Crowded

Greetings from Luanshya!

We ordinarily send this update on Wednesday afternoon. With the new class I have in the rural church I am out of town from 1:00 pm and I return just in time for the mid-week Bible study at the English service. After that study we has yet another meeting and we returned home at 9:30 pm we thought it best to wait until we were more rested. So... Here is the update. I thing we may start sending this out on Tuesday afternoon... unless that becomes as crowded as Wednesday.

Speaking of the Wednesday Bible study, we are going through some of the basics of the Bible laying a foundation for future lessons This includes the time or dispensations of God, the people mentioned in the Bible etc. Yesterday we discussed who the Gentiles are and what God's relationship to them was, is and shall be in the future. At the end of the class I asked if there were any questions. One young man who was a first-time visitor last Sunday asked me how he could know that God actually heard his prayer. I answered with a question: "Do you know that God is your Father and that you will go to Heaven when you die?" His answer was no, and we talked in front of the whole class about how he could have that assurance. When I asked him if he wanted to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour he responded enthusiastically by stepping over the benches in front of him and coming to the front of the class. We sat on the bench in the front row and Chibuye became the newest member of the Family of God. There is no better way to end a Bible study!

After class I went with two of the men from the church to visit an elderly woman who was no longer able to come to church because it was "just too far to walk." Esther Mukombe is 85. Up to a few weeks ago she was faithful to be at every service – rain or shine – of this small, rural congregation. Last week the men asked if I could find a wheelchair for her. It "just so happened" (if you believe in coincidence) that the Rotary Club of Luanshya had a wheelchair sitting in their meeting hall. I went to the hall, collected the wheelchair and took it with me to Esther. When we arrived at the mud brick house Esther was feebly standing in the door. Her daughter and son-in-law (Rachel and Bryson Katele) had just returned from their small field and the children gathered around the car. I pulled the wheelchair from the back of the Sportage and pushed it over to Esther. She is almost blind and could not see me or the wheelchair until I was a few feet from her. We told her to sit in her new wheelchair and she began to weep. Her daughter began to weep. Her son-in-law didn't know what to say. I explained that the church was Esther's "as long as she needed it" then it was to go back to the church so another believer could use it. Bryson is not a Christian. He witnessed the love and concern of Christians who wanted to meet the physical need of one of their sisters in Christ. He promised to come to the church service on Sunday to hear about the Saviour who gave more than just a wheelchair – He gave His life. Please pray for Bryson. He will hearing the Gospel for the first time in a few days.

Next week will be something different! We are hosting the "Evangelism Explosion Africa" seminar at the Christian Resource Centre. The EE – Africa Director, Bro DuToit, is coming from South Africa and we will be having classes for 20 church leaders from the Luanshya area. (One man is coming from Kitwe so he will be travelling an hour each morning to get here.) The classes are designed to teach trainers from the churches so they can go back to their congregations and teach the "believers in the pew" how to reach their friends and neighbours for the Lord Jesus Christ. The classes begin each morning at 8:30 and will continue until 5:30 every afternoon. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday there will be "OTJT" (On The Job Training) when the participants will actively present the Gospel to people. On Friday morning there will be a test which will include 12 verses that are to be memorised during the week and the Gospel presentation outline. The Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship is coming with a colleague. The director from Encounter Evangelism Ministry is coming with a few colleagues. Several other church leaders will be attending and we hope to "turn Luanshya upside-down" for the Gospel. Pray with us for a great meeting!

Sometimes we get tired, but we are encouraged by what God has allowed us to do and the victories was witness. Thank you for remembering us in your prayers.

Together in His Service,
Patrick & Sherry