29 February 2012

News from Zambia - 29 February 2012

29 February 2012

Greetings from Luanshya! It is rare that we get to send a letter with today's date. We could not pass up this opportunity!

We have had another incredibly exciting week! The rains continue with full force "helping" us to find the weak spots in the roof of the house and the Christian Resource Centre. My "honey do" list is growing for the end of the rainy season in May!

As you know, we have been working with the local Rotary Club on the "Water for Education Campaign" in our area. We arrange for wells and toilets to be placed at rural schools. We have been using two Christian organisations to do this: Seeds of Hope International Partnerships drill the wells and install the hand pumps. Mobile Mission Maintenance Vocational Training Centre build the toilets using students at the school as "on the job training." We network with Rotary Clubs around the world as well as individuals and churches who want to participate. Providing the water and sanitation is important to the school children and communities. Being a part of this project brings us closer to the people living in these communities.

This past week a well was drilled at Mushili Basic School, the school where the new congregation is meeting in Mukolwe - a village about 45 minutes from home. On Sunday the nurse from the local rural clinic came to see who we were, what we were teaching and why we were there. I had a lengthy conversation with her and gave her several booklets to read. She promised to come back next Thursday for the Bible Study. Just as the service started the son of the village headman walked in with his family. He said he wanted to come because he saw that we were not just there "for the money" but wanted to make a difference in that village. The old adage is true: "Nobody cares what you know until they know that you care." We never realised that a water well and a couple of toilets would open so many doors to present the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. By the way, three other communities in this rural district have asked us to start Bible studies at the schools there. All we need are more days in the week! Please pray for this ever-expanding ministry!

The Women's Bible Fellowship on Thursday's continues to meet. Sherry's series on 1 Peter has attracted attention, particularly with the primary title of "Hope Beyond...". She takes each chapter and identifies a major aspect which draws attention to the Christian and how they can "Hope Beyond..." the problems of life. This week the lesson is on "Hope Beyond Unfairness: Pressing On Even Though Ripped Off" from 1 Peter 2:13-25. Few dilemmas are more difficult to cope with than being done wrong after having done right. Our natural tendency is to resent such treatment, retaliate, and then hold a grudge. Strange as it may seem, God offers rare and wise counsel: instead of getting even...submit. In this portion of scripture believer's are exhorted to follow in the footsteps of their Lord. In a day when most sue or slug it out, submitting seems out of the question. Nevertheless, God's ways are always best. His instructions may not come naturally or easily, but they are effective. Nothing is more disarming to our enemies. As Christ modeled so beautifully, submission to the Father leads to remarkable results.

In other areas the Youth Centre continues to bring in young people from the various high schools on Friday afternoons. Sherry's series on the Old Testament (Ezra to Malachi) has opened the eyes of many as to the relevancy of these often forgotten books. This Friday the youth will be looking at Proverbs: Reliable Counsel For Right Living. The book of Proverbs offers a wealth of information to aid us in wise living. What the Psalms are to our devotional life, the book of Proverbs is to our practical life. 

This past week Zambia had a very high profile visitor. Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, made the first visit to Zambia by a SG. His speech to the nation started a firestorm! He began well by congratulating the Zambian National Football (soccer) team for their recent victory in the Africa Cup of Nations Tournament and congratulated the Zambian people for a peaceful transition of government in last year's elections. Then he began talking about human rights and went through all the catagories: Race, Religion, Ethnicity etc. Then the bomb shell. He mentioned "sexual orientation." Both the United States and the United Kingdom have warned Zambia that foreign aid will be affected by Zambia's stance on the rights of homosexuals. We have never heard so many people quote Leviticus 18:22 in their letters to the editor, on national television and on FACEBOOK. Ban Ki Moon's visit to Zambia has done as much to draw the people of Zambia together as the victory of the Chipolopolo Boys a few weeks ago. One report said "we don't want this American sin corrupting Zambian youth." The fact that Mr Moon is South Korean did not matter. The UN Headquarters is in New York so this was "from America."

Several times in the past few days people have asked me what I believed about homosexuality. I have explained that the Bible calls it an abomination, but we are not here to pinpoint any particular sinner. Our responsibility is to share the Gospel with everyone and that includes "all people" according to Mark 16:15. Please remember to pray for this situation. We do not want the believers here to get sidetracked in a single-focus issue. The Great Commission is to reach the lost - not to condemn them. When a person receives the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour the Holy Spirit convicts them of their sin. Our purpose is to reach them with the Gospel.

