12 December 2012

News from Zambia - 12 December 2012

12 December 2012
 
Greetings from Luanshya!
 
Occasionally we receive letter from children asking about what we do every day. They want to know if we "chase lions away from the church" or "do witch doctors come to your house."
 
Actually, much of our work is the mundane care of the Christian Resource Centre (CRC) and the chapel properties. Because the CRC is in the downtown business district of Luanshya we are expected to maintain the property in a business-like manner. The sidewalk in front of the building was damaged by a large truck that rolled up over the edge of the curb. We patched it temporarily, but it needed a more permanent repair. That is not the "romantic missions story" that makes the eyes of children go wide, but it is something that makes our ministry more inviting here because we are creating a more pleasant entrance to the CRC - and helping to make Luanshya more beautiful... in our small way. When our business neighbors see that we have renovated the front of our building they realize that we are a part of the community - not just temporary residents. While not necessarily related to the renovation, it is interesting to note that in the last two days Sherry has enrolled five new students in the Source of Light Bible Correspondence School bringing her total registered students to 3,711.
 
Last week we mentioned Alex, the young man that was being helped by Fellowship Chapel and who came to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ while helping me repair the fence. His mother - a widow living in Lusaka - called him and said she needed help on the family farm. He has been staying with his sister and her family while going to high school here. So, he left for Lusaka last week. Before getting on the bus he came to the CRC to say good-bye to Sherry. He told her that he appreciated all that we had done for him, but what he appreciated most was being introduced to the Lord Jesus Christ. He asked her to send him her youth lessons so he could keep up with the rest of the young people. We will miss Alex, but we are pleased that he wants to grow. The farm is some distance from Lusaka and to the best of our knowledge there is no Bible-believing church in the area. Please pray for Alex as he studies God's word and shares it with his family.
 
Sunday morning I returned to the Kafubu Dam "village" on the edge of rural Ndola. It is a 25 mile drive that takes nearly and hour to reach. They have been meeting "off and on" for ten years, but they have not progressed in the Lord's work. Several of the villagers have come to know the Lord, but they have not had a baptism or a communion service in all that time. I have been teaching about baptism and last week I explained - in painstakingly detail - what the "Lord's Supper" was. Obvious questions: What kind of bread? Does it have to be wine? Do we need a white table cloth? (Did I say "obvious?") We walked down to the dam and they decided that the water was just too polluted. They said they would "prepare" a place in a nearby stream for us to baptize. They need a few weeks to get this done because of the heavy rains so we are planning a baptism service on 19 February. Please pray for this "young" (in Spiritual things) congregation as we teach the believers and train to leaders.
 
On Monday we had a very unusual visit from a student of mine in 1999 when I taught Religious Education at one of the local primary schools. Dean came "just to say thanks" for the challenge I presented to the class and for encouraging him to get involved with the discipleship lessons even at his young age. He has finished high school and has a certificate in electronics. He is active teaching the young people at his church and asked if he could bring some of them in to enroll in the SOL program. Of course the answer is yes! On Tuesday he brought his younger brothers in to sign up for the courses. The seeds that we planted over a decade ago are bearing precious fruit today. We are so glad that we stayed in Zambia when so many told us that our ministry was over.
 
So... No lions to chase or witchdoctors at the door, but God continues to give us challenges and blessings to share. Thank you for your prayers and support as we continue...
 
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
 
 
 
 

05 December 2012

News from Zambia - 5 December 2012

5 December 2012

Greetings from Luanshya!

It hardly seems possible that we are in the last month of 2012. Didn't we just take the tree down a few weeks ago?

The three "youngsters" from the Light House Children's Home that have completed grade twelve (Nancy, Dickson and Shadreck) are preparing to start classes at the Mobile Mission Maintenance Vocational Training Centre (www.mmmzambia.org) in January. They are packing their clothes and getting rid of what does not fit (or is not fit to wear). We visited the centre (yes, it is spelled "re") last wek and they met some of the teachers. They are both excited and anxious. Shadreck said "We are a family! We need to stay together!" Of course, growing up means learning to go out on their own and we are preparing them for that next jump. While we will not have them "under our roof" for the next year, we are paying for this year of school. We appreciate those who have made this particular ministry a priority in your prayers and support. We proud of our "kids" and the progress they have made over the past 12 years.

Staying with the youth ministries, Sherry is completing her lessons on the Old Testament with, obviously Malachi this Friday. Speaking for God, Malachi stood at one of the most significant dividing points in history. Prophets had come and gone, but the culture about him did not bear the evidence of their labors. The priests were corrupt (1:6--2:9), and the people, with some exceptions, were no better (2:10--4:3). But God was still on the throne--sovereign. He was the father (1:6), the master (1:6), a great king (1:14), the heavenly governor (implied in 1:8), the giver of promises and commandments (2:5; 4:4). As the God of judgment, He had brought about the doom of Edom (1:3,4). His curse was upon the unfaithful priests (1:14; 2:2,3,9) and those who had robbed Him (3:9). He would cut off those who intermarried with the heathen (2:12). There would be swift judgment (2:17--3:5). The Day of the Lord would consume the wicked (4:1,3).
 
Yet as the God of grace He would bless the faithful remnant, for a story of grace lay behind His love for Jacob (1:2), His covenant with Levi (2:4,5), His forbearance with the sons of Jacob (3:6), His offer to those who had been unfaithful stewards (3:10), the book of remembrance (3:16), the rising of the sun of righteousness (4:2), and the promised coming of Elijah (4:5,6). The Day of the Lord was coming, said Malachi. It would be a glorious day for the righteous (3:16,17; 4:2,3), but a day of destruction for the wicked (4:1,3). Yet between the lines can be read these words of grace: "Turn back, turn back from your evil ways; why then will you die, O house of Israel?" (Ezek. 33:11).
 
Sherry's lesson will leave the young people with four practical and lingering lessons found in Malachi. 
  • First, we tend to "cool off" or forget our promises when we begin to rationalize our sin.
  • Second, those who are involved in vocational Christian service must be alert to the temptations of carelessness, cynicism, and corruption. 
  • Third, when the minister lowers his godly, biblical standards, many people suffer. 
  • And fourth, God never deals lightly with selfishness.

The final lessons of the year will be: "Celebrating God" and finally "Trusting God".

In Mukolwe the believers have completed planting the garden and are very thankful that the rains have finally started on a regular basis. All of them have their own gardens as well, but the take a day per week and work the church garden. In a few weeks they will begin harvesting some of the green beans and okra and use those funds for benches and doors for the building. A very special thank you to those who have contributed toward the building of the chapel Bit-by-bit we are seeing progress on the walls. The roof will be a challenge, but all in God's time.

Fellowship Chapel has started helping some of the boys in the Sherry's youth group with their school fees. High school education is not free in Zambia and a few of the boys come from poor families.  They church has the boys do work on the property in return for school fees being paid. One young man worked for a week and his bill was paid. Another one of the boys, Alex, was asking questions about how one knows that he is truly a child of God. As we worked together mending the fence at the church we talked about his family and church background. He quoted much of Sherry's previous lesson from the week before and asked me how he could have that assurance being God's child. I showed him, step by step, how he could know beyond all doubt that he had eternal life. There by the fence of the chapel Alex bowed his head and became a child of the King. We look forward to seeing him grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

This month is filled with activity. In it all, we remember that we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour. Thank you for your prayers and support of the Lord's work here in Luanshya.

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