Coleman Ministry Update

Amazing Stories

2008-06-03T09:04:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

Sometimes we hear the most amazing stories. Last week Mr. Mutale came into the Resource Centre. He seemed to be distraught over the fact that his wife left him. Sherry gave me a call and I sat with Mr. Mutale for some time. It seems his wife went missing from the family home eleven months ago. She left behind everything she owned, a four year old child and a nine month old baby. Mr. Mutale said he waited over night to see if she returned then went to the police the following morning. He told me that the police said to him, "If she comes back, or if you find her, bring her to us. Otherwise, forget her and marry someone else." The whole story sounds incredible. When I suggested to Mr. Mutale that he bring me a photograph of his wife so that we could publicize the fact that she was missing, he hesitated then finally agreed. A week later we are still waiting for the photograph. It would appear Mr. Mutale was seeking attention and perhaps a "financial contribution" from the missionary. He did not want a solution and he did not want counseling. Sometimes we find ourselves targets of unscrupulous individuals. Pray that God will continue to give us wisdom to know the difference between those in need and those in want.

Rachael Bulama was called back to Nigeria by her office as they prepare for national elections. She was very sad to have to leave early especially since she and Sherry have formed a very tight friendship in the short time that Rachael has been here. She has successfully completed the first three discipleship courses and will be carrying the remainder of the curriculum with her. She also requested two additional sets in order to disciple other women once her studies are completed. Please pray for Rachael as she travels and for Yakubu, her husband, as he remains behind to finish his tour of duty here in Luanshya.

For the next few weeks we are going to be out of the office. We will be renewing friendships and sharing the work of the Lord on the west coast of the United States. We will have an opportunity to spend some time with our grandsons as well as most of our children. It has been some time since we have seen them and look forward to a brief break. We will resume our activities the end of July. However, will continue to be involved, via correspondence, in the many projects under our direction.

Please pray for us as we travel and take some time to come aside and rest a while.

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

Birthday

2008-05-21T11:37:00.002+02:00

NOTE FROM THE WEB SERF: Due to some minor problems, posts back into April were not showing up. Please check the Previous Posts on the lower right for back issues you may have missed.

Greetings from Luanshya!

My father says that birthday's are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live. My wife says she's afraid to put candles on the birthday cake for fear of burning down the house. Quite frankly, it's nice to have survived yet another year and look forward to many, many more.

This birthday started off in the emergency room of the local hospital. About

11 o'clock last night we received a phone call from one of church members whose son had ingested poison in an attempt to take his life. I went to the hospital and found the doctors and nurses working feverishly to keep the boy alive. His blood pressure and pulse rate dropped dangerously low on several occasions and medication was administered. Every time his pulse dropped his mother cried and blamed herself. After several hours of heart-wrenching close calls, the doctor stabilized the young man and was able to comfort the mother with at least the knowledge that her son would live. This morning he opened his eyes and recognized both his mother and me. We prayed and will continue to pray that this crisis will bring the lad to his senses. The economic situation in Zambia sometimes leads people to do foolish things.

Please pray for Rita and her son, Sydney, as they seek hope, answers and worth through Jesus Christ.

Over the past week we hosted two high school youth exchange students from abroad. One was from Canada and the other from the United States. They needed an "escape" from the daily routine and we offered a haven of rest.

There were a number of opportunities to speak with each about spiritual issues. At one point the girls asked Sherry why she believed the Bible and how its relevancy affected daily life. The soaked in the information and went away thoughtful. Please pray for the girls as they ponder these truths for daily living. We will maintain contact with them even after they leave Zambia in a few months time.

Yesterday we had five more visitors. These were all from Australia. There were a lot of questions about what we do and why we do it. We were able to share with them our motivation in serving the Lord both at home in the States before we came to Africa to the present time. We trust that as they continue their journey across the continent, they will think about matters of eternal value.

We use every opportunity to share with visitors as they pass through. Pray that the seed sown takes root.

We appreciate you and your prayers on our behalf.

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry

We're In!

2008-05-14T09:16:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

We're in! The Fellowship Chapel family moved into their new facility on 4th May. We had a good group of people in attendance but I forgot to take any pictures. The camera was actually in my pocket while I preached but I was so involved with the message of the day that I did not think about taking a snapshot. We will try to remember to take a picture this coming Lord's Day and put it on our website. In preparation for this big day every, almost every member, from the youngest to the oldest, cleaned, swept, scraped and swept again. We had three work days just prior to the dedication service. The building is not quite finished but the church members will be taking special offerings to complete the aesthetic aspects of the sanctuary. This has been a three year project and we are happy to see its culmination.

Mr. & Mrs. Bulama are from Nigeria. Mr. Bulama is a temporary pharmacist at the local hospital on volunteer service. Mrs. Bulama works for the Nigerian government and is here on holiday visiting her husband for a few months. We invited them to join us for lunch Sunday afternoon so we would have a chance to get to know them better. They are dedicated Christians, but with stunningly different backgrounds. While Mr. Bulama grew up in a Christian home, in a "Christian" section of Nigeria, Mrs. Bulama is from a Muslim home. They live in a very Muslim part of Nigeria. Because she was raised by an aunt who happened to be a Christian, she had an opportunity to hear about Christ and came to know Him as her Saviour when she was a teenager. Her family is very suspicious of her faith but, she has endeavoured to maintain a close relationship with them through the years. Please pray for the Bulama's while they are here and as they prepare to go home. The challenges they will face are great, but so is their faith.

Our wards at the Lighthouse Children's Home have begun their second term at school. Young Andrew is currently in the next room practicing the piano. He's already working of Christmas songs. Right now we are listening to a very rough rendition of Silent Night. Nancy continues to exemplify her leadership capabilities and she has proven an asset to the stability in the Home as the "big sister". Shadreck has taken a strong interest in mechanical drawing while Dickson is exploring his artist bent. John is working feverishly preparing for his grade 7 exam at the end of the year. The other children are constantly reminding him to spend time studying as opposed to being on the football pitch. We're sure you can hear his grumbles from afar. Please continue to pray for the youngsters.

When leaders in ministry dedicate themselves to the Lord's service, Satan is upset. One of the men with whom we work came to us recently in tears (highly unusual for an African man) telling us that his wife of 25 years had abandoned him. He tried everything possible for reconciliation but she served him with divorce papers a month ago. He was devastated. To make matters worse, she began accusing not only him of cruelty but us as a part of their problem. We were called as witnesses to the case and it became apparent, even to those in the courtroom, she was fabricating her story and changing it as she went along. It still does not help with the situation in his home. He is dealing with the pain of rejection and shame as this becomes public. He has been encouraged by members of the Christian community who have known him for decades. His wife never accused him of physical violence. She is just tired of being married. Please pray for Chabala and his family as they seek refuge in the Rock.

With the victories come the challenges. With the challenges our reliance on the Lord is renewed. Your faithful support in the ministry is deeply appreciated.

By the way, Mothers Day is not celebrated in Zambia, but Sherry did receive a Mothers Day call from Colin to let us know he is doing better. At the moment he is in Texas visiting our daughter, Chandra, and her husband, James. We appreciate your continued prayer on his behalf.

