22 November 2017

21 November 2017

Good morning from Luanshya.

A few years ago Sherry had a bad case of pneumonia. A year later she had an even more severe recurrence that left her lungs and bronchial tubes damaged. She carries a small vaporiser with her everywhere she goes.

A few weeks ago we were teaching and she reached for her vaporiser only to find that she had left it at home (40 minutes away.) I quickly went to a nearby pharmacy and bought another, but she was coughing for nearly 15 minutes. A week later she was at the hospital in Johannesburg with her friend and had another attack. She had the vaporiser, but the attack was quick and severe. She collapsed to the floor. Fortunately, she was in one of the world’s best hospitals and was immediately taken under the care of doctors and nurses. These same people had seen her caring for her patient and helping with several others and had come to respect her spiritual care and medical knowledge.

The doctor ran a series of tests (including an echocardiogram) and found that her heart was fine, but she had torn her pectoral muscles in two places. These tears will take several months to mend. On Friday she was walking in Luanshya and was accidentally bumped. The initial knitting of the muscle was re-torn.

She is now taking pain medication and has been told that she is not to move her right arm for the next month. This means typing, signing and doing everything else with her left hand. She will only be driving when I am not able to take her where she needs to go. (This also means she will be supervising me as I cook our Thanksgiving dinner!)

We are fortunate that our classes are completed for this year and will not resume until January. Also, most of her lessons for the Ladies Bible Class have already been prepared.

Still… Keeping her still for the next for weeks may prove to be a challenge!

Please pray for her as her muscles heal. The doctor said the mending might take from 3-6 months depending on her activities.
Thank you for your continued prayer and support as we remain…

Together in His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

09 November 2017

News from Zambia - 8 November 2017

Greetings From Luanshya!

From time to time we receive notes from friends letting us know that we are in their prayers.
We enjoy hearing from those to whom we write! Sometimes we are told that we are “heroes”
because of what we do and where we do it. The simple fact is that we are just servants who
have followed the Lord’s leading to bring us to places that very few Americans know and even
fewer can pronounce.

God has given us varied opportunities of service. Some of those opportunities are to be an
encouragement to our missionary colleagues. We get tired… We get sick… Sometimes we get
discouraged.

It has been a tough few days here. A missionary contracted malaria last week. That, coupled
with diabetes, caused her death on Tuesday morning. She and her husband have ministered in
Zambia for over 20 years. Already there is a tremendous outpouring of love from their Zambian
“family” – but their children are far away and she will be buried before they can arrive. Her
husband rests in the knowledge that his sweetheart is in the loving arms of the Saviour, but his
home is emptier now.

I have felt that emptiness. I prayed with him. We wept together.

Earlier this week another missionary was told by doctors that she has cancer. She and her
husband have been in Zambia for 10 years. Various treatments are being sought, but the very
word “cancer” is always frightening. Sherry was with her when the doctor gave her the news. I
went through this in 2005. Again, we prayed with our friends. We wept together. We are
praying for healing.

We live in fragile bodies. However, we know – beyond all doubt – that we are where God wants
us to be and we are doing what God wants us to do. We are content to stay here as long as God
can use us and are confident that His ways are far above our ways. Nevertheless, our bodies are
limited, the physical strain is great and medical facilities are generally poor and distant.
So… Please pray for those who serve far away from family. Pray for us as we minister to those
who minister.

We deeply appreciate your faithfulness to the Lord’s work here in Zambia.

Together in His Service, Patrick & Sherry

19 October 2017

News from Zambia - 19 October 2017


Dear Partner in Service,

Greetings from Luanshya, Zambia! Winter has passed and we are experiencing our incredible Spring weather – It was 98 degrees yesterday with not a single bit of breeze! We have fans in every room and are drinking plenty of water!

The heat has not, however, caused our areas of ministry to slow down. We often find ourselves so busy that at the end of the day we fall into bed and sleep very soundly. It is a "god tired" when caused by service to our Lord.

Sherry's Ladies Bible Study on Thursday continues to grow in both numbers and interest. They are currently working their way through the book of 1 Peter and discovering that there truly is "Hope Beyond" their circumstances.

The outreach at the Kangonga Blind Centre was blessed this month with a donation of knitted baby blankets. Every baby received a brightly coloured blanket and both mothers and fathers were pleased. I was also to replace the Braille watch of one of the church elders. While the church was started in this community designed for the physically challenged, their children and others in the area have joined as the church grows. Adding a bit of colour was truly a blessing!

We have received word just yesterday that the building project at Mukolwe will be started this morning. The building has been built for some time, but the doors and restrooms were not completed for various reasons. This will not only make the church building more secure, but will enable the Mobile Mission Maintenance Team to restart their outreach in that village. We are pleased that the challenges there have been overcome!

Our classes at MMM VTC continue as students near the end of the year in November. The school administration is also busy planning student housing on campus in the coming year. This will allow more student to attend because housing in the area is sparse and very poor. MMM International has offered to send some of the building supplies in containers from Australia. Now we are looking for the +/- $8,500 to cover shipping and clearing fees. Please pray about this very specific need.

It is very exciting to see Sherry's progress in sign language. She has been able to use it not only in the church services but in working with deaf in our community. Now that people know she can communicate with them, they are coming in greater numbers to the Christian Resource Centre to visit with her. We are very pleased that Dick Jarvis has been able to utilize his ministry skills in conducting sign language classes for community members.

