May Your New Year Bring Blessings and Challenges!

This year has started with a bang! The rains have been torrential – a good thing since our water table has been low for the past few years, but there are always the fallen trees and washed-out roads with which we must contend. A palm tree we planted in our front yard 25 years ago, did not survive the first week of the year. We also found a few leaks in the chapel roof… nothing new, but always a challenge and never mind the leak, somewhere, that is allowing runoff from the roof of our house to allow water to come in along one of the walls inside Sherry's home office.

Sherry had an incredible opportunity, recently. She has been participating in a ladies’ Bible study organized by churches in southern New Jersey. For the ladies in the USA it is a morning meeting. For Sherry it is a 5pm meeting every Tuesday. She was asked, not too long ago, to talk about the ministry here and lead a short Bible study. As is often the case, after sharing the ministry, the Q&A lasted nearly another 30 minutes. One of the questions was, “When do you have time to rest?” We do, but we really enjoy what we are doing and believe it is a privilege to serve the Lord in the various forms He has provided! The group facilitator of the study said that they would schedule another time for Sherry to “conclude” the Bible study that she had prepared!

Staying with Sherry’s ministry, she is preparing a series of lessons on the book of Habakkuk for her ladies’ Bible study Thursday afternoons. The ladies took a break over the holiday (planting season), but Sherry continued to write the lessons. She has completed 20 lessons thus far and is having “fun” while she does it! The Thursday afternoon ladies Bible study will resume soon. Pray for Sherry and her ladies as they dive into this little-known book of the Bible and garner practical lessons for daily living.

The Bible institute classes will begin in February. The license fees due to the government for registration renewal have been paid and the classrooms are ready. The vocational training lecturers have been preparing their class material and are ready to meet the student body. Pray for the administrative staff as the course material is aligned with government requirements and the national exams. All of the students will be new to us, so I, Patrick, will start with basic Bible doctrine and assurance of salvation. Sherry will cover the Life of Christ. Please pray for our students as they begin their studies with us.

Now, let us also provide you with an update on projects and programs that some of you have been supporting.

We have refreshed the program with the local pharmacist to continue supplying medication to those in need. The program is going well and many people in the community have benefitted when there was nowhere else to turn. I’m sure lives have been saved through the program and some have come to the Christian Resource Centre to say “thank you” and ask what the motivation is for offering to help in such a fashion. This is an excellent opportunity to share the love of Christ in a practical way instead of simply saying “be healed and go on your way”.

There is now, finally, talk within our community regarding aerial spraying for mosquito larvae. Sherry has been in meetings with the Ministry of Health on this matter and trust we will be able to make a greater impact on the end result, less malaria, more productivity, better standard of living and more people able to attend church services as they are not bedridden with malaria. Luanshya continues to have a heavy malaria burden. We recently worked in partnership with the local District Health Officials in trying to provide indoor residual spraying of homes but unfortunately, the limitation was the lack of chemicals to do this sufficiently. About 40% of the homes that wanted this procedure done, were catered for. I am waiting for news from the District Health Officer and the District Clinical Officer In Charge to provide me with an update so this program can resume.

May the Lord continue to bless you as you seek to serve Him in the local church and on the mission field through supporting this ministry.

After three tumultuous years, we are looking forward to resuming some of the programs that were on hold during the covid pandemic! Thank you for your prayers and support as we remain…

Together in His Service,

Patrick and Sherry