The Doctor was not able to reconnect the entire pectoral muscle to Sherry's shoulder. The tendon from the clavicle to the arm is still intact but caution and observation are being done to ensure that he does not need to operate again to anchor this. Particularly since there was a large amount of calcium obstruction that had to be removed, leaving quite a bit of space which may cause stress on the tendon. She wears a sling 24/7 (even to bed) to keep her shoulder immobilized except when she does limited physiotherapy as approved by the surgeon. Basically, she does everything with her left hand and arm and will continue to do this until the end of May.
Yes, she has to return to South Africa next Monday to see the surgeon on Tuesday so he can determine if the operation was successful or if he needs to go back in to anchor the tendon.
She is faithfully taking her post-op medicines. The last pain pill was taken over the weekend so she is "toughing it out" for a week, but if the pain continues we WILL be making a call to the surgeon for permission to take more pain medication. Thank you for continued prayers in this regard.
Ministry wise, we both continue to lecture at the Vocational Bible School in Ndola. I am teaching two courses, one on Practical Christian Living and the other course is Basic Theology. Sherry is teaching "The Life of Christ" and "Secure In Christ—A Walk Through the Bible on God's Faithfulness". Our first year class has 35 students and the second year class is composed of 20 students. Your prayers will be appreciated for the students as well as for us.
Last Sunday I preached at the Kangonga Blind Centre Chapel three times that morning. Their choir, though small, has a beautiful sound, for those interested, I have a video on my Face Book page. After the services, I sat with several of the men and had a good Q & A period where they asked some very personal and poignant questions. Please pray for these church leaders as they endeavour to lead and train other leaders in their church. Discipleship is always key in any fellowship and we are pleased that this appears to be the focus in many of the churches we participate in at this time.
A further example of successful discipleship was the Bible lesson we heard tonight from John Bwalya at the English speaking "Fellowship Chapel". As we sat listening to his message, we were impressed by the fact that it was biblically sound and very practical in its application for daily Christian living. We are pleased with both John and Sarah's dedication to the Lord and faithfulness to their extended family, including their children. John and Sarah are integral parts of their community and are often asked to counsel young couples who are experiencing trouble in their marriages or pre-marital counselling.
At the Christian Resource Centre, church leaders and the general community continue to utilize the various materials that we have made available. Just last week Sherry loaned one of the computers to a church leader for use in preparing his Men's Christian Fellowship lessons. He was overjoyed to see all the bible material on the machine at his fingertips. The expression on his face said it all. Correspondence lessons continue to be distributed. In the last month, despite her current disability, Sherry has marked well over 100 exams with another 50 plus on their way out in the next few days. We would ask for your continued prayers for the ministry of the Christian Resource Centre.
The Thursday afternoon women's Bible studies are on-going. Sherry is nearly finished with her series on 1 Peter "Hope Beyond…" and is already working on the next series for the class. Pray for wisdom in preparation and for this continued outreach into the community.
Some have asked for an update on the cholera situation. As of this writing, Luanshya continues to be a "cholera free zone". Regular outdoor market cleansing are done, shops that sell produce are inspected, some have been temporarily closed for a day or so until they get their act together. The lime and plastic sheeting we provided as well as the counsel has been utilized and we will follow up shortly to see what else we can do to help in maintaining the current status. Thank you for your prayers and support in this area. Lives have been saved and protected because of your faithful generosity in all areas.
In spite of physical limitations, God has enabled us to continue to serve in His work. This has been made possible because of your prayers. Thank you for allowing us to remain…
In His Service,
Us
