Harris Family Update

28Oct

- September 2025 -

Last update, we were all left on a cliffhanger, waiting for the order of the judge presiding over our adoption case. Here is the final verdict: The adoption is official! We are constantly praising God for His goodness in granting Apiyo Cynthia to our family! After nearly 5 years of having her in our home, not much has changed in our day-to-day lives since the adoption. There is still so much paperwork to be done, so many odds and ends yet to be dealt with in the overall process of “bringing her home.” All the kids are excited at the prospect of one day soon being able to take her to America and blow her mind with airplanes, real ice cream, snow, and the incomprehensible amount of family waiting for her there. She can’t wait! But she is also content to plan with her “new” brother and sisters while we continue the paperwork.

During this time, we also began the first module of the official Terebinth Bible College. So far, the classes are going well. Matt is constantly making notes of what is going well, what needs to change now versus later, and, of course, still planning and dreaming of for the future of the school. Being in such a large role in the Bible College is a challenge, but Matt always strives to give 100% in any area of responsibility. His efforts encourage me to do my best on the home front so he can do his best on the front line. That’s why we’re here, after all!

Along with these blessings, I want to share another one with you, which has been a topic of prayer since May. You may recall that around that time that James, our academic registrar, was in a terrible accident. He was rushed to Kampala with a broken back and paralysis from the chest down. He stayed there for 3 months before finally being released. We praise God for the surgeries that they were able to perform and the healing that has already taken place. With the opening of the Bible College, he and his wife moved to Gulu so that he could contribute to the work as much as possible. We have been so blessed to host them in our guesthouse for the last 5 weeks. They have been going to therapy in Gulu every day, which they had not been able to do in their town, and they are seeing results! His legs have begun to move involuntarily, 5-month-old wounds on his feet have begun to heal, and he is feeling certain stimulations on his feet, all good signs. Please continue to pray for James and his wife, Susan, that they would maintain the resilience needed to recover. Please pray for their children who are either in boarding school or staying with family until their school year ends in December.