Dive Deep!

Greetings from Luanshya!

The College and Career Class have completed their studies in the book of Daniel. The class will resume in the new year since many of the students are going into year-end exams and returning to their home villages. This is a very stressful time for students both in high school and university level. Please pray specifically for the Christians as they study and prepare for these very important examinations.

We are considering holding a Bible Club program for ages 7-15 during the school break in December. This will be along the line of Vacation Bible School, but it would be weekly instead of daily. The series the children will work through is entitled "Dive Deep!" The usual singing, games, crafts, Bible lessons with an added facet of puppetry will enliven the day. We will keep you updated as plans for this event are solidified.

One of the students in the Bible Institute has just completed a module on Job. This is always an interesting book to work through. He learned a tremendous amount in not only examining Job's reaction to trials but also in examining Job's friends' reaction to Job's reaction. Very often people assume that suffering believers are suffering because of sin.

Job, Daniel, Joseph and the apostle Paul demonstrate to us that this is not necessarily the case. Sometimes God allows suffering to make us stronger. Sometimes God allows suffering for us to be an example and comfort to other believers. Sometimes God allows suffering just to show Satan that God's children are faithful to the Lord. Whatever the reason for our suffering, we know that God is in control and will never allow us to endure more than we are able to endure. There is a tremendous
comfort in that fact!

The last couple of weeks I have been visiting rural churches. This coming Sunday I will be back at Mwaiseni. This is a church I helped to start several years ago. Their average attendance is around 300 on Sunday morning. They have invited me to come back as their guest speaker. It is very exciting to see a church grow with local leadership at the helm. Another local church has requested me to visit in November
to teach specifically about the Lord's Supper. I am looking forward to that occasion. Like the apostle Paul I sometimes find conflicts in the local churches and I am able to counsel without interfering in the autonomy of the local church. Please pray for our Zambian leaders as they seek to do the will of God.

Last Saturday evening I took Colin, Courtney (our Youth exchange student) and a Peace Corp Volunteer to watch a Hindu ceremony in Ndola so they might get an idea of yet another culture resident in Zambia. They were amazed to find people worshipping man made gods of stone, copper and gold. One of the leaders explained that one of the goddesses had a child whose head was cut off by a rival god so they grabbed the
nearest thing they could find to put on the child's shoulders to keep it alive. They found the head of an elephant. The young people didn't say anything initially until they were alone with me and then the amazement of such a story was shocking to say the least. As the celebration continued, hundreds of Hindus walked in circles around what looked like a maypole in the middle of a courtyard. The whole scene reminded me of Elijah's experience with the 400 prophets of Baal. Drums were beaten, singers were crying out and the dancers were spinning back and forth trying to appease the "mother goddess". It magnified the need to share the gospel of Christ with the whole world. Many of these Hindu friends really believe that the dancing, the drums and the wailing will get them closer to some kind of paradise. I spoke to one man who was raised in that culture, who completely rejected the idea. Please pray for M. as we
continue to dialogue about the truth as opposed to error.

Thank you for your continued prayers on our behalf.

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry