Happy Birthday to Margaret!! (and Joyce!)

Today our sweet housemother Margaret turned 63 years old! When discussing her party, we realized that our other housemother Joyce (who has a Christmas Day birthday), never got a traditional New Day party! So we combined both of them into one fun, water-pouring party! I love the picture of the two mothers together with Blu getting ready to pour a bucket of water on them - when will they learn?! Never pose for a picture outside on your birthday! The funniest part was that Margaret & Joyce came armed with leftover cleaning bottles (windex, toilet cleaner) that they had been saving for months! They washed them out really good and then filled them with water and used them as squirt guns on all of the kids! You'll also see new pictures of our week-old girls, Glory & Precious - love those smiles!

God knew....

Today, our last 2 girls (for now!) arrived at New Day! We are now a maxed out orphanage with 16 orphans, 8 boys and 8 girls! Glory & Precious are sisters, ages 5 & 4. (Glory will be 6 next week). Their story is a sad one. Their mother lost her mind last year, and at this point their father abandoned the family. After moving from place to place, the mother's family was finally able to have the courts declare her unfit, and the girls were transferred into New Day custody by the courts today. Both girls speak a little English, and we are excited to see how fast they transition into the New Day family! What amazes me is that we have conducted 4-5 orphan visits in the last 5 months. Every single one of them has fallen through for some reason or another. Our most recent potential child we planned to go and visit last week. The rain came down, the bridges flooded, and we couldn't get out for 3 days. When we notified the family that we could come for the visit, they told us the child had been placed in another orphanage. God knew! He knew that if we had taken her, we would not have had a place for both Glory and Precious. He knew the names of Sibasiso, Muchoni, Misheck, Ben, Francis, Kelitah, Axer, Cynthia, Phillip, Christina, Joseph, Gertrude, Mweene, Kefbert, Glory, and Precious. When they were born, He knew that someday they would be ours. We are blessed to play a small role in His plan!
PRECIOUS - 4 years old


GLORY - 5 years old

A Calm, Quiet, Peaceful Evening at New Day...

Starting at 7:00pm *Blu took Cambree down for her sleepover with Debbie and the other New Day Girls *Blu returns with Tidwell boys and we pop popcorn and watch about 30 minutes of Air Buddies *Mulenga calls to tell Blu he has a visitor...a man from Livingstone who came to sell insurance (at 8pm) that we had met a couple of times at the Choma church *1 hour later, Blu is still gone, Darbi puts the boys in bed *10 minutes later, Blu returns, gets some money, says "I'll be right back" and leaves in the truck *Mom skypes Darbi to tell her a meteor or something is going to fly by Earth and we might can see it from Zambia *Debbie calls to say Cambree just threw up at the sleepover *Darbi calls Blu and asks him to go get Cambree (Blu is in Mapanza town at a school - ???) *Darbi goes outside, and finding the light on in Diana's room, taps on her window, scaring her... *Darbi & Diana watch the skies and chat for awhile *Blu calls to say he is completely stuck inthe mud close to the small bridge *Mulenga leaves on foot (1 mile) to try to help Blu *Cambree is stuck at Debbie's *Still no meteor *10:30pm - still no sign of Blu

Happy Birthday Mweene and Kefi!

Yesterday we celebrated two birthdays - Kefi turned 4 on February 11th, and Mweene turned 6 today, February 14th! This was the first birthday party for both boys at New Day, and it was a blast! The adults might have had as much fun as the kids... especially when it came to the water pouring and water balloons!! He sure is handsome, but look at that mischievous glint!
Mweene all wet!

Phillip's first time to see a water balloon!

Francis looks as mischievous as Blu!

Sweet Axer held on to hers forever!

Blu surprised Eness!

But he's a good sport and let the kids bust a balloon on his head!

Then he went after Teacher Diana

Got her!

And Teacher Carolyn who happened to be in the line of fire :)

Debbie was smart to hide up on the water tank stand!

Blu tossed two at her, but it was Elizabeth who finally scored!

Mweene turned 6, not 9!

He LOVED his truck present - thanks to his sponsor the Brinkley family!

Kefi didn't really know what was going on, but he sure did dance!

He loved this present, but he cried when Mweene opened his truck. He wanted a truck too! :)

4 years old - the baby at New Day!

Saturday

It's been raining, and pouring!! The river was waist high this morning and rising! Praying we can get out with Mom & Dad tomorrow!

Mom went back to her roots and milked Martha! :)

Mom & Kefi :)

Boy at Kids Club

Carol & Jacquline listening intently to the lesson at Kids Club

I have been specifically praying for the salvation of this boy, Geoffrey. Would you pray for him too?

Dad gets some love from Christina

Our beautiful Cynthia

Another Cynthia - love that hair!

This is Collin - he's so sweet!

Cason loves rubbing ears, and Joseph is usually willing to oblige :)

Dad did a "photo shoot" of Carolyn in her house to take back and show their church. Here she is in her Texas room!

Cambree & Kelitah do a hand clapping game while I take braids out of Kelitah's hair

Caedmon & Purity jumping high at Kids Club!

Mom & Dad at New Day - Week Two

I got the following email today: "Dearest Darbi: Please blog. Love, ****" (name has been changed to protect the innocent) :) Sorry it's been sparse - in all honesty our computer has been on the blink! The internet connection has been very spotty so I feel very behind with what is happening in the world! Caedmon enjoying some peanuts

Cambree with an unhappy Cason & Baby Blu :)

My Cambree

An American pastor & a Zmbian pastor deep in discussion!

Me & Mom finished the library!!!

Mom worked HARD!! (and got VERY dirty...which she loved... kinda.. :)

Grandpa & Mama Dee leading the family devotion time

Kalenga & Mulenga sometimes show up in matching clothes for church :)

Mom & Margaret (in her new clothes and jewelry!)

Mulenga holding his Bible before preaching - love this pic!

Dad preaching at Nabukowa last Sunday

Dad with Felix and another man at Nabukowa

Three "Dianas" at Nabukowa!

Love his face - random kid at Nabukowa!

Sitting at Maxwell & Priscilla's house munching on some peanuts

My pretty mama :)

The New Day Teachers!

We leave on Sunday for Lusaka and Mom & Dad fly out on Monday. Please pray us through those goodbyes!!