17 December 2014

News from Zambia - 17 Dec 2014

Hey! I lost my list of the email addresses of the nieces and nephews.

Can you send them to me or ask them to contact me if they are interested in receiving these updates?

Thanks!

PGC

26 November 2014

News from Zambia - 26 November 2014

Dear All,

Here is our latest update!

With the crash, I lost most of the family email addresses. If you can send the email addresses of those missing above we will appreciate it.

Thanks!

Enjoy!

P & S

15 August 2014

News from Zambia - 15 August 2014

15 August 2014

 

Greetings from Luanshya!

 

Yesterday I walked through the village of Kamafwasa with Bro Simwanza. The name means "little ant hills." This is a fishing village on the edge of the reservoir created by Kafubu Dam between Luanshya and Ndola. What really impressed us was the incredible number of children. Bro Simwanza remarked that the "little ants" were running all over the village. We caused a bit of excitement when I went into a small house and visited with a family that walks about an hour to go to church. Apparently a "mzungu" (white face) is rare in this out-of-the-way village.

 

Our purpose for visiting the village was to see a woman who had received a wheelchair about a year ago. The chair is fine and the woman is able to go to church in the dry season when the path is not mud-locked. What we realised during our hour-long walk is that there is a remarkable opportunity for the newly-trained Child Evangelism Fellowship teachers. We spoke to several parents and they were enthusiastic about a "Good News Bible Club" being started in their village.

 

I asked about churches in the village and was told that there are three – none of them Bible teaching churches. One is a small cult in the area. There are many, many small bars scattered throughout the village. They are little more than huts with children sitting in the shade in front of them. We were told that "most of the men are drunkards and most of the women are pregnant." One man said, "Nobody wants to hear the Gospel." I said, "Nobody has shared the Gospel."

 

Next week Bro Simwanza will be returning to Kamafwasa with a team of CEF teachers to start the first "Good News Bible Club." He said, "God keeps opening doors for the Word of God!" Indeed He does and we are excited about walking through those newly opened doors! Pray for this new outreach!

 

By the way, Sherry will celebrate the 11th anniversary of her 39th birthday tomorrow. She said she does not want a party. We are attending a training seminar with about 50 people so… I suspect there will be a cake and singing! I am so blessed to have Sherry at my side sharing and expanding this ministry. God is good!

 

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry  

08 August 2014

News from Zambia - 6 August 2014

6 August 2014

 

Greetings from Luanshya!

 

Over half of Zambia's population is under the age or 15 years of age. Many of these children are being raised by extended family members or older children in the family because of the death toll caused by AIDS, malaria and other causes. Hence, many of these children are growing up without a positive, consistence role model. As we travel through the villages and township around Luanshya we see hundreds of children playing in the streets, roads and streams without any parental or adult supervision. It is a major concern for us.

 

Bro Simwanza has a real burden for these children and enjoys teaching them Bible stories when we visit these rural churches each week. In the photo he is using a Bible storybook from Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF).

 

A few weeks I met with the regional coordinator of CEF for Southern Africa. He is based in Luanshya and an elder in his church. He is also a very good friend of ours. I took him out to three of the rural churches where we teach and he met with the parents and church leaders with a plan to extend the CEF ministry there and to train Sunday School teachers in those congregations.

This week he and his team are meeting participants from all three churches at a centrally located home every morning. In a few weeks CEF is hosting an international training course and at least one delegate from each of these congregations will attend that conference. We are VERY excited to see Zambians training Zambians to teach Zambians! Please pray for Stephen Kabamba as he leads this vital ministry in cooperation with us.

 

Early this week Richard, the Luanshya District Police Chaplain, visited the Christian Resource Centre. He had heard about the facility and walked by the building often and on this day decided it was time for him to enter. He said to Sherry that he was wondering if he was allowed to access the study materials and be able to prepare Bible lessons for the police constables. Sherry encouraged him to visit and use the materials whenever he was in town. Richard left greatly encouraged after taking a walk through the Reading Room and seeing the wealth of literature available at no cost.

 

The high school class has gone on break giving Sherry a couple of weeks to relax on Friday's. Of course she'll actually be preparing more lessons for the young people having finished a series on character studies. Pray for the teens as many prepare for their exams in grade 9 and 12. This will deplete the class greatly but may encourage those lost in the midst to speak up and participate more willingly. Pray for Obed and Nathan in particular. Both are young men without fathers and are finding the temptations of being a male youth in today's society particularly trying.

