We're In!

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