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry

Movement Begins

2008-04-30T14:17:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

The big news of the week is that the church that meets at Fellowship Chapel will officially moving to its own facility on Sunday. The movement of furniture and fixtures begins Thursday and should be completed by late afternoon.

There are a few finishing touches. The glass for the louver windows has not yet been cut though it was promised "faithfully" by mid-day today. I have been able to put the glass in one of the twenty windows but glass or no glass, we're moving. Another seemingly significant issue is the fact that the restrooms are not quite complete. This is, interestingly enough, one more promise is several days late. Everything that the plumbers need to complete the task is on site. All we really need is for the plumbers to show up on time ready to work. Hope reigns forever.

With the new facility, we have had a number of people in the community ask about attending services. Brother Chibumba's youngest child had a friend who came up to me yesterday and asked, "Dr. Coleman, is it okay if I come this coming Sunday?" I assured her that it was not only okay but I would be very pleased for her to come. Bring her friends and her parents. She was very pleased and we look forward to seeing several new faces. One of the fascinating aspects about the new building is that people are more inclined to come to a church that looks like a church rather than one that looks like a down town shop. Yes, we say that the church is not the building. However, we are dealing with generations of teaching that is not all biblical. Pray for us as we make his move.

Last week Patrick and Caroline Wood (Zambians), came into the Christian Resource Centre to see what we were all about. They were thrilled to learn that there was a reading room, sermon tapes to listen, and counseling available. All for FREE! They were even more astonished to learn that they could take correspondence Bible courses...for FREE! They eagerly enrolled and brought their first lessons home to the farm. Back home to the farm is over an hour away from Luanshya town centre. Yesterday, Patrick and Caroline visited with Sherry and turned in their first examinations. Behind them was their 9 year old son, Nathanael. He wanted to do Bible courses too. He went through the reading exercise to determine whether he was literate and passed with flying colors. You should have seen his face light up when he learned that he was going to school with mom and dad. Pray for the Woods as they sit as a family and study the Word of God.

For some months Sherry has employed a young lady to help her clean for a couple hours at the Christian Resource Centre. She is an orphan being cared for by her brother-in-law who is a Pastor in a local church in Luanshya.

This was more a situation of helping the orphan than having a decent cleaner but it allowed both the young lady and her guardian to feel like she was contributing to her own upkeep. Sadly, last week Sherry caught her stealing money from the office which was supposed to go toward groceries at the Lighthouse Children's Home. Initially, the young lady not only denied that she had stolen the money but swore on her "living God" that she had not touched the money. There was no one else in the building who could have done it. After giving her every opportunity to confess and return the funds, we were compelled to call the police who came and searched her. They money was found. We did not press charges but we did discharge her from her duties and informed her guardian. It is sad when those we help act irresponsibly. But, we have not turned our back on others who are in need and will continue to serve as God gives opportunity.

On a family note... Colin has been suffering form some serious headaches. It may be a combination of stress from learning Mandarin and not getting to eat his mother's great cooking, but the doctors have run several tests and have not found anything to have caused the headaches. Please keep him in you prayers as the doctors continue to probe and prod.

We appreciate your prayers in this ever challenging ministry.

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry

A Lot on Our Plates

2008-04-16T11:45:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

Brother Paul Muke (MOO-kay) is a frequent visitor to the Christian Resource Centre. Not only is he one of Sherry's Bible Correspondence School students, but he is also utilizing the many books that we have made available for practical Bible study and sermon preparation. He pastors a local Bible believing church and is utilizing material from the courses as seeds for sermons on Sunday morning. Paul just finished a course on "Faith" in the Basic Bible Doctrine series and specifically commented on how vital the lesson was and thought provoking. Being able to provide this kind of material for church leaders was our initial dream for the Christian Resource Centre 10 years ago last month. As we enter the 11th year of this particular ministry, we are excited about the potential for growth and the influence it will have on our community for years to come.

The Sunday School program at Fellowship Chapel is about to begin a series of lessons on: A Life of Service, Prayer and Following Jesus. Nancy Chanda, our associate Sunday School teacher, has grown tremendously through her teaching experiences and looks forward to expanding the children's work once the church family shifts from the current site to the new church facility a mile away. The first lesson in this series is called: "Dare To Care" and covers Christ's ministry to the demoniac. Pray for Nancy and others who assist in the program as they reach young hearts for Christ.

Speaking of the new church facility, the painting has been completed, the sign on the front and back of the building are being completed as we type, the restroom facilities will be completed by the end of next week and the congregation moves into our new home on May 4th-three years to the month from when we first acquired the property. It has been a long process and we look forward to this transition to a new community. Pray the people who live in the neighborhood who may not have a church home. Pray that they may be attracted to the Word of God and His promises for their lives.

Next week we will be presenting a film on Christ In The Passover. This is a unique opportunity for the believers and non-believers to observe that last night the Lord had with His disciples as he broke the bread and passed the cup of wine. Each symbolizing the work He would accomplish on behalf of mankind in the days to follow that last supper. As we consider the Passover of old, we anticipate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb when all believers will gather together regardless of race, color, nationality or denominational separation. May His name be praised!

It has been a hectic week with a lot on our plates, but we are excited about what God is doing and the fact that He has chosen us to accomplish His great plan for Zambia.

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry

Great Enthusiasm

2008-04-09T01:59:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

Last we I took my semi-annual trip to South Africa to visit the oncologist for a review of my cancer surgery of two and a half years ago. Because of the kind of cancer I had, he also wants periodic chest and spine x-rays. After probing my throat and mouth and reviewing the x-ray, the doctor has given me a "clean bill of health". He said that the possibility of there being a recurrence is less than 5%, but he still wants to see me regularly because 5% is more than 0%. Still, we are thankful for the good news from the doctor.

We have two current discipleship students. Each is continuing in their studies with great enthusiasm. Rachael is halfway through the lessons on practical Christian living which deal with conversing with God. Today was a lively discussion on making our prayer time with the Lord practical and real. He is interested in our concerns and our joys. Gordon has started the last book of the series which is a verse by verse study of the 1 Thessalonians. This is much more intense than the first six books where questions were asked and the answered obtained straight from the Word of God. In this final book, the student must come up with the observations and cross references themselves followed by practical application. When he is finished with this book, it will be his commentary on 1 Thessalonians. This same model can be used on all the books of the Bible so that ultimately he will have his own Bible commentary if so desired. Please pray for these two students as they continue to learn more about the Word of God.

Our Associate Sunday School teacher, Nancy Chanda, who studied under Sherry, has completed her first series of lessons with a class. This Sunday she will conduct a Memory Verse Competition among the students. This quarterly event is always something the children anticipate. They work hard to memorize the thirteen verses given to them over the course. Thank you for praying for Nancy and the children. We also appreciate receiving Sunday School material through our friend Greg Kuras in New Jersey, which makes all of this possible.

While I was gone last week, Sherry had an unexpected and very unwelcome visitor. At about 8:30 one evening the dogs began to make an unusually loud racket. Sherry was sitting at her computer in the house and looked out the window to see someone walking around. He has apparently come over the front gate and was just wandering around looking to see what he could take. What he didn't expect was to see Sherry (a.k.a. Annie Oakley) come charging out of the house with her 9mm friend, cocked and loaded. He immediately put his hands up over his head and Sherry escorted him back to the gate and off the property. Being a couple thousand miles away when this took place, didn't allow either of us much sleep for the next few days. I have already begun looking for someone who can add a bit more security to the top of our gates.

We have avoided using spikes and glass, but we cannot be at risk in these difficult days.

We appreciate your prayers on our behalf. We thank the Lord for good reports and for protection in times of challenge.

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry

Privileges

2008-03-26T11:47:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

Resurrection Sunday Philip Chibumba was the speaker at the chapel. He began his message by saying that it was a great privilege for him to speak on that particular Sunday because often missionaries will insist on speaking on special occasions. He considered it an honor to be able to preach on the most important day in the Christian calendar. We had not realized the significance that he would place on being able to present the message of the risen Christ on this commemorative day, but it was a great honor for us to listen as he exhorted on the resurrection of Christ.

Last week the youth discussed "On-The-Job Integrity" from Genesis 46-47.

Joseph had many opportunities to cut corners and compromise. His integrity was far too valuable to allow him that simple pleasure. All too often Christians of today do not see anything wrong with cutting corners, misappropriating their employers time and wasting talent. The young people were given a clear example of what it means to do the right thing, for the right reason, even when no one is watching. This Friday is the final lesson in the series on the life of Joseph. The week after that , we hope to show a film on Joseph from the "Greatest Heroes of the Bible" series.

Discipleship lessons continue. Sherry is currently working with Rachael Bulama from Nigeria. They have completed book one and are now going through book two which covers "The Spirit-Filled Life". Rachael's comment last week was that she is enjoying the lessons and looks forward to bringing this knowledge home and discipling women in her own local assembly.

The Sunday afternoon men's bible study just completed a study on Deborah and Barak. There was a lot of discussion about the fact that Barak would not step out and lead without Deborah being by his side. In a male oriented society like Zambia, this is a significant character fault (smile). I explained that a lot of the people that God used in His service were initially reluctant to serve. This coming week we will be looking at the life of Gideon-The Reluctant General.

There has been a lot of progress on the church plot. The restrooms have been built. The final touches should be done by the end of the week. Plumbing will begin next week. The initial undercoat of interior painting has been finished. Tomorrow, the second coat will be applied and on Friday the painting should be completed. We anticipate making the move in the next few weeks.

Yesterday we received the initial paperwork for our youngest ward at the Lighthouse Children's Home, regarding his application for high school. This year Andrew will sit his grade seven exams. We anticipate success and look forward to his continued growth academically, physically and spiritually.

It has been a busy week filled with challenges and blessings. We appreciate your continually prayer on our behalf.

In His service,
Patrick & Sherry

"Handicapped"

2008-03-19T13:30:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

Last Friday in Sherry's youth meeting, they talked about the Ultimate Family Reunion. For those of us who live thousands of miles away from family, visits become very special and are, sadly, all too rare. This is especially true as our children get older and grandchildren enter the picture. We do not get to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays or other holidays with our loved ones. When we are able to get together with them, those gatherings are extra special. Imagine the family reunion that Joseph had with his father after 20 years of separation-especially when Jacob thought his son was dead! Sharing this with the young people elicited a lively conversation.

We look forward to the day when we will have a family reunion with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ along with our friends and family members who have preceded us to heaven.

On Sunday we had a full schedule of activities. The men's Bible study continued as we looked at the life of Ehud, the left-handed assassin/judge.

The men were impressed by the clever plan that Ehud had devised to kill Eglon the King. They determined that one of the lessons learned from this study was that God could even use people who were "handicapped" by being left-handed. It is important to understand that culturally, in Africa, being left-handed is, indeed, a handicap. Eating with your left hand is entirely unacceptable. Handing something to another person with the left hand is considered an insult. They were pleased to note that God could use anyone in His service-even left-handed people.

Monday I began lecturing at the Bible Institute in Ndola. There are students from Zambia as well as Uganda and Tanzania. Students from Kenya were not able to attend due to the civil unrest in the country. Apparently, several of the students are actually from the trouble spots seen on the news. The students from Malawi were unable to come because their travel documents were not in order. Still, we have had a good series of lessons teaching four hours a day on New Testament Survey. The students range in age from 22 to nearly 50. The questions are almost constant as there are a lot of interesting philosophies being propagated in other parts of the continent.

The students have learned my favorite phrase-"The Bible says.". They have learned to preface their comments with that phrase and have discovered that biblical documentation is required. We are half-way through the week of this module and look forward to the final two days of the week. We are able to use some of the books that we have received from Everyday Publications in Canada as textbooks and resource material for the class. The students really do not have easy access to good books so these new additions to their personal libraries are nearly priceless to them. We appreciate those who have made that contribution possible.

As we continue to go through the week, there are so many other things that we could share, but space does not allow in one letter to express all that God has allowed us to do with the discipleship, Sunday School, Lighthouse Ministry, Correspondence work and on and on. Your support of our ministry makes all of this possible and we deeply appreciate those who have partnered with us in this work.

Together in His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

Taking It Easy

2008-03-12T16:14:00.003+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

Today is a holiday in Zambia: Youth Day. We decided to take it easy. I slept in until 6:30, spent three hours at the Lighthouse Children's Home while Sherry prepared for discipleship with Rachael. This afternoon I will meet with Mr. Siwale for his discipleship lesson and moderate our evening Bible Study covering Paul's first missionary journey. We love "days off".

After Sherry's youth meeting on Friday, one of the young people remained after. He asked if he could bring his friends on a Sunday afternoon to talk about the importance of Bible study and how it applies to every day life. Of course Sherry agreed. This young person is not allowed to attend Sunday morning services, his parents will not allow him, however he is a regular at the youth meeting and is growing tremendously. Please pray for him and for those to whom he is reaching out.

Sunday afternoon I am now moderating a men's Bible study. With the conflicts arising in several of the local churches, it has become apparent that we need to train the men-both new believers and older believers-just what it means to be a "man of God". This will also help to solidify the "band of brothers" in our local assembly of believers. The men have enthusiastically begun this study. Every one of them participated in the discussion from the book of Judges. Pray that this will be more than an exchange of ideas and continue to be a study from the Word of God which will be applied to their daily lives at home and in the local church.

We have significant progress on the church building. All the window frames and door frames have been installed. The ceiling is complete. The front porch has been done and we can see the light at the end of the very long tunnel on this project. The students from Mobile Mission Maintenance were so excited about nearing the completion of the ceiling that they actually worked an hour and a half overtime to complete that aspect of the days work.

Click on the pictures in this post to see larger images. We anticipate moving into the building during the month of April. Pray that the weather continues to hold so we can complete this endeavor.

Next Monday I will begin my first week of lectures at Gospel Literature Outreach Bible Institute. The first course is a module on New Testament Survey. The students are coming from all over Zambia as well as Kenya and Uganda. It promises to be an exciting class and I will be able to utilize some of my Swahili. Please pray for the students and the professors.

We appreciate your prayers on our behalf.

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

Hitting Home

2008-02-27T12:10:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

Great news! The builders are back. After dealing with torrential rains, sick professors, end of the year and school holiday, the young men from Mobile Mission Maintenance are back at the building site to continue working towards the ultimate goal of finishing that building. The window and door frames have been completed and will be installed this week. Pray that there will be no other situations that delay the project.

