26th May 2010
Greetings from Luanshya, Zambia.
The rains are officially over and winter is setting in. Night time temperatures are down to a bone-chilling 50 degrees Fahrenheit and day time temperatures are only up to the low 80’s. Interestingly enough, this is colder than usual and our Zambian friends are complaining about the “cold.” Everything is relative!
Now that the rains have stopped the government has begun to fix several of the rural roads around Luanshya. This is a blessing because it means villages that took from 45 to 60 minutes to reach four weeks ago are now reachable in 15 minutes. This not only saves time, but helps on the wear and tear of the vehicle. We had to replace springs and shock absorbers on the Sportage last month and were more than a little surprised at the cost. Having a smooth road makes life – and ministry – easier! We appreciate your faithful support which makes these repairs possible!
The Youth Class on Friday is growing week by week. Every seat was taken last week and we will have to buy more chairs for the future. This is a GOOD problem! Sherry continues in her study of King David and the young people are finding character building lessons both in what David did and in what he should have, but didn’t, do. The young people are encouraged to ask questions and even the new comers are getting involved. They are still coming for the recreation, but they are staying for the Bible study.
This week I am teaching at the Gospel Literature Outreach Bible Institute in Kaniki (about 30 miles from home). The classes are scheduled in 20-hour modules from Monday through Friday so I leave home at 7 and return at about 2. Today there was a question and answer time so I was not home until almost 3, but I love teaching and the students are responding well. The school is entirely under the administration of Zambian leadership and it is growing in both the number and quality of students. It is always great to see local believers take the lead in reaching their fellow Africans for the Lord. This is, after all, what our goal was when we arrived in Africa 25 years ago!
Last night we had a meeting with the director of a Christian aid organisation called “Seeds of Hope.” They specialise in water and sanitation projects. Since water is a major concern in Zambia and proper sanitation is almost non-existent in rural areas, they have quite a task ahead of them. They have asked us to help them with logistics for several water projects and said they wanted suggestions for how to reach into the rural areas with the Gospel. We have two suggestions: Child Evangelism Fellowship (based in Luanshya) and the GLO Bible Institute mentioned in the previous paragraph. Providing clean water is always a great way to introduce ourselves into a new community and now we will be able to expand that area of ministry working in partnership with SoH.
We asked the Lord to open doors of opportunity for us 13 years ago. He has and continues to do so. Your partnership with us in this ministry makes this a reality. Thank you for allowing us to work with you for the Lord Jesus Christ.
In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry
Dr. Patrick & Sherry Coleman
P.O. Box 90010
Luanshya, Zambia Africa
tel: (h) 260-21-2510033
(w) 260-21-2512359
(w) 260-21-2512539
(fax) 260-21-2510718
cell: (Sherry) 260-96-6780112
cell: (Patrick) 260-96-6780113
Skype: patrick.g.coleman / sherry.i.coleman
