The story of New Day Foster Home began years before we opened our arms to our first orphan. We started with a little manufacturing company in 1993 called Beijing New Day Arts & Crafts Company (New Day Creations). In a small factory about the size of a one-car garage, we created a simple poly resin magnet in the shape of China with the words “Pray for China” painted in gold. We founded New Day to exhibit honesty and integrity in a business setting and to make a difference in the lives of our employees. The business started to grow, and we began teaching classes in finance, marriage and parenting to our local staff.

In 1997, we moved the factory to the farming village of Qingyundian, located on the southeastern outskirts of Beijing. A couple years later, we purchased an empty plot of land in the village, with plans to continue expansion.

This property had been considered cursed by local villagers. Everyone thought that depression and hopelessness would overcome anyone who came to this land. Locals even knew it as the place where teenagers went to commit suicide. Because of this, no one would purchase the property, and for years it remained a place of darkness and despair.

But there was one man in the village who came regularly to the land to pray. One night, he had a dream that someday foreigners would purchase this place and build an orphanage, turning a place of desolation into a beacon of hope. Five years after his death, we bought the property—without any knowledge of his dream. After we built the foster home, his granddaughter, an employee of the New Day factory, and her uncle told us about the answered prayer and fulfilled dream.

Reaching Out

With a heart to touch the lives of orphans with medical needs, New Day Foster Home began modestly. We built relationships with nearby orphanages in Beijing and Tianjin, and in 2000, we began caring for six orphans who needed minor cleft lip and palate surgical repairs. We cared for them in a couple of apartments, and then built our 21-bed facility now known as New Day Foster Home soon after.

In 2003, we began taking on more serious cases. Our first critical case was Jon, a little boy in need of heart surgery. When we first met Jon, we did not yet have the funds to pay for his surgery. With a firm belief in the power of prayer, we stepped out in faith and brought him to New Day for treatment. His surgery was a success and we moved forward to reach out to more children in desperate need. Since that time, all of our surgeries happen because of generous donations from supporters and through doctors and hospitals who offer their services either at a reduced rate or free of charge.

Growing and Growing

A little boy named Jacob inspired us to begin the Formula Project in 2006. Jacob also came to us with a severe heart condition. Severe malnourishment—his orphanage did not have the funds to feed him milk formula, so they fed him sugar water instead—exasperated his medical condition, causing a long, expensive recovery. Because of Jacob’s story, we began supplying milk formula to several orphanages throughout China to give each child under the age of one year a healthy start.

As our reputation spread to more orphanages throughout China, we received more requests for children to come to our facility. To better meet the needs, we expanded our Beijing facility in two ways: First, we began placing our children with caring Foster Families in our local village. And in early 2008, we launched our Healing Home to give life-changing surgeries and recovery care to more orphans.

The more orphanages we reached, the more opportunities we saw to make a difference. We began sponsoring children to stay with foster families in the cities of Luoyang and Hohhot, and we partnered with the city of Tacheng to build their first orphanage.

Since the Foster Home’s founding in 2000, we have been privileged to touch the lives of hundreds of children throughout China. Our work simply would not be possible without many people around the world offering their time, resources, and expertise to help our children experience hope and healing.

Looking Forward

New Day Creations remains dedicated to changing lives, and continues to grow in many areas. Our manufacturing company has expanded and still produces high quality gift items that are sold all over the world. In 2004, we founded New Day Learning Center, which offers English language training for college-aged Chinese students. We also do outreach to the elderly and poor in our village. Our staff has grown to nearly 200 Chinese employees, and in all departments, we remain committed to paying a fair wage and providing safe working conditions.

New Day is a vibrant community, full of life and activity. We are thankful for each person who comes to China to be a part of our work. Our department of Volunteer Services helps to coordinate all the teams and individuals that come here to serve.

When we first started making that simple magnet in 1993, we never imagined that New Day would expand in so many ways. We remain committed to obediently walking in the ways set before us – it is a humbling and exciting journey.