Monday I spoke at the chapel service of a small Bible college to about 90 students. Their theme for the year is "Passion For Change". After watching the American political scene on the international news, it appears that everyone is claiming a passion for change. I told the students that the most important change in their lives would be the attempt to go back-back to the standards that God gave His servants; back to the command to spread the gospel and back to the dream of seeing the world come to Christ. Too many Christians want to make the world look like Christians. We clean people up, feed them and educate them without really giving them what they need: an introduction to the Lord Jesus Christ so that they can have a personal relationship with the Saviour.

Last night I had a conversation with a local pastor from a large church here in Luanshya. He talked about the social work they were doing and meeting the needs of the poor in the community. While these are good things, they are not the main thing. When I asked him what he would say to somebody who asked, "What do I need to do to go to heaven?" he gave me a blank stare and said, "Ah, that's a difficult question." He promised to meet with me later so we can have a discussion on this issue. Please pray for Pastor Bowa. He also needs to meet the Saviour.

The youth continue in their studies on the life of Joseph. There were three main points we wanted to get across to the young people:

1) recognize and admit your negative mentality,
2) force a vertical focus until it begins to flow,
3) stay open to a new idea for at least five minutes.

The goal was not to imitate the actions of Joseph's father who looked for any reason to avoid having his youngest son go to Egypt with the brothers. Even in the end, he looked towards "bribery" as opposed to the Lord's protection of his son and his return. In a place where bribery is commonplace, this really hit home. Continue to pray for the Friday afternoon youth meetings.

Many of the local churches around us are struggling with leadership issues. Some of these divisions are tribal while others are simply power plays. It is really sad to see an assembly of born again believers openly fight over who is in charge. In order to avoid this kind of situation we are starting a men's Bible study on Sunday afternoon at Fellowship Chapel. We are going to start by "Experiencing God". The men are excited about this. Please pray that the excitement grows and we can experience unity across tribal lines.

Thank you for your prayers on our behalf.

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

Practice and Perfection

2008-02-20T10:54:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

Working with young people is one of the many focuses of our ministry. Last week in the youth lesson the young people studied "Activating A Seared Conscience" from Genesis 42. Obviously, the point of the lesson is for the youth to consider their actions before they developed a "seared conscience". Many of the adults with whom we work struggle with this phenomena and cannot understand why some of the things they have always done are wrong. "Practice makes perfect" is not always the case-especially if you practice it incorrectly. Please remember to pray for the youth. Many of their role models are "doing it wrong" and they will follow in the footsteps of those they see.

Yesterday morning I met Mr. Phiri. He is 72 years old and has been attending one of the larger denominational churches in town for most of his life. In his endeavor to fine the truth of God's Word, he has stumbled through a myriad of religious philosophies and opinions. His confusion led him to the Christian Resource Centre simply because we are a library filled with books and he wants to know more and more and more. As we sat and talked about how we can know that we have eternal life, he was unable to accept the simplicity of God's plan of salvation. With every verse I read, his response was, "But.". I gave him a list of scriptures to read along with one of the Bibles we had recently received from a friend in California. He promised to read the scriptures and study the tracts that we had and come back to us in a few days. The temptation we often have when talking to senior citizens is to press them for a decision. Mr. Phiri has been pressed for 72 years and as we mentioned in the previous paragraph, has been practicing it all wrong.

The windows frames for the new chapel have been completed by the manufacturer, finally! The door frames-which had to be returned because they were done improperly, should be completed by Saturday. On Monday the students from Mobile Mission Maintenance Vocational Centre will return to fit the windows and continue working on the inside of the building. We were very excited about the progress of the building and have been rather frustrated by the delays caused by the manufacturer and the torrential rains, which of course hold everything up. Nevertheless, we know that God is ultimately in control of all of these issues and look forward to completing this building for His honor and glory.

The entire community has been affected by an annoying flu. Sherry got it last week. I have this week. And we are sure the kids at the orphanage (Lighthouse Children's Home) will have it next week. Please pray for everyone's health. It is also during this time of year when there are outbreaks of cholera. We are fortunate that this has not yet occurred in the Luanshya. Please continue to pray.

Your partnership in this ministry is appreciated beyond our ability to express it in words.

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry

Flooding

2008-02-12T05:51:00.002+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

In our last letter, two weeks ago, we mentioned the fact that the torrential rains had caused wide-spread flooding from Zambia, to Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Literally hundreds of families have lost their homes, livelihood and possessions. I traveled to Livingstone, in Southern Province, to survey one of the worst hit areas in the country. Entire villages were swept away and some of the poorer houses in the townships had literally crumbled to the ground.

We contacted an agency called Shelter Box Trust, based in the United Kingdom, and asked about the possibility of getting some help for the worst affected.

The response from Shelter Box came back within 46 minutes. Their offer included two hundred plastic storage boxes which contained a tent which would sleep ten (including children), six blankets and ground mats, two large cooking pots, two water jugs with water purification tablets, two insecticide treated mosquito nets and assorted tools to help the families rebuild their homes when the floods recede.

Each of these boxes cost approximately US$1,000. So the contribution came to US$200,000. To give you some idea of the cost of getting these things locally, one six-man tent manufactured in Zambia would cost US$2,500 and would include none of the items mentioned above. We distributed these Shelter Boxes with the help of volunteers in Livingstone, Kazangula, Sesheke and just this past Friday (in our own backyard) Chipulukusu. The pictures attached are self explanatory.

In the distribution of these boxes we did not limit it to those who were members of the household of faith. We decided it was better to share it with all in need beginning with those who were the worst affected. In doing so we were able to exemplify Matthew 22 by simply loving our neighbour and sharing with them the love that Christ has shown to us. We do not know the ultimate outcome but trust that the believers we left behind will continue to share the gospel with their new neighbours. While in Livingstone I spoke with a member of the local Gideon's camp who said he would make sure that Gideon Bibles were distributed in the new settlements in Southern Province.

Please continue to pray for the situation in Zambia. The rains are expected to last another two months. Currently, we have had heavier rains than have been reported since 1957. Local government agencies are doing their best to cope with the situation but the sheer amount of rain has detracted from what little help has been available and the logistics have been a nightmare.

We wish to express our appreciation to those who were praying for us in this effort and for those who helped make it possible for travelling to facilitate the relief program.

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

Holding On

2008-01-31T17:02:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

Last Saturday was a phenomenal day. A young man named Leonard Bwalya has been working with youth in the Luanshya area for a number of years. The focus group for his ministry is the young people just out of high school who are preparing to enter college or the work force. This group is often the most vulnerable when it comes to issues of morality and Leonard has a burden for their spiritual well being. In the past the group has been meeting at his home in the back yard. As the group has grown, the need for a dry place to meet became evident. We have offered the use of the Resource Centre for this specific purpose. On Saturday there were 60 young people who gathered for a time of prayer and bible study for two hours. It is refreshing to see a young man with a burden to help teach and prepare other young adults. Please pray for Leonard in this growing work.

Sunday morning Nancy Chanda, Sherry's associate Sunday School teacher, taught her second lesson. She began by interviewing the Prophet Jeremiah about his calling as well as his writing of the scriptures as spoken by God. Due to the heavy rains the class was very small but Nancy's enthusiasm was undeterred. We are proud of her growth and interest in teaching the young ones.

Sunday afternoon I was asked to speak to a congregation I had never visited. The young leader is a frequent visitor to the Christian Resource Centre, accessing many of the study tools. He is trying to lead the flock away from many of the false teachings they had observed over the years in their various church experiences. He has grown tremendously and wishes to see this local group come to a saving knowledge of Christ and mature in their new life. He asked me to begin a series of lessons on "New Life In Christ". Many of these individuals have come from a variety of church backgrounds. Some are believers, others are not. I began with a definition of salvation and then went into God's purpose for our lives. Speaking to this group of people was very unusual in that they were both apprehensive because they were listening to a complete stranger and yet eager to learn from the Word of God. I made it clear that the Bible was our only authority and we were going to use the phrase "The Bible says" extensively. When I came to the area of security, I illustrated John 10:27-30 by holding onto a young man's arm. He held my arm and I held his. We were inseparable as long as we both held on. I told him to let go of my arm and sit down. As he began to move, he realized that he could not return to his seat because I was still holding on to him. I insisted that he leave and sit down, but he insisted that he could not as long as I remained connected to him. I explained that this is the way it is with God. Even in our moments of weakness when we might lose our grasp, once we become a child of God, He never lets go of us. The congregation was silent for several moments until they finally realized the truth of the scripture. After the service, one of the older believers came up to me and said, "I have lived in fear of losing my salvation for years. Today I discovered that I am His forever." What a thrill it is to show believers their freedom in Christ.

Last week we mentioned the problems of the flooding caused by torrential rains in Zambia. Sherry and I have been working on a project. I will be going down to Livingstone, in Southern Province, to oversee the distribution of relief materials for about 2,000 people which we ordered last week. Sherry will be remaining in Luanshya to coordinate and maintain communication with the partners in the United Kingdom. We have contacted a missionary working in the Livingstone area to help us obtain Bibles for each of the families affected by the flooding, in their mother tongue. Please pray for us as we endeavor to reach out to our "neighbors" and share the gospel in the process. The flooding in Zambia is nationwide and hundreds of families have lost everything. We are doing our bit in our part of the country and to the south. Please pray for those who have been affected by this emergency and for us as we endeavor to meet their needs both physical and spiritual.

In His service,

Patrick & Sherry

2008-01-23T02:43:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

This is actually coming from MY computer which is feeling better, but not quite 100%, after being attached by "many viruses" (according to the technician who finally found them). We are also sending it out early because of the subject of the next paragraph…

Few things are more romantic than a candle light dinner. That is, of course, if it by choice and not under duress. For three of the last four evenings the entire power grid of Zambia has gone dark. This means that every light in every direction which is connected to the Zambia Electrical Supply Company (ZESCO) has been doused. This includes water pumps, fuel pumps, security lights, the Internet connection and hospitals. None of the hospitals in our area have a generator which means that babies in incubators, patients on respirators or dialysis and anybody on operating tables are immediately put at risk. There are no immediate records of the numbers of people who have died because of the outages, but the citizens are becoming more and more irritable. Yesterday the ZESCO vehicles were being stoned in the capital city of Lusaka. It is not the technicians who are driving these vehicles who are at fault. They are simply the targets at hand of frustrated clients. Please pray that this situation is handled quickly and reasonably before the infrastructure of the entire nation is affected.

In spite of these challenges the ministry continues. Last Friday the youth meeting attendance more than doubled. The topic under discussion is "Joseph - A Man of Integrity & Forgiveness". This past week's focus was on "Resisting Temptation". The conversations that were generated from the lesson gave many a pause. Continue to pray for the young people as they learn from the life of Joseph. This week the lesson will focus on "Imprisoned & Forgotten" from Genesis 39:20-40:23.

This Saturday morning we will be hosting a youth meeting for the African Encounter Revival Ministries. This is an evangelistic emphasis gearing young people to share their faith. Most of these young people are post-high school. The evangelist, Leonard Bwalya, has a real burden to help these youths in the practical expression of their spiritual gifts. Some months back I turned over the "Caddy Chapel" ministry to brother Bwalya. Pray for him as he uses our discipleship program as a source material with those that attend the weekly meetings.

Due to the torrential rain storms over the last few weeks, work at the building site has been seriously delayed. The door and window frames have been completed, but the security bars have not yet been installed. We are doing everything we can to make this happen. While delays are frustrating, we know that God controls the weather.

One other avenue of service has presented itself. Severe flooding in the southern part of Zambia has left hundreds of families homeless. Most of their worldly goods have been completely washed away. I have been asked to help coordinate a relief exercise and may be going down to Southern Province in a week or so to oversee the relief work. We will have an opportunity to help restore some sense of family order and will work with the Zambian government in this process. Pray for the believers who affected by this disaster as well opportunities to share Christ and His love by our ability to "love our neighbour" in a practical form. We are trying to source Bibles in the Tonga language for each family we help.

As always, your prayerful support of this ministry is important to us. We appreciate your faithfulness.

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

New Classes, New Students, New Lessons

2008-01-09T09:55:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

This is an incredibly busy time of year. The school year in Zambia begins in January so we go right from Christmas to "back-to-school". Having five children in four different schools, each with their own uniform style and other special requirements makes life interesting. We spent much of this week traveling from school and from shop to shop making arrangements for our youngsters from the Lighthouse Children's Home to begin classes on time. New shoes, new trousers, new shirts, new skirts, new blouses and dozens of notebooks have been organized and each of the children is good to go. Please pray for our youngsters. Most of them are in new schools with new challenges.

With the new school year we also have new opportunities to reach into these schools and present the Source of Light Bible Correspondence School ministry. Our goal is to do this within the first month of school. This always brings a large influx of new students both from the student bodies as well as teachers. Sometimes, even the parents will come along and see what their children are doing. We appreciate your prayers in this particular ministry which has grown exponentially over the last decade.

Sherry's youth class is starting a new series of lessons based on the Life of Joseph "Favored Son, Hated Brother". They will learn many interesting characters traits as well as the importance as the sovereignty of God in our lives. Joseph's life went from bad to worse in his eyes but God had a plan to put him in place to the salvation of a nation and a people. All too often Christians look at individual events in their life and decide that all is lost, woe is me. God, on the other hand, sees the whole picture and knows exactly where we are to fit in His plan. If we could only know and understand the flow of God's grace, we would live in the peace and contentment that God has designed for us. Yes, it is easier said than done. The natural man all too often wants it done "his way" thus blocking the flow of God's blessings in our life.

Pray for the young people and for Sherry as she prepares each week's lesson.

We have a very pressing and immediate prayer request. Patrick's computer was attacked by a "worm" of some sort and technicians have worked for the last two days to try to sort out the problem. The temptation is to throw the whole thing out the window but there is way too much information on the computer that he does not wish to lose. Please pray that we can get this sorted out before he reaches for the hammer.

We appreciate your prayers on our behalf as we continue.

