This past month was one of discovery! I was able to access a shipping container that has been locked for several years. Inside the container were hundreds of Braille Bibles and songbooks in ciBemba – the primary language in our area. I loaded up as many copies as I could in my Jeep and delivered them to the Kang'onga Chapel last Sunday. The recipients were ecstatic as they clutched their new Bibles and songbooks.
Braille books are substantially larger than normal books. The songbooks held by Bro Mwenya include all the songs in our 125 page songbook. As you can see, it is divided into two volumes that are the size of a notebook and are over 1 inch thick. The book of John is larger still! Psalms is several books thick! One copy of the Bible takes nearly 100 books so this is no small library. The Bible you hold in your hand on Sunday morning would require several large suitcases to carry.
I have asked the Kang'onga Chapel to be the distribution centre for the Bibles and songbooks to blind believers in their region. They enthusiastically agreed. I will be collecting more Bibles from the container and delivering them in coming weeks.
In other news…
Sherry and I have electric bicycles. With fuel prices up to $6 per gallon, this helps us to commute locally more efficiently. As you might imagine, maintenance is a challenge. There are no other electrical bikes in town, so Sherry has been meticulously studying YouTube videos for the past weeks, and has a book on order to learn as much as possible. Thanks to a gift from a womens Bible study group in New Jersey, she was able to purchase tools that will help her keep our bikes in top form!
I marked my 40th anniversary of arriving in Africa on July 31. No party or celebration, but I recalled the four decades of victories, challenges and lessons learned since arriving in my adopted home continent. God has blessed in more ways than one page can contain! Thank you for your prayers and faithful support as we continue…
In His Service,
Patrick and Sherry
