Harris Family March 2019 Update

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”  2 Cor 5:17
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Thank you so much for the prayers and for the support that you have given to us as a family.  Our ministry here wouldn’t be the same without you!  

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300 kids showed up to hear the Gospel at VBS!

In our last update we wrote to you about how our organization was going to step into the new venture of ministering to widows.  On the 23rd of March we had our official launch!  The widows ministry is a huge blessing to it’s participants, giving them discipleship for their spiritual health, with both monthly food packages and the ability to start small home businesses for their physical health.  In the future we hope to be able to include some sort of health care plan.  The great part about this ministry is that since we are operating it through our students churches, it provides a practical means for their further discipleship.  Even after they graduate from our school we will still have the opportunity to walk with them.  We were happy to host a small team from Rocky Mountain Calvary who had the privilege of helping us with that launch.  

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The short term team handing out food packages at the Widows Ministry launch.

On the 27th of March we had the whole community of Adak (the village where we live) join us for the grand reopening of our health facility, which underwent great remodeling during December and January.  We pushed the party to March so that the team from the US would be able to celebrate with us.  At the party we had speeches from pastors, political figures from the community and from our staff, as well as a skit and a time of cultural dancing.  

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Noah learning to walk!

As our family has been learning the Acholi language, we have been seeing some of the sadness and hopelessness of our community.  Much as in Bible times when they used to name their children after circumstances, the Acholi also name their children after the most significant parts of their lives at the time of the child’s birth.  As a result, our community is full of names meaning things like “poverty”, “born through witchcraft”, “Born to the second wife through witchcraft”, “tired”, “problem”, and even the name “cursed” is very common.  This last month I (Matt) have had the unique opportunity to bring the hope of Christ to future generations.  As some of you may know our clinic delivers into the world approximately 40 babies each month, and as a means of seeking Gods presence and blessing, many mothers desire men of God to name their newborns.  Children who’s parents are named “Cursed” are now being named “Blessed”, who’s parents are named “Painful Death” are called “Mercy”!  Never before had I named a strangers child, but it is a great honor to be requested to dedicate a new child to the Lord in such a way. Praise God!

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Shout out to our home church, Calvary Worship Center, thank you so much for the package you sent. It made it just in time for Emma’s 4th birthday!
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you,
Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah