Greetings from Luanshya!
One of the joys of being a missionary for some years is seeing those with whom we have worked go forward in their lives. One young man with whom Sherry spent a great deal of time when he was a youngster telephoned her yesterday from England where he and his wife are now working. (He calls us "grandpa" and "grandma" – Imagine!) During his twenty minute telephone conversation he talked about the fact that people in the "developed world" are so hardened by materialism that they do not have time for the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Back home (Zambia) we did not have the distractions that the English have in their entertainment. The English have everything and do not think they need anything." This young Zambian man finds himself on a mission field. Pray for V and his wife C as they share Christ before their colleagues in their new home.
Another one of the young people that we have been helping has come to the place where he is ready to step out on his own. He was one of the abandoned children who had slipped between the cracks of society. We led him to Christ, helped him finish his education, provided him with a skill, have given him a firm church foundation on which he can build a future not only to live but to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray God's blessing on him as he ventures out into the world. As we see more of our young people grow up and "leave the nest" we are encouraged by what God has done and are humbled that He would use us in His plan.
The Source of Light Bible Correspondence School continues to grow. Last month 12 new students were enrolled, 135 lessons were distributed and 117 were corrected and 9 certificates of completion were awarded. Sherry is about to place a new order for lessons. Please pray for the safe arrival of the shipment.
The children in Sunday School are going to build Noah's ark! Actually, they are going to build a scale model since we do not have room to build it in actual size. They have been gathering building supplies for the last two weeks and will start construction next Sunday morning. We are not sure how it will look, but their teacher, Mr. Bwalya, is very excited about this object lesson. We will take some photographs and send them along in a few weeks time.
Sherry's youth lesson on Monday had a very unusual title: "Give Me, Fix Me, Restore Me, Bless Me!" from James 4:3. Zambian young people are just like young people all over the world. They pray "give me, give me, give me" and expect God to pour out material blessings on them. When they have a problem they cry out, "Lord, fix this" and expect an immediate remedy. Often Christians believe that God will enjoy greater acceptance and popularity with mankind if He is seen as the source of a successful and victorious life. The obvious question is: "What is success?" When Sherry asked the young people, definitions included: fame, fortune and acceptance – the same thing American kids want. She went on to explain that God is actually glorified in our trials. She used the examples of Joseph, Moses and other Old Testament figures and then led to the example of the Lord Jesus Christ whose suffering led to the greatest of all victories. The concept that God allows bad things to happen to good people to further His cause is pretty difficult to swallow, especially for young Christians. It isn’t too easy for those of us who have been Christians for a few decades. Still, we see God moving in the hearts and lives of the young believers in the church. This, of course, is what we hope to see and we pray that there will be other victories as the ones mentioned earlier in this letter.
We appreciate your prayers and pray that God will continue to bless you.
In His Service,
Patrick and Sherry
Dr. Patrick and
Sherry Coleman
Luanshya, Zambia Africa