In His service,
Patrick & Sherry

Great News in the New Year

2008-01-02T12:34:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

The New Year has started with great news. All three of the children from the Lighthouse Children's Home who took the grade 7 exam passed with flying colors. Nancy received an invitation to attend the Luanshya Girls Secondary School. She will be part of the last grade eight intake available at LGSS because the school is upgrading to high school only beginning next January. In fact, they are only taking half as many grade eight students as they would ordinarily take. We spoke with the headmistress of the institution this afternoon and made arrangements for Nancy's school fees and uniform on Monday. We went by Luanshya Central High School where Shadreck and Dickson should be attending but the school administration offices were closed. They will be seen tomorrow to make final arrangements. Thank you for praying for the children as they prepared for their exams and successfully completed them.

The correspondence school ministry moves forward. During the last period 278 lessons were distributed and just as many were marked. We had 23 new students and were able to award 30 certificates. We are planning on visiting some of the local schools to introduce new students to the curriculum as well as to the youth ministry available at the Christian Resource Centre. In Zambia we still have access to students in government schools. We praise God for open doors. Please continue to pray with us for the youth of this nation.

Mr. Siwale is progressing very well through his discipleship program. His work schedule allows us to meet twice a week so we are literally going twice as fast as students of the past. Tonight we talked about integrity. I have always defined it as doing the right thing even when no one sees you. Basically that means don't lie, don't cheat, don't steal… ever! There is always the issue of culture when teaching things in Africa. The issue of integrity in the home always brings interesting side bars into the conversation. The wife is supposed to be submissive. In every conversation with the husband the question arises: "How do I make my wife submissive?"

I ask the question, "Who gave you the responsibility to make your wife submissive?" The Bible says the husband is supposed to love the wife. It does not say "husbands MAKE your wives obey". Culturally it is not unacceptable for husbands in Africa to spank their wives when they are bad. I know this is going to raise eyebrows for both husbands and wives in North America. So, I suggested an alternative to the spanking. I proposed that when his wife is having a difficult day he should try a different tact. I told him to say something like "Sweetheart, I know you are not feeling well and you have worked hard all day. How can I help you?"

He said, "So, showing her love will make her submissive?"

I said, "No, showing her love makes you obedient to God. That love will be returned in due course and submission emanates from love. Mr. Siwale left our session with a lighter step. I suspect I will hear the results on Sunday. Please pray for our families. They are under the same pressures you have.

We look forward to sharing our hearts and lives with you during 2008. Thank you for being our partners in ministry.

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

Christmas Greetings

2007-12-24T20:31:00.000+02:00

From View message header detail Patrick Coleman
Sent Monday, December 24, 2007 5:08 am
To 'Patrick G Coleman'
Cc "'Sherry I. Coleman'"
Subject News from Zambia - 24th December 2007

24th December 2007
Greetings from Luanshya!

This is for those of you who – like me – slip into your office (or wherever your computer is) and check email even on Christmas Eve! I am writing this note "by faith" because the Internet connection has been down for three days and ZAMNET (our ISP) is arguing with ZESCO (the government-owned electric company) about who is at fault. I really don’t care who is to blame as long as somebody can fix it... Sigh!

This is our first Christmas with a completely empty nest. Our eldest son and his family are in Kansas City experiencing their "white Christmas" – something about which I never dream. Our daughter and her husband are in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area dealing with the "winter wonderland" of ice and snow. Our youngest son is with his grandparents in Bellflower, CA, on leave from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. Sherry and I are in soggy Luanshya where it has rained every day for over two weeks and we already have warnings that this may be the wettest rainy season for a decade or two. This year we have no children, Peace Corps volunteers, Youth Exchange Students or other house guests. It is just Sherry, me, the cat and the dogs. There are nine packages under the tree and from the looks of things it will be an academic Christmas – all of the packages look like books. We know each other’s taste in reading material.

We did have an incredible blessing yesterday (Sunday) when John and Sarah Bwalya were able to be with us in our morning service. For those who do not know (or cannot remember) John is one of the young boys we helped when he was abandoned by his mother. We put him through high school and teachers training college where he met and ultimately married Sarah. They have been away teaching in a rural village, but are now in Luanshya for two weeks taking a course at the local teachers college. When I knew they were coming I asked John to preach for us. He did a remarkable job explaining the Christmas story from the book of Isaiah with references from Matthew and Luke. Since they will be here next Sunday I have asked John to preach again. He said it was difficult to preach with me in the room because I am his teacher. I explained that I was his teacher in class, but in the church I do not critic his presentation. I am looking for what God has given him to give to me. Watching and listening to John present a clear and concise message of the Gospel was one of the best Christmas gifts we could had received. We are proud of these young adults. Please pray that God will allow them to move back to Luanshya!

On the building front, the church walls are all the way up to the peak of the roof and the roof has been completely covered. In Wednesday the door and window frames will be installed and the Mobile Mission Maintenance team will begin the plastering of the walls. This should take 10-14 days. The men will sleep in the building in order to guard against the door and window frames from being stolen… Really! The burglar bars will be installed, but the concrete has to dry before we can leave the building unprotected. It is an amazing fact of life that we have to protect a building dedicated to worshiping God from thieves who would steal the doors, but these are the times in which we live.

Still, God has been marvelous and we want to wish you a wonderful Christmas celebration wherever you are around the globe.

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

He Is Interested

2007-12-12T10:28:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

My brother Tim just turned 50 a few weeks ago. My brother, Steve, and I teased Tim constantly when we were young because Tim is blond in a family full of brunettes. What's more, Tim has blue eyes whereas Steve and I have brown eyes. We told him that he was adopted and if he did not do what we told him to do we could always take him back. Kids can be cruel.

In spite of our incessant teasing Tim taught me a tremendous lesson about prayer. I saw him in the back yard one day when we were kids, praying and asking God to help him find his dime. He had dropped it in the tall grass and had been looking for it for several minutes and decided he needed divine intervention. Being the older brother and full of the wisdom that comes with being an older brother, I rolled my eyes and stated laughing. I said Tim, don't waste God's time for ten cents. Tim wasn't discouraged. He kept on praying. He kept on looking and he found his dime. He said to me, "God is interested in my ten cents." I never forgot that lesson.

Last week the carpenters came to put the metal sheets on the roof of the chapel. This is, of course, the rainy season and it rains every single day. I prayed that God would allow us to have no rain during daylight hours for a whole week. We needed the time to get the roofing sheets on and this work cannot be done with the storms that are common during December. The carpenters came and God held the rain back. The roofing sheets are all on the roof. On Saturday morning I was in the garden and it began to sprinkle. It wasn't much so I went to the Lighthouse Children's Home to work with the boys there in the garden when suddenly the sky opened up and it poured. The rain was constant for the next twelve hours. I was reminded, again, that God had answered my prayer for five days.

We often think that God doesn't really care and that our prayers are simply an exercise to keep us humble. Nevertheless, God cares about roofing sheets and He cares about dimes. I appreciate my brother's lesson and we appreciate your faithfulness to pray for us as we serve our Lord in Zambia.

By the way, Tim, as a 50th birthday greeting… you weren't really adopted. We now claim you as part of the family. Thanks again for your faithfulness and in teaching your older brother a little bit about God's faithfulness.

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

Progress and Purpose

2007-12-05T13:31:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

Progress is steady at the building site for Fellowship Chapel. The trusses are in place and the metal roofing will start going up tomorrow. The team from MMM says that this is a two-day job so by the weekend, the building should be covered. This morning I spoke with the manager of the company that will make the window and door frames. He has offered to transport the materials without cost, saving us nearly $400 on this particular part of the project. The man overseeing the project is a member of the Baptist Church in Luanshya and is very excited about helping with this particular portion of the project. The best part of the work this week, so far, is that the rains have waited until evening so the work can continue throughout the day.