Your prayer and financial support make it possible for us to serve. We are incredibly grateful for your faithfulness!

Together in His Service,
Patrick & Sherry

03 August 2017

News from Zambia - 2 August 2017

Good evening from Luanshya,

Yesterday we celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary! It hardly seems possible that two decades have passed since I walked up to Sherry's parents' house and stood beneath the chuppah in their garden and began our lives – and ministries – together.

So much has happened since that day: The Christian Resource Centre, Source of Light Bible Correspondence School, Lighthouse Children's Home and the planting of several local churches in both rural and urban areas. We have experienced challenges that have stretched our faith and strengthened our resolve. We have seen victories in lives that were considered unimportant. We have seen youngsters grow up and become leaders in their communities and churches.

This past week Sherry had a young visitor in the Resource Centre library. Her name is Maureen. Sherry taught her mother, Kalwilo, how to read twenty years ago when the Resource Centre first opened. Her grandmother, a retired teacher, lives across the street from our house. She remarked that Sherry has made such an impact on her family and thanked us for coming to Zambia.

Last Sunday we had a picnic after the services at Fellowship Chapel. There was a good turn out of both young and old. Two of our young men handled the braii (charcoal burner) while the salads and vegetables were overseen by the ladies. The young people enjoyed playing volleyball – with some rather unusual rules… Kicking the ball was allowed. (Remember that soccer is the national sport of Zambia!)





Several family members of our members joined us to see "who we are and what we do." It was a great time of fellowship! Thank you for your prayers and support as we continue…

 

In His Service,

Patrick & Sherry


Patrick & Sherry Coleman
P O Box 90010
Luanshya, Zambia
colemanpg@gmail.com

19 July 2017

News from Zambia - 19 July 2017


Greetings From Luanshya!

Few things are more frustrating than not being able to go where we need to go. The distributor and spark plug cables on my JEEP began to act up a few weeks ago. Two mechanics could not figure it out so the vehicle sat unused for several weeks until a third mechanic discovered the problem. I was able to buy what I needed during our very short trip to Florida and have it shipped back to Zambia (for over twice the value of the actual part). The distributor cap was broken when packed in to the FedEx box so I bought another and carried it with me. Then we found that the coil was also faulty. Another was ordered form the United Kingdom. The good news… After 6 weeks the Jeep is back in action!

My first trip in the repaired JEEP was to Chengelo School in central Zambia – 170 miles away. The school was started by a small group of Christian farmers almost 30 years ago. Chengelo School is a coeducational Christian Boarding School where our youngest son, Colin, attended. The school motto "As a witness to The Light" summarises the aspirations for the young people who attend the school. It is uniquely and unapologetically Christian. I was invited to join the board of governors of the school. It is both an honour and a privilege to accept this invitation and have a part in the lives of these students.

Sherry’s Thursday afternoon classes resumed last week. They are studying “What Every Believer Should Never Forget – God Alone” from Isaiah 6:1-8. It is a beautiful lesson that brings her next three lessons into view in the “Demolishing Strongholds” lessons.

Last Sunday I was once again speaking at Kangonga Blind Centre Chapel. I spoke three times that morning and was both physically tired and spiritually energised to be back with these incredible saints.

Sherry was also able to present a certificate of completion to 78-year-old Gilbert Simwanza, the man who accompanies me to rural villages. He told me that his motorised bicycle had completely died. He cycles several hundred miles every month visiting church leaders and village Bible studies. In order to keep him mobile I bought him a new motorised bicycle.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support as we continue…

Together in His Service,

Patrick & Sherry

28 February 2017

28 February 2017

Greetings from Luanshya!

This year started with a whirlwind of ministry opportunities. Classes at the Mobile Mission Maintenance School have started again with 25 new students joining the 35 returning students. Sherry and I are both teaching. Last week five of these new students received the Lord as their Lord and Saviour! They are being discipled by one of the Zambian members of staff.

Sherry asked her Ladies’ Bible Study if they wanted to “take a break” during the Christmas holiday. They said the Thursday before Christmas was busy so they asked for one week off. So… She went through the holiday teaching and sharing truths from the Bible specifically for these ladies. Some of these ladies are dealing with serious issues at home and spend time with Sherry either before or after class. Please pray for this specific ministry.

Classes at the Community School in Chitwe (formerly called Mwewa) have started. The church has relocated to the new site, which is just across the line from Ndola to Luanshya – hence the name change. The initial student list had 50 names. Within a week of opening the list had grown to 150. Thanks to the efforts of the Rotary Club of Luanshya and a few local businesses, rehabilitated school desks have been provided for the school.

The rains have been both a blessing and a challenge. After several years of poor rains the rivers are flowing and the dams are full. With the heavy rains, however, many roads have been washed away and access to the village work has suffered. Bro Simwanza came to see me last week and said that it took him over two hours to travel 16 kms (10 miles) on his motorised bicycle. In many places he had to carry his bicycle through the bush because the road was completely underwater. He said that my JEEP would not make it to the villages and suggested that we postpone the visits until April. (I learned long ago to listen to village elders, so we wait!)

Meanwhile, we have baptised four more new believers at Fellowship Chapel and have another 8 to be baptised in a few weeks. The ministry to the deaf has increased and both hearing and deaf believes are excited about brining their friends to hear the Gospel.

We are encouraged about the prospects of 2017 and appreciate your prayers for us as we remain…

In His Service,
Patrick & Sherry