 

We appreciate your continual prayer on our behalf and the many projects under our direction. Your prayer and support encourage us to continue…

 

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry 



17 July 2014

News from Zambia - 16 July 2014

 

16 July 2014

Greetings from Luanshya!

There are times when someone reminds me just how fortunate I was to have the heritage I enjoy. A friend wrote:
 
"My parents didn't go to church. My mom was Catholic and my dad still is a Jehovah's Witness. This is probably why they didn't go to church. As a child, I loved going to Sunday school. I can't tell you how thankful I am for bus ministry! And those who spent their Sunday mornings, giving us kids an opportunity to go to church.
 
One Sunday, your grandma had our class over for Sunday dinner afterward. This was unfamiliar to me and I loved it! It was such a great experience! She gave me a Snickers when she took me home and that's when I knew I wanted to be a Christian! CB (Calvary Baptist Church) was so great to me as a child, and I have such wonderful memories of Sunday school & riding the bus. It was such a big part of my life, and who I am now, really."

Perhaps this is why I am so keen to reach out to young people and children with the Gospel. A few weeks ago we mentioned an expansion of the rural ministries to incorporate Child Evangelism Fellowship into the children's ministries. Tomorrow (Thursday) CEF will conduct their first Bible study in the Kafubu Dam West village. In a few weeks several of the parents in KDW and Mwewa will be attending the CEF training in Luanshya. It is very exciting to see parents trained to teach the Bible to the children in their villages.

Andrew, our youngest Lighthouse Children's Home ward, continues in his studies, his small business and his church ministry. His outreach into the community of Luanshya is expanding and he is showing an incredible level of maturity – especially for an 18-year-old youth! Other businesses in Luanshya are asking for his help with their information technology requirements including banks and the Luanshya Municipal Council. The greatest compliment we have received is that his integrity is above question! We are proud of his progress and for God allowing us to have a part in his growing process.

Sherry's work at the Christian Resource Centre/Reading Room continues. We recently gave the facility a facelift with fresh paint and minor repairs. The same has been done for the Seminar Room and we are now working on the Youth Centre which will be re-opened following the Provincial Mock-Exams which started today in all the high schools.  The Source of Light Correspondence Bible School is still operating and a number of local students have expressed their appreciation for the lessons and some are using them in home Bible studies with neighbours.

Sometimes we have duplicates and triplicates of books in the library. This morning Sherry gave a box of study helps to a young man who is studying at a local Bible school. He used to be a student in the Sherry's correspondence school but wanted more after he completed all 60 courses. He followed that up with an extensive discipleship course with me. Late last year he started his first local church. You can see how our various ministries complement one another and come full circle to the point where those we have trained go out into the world and make their own disciples.

Your prayers and support have made it possible for us to remain…

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry


26 June 2014

Fwd: 25 June update

Greetings from Luanshya!

 

An exciting development: Our newest church outreach ministry is in a location where the closest school is about 6 kilometres (almost 4 miles) away through the bush. Parents are afraid to let their children walk there. So, they are planning to start a community school that will meet in the very primitive building that they are building for their worship and Bible study meetings.

 

One of the farmers in the area has given the church a piece of property from his farm. He said, "When I die it will not help me. I want to give this to the Lord before I die." Last Sunday the believers from the church went to the property with gardening tools to clear the land. They have already spoken to the local Ministry of Education office about curriculum and limited teaching materials. We will supply the school with a chalkboard.

 

The need: Water! The nearest water well is at the school mentioned earlier - 6 kilometres (almost 4 miles) away. Please pray with us about this need. We would love to be able to drill a water well and install a hand pump at this church/school building for the residents of Mwewa Village.

 

Additionally, with the large numbers of children in these rural communities we see both a huge need and opportunity. On Monday I spoke with the Southern African Regional Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship (based in Luanshya) about expanding their outreach beyond town limits. This afternoon I went with him to prepare the way for "Backyard Bible Clubs" and Sunday school training at Kafubu Dam West and Mwewa.

 

The ministry of the Christian Resource Centre continues to play a major role in Sherry's daily activities. This being the middle of the school year for many, young men and women have been using the Reading Room regularly in an effort to work on their term papers and thesis' for Bible Colleges throughout the area. One young man is focusing on "Leadership Is Not Just For the Church Leader But All Believers". Another is working on "Church History and the African Continent". It is exciting to be able to provide study materials and discuss various subjects with these young people.

 

The Source of Light Bible Correspondence School continues to reach out into the local community. We are nearing the 4,000 student mark. Sherry received a text message recently from a former student who testified to the help such lessons have served him over the years.

