Greetings from Luanshya!
One of the things that our visitor, Brenda Rains, noticed during her stay with us last week was that much of the activity that goes on around our house is not always mentioned in the weekly letters. We are very careful not to talk about sensitive issues-especially those things that deal with personal family situations among our church family. Often, our day may stretch into the late night hours. Though we do not mention all of the details, we certainly appreciate those who pray for us as we counsel and guide those with problems. George Mueller wrote in his autobiography "All believers are called upon, in the simple confidence of faith, to cast their burdens upon Him, to trust in Him for everything." It is this concept that we endeavour to teach to the believers with whom God has put us into contact.
Last week we had a very sad situation take place. An eighteen year-old member of Fellowship Chapel passed away after suffering for several months with meningitis. While we miss Cynthia, we are comforted by the fact that she knew the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour. Please pray for her family. Most of them do not have the assurance concerning their own personal stand with God.
This past Sunday was unusual for a number of reasons. First of all we had no electricity in the chapel during the morning service. Because of the placement of our building, we do not have windows near the pulpit. The only light was shining from the back of the building which made it rather difficult to see. Nevertheless, we had a good service and on Monday morning John Kasense came to the Resource Centre and received the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. John has been raised in a religious home, has visited a number of religious meetings, and said that he still had an emptiness in his life when it came to spiritual matters. Last week he come into the Resource Centre and began reading Billy Graham's book "How To Be Born Again." After spending several days reading, questioning and hearing the gospel preached on Sunday, the emptiness was filled and he joined the family. Please pray for John. He has been in the Resource Centre every day this week studying his bible and reading about what it really means to be a Christian - not just religious.
Sunday continued with the postponement of our afternoon film presentation on the life of King Solomon. It is hard to show a film when there is no electricity. That night, however, we had another electrifying experience when the power lines behind the Lighthouse Children's Home began to spark and the pole caught fire. I telephoned the electric company who came and shut down the power for the entire area before the fire reached the homes. The power lines that lead to the house are very old and have been spliced, re-spliced and spliced again over the past decades. Workers have been working on the situation for the last three days. Hopefully, the problem will be solved soon. Meanwhile, the food is being cooked on charcoal and the children are having "an experience." Please pray for a quick resolution to the problem.
We praise God for His blessings. We thank you for your prayers as we remain...
In His Service,
Patrick and Sherry
Dr. Patrick and
Sherry Coleman
Luanshya, Zambia Africa