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
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
