New kids at New Day!

Today we admitted two new orphans into New Day! This was a "textbook" admittance from the government. Social Welfare called us at lunchtime to let us know that they had 3 orphans (ages 3, 3, and 1) that had no place to go. Blu met with them to get details.

The two brothers are actually ages 5 and 4....we're guessing. The grandmother bringing them had no idea how old they were, who was older, or what year they were born. So we picked birthdays for them based on their appearances, size of feet, and height!

The boys are double orphans--their father died a few years ago and their mother died on April 25th. They went to live with their grandmother but she brought them to Social Welfare today (along with their baby sister) saying that she could no longer care for them and needed to place them in an orphanage. Sadly, the baby girl is HIV positive, so she went to an orphanage in Choma that cares for HIV positive children.

Misheck is the oldest boy, and we gave him the birthday of Sept 15, 2005. He is severely malnourished, as you can see from the scaly patches on his head.



Sankwa is his younger birthday, and we chose June 26, 2006 as his birthday. He has a huge smile and was SO excited!


We got papers signed and will take the boys for checkups at the clinic tomorrow and to confirm their HIV negative status. We will also buy them new shoes, socks, and jackets. They are both sleeping in their own beds at New Day tonight, after eating a chicken pie, chocolate donut, and a Sprite from the store on the way to their new home!

It is overwhelming and so exciting to be apart of the life change for these two boys. Please pray for them as they adjust to their new surroundings and join our family at New Day!

World Planking Day

What...you've never heard of planking????!!! It's the newest fad out of Australia, so to commemorate World Planking Day today we had a contest to see who could plank in the best spot...and yes, you should be alarmed that Blu is in charge of New Day (although if you knew Blu as a youth minister you won't be surprised at all...) :)

Game Night

To celebrate African Freedom Day, we had a Game Night at our house...and we definitely felt like we were in youth ministry again! :)
Movies in one room....

A serious game of Risk...

Girls playing Sequence

The 3 stooges teaching Sisi how to make silly faces :)

Adjusting

Sisi and John are adjusting to their new surroundings at New Day. Today was an African holiday, so they will begin school tomorrow. They are loving all of their new clothes, shoes, and toys to play with. They aren't talking much, as they know NO English, but we are seeing more and more smiles! Please pray for them as they adjust to New Day and become apart of our family!
The New Day Kids: Oldest to youngest: Sisi, John, Machila, Caedmon, Laurie, Purity, Cambree, & Cason

Sisi and John at the river today, loving their new clothes!

Pretty Sisi

A New Day

May 24, 2011 will mark a New Day for the lives of two Zambian orphans. Sibasiso (Sisi) and Muchoni arrived about 45 minutes ago and are currently getting accustomed to their new rooms, clothes, and toys!

Sisi is 6 years old, and she is a double orphan. Her mom died when she was 9 months old and her father died 2 years ago, but she has been living with her aunt since her mom died. She is in Grade 1 (Kindergarten equivalent) and speaks NO English. The aunt and uncle who have been raising her are both HIV positive.

Muchoni is also 6 years old, and he is Sisi's cousin. His father died when he was 2 months old, and his mother, being young and having only one child, didn't want the responsibility and left him with the father's family, so he has been raised by his aunt. His mother is still living but has not lived with him since he was about one year old, making Muchoni a single orphan, or a double orphan due to abandonment.

Both children arrived with the clothes on their backs--no bag, no toys, and no extra clothes.

I'll let these pictures speak for themselves, and I know those of you who have walked alongside us on this journey are rejoicing (and crying happy tears!) with us today!

A Week at New Day

Inside the Wilcox house

Outside the Wilcox house--walls are almost done--then time for the roof!

Guest house, currently on hold as they wait for more burned bricks

Darbi checking out the progress of Debbie's hut

Blu with his latest project--picnic tables for the dining hall

Margaret, our house mother, working on her yard at the orphan "Luyando House"

Scenes from school today

Teacher Hildah checking the kids' work


Teacher Abby getting ready for some board work

Weekly Update

The Wilcox house looks the same as last week because the builders spent the week "shattering", which means building forms to pour a ring of concrete at the top of the house!

Another birthday at New Day as Hildah turned 31 today!


This is the guest house, which will house Diana and Carolyn, our two American teachers coming in January, and it will also have 2 spare rooms for volunteer teams! We are using burnt bricks to build it, so it's going up slower but looking good!

The walls of Debbie's hut are going up! (Debbie is coming in January as well to head up all things agriculture at New Day!)

Caedmon's first black eye!

A Tribute to my Mother and Others...

I heard it said once that we have mothers and we have "others", other people in our lives who have, in some way, filled a role of "mother" in your life. So here is a tribute to my mother and others. :)

My Left Lung--my Mama. Without her it is difficult to breathe. Second only to my husband, she is my absolute best friend. She knows me better than anyone and has a crazy way of being able to gently correct me through Scripture, when I need it, in a way that is not irritating ;) The best parts of me come from her. :) (Except for my awesome calves--those are from Dad)

My beautiful B-Maw. She has known me since I was 17 and started dating her middle son. :) I know that she prays for me daily and is proud of who I have become over the last 13 years. And she loves me. :)

My Robbo (pictured here with my bf Whitney and her daughter Hannah). Robbo has known me since I was 9 years old and has seen me at my MOST obnoxious, and she still loves me. :) The memories I have of time spent with Robbo and her family I will treasure forever. I love her!

The one and only Lala. God has BLESSED me beyond belief by giving me a mother figure here in Zambia. Though I constantly tell her she is old and weird, I love her dearly and feel lost in Zambia without her right now!

Sweet Laura T. I can always count on Laura for encouragement, and I can share anything with her without feeling judged. We have walked through quite a bit together, and we are stronger for it and forever bonded. Miss her tons!!

Mrs. Di-Nanna: A woman who adores my children and holds a special place in my heart! We have seemed to grow closer since I moved to Zambia--maybe because she sends me chocolate so frequently! :) Mrs. Dianna never fails to email with encouraging words and tell me how proud she is of me. :)

Our precious Mrs. Kelly (known as Mrs. Telly in our family!) She also adores my children but adores me and Blu just as much! We can count on her for anything and can't wait to give her a BIG hug in October!


I hope you take time to tell your mothers and others how much they mean to you this Mother's Day. (I sound like a Hallmark card..) Praying this year for my close friends and family who no longer have their mamas with them. I love you!

We're all in the same family!

That's what I overheard Cambree say to her friends as they ate together in the New Day dining room--"Hey! It's like we're all in the same family!!" ;) Here are pics of this week's progress!

Wilcox house is ready to have the ring beam poured!

Silly faces with "family!"

Trusses ready for the Wilcox roof

We spent a lot of the week tiling! This is the island in the New Day kitchen.

This is our guest bathroom--ready for volunteer season!

Seven girls all living in one house definitely need a nice bathroom countertop!

Debbie's hut is ready for its slab to be poured on Monday!