Thank you for your faithful prayers!

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


15 February 2012

News from Zambia - 15 February 2012

15 February 2012

Greetings from Luanshya!

We have had an incredibly exciting week! Last Wednesday the Zambian National Football (Soccer) Team defeated Ghana to advance to the finals of the African Cup of Nations Tournament. For the next four days the country was on pins and needles as the team prepared to face Côte d'Ivoire in the final match on Sunday night. Zambians from every walk of life were wearing national colours, flags appeared on automobiles and "Vuvuzelas" (those loud, annoying plastic horns) were being "played" all over town. As the time for the even neared the streets were emptied as almost everyone was glued to a television set. Of course, there were the power outages around the country then the rain started and television reception was distorted, but still we watched as Zambia ultimately won the match and became the football champions of Africa. The celebrations lasted all night and well into the next two days. It was great seeing Zambians become patriotic even if it was only for a few days.

The night became better when we received a skype call from our daughter, Chandra. Colin was visiting her so we were able to talk to them together. The call lasted until 2am. It was a terrific end to a great day!

Yesterday was, of course, Valentines' Day. While it is not a big day in Zambia, it is being introduced into Zambia by the South African merchants. Yes, I bought flowers for Sherry and some chocolate, but the best part of the day for Sherry was when Dickson - the oldest boy in the Lighthouse Home - brought four red roses to Sherry's office and wished her "Happy Valentines' Day." We have seen an incredible maturity in our four "youngsters" in the last year since reorganising the Lighthouse Ministry and bringing the children closer to us. Thanks for your prayers on their behalf!

Yesterday we were asked about premarital counselling by a young lady who is contemplating her upcoming nuptials. We have explained that we have a nine-week course that we insist that all prospective newlyweds before performing a wedding. She and her fiancé are going to contact us and set up the first meeting. Please pray for this young couple. They want to start their new life together fully prepared to spend their lives together.

Busy and exciting week! Just the way we like them! We appreciate your prayers!

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


08 February 2012

News from Zambia - 8 February 2012

8 February 2012

Greetings from Luanshya!

We love bragging about our Lighthouse Family! Last week we told you about Nancy Chanda being selected as a prefect at Luanshya Girls High School. This past week she was elected as Youth Red Cross Chairlady for Luanshya District. Nancy has a servants's heart and it obviously shows! In addition, Andrew Silungwe (our youngest ward) was elected Student Body President at Luanshya Boys High School. Andrew is only an eleventh grade student so this is an extraordinary honour! Please pray for our young leaders! They represent not only their schools, but us... and you as well!

The rains are unrelenting at present. Still, we must travel the roads between our home and our work. I made two trips this week to see Senior Chief Mushili of the Lamba Tribe. The Chief's "palace" is only 26 miles away, but it took over an hour to get there over roads that are in serious need of repair. Chief Mushili gave the new congregation in Mukolwe a very large plot of land for a chapel and the leaders of the church needed to go and officially accept and thank the chief. They gathered a few things as gifts and we contributed several Christian books for the Chief's personal library. He is a devout Christian and enjoys good literature. Though his eyes are failing, he has someone to read to him. He was very appreciative. He also enjoyed the calendar we gave him with our picture on it. He has known Sherry for over 20 years and said he would look at "his daughter" every day. Please praise the Lord with us for this gift and pray for Chief Mushili. He suffered a stoke some time ago. He is getting stronger, but he admitted to me that age was catching up with him.

Word has spread about the Mukolwe work and three other rural communities have asked us to start Bible studies with them. I explained that there are only so many Sundays in a month so we will need to meet on a weekday. I have spoken to Bro Simwanza and asked him to liaise with members of those villages to determine the best time for he and I to go there. These are all farming communities so they are in their fields every morning at first light. They are generally home by early afternoon so we can have Bible studies from about 2 until 6 pm. Please pray for this expanding ministry and for the transportation needs that they will require! With fuel at $6.25 per gallon and a 13-year-old Sportage that has clocked 160,000 miles, there are challenges to an expanding work.

Sherry continues with the ladies' meetings on Thursday, youth meetings on Friday and the Bible Correspondence School throughout the week. Last week there were almost as many babies as there were ladies at the Bible Study. Last week's lesson was "Hope Beyond  Division: Reasons for Puling Together" (1 Peter 1:22-1:3) and tomorrow's lesson is "Hope Beyond Guilt: Becoming Living Stones" (1 Peter 2:4-12).  In the Youth Class last week they studied the life of Job. Everything was taken away from him and his most of his friends gave him really poor advice. It was the youngest of his friends that reminded him to "Look up to God." The analogy that Sherry shared was our ministry shortly after we were married. It seemed that almost everything we had done was taken away from us, but God had to remove the old to make room for the new. The Lighthouse children were in the room and realised that God had made provision for them to find love and care by placing us in a position to find them. We know that there are no mistakes in God's plan.

