4th February 2009
Greetings from Luanshya, Zambia.
The rains are heavier than anyone can remember and the Zambian Meteorology Society (yes, we have one) says the rains are going to get heavier still during February. This is, of course, good news for a place that has experienced drought for several years so the Zambians are actually "complaining" about the rain, but it makes life difficult when rural roads are knee-deep in mud and almost everyone is walking from place to place.
The Luanshya Copper Mine is officially closed meaning that over a thousand miners are out of work and several small companies that supplied the mine with special services are also on "forced leave" until "someone" - either a new investor or the government - comes in to restart the mining operation. There have been several suggestions, but according to one of the Zambian administrators this morning nothing has been approved yet. This is not the first time this has happened in Luanshya and the people here are cautiously optimistic that the mine will open again, but time is always the question. Please pray for the situation here. Zambians are, by nature, patient, but hungry people are desperate people.
Sherry was surrounded by several dozen school children this morning in front of the Christian Resource Centre. The teachers had an "In-Service Seminar" so classes were dismissed and the youngsters wanted to start "The Mail Box Club" lessons. Word of Mouth advertising has helped to increase the enrolment and this is great news. Many of these children are introduced to the truth of the Bible by "The Mailbox Club" Bible correspondence programme and carry these lessons to school every day. Just this week Sherry was stopped by a former student who is now an adult. He thanked her for making the Bible available to him when he was just a youngster. We want to thank YOU for making this possible!
John Banda from the Lighthouse Children's Home came to us this week with a very serious request. At his new school they are offering a computer class. He has not taken much interest in computers in the past even though we have two in the Christian Resource Centre. When he saw Andrew and Nancy enjoying their computer access he wanted to know more. His classes cost less that $10 per month and he was pleading with us to let him take the classes. Of course, we are thrilled that he wants to study something new and agreed. He is excited! We just received news that one of our first "wards" from 12 years ago is now working with computers in Lusaka (the capital of Zambia) and doing very well - both in his work and in his church there. As we see the children grow physically, academically and spiritually we are encouraged in what God has allowed us to do.
There are challenges every day. There are also victories that we are able to share. Thank you for praying for us through the challenges and celebrating with us in the victories!
Together in His Service,
Patrick & Sherry
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This is a regular (almost) update of the multi-faceted ministry of Patrick and Sherry Coleman who serve the Lord in Zambia, Africa.
About Us
Patrick was born and raised in the Los Angeles area of California. He moved to Lubumbashi, Zaire, (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1985. In 1991 he was evacuated from Lubumbashi because of civil unrest. Patrick based his family in Luanshya, Zambia.
Sherry was born and raised in a Jewish home in New Jersey. She came to know the Lord as her Messiah and personal Saviour when she was 17. She came to Zambia in 1990 to administrate a correspondence Bible school. She also taught in area schools and in churches.
They met and were married on August 1, 1997.
Today both Patrick and Sherry Coleman serve the Lord together in Zambia. Their ministry responsibilities have grown. They own and operate the Lighthouse Children's Home with six AIDS orphans, they have opened their personal library to the public in Luanshya through the Christian Resource Centre, Sherry still has a correspondence Bible school and Patrick still works with local church leaders as well as serving in leadership at Fellowship Chapel in Luanshya.
Note from the Web Guy
Greetings from the Web presence of the Coleman Ministry. Please check the archives for any posts you may have missed.
This is the Colemans' oldest son, who is responsible for this website. My father refers to himself as "Technologically Reclined". Despite my best efforts to make posting to this site as easy and quick as possible, he insists on using the worst method available and occasionally forgetting to notify me for more than a year.As a result, sometimes posts get added in the background. They do not hit the front page, which only shows the latest update I have received, reformatted, and republished. As of this writing, I have a dozen posts to put up and back-date, and more coming in. I estimate that I will finish this effort by late July. Maybe not this year, but it will be a July.
So please, peruse the archives.