 

Wednesday evenings we continue in our series "That The World May Know". We are about to conclude the sessions on "Jesus The Messiah" and begin "Death and Resurrection". Some of the comments made: "These lessons have brought the Bible to life", "It helps us to understand the culture of the time in relation to our daily Christian life today".  Others have stated that "after certain passages over and over through the years, I am still learning new things from God's Word."

 

Dickson and Shadreck will graduate from their Construction Management course in a few weeks. They will then prepare for their Technical Examinations which will take place in a few months' time. Andrew continues with his studies in electrical engineering though a bit frustrated that not as much of his course work coincides with his computer engineering ambitions, at the moment. We heard from Nancy last night. She had just ended her day at Teacher's College and sounded exhausted. We are pleased that she has found her niche and is more convinced than ever that this is where she belongs.

 

Your prayers and support are deeply appreciated as we continue…

 

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry



01 May 2014

News from Zambia - 30 April 2014


30 April 2014

 

Greetings from Luanshya!

 

Last Sunday it was my pleasure to conduct the memorial service of my friend and long-time resident of Luanshya. The Fellowship Chapel "comfortably" seats 80 people, but we had over 100 people at the service. There were members of the family and community as well as colleagues from his former place of work in the chapel. People talked about his kindness, love for family and ever-present smile. Sadly, one of the most poignant comments was "Though he was not a Christian, he was as kind as any Christian."

 

He was, indeed, a very kind man. He loved his wife, children and grandchildren. He was a good neighbour and friend, but… He had no room in his life for the Lord. During the service I spoke about the fact that we all make choices in our lives. Every day we start our morning with choices. Joshua declared his choice – "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." I do not know what went through my friend's mind as he went through treatment for the cancer that ultimately took his life. I do not know his final thoughts and choices made. I always hope that people make the right decisions before closing their eyes for the last time because I know – and preach – that every decision that we make is made before our death.

 

After the service I invited members of the family and community to consider their choices and encouraged them to see me. Several came and asked if they could talk to me later. Of course! Another man who had travelled over three hours for the service asked me to come to his home church and talk about the "Choices of Life." I look forward to that opportunity! Please pray for our community as they contemplate their "choices" in life.

 

God is still at work in Zambia!

 

We can also report progress on the Kafubu Dam West Chapel roof project! The wall extension is completed, the trusses are up and the roofing sheets are going up. The target for completion is Friday! Here are a few photos:

 



 

This coming Sunday the congregation will be able to assemble and worship under this new roof!

 

As God continues to bless, we thank Him – and you – for allowing us to be a part of His work in Zambia!

 

Together in His Service,

Patrick & Sherry

17 April 2014

News from Zambia - 16 April 2014

Greetings from Luanshya! What a week!

On Monday evening we celebrated Passover with a Seder in our home. Missionary colleagues Dick and Eve Jarvis joined us. They work with deaf children here in Luanshya and have never been to a Seder. There were several questions as Sherry and I explained the fact that the Passover Seder shows the promise of the Messiah's death and resurrection. We enjoyed the fellowship and they enjoyed the "lesson."

On Wednesday I went to two rural churches and carried my Haggadah (the book we use during the Passover Seder) with me. I explained the Passover from Exodus 12 and from Matthew 26 – When Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples. As I explained the purpose and ceremony of the Seder, questions began to flow. Because of time I was only able to be with each church for 90 minutes, but I promised to answer more of their questions next Wednesday. One man (72 years old) asked, "Why have we never heard this story before?" I could not answer him except to say that so many Christians know so little about the Old Testament that the foundation of the New Testament is overlooked. I am looking forward to next week!

We are progressing well with the new roof at the Kafubu Dam West roof project. The first step was to level the walls the pour the "ring beam." On Saturday the trusses will go up and by Friday next week the work will be completed – Lord willing! The members of the church are very excited about participating in this work and the villagers are eager to get back into their chapel. (So am I!) Here are a few photos of the progress:


Photo of building                     


 Walls levelled                  


Timber for trusses

Sherry gave all the people who came into the Christian Resource Centre this week a copy of The Risen Redeemer by Timothy Cross. The book presents Biblical evidence for the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This morning I will take a copy to the new mayor of Luanshya who happens to be a long-time member of Fellowship Chapel. I led him to Christ and baptised him several years ago as well as his son and daughter. He feels that God has placed him in this position of municipal leadership to "do good in Luanshya."

As God continues to bless, we thank Him – and you – for allowing us to be a part of His work in Zambia!

Together 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