MOCP Board

Chris Cichanowicz

Chris Cichanowicz lives in Mansfield, Ohio. After being happily married for over 49 years, the love of Chris’s life, Stan, died of cancer. Chris is a retired high school English teacher. Traveling to Malawi on a mission trip in 2018 topped off her love of travel and deepened her love of helping youth of all ages. Her two wonderful daughters, their caring husbands, and four grandchildren brighten her days with their love and laughter.

Kenneth J. Ekegren

Ken Ekegren serves as President of Malawi Orphan Care Project. He is a Professor Emeritus from North Central State College in Mansfield, Ohio. He spent 25 years in manufacturing, both in engineering and management, and is now retired after teaching engineering technology for 24 years. His engineering students worked on projects as diverse as designing adaptive equipment for handicapped individuals to converting standard vehicles to pure electric power. His students also helped design, build and test solar cookers, rocket stoves and outdoor kitchen stoves for villagers in Malawi. In 2019, he took four engineering students on a grant funded trip to Malawi, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to improve cookstove design and manufacturing techniques.

Penny Ekegren

Penny Ekegren is a retired oncology nurse and has been involved with the Malawi Orphan Care Ministries since 2005, serving as one of the original board members. Penny has traveled to Malawi multiple times with her husband, Ken, and has a passion for working with the women caregivers. Penny introduced the Days for Girls program to Kanyenyeva in 2015 and has worked actively to help the women in Kanyenyeva open their own Days for Girls Enterprise to sew sanitary products for their own local use, but also as a sustainable means of personal income.

Jan Fisher is Treasurer for MOCP, serving her third year in this capacity and is a longtime member of First English Lutheran Church in Mansfield, OH. She has two children and two grandchildren. She has been to Malawi and the people there stole her heart! Jan is a busy retiree serving as Team Leader for Women of First English Lutheran Church, council representative for Evangelism, volunteer editor for the monthly church newsletter “The Visitor” , member of the praise team, among other things. Jan loves to knit prayer shawls and is presently heading up a project where ladies are knitting and crocheting prayer patches. Feeding and educating the precious people at the orphan project is a top priority for Jan!

Andrew W. Jones

Andrew Jones serves as Pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Joseph, Illinois. He has been involved with the ministry of the Kanyenyeva Orphan Care Ministries since 2005, and has been a member of the MOCP board since its inception. He brings a passion for long term relationships into the structure of MOCP as it works with its partner ministries.

Joy Jones

Joy Jones is a founding member and serves as vice-president of Malawi Orphan Care Project. She lives in St. Joseph, Illinois with her husband, Andy, and they have two adult children. She is a graduate of Calvin College and earned her Masters Degree in Nonprofit Administration from John Carroll University. She is Program Director at Family Service of Champaign County in Champaign, IL. She has been to Malawi several times and enjoys working in partnership with the people of Kanyenyeva. She is also a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and adheres to their ethical principles and standards.

Paul J. Mattson

Currently serving as pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Crosby, Minnesota. Married to Jill for 32 years; two adult children, Jim and Elizabeth. A Minnesotan most of my life, enjoying the change and beauty of each season (yes, even winter….most of the time!) Have traveled to Malawi on two occasions, supporting the work of MOCP and to also meet a girl we support in Malawi through World Vison. Hobbies include reading, hiking, biking, boating and ping-pong.

Terri Wisniak

Terri Wisniak is a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Crosby, Minnesota. She is on the Youth Advisory Board and loves working with the youth of her church. She is currently secretary of Malawi Orphan Care Project. She has been to the project once and loved to see how the children are fed food and Jesus.