22 February 2011

News from Zambia - 23 February 2011

Greetings from Luanshya!

Our Internet access has been absolutely atrocious for the past three weeks. On 2 February the new ISP was to hook up so ZAMNET was cancelled and we waited... patiently... for a day, then two then finally a week. According to the technicians, the new owner of the local mine has brought in several hundred workers from China. They are all using the Internet so the bandwidth in Luanshya is lower than ever. There is a promise of correction – either by limiting the mine or raising the rest of the town – but we are using a dial-up modem which is connected to the mobile telephone company. Service is “spotty” at best, but this being queued for potential delivery in the new future.

Much has taken place in the past few weeks. We mentioned the fact that the Youth class has been growing weekly. We purchased 10 new benches for the Christian Resource Centre to help alleviate the crowding in the class. We will also be adding a few more tables this week. The young people continue in their study of the life of Christ.

Andrew – our youngest ward of the Lighthouse Children’s Home ministry – has passed his grade nine exams and is now a student at Luanshya Boys’ High School. LBHS is considered the best high school in Luanshya so we are pleased with his results. Pray for him as he makes this transition. He told us yesterday that he was elected to the school student council representing the grade ten pupils. The other children are doing fine in their schools as well. Sherry has been spending more time with the children for the past month and they are showing signs of real maturity and personal development.

I continue to work with area churches and church leaders. The Design for Discipleship program is expanding with both new believers as well as older believers who simply have not grown much in the Lord seeking to know Him better. The Christian Resource Centre is busy every day with church leaders as well as students from a local Bible college coming in to use the books and other resource material. Residents of a home for deaf children have been coming in to watch Christian videos. The “parents” – a retired American couple – sign the translations for the children. Of course, they also enjoy the cartoons even without hearing them.

On a personal note, I made my annual visit to the doctor for my post-cancer review. The doctor declared me “Cancer Free” after six years of cancer-free check-ups. He said if I get cancer now it is a new strain because there is no hint of cancer in my body. The scopes that they did found no problems, no polyps, no ulcers and no liver issues. It looks like I’ll be around for a few more years! (DV)

We appreciate your prayers and support of the Lord’s work here. We are able to be here because you are there faithfully remembering us.

Together in His Service,

Patrick & Sherry