Teaming Together

Team season is in full swing, and for the last few weeks, we have had the joy of hosting several teams. One of those teams was fromUnion Hill Baptist Church in Purcell, Oklahoma. Lance and Staci Norton, and Madison and MacKenzie Gilham made up the team. We are so thankful for their willingness to come half way around the world to minister to our children, our staff, and help with outreach to a new area where we are hoping to plant a church.

MacKenzie, Madison, Lance and Staci arrived at New Day on May 23.

Below are some pictures of the ministry that the team was involved in during their time at New Day. Thanks Lance, Staci, Madison, and MacKenzie for coming to work with us at New Day.


The children taught Staci, MacKenzie, and Madison how to play "Sheep, Sheep, Please Come Home." I think Staci (in the back) is one of the lions who is catching Muchoni, one of the sheep.



MacKenzie holding Christina on the left, and Madison holding Axer on the right, were loved by all the children! They spent several days helping out in the school with P.E., Art, Music, Skills, and Tutorials.

Each afternoon, the team went out with staff from New Day to do survey-evangelism in a new area known as Nabukowa. Mulenga, Elizabeth, MacKenzie and Lance were one of the teams that went village to village talking to the people about Jesus.

Staci Norton enjoying a moment with Christina, our newest girl at New Day. Christina loves to be held and is almost always smiling.

 

The team lead the staff in some team building activities. Here we had to follow the leader blindfolded. I felt safe holding onto Wes.

After a wonderful week of ministry, we headed for Livingstone to show the team the wonderful sights of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. A day trip to Chobe, Botswana was one of the fun things we did together.

Salvation Belongs to the Lord

Salvation truly belongs to the Lord. Last week I was teaching at the ladies Bible study here at New Day, and four women accepted Christ. You probably read a little about it on Darbi's blog but I wanted to tell you a little more of what happened.

My back was hurting and I was not too excited about sitting on a hard bench teaching the ladies’ Bible study. In addition to my aching back, the lesson was not the easiest one to teach, and I was afraid it was going to be boring to the women. But, I should have known that God’s Word is never boring and it is the power of God for salvation to all who will believe



The lesson was from Luke 20, the story of the religious leaders trying to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes to Caesar. When they could not trap Jesus with this question, they asked him a question about a woman who married seven brothers (not all at the same time). They wanted to know whose wife she would be in the resurrection. The women at the Bible study seemed quite interested in both parts of the lesson, and so I was pleasantly surprised.


At the end of the lesson, Jody, a volunteer from San Antonio, TX prayed for the women. She asked the Lord to save those in the group that had never received Jesus as their Savior. After the prayer, I invited anyone that was interested in talking about receiving Jesus to come talk with me after the Bible study.

 I hung around a few minutes, but when no one came, I decided to deliver some curtains to our second orphan house. When I returned, all the ladies were seated again and Joyce, mother of the “Joy House,” was sharing something from the Bible. I sat down and listened as she was talking about the story of the demoniac.


When she finished, she explained to me that one of the women, Erika (a traditional healer/witch doctor)had told her that she had a dream about this particular passage. She was wondering why she would have such a dream. I explained to her that it could be God was speaking to her about her life and how He wanted to set her free from the life she was living. I then told the ladies that if any of them wanted to receive Jesus as their Savior to come stand with me. Lois, Darbi's worker was the first, and this was a big surprise to me. I don't remember who was next, but the witchdoctor (Erika), her friend Dorica, and Lilah came up and stood with me.

About six months ago, Erika asked me if what she was doing was from God or from Satan.
Maxwell, pastor of the Mapanza Baptist Church, helped me talk to her about her occupation. She has been searching for truth for some time.

I talked to them again about their decision and each of them prayed in their own language, asking the Lord in their own way, to be their Savior and Lord. I told them that the angels in heaven were rejoicing over their decision, and then we all danced and rejoiced over the decision of these four women.

That was a week ago, and this week Erika's husband came to New Day and talked to Blu. He said that he also wanted to go to heaven. Although I don't think he has yet received Christ, it is just a matter of time. Like the demoniac, Erika went home and shared with her family about giving her life to Jesus.

On a side note, her husband happens to be the father of one of our Baptist leaders who died several years ago. We came to his village some time after his son died and shared the gospel with the people of his village. I just wonder if Erika was not one of the women sitting there that day.

Just Pictures

Sitting in Lusaka waiting for Wes to finish some business before heading back to New Day. Thought I would post a few more pictures before going home since it is so much easier here.

 Axer and Cambree watching Christina at her first Wednesday night Praise and Prayer. Although she didn't know the songs, she joined in by clapping her hands. (Machila and Margaret in the background)

Mukuwa's first night at Wednesday Praise and Prayer. He is an interesting dancer, just sort of shuffles his feet--very cute!



Vivian and Jordan Green, videographers from Omaha, NE, spent the week at New Day taking footage of our ministry. They were here to witness the welcoming of our two new family members.


Well, it's time to head back to New Day so I had better publish this post.

Five Alive

When we realized that we had five staff birthdays this month, we decided that we needed to celebrate them all together, so we chose May 10th as the special day. The birthday five included, from oldest to youngest: Wes, Carolyn, Diana, Abby and Hildah.

Darbi and I did some brainstorming while riding bikes one morning, and came up with a plan. We would make one face cake for each staff member. It was a lot of hard work on Darbi's part--all I had to do was draw their faces on paper and she did the rest.



Wes on the left and teacher Hildah on the right, two of the birthday cakes made by Darbi.

 Meanwhile, Blu was using his creative juices to figure out a way to pour water on the birthday five (the tradition here at New Day),in a way that would totally surprise them. Of course, knowing Blu, they were all a little cautious as they entered the dining room for the birthday celebration.



Teacher Abby is a little leery of walking into the dining room because she knows very well about the "water pouring tradition," since she helped to bring it to New Day.

 And truly, Blu came up with a creative plan. He hooked up a water hose to PVC pipe that he attached to the rafter in the dining room.  The pipe had five spouts, one for each of the birthday five. 

The children had planned a little birthday skit,  which worked perfectly for Blu's scheme. Below the five spouts he placed five chairs, with Wes' chair being below the one that would release the most water.

The children came marching in; several carrying baby dolls representing the birthday five.



Muchoni on the right was carrying the baby doll representing Papa Wes.

 The birthday five were a little hesitant to sit in the chairs, but once the children started doing their skit, they relaxed a bit. But when the water came on the five came alive, jumping out of their chairs so quickly that I couldn't get a good picture.

Hildah on the left, wearing a shower cap, was prepared for getting wet, but I don't think any of them suspected that the water would come from above.

After a few minutes of laughter, Wes and Hildah went back over to their chairs, and Diana  told me, "We should have Blu turn it on again." We got Blu's attention, and this time he left it on while everyone who wanted to get wet, did so.

The children decided to join in the fun when Blu turned on the water the second time!

It was a fun-filled birthday--one I'm sure we will never forget!