Greetings from Luanshya!
The rains are here! For the past 18 years that I have been in Zambia the rains have not come before November, but we have had several strong storms already this year causing damage to houses and shops in Luanshya. It has taken the community by surprise and residents are busy finishing their building projects and repairing the damage caused by these early storms. Plans made by men are always subject to God's plans.
The Youth Fellowship on Friday has been "packed" for the past few weeks. Several of the young people have invited their friends to hear something more than they hear elsewhere. Some of the young people have asked for time with Sherry to talk about their family situations. In some homes children are raising children and parental input is simply non-existent. Please pray for these young people and for Sherry as she counsels them.
The building of the Sunday School "nsaka" is progressing. The frame is up, the roof will be on this week and the walls will be completed next week. It will be dedicated the last Sunday of October when the church will have a "Fellowship Day" after church with music, lunch and volleyball. These fellowship events have been great ways of reaching into the community and sharing our faith with our neighbours.
The new congregation in Mukolwe is looking forward to their first baptism on 30 October. (It was originally scheduled last month, but "election activities" interfered.) This past week a group of us visited the "Head Man" of the village to ask for a plot of land for a building where they can build a small chapel of their own instead of meeting in the school. The men in this village have built their own homes and are not novices at building with mud brick and grass roofs. It is exciting to see and hear them make plans for their own chapel. We are planning a visit to the "Senior Chief" in two weeks to confirm the land allocation. We met the chief last year and received his permission to stat the church, but this meeting will be specifically for the land. It is a procedural matter and we expect no problems. The chief is a Christian and was very pleased to know that we wanted to start a new church to share the Gospel in his kingdom. Please pray for his meeting.
Please know that we appreciate your prayers for us as we remain...
In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry
Patrick & Sherry Coleman
P O Box 90010
Luanshya,
Zambia
Off: 260 212 512359/512539
Res: 260 212 510033
Cell (P): 260 966 780113
Cell (S): 260 966 780112
