Greetings from Luanshya!
This was a week of seeing our efforts with the young people and children blossom. When we brought the six orphans into the Lighthouse Children's Home, they came with a myriad of injuries and illnesses. Last Saturday their school had a sports day. What a thrill it was to see these children running and playing like "normal" kids. Even Shadreck, who has had three surgeries on his left leg over the last couple of years, was running the foot races with the rest of the boys. The efforts made by so many to help these youngsters has meant the difference between a healthy future and what would surely have been an early death for several of them. There are pictures on the web site. Please take a moment to check out our kids and remember to pray for them.
Tonight, during the Prayer Meeting and Bible Study, another one of our wards had the opportunity to lead a Bible study from Psalm 139. He has been preparing for this ten-minute devotion for two and a half weeks. He has read every possible book, commentary and Bible study help that we have on the Psalms in the Resource Centre. He did very well. We were as proud as we could possibly be of Chewe.
Sherry continues her youth lessons on "Loving the Unlovely." This past week she stressed the fact that Jesus taught and practiced befriending people who were in the "out" group. He lived by what He taught. In the gospels he instructed people to love their enemies and the outcasts. There was a good example of this on Monday morning. Someone told us that there was a man "dying" on the sidewalk near the Christian Resource Centre. I went to investigate and realized that it was one of the mentally deranged men who wander around town begging for money for beer. He had, apparently, passed out and was bleeding rather badly from his nose and mouth. Over 100 people had passed this man during the morning. Nobody stopped to help. I asked a shopkeeper if we could borrow his truck to take the man to the hospital. People were amazed that a foreigner would care enough about this castaway to see that he got medical attention. Sherry used this story to emphasize the fact that we are to love the unlovely.
I went with brother Chibumba to visit brother Mwila in Fisenge Village. If you remember from last week, brother Mwila is a visiting evangelist who lost his eyesight about a month ago. We went to encourage him, but his attitude was an encouragement to us. He said that he knew it was God's will and like Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 he will bear this thorn in the flesh. At the same time, it is very difficult to see this dedicated servant physically unable to do what he has done for the last 20 years in visiting the churches in that rural area. We will be going out again this coming Saturday morning. Please pray for brother Mwila and for us as we endeavor, together, to find ways for him to minister.
This coming Friday we celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary. Thank you for praying for us and our life and ministry together over the years. We look forward to the next 60.
In His Service,
Patrick and Sherry
Dr. Patrick and
Sherry Coleman
Luanshya, Zambia Africa