Please pray that this project will continue steadily despite the holiday season.

Andala is a young man who came into the Resource Centre and asked Sherry, "What is the purpose of life?" She spoke with him for a few minutes and then he began reading "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. Sherry phoned me and I came and spoke with the young man for a few minutes. He is new to Luanshya and is looking for a place to call his spiritual home. Please pray for him and for us as we continue to visit.

Andrew, the youngest child from the Lighthouse Children's Home, has been working faithfully on his piano practice. Last week he specifically asked Sherry if there were any Christmas songs he could learn. We searched through our resources and found a few simple carols (melody only) that Andrew can learn. Every afternoon he is dedicated to learning to play at least a few songs in the book. We are excited that not only did he initiate the prospect of learning to play the piano but that he wants to learn Christian music. Please pray for Andrew and his progress.

Both Andrew and John, from the Lighthouse, have successfully completed grade 6 and will begin grade 7 in January. In the meantime, we await the grade 7 exam results, due on the 23rd of December, for the other three children under our care. Pray that their scores are passing and high enough for each to be accepted in a good school.

We have begun thinking about the Christmas season this month, singing carols at church and listening to Christmas music at home and office. We know that the Lord Jesus was probably not born on December 25th, but this is the season when we commemorate His birth, whenever it was. Because of His birth, we have the opportunity to have eternal life and to share that story-His story-with the world. Your prayerful support helps to make that possible.

Thank you for allowing us to be your representatives in Zambia.

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

Fair Service

2007-11-28T11:42:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

ZAMNET has been having "issues" again. This time the electricity went out at a relay station 50 miles north of Lusaka (150 miles south of us) so email was out. The electricity kept going on and off for several days so email was out of order and Internet access (and SKYPE) was intermittent. They tell me it is working... We'll see!

Last Saturday we were given the opportunity to attend the graduation ceremony of the Mobile Missionary Maintenance Vocational Training School.

The MMM teams have assisted us several times over the years on various construction projects. It was started by missionaries from Australia and was placed entirely into Zambian leadership a few years ago. They still receive support from outside Zambia, but the day to day administration rests squarely with the local Zambians. As I sat and watched the graduation, I was impressed by the quality and testimonies of those who had gone through the program. They had trained carpenters, bricklayers and tailors but the outstanding facet of the education was the Christ-centered curriculum.

Students talked about loving the Lord and being prepared to serve Him through their vocation. It is good to know that we had a small part in sending these young people into the fields to harvest.

Speaking of MMM, one team of carpenters is currently on site at the Fellowship Chapel grounds to place the roof on the building. Due to illnesses and the graduation ceremony, the building is four weeks behind schedule and, of course, we have the additional challenge of almost daily rain storms. The one this afternoon lasted twenty minutes and dropped nearly four inches of rain and hail. The students quickly covered the timer, gathered all their tools and waited under shelter until the rain passed.

Immediately after the storm, they returned to the site and resumed work. We are excited about the prospect of having this building enclosed in a few days time. Please pray for the MMM team as they endeavor to complete this task.

During my discipleship session with Mr. Siwale we were discussing the lordship of Christ. As we looked at Romans 12:1, it struck home to him that being a living sacrifice-giving everything you have to the Lord Jesus Christ-is reasonable service. The "fairness" of being a living sacrifice became real as we talked about other things being fair. Go into the market to buy vegetables and paying for them is fair. Going into a shop to buy shoes and paying for them is fair. Enjoying electricity in your home and paying the monthly bill is fair. Giving our lives back to Christ because He paid for it with His blood on the cross is fair. The realization brought a smile to his face. He said, "This is why obedient Christians are happier than disobedient Christians." This is a profound statement. Please pray for brother Siwale as he continues to grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The Christian Resource Centre continues to be a valuable ministry. There have been a number of new enrollments in the Bible correspondence school while new faces have been appearing every day to use the resources offered.

This afternoon a long time student came in to have Sherry work on his computer straightening out a Bible resource program. The work among the youth of the community continues. With school almost at an end for the year, we expect many new young people to attend the special meetings set up for them. Friday evenings we continue with various films. We are currently watching the Chronicles of Narnia. Thank you for praying for the various ministries that fall under the Christian Resource Centre.

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry

Last Act

2007-11-21T23:43:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

This has been a very difficult week for a number of the believers with whom we work. Mrs. Chibumba, the house mother at the Lighthouse Children's Home, lost her sister to cerebral malaria. She was only in her mid thirties. This is a shock to the family. A few days later we learned that Mr. Chibumba's oldest sister, Ruth, died from complications due to diabetes while on a routine eye examination. Mrs. Tali, the wife of one of the church leaders, lost her 73 year-old mother because of a stroke and subsequent complications. Finally, John Bwalya's brother, Victor, was killed in a bus accident just a few days ago. All of these individuals were born again children of God. The family and friends will see them again when they reach heaven. However, the pain of the loss is always excruciating and grief takes time.

Victor Bwalya was the youngest of those who died last week. Yet his story is the most compelling. He recently obtained a job as the conductor on a long distance bus service. His job was to make sure the customers were happy and obviously that they all paid their fare. However, Victor was much more than this on his tours back and forth. He was known to share the gospel by preaching to this "captive audience" of travellers. On the day he died he had just finished preaching the gospel and was on the way to the front of the bus with a gospel music tape in hand to play over the sound system. Another driver, who had determined to commit suicide by running into a large vehicle, collided with the side of the bus right where Victor was standing. Nobody else on the bus died. The driver of the other vehicle also survived. We cannot know why God allowed this event to take place. John and his family are dealing with this sudden loss and trying to make sense of it all. Those who survived the bus accident talk about the testimony of this young man. He was dedicated to the Lord and proclaimed his faith openly. The last act he committed on earth was to share the gospel. What a fantastic testimony that is!

One of these days we will all commit a "last act". Until that time, we prepare for our transition as believers from earth to glory. This past week, in the midst of all the trials, I met with Mr. Siwale for our discipleship class where we talked about sharing the gospel. Mr. Siwale said he was learning more and more and was becoming bolder in his sharing of the good news. After hearing the story of Victor Bwalya, we pray that more believers will gain boldness to share and hold forth the Word of Truth.

As we come to this particular time of the year, we thank the Lord for the blessings we have received. The blessings include the opportunity to serve Him and to represent you in that service to the people of Zambia.

May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

Veterans and Remembrance

2007-11-14T09:54:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya.

I have been "celebrating" (if that is the correct term) Veterans Day for over half a century. I have watched hundreds of films showing both the devastation and victories of war. My favourite film on the subject is the 1941 classic "Sergeant York" starring Gary Cooper. As a boy, was that this man with such a violent temper made a complete turn-around when he came face to face with God - even to the point of refusing to go to war. He became a hero not because he wanted to kill, but because he wanted to stop the killing of his comrades in arms.

For the past 14 years I have been a participant in the "Remembrance Day" service here in Luanshya which is conducted on the Sunday nearest 11th November. For 11 of those years I have been the preacher at that service. In the past I have spoken on turning swords into ploughs, seeking peace through a relationship with Christ and thanking our fathers for the freedoms we enjoy. All of these messages were Biblically sound, but this year the service meant something more to me. This year we have a son in the military.

