11 May 2011

News from Zambia - 11 May 2011 A

11 may 2011

 

Greetings from Luanshya! It has been a few weeks, but we have not been sitting still. In the past 8 weeks I have been in six countries for six leadership training sessions and two conferences. I am preparing lessons for a 25-hour module for “Biblical Stewardship” to be taught in late June at the Gospel Literature Outreach Discipleship Training Centre. It is always exciting to train leaders, but it is also a huge responsibility knowing that leaders – even young ones – are watching and listening to everything we say even when we are not “at the lectern.”. One of the participants came up to me one evening and said he wanted to talk to me. He said the most impressive things he had noticed about me is my prayers. He said, “When you pray I can actually sense that you are really talking to God.” Sadly, sometimes when older Christians pray in public the prayers seem to be for the benefit of the earthbound hearers. I explained that I used to listen to my grandfather pray at church. Everyone knew that when Bart Connelly prayed there was nobody else in the room but him and God. My young friend said, “I guess part of that rubbed off on you.” I accepted that compliment and encouraged him to “go thou and do likewise.”

 

Sometimes it is just great to sit back and watch God work in ways we cannot even imagine. Of course, He promised that to us in Jeremiah 33:3, but watching His plan unfold is still an amazing thing... like watching the sunset over the Zambezi River. You know it will happen, but regardless how many times you see it, it is still a beautiful sight.

 

This evening I was able to put two groups of people together for the benefit of both. One group wanted out of an expensive, underutilised facility and another (Encounter Youth Evangelisation Ministry) needed more space. When I contacted Leonard Bwalya of EYEM he was “speechless.” (something most preachers never actually admit!) EYEM has been working from a tiny house with no security in the middle of a township with poor roads. Their new headquarters is right at the edge of the residential section of Luanshya with an 8 foot wall, decent lighting, good water supply and a meeting hall that will allow them to have their meetings in a sheltered area without rain or the blaring sun beating down on them. It is a joy to have a part in the expansion of this youth outreach ministry!

 

Speaking of youth, Sherry was very pleasantly surprised last Sunday to receive chocolates for Mother’s Day from the four remaining wards of the Lighthouse Children’s Home. Over the past few months we have been forced to make several adjustments to the living conditions of the children. We built apartments in the Christian Resource Centre for them and they now live 50 feet from the back of our house. They have a sense of independence (3 of the four are actually legal adults, but still in 11th grade) and they are close enough now for us to have a constant eye on them. This has brought them closer to us emotionally as well as physically and their confidence has blossomed because of this. They have gone from calling Sherry “Auntie” to “Mom.” Dickson, the oldest boy, gave Sherry a plaque the talks about the “Best Mom in the World.” Sherry cried (as all Moms are apt to do) and gave him a hug – one of few he has ever received. Please continue to pray for our four “kids” as they keep maturing into the young adults that they want to become.

 

On a personal note, Colin has returned to his home base in Hawaii after an extended deployment to Qatar and countries surrounding that tiny Arab nation. We want to thank all who prayed for him as he travelled from base to base in that region of the world and would ask that you continue to pray for him as he enters school in Hawaii for his Staff Sergeant stripes to be presented to him later this year. We are proud of his service for his country and for his advancement in rank.

 

It has been a great month and God continues to bless His work here. Thank you for your support!

 

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

cell: (Sherry) 260-96-6780112

cell: (Patrick) 260-96-6780113

Skype: patrick.g.coleman / sherry.i.coleman