SPOTLIGHT ON MISSIONS: Mickeal & Sharon Quillman • Zambia

Sharon and I are thrilled to share the latest updates from our mission field here in the Southern Province of Zambia.

• New Arrivals — Sharon and I are excited to announce that we will be doubling our three grandchildren in 2025 with three new grandchildren! Our son, Mickeal III, and his wife, Maggie, will welcome Mickeal IV in January. Our son, Matthew, and his wife, Kali, will have their second daughter in January, and we just found out that our daughter, Kaitlyn, and her husband, Ronnie, will have their third child in late May! God is so good!

Sharon and I also had a new arrival this month. A 10-year-old girl named Thabo, who attends a local school, DeSanto Centre for the Deaf, needed a place to stay for October. In addition to continuing to learn the local languages, we are now getting a speed course in sign language. She has been a blessing to us, and we have enjoyed learning to pray in sign language with her.

The newest addition for BMA Global Zambia comes to Lackson Munkombwe and his wife, Charity. They recently welcomed a new baby girl named Anita Chileleko (meaning blessing) to their home. She is a beautiful and healthy baby girl. Lackson is the first young man I began to train and disciple here in Zambia, and he has quickly become a great friend and my right hand in ministry. Please pray for Lackson and Charity, their son, Emmanuel, and their new baby girl, Anita Chileleko, as God continues to use this young family. In future reports, you will hear more about Lackson and his call to ministry.

Feeding Program Launched — We’re excited to announce that our feeding program has begun, targeting the most vulnerable members of our church and local community. With your generous support, we’re currently assisting 78 families from 18 villages with roller meals (a maize-based staple food in many households). Our primary focus is on the widows, orphans, disabled and the elderly, then continuing to reach out to the remaining who are struggling as well. The feeding program is a tangible expression of God’s love and care for those in need and allows us to share the gospel and pray for even more people. Even the chief has reached out to say thank you to our BMA churches and family for their support. We will continue to help provide food as God provides.

• Church Growth and Ministries — Our church continues to grow, with increasing attendance each week. We are now staying between 90-100 every week. The church choir continues learning new songs and loves leading us in praising the King of kings! Our Bible study classes are still meeting twice weekly, though the number has dropped just a bit due to food shortages. Many who walk almost two hours to attend cannot do so as they just don’t have the energy. We are working with the men we have been training to take more Bible study opportunities closer to those areas.

We’re also seeing significant growth in our children’s ministry with daily Bible study and prayer sessions through the school, with an average attendance of 50+ children on Sunday mornings.

• Chabantu Baptist Academy Update — The community primary school has grown to nearly 140 students, providing quality education and spiritual guidance. We’re grateful for your support in this vital ministry. Our five teachers and two assistants have made the gospel a priority in teaching the children.

• Challenges and Opportunities — Zambia is still reeling from one of its worst droughts, resulting in frequent power outages (load shedding) giving us power for about four hours per day. Water scarcity has also been an ongoing problem. Sharon and I were without water at our home for seven weeks before it was restored, and we are going on day four this week with no water. I used to love watching old westerns where you carried water from the stream in a bucket, and now we get to live it! Despite these challenges, God remains faithful, providing for our needs and empowering our ministry. We’re deeply grateful to all the churches and individuals who are praying and making financial donations to support our feeding program and other ministries. Your partnership with us is invaluable.

• Upcoming Furlough — As many of you know, we are returning to the U.S. on furlough at the beginning of 2025. The timing could not have been more perfect, as we will be there to welcome our new grandbabies. As this is our first furlough, we are still working to sort everything out and schedule church visits while balancing time with family. One of our greatest needs is a vehicle to drive while we are back. It can be very costly to rent a vehicle for the entire time we are home, so if you have a spare vehicle you wouldn’t mind us using, please let us know.

• Prayer Requests — We covet your continued prayer support as we serve in this beautiful but struggling nation. Please join us in praying for continued provision for our feeding program, growth and spiritual maturity in our church, relief from the drought and its effects, strength and wisdom for our ministry team, for the rains to begin and sustain throughout the “rainy season,” for the crops to flourish this year and for a vehicle to use on furlough.

• Prayer Praises — Join us in praising God for the finances received for the drought relief, the storage building, which is almost finished, to hold the Mealie (Mealie meal, also known as maize meal, is a staple food in Zambia and many other parts of Southern Africa. It's a coarse flour made from maize that's a byproduct of dry milling) and for our growing family.

Thank you for standing with us in this mission. Your prayers and support make a tangible difference in the lives of the Zambian people. (quill@templejonesboro.com)