high school class sponsored by Fox River, and the 8th grade graduation of Saida, from New Life Academy in Bomani. Both events were not only a highlight of my journey, but will be lifelong memories of pride and joy for what these two have accomplished in spite of the obstacles that living in a poverty stricken third world environment can present every single day. To add even more joy to my heart was having my daughter Ami accompany me, to meet her Kenyan brother and sister and experience the same love and joy she has heard so much about for the past 9 years during which I have sponsored Julius and Saida. God also blessed this trip with a team of people that truly had a "team heart" for each and every person, the support and encouragement of your team members is a vital component to the experience and this team was indeed open to the Holy Spirit's guidance in both prayer and action with one another. If you aren't sponsoring a child yet, please consider doing so, you truly will change a child's life. - Jan

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As I wake up in my own home and reflect on the 11 nights that I slept in Kenya, it amazes me how much I take for granted. We had most of the conveniences of home for those 11 nights, but I got the opportunity to see 3 of the kids’ we sponsor homes and it was humbling. Two of them lived in a community of mud huts surrounded by extended family and one lived in a rented cement room about the size of my bathroom I think. Five people slept in two beds in that tiny room. And. They. Were. Happy. They were grateful. It was hot (I mean really, really hot) and not private at all and they were happy to show us around. One young gentleman was going to inherit his grandmother’s hut soon and he was telling us his plans to work hard and do the work on it that it needed and make it his own. He was so proud! My big takeaway from this is: Family. Family is important. We should build each other up and do what love requires of us in the moment to do for our family – blood family and God’s family.

As I’ve been home these few days and thinking about how even small things have a huge impact on people and then attending the celebration of life for a friend who was all about serving others, it seems clear to me that we all can do something to show the love of Jesus. (Matthew 25:40)  My friend, JoAnn, had a vision to get supplies to Sahajanand Special Needs School while we were in Kenya and she did it. It was such a joy to see the impact of that. My takeaway from this: Do for one what you wish you could do for many. It does make a difference. I’m grateful for my time in Kenya. I pray that my life will be different because of it. -Brenda

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Homeward Bound

This team of servants is homeward bound. They are

• Filled with memories

• Blessed by our kids and partners in Kenya

• Overflowing with gratitude

• Tired

• Hot!

• Ready to go home

They have been amazing! please pray with us as we make our long journey home. We begin our flights at 10am Tuesday Wisconsin time. The first flight is just over 2 hours to Addis Ababa. With a one hour layover we will hustle to the next flight that is 17 hours to O’Hare with a fuel stop in Dublin.

We expect to arrive in Chicago at 7am on Wednesday.

In a few days we will share our highlights. Thank you for following us along the way!

Our Heart is People

The story below began a decade ago when a few Fox River ladies were walking through the village and came across a boy with Down’s Syndrome. We took him into our school and loved him until we knew we needed to find a better situation for him. That place is Shahajanand, a school for special needs children. Hanzi has been so well cared for that we now have two special needs kids in the school. We visit them each year to check on them. JoAnn shares her story:

Hanzi

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In more ways than I can count, I have seen God at work over the course of the last week during our time here in Kenya. However, the events I share here were years in the making and I see how He was writing an incredible story in ways that only He could do!

When I traveled to Kenya a year ago, I knew we would be visiting a special needs school that is home to over 600 special needs children. As an occupational therapist, God put it on my heart to find a way to use my skills and knowledge to bless the children there. Coworkers, friends and family encouraged this desire by giving toward supplies the therapy room might need. I had anticipated they were working with limited equipment but was startled by the meager options available.

The original intent was to purchase items in Kenya, but eventually we determined that the best option would be for the supplies to travel with me when I returned this year. By the grace of God, six suitcases full of supplies safely traveled with us and were delivered to the school on Thursday.

We received a very enthusiastic welcome by Gilbert, the Kenya occupational therapist, and many of the staff who work tirelessly to love on and care for children who would not survive in their villages given their challenges.

Denise and head teacher, Muzungu

As we opened each suitcase, Gilbert was overwhelmed and overjoyed. The children were included in the giving of the gifts as they with be the ones who directly benefit from the generosity of so many.

Gilbert and a few of the children

Some Fox River team members & Shahajanand staff

Exploring the contents of the suitcases

Today I was able to spend time in the clinic with Gilbert working directly with the various children and seeing the huge impact the supplies are going to have on his ability to care for the children, or as he refers to them, his angels.

Gilbert testing his balance

Ready to begin!

As I consider the path that had me out of therapy for 10 years, the doors that God opened to have me return to work as an OT in my dream job and now the ability to collaborate with another therapist around the world using shared skills to truly improve the quality of life for these children, I stand in awe of Him and His ways. I am also humbled to be able to hand deliver these blessings with full knowledge of all who choose to partner with me in this endeavor and this was not something I accomplished on my own.

Three beautiful angels blessed by this generosity

God is so good and I am amazed at the ripple effect it can have when we chose to say YES to Him. Fox River’s love and support of two schools in Kenya has spilled over to a far reaching impact in Kenya that cannot be overstated. Individual lives are being changed for now and eternity!

Our heart is people

Our message is Jesus

Our First High School Graduation!

Friday and Saturday we celebrated our first class to graduate from high school. These 43 young people started in our schools in preschool. What a joy to watch them finish the course with a bright future!

Graduates from our primary school in Bomani.

Graduates from our primary school in Vipingo.

Cake ceremony

Special dignitaries. All women who fight for our girls who before our schools would have most likely been married with children by this time in their villages.

Missionary Bobby Bechtel, Tim and I awarding the certificate of appreciation to Martin, our sponsored boy. He has the top score in business.

Today we celebrated by taking the graduates shopping. Our team helped them pick out a new outfit that they could wear to a job interview. They had so much fun and were so grateful!

A final meal to share with the kids and wish them well as they leave our program and move on to the next step’s in their lives.

What a joy it has been to celebrate with a total of 96 of our kids this week. God has used Fox River to give them the hope of a bright future.