We have seen the hand of God in His work this week. Thank you for praying for us as we remain...

Sincerely 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

01 February 2012

News from Zambia - 1 February 2012

1 February 2012

Greetings from Luanshya!

It hardly seems possible that we are already in the second month of the year! January has flown past!

They say "When it rains, it pours." It is certainly "pouring" here right now! Roads are covered in water, bridges are being damaged and we just heard that about a 1,000 families in Kabwe (a city about 125 miles south of us) have had their homes washed away by floods. (By the way, the electricity in my office just went out so this is being typed on battery power!) I had to travel to Lusaka on Sunday after church (200 miles south) to have some repairs done on my vehicle (something I am doing more and more these days). The repairs took a day and a half and were not quite finished, but I needed to be home Tuesday evening so I will have them finish in a few weeks. The mechanic was surprised, then impressed, that I was still driving the same Kia Sportage that I bought from them 13 years ago. On the way home I discovered that the last 30 miles of road into Luanshya has become like a slalom course dodging potholes that in some cases encompass the entire road. It won't be long before we are forced to take the long route and add 40 miles (and one hour) to that trip. I made it home before dark yesterday so Sherry was relieved. Driving at night in the rain on these roads is never advisable. We appreciate your prayers for us as we travel across Zambia.

We are proud to announce that Nancy Chanda, our last remaining girl in the Lighthouse Home, has been named as a prefect (teachers' aid) in her school. This is an honour for any student and we are especially proud of our Nancy. She has grown into a fine young lady and is being recognised by her teachers as such. She is still teaching Sunday School at Fellowship Chapel, though the rains often keep children home because they all walk on Sunday morning. Still, rain or shine, Nancy is there every Sunday waiting for them! She is also busy preparing for her Grade 12 exams which will take place in November/December of this year. This is a very stressful time for all grade 12 students and we have THREE students in grade 12. All three of them are taking extra "prep classes" after school to bolster their knowledge. Please remember to pray for Nancy, Dickson and Shadreck daily as they prepare all through this year.

The new assembly of believers in Mukolwe is eagerly planning their visit to the chief later this week. As I mentioned, the chief gave us a large plot of land just off the main road for a building. The next step is preparing to meet the chief to thank him for his generosity and officially accept the gift. The small assembly is preparing the chicken, sugar, tea and other gifts to take to the "palace" for the chief. (One cannot go empty handed to see the chief.) He is a believer so we will prepare a bundle of Christian books for his library. He already has a Bible in several languages. As soon as they have made this presentation the men want to clear the land and begin planning their new chapel. They are excited about seeing it all take place. Frankly, so are we. Their enthusiasm for the lessons I teach every Thursday is very encouraging! Please pray for this young congregation as they grow "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord!"

This afternoon Sherry had two of her young people come rushing into her office. They said, "Auntie (this is a sign of respect for a woman), We wanted you to be the first to know that we have passed our grade nine exams and have been accepted into Luanshya Boys High School!" Both Obed and Nathaniel are regular attenders of the Friday afternoon youth meeting. Nathaniel's father passed away just before the exams began so he was under more stress than usual, but he did very well to be accepted into the best government high school in Luanshya District. Sherry told both of the boys that she was proud of them and to be sure and look up our Andrew if they needed anything. (Andrew is on the student council at LBHS.) It is always great to know that we are having an impact on the youth of our community! Please keep Sherry in your prayers as she continues to train the young people in her class!

Finally, many people ask us about Colin, his travels and his life in the USAF. We don't really hear much from him. Since becoming a Staff Sergeant last year he has been involved in more training and more flying all over the world. In a few months he will be deployed, again, to a warm, desert area of the world where things are sometimes hotter than the weather. Please remember to keep him and all of children in your prayers. Being 12,000 miles from our grandsons and missing the special events in their lives is not easy for us. It is a choice we made when we became missionaries, but as the children grow up, move away and begin lives of their own, it is hard not to be able to share in their lives.

Your faithfulness in prayers and support is deeply appreciated! We cannot do this without you!

Sincerely 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