27 August 2010

News from Zambia - 27th August 2010 A

27th August 2010

 

Greetings from Luanshya!

 

It has been said that you can’t keep a good person down, but if she eats a bad peach in a great peach cobbler it can really make her sick! Last Saturday I picked several peaches from our trees in the garden. On Sunday afternoon I cleaned them and Sherry made a delicious cobbler that evening. Sherry enjoyed it only for a couple of hours, however, and spent much of Sunday night and Monday in great distress. On Tuesday – still not feeling great – she went to her office, but by the end of the day she was again feeling bad. She tried again on Wednesday to go to her office, but by noon she was back at home and in bed. It has taken five days to get over this “adventure” and she still has a “sensitive” stomach. We appreciate those who remember us in prayer. Sometimes the smallest thing can have huge consequences.

 

By the way, I polished off the cobbler over the next three days without any ill effects. It is nice to know that one bad peach didn’t spoil the whole cobbler!  J

 

Sometimes in our interaction with Zambian believers we come across some interesting issues. Last Thursday I was meeting with a young man in our discipleship class and he asked me about “retaliatory prayer.” I asked him if he meant “intercessory” prayer, but he explained that there were pastors who were praying for the deaths of individuals who were not in complete agreement with their particular denominational or specific congregational standards. This apparently includes those of their own members who are not giving enough toward church building programs or – in one case – the church’s television broadcast. These are some of the same pastors who will not allow their congregants to immunise their children because it demonstrates a “lack of faith” on their part. The desire for power within the religious world is a frightening and disappointing development. It is especially sad to see men who claim to be “men of faith” use their influence to intimidate people and enrich themselves. Pray for those who really are preaching the truth in both word and deed. Many of them have been “targets” of some of these “retaliatory prayer” services.

 

This past week I was able to spend several hours at a Deaf School and Vocational Training Centre in Luanshya. Approximately 700,000 of the 11,862,740 Zambians are “functionally deaf” (no hearing or have serious hearing loss). This is nearly 6% of the total population. When we compare this to the .3% deaf rate in the United States we see a serious difference. The primary cause of deafness is exceptionally high fevers in children often resulting from malaria, measles or flu. One purpose of the school is to help deaf Zambians learn a trade so they can be productive citizens in society. The primary purpose, however, is to reach out to this ignored– and all to often unwanted – segment of society with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The school and VTC will invite deaf (and “functionally deaf” – Zambians from all over the country to come, learn carpentry, bricklaying, tailoring and other trades as well as learning sign language so they can communicate with each other. All of this will be happening as they “hear” about God’s love and the Lord’s Jesus’ Christ sacrificial death on the cross for their salvation. We were pleased to help them acquire a building in a township near Luanshya and give two bicycles to two evangelists who are working with the deaf students. We appreciate those who made it possible for these bicycles to be purchased and given to these two dedicated servants of the Lord. Your gift will enable the message of the Saviour to go where I cannot go. There are pictures attached. One of the two deaf evangelists and one of Richard Jarvis (Deaf School Dir) with watching as the bikes are fitted with tool kits and pumps.

 

More good news! We have been praying for John and Sarah Bwalya to be able to return to Luanshya after teaching in rural schools far away for five years. It is with great joy that we can say “They are home!” – Hopefully for good! They are both still “officially” stationed at a rural school, but they have been working on their degrees by “distance learning” for the past several years and they are doing their “practicals” at high schools in Luanshya. At the end of this term (December) they are scheduled to be permanently assigned to Luanshya. We are very pleased and want you to pray for this situation. The principal of the school where they have been does not want them to transfer out because they both have an excellent record with passing students. I have spoken to the local Ministry of Education representative in Luanshya and “explained” that we need good teachers here, too, and this couple was born and raised in Luanshya. Everything looks good at this point!

 

It has been an up-and-down week with Sherry’s illness, “retaliatory prayer” meetings and great successes and opportunities. We have seen God work in so many ways and we appreciate your prayers and support as we remain...

 

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry

 

Dr. Patrick & Sherry Coleman

P.O. Box 90010

Luanshya, Zambia Africa

 

www.colemanministry.info

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

 

 

 

 

25 August 2010

News from Zambia - 25th August 2010 A BRIEF

25th August 2010

 

Greetings from Luanshya.

 

Sherry has food poisoning so we are going to write our update when she feels a bit better. We appreciate your prayers.

