Greetings from Luanshya!
We are pleased to report that Brian Chinoya has completed his discipleship course and was awarded a certificate last Sunday morning. It has taken Brian over two years but both he and we are satisfied that he actually knows what he studied. Please pray for Brian as he continues to study the word of God.
Last Thursday, Sara Bwalya began her discipleship lessons. Sara will be doing her lessons from a distance since she is currently teaching about 150 miles south of here. She will be back in August. Sherry will then go through the lessons she has completed and, hopefully, be able provide more material for discipleship study. Please pray for this particular ministry. It is very time consuming for us, but we trust that the fruit will be sweeter still.
One of the ladies spoke with Sherry, last week, concerning the potential marriage of her daughter. Apparently the preliminary plans have been ongoing for some time but the parents just found out about it two weeks ago. The young lady is eighteen. Her sweetheart is in his early twenties. She has just finished high school and is waiting for her exam results. He has gone to Bible college and is currently a gardener and going to night school. The girl's parents were told that he was studying accounting. We found out that he is studying electronics. We were told that he had already contacted the young ladies family and had begun arranging for the bride price. The girl's mother said that they hadn't even talked about a bride price or the possibility of a marriage. There appears to be a serious lack of communication-or even miscommunication- in this situation. Needless to say, we have been brought into the picture as outside counsel. Obviously, there is always a question when a "bride price" is mentioned in American culture. But, this is the way things are done here and when things are not done according to custom, very often the best-laid plans do not come to fruition. Please pray for Petronella and Claude.
Sunday was a very full day. Sunday School began a new series of lessons on "God's Faithfulness" from the book of Deuteronomy. I spoke from the book of Ephesians on "God's Purpose and Grace". There were a number of visitors at the church. We pray that the message will find receptive hearts. Brother Chibumba was speaking at another church in the area and did not get home until nearly three o'clock in the afternoon. This coming Sunday we will begin a new series of lessons in the Evening Bible Institute. The subject under discussion will be "The Master's Plan for the Church". Brother Chibumba and I will be sharing the responsibility of teaching. We will be using a PowerPoint presentation to help the believers follow along. Sherry will, hopefully, be able to move forward from this about ministering in their capacity as women. Please pray for this program.
Sherry had a very interesting youth meeting Monday. She has been talking about music in the lives of young people. For the last two weeks the youth have brought in their own music so others can hear it and discuss it. Obviously, this is the music that our young people think is "okay" for them to have. If they didn't think so, then they would not have brought it here to be heard. Young people in Zambia are much like young people anywhere in the world. They like fast, loud music. (My children attest to the fact that I also like fast, loud music and my wife often tells me... "turn your music down" - just like my father used to do.) The problem with the music here is that it is very often the absolute worst example of the American hip-hop, rap, and hard rock music. As Sherry explained the lyrics to the young people, they were dumbfounded that this kind of vulgar speech would be allowed in public. Topics of the music included drug abuse, alcohol abuse, explicit immorality and other topics too vile to type. The problem is, most of the Zambians do not understand the American slang and are, therefore, unaware of what is being said. Sherry had to try very hard to maintain her composure as she told the young people exactly what the words were saying.
We are praying that we will be able to provide better music for our young people. We have made contact with some believers from the States hoping that they will be able to participate with us in this venture. The music that we are able to share is much appreciated. The local grocery store has already switched from the rubbish to gospel music that we have provided.
This coming Sunday I am going out to the village of Buntungwa, which is on the outskirts of a township near Luanshya. The believers there have just completed a mud- brick building and they want to show me their work and inaugurate their new sanctuary. It is tiny but it is their labour of love. Brother Katandula will be travelling with me and we will enjoy our day with the believers at Buntungwa.
Thank you for remembering us in your prayers as we remain...
In His Service,
Patrick and Sherry
Dr. Patrick and
Sherry Coleman
Luanshya, Zambia Africa