Promise Kept

Greetings from Luanshya! This should have gone out yesterday, but...

On Sunday evening I received a text message that the wife of a dear friend had slipped into the presence of our Lord and Saviour. Vivian was the wife of Stephen Kabamba, Child Evangelism National Chairman and an elder in his local church. We have known Stephen and Vivian for many years worked with Stephen has conducted training seminars at the Christian Resource Centre for both his local and national CEF workers. Vivian was only 39 years old, but she was diabetic and was suffering from malaria. The two factors together were too much for her body to fight here in Zambia. She left five young children behind.

I went to Stephen's home immediately and was escorted past a hundred friends and family members who were gathered in small groups around his home talking about Stephen and Vivian's shared ministry in CEF, their work in the church and their testimony I the community. Stephen was in a small room at the back of the house, sitting on a mattress on the floor with members of the church sitting with him. I sat on the floor next to him and we wept and prayed together. I have been where he is and he remembered. On Monday afternoon we gathered at the same church building where 15 years earlier we gathered for another funeral. That time I was the one sitting in the front row. I was surrounded by the prayers of thousands of believers as they asked the Lord to comfort me. God, in keeping His promise, has never left my side and has blessed me more than I could have imagined on that day 15 years ago. I reminded Stephen of the Lord's promise and he said he could never forget it. He had watched me for the past 15 years and had seen what God could, would and had promised to do. Twelve years ago Sherry and I returned to that same church and re-enacted our wedding for 500 observers. God has been so good! God did, indeed, keep His promise! Today I am asking you to remember Stephen – my friend, my colleague, my brother in Christ – in your prayers.

Earlier that day I had been preaching and teaching in a rural church 45 minutes from Luanshya on a 10-mile road that ceased being passable many rains ago. Without my tough little 10-year-old Kia Sportage the trip would not have been possible. I keep looking for the thumbprint of God on the back window of that little vehicle because that is the only way it keeps going! I arrived just as the first member of the congregation arrived. I greeted them in a mixture of Swahili and Bemba. Some of them travel as far as 6-7 miles through bush paths to come to church. A few have bicycles, but most walk. Their Sunday morning trip to church takes over an hour. They sit on rough benches made from "off cuts" of timber at a lumber mill. There is no air conditioning or heating system. The windows are open vent blocks without glass panes. There aren't enough song books for everyone and there is no music so the song service is a cappella – and they sing with enthusiasm! I preached about Noah's faithfulness to obey even when it did not make sense – Whoever heard of building a boat for a flood when nobody had even seen rain? Noah's belief and obedience even when faced with direct ridicule and persecution caused him and his family to be saved. That same belief and obedience is required today by believers.

After the service I met – as in my custom – with the leaders of the church. They had asked me at our last meeting to come for regular Bible Institute classes because for them travel all the way to Luanshya would take several hours by foot and bicycle. They had discussed it among the congregation and decided that Wednesday afternoon would be best. Because 99% of the people there live from their small farms they are "free" in the afternoons. (Work starts at 5:30 am) So, they asked me to come at 2:00 pm on Wednesday.

I have to admit that I was a bit sceptical that they would have more than a few people there, but I was willing to come. I arrived at 1:45 and some of them were already waiting. We sang a few songs until time to begin. By 2:00 we had almost everyone from the Sunday morning assembly with a few coming in 5-10 minutes late – apologising as they entered. I taught a simple introductory lesson from a small book entitled "Understand Your Bible" written by Wilfred Munnings, a missionary to India for 17 years. Bro Munnings realised that books in simple English were needed so people with limited education could both understand and translate basic Bible truths in many local languages and dialects. I gave copies to those who could read English and they have become the "teacher's aides" in the class. The first session lasted an hour. At the end of the hour I said: "Next week we will study..." and the "class" was surprised that the hour had passed so quickly. There were many questions and answers were taken from the Bibles that they had so they know that the teaching is not from me, but from God's Word. After the first hour I met with Bro Simwanza and Bro Matanda for an hour of personal discipleship. After driving home again I was exhausted, but exhilarated by the fact that this rural assembly of believers would walk miles to hear a Bible lesson and be excited about being there. We didn't have food. We didn't have tea or coffee. We didn't have special music. We only had a one-hour Bible lesson and they were excited about coming. They promised to come back next week with their friends!

This is why we are here doing what we do. The purpose of the discipleship class is to train Bro Simwanza and Bro Matanda to be able to teach others and to work with me in the weekly classes in the future. As we reach out into the various communities in and around Luanshya we see God working in the lives of His children. He comforts those who mourn and encourages those who want to learn more. We are able to be here to facilitate His will because you are faithful to pray and support this ministry.

The "new and soon-to-be-improved" web site is under construction at www.colemanministry.info. Check it out and keep going back for updates...

Thank you for your prayers on our behalf!

Together in His Service,

Patrick & Sherry