 

Together in His Service,

Patrick

 

(Sherry is in bed, but sends her “greetings”)

 

18 August 2010

News from Zambia - 18th August 2010 A

18th August 2010

 

Greetings from Luanshya!

 

Great news! Andrew Silungwe, the youngest member of our Lighthouse Children’s Home Family, won the Junior Engineers Technicians and Scientists (JETS) first prize in the NATIONAL competition for Zambia in the Physics category. He designed a mobile shower that supplies both hot and cold water. We are very proud of Andrew not only for his science and math abilities, but for his Christian testimony among his friends. Thank you for keeping Andrew and our entire LCH family in your prayers.

 

This past week we hosted a leadership training seminar at the Christian Resource Centre. One of our outreach ministries is to go into the business community to make ourselves available to business and professional leaders – one of the people groups that are often overlooked in many missionary endeavours. We talked about leadership techniques and consensus building and were able to make ourselves available to the participants to share deeper, spiritual concerns. Many of them go to church, but when they see Christianity “lived” on a day-to-day basis it encourages them to seek for more than just being able to lead a meeting. We have seen some fruit from this outreach and are praying for more!

 

Expanding on the leadership training, on Sunday afternoon I conducted the first of several “Preachers’ Clinics” in Luanshya. Men from two congregations came together to learn how to put a sermon or Bible study lesson together and how to organise their notes. We started with different kinds of Bible study methods. Next month we will talk about how to put their notes into a sermon outline (something like “three points and a poem”) so the message they have can be effectively communicated to the congregation. Then we will go on to subjects like platform presence, gestures, voice control, etc. The purpose of the class is to train preachers and teachers how to be more adept in their ministries as preachers, teachers and evangelists. They have a desire to spread the Gospel; now we are giving the opportunity to use their gifts more proficiently. Please pray for these preachers. The oldest is in his late 60’s while the youngest is 23.

 

While I was teaching in town, Sherry was presenting a water storage tank and tower to a rural Bible and vocational school about 15 miles from the Luanshya town limit. This was a project where we partnered with the Rotary Club of Luanshya and a Rotary Club in New York in order to provide water for the school. The well and water tank are on school property, but the whole village will be using the water so the school has an outreach into the homes of the people in that rural community. As the people come for the water for living they will also be exposed to the Water of Life. We are excited about the various means God gives us to reach into the hearts and lives of the Zambian people!

 

11 August 2010

News from Zambia - 11th August 2010 A

11th August 2010

 

Greetings from Luanshya!

 

Last Sunday was one of those experiences we have from time to time that stretches our resources. I was invited to preach at one of the oldest local churches in the Copperbelt. It was founded over 50 years ago and has been led by Zambian leadership for decades. When I arrived just after 9 am we began the morning with communion – and I was asked to preach. This was not a problem. Then the worship service started and I was ready to start in English, but the interpreter was struggling. One of the men suggested that I preach in Swahili and the message would be translated into Bemba. No problem... except my notes were all in English as was the Bible I took with me. So... I translated the message from English to Swahili as I spoke and Bro Kafwanda interpreted it into Bemba. THEN there was a request for a Q&A session that lasted over two hours. Most of the questions pertained to practical Christian living, but there is always one about “should we use leavened or unleavened bread for communion?” The Q&A sessions was in Swahili, Bemba, English and Lunda (another commonly spoken language in our area). I returned home after 3 pm. It was a great day!

 

There seems to be a recurrent problem with the youth group. The seats keep filling up! Since Sherry's return to leading the class, more young people are incorporated into the lessons by their school friends and neighbours invitations. Some don’t' attend the hour or so of games in the Youth Centre. They are attending purely for the Bible lessons. The seating is the sort of problem we can easily deal with by purchasing additional chairs or even bringing chairs in from the library. It's the other sorts of problems that tug our heart strings as we sit with the youngsters and assist them in overcoming life's daily decisions and pressures. We praise the Lord for the continued growth in the youth work and that so many are finding comfort and counsel in a safe place. This past weeks' lesson was on "Confrontation" from 2 Samuel 12. Confrontation in the sense that sin is sin and the need to confront it head on will save us from a whole lot of heartache. That does not mean we do not suffer the consequences of our actions. But, through early intervention, by godly men and women, the effects can be limited. This week the topic is: "Trouble At Home". Parental passivity can lead to calamity in the home (Galatians 6:7,8; 2 Samuel 12-18).

