“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

We have been enjoying the fruits of our labor. Pounds and pounds, in fact! One day in June, we measured the day’s harvest of cucumbers to be just under 50 pounds, 12 pounds of which were pickled, and the rest carried off as gifts to neighbors by the same little people who had planted them. Besides cucumbers, we have been eating daily from the kids’ Swiss Chard, local spinach, green onions, dill, and cilantro. Maize and okra are well on their way, and potatoes, picky about the climate, will be ready eventually. We are even doing a science experiment with elderberry seeds, trying to fool them into believing they’re not actually in sub-Saharan Africa. We started them a month ago on a wet paper towel. In a month, we will put them in the fridge until November, when they will theoretically be ready to germinate. I’m looking forward to my kids experiencing elderberry syrup on pancakes, which is something I enjoyed when I was young.

Last June, Matt and I built a “Chicken Tractor on Steroids,” a composting system popularized by YouTuber and permaculturist Geoff Lawton. Since then, we have been processing grass clippings, vegetable peels, and other green waste into beautiful, rich soil, which has been helping us turn our clay garden into a more balanced growing environment. We also praise God for the daily eggs from our 12 chickens!

The garden has presented many opportunities for sharing new ideas with people. Allowing our children a handful of seeds and a few feet of space for themselves has been a wonderful way for them to learn to love work and appreciate good food. Allowing our kids to sell off or share with the family from their own produce has been a great way to instill in them a sense of responsibility. Showing them the importance of caring for the soil through composting and proper trash disposal provides us with opportunities to teach our kids to be producers, not solely consumers. And most relevant in our context, is the idea that training your child is much like tending a garden; you plant the seeds, carefully uproot the weeds, and provide the nutrients. Matt is currently sharing about this idea in his monthly devotional, “A Little Harris-y.” He also teaches it in our church’s 3-week parenting class.

The garden is FULL of teaching points, object lessons, and healthy food. We are looking forward to all the good things that will continue to come out of it!

This month, please pray with us that:

• God will bring the right students to our Bible college this Fall.
• God will provide two computers for our girls who are starting online school.
• God will continue healing Pastor James Lonyera from the paralyzing motorcycle accident he experienced in the Spring.
• That God will bless our efforts to root and ground Acholiland in His Gospel and His Word.

In Christ,

Matt, Noelle, Apiyo, Emma, Madeline, Noah, & Charlotte