January 2025 – Harris Family Update

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. HEBREWS 10:25

We decided as a team to begin our year by separating from work and business and going on a retreat. Our team gathered at the source of the Nile River for a few days in Jinja. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, relaxation, recuperation, prayer, and worship. Since some of the kids are getting old enough to watch the others, the adults were able to meet and discuss important topics for long periods. During that time, the team had the incredible privilege of baptizing one of our director’s children in the Nile River! Also, Emma was privileged to be a flower girl at the wedding of a young lady who grew up under the provision of our Director and his wife.

As a church, we ushered in the New Year with an all-night service of prayer, praise, worship, and preaching. It was a great time of fellowship, even though I had to wear earplugs. We are excited about this year for our church for a few reasons. Firstly, our church is becoming more organized because we can delegate more work as more members are being discipled. Secondly, we have started a yearly bible plan with a number of those leaders using the YouVersion Bible app. While reading the Word on a phone has its downsides, it is great to read as a group and have a platform to share what you are learning every day.

An unforeseen mechanical problem with our car gave the kids a chance to play in a junkyard!


Please be praying with us:

  • For our pastoral school, Terebinth Bible College, as we are graduating our current students this Spring and are starting the new intake process. Please pray that we will get the right students who are hungry to learn God’s Word and passionate about Jesus.
  • That God would bless the work of our church, Calvary Chapel Gulu, as we start a new year and plan new things. Please pray that many will be saved and baptized through the church body and that the body will grow in their love for, knowledge of, and commitment to Jesus. 
  • For our family, as we are looking to raise more monthly support.
  • For Noelle’s stomach as she is battling painful peptic ulcers.
  • For the other Calvary Chapels that have been planted through our church and our sister churches. We currently have nearly 30 churches that need to be further established with permanent buildings that would cost about $5,000 each. 
  • For Yalwak Manyen Sports Academy, the soccer ministry we have running in the village of Adak. We are currently discipling and training about 60 children multiple times a week, but the program is currently lacking a lot of gear and development (we need new balls, uniforms, cones, etc…).
  • Lastly, please pray for Acholi-Land as a whole that people would turn away from demon worship, cults, and false gospels and toward an understanding of Jesus through God’s Word.
Calvary Chapel Ebenezer in Kitgum town is pastored by my good friend Ocaya Peter. We were able to build the foundation for this church last year, and we are praying for the $12,500 it will take to complete it this year. (We are building this church much larger because it is in a municipality, not in a village). 
Calvary Chapel Parwec was planted by Calvary Chapel Ebenezer and is pastored by Charles Odida, a student at our Bible College. This is an example of the many churches we are trying to upgrade to permanent structures.

May God richly bless you as you seek to further His kingdom in your neck of the woods.

Matt & Noelle & Family