 

A number of past students from the Source of Light Bible Correspondence School, which Sherry continues to oversee, have visited. One such student was Ben. Ben is now studying at university and came through the Christian Resource Centre to get some advice on how he can learn about evangelism technique. He was guided to some books on personal evangelism and Sherry suggested that he get together with me on the possibility of running another course on: "Evangelism Explosion". If Ben had a couple of friends who wanted to learn along with him, we would be more than happy to run a week-long series. Pray for this possibility.

 

One of the most difficult parts of the work – as in parenting – is letting go of “babies.” With each of our children we struggled with letting them go when they reached the “ripe old age” of 18 and the draw of adulthood called. The same is true of a “baby church” that is about to move forward without our leadership. I began to step back from the English-speaking church several months ago and watched as they took their first few faltering steps. With our recent absence in June and July they were compelled to run or trip. They ran! In fact, the men of the church have been taking turns leading Bible studies and preaching. I am looking forward to this opportunity to train even more preachers for the furtherance of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

 

We appreciate your prayers on our behalf. We know that it is because of you that we can remain...

 

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry

 

Dr. Patrick & Sherry Coleman

P.O. Box 90010

Luanshya, Zambia Africa

 

www.colemanministry.info

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

 

 

04 August 2010

News from Zambia - 4th August 2010 a

4th August 2010

 

Greetings from Luanshya.

 

We learned this week that Andrew, our youngest resident at the Lighthouse Children’s Home, has received a first place award in the Junior Physics category for his science project at the regional Junior Engineering Technicians & Scientists (JETS) project fair. He designed and built his project without adult help. We are extremely proud of his accomplishment. On a lighter note, he also participated in the Copperbelt Province Schools Association table tennis tournament. Sherry says he gets his practice at the Youth Recreation room at the Christian Resource Centre.

 

I met briefly with Major Samba of the Ex-Servicemen’s League of Zambia concerning the care of the five WW2 veterans in Luanshya. This has been a long process of trying to get these men who volunteered their service over 70 years ago and were promised help first by the British Government then by the Zambian government, but help has been occasional and sparse. Now they are asking to resubmission of proof of identity before monthly contributions (about $20) can resume. This was all done three years ago, but apparently the forms cannot be located now. It is frustrating for both Major Samba and me to see these heroes ignored by their own government, but we continue to seek to help them.

 

I was approached last week by one of the church leaders to conduct a “preaching clinic” for local preachers. He said, “Many of the young preachers have a zeal to preach the Word of God, but they do not know how to prepare a sermon and they do not have the time to leave their families and jobs to go to Bible school. We are having our first “clinic” on Sunday afternoon, 15th August, at one of the churches in Luanshya. Please pray for these young men as they learn how to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ and edify the believers in their congregations.

 

A good number of young people attended the Friday afternoon meeting in the Youth Centre with Sherry. The lesson covered the issues presented in 2 Samuel 11 which she entitled: The Case of the Open Window Shade. One of the many points put across was that our greatest battle is not when we are working hard. It is when we have a lot of leisure. When we have time on our hands is when we make those fateful decisions that haunt us such as in the lives of David and Bathsheba. We may think that God knowingly winks at our evil deeds, but we must remember that He will always settle His accounts.

Pray for the young people as they learn from the life of David. This weeks’

lesson is titled: Confrontation! From 2 Samuel 12:1-15.

 

Muthande (female) is a first year college student at one of the local schools in Luanshya. Aaron, one of the youth in the Friday afternoon study is also a first year college student at the same institution. He invited his classmate to the meeting to expose her to other young Christians. When Muthande saw that it was Sherry leading the activities and bible study she exclaimed that she remembered her from a self-defence lesson Sherry gave at her school. Nearly 7 years ago during a series of Child Defilement/Abuse Awareness seminars Sherry held in the local grade schools, this young lady had approached her on some issues at her home. As a result, Muthande had been rescued from her home situation and put into an extended family members’ home and is doing exceptionally well. All this to say, that the Lord truly is in control and brings people into our lives to impact them.

Muthande is a changed young woman of God and remembers that someone cared enough to show her compassion and rescue her from a life of misery and abuse. We praise God for these visitations and reminders that all that we do has purpose and impact.

 

This past Sunday we celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. Sherry got up early and put a turkey in the oven. After church we sat down to a full turkey dinner – my favourite. God has been good to me and I thank Him several times a day for sending Sherry to me!

 

Thank you for your support and prayers for us and we remain...

 

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry

 

Dr. Patrick & Sherry Coleman

P.O. Box 90010

Luanshya, Zambia Africa

 

www.colemanministry.info

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