More Churches!

Today we were BUSY!! We headed to First Baptist Church in Bartlett, Texas first. This was the church that my dad pastored from 1992-1997, so I spent most of my youth there. It is also the church where Blu and I were married! This small church has donated $9,765 to New Day over the past 2 years! We are excited because they are planning their first overseas mission trip to Zambia in 2013!
Before church

Darbi leading the children's time



This evening, we headed to Immanuel Baptist Church in Temple, Texas. This church has a special place in my heart as well, because my dad got saved when I was 3 years old, and this was the church my family started attending. This church was the first place where I ever heard the name "Jesus" and where I heard my first Bible story! It gave me goosebumps to speak in this church 28 years later!! :)

We got to speak to both the AWANAs and the adults, and it was fabulous! Thank you FBC and IBC for opening your churches up to us and to New Day today!

Back in Texas!

I didn't do so well blogging the rest of our Disney World trip, but we had a blast! We spent a day at the outlet mall in Orlando, taking advantage of sales on summer clothes that we need for Zambia! Meanwhile, the boys spent the day golfing at one of the nice PGA courses at Disney.

We spent the next day at Hollywood Studios and LOVED the nighttime Mickey Fantasmic Light Show - technology is amazing!!! Our last day was spent relaxing by the pool, doing some souvenir shopping, and staying up LATE to watch the Rangers game!

Now it's back to work - we speak on Sunday morning at a church, stay afterwards for a mission trip team meeting, and then head to a different church to do two presentations in the evening!

Universal Studios Island of Adventure!

We spent today at Universal Studios' Island of Adventure! Yesterday was fun with Mickey & the princesses, but today was big kid fun - we rode every ride/roller coaster in the park! My favorite was the Harry Potter 4-D ride and the Incredible Hulk roller coaster! :) Tomorrow we take a break for the guys to golf and the girls to shop!

Lunch at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville

Spiderman!


Cloud over Shade...LOL

DISNEY WORLD PICS!

BEAR WITH ME PEOPLE! :) THE SIX GRANDKIDS ARE STAYING WITH PAW & B-MAW IN TEXAS, SO I'M POSTING THESE PICS SO THEY CAN SEE PICTURES OF THEIR MAMAS & DADDYS WITH SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE DISNEY CHARACTERS! :) (DON'T THINK WE'RE CRUEL...WE'LL TAKE THEM IN 2015 WHEN THEY ARE OLDER!)

WOODY!!

ME WITH SLEEPING BEAUTY! (BLU GOT IN TROUBLE BY ME SOON AFTER THIS FOR ASKING HER DUMB QUESTIONS AND CALLING HER SNOW WHITE....)

SHADE & CAITY

MY FAVORITE PICTURES OF THE DAY - SAMMY WAS SOOOOO EXCITED TO SEE MICKEY MOUSE!!!

THIS WAS SAMMY'S FACE AFTER SHE GOT HER FIRST GLIMPSE OF MICKEY!!

STANDING IN LINE WITH THESE GUYS IS ALMOST AS FUN AS THE RIDE ITSELF :)

ME WITH CINDERELLA! SHE SAYS "HI CAMBREE!"

COOKING BRUNCH BEFORE WE HEADED TO MAGIC KINGDOM THIS MORNING

ME & BELLE!

CLOUD & SAMMY

SHADE & CAITY WITH MICKEY

CAITY & CINDERELLA

CAITY & BELLE

BUZZ!!

US WITH MICKEY!

READY FOR OUR DAY!

ALL OF US WITH MICKEY MOUSE!! :)

PRAYER REQUEST

WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU PRAY FOR NEW DAY THIS WEEK AS WE DEAL WITH A DIFFICULT SITUATION THAT HAS COME UP. A GIRL LIVING ON NEW DAY LAND (NOT ONE OF OUR STAFFERS, BUT A NINETEEN YEAR OLD GIRL WE WERE HELPING GO TO SCHOOL) RECENTLY BECAME PREGNANT. AFTER COUNSELING WITH HER AND HELPING HER MAKE A PLAN FOR HER FUTURE, THIS GIRL SADLY TURNED TO TRADITIONAL MEDICINE TO HAVE AN ABORTION. THIS GIRL WILL BE LEAVING NEW DAY THIS WEEK. PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL HEAL HER HEART AND REVEAL HIMSELF TO HER AS SHE DEALS WITH THIS DECISION FOR YEARS TO COME.

MEANWHILE, MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SITUATION AND ARE TELLING US THAT WE NEED TO PERFORM A TRADITIONAL CLEANSING CEREMONY ON OUR LAND. IF WE DO NOT DO THIS, OUR CURRENT ORPHANS COULD BECOME SICK OR EVEN DIE. WE HAVE REFUSED TO PERFORM THIS CEREMONY. NEW DAY'S FIRST VISION IS TO PROVIDE OUR CHILDREN WITH A CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW, WHICH MEANS THAT WE TURN TO CHRIST, NOT TO TRADITIONAL BELIEFS, FOR SALVATION (AND PROTECTION!). PLEASE PRAY THAT THIS SITUATION WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US AT NEW DAY TO SHOW THAT WE ARE DIFFERENT, AND THAT THE HEADMAN AND OTHER ELDERS IN THE COMMUNITY WILL RESPECT OUR TRADITION, AND EVEN BE DRAWN CLOSER TO JESUS BECAUSE OF THIS DECISION.

PLEASE LIFT UP WES & LAURIE AND JOSH & CHRISTY AS THEY DEAL FIRSTHAND WITH THIS SITUATION IN MAPANZA. THANK YOU!

Wedding Pics!

I realize you probably don't want to see a bunch of pictures of people you don't know...too bad ;)

The two youngest- A.J. and Cason

Cloud, Blu, & Shade with their cousin (and beautiful bride!) Dawn

The brothers..

Cambree & Daddy enjoying a dance

Two-steppin' with Paw!

Me & Sammy & Cambree

The six grandkids again..getting tired of taking pictures..

The six grandkids before things got crazy!

Our family decked out in the wedding colors of purple/red

Paw & B-Maw with all of their grandkids!

Me with my gorgeous sisters-in-law, Caity & Sammy

The whole family

It my party...!

We are in Austin for Blu's cousin's wedding today, but Blu wanted me to have a special birthday, so he planned a surprise little party for me here in Austin! We went and got pizza from Cici's, and then we went to a miniature golf place for some golf, presents, and cake! It was a little chaotic with 6 children under the age of 6, but it was fun!!

Caedmon took the game very seriously and refused to cheat.. :)

B-Maw, Cloud, my sisters-in-law Sammy & Caity, A.J., and Brenden!




I got a beautiful matching bracelet and earrings and a new shirt! Fun day! Now it's time to get ready for the wedding! :)

Cambree's Prayer

"Dear Lord, please let all the kids in the world have Bibles, and please let us have a good day (Blu leans over to remind Cambree to pray for Grandpa), and Lord please help Grandpa to feel better, and please forgive Daddy his sin for talking during the prayer. Amen."

It's my Birthday! :)

OK, WELL REALLY IT'S TOMORROW, BUT HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF SOME OF THE FUN :)

GRANDPA TOOK CAEDMON FOR A FLAT-TOP :)

I WAS TRYING TO PICK OUT A CAKE, AND I PASSED THESE AMAZING LOOKING ICE CREAM TREATS, AND IT WAS WHAT I WANTED!! SO THAT IS MY "CAKE" :)

MY FAVORITE PART OF BIRTHDAYS IS GETTING TO SEE WHAT THE KIDS PICKED OUT FOR ME! CAEDMON GOT ME A LIGHTER FOR OUR GAS STOVE SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO LIGHT MATCHES ANYMORE (HE'S SOOOO THOUGHTFUL!), CAMBREE GOT ME LOTION (SO THAT I WOULD SHARE WITH HER) AND CASON GOT ME SOCKS. HE HANDED ME THE WRAPPED PACKAGE AND VERY SERIOUSLY SAID, "SOCKS." :)

AND BLU GOT ME A KITCHEN AID MIXER, EVERY MISSIONARY WIFE'S DREAM!!

MAMA MADE ME AN APPLE TABLE RUNNER, AND MY PARENTS GAVE ME $, WHICH I QUICKLY SPENT ON BOOKS AT LIFEWAY!

OUR FAMILY AT TONIGHT'S WEDDING REHEARSAL! I LOVE MY NEW BOOTS! :)

New Day Updates!

For updates on what's actually happening at New Day while we are in the USA, please check out Wes & Laurie's blog at:

wilcoxzambia.blogspot.com

Fall Fun!

Here are some pics of our last couple of days!

I love this Daddy/Son moment of at the park!




Trying to take a decent picture.....see what I have to put up with?? :)

It's tough having to share. :)

Fun in the leaves at Rugrat Holler!

I love Cason's face!

Sometimes it seems that we try to cram as many memories as we can into the 3 months we are in the USA! I was so grateful that my kids got to spend a couple of days with my favorite Uncle - Uncle Charlie from North Carolina!

We shared a traditional meal of nshima, chicken,a and cabbage with Uncle Charlie & Aunt Martha! Here I am washing Aunt Martha's hands before the meal! (our kids were SOOO excited to eat nshima!!)

Uncle Charlie loved it!