As I was preparing for the message I looked at the patriotic presentations sent to me by friends and family in a different light. The sacrifice offered by our fathers (both of whom served in the United States Navy) suddenly became more real. As I talked about the ultimate sacrifice made by (then) Northern Rhodesians – both black and white – in World War 2, I thought more about what a certain young man was preparing to sacrifice in service to his country: our youngest son, Colin.

Last week Colin telephoned and we spoke for over 30 minutes about his training and his plans. He made a comment that left me speechless for a moment: "Dad, I love my country and the more I am here the more I love it." Remember, this is a young man who never had the privilege of attending a high school football game, did not have a homecoming parade and never – not ever – heard the Star Spangled Banner played or The Pledge of Allegiance recited in school while in Zambia. In fact, he was almost always the only American in his class. We were criticised for encouraging him or even "allowing" him to enlist. His decision to enlist in the United States Air Force was entirely his decision and some members of his own extended family were not pleased. Colin's response: "My decision. My choice."

While we do not wave an American flag at our home or have a decal on our car here in Zambia (as suggested by the American embassy and the local police) we are proud of our young airman and look forward to seeing him in uniform some day.

Thank you for your prayers for us and our family,
Patrick & Sherry

Rain! Rain! More rain!

2007-11-08T01:52:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

Rain! Rain! More rain! Ordinarily we would enjoy early rains. The official start of the rainy season isn't until the last week of November but we have had four days of heavy rains from Saturday through Tuesday. As I said, ordinarily, this would be great. However, when we are trying to build and paint, the last thing we want is RAIN. Fortunately, we know that we serve a sovereign God and we know that He has a reason for delaying this work. It's only in our human limitations that we are frustrated with the weather.

Several weeks ago we mentioned the fact that a young church leader had come into the library to share that he had lost his 14 year old son to a drowning incident. This morning the husband came in to ask for an appointment for him and his wife. This afternoon we spent an hour with brother and Mrs. Zulu.

They shared their anger and their pain at the loss of their first born son.

We were able to share scriptures and experience with them. It is important that they forgive the boy who may have inadvertently caused the death of their son. It is even more important that they realize that God never makes a mistake and that this experience is part of His plan-as hard as that might be to accept. All too often we tend to believe that God owes us an explanation for what He does. As His children and as His servants, He does not owe us anything. The loss of a child, or any loved one, is never an easy situation. Being angry with God because of such a loss only magnifies the pain. Please pray for brother and Mrs. Zulu. Because of their position in their church, they are being observed. This makes their grief even more difficult to endure.

The grade 7 examination period is over! Our three grade seven children from the Lighthouse Children's Home are thrilled to have completed their exams and all of them, of course, think they did spectacularly. The results will be out in a few weeks and we will be able to congratulate or console them with the final outcome. We hope to find places for each of them in local government high schools that will take them through to grade 12. Please pray for them as well as the grade six students who are entering grade seven and will be experiencing these same exams a year from now.

This coming Sunday I will be speaking at the Veteran's Day Memorial Service commemorating the four remaining Zambian servicemen from WWII. It has been my privilege to speak at eleven of the last fourteen memorial services. It is an opportunity simply to say thank you to these very senior gentlemen as well as share the Word of God to the current soldiers and police officers of the day. Please pray for us during this service. It has all the more meaning this year with our son now serving in the United States Air Force.

We are privileged to be used by God and ever thankful for your prayers on our behalf.

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

Continuing Education

2007-11-01T23:04:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya!

We want to start with an update from last week. We mentioned a young man named Potiphar who came in asking questions about prayer and salvation.

Sadly, he did not return on Thursday for our follow up meeting. He did, however, come in to the Christian Resource Centre this morning while I was making a hospital visit and apologized profusely for missing our appointment. He is in the middle of his grade 12 exams and this is obviously taking up a lot of his time. We were encouraged that he came and is interested in continuing our conversation. Please pray for him and for the rest of the children who are taking final exams during this period.

The lumber for the trusses at Fellowship Chapel have been purchased and treated against termite infestation. The carpenters will be on site, Lord willing, by the end of the week and the plan is to have the roof on by the end of next week. Bit by bit we are completing this very important project.

The youth continue in their study of The Names of Jesus. This past week they looked at "The Branch", "The Bridegroom" and "The Bright and Morning Star".

There was quite a bit of discussion on the various names and coinciding verses that made the young people think beyond the surface. Please continue to pray for the classes. We hope to hand out small booklets to each of the attendees for review at home.

The Christian Resource Centre has been busy these last few days with various ones coming in to use the computers for Bible study and others using the books in sermon preparation. The are a number of young people who have also been making use of the facility as they are completing homework assignments from their Christian education classes. We praise the Lord that we are able to serve the community in this way and open the doors for those who request counseling and advice.

With that is happening through the week it would be impossible to put it all in one letter. Please believe us when we say that your prayers and support make it all possible. We appreciate you tremendously.

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

Independence

2007-10-24T10:45:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Luanshya.

Happy Independence Day! Today is Zambia's 43rd anniversary of their independence from Great Britain. The celebrations are not as grand as those that occur in the United States. We do not have giant firework displays and people are not into picnics, but there was a bit of a ceremony in the middle of town and a band played as they walked around town centre. Of course, all the businesses are closed so not much was accomplished on that front, but we are still having our midweek Bible study and we will look at the 3rd chapter of 1 John.

Earlier this week a young man named Potiphar (yes, his real name) came into the Christian Resource Centre and said he had a problem with confusion when he prayed. We slipped into the other room and chatted for about forty five minutes. His father is a church leader in one of the cult groups in town and Potiphar has been thoroughly indoctrinated with their teaching. My goal is not to spend the time blasting his denomination but to introduce him to what the Bible says about salvation. Obviously, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the first step in an effective prayer life. Potiphar began to realize that being good is not a step toward eternal life. Trying to please God does not bring us any closer to heaven. The first step is believing that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father and receiving Him as Lord and Saviour. He has a lot to think about for the next day or so and promised to see me on Thursday afternoon. Please pray for this young man as he seeks to know the reality of salvation.

The bricklaying crew for the Fellowship Chapel building has reached the 10 foot mark (3 metres). They have returned to campus so that the next group of students can come next week, Lord willing, to begin the roof. Tomorrow I will buy the timber and nails for the trusses. We need to have everything on site by Monday in order to avoid delays. We did receive a wakeup call yesterday when the skies opened and we had an hour long thunder storm. The streets were flooded and the temperature dropped to a comfortable 85 degrees. Nevertheless, with the rain comes the humidity factor for the two hours after the rainstorm, it was pretty miserable. Such is the month of October. We are excited about the progress of the building. Please pray that it continues.

The youth group began their series of lesson on The Names of Jesus. This past Friday they looked at three of these: Almighty, Author & Finisher and Beloved. A brief discussion as well as questions arose as to how each name impacted the believer and the practical application to our lives. Continue to pray for the young people, especially those who are in the midst of their year end exams.

We appreciate your prayers on our behalf. We know that it is a vital part of everything we do in Zambia.

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry