[{"content":" Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.\nProverbs 22:6\nAs I wrote in the last study, I do not want to drop the ball on my parenting. The judgment seat of Christ is a chief motivator in my life. One day, I am going to stand face to face with my king and give an account of how I stewarded His resources. Beyond all doubt, how I cared for my family and raised my children will be considered towards the top of that account. I do not want to hang my head in shame on that day and admit that I should, and could, have done more to shepherd the family he gave me. Therefore, I am making it my aim to raise my children in the nurture and admonition of the LORD.\nGrowing Godly children can be likened to growing plants in a garden. In both, we must plant the seeds, pull the weeds, and provide the nutrients.\nPulling the Weeds By “pull the weeds,” I am referring to discipline and punishment. Unlike the comic depiction of children as little cherubim, God’s Word teaches that children inherit the condition of sinfulness from their parents (Romans 5:12). King David was inspired to write that he was brought forth in iniquity and conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5). Likewise, David’s son, Solomon, wrote that “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.” (Proverbs 22:15). (I have never met anyone who trained his or her children to lie, but somehow every kid learns anyway). Therefore, because children are born sinners, it is our job as parents to direct our children away from their natural rebellious inclinations, and this is done through discipline (punishment). Furthermore, the recommended form of discipline in the Bible is spanking with what the Bible calls “the rod”. I know that this topic is sensitive to many, and that some might not look at me the same after reading this. Please know that I have come to believe in spanking because it is clearly commanded in Scripture, because I have witnessed its transformative power more times than I can count, and because it is easy to spot people whose parents failed to spank them.\nPunishment should: Be consistent. There is a direct relationship between a punishment\u0026rsquo;s consistency and its effectiveness. In Proverbs 13:24, Solomon wrote that “he who withholds his rod hates his son,\nBut he who loves him disciplines him diligently” ( New American Standard Bible). Inconsistent punishment is bad because sin is like fire under a pressure cooker, and the longer it goes unchecked, the more likely it is to cause an explosion. Another problem with inconsistency is that it fails to teach children the sinfulness of sin. Imagine a scenario where I randomly punish my children for lying five percent of the time that they lie. What would my kids learn from that? At best, “Lying is okay, but making daddy angry is bad”.\nBe fair. God is a God of perfect justice (Exodus 21:23-25). In the end, everyone will be recompensed perfectly according to their deeds (Revelation 22:12). In correlation to the character of our God, the punishment we give must be consistent with the violations we are punishing. We should never over-punish an offense. Nor should we under-punish.\nBring pain without damage. There is no secret formula for punishment. “Severity of Spankings” is not in the tables of weights and measures next to the maps in the Bible. However, I believe that aiming to cause pain without damage is a good principle that can guide spanking. The book of Proverbs teaches that the back is the right place to strike with the rod, and there is one place on the backside of human beings that can receive a lot of pain without taking any damage; the buttocks (10:13, 26:3). I emphasize this “common-knowledge” because I have witnessed scores of beatings that leave lasting impact, and it should be known that such punishments are immoral.\nAim at the heart. The book of Hebrews says that God punishes His children for their benefit so that they might partake in His holiness (Hebrews 12:4-11). The end goal of discipline is a heart that submits itself to the rule of Jesus Christ. We should not aim to simply bridle our children’s bodies, but to harness their will. In order to accomplish this, children must be trained to confess their sins before being spanked, and expected to apologize for their wrongs afterwards. However, this will never work if punishment is separated from love. Based on my countenance, speech, and demeanor, my children should know that I am not punishing them out of disappointment or anger, but out of love.\nWrapping up, Proverbs 23:13-14 says, “Do not hold back discipline from the child, although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod and rescue his soul from Sheol.” This means that spankings are small consequences now, that prevent large consequences in the future. For example, the pain of the spankings my son receives for hitting his sisters has a good chance of sparing him from the great pains and consequences of beating his wife when he is an adult. Most importantly, by learning from me that sins will be punished, my children have a higher chance of fearing and submitting to the God who has the authority to cast into hell (Luke 12:5).\nMay God richly bless you and your family, In Christ,\nMatt Harris\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2025/07/13/a-little-harris-y-growing-godly-children-pt-2/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrain up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProverbs 22:6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs I wrote in the last study, I do not want to drop the ball on my parenting. The judgment seat of Christ is a chief motivator in my life. One day, I am going to stand face to face with my king and give an account of how I stewarded His resources. Beyond all doubt, how I cared for my family and raised my children will be considered towards the top of that account. I do not want to hang my head in shame on that day and admit that I should, and could, have done more to shepherd the family he gave me. Therefore, I am making it my aim to raise my children in the nurture and admonition of the LORD.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A LITTLE HARRIS-Y: Growing Godly Children Pt. 2"},{"content":" “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.”\nDeuteronomy 6:6-9\nWe have been enjoying the fruits of our labors. 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.\nLast 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. And we praise God for the daily eggs from our 12 chickens!\nThe 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.\nThe garden is FULL of teaching points, object lessons, and healthy food, and we are looking forward to all the good things that will continue to come out of it!\nThis 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, \u0026amp; Charlotte\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2025/07/01/june-2025/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“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.”\u003c/p\u003e","title":"June 2025"},{"content":" Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.\nProverbs 22:6\nIf I am going to drop the ball on anything in life, I do not want it to be on my parenting. Noelle and I have committed to raising our children in the nurture and admonition of the LORD. I frequently say that “someone has to disciple my kids, and that somebody should be me.” For no one will ever have a better opportunity to train my kids than I will; Noelle and I are more biologically disposed to influence them than anyone else, and they are not going to get another chance to spend 18 years in the homes of any other Godly influences during their impressionable youth. Likewise, God has given the charge of children to parents, not to schools, churches, grandparents, or screens (Prov. 6:20; 23:22; Eph. 6:1-4; Col. 3:20-21). Everyone I have ever discipled, or ever will disciple, is or was someone’s child. Most likely, the reason they need to be discipled by me is that they were not discipled by their parents. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in Proverbs 22:6, King Solomon wisely put forth the principle that adults normally behave the way they were trained to as children. People are like arrows; the best time to aim them is when they are still within your control. The time God has given children to be aimed is particularly from the day of conception (Yes, people start learning while they are in the womb) through two years old, as that is the most influential time in a person’s life.\nI conceptualize the duty and privilege of parenting as gardening; just as there are three key things necessary to grow a healthy plant, children require three key things from their parents if they are to grow into Godly people. In both gardening and parenting, we must Plant the Seeds, Pull the Weeds, and Provide the Nutrients.\nPlanting the Seeds The seeds of parenting are our teaching and instruction. Just as it would be ridiculous for me to plant the pit of an avocado and get frustrated six years later when it failed to produce mangos, I should not be surprised when my children turn out the way I taught them to. Teaching our children what is right should be done in three ways: 1) by example, 2) by taking random opportunities, and 3) by making regular opportunities.\nExample. The word “Train” in Proverbs 22:6 might convey a militaristic boot camp, but it shouldn’t. According to the Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, the term used in the original language actually refers to the practice of teaching a newborn to suck milk by stimulating his or her mouth with date nectar. With that process in mind, you could understand the verse to be saying, “your child will stay on track if you inspire him to enjoy what is right” (my paraphrase). In other words, goodness is an acquired taste that must be passed down from generation to generation. The best way I can think of to inspire my kids to enjoy Godliness is by enjoying it myself. How can I expect my son to love reading his Bible if I find it to be a chore? Why should I be surprised if my daughter doesn’t pray if she never sees me conversing with the Heavenly Father? If I find my rest in Netflix, I should not expect my kids to find theirs in Christ. If I find my pleasure in video games, I should not expect my little ones to find theirs in an honest day\u0026rsquo;s work. I can give my children the best instructions in the world, but at the end of the day, they are more likely to repeat how I lived than what I said. I do not simply want my children to know how to learn, work hard, read God’s Word, pray, and care for others. I long for them to love learning, love working, love getting into the Word, love spending time with the Lord, and love blessing those around them. The best way I can help them towards those goals is to practice and enjoy them myself.\nTaking Random Opportunities. When God explained His singular nature to the Israelites and instructed them to love Him with all of their heart, soul, and strength, He commanded them to teach their children to do the same (Deut. 6:4-9). He explained that they should seize every opportunity they get to talk to their children about His Word, whether it be as they were sitting, walking, lying, or standing (verse 7). God desired parents to attach His Word to their kids as if it were bound upon their hands and foreheads (verse 8). God wanted children to be instructed when they were at home and when they were out and about in society (verse 9). Children never stop learning; therefore, parents should never stop teaching. Yet, all too often, the only instructions children receive from their fathers are in the art of keeping quiet. If your kids cannot gain the understanding they are looking for from you, they will find it somewhere else, and chances are that the knowledge they gain from elsewhere will undermine your good hopes and intentions for them. We must talk to our kids. If God’s Word is not enough to convince you, consider how there has long been noted a correlation between how many words children hear from their parents and how successful they are in life (Read: Hart and Risley; Sperry, Sperry, and Miller; and Romeo et al).\nMaking Regular Opportunities. Just as children should be systematically taught mathematics, children should also be methodically taught to live as Christians. This can be best accomplished through morning and/or evening devotions. Noelle leads the morning devotions at my house while I set out to work, and I lead the evening devotions. During morning devotions, our children take turns praying and practicing memorizing Scripture. In our evening devotions, we sing a couple of songs of praise and worship. I read and explain a chapter or so of the Bible, and then I pray for the family. Finally, we all sing either the Doxology or “I Love You Lord” as each child hugs Noelle and me goodnight. Nowadays, there are plenty of resources, such as Bible storybooks, available to assist parents in their practice of daily devotions. However, I recommend simply reading and explaining the Word itself. It might sound impossible for kids to sit and pay attention through certain parts of the Bible, but kids can be trained to listen. I believe it is worth the effort because it is God’s Word that is alive and actively works on our hearts (Heb. 4:12). Noelle and I also make evening devotions the time for family “housekeeping” announcements like “we need to behave better in church next week”, “remember that we don’t slam the bathroom door in the middle of the night”, or “10 more days until our guests arrive!”.\nIn the next issue, I will cover the idea of Pulling the Weeds, and in the following I will talk about Providing the Nutrients, but that is it for today.\nMay God richly bless you. In Christ, Matt Harris P.S. Please reach out to me if you have any questions about any LITTLE HARRIS-Y.\nBibliography: Hart, Betty, and Todd R. Risley. Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children. Paul H. Brookes Publishing, 1995.\nNew American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. The Lockman Foundation, 1995.\nRomeo, Rachel R., et al. “Language Exposure Through Conversational Turn-Taking Is Associated with Enhanced Receptive and Expressive Language Abilities in Children.” Psychological Science, vol. 29, no. 5, 2018, pp. 700–710. SAGE Journals,\nSperry, Douglas E., Linda L. Sperry, and Peggy J. Miller. “Reexamining the Verbal Environments of Children from Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds.” Child Development, vol. 89, no. 6, 2018, pp. 1970–1984.\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2025/06/15/a-little-harris-y-growing-godly-children-pt-1/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrain up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProverbs 22:6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf I am going to drop the ball on anything in life, I do not want it to be on my parenting. Noelle and I have committed to raising our children in the nurture and admonition of the LORD. I frequently say that “someone has to disciple my kids, and that somebody should be me.” For no one will ever have a better opportunity to train my kids than I will; Noelle and I are more biologically disposed to influence them than anyone else, and they are not going to get another chance to spend 18 years in the homes of any other Godly influences during their impressionable youth. Likewise, God has given the charge of children to parents, not to schools, churches, grandparents, or screens (Prov. 6:20; 23:22; Eph. 6:1-4; Col. 3:20-21). Everyone I have ever discipled, or ever will disciple, is or was someone’s child. Most likely, the reason they need to be discipled by me is that they were not discipled by their parents. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in Proverbs 22:6, King Solomon wisely put forth the principle that adults normally behave the way they were trained to as children. People are like arrows; the best time to aim them is when they are still within your control. The time God has given children to be aimed is particularly from the day of conception (Yes, people start learning while they are in the womb) through two years old, as that is the most influential time in a person’s life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A LITTLE HARRIS-Y: Growing Godly Children Pt.1"},{"content":" And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.\nRevelation 1:6 ( New King James Version)\nThe first words of the New Testament introduce Jesus as the Christ (Matt. 1:1, depending on the version), and John wrote that the whole reason he wrote his gospel was so that people would “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” so that they would receive eternal life in His name (NASB, John 20:30-31). Many people tend to use the word Christ as if it is Jesus\u0026rsquo; last name, when it is actually a title referencing God’s special appointment of Jesus. Christ is the English transliteration of the Greek word “ Christos”[Χριστός], which translates the Hebrew word “ Mashaiah” [מָשִיח] from which we get the word “Messiah”. Both “Christ” and “Messiah” mean “anointed one,” a term that refers to a divinely appointed person.\nIn the Old Testament, three primary types of people were divinely appointed through the anointing of oil: kings, priests, and prophets (See Exod. 28:41, 1 Sam. 10:1, and 1 Kings 19:16 as examples). As the leaders, kings represented authority or dominion. As those who stood on behalf of God to the people and on behalf of the people to God, priests represented mediation. Likewise, as those who spoke forth the words of God, prophets were God’s spokespeople. The New Testament claim that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah (the anointed one), means that Jesus is God’s great, long-promised hero, sent to save the World as God’s ultimate authority, mediator, and spokesperson.\nKings, priests, and prophets were anointed with oil to set them apart and appoint them for their roles, but Jesus was called the Christ before ever receiving the anointing of oil (Mark 8:29; 14:8). Instead, Jesus said that he was anointed directly by God through the Holy Spirit (Is. 61:1, Luke 4:18). The oil of anointing in the Old Testament was a symbol or a picture, pointing forward to the true anointing of God’s Holy Spirit. God distinguished Jesus as His highest authority, His singular mediator, and His ultimate spokesperson by sending the Spirit to rest on Him after He was immersed in the Jordan by John the Baptist. It was in that moment, which kicked off Jesus\u0026rsquo; ministry, that God proclaimed from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matt. 3:17).\nThis is important for us today for two reasons. Firstly, we must recognize that Jesus is God’s only chosen king and we must obey Him as our authority; Jesus is God’s only chosen priest, and we must look to no other to escort us into God’s presence; Jesus is God’s only chosen prophet and we must listen to Him. Secondly, we should remember that we are called Christians, “ Christianos” [Χριστιανός], a word that literally means “little Christs.” It is well known that the term “Christian” was started as a slur against Jesus\u0026rsquo; disciples (Acts 11:26, 26:28), but it is rarely recalled that the Apostles welcomed the name (1 Pet. 4:16). We are “little Christs” and as such we should remember that the Holy Spirit has anointed us to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. In his first letter to the church at large, Peter called us “a royal priesthood,” (1 Pet. 2:9). This should remind us that we have been appointed by the anointing of the Spirit as Christ’s authorities through whom He rules on the earth, and Christ’s ambassadors through whom He reconciles humanity to God (2 Cor. 5:17-21). We are also Christ’s spokespeople, through whom He proclaims His Word to the World.\nJesus is God’s anointed king, priest, and prophet, and, as His body, we have been set apart to rule, reconcile, and reach on His behalf.\nMay God empower us to represent Him faithfully in this mission. In Christ, Matt Harris P.S. If you would like to know more, I have written a seventeen-page workbook on this topic that I would be happy to send you.\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2025/06/03/a-little-harris-y-jesus-the-christ/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRevelation 1:6 ( \u003cem\u003eNew King James Version\u003c/em\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first words of the New Testament introduce Jesus as the Christ (Matt. 1:1, \u003cem\u003edepending on the version\u003c/em\u003e), and John wrote that the whole reason he wrote his gospel was so that people would “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” so that they would receive eternal life in His name (NASB, John 20:30-31). Many people tend to use the word Christ as if it is Jesus\u0026rsquo; last name, when it is actually a title referencing God’s special appointment of Jesus. Christ is the English transliteration of the Greek word “ \u003cem\u003eChristos”\u003c/em\u003e[Χριστός], which translates the Hebrew word “ \u003cem\u003eMashaiah\u003c/em\u003e” [מָשִיח] from which we get the word “Messiah”. Both “Christ” and “Messiah” mean “anointed one,” a term that refers to a divinely appointed person.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A LITTLE HARRIS-Y: Jesus the Christ"},{"content":" May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.\nPsalm 90:17\nPraise God! After years of planning, preparing, and patience, the Lord has given our school accreditation from the National Council of Higher Education here in Uganda! We are no longer Terebinth School of Discipleship, but are now officially known as Terebinth Bible College, the first and only accredited Evangelical Bible college in Northern Uganda. We strongly believe that it is God’s Word and His Spirit that truly equip His people to work in His service, not a piece of paper. However, we also know several benefits that come with this license. Firstly, seeking to meet higher standards is improving the quality of our product. Also, because of their love of formality, Ugandans will now have more respect for the education and discipleship they receive from us. Lastly, with accredited papers, the student’s churches will be safe from the likely coming of laws which threaten to shut down “unqualified” religious institutions.\nAs we mentioned in the last update, shortly after the graduation in April, our Academic Registrar, James Olonyo, was in an accident and severely broke his back. God protected him and brought surgeons who could repair much of the damage, and he is now, slowly but surely, on the path to recovery. Due to his level of involvement in the running of the school, his injuries have pushed the starting date for our next class from July back to September. While disappointing, this late start gives our team more time to develop courses. The matter of curriculum stands as a challenge for us, since our previous materials do not fit the required format, and since NCHE does not allow outside curriculum to be used in the school. Each school must develop its own original materials. That has kept Matt and the rest of the team very busy. Please pray for them to overflow with the same kind of vision and strength they had for developing the previous materials.\nTerebinth Bible College will differ from Terebinth School of Discipleship in various ways. Firstly, we will be offering a Certificate in Christian Ministry (a 60-credit hour course), a Diploma in Biblical Studies (a 90-credit hour course), as well as a Higher Education Access Program to prepare students for college entry if they do not have the qualifications (think GED prep course). Time spent on campus will now be in larger chunks of time. Instead of 1 week every single month. Diploma students will study for five weeks consecutively, three times a year, over a two-year period. Certificate students will study for four weeks consecutively, three times a year, over a two-year period. Likewise, HEAP students will study for 4 weeks in a row, 3 times over the course of 1 year, for their prep course. Each student will also have homework between each of these modules. TBC also has caps of 20, 30, and 10 students for the Diploma, Certificate, and HEAP programs, respectively. Besides those, we will be offering classes that were not taught to past students, such as computer use, essay writing, and other various academic subjects. If this brings concern over those who are not educated and will not be able to enter the school, our heart is still with them, and we are working on how to offer classes in their local tongue, something we have not offered in the past. Pray for this aspect as well, since it would require more time and money.\nBible trainings in Uganda are now becoming plentiful, and many people are proclaiming the Word; however, it is still rare to find teachers or leaders who have read through scripture, understand context, and can explain a verse accurately to another person. While our school’s name and our standing with the Ugandan government have changed, our goal remains the same as before: to equip church leaders both spiritually and physically to do God’s work.\nIn Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family P.S. Thank you for your prayers for our friend Vivian. Unfortunately, we lost her early on May 30th. Please pray for her family as they mourn the loss of a daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother.\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2025/06/01/may-2025/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMay the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePsalm 90:17\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/06/20250320%5F092657.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePraise God! After years of planning, preparing, and patience, the Lord has given our school accreditation from the National Council of Higher Education here in Uganda! We are no longer Terebinth School of Discipleship, but are now officially known as Terebinth Bible College, the first and only accredited Evangelical Bible college in Northern Uganda. We strongly believe that it is God’s Word and His Spirit that truly equip His people to work in His service, not a piece of paper. However, we also know several benefits that come with this license. Firstly, seeking to meet higher standards is improving the quality of our product. Also, because of their love of formality, Ugandans will now have more respect for the education and discipleship they receive from us. Lastly, with accredited papers, the student’s churches will be safe from the likely coming of laws which threaten to shut down “unqualified” religious institutions.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"May 2025"},{"content":" Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.\n1 Corinthians 15:58\nI sat down and wondered how time had gotten away from us, how we managed to let a whole month slip by without writing home and letting you know how we are and what has been happening. Looking at the list Matt wrote to help me; well, now I remember how time got away from us. So many things have happened that it will be hard to include most of them beyond just mentioning them. From the student’s triple wedding, the Terebinth graduation, preparing official college-level courses for the accreditation, to our school registrar lamentably breaking his back. Also starting men’s and women’s soccer leagues in Adak, helping a new friend get testing for a 7-year-long sickness, and Emma turning 10, along with receiving additional visitors, our dear friends the Schroetlins, who joined the visiting team from Rocky Mountain Calvary. Yes, it has been a very full time since you last heard from us, and I am excited to share a few of the highlights with you.Finally, after 3 years of sacrifice by students and their families, a week of studying hard every single month, hearing teaching after teaching, discussing, writing, practicing in real life, and ultimately maturing in the Word of God, 36 men graduated from our school. Ranging from their early 20’s up to late 60’s, these were senior pastors, church leaders, and earnest disciples striving to understand Scripture. Our entire team, both Ugandan and American, worked tirelessly to prepare and deliver sound biblical teachings, insightful workbooks, fair testing, organize the welfare of the students during class weeks, keep good records, and provide discipleship for all the students. The graduation was held at the campus in Adak. The students and teachers marched down the path from our own old house to the cheering crowd of family, friends and alumni awaiting at the school buildings. Emotions were strong as each man was joined by his wife and walked the carpet to receive his diploma, the sign of their achievement. Everyone was beaming. Everyone was jubilant. And everyone was sweating profusely. It was a beautiful day, and I was proud to share it with our visiting friends.\nAfter the graduation and seeing off our visitors, we went right back to preparing curriculum. We had been pressing to begin the first accredited class in July, but pushed back the opening date after James, our school registrar, had an unfortunate motorcycle accident and suffered near-paralyzing back injuries. We were grateful for “Easter Monday”, which gave Matt the extra time off to visit him at the hospital in Kampala. He is slowly improving, regaining feeling in his lower body after a successful emergency surgery, another thing to praise God for! James’ spirits are high, his family is strong, and all of them are thankful.\nI would love if you joined us in praising God for Emma’s 10 years of life! She is such a precious girl, and we are amazed at all that God continues to do in her. Please pray for her as she goes into these preteen years, that God would continue to work in her heart, that she would begin to stand on Christ for herself, and that she would be ruled by His peace as she follows Him.\nPlease pray for our new friend, Vivian, whom we have been trying to help since meeting her several months ago. She has suffered from a sickness yet to be determined for the past 7 years. Please pray that God would heal her, that He would encourage her, but most importantly that she would be saved, as it seems she does not yet understand salvation despite much knowledge of God and the church.\nIn Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle, Cynthia, Emma, Madeline, Noah, and Charlotte\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2025/04/28/march-april-2025/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 Corinthians 15:58\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/04/20250405%5F110135.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI sat down and wondered how time had gotten away from us, how we managed to let a whole month slip by without writing home and letting you know how we are and what has been happening. Looking at the list Matt wrote to help me; well, now I remember how time got away from us. So many things have happened that it will be hard to include most of them beyond just mentioning them. From the student’s triple wedding, the Terebinth graduation, preparing official college-level courses for the accreditation, to our school registrar lamentably breaking his back. Also starting men’s and women’s soccer leagues in Adak, helping a new friend get testing for a 7-year-long sickness, and Emma turning 10, along with receiving additional visitors, our dear friends the Schroetlins, who joined the visiting team from Rocky Mountain Calvary. Yes, it has been a very full time since you last heard from us, and I am excited to share a few of the highlights with you.Finally, after 3 years of sacrifice by students and their families, a week of studying hard every single month, hearing teaching after teaching, discussing, writing, practicing in real life, and ultimately maturing in the Word of God, 36 men graduated from our school. Ranging from their early 20’s up to late 60’s, these were senior pastors, church leaders, and earnest disciples striving to understand Scripture. Our entire team, both Ugandan and American, worked tirelessly to prepare and deliver sound biblical teachings, insightful workbooks, fair testing, organize the welfare of the students during class weeks, keep good records, and provide discipleship for all the students. The graduation was held at the campus in Adak. The students and teachers marched down the path from our own old house to the cheering crowd of family, friends and alumni awaiting at the school buildings. Emotions were strong as each man was joined by his wife and walked the carpet to receive his diploma, the sign of their achievement. Everyone was beaming. Everyone was jubilant. And everyone was sweating profusely. It was a beautiful day, and I was proud to share it with our visiting friends.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"March/April 2025"},{"content":" Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.\n2 Timothy 2:15\nAfter finishing their study through the book of Revelation in December, the church leaders returned for one last week to recap what they had learned through the Bible. It was a wonderful week of hard work, remembrance, and celebration. Each of the pastors had two final projects: they each had to present the Gospel through a sermon based on a biblical theme as well as prove their knowledge of the timeline of Scripture and the major points of the biblical themes, feasts, and covenants (if you do not understand what that is all about please ask me sometime). It was a blessing to watch them display what they had learned and how far they had come. To their surprise, on Friday morning, they retook the pre-course exam. We could not gain control of the room when the students received the scores they earned at the beginning of the school, along with the scores they had just earned. The commotion was thunderous! On the test covering basic Bible knowledge, men who had been serving as pastors for years and scored as low as 14% on their first day of class were overjoyed with scores of 99-100%! Directly after the excitement, we ushered everyone into the dining hall, where they received a word of encouragement to continue growing in Christ and serving Him.\nUnfortunately, the day ended poorly for me as I broke my foot during the sermon that Friday (I had never known I could do that:)). During the sermon, I walked outside to ensure the catering would be done on time, but when I stepped two feet down off of the veranda, my foot landed in a hidden hole and cracked my navicular bone:(. Unfortunately, my right leg was badly mauled by a dog a week later, making it very difficult to walk with crutches. Unfortunately, due to the water scarcity in the dry season, the city water has been cut intermittently, causing Noelle to need to fetch water in cans from the church. Last-unfortunately, our daughter Emma fell backward into a row of large rocks while carrying her sister Charlotte on her back and badly tore a muscle in her upper arm (fortunately, Charlotte was not hurt). In light of all that, it goes without saying that Noelle is tired:).\nThis month, our family was blessed to receive an intern named Morgan Landrey, who will be staying with us for two months. Morgan is a wonderful young lady from Aurora who simply wants to serve God and experience life on the mission field. During her stay, Morgan will help Noelle homeschool our children, help minister to the widows in our program, teach Sunday School, help write curriculum for the Bible College, serve wherever she can, and most importantly, build relationships with everyone here, including us. By God’s providence, Morgan will also be able to utilize the Business Administration degree she just earned by assisting the ministry accountant and human resource manager in the office. We are excited to witness everything God will do in and through her while she is here.\nMay God bless you as you represent Him this month In Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family This month, please pray with us that: - God would comfort and bless the family of our head pastor, Fred Latim, as they are mourning the loss of Fred\u0026rsquo;s mother.\n- God will bless the churches represented by the 35 church leaders who have just finished their last week of classes with the pastoral school of discipleship. Pray that their churches will be fruitful in the Lord and abounding with good works that are worthy of the name of our Lord Jesus.\n- God will bless Morgan\u0026rsquo;s time with us that she will learn what God has sent her here to learn and accomplish what He has sent her here to do.\n- God would heal my legs and Emma’s arm and give Noelle strength and rest as she takes care of us.\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2025/02/17/february-2025/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBe diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2 Timothy 2:15\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/02/20250212%5F165614.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter finishing their study through the book of Revelation in December, the church leaders returned for one last week to recap what they had learned through the Bible. It was a wonderful week of hard work, remembrance, and celebration. Each of the pastors had two final projects: they each had to present the Gospel through a sermon based on a biblical theme as well as prove their knowledge of the timeline of Scripture and the major points of the biblical themes, feasts, and covenants (if you do not understand what that is all about please ask me sometime). It was a blessing to watch them display what they had learned and how far they had come. To their surprise, on Friday morning, they retook the pre-course exam. We could not gain control of the room when the students received the scores they earned at the beginning of the school, along with the scores they had just earned. The commotion was thunderous! On the test covering basic Bible knowledge, men who had been serving as pastors for years and scored as low as 14% on their first day of class were overjoyed with scores of 99-100%! Directly after the excitement, we ushered everyone into the dining hall, where they received a word of encouragement to continue growing in Christ and serving Him.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"February 2025"},{"content":"(The votes are in\u0026hellip; A Little Harris-y wins! Sorry to those who are disappointed:))\nI love The Book of Esther; I often consider it my favorite book of the Bible, but it has long been shrouded by controversy. In his theological commentary, Paul Redditt notes that Eastern churches rejected the book’s canonicity and that the reformers did not devote much attention to it. Likewise, Samuel Wells points out in his biblical commentary of the book that these types of views are often related to the fact that the book “contains no promise to the Church, makes no mention of the Gospel” and “does not once introduce the name of God or recognize [H]is providence.” In fact, according to Reddit, “Luther could say that he wished the book did not exist at all, because it contained pagan impropriety.” So why do I love it so much? I would have to write more than I am willing to (and more than you would be willing to read) if I were to say everything I wanted to about it, but some of my favorite things about the book are how God is able to keep all His promises even though they seem to contradict and work out salvation even when He seems hidden.\nSome of God’s most famous promises are found in what people call the Abrahamic Covenant (see Gen. chapters 12, 15, 17, and 22). When God called Abraham, He promised He would bless his descendants with a great name, a land of abundance, and a high population (Gen. 12:1-3). God also promised Abraham and his descendants divine protection, swearing that whoever blessed them would be blessed and that whoever cursed them would be cursed (Gen. 12:3). Most importantly, God promised that His descendant(s) would end up blessing every people group on the planet (Gen. 12:3, 22:18).\nAround 500 years later, God made another series of promises to Abraham’s descendants in what people call the Mosaic Covenant (Exod. 19-24, Lev. 26, Deut. 28). In the Mosaic Covenant, God promised Abraham’s descendants that IF they were faithful to obey the terms of His covenant, the ten commandments (see Duet. 4:13), that they would be His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exod. 19:4-6). God went on to relay the wonderful blessings Israel would experience if they were obedient and the terrible suffering they would face if they were disobedient (Lev. 26, Deut. 28). God said that if Israel continued in their disobedience, that they would eventually be driven out of their homeland (Lev. 26:33, Deut. 28:64). Perhaps most severely, God said: “But I will surely hide My face [אַסְתִּ֤יר] in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods.” (Deut. 31:18; also see 31:17, 32:20, and Ezek. 39:29).\nOne thousand years after God laid out His terms to Moses, those two sets of promises came to a head in the Book of Esther. Israel was facing all the threatened curses as a desperate, homeless, and foreign minority group on the brink of distinction because of a ruthless edict written by the leader of the pagan kingdom of Persia, just as they deserved (Esth. 3:13). Yet instead of being exterminated the book relays that many people actually decided to become Jews in the days leading up to their potential harm! (See Esth. 8:21). The book revolves around a plot to exterminate every living Jew, yet, because of God’s loyalty to Abraham, there are more Jews at the end of the story than there were at the beginning! However, the book does not explicitly give God the credit for this. Why? Because God had promised that He would hide His face during the time of their punishment.In the middle of the whole story is a young orphan named Esther, whose name is derived from the Babylonian god Ishtar. Yet every Hebrew who read Esther could see the four consonants in her name, אסתר, which form the title of the book and be continually reminded of God\u0026rsquo;s promise to אַסְתִּ֤יר (Hide Himself) during their punishment. This would bring comfort as they remembered that God kept all of His promises, for He saved them just as He promised Abraham, but He did it from behind the scenes because of what He promised Moses.\nI love Esther; it strengthens my faith that God sovereignly works behind the scenes of history to keep His promises and orchestrate the salvation and multiplication of His people. When God seems distant, I can be confident that “He knows, He is there, and He is working” (Douglass). Most importantly, I can remember that in God\u0026rsquo;s protection of Esther and the Israelites, He spared the line of the Promised Messiah, who came 2,000 years ago to suffer separation from His Father and bless all the families of the earth with salvation from sin and death!\nBibliography: Douglass, Rob. Psalm 139 - He Knows, He\u0026rsquo;s Here, He works. Blue Letter Bible Rob Douglass Media\nNASB. The Bible. New American Standard Version. Lockman, 1995.\nRedditt, Paul. L. “Esther.” Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament: A Book-by-Book Survey. Kevin Vanhoozer, Craig Bartholomew, and Daniel Treier, eds. Baker, 2008, pp. 142-47.\nWells, Samual and George Summer. Esther and Daniel. Brazos, 2013.\nWechsler, Michael G. Commentary on Esther.\nWechsler, Michael G. Shadow and Fulfillment In The Book of Esther. Bibiotheca Sacra 154 July- Septemer 1997.\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2025/02/17/a-little-harris-y/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e(The votes are in\u0026hellip; A Little Harris-y wins! Sorry to those who are disappointed:))\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/02/Esther-God-of-Promises-1.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI love The Book of Esther; I often consider it my favorite book of the Bible, but it has long been shrouded by controversy. In his theological commentary, Paul Redditt notes that Eastern churches rejected the book’s canonicity and that the reformers did not devote much attention to it. Likewise, Samuel Wells points out in his biblical commentary of the book that these types of views are often related to the fact that the book “contains no promise to the Church, makes no mention of the Gospel” and “does not once introduce the name of God or recognize [H]is providence.” In fact, according to Reddit, “Luther could say that he wished the book did not exist at all, because it contained pagan impropriety.” So why do I love it so much? I would have to write more than I am willing to (and more than you would be willing to read) if I were to say everything I wanted to about it, but some of my favorite things about the book are how God is able to keep all His promises even though they seem to contradict and work out salvation even when He seems hidden.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A LITTLE HARRIS-Y: Esther - God of Promises"},{"content":" 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.\nHebrews 10:25\nWe 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\u0026rsquo;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.\nAs 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.\nMay God richly bless you as you seek to further His kingdom in your neck of the woods. Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family **\nPlease be praying with us:**\nFor 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\u0026rsquo;s Word and passionate about Jesus.\nThat 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.\nFor our family, as we are looking to raise more monthly support.\nFor Noelle’s stomach as she is battling painful peptic ulcers.\nFor 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.\nFor 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\u0026hellip;).\nLastly, 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\u0026rsquo;s Word.\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2025/01/16/january-2025/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enot 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.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHebrews 10:25\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/01/Screenshot%5F20250116%5F111916%5FPhotos.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/01/IMG-20250116-WA0005.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe 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\u0026rsquo;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.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"January 2025"},{"content":"I (Matt) recently decided to start sharing my thoughts on life, ministry, and God’s Word with all of you in regular devotionals. I have not decided whether or not I should name them, but if I do, I would like your help. Please email me back to vote on which name you like best: A Little Harrisy, Matt’s Musings, Matt’s Monthly Devotional, A Word of Wisdom, or some other suggestion you have (my favorite is the comedic A Little Harrisy). My prayer is that this helps us grow together into Christian maturity as we look forward to Christ’s return.\n15 But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.\nLuke 5:15-16.\nWhen Jesus’ popularity increased, He did the opposite of what we would expect. Often, instead of going toward the crowds, He sought seclusion. Not only does verse 16 teach us about Jesus’ fully human nature (while 15 demonstrates His divinity), it also provides a great example for Jesus’ followers. We only have a limited amount of time on the earth to serve our King, and we should desire to accomplish as much for Him as possible, but more work can actually be accomplished when it is relegated to its proper place in our lives. This is because sharp tools work better than dull tools and it is worth the time to sharpen and maintain them. But what does this look like practically?\nI recently was taught the illustration of Central Park by a team that came from Maryland to teach our pastors about counseling. Despite being prime real estate worth a fortune, no one can build on Central Park because, in 1853, the 778 acres (now 843) were designated forever to bless the city with beauty and fresh air. Now, according to Wikipedia, it is “the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated 42 million visitors annually as of 2016. It is also one of the most filmed locations in the world.” This month, my wife Noelle and I sat down to plan our “Central Park” by designating the things in our lives that are off limits from life’s business and ever-demanding workload. Because I am an audio and visual learner, we actually took the time to doodle our park and label its different aspects so that we can hang it on our wall. In order to maintain ourselves as tools in the Master Craftsman’s hand, we have carved out time for the following: personal devotions (daily), family devotions (daily), dates (weekly), dinner with our missionary team (weekly), prayer with our international team (monthly), camping with our friends (bi-monthly), family fun (regularly), family movie nights (weekly), exercise (daily), walks with friends (weekly), reading and listening to audiobooks (regularly), budget meetings (monthly), and sending out prayer requests, updates, and devotionals (monthly). While some of these things will be harder to maintain than others, we have made it off-limits to build on Central Park.\nMay God bless us as we seek to balance work and maintenance. May we all maintain “Central Park”.\nIn Christ,\nMatt Harris\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2025/01/16/central-park/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI (Matt) recently decided to start sharing my thoughts on life, ministry, and God’s Word with all of you in regular devotionals. I have not decided whether or not I should name them, but if I do, I would like your help. Please email me back to vote on which name you like best: A Little Harrisy, Matt’s Musings, Matt’s Monthly Devotional, A Word of Wisdom, or some other suggestion you have (my favorite is the comedic A Little Harrisy). My prayer is that this helps us grow together into Christian maturity as we look forward to Christ’s return.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Central Park"},{"content":" He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.\nRevelation 22:20-21\nWhen we read these words from our Lord Jesus Christ and His beloved Apostle, forty church leaders and I gave a long moment of cheering. As the last verses of the Bible, those words represented the end of another three-year journey through Scripture with the shepherds of God’s people in Northern Uganda. The students will return in January to present their final projects, Gospel Sermons that utilize biblical themes, and to recap what they have learned. After that, they will return one final time to celebrate their graduation on April 5th!\nUnfortunately, we are ending this journey with only two-thirds of the students that we started with. However, we are so proud of the men who have stuck through to the end. We have seen God move in powerful ways in their lives through the transformation that naturally occurs when people saturate themselves in God’s thoughts. Most of our graduation candidates used to lead the church away from the truth of Scripture towards African superstitions, works-based salvation, cultic glorification of celebrity “pastors”, and many false doctrines learned from others or fabricated themselves through a twisting of God’s word. Yet, after three years those same pastors are grounded in the message that ties God’s word together, the Good News of Jesus’ advent, perfect life, substitutional death, resurrection, ascension into heaven, and soon return as judge. Now, not only do they grasp the Gospel, but they can now teach it from Scripture. In the past, when asked to preach, instead of explaining and applying their texts, they quickly left their passage in order to preach popular, unbiblical ideas they learned from pastoral “telephone tag”. Eric is a good example of this transformation. Despite his Anglican overseers initially trying to dissuade him from coming to an evangelical school, Eric was placed as the teacher over a circuit of four churches after his leaders witnessed his newfound careful handling of God’s Word.\nThis journey has been very rewarding and strenuous, but it has not been lonesome. Much like the feeling the Apostle Paul expressed in his second letter to the church in Corinth (2 Cor. 11:28-29), I am continually burdened for the purity of the church here in Acholi-land. Because of the responsibility that I feel I often go without days off, wake up to study and pray hours before dawn, and continually intake knowledge from God’s people who have come before me in order to grow as a teacher and leader. But God has given me support from six Acholi men who have served with me through this process. While all the students have become my true friends, the six discipleship group leaders have become more like brothers. I was reminded of this fact last week when I visited Pastor Walter, who sent me home with more than 20 ripe papayas, a humongous jackfruit, and a sack of casava and corn from his garden to show his appreciation.\nWe are frequently reminded of God’s reasons for calling us here, and ask for your prayers to continue the work, being steadfast and immovable. We don’t take it for granted that so many of you are sacrificing for our family to be here. You labor with us in the forwarding of the Gospel.\nMay God bless you all with newfound intimacy with Christ and spiritual growth, In Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle, Cynthia, Emma, Maddie, Noah \u0026amp; Charlotte ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2024/12/23/december-2024/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2024/12/20241117%5F123735-2.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRevelation 22:20-21\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen we read these words from our Lord Jesus Christ and His beloved Apostle, forty church leaders and I gave a long moment of cheering. As the last verses of the Bible, those words represented the end of another three-year journey through Scripture with the shepherds of God’s people in Northern Uganda. The students will return in January to present their final projects, Gospel Sermons that utilize biblical themes, and to recap what they have learned. After that, they will return one final time to celebrate their graduation on April 5th!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"December 2024"},{"content":" Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.\n1 Peter 2:13-14\nMajor milestone: Inspection by National Counsel of Higher Education\nWe have been planning, raising funds and working to gain official accreditation for Terebinth Bible College for the last 4 years. Our aim was shifted toward this when, in 2018, Rwanda passed Law 72, requiring faith-based institutions to meet 10 key standards, one major standard being that the leader must hold a degree in religious studies from a higher learning institution. Uganda has always tended to adopt the major policies of other nations, and this case is no different, with promises to implement similar laws. Many church leaders are rising to fight against the passing of a law restricting the practice of religious institutions. However, it would be a disservice to the church body, if we, though morally able to meet government standards, fail to provide them with the certification required if such a law were passed.\nSince 2020, we have been busy building and preparing the Terebinth Bible School campus in Adak. Many of you lent your support for the construction of classrooms, dormitories, cafeteria, kitchen, and bathrooms. Because of great support from several groups, we were able to furnish a library of more than 6,000 books, as well as provide 20 laptops for the computer lab, both required amenities. Our team has worked hard to prepare the location as well as the organization of the ministry, we have hired consultants to guide us in the process, remodeled houses into offices, and expanded our staff.\nOn November 7th, the National Counsel of Higher Education (NCHE) came to inspect our facilities. They sent six experts of various educational fields to examine every aspect of the school, from the “software” (personnel, curriculum, history, and future plans etc.) to the “hardware” (quality of construction, physical capacity, and safety measures). This team was not sent to give or withhold the accreditation, but to write a report which they will submit to the Quality Assurance Counsel, who has the power to grant a provisional operational license. While they did give us a list of corrections to make, they were very impressed with our school, and thankful for the work we are doing for God’s kingdom in such a rural area. They were very optimistic about our qualifications for getting the license very soon, which would make Terebinth Bible College the first accredited Evangelical college in Northern Uganda. This would be a huge blessing as it will not only safeguard all of our students from unnecessary conflict with the government, but also increase our influence on the doctrine of the entire region!\nIn Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2024/11/15/october-november/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSubmit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 Peter 2:13-14\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2024/11/this-one.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMajor milestone: Inspection by National Counsel of Higher Education\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe have been planning, raising funds and working to gain official accreditation for Terebinth Bible College for the last 4 years. Our aim was shifted toward this when, in 2018, Rwanda passed Law 72, requiring faith-based institutions to meet 10 key standards, one major standard being that the leader must hold a degree in religious studies from a higher learning institution. Uganda has always tended to adopt the major policies of other nations, and this case is no different, with promises to implement similar laws. Many church leaders are rising to fight against the passing of a law restricting the practice of religious institutions. However, it would be a disservice to the church body, if we, though morally able to meet government standards, fail to provide them with the certification required if such a law were passed.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"October-November"},{"content":" “Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.”\nPsalm 37:3\nIt has been a whole year since moving from our home in Adak Village to our “new” home in Gulu City. Believe it or not, it is a little painful to think of our time in Adak, because all the hard things that made us leave are intermingled with precious things. There were many relationships forged in the fire of trials, many friendships made with little neighbors after years of struggling to establish boundaries, many tasks accomplished on the “work” side of ministry, and countless testimonies of God’s mercy, grace, healing, provision, and overall goodness to those who called on His name. It has been hard to remember that God created us as emotional beings, and that mourning a loss is normal. Taking time to thank God for the good things He did and is still doing in Adak has kept me from swinging to the other end of the pendulum, feeling overly justified in leaving because of all the hard things that happened there. However, it seems an appropriate time to share how we have been doing, especially in the areas that lead us into moving.\nIn Adak we were constantly sick. For our entire 6 years in Adak, the longest our family went without a case of clinical sickness was 6 weeks. Our time in town has been drastically different, all praise to God! Our health and physical strength have improved, and sickness is now very rare for us. We are no longer waiting for hours on end, multiple days each week to get blood test results and treatment. And despite living away from Adak, I am able to be more intentional with relationships when I go back because I now have the energy to walk through the “bush” to visit friends. We have the energy (and time!) to carry out our tasks, as well as do fun things. We even decided to get bikes for our family as everyone’s birthday presents this year. We have been able to ride as a family to and from church, something we would not have had strength for in Adak!\nBesides for being healthy, another benefit we have enjoyed here in town is uninterrupted homeschool time. In Adak we wore many hats, from ambulance driver to construction manager, clinic administrator, Bible teacher, clothes patcher, and cake baker. All of these hats we wore with patience, knowing that one day it would be passed on to someone else… once someone else knew how. But all of those hats kept knocking on the door, often without notice, and normally when you were least prepared. It was easy enough to bear it all, even while we were sick. But it had begun to interrupt our humble beginnings at homeschool, and every knock at the door meant 20 minutes of trying to get the kids back into the rhythm of school. I am very thankful that at that time the kids were still young and school could be more flexible. Now Emma and Maddie are in 4th grade, Noah is in 1st, Cynthia is in 1st and Special Ed., and Charlotte is trying to force me to teach her how to read (she turns 4 in October). During their standardized testing this year we found that they are doing very well. I would not have been able to keep up with all the different levels if there were still so much traffic at the door.\nWe look back in amazement and thankfulness over what God has done in the last year. We are excited and prayerful over what God will do here in the years to come!\nIn Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2024/09/22/august-september-2024/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePsalm 37:3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2024/09/20240904%5F084215.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt has been a whole year since moving from our home in Adak Village to our “new” home in Gulu City. Believe it or not, it is a little painful to think of our time in Adak, because all the hard things that made us leave are intermingled with precious things. There were many relationships forged in the fire of trials, many friendships made with little neighbors after years of struggling to establish boundaries, many tasks accomplished on the “work” side of ministry, and countless testimonies of God’s mercy, grace, healing, provision, and overall goodness to those who called on His name. It has been hard to remember that God created us as emotional beings, and that \u003cem\u003emourning\u003c/em\u003e a loss is normal. Taking time to thank God for the good things He did and is still doing in Adak has kept me from swinging to the other end of the pendulum, feeling overly justified in leaving because of all the hard things that happened there. However, it seems an appropriate time to share how we have been doing, especially in the areas that lead us into moving.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"August - September 2024"},{"content":"For safety concerns, the following information should be treated with confidentiality and responsibility.\nThe word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.\nActs 6:7\nThe shock and beauty of a priest coming to Christ in the early church is comparable to the astonishment of a Muslim leader deciding to convert from Islam to faith in Jesus today, and this month we have been privileged to welcome Jacob (name changed for safety reasons), a former Muslim imam and sheik, into the Christian family. At an early age, Jacob was chosen by his father, a Muslim extremist, to develop into the pride of the family and become their leader. Jacob was thoroughly equipped to represent Islam, he studied in the best Muslim’s schools in Uganda, studied Arabic in Medina, and by the age of 19 Jacob had memorized the entire Koran. Eventually, Jacob became the teacher of five mosques and two schools.\nIn 2016 Jacob began questioning his worldview when he noticed inconsistences in the Koran, and although he remained faithful to Allah for eight more years, the seeds of doubt had been firmly planted. During the lockdowns of 2020, Jacob was brought to one of our Alumni to debate him after four of Jacob’s muslim students had failed to silence him. Jacob was struck by our student’s statement that “no Muslim fears God,” and began visiting our student often for further debates and conversation. During that time, Jacob relentlessly researched the Bible, searching for ways to overturn him, but was struck by its historicity. He would spend hours in our student’s pastoral office, pouring over maps and study notes. Jacob told me that the Bible stood out to him because, unlike the Koran, it dealt with real historical events in detail, and that Christianity stood out to him because, unlike Islam, it was a religion of love and freedom.\nOur student was surprised when he received a phone call from Jacob. Jacob asked him for advice. He said that he was supposed to teach at a Mosque in the evening, but that he had just given his life to Jesus and he didn’t know what to do. Jacob was overcome by a sense of love and peace, but he was in fear of his peers and followers who would track him down and take him by force if he failed to show up and teach! Our student quickly smuggled him out of the city and brought him to a new environment, where he started a brand new life. We are blessed by his genuine commitment and devotion to Jesus.\nPlease Pray: That Jacob will assimilate well into his new environment. That he will be able to discern how to balance safety and boldness. For the safety of both Jacob and our student who led him to the Lord as they are both at risk. That he will mature into Christlikeness and proceed to reach many Muslims for Christ. In Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2024/07/30/july-2024/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor safety concerns, the following information should be treated with confidentiality and responsibility.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2024/07/20240726%5F103155.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eActs 6:7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2024/07/20240726%5F154814.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe shock and beauty of a priest coming to Christ in the early church is comparable to the astonishment of a Muslim leader deciding to convert from Islam to faith in Jesus today, and this month we have been privileged to welcome Jacob (name changed for safety reasons), a former Muslim imam and sheik, into the Christian family. At an early age, Jacob was chosen by his father, a Muslim extremist, to develop into the pride of the family and become their leader. Jacob was thoroughly equipped to represent Islam, he studied in the best Muslim’s schools in Uganda, studied Arabic in Medina, and by the age of 19 Jacob had memorized the entire Koran. Eventually, Jacob became the teacher of five mosques and two schools.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"July 2024"},{"content":" “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.\u0026quot;\nMatthew 7:24\nGang Ghetto Kwo \u0026ldquo;The House That Builds Life\u0026rdquo; You may remember our friend Luke, and his wife Hannah, whose wedding we were blessed to be a part of last December. We have mentioned Luke often in our updates over the years since we work closely with him in ministry, and because we share a lot of life together as he is Matt’s best friend. We wanted to share some of the things he has been working toward, and now does together with Hannah.\nLuke has worked with the Terebinth school since we arrived in Uganda long-term, and has filled many roles in the ministry. Since the beginning Luke has been involved with the young adults in the church and in the community, almost always staying with one of the young men as his roommate for company, accountability, and to pour into someone on a more personal level. Somewhere along the way he began dreaming of making his lifestyle of discipleship more of a committed program for young men interested in growing spiritually, but who were not yet ready to join the Terebinth school, or perhaps may not be called to full-time work in ministry.\nSeveral years ago Luke bought a plot of land near our church and began building. His hope was to have a communal-style living space, where people could feel free to join in any time of devotions, worship or prayer. The “community house” (a room with seating and a table, joined by a kitchen) was built standing in the middle of the compound, surrounded by 4 cement huts with tin roofs (these are called Banda’s). It took Luke a long time to begin the more formal discipleship program, but while he was preparing he was still pouring into young guys from the church, doing devotions, discipling, and walking alongside them as a few of them occupied his Banda’s.\nBefore getting married, Luke and Hannah began the discipleship program, which they have named Gang Ghetto Kow (The House That Builds Like) with 4 young men, Moses, Louis, Jacob, and Calton. It has been a unique and special time as these guys have seen Luke and Hannah working together, practicing purity and boundaries while not yet married, getting married, and now watching them grow in relationship, all while being lead through a series of Biblical principles. We have truly enjoyed watching the lot of them grow together in Christ, Luke and Hannah in unity and in leadership, and the 4 guys in maturity both in Christ and in character.\nPlease pray: For Luke and Hannah as they continue walking alongside Moses, Louis, Jacob and Calton.\nFor the four guys to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.\nGod Bless, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2024/07/04/june-2024/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.\u0026quot;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatthew 7:24\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2024/07/slim.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003ch4 id=\"gang-ghetto-kwo-the-house-that-builds-life\"\u003eGang Ghetto Kwo \u0026ldquo;The House That Builds Life\u0026rdquo;\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou may remember our friend Luke, and his wife Hannah, whose wedding we were blessed to be a part of last December. We have mentioned Luke often in our updates over the years since we work closely with him in ministry, and because we share a lot of life together as he is Matt’s best friend. We wanted to share some of the things he has been working toward, and now does together with Hannah.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"June 2024"},{"content":" For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.\nEphesians 4:12-14\nLast year, I (Matt) was heartbroken to hear about the state of some churches from one of my students. He told me that he had recently moved to a village called Acet to open a drug store and plug into a local church. Acet had five evangelical churches, but they were all in disarray. In three out of the five churches, the pastors had recently been caught in adultery, their reputations were ruined, and their churches were in shambles. The fourth church had undergone a recent church split because the youth pastor refused to relinquish control back to the senior pastor when he returned from a long trip away. Finally, the fifth was overseen by an emotionally charged, unstable woman who changed her theology and direction weekly. Unfortunately, although I was heartbroken to hear about the state of the churches, I was not surprised. Because the zeal to further God’s Kingdom was not accompanied by knowledge of His Word, many churches have imploded, and many faiths have been shipwrecked.\nHowever, this week, I was encouraged to catch up with a good friend named Bismark Okwera, who graduated from our pastoral school in 2019. Bismark had witnessed many well-meaning pastors open churches and fail to maintain them. In most cases, when they fell into hard times financially, they turned to the more popular message of the prosperity cults to try and increase the offerings of their congregations. Desiring to avoid the temptation of following in their footsteps, Bismark and his wife worked hard for five years and saved their money by buying cattle. At the close of 2023, they sold five of their cows, used the money to make a down payment on two acres of land, and built a temporary church structure for a fellowship of people they had evangelized and were actively discipling. Bismark and his wife Concy, one of my wife’s best friends, cleared the land and constructed the church building with their own four hands. By doing this, Bismark is protecting himself from future alligations of hidden motives and is providing the refugees with an example of a Godly work ethic.\nCalvary Chapel Ogili was planted adjacent to a large refugee camp in northern Uganda. They hold multilingual services to witness to those fleeing for their lives from war-torn areas in East Africa. Bismark and Concy also opened a nursery school that meets in their church building to minister to the refugees and help sustain the church financially.\nPlease pray for Calvary Chapel Ogili. Pray that God would continue to add to their number daily those who are being saved as Bismark and Concy faithfully teach God’s Word. May God bless you and continue to strengthen you in your faith. Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2024/05/16/may-2024/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"May 2024"},{"content":" Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.\n2 Corinthians 5:20\nLast fall, a prominent member of our community was brought to our church, Calvary Chapel Gulu, by his son, who is a faithful member of the congregation. The man, Walter, had recently had a land dispute with his neighbor and suspected that his neighbor had put some sort of curse on him because of mysterious noises which he claimed were following him and which he had not been able to identify or expel. He came to the church as a last resort to rid himself of whatever spirit may be disturbing him. Matt was able to preach the gospel to him and prayed that if the noises were a result of something spiritual, he would look to Jesus, but if not, they would go away, and the glory would belong to Jesus. That day, a monitor lizard fell from his roof into his living quarters and was chased out. The sounds stopped. The man returned to the church looking for Matt a few weeks later, only to find he was not around. Instead, our senior pastor, Fred, met with him. Walter claimed that birds were beginning to follow him. He thought that Matt had some secret spiritual power to chase away these spirits. Pastor Fred explained that it was not Matt’s own power but that real power is found in Jesus Christ. He prayed with him, and the birds left. Walter came to church for Sunday service that week and got saved. He invited the pastors to go and preach to his household. They also turned to the Lord. Glory to God!\nWe are happy to report that Walter is now a faithful member of the church and is walking with the Lord. He even hosts a fellowship every month in his home. We have even seen God bring significant improvement to the health of one of Walter’s children, who is epileptic. We are continually blessed to see God pour out His Spirit on the willing, and fill the homes where the doors are opened to Him. Please pray for Walter as he leads his family in the Word so that he will remain humble, sit in God\u0026rsquo;s presence, and grow in Christ. Pray for Walter’s family, that they would continue in the grace of the Lord, that they would be rooted in the truth of His word, and that the Spirit would use them to reach their extended family and the community.\nIn other news, in March, we were able to travel to Kampala for adoption purposes. We are still in the official fostering period. Still, we were required to sit before the National Alternative Care Panel, which reviewed our case and interviewed our family, as well as Cynthia’s biological parents. There was stress involved in the travel and the waiting period before our turn to sit before the panel, but otherwise, it was a peaceful event. Understandably, there is often pressure and tension between the adoptive family and the biological family, if present. But we have been blessed to remove a vulnerable child from a dangerous situation, to assist in raising a child whose parents had given up hope on living, and to turn a very broken situation into a hopeful one. Over the last few years, we have been able to witness to both of her parents, and as of November last year, both have repented and turned to the Lord. We can now walk in agreement regarding the future of their daughter, our daughter, Cynthia. When we went to Kampala with them, there was no fear, tension, or feelings of belittlement on either side. We pray that as their shame is covered by the love of Christ, they can stand up and lead the rest of their family in righteousness.\nAnd He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”\nRevelation 21:5a\nIn Christ, Matt, Noelle, Apiyo, Emma, Madeline, Noah \u0026amp; Charlotte ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2024/04/11/april-2024/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2 Corinthians 5:20\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2024/04/20240404%5F1055552.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLast fall, a prominent member of our community was brought to our church, Calvary Chapel Gulu, by his son, who is a faithful member of the congregation. The man, Walter, had recently had a land dispute with his neighbor and suspected that his neighbor had put some sort of curse on him because of mysterious noises which he claimed were following him and which he had not been able to identify or expel. He came to the church as a last resort to rid himself of whatever spirit may be disturbing him. Matt was able to preach the gospel to him and prayed that if the noises were a result of something spiritual, he would look to Jesus, but if not, they would go away, and the glory would belong to Jesus. That day, a monitor lizard fell from his roof into his living quarters and was chased out. The sounds stopped. The man returned to the church looking for Matt a few weeks later, only to find he was not around. Instead, our senior pastor, Fred, met with him. Walter claimed that birds were beginning to follow him. He thought that Matt had some secret spiritual power to chase away these spirits. Pastor Fred explained that it was not Matt’s own power but that real power is found in Jesus Christ. He prayed with him, and the birds left. Walter came to church for Sunday service that week and got saved. He invited the pastors to go and preach to his household. They also turned to the Lord. Glory to God!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"April 2024"},{"content":" For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.\n2 Corinthians 11:13\nI (Matt) was surprised to find out that a cult had moved into my neighborhood while our family was away. Last year, several outrageous and vulgar things occurred in one of the “churches” here in Gulu. Among other things, the self-proclaimed prophetess leading the church publicly pronounced curses on anyone who opposed her, including barrenness and poverty and blessings of prosperity on those who supported her. Fortunately, the community shut the church down and expelled the leader from their area. However, instead of reflecting and repenting, the “prophetess” subtly relocated her house and church a short walk from my house. She has a large following and has been manipulating them into building the largest home in our community for herself. Now, my whole neighborhood hears damaging things from the loudspeakers of that “church” every week.\nBut God has not been idle; the truth is marching on. Last Saturday, I had the privilege of attending the Calvary Chapel 12 Springs School of Ministry graduation. Calvary Chapel 12 Springs is one of our main churches in the Gulu area, which is led by Samuel Olara, my good friend and fellow Gospel worker. Three years ago, God put it on my and Samuel’s hearts to open a ministerial school at Samuel’s church for those who were called to serve the church but were unqualified to enroll at the Terebinth School of Discipleship. We needed $1,200.00 to begin the school, and after praying for the money, I received an unexpected envelope with the exact amount of cash inside. And so the school of ministry was started.\nThe students gathered together on Saturday and Sunday every other weekend; they served in the church and studied Scripture, missions, theology, church history, and more. Most excitingly, the ministry school was led by men equipped through the Terebinth School of Discipleship! During the same time frame, the other main church we work with, Calvary Chapel Gulu, graduated the first intake in its own School of Ministry. Which was likewise led by people equipped through the Terebinth School of Discipleship!\nThe fact that we can’t stop false teachers from spreading lies can be discouraging. But we are encouraged to see the addition of God’s Word turning into multiplication as those who have received the truth are passing it on to those who will do the same. Darkness is present in Northern Uganda, but the light is shining for those who desire it.\nAnd the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.\n2 Timothy 2:2\nIn Christ, The Harris Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2024/02/24/february-2024/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2 Corinthians 11:13\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2024/02/20240224%5F173547.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI (Matt) was surprised to find out that a cult had moved into my neighborhood while our family was away. Last year, several outrageous and vulgar things occurred in one of the “churches” here in Gulu. Among other things, the self-proclaimed prophetess leading the church publicly pronounced curses on anyone who opposed her, including barrenness and poverty and blessings of prosperity on those who supported her. Fortunately, the community shut the church down and expelled the leader from their area. However, instead of reflecting and repenting, the “prophetess” subtly relocated her house and church a short walk from my house. She has a large following and has been manipulating them into building the largest home in our community for herself. Now, my whole neighborhood hears damaging things from the loudspeakers of that “church” every week.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"February 2024"},{"content":" “… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”\nMatthew 28:20b\nDuring our trip we experienced more than 22,000 miles of travel and temperatures ranging over 130 degrees (95 degrees in UG and -42 degrees wind chill in NE). We had meetings nearly every day; seeing, greeting, and sharing with hundreds of individuals. We gave many hugs that were too brief with friends and relatives and had so many late nights catching up with loved ones. There were tears of sorrow as we shared grief over loved ones that we never got to say goodbye to and happy tears, as we saw long-awaited hopes fulfilled, especially watching our dear friends join in marriage. So many smiles. So many hugs. So many prayers answered. So many testimonies to God’s goodness. Putting it all into a paragraph doesn’t quite do justice to the last 7 weeks of travel. But after such a FULL two months, we are glad to be back in the hot, red dust of Uganda. I think it was happy to see us too, it practically jumped on us as soon as we arrived home.\nCynthia is happy to be back home too. She had a really great time with our good friends Allan and Shillah, and especially with their baby. She has jumped seamlessly back into our routine. I have seen a contentment in her that I haven’t seen in her before, no doubt it is seeds planted by her hosts who have always been examples of humility and generosity.\nWe had time to get our house in order before going full-swing back into ministry. As we were leaving the US we came down with a terrible flu, starting with a mild cough and fever, developing into full-on hacking fits. As bad as it was, we were thankful for the extra time it bought us to recover from particularly bad jet-lag.\nAll in all, we are happy to see what new things God will bring about over this next stint, and how the fruit will develop which we have seen Him bring forth from time past.\nBelow are some verses which we would love for you to pray over our family this year, and even over our students and pastors: Proverbs 4:25-27\nGalatians 6:9\nColossians 3\nColossians 2:6-12\nIn Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2024/02/06/january-2024/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatthew 28:20b\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2024/02/IMG%5F20240114%5F130721711%5FHDR.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDuring our trip we experienced more than 22,000 miles of travel and temperatures ranging over 130 degrees (95 degrees in UG and -42 degrees wind chill in NE). We had meetings nearly every day; seeing, greeting, and sharing with hundreds of individuals. We gave many hugs that were too brief with friends and relatives and had so many late nights catching up with loved ones. There were tears of sorrow as we shared grief over loved ones that we never got to say goodbye to and happy tears, as we saw long-awaited hopes fulfilled, especially watching our dear friends join in marriage. So many smiles. So many hugs. So many prayers answered. So many testimonies to God’s goodness. Putting it all into a paragraph doesn’t quite do justice to the last 7 weeks of travel. But after such a FULL two months, we are glad to be back in the hot, red dust of Uganda. I think it was happy to see us too, it practically jumped on us as soon as we arrived home.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"January 2024"},{"content":" “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”\nPhilippians 1:9-11\n2023 closed with one of our family\u0026rsquo;s greatest privileges. By God’s providence, our family was able to fly to the US and support the wedding of our friends and missionary partners, Luke and Hannah Buescher. I (Matt) was the best man, Noelle was a bridesmaid, Emma, Madeline, and Charlotte were flower girls, and Noah was a ring bearer. Unfortunately, because her adoption wasn’t finalized, Apio remained behind. During our trip, she has been in the loving care of our wonderful friends, Alan and Shillah Ocen.\nLuke is loyal, faithful, fun, and inspirational. Luke has been my best friend for nearly two decades, and we have served the Lord together in three countries in many capacities. He inspired me to become a missionary and has been my example of what it looks like to follow Jesus. Luke’s bride, Hannah, is his ideal match. She served Christ for four years as a missionary to an Indian reservation in Montana as a grade school teacher. Hannah represents the joy and kindness of Jesus to everyone who comes across her path. During her six-month stay in Uganda, her intentional friendship with everyone challenged Noelle and me to new areas of growth. Despite being in Uganda for six years, I met a handful of people for the first time who already knew Hannah and considered her to be their close friend! May God bless their partnership.\nOur family’s time in the US has blessed us with the opportunity to visit many of our friends and family and to communicate what God is doing in Uganda with many people. The hospitality and care we have received has been immeasurable. We have reconnected with old friends, made new friends, and reunited with our families. God has truly blessed us with a strong home team.\nThank you for your care. Even though it is altogether too short, our time with you has touched our hearts. May God bless each of you.\nIn Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2024/01/09/december-2023/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhilippians 1:9-11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2024/01/20231209%5F162907.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e2023 closed with one of our family\u0026rsquo;s greatest privileges. By God’s providence, our family was able to fly to the US and support the wedding of our friends and missionary partners, Luke and Hannah Buescher. I (Matt) was the best man, Noelle was a bridesmaid, Emma, Madeline, and Charlotte were flower girls, and Noah was a ring bearer. Unfortunately, because her adoption wasn’t finalized, Apio remained behind. During our trip, she has been in the loving care of our wonderful friends, Alan and Shillah Ocen.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"December 2023"},{"content":" And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.\nJob 28:28\nI can’t think of anything that arouses more questions than human suffering. Everyone has asked God why they are experiencing pain in their life, but who has ever cried out to God in complaint of why God would allow them to have their needs met? It’s not surprising that the book of Job has more questions than any other book of the Bible, with a grand total of 330 (compared to the 160 questions in the entire book of Psalms).\nThis month, God blessed us with one of the most impactful moments I have experienced in our School of Discipleship. The eyes of our students were opened as we studied through the book of Job and contemplated the theology of suffering. At the heart of the animistic worldview of tribal Africa is witchcraft, and at the heart of witchcraft is the belief that nothing happens by accident. The belief that behind every success was a sell-out to a spirit, and behind every difficulty was an angry spirit who was most likely manipulated by a devious person. But this month, I had the privilege of watching God use the story of Job to chop at the roots of this destructive, false worldview. One of the book\u0026rsquo;s intentions is to remove suffering from the category of retribution: “Who did what to deserve what’s happening?” and put it into the category of God’s wisdom: “What is God trying to accomplish through allowing this in my life?” It was beautiful to watch ministers settle in the goodness of God’s power over pain.\nIn Christ,\nMatt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2023/12/01/november-2023/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJob 28:28\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/12/20220815%5F0733262.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI can’t think of anything that arouses more questions than human suffering. Everyone has asked God why they are experiencing pain in their life, but who has ever cried out to God in complaint of why God would allow them to have their needs met? It’s not surprising that the book of Job has more questions than any other book of the Bible, with a grand total of 330 (compared to the 160 questions in the entire book of Psalms).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"November 2023"},{"content":" “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”\n2 Corinthians 9:8\nA big highlight of last month was the team that came out from Maryland. The brother of our director\u0026rsquo;s wife and several members of his church came and taught Resolving Everyday Conflict to our staff and students. Everyone I talked to said it was one of the most practical and helpful seminars they had ever attended. It was a treat, too, to watch the team interact with the 180 widows in our widows program during the conference they hosted at Calvary Chapel Gulu. Some of these women have been my personal friends for years, and it was precious to see them blessed by another member of the body of Christ. It is proof of Christ\u0026rsquo;s love when people come from thousands of miles away to simply wash the feet of someone they have never met, give them gifts, or encourage them with a good meal and a special message. It always fills my heart! I pray that God allows more and more people to come and see what He is doing here and what their partnership with us is doing in His name.\nAs we prepare to return to the US from Dec-Jan 15th, it is easy for me to feel overwhelmed in the planning process. I think of the calendar from our last visit and remember that every day was full of doctor’s appointments and travel arrangements, lunch dates and dinner plans, names, phone numbers, and reminders for everything. In the midst of it all, it didn’t feel too busy because God gave enough strength for each moment as it came. Those plans seemed to come about on their own somehow. But now, as I sit, with three weeks before our flight, there are mostly empty days on the calendar. There are so many people whose names I want to write on those empty days.\nIf we haven’t arranged a time to see you when we are in Colorado during December or Nebraska in early January, would you let us know some dates that would work for you? We would love to meet up for coffee or a meal to catch up, just Matt or I if that works best, or even with the kids in tow. We don’t want to miss a chance to see you face to face, to hear how you are, to encourage you and be encouraged. In these troubling times, we need each other.\nPlease pray with us that: -The final class of the year would go well, and each student would have a peaceful break over Christmas.\n-Our travel to the USA would go smoothly.\n-Luke and Hannah’s wedding plans would come together as they work it out from here, and the day\u0026rsquo;s events would go smoothly.\n-We would be able to visit with our families and each of our supporters.\nIn Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2023/11/08/october-2023/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2 Corinthians 9:8\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/11/20231013%5F130052-1.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA big highlight of last month was the team that came out from Maryland. The brother of our director\u0026rsquo;s wife and several members of his church came and taught Resolving Everyday Conflict to our staff and students. Everyone I talked to said it was one of the most practical and helpful seminars they had ever attended. It was a treat, too, to watch the team interact with the 180 widows in our widows program during the conference they hosted at Calvary Chapel Gulu. Some of these women have been my personal friends for years, and it was precious to see them blessed by another member of the body of Christ. It is proof of Christ\u0026rsquo;s love when people come from thousands of miles away to simply wash the feet of someone they have never met, give them gifts, or encourage them with a good meal and a special message. It always fills my heart! I pray that God allows more and more people to come and see what He is doing here and what their partnership with us is doing in His name.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"October 2023"},{"content":"Dear friends and family, God has blessed us with an opportunity for a short visit to America, and we are pleased to announce that we will be home for Christmas! Our beloved friend and missionary partner, Luke Buescher, is marrying Hannah Struttman in December. Noelle and I both have the honor of being on the bridal team.\nIf the LORD wills, we will be in Colorado for the whole month of December and in Nebraska for the first half of January. We would love to meet with as many of you as possible. Please email me at mattharris9000@gmail.com or send me a WhatsApp at +256786200602 to schedule our time with you.\nPlease pray that God will protect us on the journey and provide for our travel expenses. Please pray for Luke and Hannah as they begin their new life together. Please pray that God will use our time in America to bless our family and the American church. May God bless you, and may we see each other in person soon, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.”\nPhilippians 1:3-5\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2023/10/20/home-for-christmas/","summary":"\u003ch4 id=\"dear-friends-and-family\"\u003eDear friends and family,\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod has blessed us with an opportunity for a short visit to America, and we are pleased to announce that we will be home for Christmas! Our beloved friend and missionary partner, Luke Buescher, is marrying Hannah Struttman in December. Noelle and I both have the honor of being on the bridal team.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf the LORD wills, we will be in Colorado for the whole month of December and in Nebraska for the first half of January. We would love to meet with as many of you as possible. Please email me at \u003ca href=\"mailto:mattharris9000@gmail.com\"\u003emattharris9000@gmail.com\u003c/a\u003e or send me a WhatsApp at +256786200602 to schedule our time with you.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Home For Christmas!"},{"content":" I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil – this is God’s gift to man.\nEcclesiastes 3:12-13\nLife has not slowed down much since moving into the city two months ago. The Terebinth School of Discipleship is still proceeding with its study week, class week, and off weeks each month. Church and extra ministry opportunities continue to find their way onto the calendar with seldom any pictures to remember them by, but loads of praise because of what God is doing. Homeschooling has taken a slightly different look now that we have a schoolhouse to separate the noise of housework, meetings, and phone calls. On a typical day, I (Noelle) can lead each of the four schooling children through the state-required subjects and probably give them an extra-curricular lesson by lunch at 1 p.m. Of course, life itself is the classroom of our family.\nWe are still trying to balance what our schedule should look like now that drive time is not an issue and that our family has had good health these past two months; with our only case of malaria being Matt, after he had spent a night in Adak. Since moving to town, we have had many invitations to serve, organize programs, join group activities, and other events. We carefully consider each one. A few that we have added to our schedule have been a weekly Reading Hour for neighbors of all ages, hosted by our director\u0026rsquo;s family next door, and supplemental reading help as often as possible during play hours. These and Matt’s new college schedule are enough to fill the cracks of time freed up by our lack of sickness. As we settle here in town, work in the ministry, and get involved in our new community, we pray that our roles and commitment in each area will continue to deepen, develop, and produce fruit for the Lord. We are excited for this season of growth for our family.\nPraise God that: - Our family has enjoyed a new season of health.\n- We discovered a gluten intolerance in Noelle, which was the source of many physical discomforts and even emotional challenges.\n- We have started good relationships with some of our new neighbors.\nPlease pray with us over the following: -These new relationships with our neighbors, that God would use us as a light for them, that they would see Him and be drawn to His salvation.\n-The many new opportunities to serve and reach others, that God would lead and strengthen us for any good work He has for us.\n-Omony Felix, a young student in the Terebinth School, suddenly passed away this week due to kidney failure. Please keep his family in your prayers.\nIn Christ, Matt, Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2023/10/12/september-2023/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/09/20230901%5F152422.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil – this is God’s gift to man.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEcclesiastes 3:12-13\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/10/20230825%5F122556.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLife has not slowed down much since moving into the city two months ago. The Terebinth School of Discipleship is still proceeding with its study week, class week, and off weeks each month. Church and extra ministry opportunities continue to find their way onto the calendar with seldom any pictures to remember them by, but loads of praise because of what God is doing. Homeschooling has taken a slightly different look now that we have a schoolhouse to separate the noise of housework, meetings, and phone calls. On a typical day, I (Noelle) can lead each of the four schooling children through the state-required subjects and probably give them an extra-curricular lesson by lunch at 1 p.m. Of course, life itself is the classroom of our family.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"September 2023"},{"content":" Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people\nProverbs 14:34\nIt has been two years since we started Yalwak Manyen (New Generation) Sports Academy, an after-school soccer outreach for kids in Adak village, where we used to live. What sprang up as a way to give kids the gospel, structure, and an outlet for energy continues to influence and impact families in the community.\nWe began this soccer ministry during the lockdowns when children of all ages were kept from school, the primary source of structure and discipline in their lives. The youth were becoming more restless and unruly, even to the point where young boys in our village were setting up roadblocks to stop motorcyclists and beat and rob them. God gave us the vision to start this soccer outreach, which almost immediately affected our community. Kids used to rush away from home to get into mischief with their friends; instead, they would stick around to fetch water, sweep the compound, or help dig in the garden. They used to come home whenever they pleased; now, they go home when their mothers asked. They had no outlet for energy and were becoming a nuisance to the whole community, but now they were becoming an honor to their families. But what was more instrumental in this change was hearing the gospel preached to them. They brought it home to their families, and people began to have hope again.\nNow, after two years, the method hasn’t changed much. Coaches Kizito and Kenneth arrive to a horde of waiting children. They open the storage room door, and the kids quickly carry the box of uniforms, a sack of soccer balls, and stacks of cones out onto the field. They do warm-ups and exercise, practice different moves and techniques, and play mini-soccer matches, resulting in characteristic loud cheers when someone gets a goal. Then, Coach blows the whistle, and the kids swarm the field, competing to gather the cones and gear and huddle together to finish their time with devotions. Coach Kizito presents a Bible story, explains it, and asks questions. They memorize and review Bible verses and then pray together, heading home just as the evening sun begins to cast shades of gold on the grasses and trees.\nWe’ve seen many times how the child begins acting differently at home; the family is intrigued by this change and begins attending church. Over time, the whole family is changed, and even the fathers begin to taper off their drinking habits and take care of their families. The entire community notices this change, and it is a beautiful testimony to God\u0026rsquo;s love and ability to redeem. It’s hard to say exactly what things are a result of the soccer outreach or how far-reaching the message has been since only God can see the hearts. Between the soccer kids themselves and the coaches checking up on the families of each child and sharing the gospel during visits, we have some idea of the numbers. It has been reported that among 50 families whose children have participated in the football outreach over the two years, about 150 adults and children have either rededicated their lives to the Lord or have been saved for the first time. Out of the 56 children in the Little’s League, at least 50 profess to know Christ, and in the Youth League (ages 16-25), 6 out of the 14 have been saved.\nWe have hopes to further the stability of this program. By God\u0026rsquo;s grace, we were able to purchase five acres of land in the community, flatten it, and propagate grass for regulation-size soccer fields. We were also able to build a grass-roofed house for our head coach and his family to stay in while they maintain the property. We aim to develop the land further by creating a latrine, changing rooms, and a roofed area for shade and protection from the rain. We want to keep a good supply of equipment on hand, such as balls, cones, uniforms, and shoes. Most importantly, we hope to restart our Youth League, which had to be canceled due to a lack of equipment.\nPraise God with us that: God has been moving through Yalwak Manyen in our community. Many souls have been added in our village. Please join us in prayer that: God would raise a generation of strong believers in Adak Village. God would provide $500.00 a month to support this outreach. God would keep our coaches and their families healthy and strong for the work He has for them. In Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2023/09/12/august-2023/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRighteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProverbs 14:34\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/09/20230811%5F1841132-1.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt has been two years since we started Yalwak Manyen (New Generation) Sports Academy, an after-school soccer outreach for kids in Adak village, where we used to live. What sprang up as a way to give kids the gospel, structure, and an outlet for energy continues to influence and impact families in the community.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/09/IMG-20230831-WA0000-1024x767.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe began this soccer ministry during the lockdowns when children of all ages were kept from school, the primary source of structure and discipline in their lives. The youth were becoming more restless and unruly, even to the point where young boys in our village were setting up roadblocks to stop motorcyclists and beat and rob them. God gave us the vision to start this soccer outreach, which almost immediately affected our community. Kids used to rush away from home to get into mischief with their friends; instead, they would stick around to fetch water, sweep the compound, or help dig in the garden. They used to come home whenever they pleased; now, they go home when their mothers asked. They had no outlet for energy and were becoming a nuisance to the whole community, but now they were becoming an honor to their families. But what was more instrumental in this change was hearing the gospel preached to them. They brought it home to their families, and people began to have hope again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"August 2023"},{"content":" “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”\nJohn 16:13-14\nThe night before Jesus died on the cross He discussed the future with His disciples and one of the main topics in their conversation was the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained to them that the role of the Holy Spirit was to illuminate and glorify Himself. This is a very important message for Ugandan Christians to understand as many “funny” things are done through “the filling of the Spirit”. Recently I witnessed the Holy Spirit in action when four people stood up during the announcements at church and declared that they had come that day in order to accept Jesus and be born again!\nIn 2021 I became one of the pastors of Calvary Chapel Gulu, and it has been so exciting to see God moving in and through our church more. But it has been hard to be involved with the church family while we are living so far away. We are thankful for Gods’ blessing of placing our new home very close to the church, and with the time we will save from the commute we will be able to be more involved. Among other things, we are specifically looking forward to creating new believer classes that will help new converts become grounded in their faith.\nLast month our team was blessed to be trained in a holistic approach to ministry called Community Health Evangelism or “CHE” for short. CHE is designed to help a community recognize their own physical and spiritual deficits/needs and work together to solve them using what resources they already have. This method is being employed in every continent of the word and is having tremendous impact in communities in areas of health and hygiene, how to raise families, business ventures, agriculture and animal husbandry, and many other things. It is even being used to plant thousands of churches. After finishing our training, a few of us had the privilege to tour Northern Uganda and even South Sudan to see other groups of people who were implementing CHE. We believe that we will incorporate this into our Bible college curriculum, and we are excited about how the Holy Spirit will use it to transform communities around us!\nPlease continue praying with us that: We will be able to fully adopt our daughter Apio Cynthia. God will bless our transition into a new home and community. Many people here will be touched by God’s Holy Spirit and will come to a saving belief in Jesus. God will give us boldness to preach and represent Him. In Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2023/08/11/july-2023/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/01/20230101%5F093431%5F2.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn 16:13-14\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/08/20230226%5F1021112-1.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe night before Jesus died on the cross He discussed the future with His disciples and one of the main topics in their conversation was the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained to them that the role of the Holy Spirit was to \u003cem\u003eilluminate and glorify\u003c/em\u003e Himself. This is a very important message for Ugandan Christians to understand as many “funny” things are done through “the filling of the Spirit”. Recently I witnessed the Holy Spirit in action when four people stood up during the announcements at church and declared that they had come that day in order to accept Jesus and be born again!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"July 2023"},{"content":" “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”\nJob 1:21\nThe month of June was like a roller coaster with sickening stomach drops and fast paced excitement.\nOn Monday June 12th our community was rocked by the death of Esther Latim, the 15 year old daughter of Fred Latim, our Sr. Pastor at Calvary Chapel Gulu. Esther was a very kind and intelligent girl who was friends with everyone, including my daughters, and she was even the champion debater (for her division) in all of Northern Uganda. Her life came to an end due to a battle with a bacterial infection and malaria, with the lifelong condition of sickle cell. Pastor Fred, along his wife Evelyn and their many children, are a blessing to everyone. They are an example to us for humility, grace, mercy and thoughtfulness. I can honestly say I have never met a more humble and meek man than Pastor Fred. Please pray for their family as they go through this season.\nDuring that same time God providentially answered our prayers in startling ways. After much prayer and consideration, Noelle and I decided to move our family away from the Village of Adak, to the nearby city of Gulu, for the sake of longevity on the field. On Wednesday, June 7th we sent out a request to you all for your help to make that happen. Amazingly only 4 days later, we received a message from a dear friend who wanted to support us with a loan to purchase the house we were praying for. That evening I got in touch with a lawyer to help us purchase the court owned property. When he went to inspect the property the following day he found that three other people had already brought contractors to the site and were intent on competing to buy it. When we heard that news we scrambled to get a few thousand dollars together to place a 10 day “holding fee” on the house while we awaited the wire transfer from the States. In a dramatic series of events, our lawyer got them to accept the terms of a holding fee merely hours before another buyer came in with an offer to buy the property in cash! After a week of waiting for us, the pressure was too much for the selling team and our lawyer received a call that they were tired of waiting and were going to sell the house to a buyer who was there in person with cash in hand. When they were reminded of the contract they had signed and stamped, the representatives of the court who were selling the house reluctantly honored their agreement to wait for two more days; but they did tell the other purchaser to come back early in the morning on Thursday to buy the property as soon as our agreement had expired. With a flood of excitement the money finished transferring on Tuesday night and we were able to purchase the property by Wednesday afternoon! It is evident that God’s hand went before us through the whole process, and we are confident that we are moving in His will. We are now renovating the place, and we believe we will move in within the first half of August.\nThe loan was not the only support we received, and we want to thank each of your for the great generosity you have shown our family as we make this move toward longevity. May God richly bless each of you. Please be aware that anything given toward the property project is being used to renovate the house and repay the home loan.\nIn Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2023/07/12/june-2023-2/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJob 1:21\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/07/20230609%5F143626.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe month of June was like a roller coaster with sickening stomach drops and fast paced excitement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/07/20230616%5F114404.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn Monday June 12th our community was rocked by the death of Esther Latim, the 15 year old daughter of Fred Latim, our Sr. Pastor at Calvary Chapel Gulu. Esther was a very kind and intelligent girl who was friends with everyone, including my daughters, and she was even the champion debater (for her division) in all of Northern Uganda. Her life came to an end due to a battle with a bacterial infection and malaria, with the lifelong condition of sickle cell. Pastor Fred, along his wife Evelyn and their many children, are a blessing to everyone. They are an example to us for humility, grace, mercy and thoughtfulness. I can honestly say I have never met a more humble and meek man than Pastor Fred. Please pray for their family as they go through this season.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"June 2023"},{"content":" “But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.””\nExodus 14:13-14\nPlease consider partnering with us in the purchase of a home. https://youtu.be/T1ZXRJeUNe0\nSince we moved to Gulu in 2018 we have lived in a house located in the little village of Adak, which we have rented from our organization, Terebinth Ministries. This has been a blessing. Our children have space to play and grow, and they love the other children in our neighborhood. We love things here, we love our home and neighbors, we love the view, and most importantly we have been blessed to live so close to the LORD’s work. However, these benefits have come at a cost. Malaria, typhoid, bacterial infections, pneumonia, dangerous animals, village threats and attempts at cursing us, and even sepsis have been constant realities. We have been honored to be counted worthy of these things and we have done our best to endure with patience, but our strength is waning. We see that in order to have longevity and sustainability while serving the Lord here, it is time for us to move to the nearby city of Gulu. Living there, we would continue to serve in the same capacities, all with more physical strength and health.\nOur director’s family, the Nolley\u0026rsquo;s, our ministry partner Luke Buescher, and our home church Calvary Chapel Gulu, are all located near to each other in a nice area outside of the main hub of Gulu. Adjacent to our director’s home is a court-owned property that is selling for half of what it is worth! The property is approximately .6 of an acre, it has a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom house which is finished, and it has two half-finished buildings with a total of 5 rooms and an outdoor pit-latrine. The purchase of the property and the cost of the remodel is estimated to cost $75,000-$85,000. As a point of comparison, the entire school property we completed in October of last year cost around $220,000 all said and done.\nOur other option would be to rent, and a suitable rental property in Gulu goes for around $600-\n$900 a month. Since at that rate we could have paid off a home within 10 years, we believe that purchasing would be wiser than renting.\nUnlike in the US, there are no mortgage loans worth mentioning in Uganda. Homes are purchased in cash, and rentals are paid for a year at a time. Therefore, we are looking for partners who can either donate towards this or who can invest a personal loan.\n- Please pray with us for God\u0026rsquo;s provision. - Please earmark any contributing donations toward this with \u0026ldquo;Harris Property Purchase\u0026rdquo;. - Please email me at mattharris9000@gmail.com if you are interested in partnering with a personal loan. After serving the LORD in Northern Uganda for 6 years, we are convinced that this is where God wants us to be for a long time to come. We know that it is through God\u0026rsquo;s grace and your generosity that we have been able to serve here for this long, and we do not take it for granted. We deeply appreciate each blessing. We believe the time has come for us to move to a more permanent living situation through buying a family home. Please consider partnering with us in this step.\nThank you so much for your love, prayers, and partnership in the Gospel! In Christ,\nMatt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2023/06/05/fundraising-for-family-relocation/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/05/20220815%5F1022292-1.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.””\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExodus 14:13-14\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"please-consider-partnering-with-us-in-the-purchase-of-a-home\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease consider partnering with us in the purchase of a home.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/T1ZXRJeUNe0\"\u003ehttps://youtu.be/T1ZXRJeUNe0\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince we moved to Gulu in 2018 we have lived in a house located in the little village of Adak, which we have rented from our organization, Terebinth Ministries. This has been a blessing. Our children have space to play and grow, and they love the other children in our neighborhood. We love things here, we love our home and neighbors, we love the view, and most importantly we have been blessed to live so close to the LORD’s work. However, these benefits have come at a cost. Malaria, typhoid, bacterial infections, pneumonia, dangerous animals, village threats and attempts at cursing us, and even sepsis have been constant realities. We have been honored to be counted worthy of these things and we have done our best to endure with patience, but our strength is waning. We see that in order to have longevity and sustainability while serving the Lord here, it is time for us to move to the nearby city of Gulu. Living there, we would continue to serve in the same capacities, all with more physical strength and health.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Fundraising for Family Relocation"},{"content":" “God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”\nPsalm 68:6\nThis month we were blessed with a visit from my (Matt’s) parents, Brian and Tammy Harris. After having their first tickets canceled when the world shut down in 2020, and their second tickets canceled when my father had a severe case of COVID in 2021, their trip felt long overdue. Although we had little chance to break from the routine of work and school that our life revolves around, our time together was precious. It was wonderful to show them our Ugandan church family, the pastoral school, the farming enterprise, and all of the great people we have been sharing our life with. But really my Mom and Dad spent most of their time simply being with their grandkids!\nGod Bless You All! Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2023/06/04/june-2023/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePsalm 68:6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/06/IMG-6853.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis month we were blessed with a visit from my (Matt’s) parents, Brian and Tammy Harris. After having their first tickets canceled when the world shut down in 2020, and their second tickets canceled when my father had a severe case of COVID in 2021, their trip felt long overdue. Although we had little chance to break from the routine of work and school that our life revolves around, our time together was precious. It was wonderful to show them our Ugandan church family, the pastoral school, the farming enterprise, and all of the great people we have been sharing our life with. But really my Mom and Dad spent most of their time simply being with their grandkids!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"May 2023"},{"content":" “You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”\nIsaiah 41:9b-10\nPray for us as we begin the adoption process for our daughter Apio Cynthia! In April of 2021, soon after our return to Uganda from our furlough in the States, we began fostering a girl from our village. We had known Apiyo Cynthia (nicknamed Ah-peach-ay) since we officially moved to Uganda in 2018, when she was 8 years old. At the start we had thought she was an orphan because she appeared malnourished and severely neglected, not even knowing her real name. We found over time that she was simply rejected from the community. Once we found out she had a family, we tried many times to help reconcile her to them through various means to no avail. We even left provision so that if schools opened up again when we were visiting the States, she could be enrolled as soon as possible (schools were closed for 2 years due to the very lengthy lockdown here). When we returned from our furlough, we began finding her on our porch after dark, sometimes as late as 11PM. We continued trying to reconcile her to her family while looking for options of where she could go that would take better care of her. When we heard rumors that she could be in mortal danger from a relative, we got permission from the officials concerned to keep her in our home until a better living situation was decided.\nSince then it has been a true labor of love to teach and train her in every aspect of life. Late nights, long days, and many prayers have brought her from the desperate small form peaking through our window, to the energetic, dreaming teenage girl she is now. It has now been two years, and Apiche is a daughter to us and a sister to all our children. After much prayer and careful consideration of the present situations, we have officially begun the process for legal adoption. There are a few serious obstacles in the way of successful adoption in this instance, but we look to the Lord to make a way, since we know He loves her even more than we do.\nPlease pray: For our lawyer to be “crafty as a serpent but innocent as a dove”, knowing how to bring the facts but not portraying anything untrue.\nFor the judges to consider all the present factors and judge in favor of Apiche.\nThat God would provide the finances necessary for the legal process.\nFor speed and honesty during this process.\nFor her family to turn to the Lord.\nFor Apiche’s heart to be soft toward the Lord and eagerly listen for and obey His voice.\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2023/05/09/april-2023/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIsaiah 41:9b-10\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"pray-for-us-as-we-begin-the-adoption-process-for-our-daughter-apio-cynthia\"\u003ePray for us as we begin the adoption process for our daughter Apio Cynthia!\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/05/20230121%5F1941422.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn April of 2021, soon after our return to Uganda from our furlough in the States, we began fostering a girl from our village. We had known Apiyo Cynthia (nicknamed Ah-peach-ay) since we officially moved to Uganda in 2018, when she was 8 years old. At the start we had thought she was an orphan because she appeared malnourished and severely neglected, not even knowing her real name. We found over time that she was simply rejected from the community. Once we found out she had a family, we tried many times to help reconcile her to them through various means to no avail. We even left provision so that if schools opened up again when we were visiting the States, she could be enrolled as soon as possible (schools were closed for 2 years due to the very lengthy lockdown here). When we returned from our furlough, we began finding her on our porch after dark, sometimes as late as 11PM. We continued trying to reconcile her to her family while looking for options of where she could go that would take better care of her. When we heard rumors that she could be in mortal danger from a relative, we got permission from the officials concerned to keep her in our home until a better living situation was decided.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"April 2023"},{"content":" Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our LORD, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever Amen.\nHebrews 13:20-21\nThe importance of thorough discipleship stuck out to me last weekend. It was my daughter Emma’s turn to go on an outing with me, and before getting ice-cream we spent a few hours evangelizing door to door with our church, Calvary Chapel Gulu. Emma, myself and our head pastor, Fred Latim, sat in the yard of a local political leader with the gentleman and his Muslim friend. The politician is a Christian who publically claims Christ and was very eager to talk to us about Jesus, but he didn’t know that Muslims worshiped a different god, he didn’t know the difference between any of the groups that proclaim the name of Jesus, and he couldn’t tell me why God allowed Jesus to die on the cross! The darkness of ignorance is vast when even sincere Christian leaders are severely underdeveloped.\nJesus reached the world through 12 disciples, three of whom stood out as His inner circle. We have followed His example in our school. Although we have 40 students between two classes who will study through the whole counsel of God’s Word, the real discipleship happens with the 6 alumni who have been appointed as Discipleship Group Leaders.\nOur group leader’s development comes through teaching, modeling and coaching. As graduates from the program they have already been taught through the whole Bible. On top of that, as I mentioned in our January update, we meet for one week of every month to prepare for class by studying the upcoming text together, and praying together. During the class weeks they are busy guiding devotions and leading discussions on the passages we are covering. They also practice teaching and receive feedback during one-on-one meetings.\nThe impact has been tremendous. Every month I receive testimonies from these six men of how their development is effecting their lives, their families, and their churches. I was taken back two weeks ago during two meetings I had with one of them who is old enough to be my grandfather. In both meetings he couldn’t hold back his tears as he thanked me for being in his life. He told me that I was the first person to “father” him, the first person who took the time to direct, correct, teach, and mentor him. Another of these men has doubled his influence through leading the School of Ministry at his church! I believe that these testimonies are a result of the bond that we have formed as we pursue the LORD together. As we delight ourselves in Him, the LORD continues to give us the desire of our hearts.\nPlease pray for these six men who have given their lives to disciple others in Christ. Walter Owor Peter Ocaya Mark Olak George Acaye Denis Olara Richard Okot May God richly bless you, Matt and Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2023/04/01/march-2023/","summary":"\u003cdiv class=\"gallery gallery-cols-1\"\u003e\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/10/20220815%5F102229%5F2.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow the God of peace, who brought up from the dead \u003cstrong\u003ethe great Shepherd of the sheep\u003c/strong\u003e through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our LORD, \u003cstrong\u003eequip you in every good thing to do His will\u003c/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eworking in us that which is pleasing in His sight\u003c/strong\u003e, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever Amen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHebrews 13:20-21\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe importance of thorough discipleship stuck out to me last weekend. It was my daughter Emma’s turn to go on an outing with me, and before getting ice-cream we spent a few hours evangelizing door to door with our church, Calvary Chapel Gulu. Emma, myself and our head pastor, Fred Latim, sat in the yard of a local political leader with the gentleman and his Muslim friend. The politician is a Christian who publically claims Christ and was very eager to talk to us about Jesus, but he didn’t know that Muslims worshiped a different god, he didn’t know the difference between any of the groups that proclaim the name of Jesus, and he couldn’t tell me why God allowed Jesus to die on the cross! The darkness of ignorance is vast when even sincere Christian leaders are severely underdeveloped.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"March 2023"},{"content":" “…choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”\nJoshua 24:15\nThis month I (Noelle) want to share with you some of what life looks like for our kids.\nTime has flown by since we left the USA with two baby girls. Three more children have been given to us from the Lord and our ministry has grown as a result. I think the idea that raising children is discipleship was instilled in us when we were in our parents’ homes. Almost everything we do with our kids is purposely developing them for the Lord. I won’t to go into detail on our house rules and parenting philosophies, but I’ll do my best to show you what being a “missionary kid” looks like for ours at this stage of their lives:\nTheir day starts with breakfast and family devotions at the table. They memorize verses, read a portion from the Bible as well as the Voice of the Martyrs magazine, and we all pray together before Matt goes off to work. They meander through their tasks of morning hygiene and chores, then usually look through story books or start drawing pictures before school-time officially starts. Our wonderful friend and housekeeper, Gladys, comes at 9 to pick up Noah and Charlotte. They play next door with Gladys’s neice, who is about a year younger than Charlotte, while Apio, Emma, Maddie and I finish as much homeschooling as we can before lunch. The beauty of homeschooling is that you can be flexible and slow down or speed up as needed with each child. Currently Emma and Maddie are both working through various subjects in either 1st or 2nd grade. Noah and Apio are both working slowly through 1st grade (even though Noah is not yet 5, he insists on having lessons).\nSchool normally ends by lunch time. Then, depending on the weather, the kids might crowd on the couch and have me read books to them or clamber outside and onto our water-tower “playground” with neighbor friends. There was a time when all the neighbor girls would do chanting games similar to Ring-Around-The-Rosie, I think that has phased out, and they now play “Family” or they go around finding soda bottles, the plastic rings of which they’ve looped together to make long ropes. When they’re not make-believing or scavenging for treasures, they’re playing football (soccer). Many times one or two of our kids would come in from playing outside because the laughs of a few kids was at their expense, typically involving hair-pulling or hitting (a common “game” for most kids here). The change among them all was immediate once we started the Football Academy. When they started playing as a team on the field they started treating each other like friends off the field. That was a welcome and prayed-for change.\nToward evening I send the neighbor’s to their own homes to bathe, and our kids come in to do the same. Living in the village requires almost daily showers since most of their playing involves the simple nature around them. We finish the day the same way we started it: singing, verses and prayer, though there’s normally a little dancing involved this time.\nThroughout the week our kids take part in a few activities that I believe will help prepare them for serving the Lord in the future. One is a Homeschool Co-Op which we recently joined, and I also teach in. Other homeschooling Westerners join up once a week and share a class. This helps my kids remember how to relate with other kids of similar backgrounds and culture, and also how to learn from someone other than their own parents. They also take turns going on outings with Matt and me. On a weekly rotation Matt takes the kids with him on an errand. Matt reads to them and they eat something nice together. We also rotate through which child joins me in my weekly visits to neighbor’s homes. Since Charlotte is now out of “baby phase”, taking her to people’s houses is not such a daunting task. One at a time I take the kids with me to go and either encourage a believer or evangelize to an unbeliever. My current strategy is to walk down the footpath and visit the house furthest away (up to 1 kilometer), then the next week visiting the one that’s closer, and then the next one and so on. This is an exciting thing for me, but just like I complained every time my mom would take me to visit her little grandmas in the nursing homes, my kids complain to me too. One day they’ll see the special lessons learned, just like I did.\nEven with this longer update, I feel as though I’m only showing you a very tiny piece of our lives on the mission-field. As you pray for the work God is doing here in Uganda, please remember to pray for our kids as they continue to grow in body, mind, and spirit. I am encouraged, despite tantrums, fights and complaining, when I overhear my kids playing “secret school” inside a blanket tent, whispering Deuteronomy 6:4-6 “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength…” Pray for these beautiful little missionaries.\nThanks for all of your prayers, love and support Matt, Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2023/02/26/february-2023/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“…choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoshua 24:15\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/02/20230222%5F195354%5F2.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis month I (Noelle) want to share with you some of what life looks like for our kids.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/02/20230226%5F155006.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTime has flown by since we left the USA with two baby girls.  Three more children have been given to us from the Lord and our ministry has grown as a result. I think the idea that raising children is discipleship was instilled in us when we were in our parents’ homes. Almost everything we do with our kids is purposely developing them for the Lord. I won’t to go into detail on our house rules and parenting philosophies, but I’ll do my best to show you what being a “missionary kid” looks like for ours at this stage of their lives:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"February 2023"},{"content":" “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”\nJoshua 1:8\nWith this update I wanted to tell you about the crucial and unique part of our ministry that we call “Study Week”.\nThe Terebinth School of Discipleship (soon to be Terebinth Bible College) teaches pastors and church leaders through the entirety of Scripture. Every month our students gather from all over the Northern region of Uganda at our facilities for one week of classes. They come in on a Sunday night after they have taught their congregations that morning, they study through one or more books of the Bible (depending on the length of the book), then return home after their exams on Saturday. After three years each student will have read through 2-3 times, attended lectures on, and tested out of every passage of God’s Word! In all of this they learn how to interpret Scripture with Scripture, with an emphasis on the fact that all of it highlights the Gospel of man being reconciled to God through the life, death, resurrection, ascension and soon return of Jesus Christ. On top of that they are all equipped on different topics, including weddings/marriage, running funerals, shepherding, preaching, evangelism etc. We currently have two classes, both nine months into their journey.\nAs you can imagine this is a huge task that requires a team of dedicated people. We have 6 Discipleship Group Leaders who oversee the student’s discipleship directly, 3 pastors with other work in the organization who come in to lecture a little bit each teaching week and 3 missionaries (including me, Matt).\nEvery month these leaders gather all day for an entire week to prepare before teaching. We call this time “Study Week” and it has been the core of our school. From 9am to 5pm we sit together pouring over God’s Word, bouncing ideas back and forth, reading commentaries, planning lessons, and enjoying mutual edification. We read, we talk, we pray, we laugh and we are blessed. The Study Week is at the heart of our work because it keeps God’s opinions and directives above our own.\nPraise God with us that: Our family has been strong and healthy. He is moving in our midst, edifying His flock. Please join us in prayer that: God’s name will be glorified in everyone’s sight through the healing/equipping of His saints for the overseeing of His flock. For our students as they are currently making their way through the historical books of the Old Testament. God would make His shepherds strong and courageous to stand on truth. Please be advised that our sending organization, Saving Grace World Mission, will soon be switching to a new online-giving platform in this New Year, which will affect ALL recurring donations. We will keep you updated throughout the transition.\nIn Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle Harris \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2023/01/28/january-2023/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoshua 1:8\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/01/20230101%5F093431%5F2-1.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWith this update I wanted to tell you about the crucial and unique part of our ministry that we call “Study Week”.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"January 2023"},{"content":"","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/give/","summary":"","title":"Give"},{"content":" “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”\nMatthew 1:21\nWith love and fondness we want to wish you a Merry Christmas! May God reveal Himself to you more and more as we all celebrate our deliverance from the bondage of sin. Let God magnify in our hearts the meaning of His son’s name, the mission He accomplished on the earth; that we might renew our thankfulness and joyfully display His love to our neighbors.\nGod has blessed our family with a little R\u0026amp;R. Because we have no classes for the School of Discipleship in December, we have taken the opportunity to move to Gulu City for the month. During this time we are staying in the duplex of another missionary family who have four children very close in age and interests to our own. Even as I (Matt) am writing this I am watching them play together in the yard. We hope that when we move back into our home and our work in January, we will go back with new strength, fresh vision, better habits and rejuvenated souls. Also, our ministry surprised us with three nights of room and board on Mount Elgon Uganda where we were hiking, playing, swimming, eating and sleeping. We haven’t put all of ministry on hold, but this month has provided the chance to realign ourselves so that we might live worthy of our calling.\nPlease be advised that our sending organization, Saving Grace World Mission, will soon be switching to a new online-giving platform in this new year, which will affect ALL recurring donations. We will keep you updated throughout the transition. \u0026amp;feature=share\nMerry Christmas! Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2022/12/23/december-2022-2/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatthew 1:21\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/12/20221217%5F072754%5F2.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith love and fondness we want to wish you a Merry Christmas! May God reveal Himself to you more and more as we all celebrate our deliverance from the bondage of sin. Let God magnify in our hearts the meaning of His son’s name, the mission He accomplished on the earth; that we might renew our thankfulness and joyfully display His love to our neighbors.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"December 2022"},{"content":" And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.\nHebrews 11:6\nIt fills my heart with awe and joy to realize that God wants to be with me. How wonderful that God wants to bless me for simply believing that He wants me nearer. God smiles down when I smile up! These truths and many more touched us as our school studied through the book of Hebrews in November. As always, our leaders gathered for one week to dwell on our text and prepare ourselves for the two consecutive cohorts of church leaders that gathered the next two weeks. And as always God blessed our time together with growth in the grace and knowledge of Him. Sometimes I can’t believe that God has set me apart as a teacher of His Word and a Shepherd of His flock, we are blessed to serve Him.\nGod also gave us great opportunities to spread the Gospel during the month of November. Firstly each of our classes studied door-to-door evangelism alongside the book of Hebrews and then went out to apply what they learned. Through that God saw fit to add more than 30 souls to our family! And secondly our soccer ministry “Yalwak Manyen Sports Academy” (New Generation) hosted a village wide youth tournament that had more than 3,000 people in attendance hear the Gospel, many of whom confessed Christ! We are so excited to continue watching God grow that ministry.\nWith Love, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2022/12/09/november-2022/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/12/20221113%5F102156%5F2.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHebrews 11:6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt fills my heart with awe and joy to realize that God wants to be with me. How wonderful that God wants to bless me for simply believing that He wants me nearer. God smiles down when I smile up! These truths and many more touched us as our school studied through the book of Hebrews in November. As always, our leaders gathered for one week to dwell on our text and prepare ourselves for the two consecutive cohorts of church leaders that gathered the next two weeks. And as always God blessed our time together with growth in the grace and knowledge of Him. Sometimes I can’t believe that God has set me apart as a teacher of His Word and a Shepherd of His flock, we are blessed to serve Him.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"November 2022"},{"content":" And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.\nGalations 6:9\nTwo major things happened this month. The first thing was that my (Noelle’s) Mom was finally able to visit Uganda. After more than 5 years on the field, it was so good to be able to show her in person everything we’ve been doing, and meet our community and those we work alongside. She stayed for a whole month, praise God, and brought with her 3 of my older nieces and a friend. 12 people living under the same roof made our home practically burst at the seams, but all the housework work, play, and ministry seemed to get done smoothly nonetheless. Without them I would not have been able to finish all the work on my end in preparation for the big celebration, which is the second major thing that happened in October.\nAfter nearly 8 years of teaching through the Bible, Terebinth School of Discipleship finally has an official campus. For several years we as a couple have been dreaming and drawing pictures of what this project could look like. When we arrived back in Uganda after our furlough in 2021, we were given the green light from our director to start putting those dreams on the ground. Now a full year since the shovels hit the dirt, we have a beautiful school campus ready for the current and future classes of church leaders. All of this is in effort to officially accredit the school. The location was officially opened on October 18th 2022 with a very grand opening ceremony that had around 1,000 people in attendance, from our staff and students, to all 180 of our widows to the neighboring community even to the political leaders! It was also utilized for its first teachings as our church leaders studied the book of Deuteronomy that same week. It was powerful to stop and consider all that God has done around our team. We hope and pray that Jesus will continue to be exalted through the use of this campus and that he will guide us through the accreditation process to prevent our students from having any future problems from the government.\nMay God richly bless you for all of your support through this process! The journey has been long, the route hasn’t been easy but together, we have persevered and with your prayers we have truly seen a harvest for the kingdom. We are excited to show you what God has accomplished here, and we are also excited to hear what God is doing around you there.\nHere is a link to a video showing the Grand Opening ceremony of the new Terebinth Ministries school campus. https://youtu.be/IYivCw0GoFo\nIn Christ!\nThe Harris Family\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2022/11/09/october-2022/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/11/20221029%5F1653102.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGalations 6:9\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/11/20221030%5F182215%5F4.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTwo major things happened this month. The first thing was that my (Noelle’s) Mom was finally able to visit Uganda. After more than 5 years on the field, it was so good to be able to show her in person everything we’ve been doing, and meet our community and those we work alongside. She stayed for a whole month, praise God, and brought with her 3 of my older nieces and a friend. 12 people living under the same roof made our home practically burst at the seams, but all the housework work, play, and ministry seemed to get done smoothly nonetheless. Without them I would not have been able to finish all the work on my end in preparation for the big celebration, which is the second major thing that happened in October.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"October 2022"},{"content":" For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.\nEphesians 5:31-32\nAlong with all the day-to-day things happening in life and ministry, September brought our 9th wedding anniversary. We are thankful to have shared so much of our life together, and we don’t take for granted the peace God has helped establish in our home. To celebrate, we prepared a candlelight dinner for our family and shared the story of our relationship with our kids.\nBoth of us were raised in Christian, homeschooling families, and were deeply touched by the stories of missionaries and martyrs that our parents read to us as children. We both felt the Lord calling us to be missionaries at young ages. When we met as teenagers we were fast friends and after a few years we started intentionally dating. Since we were already close friends, it seemed only natural that things would “work out” between us; but as we prayed about the future, sought the Lord, and had direct conversations about our callings as individuals, any doubt that this could be a mistake disappeared. Our callings aligned, our yoke was equal, and each of us had heard from the Lord that this was His will. And here, after 13 years of friendship, 9 years of marriage, and even 5 children, we are still in the hands of our Lord.\nAll we can do is praise Him for His leading in our lives, and His love that has covered a multitude of youthful blunders. We live with daily conviction of God’s calling on our roles: to be a loving and caring leader as husband and father, to be honoring and trustworthy as wife and mother. When we look back at “our story”, we see that it is only a small part of God’s huge story for the world and for His glory. But even the smallest parts of God’s story are beautiful and worth praising Him for.\nPraise God for Our 9 years of peaceful marriage. Our 5 children. Noelle’s mother, 3 nieces and a friend arriving safely to visit us. The great progress in the Discipleship school, both in the students and in the new site construction. Please pray For the health and well-being of our visitors while they are with us. For our visitors to be a light and a blessing in our community. For the salvation and healing of our neighbor who was beaten to near death for stealing. For the finishing touches on the new school site to be completed for the Grand Opening ceremony in two weeks. God Bless You Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2022/10/06/september-2022/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEphesians 5:31-32\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/10/IMG%5F1814.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAlong with all the day-to-day things happening in life and ministry, September brought our 9th wedding anniversary. We are thankful to have shared so much of our life together, and we don’t take for granted the peace God has helped establish in our home. To celebrate, we prepared a candlelight dinner for our family and shared the story of our relationship with our kids.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"September 2022"},{"content":" So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.\n1 Corinthians 10:31\nWe are happy to report that our friend Lydia returned home safely after spending 2 months with us here in Uganda. We thank God that He allowed her an extended period of time off from work to visit with us. She was a great help to the ministry, especially to the Discipleship School. Some of our favorite times during her stay were just having her in our home and village, seeing, hearing, and experiencing firsthand what is going on here. I was very blessed to have one of my own friends from home to spend some time with and share what God has been teaching me. And to finish off her trip we went on a Safari to talk and have a debriefing time; just Lydia, our teammate Cassie, and myself (Noelle). It was both Lydia’s and my first Safari! Our family is so thankful for Lydia and her sacrifice of time and finances to come and share in the work, joys, and struggles here.\nSince Lydia went back home we have continued to stay very busy. The pastors and church leaders came together in the first and second classes to work through the book of Leviticus, and we are thankful to the Lord that they have proven their comprehension of such a difficult book. Later on the teachers and student leaders met to prepare their teachings through the book of Numbers. They are truly a dedicated group of men, working hard to handle God’s word with care and precision.\nOn top of the work as a pastor and teacher, Matt is overseeing the construction of the new school site, which is just across the field from our house. We pray to finish the project by mid-October, when we will host both classes at once with a corresponding grand-opening ceremony. Our original estimations on how much funding was needed to finish the school were low, but we praise God that He continues to provide the difference and we will soon see its completion, all in His timing. Please keep this project in your prayers as we move forward. The discipleship school continues to develop in its curriculum, leaders, and its facilities. Our hope is that it is the church leaders of Uganda are transformed as they interact with God through the entirety of His Word.\nPlease also praise and pray with us about the upcoming trip of some of my family! My mom, 3 of my older nieces, and a mutual friend will be visiting for about 1 month. Most of the community knows they are coming, and they have all voiced their excitement, especially about meeting my mom. Lord willing, they will arrive in Entebbe on October 3rd. Pray that they will stay in good health and strength during their time here, and that we will be able to share with them in the work God is doing here. I can’t wait to have them here!\nIn Christ,\nMatt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2022/09/07/august-2022/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 Corinthians 10:31\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/09/20220815%5F073326.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe are happy to report that our friend Lydia returned home safely after spending 2 months with us here in Uganda. We thank God that He allowed her an extended period of time off from work to visit with us. She was a great help to the ministry, especially to the Discipleship School. Some of our favorite times during her stay were just having her in our home and village, seeing, hearing, and experiencing firsthand what is going on here. I was very blessed to have one of my own friends from home to spend some time with and share what God has been teaching me. And to finish off her trip we went on a Safari to talk and have a debriefing time; just Lydia, our teammate Cassie, and myself (Noelle). It was both Lydia’s and my first Safari! Our family is so thankful for Lydia and her sacrifice of time and finances to come and share in the work, joys, and struggles here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"August 2022"},{"content":" “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people,”\n1 Timothy 2:1\nAs is our goal with every update, we want to share with you some of the recent events, and our future desires, with the hope that you will be able to pray more effectively, especially for our little village of Adak.\nWe were discouraged by news that our friend, Caesar Opiro, had passed away. Caesar was one of the first people we met when we moved to Adak early 2018. He and 2 other young men had been friends with the previous missionary, who had built the house we live in; and they hoped to establish a relationship with us as they had with him. Caesar was younger and still in high-school, a bright eyed, friendly well-mannered happy guy. Caesar claimed Christ, but began having serious struggles when he was kicked out of school for injuring one of his classmates. We watched helplessly as his attitude changed over time and he sank into depression, alcohol, violence, and fornication. At some point Caesar no longer saw life as worth living, and eventually found malaria as a means of escape by hiding it from his family until it was tragically too late to get treatment. Sadly, Caesar’s story is not unique. In fact, in the month of July, our village experienced too many traumatic events to be recounted in only one update. Abuse, witchcraft, addictions, betrayal, robbery, revenge, immorality, jealousy, and the like. The world is truly dark, and sin really does produce death. But what the enemy meant for evil, God is working together for good. The visible advancement of darkness in our village has strengthened our resolve for our local community outreach “Yalwak Manyen”, New Generation Sports Academy. Together with my partners in this ministry, we evangelized to Caesar’s family, who finally recognized their need for a Savior. Caesar’s mother rededicated her life to Christ, his father and his brother became born again.\nYalwak Manyen has now been operating in our community for more than a year. On average per season we’ve had 40 children enrolled in our football (soccer) program, including 4 of our own children. These kids gather together with their coaches multiple times a week for Bible lessons and soccer practice. We have seen great change in all of the participants, especially in our daughter Apio. God has blessed the football ministry with 5 acres of land. When we bought the land it was untamed “bush” with more than 25 large termite mounds. But now we have successfully leveled it’s entirety, built a small residence for the manager and his family, and we are now starting to plant grass on the first of 2 football pitches. We are developing the land in part by enlisting the help of the local young men, who have been involved in much of the villages problems, in exchange for enrolling them in the new “youth division” of our program. We are excited to see how God works through this in the lives of Adak’s next generation.\nSpiritually, our vision for Yalwak Manyen, is summarized in the phrase, “Better character for a better community.” We do this through focusing on our 3 core values: Duty – take responsibility, Discipline – develop self-control, and Diligence – always do your best. Because as our theme verse says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” (Prov 13:44). The vision for the ministries physical development is that our land would be fully established, with even grass, trees for shade, a water pump and playground for the community, changing rooms and pit latrines, and even a pavilion for rain shelter. We want to do this through engaging in self-sustainability tree farming.\nPlease join us in prayer: That Caesars family would hold fast to their new faith in Christ and be discipled in the local church. That the community would heed the tragedy of Caesars death and recognize their need for a Savior. That the light of the gospel would shine brightly in this community. That God would bring self-sustaining provision for His ministry. That our family would maintain good health. Praise God: For bringing Caesars family to salvation. For sustaining the local church through the recent death of Pastor Charles. For the funding that has come in to continue the work on our School of Discipleship campus. That the pastors in the 2 current classes have all passed their tests through Exodus, and will be joining us again this month for study through Leviticus. In His care, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle and family. ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2022/08/02/july-2022/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people,”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 Timothy 2:1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/04/20220317%5F090054%5F2-e1649438023885.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs is our goal with every update, we want to share with you some of the recent events, and our future desires, with the hope that you will be able to pray more effectively, especially for our little village of Adak.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/08/20220731%5F204014%5F2.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe were discouraged by news that our friend, Caesar Opiro, had passed away. Caesar was one of the first people we met when we moved to Adak early 2018. He and 2 other young men had been friends with the previous missionary, who had built the house we live in; and they hoped to establish a relationship with us as they had with him. Caesar was younger and still in high-school, a bright eyed, friendly well-mannered happy guy. Caesar claimed Christ, but began having serious struggles when he was kicked out of school for injuring one of his classmates. We watched helplessly as his attitude changed over time and he sank into depression, alcohol, violence, and fornication. At some point Caesar no longer saw life as worth living, and eventually found malaria as a means of escape by hiding it from his family until it was tragically too late to get treatment. Sadly, Caesar’s story is not unique. In fact, in the month of July, our village experienced too many traumatic events to be recounted in only one update. Abuse, witchcraft, addictions, betrayal, robbery, revenge, immorality, jealousy, and the like. The world is truly dark, and sin really does produce death. But what the enemy meant for evil, God is working together for good. The visible advancement of darkness in our village has strengthened our resolve for our local community outreach “Yalwak Manyen”, New Generation Sports Academy. Together with my partners in this ministry, we evangelized to Caesar’s family, who finally recognized their need for a Savior. Caesar’s mother rededicated her life to Christ, his father and his brother became born again.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"July 2022"},{"content":" But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live… So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.\nExodus 1:17, 20-21\nThis month I am happily satisfied and thankful for all that God has done. One thing we are particularly happy about is the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade by the Supreme Court. When we first heard about the possibility of it being overturned, I was overwhelmed by a strange joy and anxiety. Joy that there was hope to change the ruling and save innocent lives, and anxiety because with how wicked our country has become which made having hope seem pointless. We gave it into Gods hands continually, and decided that the day it was overturned, we would celebrate it annually as a reminder of the countless lives lost to such a wicked scheme, and to celebrate the lives that will be saved through the reversal of the decision. I wasn’t sure why it came over me to make donuts on Friday, but once we heard the wonderful news, I knew God simply wanted us to celebrate this victory. We will continue celebrating “Birth Day” on each 24th of June, and we will remember to keep fighting for the rest of those lives still threatened. Each child is a blessing from God, no matter the way they have come into the world.\nThis month I (Noelle) also had the opportunity to take trip to the United States. Matt generously volunteered to keep ALL 5 kids while I went back to my home in Nebraska to see my youngest sister get married. Talk about babies who shouldn’t have been born, my sister, Ruby, is the youngest of 13 children, myself falling in at 11th place. God’s voice reassuring my parents that He would provide for ALL the children that He gave them allowed us to be born, since my parents had several years of decidedly having only 2 children. I thank God that He gave them confidence in His ability and promises, and that He truly did provide for all 13 of us. During my trip I got to at least say hello or give hugs to all of them, and with some I was even able to spend a few hours catching up, hearing what God is doing in their lives. I don’t know if I ever stopped smiling for the entirety of my two week trip, I was so glad for the opportunity to see everyone.\nSeeing my sister was truly emotional. When I left home she was only 14 years old. Now nearly 10 years later she is hardly the girl I knew, but she is every bit the woman I hoped she would be in her love for God and people. This was the first time I had met my new brother-in-law, Nathan, in person, and I had the opportunity to talk with him and observe his character more closely. I was not surprised to confirm that he too loves the Lord and has a vision for their future which reassures me that they are following Gods plan.\nFor their wedding celebration they invited all the guests to an evening of worship at the campsite where many stayed the night. There were some there who were not saved, who decided to stay out of respect for the celebration, and were witness to the beauty of Christ and the Church. I know I wasn’t the only one with wet eyes. The wedding ceremony the next morning was beautiful, though I did have a moment of sadness as I realized my dad wasn’t there to give my sister away.\nI returned home to Uganda with our good friend Lydia. Lydia’s family, the Schroetlins, played a huge part in Matt’s formative years, and they have continued to be a blessing for us in ministry and friendship. We love Lydia, and are happy to be hosting her for the next 2 months as she prays about Gods plans for her future, especially in regards to missions. Pray that God will speak to her during this special time away from her normal context.\nIn God’s love and grace, The Harris Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2022/06/27/june-2022/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live… So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExodus 1:17, 20-21\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/06/20220624%5F185043%5F2.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis month I am happily satisfied and thankful for all that God has done. One thing we are particularly happy about is the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade by the Supreme Court. When we first heard about the possibility of it being overturned, I was overwhelmed by a strange joy and anxiety. Joy that there was hope to change the ruling and save innocent lives, and anxiety because with how wicked our country has become which made having hope seem pointless. We gave it into Gods hands continually, and decided that the day it was overturned, we would celebrate it annually as a reminder of the countless lives lost to such a wicked scheme, and to celebrate the lives that will be saved through the reversal of the decision. I wasn’t sure why it came over me to make donuts on Friday, but once we heard the wonderful news, I knew God simply wanted us to celebrate this victory. We will continue celebrating “Birth Day” on each 24th of June, and we will remember to keep fighting for the rest of those lives still threatened. Each child is a blessing from God, no matter the way they have come into the world.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"June 2022"},{"content":" So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.\nActs 19:9b-10\nRainy season has now come in full force and so has our school season. Our team is stepping into a busy and rewarding term of teaching God’s Word. From now on we as leaders will meet every month for one week to study and prep our classes before lecturing two weeks back to back. In the month of May we began our journey through Scripture by covering Genesis 1-11. God also blessed us with the ability to lead our church through the book of Genesis at the same time. It was amazing to see God move as even veteran pastors shared that it was as if they were reading the Bible for the first time! It is such a blessing to be used by God as a teacher and a pastor!\nThis month our school and our community suffered a great loss. My friend and neighbor, Pastor Kinyera Charles, had become a Discipleship Group Leader at our school, and to our surprise he passed away during our first day of study. Our hearts were heavy from the loss, but God comforted us as He revealed His foreknowledge of the situation, and that He was still on the throne. One of the children from Pastor Kinyera’s church had had a dream that he was soon going to be in heaven. Charles had very recently warned his wife that he would die before her, and admonished her to care for their 8 children. The day before his passing, Charles had informed his church that he would no longer be their pastor and even appointed a predecessor. We were caught by surprise, but God had a plan and a purpose.\nPraise God that: Many church leaders are being trained through the entirety of Scripture. Rainy season has come, allowing people to plant their crops. Noelle has successfully completed the second quarter of homeschooling the kids. Please Pray to God that: Pastor Charles\u0026rsquo; widow, Grace, and her 8 children would be provided for. He would guide us as we prepare to teach Genesis 12-50 at the school of discipleship. He would give Noelle traveling mercy on her short trip to the US for her sister’s wedding, and that God would give me grace to care for all the children while she’s gone. He would bless our time with our friend who will be joining us on the field for three months as she prayerfully considers God’s plans for her future involvement in missions. In Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2022/05/30/may-2022/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/05/20220529%5F172448.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eActs 19:9b-10\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/05/20220523%5F083447.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRainy season has now come in full force and so has our school season.  Our team is stepping into a busy and rewarding term of teaching God’s Word.  From now on we as leaders will meet every month for one week to study and prep our classes before lecturing two weeks back to back.  In the month of May we began our journey through Scripture by covering Genesis 1-11.  God also blessed us with the ability to lead our church through the book of Genesis at the same time.  It was amazing to see God move as even veteran pastors shared that it was as if they were reading the Bible for the first time!  It is such a blessing to be used by God as a teacher and a pastor!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"May 2022"},{"content":" Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.\nColossians 1:28\nAfter four years of hard work, our pastors and church leaders have finally graduated! In our time together these servants of God read through every verse of the Bible twice, studied every passage, and tested out of every book! By God’s grace we can also claim along with the Apostle Paul that we did not shrink back from declaring the whole counsel of God.\nImmediately after graduation of our second class, we began the long journey again with our third and fourth intakes. After a long, prayerful process we handpicked 55 church leaders who have been divided into two groups. They will each separate one week a month to come and study God’s Word for the next three years (unless another pandemic prolongs this class tooJ). One new feature in our school is that six alumni have been selected to come back and serve as Discipleship Group Leaders who will walk with the students on their journey of transformation. We are so excited to see the change that God’s Word will continue to have on His Church!\nPraise God that: 22 pastors completed their course through the entirety of Scripture. For the changes He has been bringing to the lives of these individuals and their churches. Please Pray that: God will give us strength to teach His Word faithfully. God’s Word will transform the lives of the 55 church leaders who have just started in our school. We are still making progress on the construction of our new school campus. In Christ, Matt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2022/05/04/april-2022/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHim we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eColossians 1:28\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/05/FB%5FIMG%5F1651668526270-1024x683.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter four years of hard work, our pastors and church leaders have finally graduated!  In our time together these servants of God read through every verse of the Bible twice, studied every passage, and tested out of every book!  By God’s grace we can also claim along with the Apostle Paul that we did not shrink back from declaring the whole counsel of God.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"April 2022"},{"content":" Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.\n1 Peter 4:19\nIn the month of March, God allowed me (Matt) to attend a Calvary Chapel pastor’s conference in another part of Uganda. The teachings of the conference followed the book of First Peter, and focused on the theme of the living hope we believers have in our resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ. In his first letter, Peter describes how as Christians, we are exiles on the earth, awaiting our homeland. Our sojourning’s are full of difficulties and trials that God uses to purify our faith like fire. But we rejoice because we have living hope that God’s testing’s will result in praise, glory, and honor at Christ’s revelation.\nIt was nice to look at the theory of God’s testing, but the practical exam was harder than the written one… While I was away I learned that my family was undergoing serious illness. God tested us for three weeks with a variety of sicknesses. Unfortunately, among other things, Noelle and Emma both battled sepsis, a bacterial infection of the blood. They have both since healed, but Noelle’s body is still recovering. Please pray for us to have wisdom and determination as we pursue health. We are blessed to gain endurance as God takes our eyes off of this world and onto His eternal kingdom.\nIn this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.\n1 Peter 1:6-7\nIn Christ, Matt, Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2022/04/08/march-2022/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 Peter 4:19\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/04/20220317%5F090054%5F2-e1649438023885.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the month of March, God allowed me (Matt) to attend a Calvary Chapel pastor’s conference in another part of Uganda.  The teachings of the conference followed the book of First Peter, and focused on the theme of the living hope we believers have in our resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ.  In his first letter, Peter describes how as Christians, we are exiles on the earth, awaiting our homeland.  Our sojourning’s are full of difficulties and trials that God uses to purify our faith like fire.  But we rejoice because we have living hope that God’s testing’s will result in praise, glory, and honor at Christ’s revelation.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"March 2022"},{"content":" \u0026ldquo;So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”\nLuke 15:20\nThis month we had the wonderful pleasure of hosting Noelle’s sister Hosanna, and her Ugandan fiancé, Abraham! It was a comfort and a blessing to see family and to share our life with them. Abraham runs a ministry in central Uganda, called World for Life, which focuses on evangelism at schools and through sports. We are so excited to officially welcome Abraham into our family when their papers go through.\nThe day we said goodbye to Noelle’s sister, we saw God’s power and intimate love. David, both my friend and the manager of our soccer ministry, and myself had just dropped Abraham and Hosanna off to wait for her flight. As we headed back, we suddenly found ourselves needing to drive around a mother and her young daughter. They were asleep in the middle of a busy street in Kampala, Uganda’s capital city. David and I pulled off the road and woke them up, attempting to convince her to rest with her child on the sidewalk, where it would at least be safer. They were in a terrible condition. They had walked bare footed for 250 miles on low rations and were completely out of energy. When we were helping her up we learned that she was an Acholi, which is the same tribe we minister to. Furthermore, she was from Kitgum, which is only two hours to the north of Gulu. We offered her a ride home. However, when she was almost to the car she violently refused to go with us because she was mentally unstable. David and I got back into the car, committed her to the LORD and continued on our journey.\nAs we were driving away we realized that the GPS had taken us on the wrong route, and that we needed to turn around. Just before reaching the correct road we saw the woman and her child again and we decided to try another time. David remained in the car so that we would appear less threatening, and the woman allowed me to pray for her. Miraculously, the God restored the woman’s mind, and when she had gained clarity she agreed to ride home with us.\nDuring the long drive we learned who the woman was and where she was from. It turned out that she was the neighbor of Peter, the pastor of a Calvary Chapel in Kitgum and our close friend. Peter arranged everything, and God brought her home to her husband and her church. Apparently she had been missing for more than two weeks, and there were many people concerned for her.\nEarlier in the day as we were still on our way to Kampala, David shared the dream he was having when I woke him up at 5am. In his dream some people alerted him to a woman in danger of drowning. He said that I woke him as he was pulling her out of the water. God pursued his lost sheep. God caused the GPS to go off track so that we could find her and her daughter. God healed her mind. Our LORD brought them home and restored them to their family. And despite weeks of harsh conditions, her child was perfectly healthy.\n“He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.”\nPsalm 18:19\nGod Bless You,\nMatt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; Family\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2022/02/27/february-2022/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;So he got up and came to his father.  But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLuke 15:20\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/02/20220227%5F200930.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis month we had the wonderful pleasure of hosting Noelle’s sister Hosanna, and her Ugandan fiancé, Abraham!  It was a comfort and a blessing to see family and to share our life with them.  Abraham runs a ministry in central Uganda, called World for Life, which focuses on evangelism at schools and through sports.  We are so excited to officially welcome Abraham into our family when their papers go through.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"February 2022"},{"content":" “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood.”\nActs 20:28\nAfter two long years of restrictions, we were finally able to host another conference for the pastors of the Northern Uganda Calvary Chapel Association! Although our ministry is non-denominational and we train pastors from many kinds of churches, we belong to a Calvary Chapel, both in America and here in Uganda. I (Matt) am ordained through Calvary, and they have a special place in our hearts. Chuck Smith birthed this movement during the hippy period of the 60’s and 70’s. At that time many churches were divided into two major groups. One practiced strict legalism: “Don’t come into the church dressed like that”, “a real Christian wouldn’t do that” etc. On the other side there was a “charismania”, people “drunk with the Spirit” clucking like chickens and dancing like monkeys. Calvary Chapel has been a powerful and balanced movement of God. Priority is given to the Word of God, people are equipped by the filling of the Holy Spirit, we wholly rely on God’s grace, and we seek to uphold the supremacy of love. As of now there are more than 10,000 Calvaries in East Africa alone.\nThings in the church haven’t changed all that much, and the state of the church in Uganda today mirrors that of the church that existed during Chuck Smiths time. Many churches preach unbiblical legalism, the false gospel of works. I have even heard a minister announce to his congregation, “Make sure you don’t sin this week or you will go straight to Hell!” The church here has also been infiltrated with the false “prosperity gospel”: “If you’re sick you don’t have real faith”, “If you buy this item that I blessed, you will pass your exams!” Many pastors have caved under the great pressure to conform to the message and culture of the rest of the “born again” churches here. Therefore, we hosted nearly 50 of our Calvary Pastors for 3 nights to attend the conference themed “What Is Calvary?” in order to regroup under grace and the authority of Scripture. God blessed us as we studied through the Calvary Chapel Distinctives, departmental ministries (children’s, married, and youth ministry, preaching, etc.) and downloaded Pastor Chuck’s teachings through the Bible onto people’s phones. It was truly a blessing to worship together in the unity of the Spirit. If the Lord wills, we will continue having these conferences, highlighting different topics, biannually.\nPlease pray for the purity and power of the Church.\nGod Bless you, The Harris Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2022/01/30/january-2022/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eActs 20:28\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/01/20220112%5F111443.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter two long years of restrictions, we were finally able to host another conference for the pastors of the Northern Uganda Calvary Chapel Association!  Although our \u003cem\u003eministry\u003c/em\u003e is non-denominational and we train pastors from many kinds of churches, we belong to a Calvary Chapel, both in America and here in Uganda.  I (Matt) am ordained through Calvary, and they have a special place in our hearts.  Chuck Smith birthed this movement during the hippy period of the 60’s and 70’s.  At that time many churches were divided into two major groups. One practiced strict legalism:  “Don’t come into the church dressed like that”, “a real Christian wouldn’t do that” etc.  On the other side there was a “charismania”, people “drunk with the Spirit” clucking like chickens and dancing like monkeys.  Calvary Chapel has been a powerful and balanced movement of God.  Priority is given to the Word of God, people are equipped by the filling of the Holy Spirit, we wholly rely on God’s grace, and we seek to uphold the supremacy of love.  As of now there are more than 10,000 Calvaries in East Africa alone.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"January 2022"},{"content":" “But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.”\nNumbers 14:21\nAs we look back on the year of 2021, we feel deep gratitude! We cherished our time in the US at the beginning of the year, it was such a blessing to be with all of our friends and family. We are thankful to have arrived back home safely, and to have reestablished our life in here in Uganda. We praise God for the growth we have seen in our family; Noelle and I have continued to mature, and our kids finished their first year of school. God added Apio Cynthia to our family. The second set of pastors in the discipleship school finished studying through the entire Bible. God released the lockdowns here in Uganda. Land has been added to our ministry, and buildings and homes have been built for the expansion of Gods kingdom. Most vitally, many souls have been added to our number! Last year God showed Himself faithful to fill our lives with His glory.\nLast month I had the great opportunity of preaching at a wedding for the first time in my life. My good friend Acen Alan was the first Acholi man I have ever met who waited to be joined to his wife until after he had been wedded in the eyes of all. God has instituted three governing bodies to exercise authority over mankind: the government, the church and the family. Each of these three must be in agreement in the joining of a man and a woman for a wedding to be valid. This fact is often overlooked in America, where all three can give their approval in one short ceremony. However, it is not a simple thing for the Acholi people. Alan struggled to bring the down payment for his dowry to his in-laws for the “Traditional” wedding ceremony. 3 cows, 10 goats, 5 gallons of kerosene, a box of soap, many kitchen items, 2,500,000 Ugandan Shillings and a long day of grueling/humiliating negotiations was the price he paid to gain the approval of the family. A week later, a joyous celebration in front of the congregation gave him the sanction of the government and the church. It was a blessing to see people take this area of their life seriously, and it was wonderful to witness such a clear picture of the great price Jesus paid for His bride, the church. Alan and his new wife, Shillah, have a wonderful life style of ministry. Over the past year Alan has led teams on door-to-door evangelism, through which over 300 people have given their lives to Christ; and together they desire to reach unreached people groups with the Gospel.\nIt was wonderful to sleep in until 7am for more than a week over Christmas-time. Amidst the hectic end-of-the-year rush to catch up on work and finish projects, we were able to set aside time to rest and celebrate as a family for Christmas and New Years. This year we were able to take up the legacy of our families and host those who didn’t have family to celebrate with. By God’s grace one of our guests later relayed to us how blessed he felt to celebrate with us and how important of a role our family has in Northern Uganda. He testified that he had never been around so much genuine love, and that he hopes to model any family that God gives him in the future after ours. It can be easy to forget the power of simple faithfulness. We feel extremely humbled by his comments, and can only praise God that He has loved us so that we might love those around us!\nHave a wonderful New Year!\nMatt \u0026amp; Noelle \u0026amp; family\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2022/01/03/december-2022/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNumbers 14:21\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2022/01/IMG-7192.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs we look back on the year of 2021, we feel deep gratitude!  We cherished our time in the US at the beginning of the year, it was such a blessing to be with all of our friends and family.  We are thankful to have arrived back home safely, and to have reestablished our life in here in Uganda.  We praise God for the growth we have seen in our family; Noelle and I have continued to mature, and our kids finished their first year of school.  God added Apio Cynthia to our family.  The second set of pastors in the discipleship school finished studying through the entire Bible.  God released the lockdowns here in Uganda.  Land has been added to our ministry, and buildings and homes have been built for the expansion of Gods kingdom.  Most vitally, many souls have been added to our number!  Last year God showed Himself faithful to fill our lives with His glory.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"December 2022"},{"content":" Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.\nPsalm 136:1\nNovember has been very busy for our family. Nearly every weekday is filled with either meetings or errands for Matt, and for me (Noelle); school and managing the household (and all the neighbor children who end up in our yard every afternoon).\nEarly in the month I had the privilege to speak at a women’s conference with another woman of our foreign staff. I felt very humbled to stand before a church full of women, most very much older than I, and teach on Ephesians 5:22 “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” I, who could have been the granddaughter of many of them, was to teach them how to submit, most to unbelieving husbands. I taught on humbling yourself in the sight of the Lord, so that He is the one to lift you up. I also shared in many ways the idea that, just as God saw that it was good when His word was carried out at creation, it is also good when we follow His commands today. I think the conference went on well. It has brought me into a season of thankfulness for the gift of womanhood, and God’s calling on me to be a wife and mom.\nPerhaps it is a result of my fathers passing, perhaps it is also due to studying for the conference, but the fact has been often on my mind that my role as a wife and mother is more of a calling than a job. When we first came onto the mission field I knew that my primary objective was to keep Matt as free as possible for his daily work, and to care for and teach our kids. It is fairly simple when I write it that way. Being removed from the comfort of culturally-similar parents (our team being the exception) has shown me how much I leaned on the parenting and examples of others whom I look up to, instead of checking everything first by Gods Word. There is great strength in a group of people who believe the same things and work toward the same goals, but when you are removed from that is when your beliefs are really tested. I have not “arrived”, but I have been given great peace in knowing that God called me to be a wife and mom, if not before marriage than certainly now that I am married and have children. The comfort lies in knowing that it is my responsibility to parent lovingly, gently, firmly, sloooowly, and consistently, not because I “have to”, but because that is part of saying “yes” to Gods call on my life. And when Gods word is accomplished, it is good, just like at creation.\nSo although we have been busy this month and have strained my comfort levels by pushing our flexible schedule a little too far, and although I feel more lonely than I have in a long time due to missing my fathers funeral and grieving together with my family, I also feel more fulfilled than I think I ever have before. Praise God that He gives us His word and teachings to light the path!\nI have been trying to keep as many things off of Matts plate as possible this month as he hones in on teachers guides through the Old Testament, and as he works hard to get the new Terebinth School of Discipleship campus built. It is also exciting to be one of Matts consultants in this project. I love architecture and design, and I’m thankful for the chance to use one of my many passions for the sake of the Kingdom.\nI hope you have enjoyed a more personal style of update from me as a wife and mom. And I hope you enjoy the pictures of some of the things I do in those roles!\nBlessings to you in Christ from the Harris family. ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2021/11/30/november-2021/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGive thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePsalm 136:1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/11/IMG%5F7100.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNovember has been very busy for our family. Nearly every weekday is filled with either meetings or errands for Matt, and for me (Noelle); school and managing the household (and all the neighbor children who end up in our yard every afternoon).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/11/IMG%5F7136.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEarly in the month I had the privilege to speak at a women’s conference with another woman of our foreign staff. I felt very humbled to stand before a church full of women, most very much older than I, and teach on Ephesians 5:22 “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” I, who could have been the granddaughter of many of them, was to teach them how to submit, most to unbelieving husbands. I taught on humbling yourself in the sight of the Lord, so that He is the one to lift you up. I also shared in many ways the idea that, just as God saw that it was good when His word was carried out at creation, it is also good when we follow His commands today. I think the conference went on well. It has brought me into a season of thankfulness for the gift of womanhood, and God’s calling on me to be a wife and mom.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"November 2021"},{"content":" “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”\nProverbs 14:34\nSix months ago in May God inspired us to reach out to the young people in my community through the avenue of sports. The youth here have never been “model citizens”, but that only compounded through the hopelessness of the lock downs, which left everyone completely aimless and idle. God showed me (Matt) the need for something to be done when I found out that a group of preteens from my village were setting up roadblocks to rob travelers.\n“Yalwak Manyen Football Club” (YMFC) was officially opened on October 11th 2021! Yalwak Manyen is an Acholi phrase which means “new generation”. It is our prayer that each new generation would have a more Godly community than the generation before it. God has given me a great manager/coach to entrust this program to. David Kizito is a personal friend of mine who worked with us at BAM Enterprises for several years but had difficulty continuing his work there when his finger was injured. He is a gifted evangelist and has had great training and experience working with sports and kids at a nearby project sponsored by Compassion Int’l.\nIt has only been one month since we opened, but God is already working. Right now 40 children meet for three afternoons a week to learn about God and learn how to play soccer. They have memorized many scriptures, gained impressive soccer skills, and most importantly the majority have accepted to be in an eternal relationship with their heavenly Father. We are even hearing many testimonies from their parents about great changes in their children’s attitudes, behavior and sense of responsibility. We are thankful for a good energy outlet for Apio, and we look forward to our other children being able to participate as YMFC develops to accommodate more age groups.\nPraise God That:\nHe has opened and used this outreach. The majority of the children have accepted Jesus’ eternal salvation. We have a place to meet for the time being, and that God gave us the financial ability to buy five acres of land that we will develop into a small community center. Please Pray that:\nGod gives us wisdom as we shepherd the entrusted to us. The families of the children in our program would also receive Christ. We can have the financial ability to develop our land into a community center/park. In Christ, Matt, Noelle \u0026amp; Family ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2021/11/13/new-outreach/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProverbs 14:34\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/11/20211011%5F1809062.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSix months ago in May God inspired us to reach out to the young people in my community through the avenue of sports.  The youth here have never been “model citizens”, but that only compounded through the hopelessness of the lock downs, which left everyone completely aimless and idle.  God showed me (Matt) the need for something to be done when I found out that a group of preteens from my village were setting up roadblocks to rob travelers.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New Outreach"},{"content":" “He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to Him, “Yes Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.””\nJohn 21:16\nSome of the most beloved and most often quoted Scriptures picture God as a shepherd tending His flock. Psalm 23 talks about how God leads us to rest in green pastures and how He prepares our meals in the presence of our enemies. David said that he didn’t need to be in want and that he didn’t need to be afraid because God was shepherding him. The apostle John recorded Jesus telling a crowd that He Himself was the good shepherd. The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but the good shepherd came that we would have abundant life! Unlike a mere employee who runs from danger, He laid down his life for the sheep. The Apostle Peter exhorted elders in the church to shepherd God’s flock voluntarily and eagerly, according to the will of God. Pastors weren’t supposed lord their authority over Gods people or lead them out of compulsion or for sordid gain.\nIn October our leadership team had the wonderful opportunity to take a four day retreat, during which time we were trained on the three primary functions of good shepherding: lead, develop and care. A shepherd must intentionally influence and enable his flock to accomplish a given task. But getting a job done isn’t God’s only goal, if that’s all He wanted, He would have been better off with machines than humans. Great leaders strengthen their follower’s capacity to grow and contribute while achieving their goals. And like God, a good shepherd watches over and cares for the health and well-being of those who look to him. It was a fruitful time for all of us.\nAfter three and a half years, we were honored to be with our students in the Pastoral School for their very last week of class. We eagerly listened as they each gave a thirty minute oral presentation explaining a Biblical theme through the entirety of Scripture as it relates to the Gospel. It was amazing to see the difference in understanding, character, and doctrine that God had brought about in them through His Word, which never returns empty handed. Unfortunately we will not be able to hold a graduation ceremony until April 2nd, when a team will be visiting from the US, and the Covid restrictions will be a bit lighter.\nPraise God with us that: All of our students passed their finals. That Noelle finished teaching our kids through another semester of homeschooling. We are seeing great fruit in the churches of our pastors. Please pray with us for: Matt’s parents and brother who are currently suffering from Covid. His parents are slowly recovering but his brother almost lost his life and has a long way to go before fully recovering. Wisdom as we interview church leaders for our next intake of students. Funding to finish our 2nd Pastoral School of Discipleship campus. Our Business As Mission to gain success so our ministry can be operationally sustainable. In His care, Matt, Noelle, Apio, Emma, Madeline, Noah \u0026amp; Charlotte ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2021/11/01/october-2021/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to Him, “Yes Lord; You know that I love You.”  He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.””\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn 21:16\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/11/20211019%5F1803122.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSome of the most beloved and most often quoted Scriptures picture God as a shepherd tending His flock.  Psalm 23 talks about how God leads us to rest in green pastures and how He prepares our meals in the presence of our enemies.  David said that he didn’t need to be in want and that he didn’t need to be afraid because God was shepherding him.  The apostle John recorded Jesus telling a crowd that He Himself was the good shepherd.  The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but the good shepherd came that we would have abundant life!  Unlike a mere employee who runs from danger, He laid down his life for the sheep.  The Apostle Peter exhorted elders in the church to shepherd God’s flock voluntarily and eagerly, according to the will of God.  Pastors weren’t supposed lord their authority over Gods people or lead them out of compulsion or for sordid gain.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"October 2021"},{"content":" “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”\nPsalm 46:10\nAs my wife and I were reading our devotions last month, we came across the encouraging verse written above and quickly had our family commit it to memory. Ministry can feel like an impossible task, endless drops in a vast ocean. As I look at the corrupting world around me I wonder if my life can really turn the tide within my sphere. Psalm 46:10 reminded us that it’s not our effort that will bring God His glory. God Himself is at work in the world. God will capture the heart of the nations and receive their praise. God will be exalted in in the world. As Paul explained to the Corinthians; one might plant and another might water, but it is God alone who brings the increase (1 Cor 3:6). When I remove the weight from my own shoulders and give it back to Whom it belongs, it is a joy to serve our Lord rather than an overwhelming job.\n“And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows – how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle because the harvest has come.”\nMark 4:26-29\nThis month we had the privilege of completing our current group of church leaders’ journey through the entire counsel of God! Wrapping up with the books of Daniel and Revelation. It is amazing to see the difference that three years of Bible training can make in a person’s life. Understanding how the entirety of Scripture works together removes so much confusion and gives so much peace. God’s wisdom has provided a firm foundation for these men to stand on as they reach their communities with the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. As we studied the end together we all gained eternal perspective. God will defeat sin and death. God will defeat Satan. And God will be with us!\n“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will Reign forever and ever.”\nRevelation 11:15b\nPraise God with us that: The Ugandan president has reopened church gatherings of up to 200 people. God used our home church while large gatherings were closed. Noelle and I have enjoyed eight years of marriage. We finalized our family’s visas. God miraculously healed my friend’s sister, who had terminal bleeding in her brain from an accident. Please join us in prayer for: Churches to have vision and strength for their reopening’s. Us to have wisdom in continuing our ministry toward the people who were in our home church. Our ministry partners who are all traveling right now: Our director Kent Nolley and his family are in Furlough in the US. Our teammate Luke Buescher is in the US for his brother’s wedding. Our teammate Cassie is in South Africa taking a videography course. And our teammate Jon Coupal is in South Africa on a vision trip for a future church plant. In Christ, Matt, Noelle, Apio, Emma, Madeline, Noah \u0026amp; Charlotte ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2021/10/02/september-2021/","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePsalm 46:10\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/10/20210914%5F073050.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs my wife and I were reading our devotions last month, we came across the encouraging verse written above and quickly had our family commit it to memory. Ministry can feel like an impossible task, endless drops in a vast ocean. As I look at the corrupting world around me I wonder if my life can really turn the tide within my sphere. Psalm 46:10 reminded us that it’s not our effort that will bring God His glory. God Himself is at work in the world. God will capture the heart of the nations and receive their praise. God will be exalted in in the world.  As Paul explained to the Corinthians; one might plant and another might water, but it is God alone who brings the increase (1 Cor 3:6). When I remove the weight from my own shoulders and give it back to Whom it belongs, it is a joy to serve our Lord rather than an overwhelming job.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"September 2021"},{"content":"“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His faithful servants.” Ps 116:15 On August 18th, a significant event took place, in which a man who had discipled and cared for so many people, including myself, went to be with the One he was leading everyone toward. My father, Merlin R Davis, came to the Lord when he was in his 20’s, and soon after met and married my mother. After deciding that 2 children was enough, they were soon lead by the Lord to trust Him in faith for all things required for life and godliness, and to allow Him to plan their family. Only slightly less controversial than today, their decision and faith were certainly tested over the years as more and more children were given to them, and paychecks were spread thinner and thinner. But God provided for all their needs, and today, as number 11 out of 13 children, I can say I am thankful for their decision to trust God despite the comments and looks of others. We had a sign in our house which is still there today, it reads, “We don’t believe in miracles, we rely on them.” And for my family, this was true. My father worked 2 jobs and continued to trust in the Lord to provide the remainder of what was required for us to live. Once a week he would take one of us by turn to go get gas station icecream or coffee (or to eat out, once there were fewer kids in the house), we would sit together somewhere as he read through the Chronicles of Narnia or the Lord of the Rings books, and I was even able to hear him read through a book he had written himself. He was faithful to one wife, and faithfully cared for and taught all of us to fear the Lord. He was a carpenter, a locksmith, a piano tuner, he played guitar, sang, and wrote songs. In many ways he was as Abraham, the father of Israel, who walked with the Lord, who pleaded with the Lord on behalf of others, who cared for strangers and those in need. Even as his Alzheimer’s progressed, his character stayed generally the same, though I would venture to say he got even sweeter and was more in love with my mom than ever. In early August his condition worsened and eventually he would not eat or drink, but only sleep. They called me to say my goodbye, and I was able to pour out my heart of thankfulness for what he had done for me, to repent for my rebellion in my youth, and ultimately to congratulate him on the new ministry God has for him in heaven! It was a very bittersweet time on the phone.\nFor many difficult reasons I was unable to go back to America to be with my family for the funeral, but God has given me peace that I cannot fully describe or comprehend. I will miss him, I know that I shall because I already have been, but when that man spent nearly 50 years pouring into me and my family, trying to point us to his Father, trying to lead us there, to take us there, my heart is proud and glad that he is finally WITH HIM. Pray for me and my family in America, as we continue to walk this path toward the same good Father that my dad portrayed.\nIn other news, we are so excited to announce that we have started construction on our new pastoral school campus! This is so important because the Ugandan government reserves the right to shut down any church that is pastored by someone without a theological diploma. Although we currently offer a certificate, it is not possible for us to give a diploma at our current location. However, the situation of our new campus will allow us to fulfill the requirements necessary to register with the Ugandan National Counsel for Higher Education, and offer our students the necessary credentials. It took months to do the tedious work of meeting with architects and builders to ensure that we are moving in the right direction, but we finally settled down with a good plan and a builder we can trust. We were also blessed to acquire three acres of land attached to our property so that the school will be far enough away from our milling operation to provide a good learning environment, but close enough that the students can still interact with the farm and grow in their agricultural knowledge. This past month we taught our current class of church leaders through the book of Daniel, their second to last book as they will complete Revelation in September. It was such a blessing to see the fruit that studying the entirety of God’s Holy Word had brought them, and it was amazing to see their increased ability to understand and interpret Scripture! God has truly been at work in our midst and I know that He still desires to do so much more!\nPraise God with us: That Noelle’s father has received his long awaited inheritance in the city whose maker and builder is God. That we acquired suitable land to build our new campus on that is attached to our property. That construction has started on the classrooms, dorms and bathrooms. Please join with us in prayer that: That God would comfort Noelle’s family as they mourn the passing of a wonderful husband and father. That God would provide the remaining funds to complete the new pastoral school. Apio would continue integrating into our family. In the Love of Christ, Matt, Noelle, Apio, Emma, Madeline, Noah \u0026amp; Charlotte\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2021/08/29/august-2021/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"precious-in-the-sight-of-the-lord-is-the-death-of-his-faithful-servants-ps-11615\"\u003e“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His faithful servants.”  Ps 116:15\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/08/IMG%5F6988.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn August 18th, a significant event took place, in which a man who had discipled and cared for so many people, including myself, went to be with the One he was leading everyone toward. My father, Merlin R Davis, came to the Lord when he was in his 20’s, and soon after met and married my mother. After deciding that 2 children was enough, they were soon lead by the Lord to trust Him in faith for all things required for life and godliness, and to allow Him to plan their family. Only slightly less controversial than today, their decision and faith were certainly tested over the years as more and more children were given to them, and paychecks were spread thinner and thinner. But God provided for all their needs, and today, as number 11 out of 13 children, I can say I am thankful for their decision to trust God despite the comments and looks of others. We had a sign in our house which is still there today, it reads, “We don’t believe in miracles, we rely on them.” And for my family, this was true. My father worked 2 jobs and continued to trust in the Lord to provide the remainder of what was required for us to live. Once a week he would take one of us by turn to go get gas station icecream or coffee (or to eat out, once there were fewer kids in the house), we would sit together somewhere as he read through the Chronicles of Narnia or the Lord of the Rings books, and I was even able to hear him read through a book he had written himself. He was faithful to one wife, and faithfully cared for and taught all of us to fear the Lord. He was a carpenter, a locksmith, a piano tuner, he played guitar, sang, and wrote songs. In many ways he was as Abraham, the father of Israel, who walked with the Lord, who pleaded with the Lord on behalf of others, who cared for strangers and those in need. Even as his Alzheimer’s progressed, his character stayed generally the same, though I would venture to say he got even sweeter and was more in love with my mom than ever. In early August his condition worsened and eventually he would not eat or drink, but only sleep. They called me to say my goodbye, and I was able to pour out my heart of thankfulness for what he had done for me, to repent for my rebellion in my youth, and ultimately to congratulate him on the new ministry God has for him in heaven! It was a very bittersweet time on the phone.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"August 2021"},{"content":"“Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.” Psalm 37:3\nThe lockdown has let up a bit here in Uganda, allowing Matt to travel down to Kampala with Luke to renew their visas. Praise God for travel ability AND approved visas! We have yet to travel down to finish the process of renewing the dependent visas for myself and the kids.\nOn the Homefront, we have finished our first official semester of homeschooling. During our short break I am doing all sorts of planning, printing, gardening, writing, and anything else you can imagine a mother to get behind on during the school year. Since beginning homeschooling, I have scrambled to keep on top of the day-to-day tasks, forcing myself to knuckle down, make a schedule, and stick to it. Before, our life was always very flexible because of how unpredictable our days were. But now that our family has grown, we’ve started homeschooling, and Matt’s duties have become more “homebased”, a schedule was necessary. As much as I dislike being “bound” by something so menial, I feel as though I have a lot more free time now, and I’m accomplishing the same things and more in a day.\nMinistry is so much a part of our life that sometimes I forget that people refer to them separately. But really, ministry is our life. Matt is doing a lot of studying and writing, preparing teachers guides through Genesis, writing sermons, and writing down anything noteworthy from his studies for use later on. We’re also hosting a house church (20 people or less, per the restrictions) during the lockdown. Matt preaches and I do Sunday school for the kids, which has been a good challenge for my Acholi.\nPlease be praying for us as we continue with a very busy month ahead of us. Pray that God will sustain us, give us wisdom, and fill us with His Spirit to do His work.\nLet us know if there’s anything we can be praying over for. We love you in Christ!\nMatt, Noelle, Apio, Emma, Madeline, Noah and Charlotte\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2021/08/08/july-2021/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e“Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.” Psalm 37:3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/08/20210804%5F112838.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe lockdown has let up a bit here in Uganda, allowing Matt to travel down to Kampala with Luke to renew their visas.  Praise God for travel ability AND approved visas! We have yet to travel down to finish the process of renewing the dependent visas for myself and the kids.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/08/20210727%5F150329.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn the Homefront, we have finished our first official semester of homeschooling. During our short break I am doing all sorts of planning, printing, gardening, writing, and anything else you can imagine a mother to get behind on during the school year. Since beginning homeschooling, I have scrambled to keep on top of the day-to-day tasks, forcing myself to knuckle down, make a schedule, and stick to it. Before, our life was always very flexible because of how unpredictable our days were. But now that our family has grown, we’ve started homeschooling, and Matt’s duties have become more “homebased”, a schedule was necessary. As much as I dislike being “bound” by something so menial, I feel as though I have a lot more free time now, and I’m accomplishing the same things and more in a day.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"July 2021"},{"content":"“In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.” 1 Timothy 4:6 Sadly Uganda has been hit hard with the second wave of the Corona Virus, and we have entered another strict lockdown. The past 16 months of confusion, pain, despondency and frustration have been the same for everyone around the world. Our team has felt the negative effects of this lockdown in that our Discipleship School has to be closed down, the arrival of our new teammate, David Buescher who is the brother of Luke Buescher, has been delayed and the team that was coming out with him has been canceled. It has also all but stopped our work visa renewal process which puts us in a precarious position. We are thankful however, that this time around most businesses have stayed open, and Uganda’s president hasn’t stopped any relief efforts. Traditional church gatherings have also been banned. Therefore, we have opened a small fellowship at our house and Luke has opened another at his. We praise God for the work that He has been doing through them. It is always great to see the way that God moves and people grow within intimate gatherings!\nFortunately, no matter the circumstance, God always opens doors for us to serve Him. One of the major projects that we as a team have been working on during lock down is the development of our official curriculum. Our goal is to have comprehensive guides for the interpretation of Scripture with Scripture through the entirety of God’s Word, synchronizing all future classes and greatly assisting in the process of accreditation. While my teammates work in other sections, I have the weighty privilege of preparing teachers’ guides through the book of Genesis. In light of how Jesus taught His disciples about Himself through the whole Bible, we continually ask the questions: what does this teach me about Jesus? How did Jesus fulfill this in His first coming and/or how will He bring this thought to its conclusion in His second coming? (Luke 24:27, Col 2:16-17, Heb 10:1). I can’t imagine a better job!\nWe continue marching on the family front. Noelle diligently homeschools the kids who love their life of learning and playing with their friends on the farm. Apio continues to develop in spite of her past, but she has had to endure a lot of pain this month. Due to her previous lack of oral hygiene, we have had to extract two of her teeth, do two root canals and give her four fillings. Another exciting family development is that God has provided the means for us to convert our back porch into a guest room, allowing us to house visitors despite our growing family!\nJoin us in praising God that: He is using our home fellowships He is giving us wisdom to write the teachers guides He continues providing for our family Please join with us in prayer: For all of the people suffering from the virus and the government restrictions For our visas to be processed soon For Noelle and Apio who both have a skin parasite called scabies For people to understand and accept the Gospel here in our region In Christ, Matt, Noelle, Apio, Emma, Madeline, Noah \u0026amp; Charlotte ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2021/07/03/june-2021/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"in-pointing-out-these-things-to-the-brethren-you-will-be-a-good-servant-of-christ-jesus-constantly-nourished-on-the-words-of-the-faith-and-of-the-sound-doctrine-which-you-have-been-following-1-timothy-46\"\u003e“In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.”  1 Timothy 4:6\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/11/E3588B52-3AD6-474F-8BF2-D0325F9BA3F2-1024x182.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSadly Uganda has been hit hard with the second wave of the Corona Virus, and we have entered another strict lockdown.  The past 16 months of confusion, pain, despondency and frustration have been the same for everyone around the world.  Our team has felt the negative effects of this lockdown in that our Discipleship School has to be closed down, the arrival of our new teammate, David Buescher who is the brother of Luke Buescher, has been delayed and the team that was coming out with him has been canceled.  It has also all but stopped our work visa renewal process which puts us in a precarious position.  We are thankful however, that this time around most businesses have stayed open, and Uganda’s president hasn’t stopped any relief efforts.  Traditional church gatherings have also been banned.  Therefore, we have opened a small fellowship at our house and Luke has opened another at his.  We praise God for the work that He has been doing through them.  It is always great to see the way that God moves and people grow within intimate gatherings!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"June 2021"},{"content":" “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:9b-10. God continues to show Himself faithful to our family as we continue depending on Him. We were relieved when after 21 long days we were finally freed from our quarantine to interact with the outside world. Our time to ourselves was really helpful as it freed us to focus on our family. The time was especially helpful for me as it allowed me to write out lesson plans for multiple books of the Bible, which has been one of my primary rolls since returning home. However, it wasn’t easy to watch so many things get stacked up on the “to do when we get out list”. The rush to catch up has been necessary and exhausting, and unfortunately our family’s health still isn’t completely back. But we are content in the arms of our omniscient Father.\nAs missionaries, the joy of watching the Lord work far outweighs the cost of exhaustion and frustrations, it can even become so commonplace that have to remind ourselves not to take it for granted. We praise God as we reflect on what God has done in the last month: We had the privilege of being the conduit by which two of our Calvary churches received church buildings. The ability to encourage the congregations and give responsibility of the building to them was an honor. I was given the responsibility of teaching the pastors in our school through the books of 1, 2, and 3 John; it’s always a blessing to be in the Word every day, organizing lessons and preparing sermons, and even leading daily devotions with the staff here at the farm. Possibly the most special thing in the last month was being invited to preach at the birthday party of our 2 year old neighbor. Before preaching I was praying over a boy who had a splitting migraine, and by God’s grace he was healed. Then, despite giving what, from my perspective, was my worst sermon yet, the girls’ mother and 3 others got saved. After the party I was able to sit with them and explain more about their new relationship with God. An old woman at the party also came to me with multiple health problems. She had gone from doctor to doctor trying to find healing from chronic pain in her knees, chest, and nonfunctioning hand and arm. I prayed for her as well. The next day I heard a report saying that she had danced into the night, praising God for restoring her. We praise God that He upholds and helps us.\nPraise God: That we recovered from Covid. That Apio is integrating into our family well. That he is present in our human events. Please Pray: For our family’s health as we continue to fight illness. For Uganda as we are about to enter a second Covid 19 lockdown. For wisdom for our team as we try and adjust our activities according to the new government guidelines. In Christ, Matt, Noelle, Apio, Emma, Madeline, Noah \u0026amp; Charlotte ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2021/06/07/may-2021/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/06/IMG-6853.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003ch4 id=\"you-are-my-servant-i-have-chosen-you-and-not-rejected-you-do-not-fear-for-i-am-with-you-do-not-anxiously-look-about-you-for-i-am-your-god-i-will-strengthen-you-surely-i-will-help-you-surely-i-will-uphold-you-with-my-righteous-right-hand-isaiah-419b-10\"\u003e“You are my servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.  Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:9b-10.\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/06/20210508%5F195204.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGod continues to show Himself faithful to our family as we continue depending on Him.  We were relieved when after 21 long days we were finally freed from our quarantine to interact with the outside world.  Our time to ourselves was really helpful as it freed us to focus on our family.  The time was especially helpful for me as it allowed me to write out lesson plans for multiple books of the Bible, which has been one of my primary rolls since returning home.  However, it wasn’t easy to watch so many things get stacked up on the “to do when we get out list”.  The rush to catch up has been necessary and exhausting, and unfortunately our family’s health still isn’t completely back.  But we are content in the arms of our omniscient Father.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"May 2021"},{"content":"“Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21 April was a very trying month, but God has shown Himself faithful to supply His strength and presence according to His great grace. Noelle and I have been quarantined in our house for the past two weeks after contracting the Corona virus. We praise God that the fear of COVID here has really died down, so we aren’t receiving any threats. We also praise God that we are recovering well and we will soon be able to go out again. However, the virus has left us tired and weak.\nIronically, God gave us that thorn at exactly the right time as it has helped us restructure our family. Apio Cynthia is a girl from our village that has been rejected and cast out. When she was three years old she got hit by a car and for a short time was presumed dead. Regrettably, shortly thereafter two of her siblings also got hit on the village roadside (there were no serious injuries), and because of the deeply rooted superstition of the culture, all of the accidents were blamed on her, and she was labeled as cursed. Apio is now 11. For all of these years she has been left to raise herself because half of the village believes her to be cursed, and the other half thinks she is mentally handicapped and they don’t want the dead weight. We have known her our entire time here and have tried to reconcile her to her family to no avail. We see that the best way to show the Father’s love right now is to offer her a place in ours. According to God’s timing, Apio moved in with us at the same time we fell sick. The extra time together has been useful in restructuring the family dynamic and establishing house rules. Apio has only ever known a life free from responsibility, order (and love), and it is hard for her to have boundaries. For that reason we aren’t sure if she will decide to stay with us permanently or be moved into a school for vulnerable children; but the choice is hers, since her parents have already fully renounced her.\nPlease join us in praising God: That we are recovering well and will soon be well. That our kids love their new sister. That our pastors have finished the majority of Pauls epistles and will soon complete their study through the entirety of Scripture. Please pray: For Noelle and I to have strength and wisdom. For Apio to trust our love and protection. For BAM Enterprises as we continually struggle to be operationally sustainable. That the churches represented in our ministry would thrive in their love for God and man. Thank you for your continued encouragement and support.\nMay God bless you. Matt, Noelle, Apio, Emma, Madeline, Noah \u0026amp; Charlotte ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2021/05/04/april-2021/","summary":"\u003ch4 id=\"whoever-has-my-commandments-and-keeps-them-he-it-is-who-loves-me-and-he-who-loves-me-will-be-loved-by-my-father-and-i-will-love-him-and-manifest-myself-to-him-john-1421\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me.  And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”  John 14:21\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/05/IMG-6835.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eApril was a very trying month, but God has shown Himself faithful to supply His strength and presence according to His great grace.  Noelle and I have been quarantined in our house for the past two weeks after contracting the Corona virus.  We praise God that the fear of COVID here has really died down, so we aren’t receiving any threats.  We also praise God that we are recovering well and we will soon be able to go out again.  However, the virus has left us tired and weak.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"April 2021"},{"content":"“And He was saying to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’” Luke 10:2 As a family we have invested a lot of our energy into reestablishing our home life here in Uganda. We know that we can’t win “away” when we are losing at home. It has been exactly a year since we were first displaced from our home in the Corona confusion. Although we spent time in our house since then, this past month was the first we truly felt the peace of a home base. As part of that we have officially started our children’s schooling and it’s crazy to us that we even have children that are old enough for school. Please pray for Noelle as she starts her new life as a teacher.\nThis past month I had the weighty privilege of teaching the majority of 1 Corinthians to the students in our pastoral school of discipleship. When Paul learned of the problems in the church at Corinth he wrote them an appeal to godliness. After identifying and defining each area of their weakness; e.g. division, sexual immorality, confusion in their worship services etc. Paul responded with a piece of the story of our Savior, and showed them how the Gospel changes us and gives us a new way of life. When you and I take our eyes off of the deceitful pleasures of the world, and take an honest look at our broken evil state, the need for Christ’s redemptive work grows more and more obvious. The more we recognize sin as sin, the more we see our great personal need for a Savior. It is then that we can appreciate just how great the Gospel really is. For only the advent, life, death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord can transform a heart and take a soul from darkness and death to light and life. Please pray for our churches to be preaching this gospel of hope.\nThe fields are large. The work ahead for every one of God’s Gospel laborers is huge. At times it can be overwhelming to realize just how big the task really is. But God keeps reminding me of the parable of the Seed in Mark 4. Just as the farmer doesn’t really understand or control the growth of his crops; neither can we understand or control how God moves in the hearts of men and women. When God’s hand moves, only He can take the credit. May God work mightily on the earth today.\n“So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.” 1 Corinthians 3:7 May God Bless You, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline, Noah \u0026amp; Charlotte ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2021/04/05/march-2021/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"and-he-was-saying-to-them-the-harvest-is-plentiful-but-the-laborers-are-few-therefore-beseech-the-lord-of-the-harvest-to-send-out-laborers-into-his-harvest-luke-102\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“And He was saying to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’”  Luke 10:2\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/03/IMG-6800-e1617643971592.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs a family we have invested a lot of our energy into reestablishing our home life here in Uganda.  We know that we can’t win “away” when we are losing at home.  It has been exactly a year since we were first displaced from our home in the Corona confusion.  Although we spent time in our house since then, this past month was the first we truly felt the peace of a home base.  As part of that we have officially started our children’s schooling and it’s crazy to us that we even have children that are old enough for school.  Please pray for Noelle as she starts her new life as a teacher.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"March 2021"},{"content":"“Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom 15:5-6 We were blessed beyond words during our time with you in the United States, and now we are blessed to be back home in Uganda. We spent our last days in the U.S. meeting with many of you and speaking at events. Our prayer is that God will unite our hearts and voices together in prayer for our lost and dying world. May the Spirit of God bring revival both here and there to the glory of His own name, and may we each be obedient to do His will at the expense of our own.\nWe thought it best to use this opportunity to remind some of you, and inform others of you for the first time, what exactly it is that we are a part of over here. We live among the Acholi people in Northern Uganda. Here we work with Terebinth Ministries, a mission from Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel, of Colorado Springs. Terebinth exists to bring health to the Ugandan Church. We do this through a Pastoral School of Discipleship, a Business As Mission, and a Widows Ministry.\nAccording to BEE World (Biblical Extension Education), fewer than 9 out of 1,000 pastors in the country of Uganda have formal Biblical training. And according to the Baptist Coalition, only 4% of self-proclaimed born again people can answer the question “what does it mean to be born again.” Therefore, despite Uganda being a Christian nation, there is much work to be done here, especially in the North where Joseph Kony’s LRA wreaked havoc for 3 decades.\nThe Terebinth School of Discipleship is our flagship mission. Here we train pastors through the whole of Gods’ word, teaching them to interpret Scripture with Scripture. The pastors and church leaders come to our church, Calvary Chapel Gulu, on a Sunday evening and spend the entire week studying with us. In the course of the week they study through one or two books of the Bible (depending on the length of the book) and before leaving on Saturday, they take a test proving their understanding of what they learned. At the end of three years they read through the whole bible twice and become familiar with all that God has said.\nThe Pastoral School is made possible because of the hard work done at our second mission, BAM (Business As Mission) Enterprises. Given the poverty of our area, it would be infeasible for these men to spend a quarter of their lives for three years in school and cover the cost of their own schooling, on top of their family expenses other responsibilities. The funds that we raise from BAM bridge that gap. BAM is a large scale farming operation that mostly deals in poultry and the buying and selling of grain. The operation revolves around 4,000+ chickens and a variety of milling machines. We buy grains and sell the milled products while using the by-products to feed our birds. Our prayer is that with time BAM becomes the financial engine for our ministry.\nOur Widow’s ministry is where the left and right arms of the Pastoral School and BAM come together to care for “the least of these.” We currently work with six of our graduated pastors in an effort to bless the widows that surround their churches. They pastor has committee’s that meet with their corresponding widows once a week for group discipleship, and once a month they are provided with a food package and a business package from BAM. In this way, God is providing 160 widows and 500 fatherless children with discipleship, community, food and business.\nMay God bless you and use you for the expansion of His kingdom, In Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline, Noah \u0026amp; Charlotte Harris ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2021/03/05/february-2021/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"now-may-the-god-who-gives-perseverance-and-encouragement-grant-you-to-be-of-the-same-mind-with-one-another-according-to-christ-jesus-so-that-with-one-accord-you-may-with-one-voice-glorify-the-god-and-father-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-rom-155-6\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eRom 15:5-6\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/03/IMG-6756-1.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe were blessed beyond words during our time with you in the United States, and now we are blessed to be back home in Uganda.  We spent our last days in the U.S. meeting with many of you and speaking at events.  Our prayer is that God will unite our hearts and voices together in prayer for our lost and dying world.  May the Spirit of God bring revival both here and there to the glory of His own name, and may we each be obedient to do His will at the expense of our own.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"February 2021"},{"content":"“Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14. Over our time in Nebraska it was a great joy to see our kids playing contentedly with their cousins, learning the names of SO MANY aunts and uncles, and getting to know my parents. When we were still living in America we did not get many opportunities for traveling to see my (Noelle) family, and even then the older girls were too young to remember. It was special for me to see them together with my family, as if they’d been with them all along though they’ve hardly known them. My dearest memories of our time in Nebraska are of our excited kids going on their “dates” with my mom and taking care to go love on their Papa: Noah climbing on his back (dad didn’t seem to mind); Emma leading dad around the house, taking great care to steer him due to his blindness; my dad, as progressed as he is in his Alzheimer’s, holding his cup by only his teeth and showing off to the little kids. And when he opened his normally closed eyes, looked straight at Maddie, and asked what she thought about it. She wasn’t sure what to think. I am thankful for God’s gift to us in the form of my family. I would find it hard to be on the field if they were not so behind us in our mission. Their love does not make me feel guilty for not staying longer (though time with them is always too short), their love frees me to GO! Not every missionary has a family supporting them in their calling, we are extremely blessed to have both families backing us.\nSince our return to Colorado Springs we have spent our time doing paperwork and finishing our doctor appointments. Acquiring government documentation can be tough enough, but with the Covid lag, it has truly proven challenging. So far we have finished renewing passports for our older girls and we have obtained the birth certificate, SSN and passport for our baby. However, before we can head back home we are still awaiting the return of Noelle’s and Noah’s passports that were turned in in with Noah’s SSN application. We hope to receive those soon so we can buy our tickets back to Uganda. Although it is possible to return during these uncertain times it will be difficult because we have to have negative Covid tests 72 hours before our arrival back home. The good news is that tickets are cheap right now for whatever reason.\nWe have truly enjoyed our time catching up with all of you here, but we are so excited to return back to the other work God has for us. Please pray that our return would be smooth and soon.\nIn Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline, Noah \u0026amp; Charlotte Harris ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2021/02/05/january-2021/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"wait-for-the-lord-be-strong-and-let-your-heart-take-courage-yes-wait-for-the-lord-psalm-2714\"\u003e“Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.”  Psalm 27:14.\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/02/20210110%5F191350.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOver our time in Nebraska it was a great joy to see our kids playing contentedly with their cousins, learning the names of SO MANY aunts and uncles, and getting to know my parents. When we were still living in America we did not get many opportunities for traveling to see my (Noelle) family, and even then the older girls were too young to remember. It was special for me to see them together with my family, as if they’d been with them all along though they’ve hardly known them. My dearest memories of our time in Nebraska are of our excited kids going on their “dates” with my mom and taking care to go love on their Papa: Noah climbing on his back (dad didn’t seem to mind); Emma leading dad around the house, taking great care to steer him due to his blindness; my dad, as progressed as he is in his Alzheimer’s, holding his cup by only his teeth and showing off to the little kids. And when he opened his normally closed eyes, looked straight at Maddie, and asked what she thought about it. She wasn’t sure what to think. I am thankful for God’s gift to us in the form of my family. I would find it hard to be on the field if they were not so behind us in our mission. Their love does not make me feel guilty for not staying longer (though time with them is always too short), their love frees me to GO! Not every missionary has a family supporting them in their calling, we are extremely blessed to have both families backing us.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"January 2021"},{"content":"“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 About 2000 years ago God sent His only Son to redeem us from our enslavement to sin. Today we have hope and peace with God because of His life, death, resurrection and ascension. MERRY CHRISTMAS!\nLast year, 2020, we all saw our need for that Hope more than ever. The true condition of the world was revealed, as fear and death reigned through the virus and the lockdowns. Our hearts were unmasked as we were all polarized against each other. We have always needed Jesus, but perhaps that’s clearer to us now more than ever. Personally I feel as if I’ve been reduced to a small child, desperately dependent on his Father. It’s sad that it takes so much for us to accept the embrace of Gods loving arms, but praise God for His ever present help in time of trouble. May we be effective ambassadors for Christ, not announcing our opinions but faithfully proclaiming to all God’s message of reconciliation.\nIn this year of 2021, we are excited to see the plans that God has in store for our family and ministry. We have almost finished our furlough, which has blessed us in many ways. If God wills, we plan on returning to our home in Northern Uganda sometime in February. We know that God has renewed our vision and given us greater knowledge and wisdom during this respite, so that we will be a more effective tool when we return. We look forward to reuniting with all of our teammates and fellow laborers in the Gospel. In particular we are excited to graduate our 2nd class of pastors this coming Spring, and we are even more excited to watch how God provides as we work toward opening a second campus for the pastoral school. When that happens, I have been asked to assume the role as director over that campus.\nPraise God: For the gift of His Son Jesus who has purchased us from sin and death. Merry Christmas! For another chance to draw near to God as He draws near to us. Happy New Year! Please Pray: For our daughters passport to come in quickly. Paperwork is moving slowly during this COVID time. For our return home to Uganda. That the Lord provides for the second campus of our school of discipleship. In Christ,\nMatt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline, Noah \u0026amp; Charlotte\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2021/01/10/december-2020/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"therefore-we-do-not-lose-heart-though-outwardly-we-are-wasting-away-yet-inwardly-we-are-being-renewed-day-by-day-for-our-light-and-momentary-troubles-are-achieving-for-us-an-eternal-glory-that-far-outweighs-them-all-so-we-fix-our-eyes-not-on-what-is-seen-but-on-what-is-unseen-since-what-is-seen-is-temporary-but-what-is-unseen-is-eternal-2-corinthians-416-18\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  2 Corinthians 4:16-18\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/01/IMG-6693.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAbout 2000 years ago God sent His only Son to redeem us from our enslavement to sin. Today we have hope and peace with God because of His life, death, resurrection and ascension. MERRY CHRISTMAS!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"December 2020"},{"content":"“For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other\u0026rsquo;s faith, both yours and mine.” Romans 1:11-12 Our furlough continues to be the fulfilling of what Paul longed for, the opportunity to meet with and be encouraged together with so many brothers and sisters in the faith. We are always reminded of the ministry we have left in Uganda for this short time, and the work we have still remaining here in the US. Being here in America has been it’s own kind of ministry, one with it’s own reward, namely, the joy of being reunited with ones we have left long ago, and the strengthening of our faith as we see and hear testimonies of what God was doing while we were away. It has been a tremendous blessing to us.\nDuring our few weeks in Colorado (we will return there after visiting Noelle’s family in Nebraska), we were very happy to be staying in the building of one of our supporting churches. We had prayed for a place where we could receive visitors without disrupting a host family, where the kids could be kids, somewhere close to family, and where we could be a blessing. God answered by letting us stay at Colorado Freedom Church, which was the church Matt grew up attending, just down the street from his parents house. The church had a small gym area where the kids were free to play, and we were able to bless them with some remodeling. It also served as a base for Matt to earn some money, which we used to purchase the next 4 years of our children’s homeschool curriculum. CFC has been supporting us from the beginning, and we were so happy that they allowed us to stay there!\nWe spent Thanksgiving week with Matt’s grandparents in Kansas. Seeing our kids interact with their great-grandparents was precious, and we were happy to get a few pictures in the process. We are so thankful that with the love offering collected by the church there, we were able to send money back to Uganda. It will be used to purchase land and build a roof for one of the churches that have been planted by our church in Uganda. We continue to pray for the ability to do the same for 19 other churches there.\nDuring most of our time in CO and even on our trip through KS, we were blessed with the company of our niece Moriah, who was lent to us by Noelle’s oldest brother and his wife for nearly 6 weeks while Noelle recovered from the c-section. The kids really love her, and although she is still young, her maturity is beyond her years and she really helped reinforce what we aim for in parenting. She was a God-send in help as well as friendship!\nPraise God:\nFor health during our travels. For places to stay. For ability to see family. For opportunities to speak at churches. For funding for the church plot. For Moriah! Please pray:\nFor our presentation at Noelle’s childhood church this weekend. For additional funding ($1,500/each) for the other 19 churches who currently meet under trees and on rented property. For continued health for our family. For us to be filled with the Spirit to share with others the good news of what Christ has done and continues to do! In Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline, Noah, \u0026amp; Charlotte ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/12/11/november-2020/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"for-i-long-to-see-you-so-that-i-may-impart-some-spiritual-gift-to-you-that-you-may-be-established-that-is-that-i-may-be-encouraged-together-with-you-while-among-you-each-of-us-by-the-other\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other\u0026rsquo;s faith, both yours and mine.” Romans 1:11-12\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2020/12/131009589%5F1203449083383284%5F740364834145959982%5Fn-1.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur furlough continues to be the fulfilling of what Paul longed for, the opportunity to meet with and be encouraged together with so many brothers and sisters in the faith.  We are always reminded of the ministry we have left in Uganda for this short time, and the work we have still remaining here in the US.  Being here in America has been it’s own kind of ministry, one with it’s own reward, namely, the joy of being reunited with ones we have left long ago, and the strengthening of our faith as we see and hear testimonies of what God was doing while we were away.  It has been a tremendous blessing to us.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"November 2020"},{"content":"“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness.” Psalm 33:18 Life just keeps going and going as we continue to visit friends and family. We started October with a wonderful stay with our sending organization, Saving Grace World Mission, in Yorba Linda, California. It is wonderful to serve alongside so many people devoted to the Lord, and we were very blessed by the sincere love of Christ shown by all the staff and community connected to Saving Grace. Heading South, we came into Tecate, Mexico, to visit Matt’s brother and sister-in-law, Josh and Laura. It was encouraging to be with them, to reconnect with Josh and to get to know Laura, since we hadn’t had opportunity before their wedding last year. It was also very special to spend time with our Mexican “Mama’s”. We had been on many short term trips to Tecate, and Matt had even spent 5 months living with Ma Elena and her family. Being able to introduce them to their honorary grandchildren was precious. On our way back to CO we stopped briefly in Phoenix to visit several friends. We were also greatly encouraged there. A few hours from home we had unexpected trouble with our vehicle. God brought friends who happened to live at the next Interstate exit, and they helped us home the next day. Praise God for His providence and protection!\nCharlotte Hope was born on October 22 by C-section, the life verse we chose for her is printed above: Psalm 33:18. We praise God for the safe procedure and delivery of our beautiful daughter, and the excellent care at the hospital here in Colorado Springs. Emma and Madeline are happy to have another baby to love on, but Noah is very convinced that this is HIS baby. He loves her and with careful help, will hold her for as long as he can get away with. He is a fine big brother. While still admitted for recovery, God allowed us to get to know and pray for one of the nurses who cared for Noelle. She became our friend, and we were even invited to come and meet her husband in their home. What a blessing!\nWhen you are open to whatever God has planned, it becomes a treat to be a part of it. We have been blessed with many treats this month!!\n_Many blessings in Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline, Noah, and Charlotte_\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/11/13/october-2020/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"behold-the-eye-of-the-lord-is-on-those-who-fear-him-on-those-who-hope-for-his-lovingkindness-psalm-3318\"\u003e“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness.”  Psalm 33:18\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLife just keeps going and going as we continue to visit friends and family.  We started October with a wonderful stay with our sending organization, Saving Grace World Mission, in Yorba Linda, California.  It is wonderful to serve alongside so many people devoted to the Lord, and we were very blessed by the sincere love of Christ shown by all the staff and community connected to Saving Grace.  Heading South, we came into Tecate, Mexico, to visit Matt’s brother and sister-in-law, Josh and Laura.  It was encouraging to be with them, to reconnect with Josh and to get to know Laura, since we hadn’t had opportunity before their wedding last year. It was also very special to spend time with our Mexican “Mama’s”. We had been on many short term trips to Tecate, and Matt had even spent 5 months living with Ma Elena and her family.  Being able to introduce them to their honorary grandchildren was precious.   On our way back to CO we stopped briefly in Phoenix to visit several friends.  We were also greatly encouraged there.  A few hours from home we had unexpected trouble with our vehicle. God brought friends who happened to live at the next Interstate exit, and they helped us home the next day. Praise God for His providence and protection!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"October 2020"},{"content":"“God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.” Psalm 68:6 I am grateful for the time God has given us to see some of our many loved ones. I just can’t describe how much you all mean to us. Our family, dear friends, partners, and fellow servants of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we love you and words can’t describe what a blessing it is to interact with each one of you, and we can’t wait to see those of you whom we have not yet met with. God has truly made a home for us.\nWe started off our furlough at my parents house in Colorado, doing things we haven’t done in so long: Walmart runs, doctors appointments, meeting with supporters, and buying winter coats (who would have thought there would be snow the last week of August?). After we were given the go-ahead by Noelle’s doctor, we set our GPS for Oregon and started our West-side road trip. Every place we stopped was a wonderful time of encouragement. We stayed 2 weeks with my sister and brother-in-law, who had just had their 3rd baby girl. This was very special for our whole family as this was the first chance we’ve had to see the house and property that the Lord had provided Anna and Jed after he lost his legs serving our country in Afghanistan, nearly 10 years ago. It was a blessing to see the the Spirit at work in all of us as we were mutually encouraged and strengthened. We then finished out the month by visiting Yosemite National Park to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary!\nFurlough has also provided a great time for me to further my Biblical education. I am currently taking classes to study the history of Israel, and to learn how to read and write in ancient Hebrew! We thank God for this amazing opportunity!\nWith Love, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline \u0026amp; Noah Harris ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/10/14/september-2020/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"god-makes-a-home-for-the-lonely-he-leads-out-the-prisoners-into-prosperity-only-the-rebellious-dwell-in-a-parched-land-psalm-686\"\u003e“God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.”  Psalm 68:6\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2020/10/82DFD0D6-7579-49CF-BFAF-D3DC324FC3A4.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI am grateful for the time God has given us to see some of our many loved ones.  I just can’t describe how much you all mean to us.  Our family, dear friends, partners, and fellow servants of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we love you and words can’t describe what a blessing it is to interact with each one of you, and we can’t wait to see those of you whom we have not yet met with.  God has truly made a home for us.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"September 2020"},{"content":"“For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “in repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength.”” Isaiah 30:15a I love October. The temperature change, the leaves turning, apple picking and processing, and especially getting the family together and you all bring your own meat and too many marshmallows and just sit around the fire late into the evening. But here, October just feels like another month. No significant change in weather; it’s still rainy season, no change in the leaves; although people are harvesting things here and there. No real change to mark the time of year. I do miss that about America. But there were significant events throughout the month, even if they were not particularly seasonal.\nEarly in the month, Matt had the opportunity to teach at a multi-church conference in a neighboring district. Originally scheduled to teach for the entire conference, he ended up teaching only two sessions, as God kindly provided two other teachers, one being our good friend Luke, the other being our pastor here in Gulu, Pastor Fred. They taught the churches about marriage, both for those seeking to be married and those already married, about leadership, and also about Salvation. There is great need in the church to be reminded that there is nothing we can do to earn Salvation, but that Christ offers it freely, the price already having been paid by His blood. What grace! Needless to say, preparation for these teachings was exciting.\nAfter 2 weeks of brief study and 1 week of deep study as a group, Matthew and the other teachers taught through the book of Isaiah at the pastoral school. As it is a long book of 66 chapters, it proved difficult to squeeze that much into 5 days of teaching. But we give God praise for His help both for the teachers and the students, not even one of the students failed the final test on the book of Isaiah.\nBefore the week ofPastoral class ended, Matt and I took our kids for a short respite at a Bible Camp on Lake Victoria. We have decided to take a similar trip annually, away from the daily pressures of life, work, and ministry, and all the things that fall in between those categories, to refresh our vision and focus, and to seek God’s will for the next year. This year we were joined for a few days of our trip by Luke, and the Cochran family, friends from our training at New Hope Uganda. All of us together made for a very exciting and encouraging time, and I think each party was sharpened better for the work God has for us, our family for His work here in Gulu, and the Cochrans for their new work as they step into a different mission field far from Uganda.\nThroughout the month there have come up several things that need prayer, if you would take a moment to ask our Father for help in them.\nPlease pray for our friend Luke who has been battling sickness for 2 months, but has now been admitted to the hospital with a serious and mysterious lung infection. Pray for wisdom for the doctors, and strengthening, healing, and peace for Luke.\nPlease pray for the pastors in our community of Adak, as they gather very soon to receive training in counseling to better approach the rising rates of depression and suicide in our area.\nPray also for the Cochrans who are leaving Uganda with their children, and heading to a training for church-planting among those who have no access to the gospel, who the church commonly calls “the unreached”.\nPlease pray for us also, that we would continue on with the vision God has given us for our part of the ministry here, that we would preach the gospel with eagerness, and seek first Gods kingdom and His righteousness.\nWith love and care, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/11/04/october-2019/","summary":"\u003ch6 id=\"for-thus-the-lord-god-the-holy-one-of-israel-has-said-in-repentance-and-rest-you-will-be-saved-in-quietness-and-trust-is-your-strength-isaiah-3015a\"\u003e“For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “in repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength.””  Isaiah 30:15a\u003c/h6\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/11/E3588B52-3AD6-474F-8BF2-D0325F9BA3F2-1024x182.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI love October. The temperature change, the leaves turning, apple picking and processing, and especially getting the family together and you all bring your own meat and too many marshmallows and just sit around the fire late into the evening. But here, October just feels like another month. No significant change in weather; it’s still rainy season, no change in the leaves; although people are harvesting things here and there. No real change to mark the time of year. I do miss that about America. But there were significant events throughout the month, even if they were not particularly seasonal.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"October 2019"},{"content":"“If they had stood in My council, then they would have announced My words to My people, and would have turned them back from their evil way and from the evil of their deeds.” Jeremiah 23:22\nThis past month we had the awesome privilege of graduating our very first set of pastors from our Pastoral School of Discipleship. 3 years ago more than 25 pastors and church leaders joined Terebinth Ministries in a trek through the whole of scripture and on May 27th, 15 of those pastors received certificates of completion! We are so proud of those 15 pastors who took 1 week out of every month to live together, pray together, study together and worship together in order to grow in the grace and knowledge of their Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that God would bless them and keep them as they lead others into relationship with our Father.\nThis whole year, and especially the month of May was filled with weddings. In May alone we had 8 wedding invitations! It was has been a unique experience to attend weddings in another culture. Most excitingly my brother\u0026rsquo;s and Noelle’s brother\u0026rsquo;s weddings were among those 8. I had the joy of flying to Mexico to join in my brother\u0026rsquo;s celebration, but we are very sad that we didn’t get the opportunity to attend Noelle’s brother\u0026rsquo;s wedding. We are looking forward to her being able to see her family sometime this summer.\nDuring my time in Mexico I also had the privilege of visiting other missionary families and touring their ministries and church plants. It gets hard to keep a good perspective when you’re out on the field and It was extremely encouraging to see faithful people enjoying their Lord and the work He has given them.\n“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.” Ephesians 1:16-17\nWith Love\nMatt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/06/09/may-2019/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e“If they had stood in My council, then they would have announced My words to My people, and would have turned them back from their evil way and from the evil of their deeds.” Jeremiah 23:22\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/06/E68830E6-4042-4E36-A39D-A1D609E67CA4-1024x316.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis past month we had the awesome privilege of graduating our very first set of pastors from our Pastoral School of Discipleship.  3 years ago more than 25 pastors and church leaders joined Terebinth Ministries in a trek through the whole of scripture and on May 27th, 15 of those pastors received certificates of completion!  We are so proud of those 15 pastors who took 1 week out of every month to live together, pray together, study together and worship together in order to grow in the grace and knowledge of their Lord Jesus Christ.  We pray that God would bless them and keep them as they lead others into relationship with our Father.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"May 2019"},{"content":"\nAs a family we have decided to visit the churches of our students and friends once a month to see how they are doing and to bring them some encouragement from Gods Word. With the permission of each pastor we have also decided to allow you to join us on that journey so that you will be more informed as you think about and pray for the churches of Uganda. We pray that these short Pastoral Bios would encourage you in your walk with God and that you would grow in your love for Jesus as you see how he is moving in the hearts of so many people!\nPastor Kinyera Charles is our neighbor in the small town of Adak and is one of our students at the Terebinth School of Discipleship. It has really been a pleasure to watch him grow in his knowledge and understanding of God’s word. He was born into a poor pagan family in which his father had many wives. After his mother committed suicide he turned turned to Alcohol. But when he gave his life to the LORD he was freed from his addiction and felt the calling on his life to start a church. Charles planted Adak Bible Community Church in 2012 with a desire to bring physical and spiritual transformation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ to his community!\nPray for Adak Bible Community Church: Pray - That the Father would help Charles as he seeks to teach his children and the young people of the church to serve God. Pray - That God would bring wisdom and understanding to the elders and leaders of the church. Pray - That the Gospel would be understood in the Community of Adak and that hearts would be transformed as they learn of God’s great love for them. ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/10/14/pastor-kinyera-charles/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2018/09/IMG_2336-1024x113.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a family we have decided to visit the churches of our students and friends once a month to see how they are doing and to bring them some encouragement from Gods Word. With the permission of each pastor we have also decided to allow you to join us on that journey so that you will be more informed as you think about and pray for the churches of Uganda. We pray that these short Pastoral Bios would encourage you in your walk with God and that you would grow in your love for Jesus as you see how he is moving in the hearts of so many people!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pastor Kinyera Charles"},{"content":"“But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.” Micah 7:7 August was a month of change and transition from the LORD, both for Terebinth Ministries and for our family.\nLike every other entity, our ministry has been trying to navigate the Covid crisis. When the lock-down started on March 30th, schools were closed down along with businesses, churches, government offices, and the like. And of course, the Terebinth School of Discipleship was temporarily closed. We had expected for the schools to open up by harvest time (Jul-Aug), but when it became evident that the reopening was going to delay, we decided as a team to find alternatives to our regular classes. With prayer and counsel, our leadership decided to start running a temporary alternative class style. Because of restrictions against meeting in large groups, we have divided our class up into 6 small groups, at different locations and at different times. Each student is given the student handbook a week in advance of their meeting to prepare them for the main points, the small groups meet for 2 days and watch a prerecorded teaching on the book being studied. They are guided by 2 teachers to further understand the content of the book, and then tested. We eagerly await our normal class style, but we are thankful for the ability to continue engaging the minds of our pastors in the meantime.\nAs we have expressed before, this is also a season of exciting change for our medical clinic, “Dream Center Uganda Health Center III”. Since its opening in 2012, the clinic has survived many problems, and when Terebinth Ministries took it over in 2017, there were crippling tax debts, no policies, no documentation, deep-seated community relations’ issues and very few patients coming through the doors. Since that time, the numbers have increased drastically; the care is superior to other health centers in the area, the reputation has come a long way to being restored and the records keeping is maintained at a high standard. We have worked to balance affordable care with quality care. However, to date, the clinic is still running at a deficit, and unfortunately our prices are still too high. As a leadership team we have come to understand that we have gone as far with the clinic as we are able, and that in order to reach higher we need help. With that in mind we have partnered with another ministry which is successfully operating 26 clinics here in the North. The doors of the clinic were officially closed August 26th, and will be reopened under their management on the 1st of October. With their connections, resources, and tested expertise, we know that the community is in good hands and that their future is bright! The clinic will be run with higher quality, lower prices for the community, and with less deficit.\nThe last change we want to share with you is of our arrival in the USA. In July we had announced our plans to visit America, and since then it has been a rush of events as we organized our home, packed a few bags, and even had 1 cancelled flight and a delay of almost 2 weeks before reaching Colorado. Now here we are, trying to re-integrate and navigate this “new” America with all of it’s challenges. We are very thankful to be with our family, and to have the opportunity to encourage and be encouraged by our faithful partners and friends. We look forward to the next few months as we share with you all, see faces both new and known, and await the arrival of the new baby.\nHere are a few things we would love for you to pray for, if you would take a moment: For the pastoral school as they continue in a new, supplementary way. That the teachers would be dedicated to discipleship, and that the students would have hearts and minds ready to receive.\nFor the medical clinic and our community, as they change to the new medical management. Pray that there would be peace, and that it would be seen as a blessing early on in the transition.\nPray for our family as we face so many changes, from culture and diet to time zones and the new social aspects. Pray for peace, health, and wisdom for us in this new environment.\nIn Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline \u0026amp; Noah ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/09/04/august-2020/","summary":"\u003ch4 id=\"but-as-for-me-i-will-watch-expectantly-for-the-lord-i-will-wait-for-the-god-of-my-salvation-my-god-will-hear-me-micah-77\"\u003e“But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation.  My God will hear me.”  Micah 7:7\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2020/09/D3A73C27-8604-4C57-8C43-908D08366771.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAugust was a month of change and transition from the LORD, both for Terebinth Ministries and for our family.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2020/09/6D60462E-2F40-4A9F-9A44-6C9433CBA5C9.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLike every other entity, our ministry has been trying to navigate the Covid crisis.  When the lock-down started on March 30th, schools were closed down along with businesses, churches, government offices, and the like.  And of course, the Terebinth School of Discipleship was temporarily closed.  We had expected for the schools to open up by harvest time (Jul-Aug), but when it became evident that the reopening was going to delay, we decided as a team to find alternatives to our regular classes.  With prayer and counsel, our leadership decided to start running a temporary alternative class style.  Because of restrictions against meeting in large groups, we have divided our class up into 6 small groups, at different locations and at different times.  Each student is given the student handbook a week in advance of their meeting to prepare them for the main points, the small groups meet for 2 days and watch a prerecorded teaching on the book being studied. They are guided by 2 teachers to further understand the content of the book, and then tested.  We eagerly await our normal class style, but we are thankful for the ability to continue engaging the minds of our pastors in the meantime.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"August 2020"},{"content":"“It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High. To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night… For you, O Lord have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” Psalm 92: 1-2,4. This COVID season has brought about poverty and hunger here in Uganda. Because of the temporary shut down of businesses and schools, we can see the effects of the declined economy everywhere we look. People are getting thinner and thinner. There is also a spiritual poverty that came with the shut down of churches, and people are getting dryer and dryer. But God is on the move bringing provision to the desperate and giving a tremendous hunger for Himself during these trying times.\nJuly 31st marked the end of our food distribution program. Our team at BAM (Business As Mission) Enterprises had been working literally day and night to produce the quantity of food that was being given at our distribution points. For the last 4 months we have had volunteers handing out food to people pre-approved by the local government. Each food package consisted of more than 30lbs of food, and everyone who received the package also had the Gospel preached to them. By the hand of God, and by your support, we managed to feed more than 60,000 desperate people! And so many people were getting saved that it became difficult to keep track of! During that same time we were also distributing food to our in-patients, and we had certain medicines on discounted prices at our clinic.\nWe have also seen the effects spiritually. I have seen the results of increased domestic abuse and have personally stopped 2 cases of violence. Suicide and teen pregnancy are on the rise, and hopelessness is through the roof. But God is good and His Word has still been going out through tiny fellowships for these last 4 months. I want to share a testimony of what God is doing through the fellowships in our own home…\nA few weeks ago two teenage boys from our village were led to our house by a good friend of mine to fellowship with us. They quickly told me that God had been convicting them of their sinful lifestyles and that they wanted to repent and be saved. After they had gotten saved and we had ended the service, one of them asked if we could preach at his home the following week, and that his family was also ready to get saved. When the next weekend came, one of those teenagers brought another of his friends to pray with us and he also got saved. After finishing the fellowships at our house that day we went to the first boys home and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By the grace of God almost the whole family came to salvation. This week another of our neighbors brought my family to visit her family home in a neighboring village. As her family gathered (nearly 30 people), we quickly saw that they too were in desperate need of hearing the Gospel. So I asked for them to find a translator for us. We walked them through John 3:16-20, and our neighbor, her mother, her sister, her brother and her mother in law (the local witch doctor) all repented and believed. We left them with instructions to be meeting together to read the Bible and pray, and also to reach out to the other family members in love and patience. And now we are awaiting this coming Wednesday, to honor the invitation to preach the gospel at that third boys home.\nPlease pray for us as we are trying to prepare for our furlough, and as we continue to proclaim the Gospel. Pray for those ones who were saved, that they would grow even during this time of little church direction, and also for their families.\nIn Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline \u0026amp; Noah ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/08/02/july-2020/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"it-is-good-to-give-thanks-to-the-lord-and-to-sing-praises-to-your-name-o-most-high-to-declare-your-lovingkindness-in-the-morning-and-your-faithfulness-by-night-for-you-o-lord-have-made-me-glad-by-what-you-have-done-i-will-sing-for-joy-at-the-works-of-your-hands-psalm-92-1-24\"\u003e“It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.  To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night… For you, O Lord have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.”  Psalm 92: 1-2,4.\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2020/08/FE95C46A-9FAC-442E-8983-A9E5E9D41657.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis COVID season has brought about poverty and hunger here in Uganda.  Because of the temporary shut down of businesses and schools, we can see the effects of the declined economy everywhere we look.  People are getting thinner and thinner.  There is also a spiritual poverty that came with the shut down of churches, and people are getting dryer and dryer.  But God is on the move bringing provision to the desperate and giving a tremendous hunger for Himself during these trying times.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"July 2020"},{"content":"“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the Gospel from the first day until now.” Phil 1:3-4 We are so grateful for your partnership in the Gospel with our family. We have relied on your prayers for our strength and we have been blessed by your support. May God richly bless you for what has been accomplished here because of you.\nI am writing to inform you of the exciting news that we are heading stateside for a furlough and we want to meet with you face to face, to hear from you, share with you and join with you in personal prayer. We had planned to schedule a furlough in 2022 but it has become obvious that this will be the best time.\n- Because of the COVID-19 situation our pastoral school has been closed down along with all the other learning institutions in the country of Uganda. And it doesn’t look like it will resume before 2021. This will give us the freedom to come home without being very missed here.\n- By the grace of God we have found a wonderful ministry whose passion is for excellent sustainable Christ-centered health care. This group will soon take over the management of the Dream Center Uganda Health Center III. Both taking it to the next level and further freeing my family to enjoy a rest in the US.\n- We are also looking forward to the birth of our 4th child at the end of October and we see it will be best to receive him/her into the world stateside.\n- Finally, the next Ugandan presidential elections will take place early next year and we are expecting it to come with turmoil and unrest.\nTravel Dates Due to the nature of foreign travel at this time, the exact dates of our departure FROM Uganda and our return TO Uganda are not yet set in stone. Bellow is a tentative Itinerary for our time in your half of the world. Please keep in mind that plans are subject to change, and that these are only estimations. Look over it and email us at mattharris9000@gmail.com with details for when we can get together as soon as possible to better insure our time together.\nColorado: Aug 14th - Sep 10th, Oct 14th - Nov 20th Medford: Sep 13th - 27th Los Angeles: Sep 30th - Oct 4th Tecate: Oct 5th - 12th Kansas: Nov 20th - 30th Nebraska: Dec 1st - Jan 10th We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in person very soon! In Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah Harris ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/07/26/furlough-in-the-usa/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"i-thank-my-god-in-all-my-remembrance-of-you-always-offering-prayer-with-joy-in-my-every-prayer-for-you-all-in-view-of-your-participation-in-the-gospel-from-the-first-day-until-now-phil-13-4\"\u003e“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the Gospel from the first day until now.”  Phil 1:3-4\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/01/IMG%5F3519-1024x239.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe are so grateful for your partnership in the Gospel with our family.  We have relied on your prayers for our strength and we have been blessed by your support.  May God richly bless you for what has been accomplished here because of you.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Furlough in the USA"},{"content":"“Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man , it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, “I will return to my house from which I came”; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there.” Matt 12:43-45a. This month I feel it would be good to share a testimony about a family that God delivered at our medical clinic. It is not uncommon for God to show up in miraculous ways like this, but because we have a full-time chaplain I am not always present to witness the miracles myself.\nOn a Monday toward the beginning of June, I was leading the clinic through Proverbs 31 in our morning devotions. When I was close to wrapping up, one of our patients (who I will call Jenny) came down the hall toward us, slithering like a snake, and then stopped just outside of our gathering. Jenny had been admitted three days before for severe malaria and her husband was also admitted with us because he had been bitten by a cobra. When we had finished our closing prayer, I knelt down in front of her to talk to her but found her completely unconscious. After placing Jenny in a wheelchair and laying her in her room, we decided to sing and pray over her. As the name of Jesus was sung, her unconscious body began convulsing and attempting to slither away from my friend and me. We prayed over her for ten to twenty minutes, and when we commanded the demons to leave her she opened her eyes and sat up wondering where she was and how she had gotten there. That day our team spent hours sharing with her and her husband, and she shared that the demons had taken up residence in her body back in 2014.\nThe next day I was invited back into our ward by a friend to come to lead to the Lord an elderly couple whom he had been sharing with the night before. As we came close, we saw Jenny collapse to the ground just outside of the Patients Kitchen. We then followed the same procedure as the day before, and again she started convulsing and trying to flee whenever she heard the name of the Lord. But God prevailed again, and within 40 minutes she was delivered. My friend and I shared the Gospel with her but in her state of stupor, Jenny didn’t give her life to the Lord. However, by the grace of God, many of our other patients had come to watch and we took the opportunity to gather them in the adjacent room and preach the Gospel. The elderly couple whom we had originally come for surrendered their lives to Jesus, and the other patients were encouraged.\nThat Saturday, at the request of Jenny’s husband, Luke Buescher and I organized a team from among our staff to travel to the family’s home (the next village over) and preach the Gospel. Our team was warned that this family was hostile to the Word and had been a hindrance to the previous outreaches in that area. But God had prepared their hearts, and for the most part, we found them ready to receive. By the end of our time there, many were freed from demonic oppression and a large number of the family, including Jenny, came to salvation!\n“Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. Matt 12:29 In Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/06/29/june-2020/","summary":"\u003ch6 id=\"now-when-the-unclean-spirit-goes-out-of-a-man--it-passes-through-waterless-places-seeking-rest-and-does-not-find-it-then-it-says-i-will-return-to-my-house-from-which-i-came-and-when-it-comes-it-finds-it-unoccupied-swept-and-put-in-order-then-it-goes-and-takes-along-with-it-seven-other-spirits-more-wicked-than-itself-and-they-go-in-and-live-there-matt-1243-45a\"\u003e“Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man , it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.  Then it says, “I will return to my house from which I came”; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.  Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there.”  Matt 12:43-45a.\u003c/h6\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/03/E2A53A69-27FC-4390-AEDE-64A93BFA9A6B.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis month I feel it would be good to share a testimony about a family that God delivered at our medical clinic.  It is not uncommon for God to show up in miraculous ways like this, but because we have a full-time chaplain I am not always present to witness the miracles myself.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"June 2020"},{"content":"“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Col 1:28 Not much has changed for our ministry this month as we are on week 11 of “lock down” ministry. When lock down started we had to switch our focus as a ministry from the pastoral training school, which was temporarily shut down, to relief aid and preaching Christ over the airwaves. We want to say thank you to everyone who has stepped up and donated during this time. The lock down has been devastating and it is heart breaking to see the suffering and starvation sweep through our communities, but it has been amazing to see God answer the needs of so many through the generosity of the global church body. As a ministry we are providing families with over 10 tons of food per week. Which means our churches are very busy blessing the communities through the hand outs and our staff at BAM are very very busy preparing the needed supplies, our machines never seem to shut down. We are blessed that along with the food packages we always have an opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and many people are being saved as they experience the great love that Christ has for them, including many women who’s desperation had led them to prostitution. And right now our pastoral team is being broadcasted over the East African airwaves 40 times a month. It has been great to see many come to Christ through the messages, understand the scriptures through the live call in times, and have the hope of Christ brought to them through the times of prayer. Thank you for the great love you’ve shown through your generosity and prayers.\nOur family is doing well, and we are pleased to announce that with the approval of our director and the local government, we have been accepted back into our community and have moved back home. This has brought back much needed stability and peace to us and our children and even to our neighbors. I have completely stepped back into my role over the clinic and at BAM. Noelle has enjoyed being back in our own space, homeschooling and doing small projects for the ministry. Please pray for us as we host 2 home churches over the weekends.\nMay God bless you and keep you during this difficult season, In Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/06/06/may-2020/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"him-we-preach-warning-every-man-and-teaching-every-man-in-all-wisdom-that-we-might-present-every-man-perfect-in-christ-jesus-col-128\"\u003e“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”  Col 1:28\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2020/06/93C2FDC7-F2CB-432E-9481-11AC7993CD75.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNot much has changed for our ministry this month as we are on week 11 of “lock down” ministry.    When lock down started we had to switch our focus as a ministry from the pastoral training school, which was temporarily shut down, to relief aid and preaching Christ over the airwaves.  We want to say thank you to everyone who has stepped up and donated during this time.  The lock down has been devastating and it is heart breaking to see the suffering and starvation sweep through our communities, but it has been amazing to see God answer the needs of so many through the generosity of the global church body.  As a ministry we are providing families with over 10 tons of food per week.  Which means our churches are very busy blessing the communities through the hand outs and our staff at BAM are very very busy preparing the needed supplies, our machines never seem to shut down.  We are blessed that along with the food packages we always have an opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and many people are being saved as they experience the great love that Christ has for them, including many women who’s desperation had led them to prostitution.  And right now our pastoral team is being broadcasted over the East African airwaves 40 times a month.  It has been great to see many come to Christ through the messages, understand the scriptures through the live call in times, and have the hope of Christ brought to them through the times of prayer.  Thank you for the great love you’ve shown through your generosity and prayers.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"May 2020"},{"content":"“The King will answer and say to them, “truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.”” Matt 25:40 Every human being has been created uniquely by God in His own image. God defined the value of every human being with the shedding of His Sons blood. Yet I still find myself assessing people to decide wether or not they are worthy of my love, my time or my consideration. It’s easy to look at an oncoming person in a crowd and decide that their grumpy attitude, or their prideful demeanor, disqualify them from a good interaction with me. We practice reactionary kindness. We practice reactionary grace. We practice reactionary love. I will bless and welcome you in a way that is directly corespondent to my assessment of your character. We find ourselves loving those that love us and hating those that hate us. Yet what greater reason could I have for being kind to someone than knowing that they bear the image of my creator. What greater value is possible to have than the worth of Jesus Christ’s own blood. Who am I to place a standard of worth higher than that. My kindness, grace and love should not be a reaction to an individual directly but a reaction to the value God has defined for human beings in the Gospel. We can love people before assessing wether they are worthy of it. The Gospel empowers us to show preemptive kindness.\n“ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:11 ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/04/08/preemptive-kidness/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"the-king-will-answer-and-say-to-them-truly-i-say-to-you-to-the-extent-that-you-did-it-to-one-of-these-brothers-of-mine-even-the-least-of-them-you-did-it-to-me-matt-2540\"\u003e“The King will answer and say to them, “truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.”” Matt 25:40\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery human being has been created uniquely by God in His own image.  God defined the value of every human being with the shedding of His Sons blood.  Yet I still find myself assessing people to decide wether or not they are worthy of my love, my time or my consideration.  It’s easy to look at an oncoming person in a crowd and decide that their grumpy attitude, or their prideful demeanor, disqualify them from a good interaction with me.  We practice reactionary kindness.  We practice reactionary grace.  We practice reactionary love.  I will bless and welcome you in a way that is directly corespondent to my assessment of your character.  We find ourselves loving those that love us and hating those that hate us.  Yet what greater reason could I have for being kind to someone than knowing that they bear the image of my creator.  What greater value is possible to have than the worth of Jesus Christ’s own blood.  Who am I to place a standard of worth higher than that.  My kindness, grace and love should not be a reaction to an individual directly but a reaction to the value God has defined for human beings in the Gospel.  We can love people before assessing wether they are worthy of it.  \u003cstrong\u003eThe Gospel empowers us to show preemptive kindness.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Preemptive Kindness"},{"content":"“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Josh 1:9 I hope this letter finds you abiding in the strength and love of Jesus Christ our Savior, As with all of you, and the rest of the world; this month has been a roller coaster for our family. We started the month in expectation of teaching our pastors the book of Jeremiah, for things to continue normally at the clinic and at BAM and to enjoy a visit from my parents at the end of the month. But it didn’t take long for all of that to change as the country of Uganda began preparing to battle the virus.\nConcerning the school:\nEarlier in the month President Museveni shut down all schools in Uganda for 30 days or until further notice. In obedience to our authorities we have postponed the Jeremiah/Lamentations class until the schools re-open. Our team is taking this opportunity to get ahead on the development of curriculum.\nPlease pray: For God to give us wisdom to create the curriculum and to encourage our students.\nConcerning the clinic:\nWe have bunkered down and prepared for any pandemic by stocking up on supplies and medicines as well as by putting our staff through various trainings on COVID-19. God has also helped give us the wisdom to create a separate “clinic” to care for any patients who have signs/symptoms of the virus so that they don’t mix with our pregnant mothers and our critical patients.\nPlease pray: For our staff to have courage and unity as they face what is coming. Unfortunately we have had 2 staff quit this month and we expect more to follow.\nConcerning the Business As Mission Enterprise:\nWe are still alive and kicking at BAM, which is necessary now more than ever. We praise God that He gave our ministry the foresight to have a self sustainability project in place for such times as these. Right now the prices of produce in Uganda are raising drastically, but God has allowed us to maintain a steady, fair, and constant supply of food for our distressed district. Also, we are starting to work hand in hand with our local government to supply goods to quarantined people in our District.\nPlease pray: For the leadership of BAM to have strength and wisdom as they continue work under more and more stressful situations.\nConcerning the Widows:\nRecently the President has banned any gathering of more than 5 people for any event, eg: funerals, weddings, church etc. With that in mind we have altered our distributions so that the widows being cared for are separated into smaller and smaller groups as they continue being supported and encouraged.\nPlease pray: For these widows to find their peace in Jesus Christ now more than ever, as they are tempted by the tribal king to revive their worship of the Acholi gods.\nConcerning our family:\nUnfortunately because of bad rumors and threats, our family had to be relocated from the village to the city as we wait for things to calm down. We are very sad to leave our home and our ministry, but we know that God is in control and that the lessons He is teaching us will shape us into the servants we need to be.\nPlease Pray: for God to give our children peace as we resettle into our temporary living situation.\nGod Bless you and yours, In Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/03/31/march-2020/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"have-i-not-commanded-you-be-strong-and-courageous-do-not-be-frightened-and-do-not-be-dismayed-for-the-lord-your-god-is-with-you-wherever-you-go-josh-19\"\u003e“Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Josh 1:9\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/03/0FF39FF1-036A-4ACA-8209-73B0370A1038-1024x273.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003ch5 id=\"i-hope-this-letter-finds-you-abiding-in-the-strength-and-love-of-jesus-christ-our-savior\"\u003eI hope this letter finds you abiding in the strength and love of Jesus Christ our Savior,\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs with all of you, and the rest of the world; this month has been a roller coaster for our family.  We started the month in expectation of teaching our pastors the book of Jeremiah, for things to continue normally at the clinic and at BAM and to enjoy a visit from my parents at the end of the month.  But it didn’t take long for all of that to change as the country of Uganda began preparing to battle the virus.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"March 2020"},{"content":"“He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know me,” John 10:13-14 This month is a blur in my memory. Each day went by so slowly, but now looking back it’s as if no time passed at all. I myself (Noelle) left our two-room, temporary apartment only a few times, so my concept of time and days has become very skewed. But here we are at the beginning of a new month, and I hope I can share with you what God has been doing here in Gulu, Uganda, even though I have not been directly involved with almost any of it.\nFirst of all, I praise God for His provision for us as a ministry. He has done so much to sustain us and allowed us to reach out in more “practical” ways during this difficult time. He opened doors so that we can continue giving food to those women in our widows program. He brought in funds so we can give food to many people who are in need. He enabled us to give deals on certain products at our grain facility to make things more affordable. He allowed us to give a daily portion of food to the patients staying in our medical clinic, and to lower the cost of malaria medications as people are low on cash in these days.\nDue to restrictions during the lock-down, we are blessed to partner with the local government to distribute food packages. People go to their local leader to be vetted before receiving a voucher for food supplies. They can then go to one of the 2 Calvary Chapels in the city and receive amounts of rice, oil, and beans, which are supplied by our grain facility. With all of this, along with the current radio ministry we are able to do, we are making a lot of relationships with those in the local government and also gaining a lot of publicity. Please pray for these MANY opportunities to share the hope of Christ to be fruitful!\nBecause the limit of how many people can meet together is only 5, the 2 Calvary churches we are closely connected with have been doing home fellowships. Each fellowship is lead by different leaders in the church, whether they are leading only their family or a few small fellowships throughout the day. Between the 2 Calvary’s, there are more than 60 home fellowships, who are currently going through either the book of Daniel, or through the I Am statements of Christ, depending on which church they normally attend. It is exciting to see so many believers staying faithful and even growing into leaders during this time. Pray for these leaders, that they would continue to grow in the knowledge of Christ, and be bold in preaching the gospel in truth.\nFor our family, by God’s grace we decided not to waste this time of separation from normal work and life, but to get ourselves more on track physically and spiritually. Physically we had been at a lower point than we would have liked to believe, but getting rushed out of our home and normal groove helped us to “restart” in a way. A new meal plan and changes in diet, and daily exercise for both me and Matt, have really helped us start feeling better in general. The extra time for Matt to be able to sit and read the Word has been a real encouragement. He was even able to attend the online Men’s conference put on by our church in CO and two other Calvary’s.\nPraise God: For all the provision he is giving those in need. For the faithful worship of Christ through home churches. For our family’s health. Please Pray: For wisdom as we seek to meet physical needs right now. That our “small church” leaders are equipped to faithfully handle the Word. That God would fill us with His Spirit. In Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/05/08/april-2020/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"he-flees-because-he-is-a-hired-hand-and-is-not-concerned-about-the-sheep-i-am-the-good-shepherd-and-i-know-my-own-and-my-own-know-me-john-1013-14\"\u003e“He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know me,” John 10:13-14\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2020/05/D18972AC-510D-4463-BECB-AD979A54ACB4.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis month is a blur in my memory. Each day went by so slowly, but now looking back it’s as if no time passed at all. I myself (Noelle) left our two-room, temporary apartment only a few times, so my concept of time and days has become very skewed. But here we are at the beginning of a new month, and I hope I can share with you what God has been doing here in Gulu, Uganda, even though I have not been directly involved with almost any of it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"April 2020"},{"content":"Dear Friends and Family,\nPlease watch this video and check out our October update…\n\u0026amp;feature=youtu.be\nWe are excited as always to share our hearts with you all. Around 17 months ago God led my family into the pursuit of overseas missions with our good friend Luke Buescher. After confirming our calling, we met regularly to pray for about 6-7 months before God gave us clear direction: We were to join Terebinth Ministries and minister to the physical and spiritual health of the Acholi people in Uganda, Africa.\nNorthern Uganda, where the Acholi tribe resides, has been the focal point of war and civil unrest for many, many years, the most recent of which was the unconventional war of Joseph Kony, against human life. Under Kony’s rebellion, countless children were forced to brutally kill their families and join his military ranks to wipe out anyone who did not suit his purposes. Uganda as a whole also suffers greatly from widespread witchcraft that even penetrates the church and has resulted in deep syncretism. For the past 10 years there has finally come a time of peace from war, but they are still in the midst of spiritual confusion and twisted beliefs. From a broad survey, Uganda\u0026rsquo;s population is more than 80% Christian. However, more than 80% of their pastors have no Biblical training, and the visible Ugandan church is overrun with cultural animistic witchcraft, syncretism, prosperity cult, and the like. The leaders of the true Ugandan church are in total agreement that the deepest need in Uganda is for a depth of Biblical understanding and knowledge to combat these deep-rooted lies. They describe Uganda’s spiritual state as “a river a kilometer wide and an inch deep”. There is a serious deficit of discipleship.\nTerebinth Ministries works as a partner with the Acholi church, not as a leader with typical Western goals and mindsets, but under Ugandan church leadership. They have started a pastoral school of discipleship to address the deep spiritual needs, and have been blessed to oversee a medical clinic and farming area to assist in the community’s stability and growth. We will be serving with them as teachers in the pastoral school, and as managers of some upcoming agricultural projects. To see more up-close what the ministry is doing, watch their new video posted above.\nAs you are probably aware, we are currently living in Uganda as missionaries-in-training. We have been attending the Institute For Gospel Transformation, at New Hope Uganda, for the last 4 months and will soon be graduating! During our time here we have gained countless insights about ourselves, the Gospel, and the African mindsets. God has blessed us with friends and teachers who help us prepare for life here in understanding culture, language, lifestyle, and the common local beliefs. God has really worked in us during our time in training, and has also opened the door for us to partner with Saving Grace World Missions as our sending team. We praise God for His provision! And we are excited to have a way to facilitate funds and make donations tax-deductible.\nWe would be honored to have you join us in prayer over: gospel penetration and understanding in Uganda, the equipping of the church, our stability as a family, and our continued growth.\nIn Christ, with love, Matt, Noelle, Emma, \u0026amp; Madeline\nWe rely solely on donations from people like you who have a heart to see the people of Uganda ministered to. Please consider partnering with us by clicking on the \u0026lsquo;Become a Financial Partner\u0026rsquo; button above.\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2017/11/08/8/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eDear Friends and Family,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease watch this video and check out our October update…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\u003e\n      \u003ciframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen\" loading=\"eager\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/mY551t9oRiA?autoplay=0\u0026amp;controls=1\u0026amp;end=0\u0026amp;loop=0\u0026amp;mute=0\u0026amp;start=0\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;\" title=\"YouTube video\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n    \u003c/div\u003e\n\u0026amp;feature=youtu.be\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are excited as always to share our hearts with you all. Around 17 months ago God led my family into the pursuit of overseas missions with our good friend Luke Buescher. After confirming our calling, we met regularly to pray for about 6-7 months before God gave us clear direction: We were to join Terebinth Ministries and minister to the physical and spiritual health of the Acholi people in Uganda, Africa.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"October 2017"},{"content":"“So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” Psalm 63:2-3 In the month of January God gave me (Matt) the wonderful privilege of attending the annual East Africa Calvary Chapel Association Conference. It was my first time to attend this conference but I hope it will not be the last. Although I love the church as a whole, I have a special place in my heart for the Calvary Chapel movement, that seeks to permeate the world with the Gospel through sharing the Love of Jesus and simply explaining the words of God. It was wonderful to sit in the “sanctuary” and behold what God has done and is doing in this region of the world in and through His bride. Jesus touched my heart as I worshiped Him alongside men, of all different tribes and languages, who have separated themselves from the deceitful pleasures of this life to love and serve the King of Kings. All of us were stirred and filled as we looked at Jesus words the seven churches in the first chapters of Revelation. It was a perfect way for me to start the year, filling my heart with expectation for what God has in store for 2020. My prayer is for there to be a church in every village that rightly handles the Word of Truth and believes in the transforming power of Jesus death and resurrection.\nMy family and I would like to take a moment to appreciate all of your for your partnership with us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is so evident that there are prayers going up to heaven on our behalf every day and that we are well loved. Thank you for your love, thank you for your prayers, thank you for your encouragement. We wish it were easier to fit into our updates all that you have helped to accomplish and have been an impact on over the last year. To hear more deeply of the answered prayers. To see the faces of those who have had healing. And to hear testimonies from those being transformed. It is our hope that one day you will be able to come and see it with your own eyes.\nAlso, please pray for East Africa, as there is a massive plague of locusts moving through the region causing tremendous pain and suffering to those in its path.\nIn Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/02/07/january-2020/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"so-i-have-looked-upon-you-in-the-sanctuary-beholding-your-power-and-glory-because-your-steadfast-love-is-better-than-life-my-lips-will-praise-you-psalm-632-3\"\u003e“So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.  Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.”  Psalm 63:2-3\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the month of January God gave me (Matt) the wonderful privilege of attending the annual East Africa Calvary Chapel Association Conference.  It was my first time to attend this conference but I hope it will not be the last.  Although I love the church as a whole, I have a special place in my heart for the Calvary Chapel movement, that seeks to permeate the world with the Gospel through sharing the Love of Jesus and simply explaining the words of God.  It was wonderful to sit in the “sanctuary” and behold what God has done and is doing in this region of the world in and through His bride.  Jesus touched my heart as I worshiped Him alongside men, of all different tribes and languages, who have separated themselves from the deceitful pleasures of this life to love and serve the King of Kings.  All of us were stirred and filled as we looked at Jesus words the seven churches in the first chapters of Revelation.  It was a perfect way for me to start the year, filling my heart with expectation for what God has in store for 2020.  My prayer is for there to be a church in every village that rightly handles the Word of Truth and believes in the transforming power of Jesus death and resurrection.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"January 2020"},{"content":"“The Lord sustains all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.” Psalms 145:14 As you may know, our primary ministry here in Uganda is the biblical training of pastors at the Terebinth School of Discipleship. However, God has surrounded that ministry with a few other ways for our team to reach the Acholi people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A more recent addition has been the widows\u0026rsquo; ministry. As we take our students through the whole of Scripture one of the themes we highlight is God’s heart for the widow and last year God opened the door for us to not only teach our pastors about His heart towards them but to partner with them practically. We train committees at our students\u0026rsquo; churches and give them supplies to provide healthcare, food, discipleship, fellowship, and work to the widows in their areas. By God’s grace we’re hearing a lot of testimonies, and seeing a lot of families come to know the Lord because of this practical display of love. We even have a witch doctor enrolled in the program who is receiving discipleship. We hope and pray she responds to Christ soon. In the month of February, God opened the door to triple the number of widows in the program, and we pray that He will continue using this ministry mightily.\nClose to one year ago I was placed as the Administrator over our medical clinic, which is another branch of Terebinth. The medical center has been used by God to reach the Acholi people in so many ways. In a month we can treat as many as 250 out-patients, care for 50+ in-patients, deliver more than 30 babies, and immunize 300-400 children. We see a lot of motorcycle accidents, snake bites, and cases of severe malaria. The spiritual atmosphere in our surrounding village is very dark, and we see several attempted suicides a month, alcohol abuse, and domestic violence. But we see that Jesus’ light is shining, as we open every day at the clinic with devotions with our staff and willing in-patients, and our chaplain who is a pastor who has graduated from our school who encourages, counsels, and prays with the patients even late into the night. God has used this position to stretch and grow me in a lot of ways but it’s not always easy. It’s been hard to see the harsh realities of life and death in the bush. And it’s hard to work so closely with a corrupt local government. We praise God for what He’s doing and what He will do with the clinic.\nAs a family we are doing well, as we await the arrival of my parents, who will be staying with us for the month of April. We miss all of you, and we pray that God would give us better communication skills to keep in better contact with you.\nPraise God… that He healed our pastor of his stage-4 cancer. That we were able to trade in our van for a 4 wheel drive vehicle that can better manage the roads surrounding our village. That Luke is back and well! Thank you for your prayers concerning his health, we are happy to have him back in Uganda. Please pray… for me (Matt), to have wisdom in leading the medical clinic For favor in the eyes of the local government as I look for grants and programs to help offset the cost of the medical center. That our pastors would grow in their theology of suffering as they look at the book of Job this week. That God shines the light of the Gospel into our community through the local church and empowers us with the Holy Spirit to proclaim His word. With love, The Harris’s Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline \u0026amp; Noah ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/03/03/february-2020/","summary":"\u003ch4 id=\"the-lord-sustains-all-who-fall-and-raises-up-all-who-are-bowed-down-psalms-14514\"\u003e“The Lord sustains all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.”  Psalms 145:14\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/11/E3588B52-3AD6-474F-8BF2-D0325F9BA3F2-1024x182.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs you may know, our primary ministry here in Uganda is the biblical training of pastors at the Terebinth School of Discipleship.  However, God has surrounded that ministry with a few other ways for our team to reach the Acholi people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  A more recent addition has been the widows\u0026rsquo; ministry.  As we take our students through the whole of Scripture one of the themes we highlight is God’s heart for the widow and last year God opened the door for us to not only teach our pastors about His heart towards them but to partner with them practically.  We train committees at our students\u0026rsquo; churches and give them supplies to provide healthcare, food, discipleship, fellowship, and work to the widows in their areas.  By God’s grace we’re hearing a lot of testimonies, and seeing a lot of families come to know the Lord because of this practical display of love.  We even have a witch doctor enrolled in the program who is receiving discipleship. We hope and pray she responds to Christ soon.  In the month of February, God opened the door to triple the number of widows in the program, and we pray that He will continue using this ministry mightily.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"February 2020"},{"content":"“I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.” 3 John v4 The month of December was full of ups and downs, but the one thing we feel overall about it is joy.\nLast year we did nothing American to celebrate Christmas besides cinnamon rolls for breakfast and reading the story of Christ’s birth in Luke. The day passed slowly, and ended up being kind of miserable because we didn’t sleep at all that night, hearing the discos throbbing music and the public showing of movie after movie, as loudly as if they were inside our bedrooms, all though the night. This year we decided to be a little more traditional and put up a few lights and decorations, do a gift exchange with the kids, and invite some dear friends, 3 single ladies over for dinner, since their families had traveled for the holiday to different villages. It was not quite a white Christmas, or a comfy cozy one, but it was restful and fun for all of us. And the disco got rained out, which was an answer to prayer for us (both for sleep, but also for the sake of our community and discouraging them from celebrating in ungodly ways).\nAnd the New Year slipped in so nonchalantly. There were events to mark the day, but having no real change of season to mark the time has made it difficult to believe that another year is in the past.\nI want to let you know about our friend Luke, who’s health we had asked you to pray for. As soon as he saw he wasn’t going to get any real answers, and that he was not getting any better in the hospitals here, he flew back to the States and sought treatment there. Thankfully he recovered steadily from his first doctors visit, and I believe he is on track with his health to be joining us again soon. The doctors in America guessed that it was an undiagnosed case of pneumonia, among possible other things. But the good news is that God has been healing Luke and giving his body strength! Praise God for these answers to prayer!\nNow we have something to share which is never easy to talk about. Over the last half a year, God has been readying our hearts to receive another child. With all 3 of our children we’ve really felt God preparing us beforehand for them, and even with Noah we felt God leading us to pray for a boy months before he was conceived, though we weren’t sure whether to expect one through adoption or of ourselves. This time, late in November we found out I was pregnant. We were happy to know this, and were glad God had been preparing us. But just two days after the positive test, I miscarried. I was only about 4 weeks along, some people wouldn’t have even guessed they were pregnant at that point, but I had, and I was. And then I wasn’t. It was a confusing few days as we tried to understand what might have caused it or if the test had just malfunctioned to begin with. Well, just 2 weeks later we had it medically confirmed as a miscarriage in a wild rush of physical pain and emotions. After a day of cramping and a night of fitful sleep, I woke up to excruciating pain in my lower right abdomen. We packed up the kids, called our x-ray technician friend in town, and left the house at 5:30 in the morning. Friends kept the kids for us as we waited for answers: Completion of miscarriage (which can take up to 6 wks for some people), malaria, and early appendicitis. After a lot of help from the Lord, a few days of bed rest, and a whole lot of pills, I made it through and am physically feeling fine.\nEmotionally I’m doing well too. God has given us peace about the final resting place of this child. We decided to name him Jordan, after the river (it’s easier to say ‘him’, but we don’t know which the child was). When the Israelites went into the land God had promised, they crossed the Jordan River. The name seemed fitting since this baby crossed into the Promised Land before us. And while we truly are sad to miss any future here on earth with Jordan, we have such comfort knowing where he is, and where we would have hoped and prayed all his life on earth that he would go if he had stayed; the arms of the Father. A verse that has always held such meaning for me in regards to our children is 3 John, verse 4, which says, “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”\nAnd to know that my child has already reached the end of that “walk”, and is resting now in the presence of the Lord… I have a peace that passes my own understanding, and joy. I look forward now to worshipping the Lord together with him one day.\nPlease do continue to pray for us as we keep our eyes on the goal of Christ’s glory. Many blessings in Jesus, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2020/01/06/december-2019/","summary":"\u003ch4 id=\"i-have-no-greater-joy-than-this-to-hear-of-my-children-walking-in-the-truth-3-john-v4\"\u003e“I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.” 3 John v4\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe month of December was full of ups and downs, but the one thing we feel overall about it is joy.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2020/01/308A102F-EF6A-4077-93A1-9768BC28D76F.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLast year we did nothing American to celebrate Christmas besides cinnamon rolls for breakfast and reading the story of Christ’s birth in Luke. The day passed slowly, and ended up being kind of miserable because we didn’t sleep at all that night, hearing the discos throbbing music and the public showing of movie after movie, as loudly as if they were inside our bedrooms, all though the night. This year we decided to be a little more traditional and put up a few lights and decorations, do a gift exchange with the kids, and invite some dear friends, 3 single ladies over for dinner, since their families had traveled for the holiday to different villages. It was not quite a white Christmas, or a comfy cozy one, but it was restful and fun for all of us. And the disco got rained out, which was an answer to prayer for us (both for sleep, but also for the sake of our community and discouraging them from celebrating in ungodly ways).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"December 2019"},{"content":"“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matt 13:44 Last month we told you briefly about a coming training for some pastors in our community. In the recent months we have seen an increase in attempts of suicide in our area, our own clinic treating several cases within a months time. Matt spoke with the pastors in the Terebinth School who are from our village of Adak, and they decided to gather pastors and leaders from every church in Adak for a special training. Nearly 50 leaders met for 3 days to learn about Biblical counseling, and how to minister to the people in their church who are dealing with depression, suicidal thoughts, or even just having a hard time. Matt was also able to speak for a few minutes on the value of life, and how we should not dismiss or look down on people dealing with these issues because Christ placed a high value on them by offering His own life for them. In all it was a good training. Please continue praying for God to work in our village and community, in the churches and especially in the lives and families of these pastors and leaders.\nIn November the pastors in the Terebinth School of discipleship went through the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew is a beautiful book portraying Jesus as God’s Only Chosen King in fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant, and it was a joy to walk the pastors through it. It was an especially fruitful time since Matt and I have been doing our memorization in Matthew.\nWe have also been blessed to receive a visitor. Matt’s mom, Tammy, was able to come and spend 3 weeks with us here. It has been a wonderful time for all of us, but especially for the kids, to be able to see her after just about a year (Matt and I both saw her separately on our short return trips). The girls missed her SO much, and Noah is very happy to have an exciting new person in the house. On top of being refreshed by the company, it has been a blessing to have someone here who can watch the kids sometimes. As I write this, Tammy is with Emma and Maddie at a kids camp put on by our friend working with Child Evangelism Fellowship. They are having a wonderful time, Noah is enjoying his uninterrupted playtime, and we are getting some much needed computer work done (like writing this letter:).\nWe also wanted to give you a quick update on our friend Luke Buescher, who had been sick in a hospital in Kampala. Since last update he has flown home to the US and is slowly recovering. It still isn’t totally clear what the problem was but we are glad to see him improving. Thank you for your prayers!\nWe love you all and look forward to our next meeting! In Christ Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/12/03/november-2019/","summary":"\u003ch6 id=\"the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-like-a-treasure-hidden-in-the-field-which-a-man-found-and-hid-again-and-from-joy-over-it-he-goes-and-sells-all-that-he-has-and-buys-that-field-matt-1344\"\u003e“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matt 13:44\u003c/h6\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/12/A32F8517-132C-4CF4-9FFF-4720A68773CF-1024x396.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLast month we told you briefly about a coming training for some pastors in our community. In the recent months we have seen an increase in attempts of suicide in our area, our own clinic treating several cases within a months time. Matt spoke with the pastors in the Terebinth School who are from our village of Adak, and they decided to gather pastors and leaders from every church in Adak for a special training. Nearly 50 leaders met for 3 days to learn about Biblical counseling, and how to minister to the people in their church who are dealing with depression, suicidal thoughts, or even just having a hard time. Matt was also able to speak for a few minutes on the value of life, and how we should not dismiss or look down on people dealing with these issues because Christ placed a high value on them by offering His own life for them. In all it was a good training. Please continue praying for God to work in our village and community, in the churches and especially in the lives and families of these pastors and leaders.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"November 2019"},{"content":"“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10\nWhen we moved here to the village of Adak, God gave us a burden for our neighborhood and a desire to see the Gospel come to life in our community. Within a few months of being here, I (Matt) started a bible study on Tuesday nights for the youth of the area. We pray that some of the seeds that were sown at that time will continue to grow, but it didn’t take very long for us to see that we needed a different approach to reach our neighbors. Then, at the time that we were closing down that Bible study I started meeting with one of our neighbors who’s name was Daniel. Together Daniel and I read and talked through the entire New Testament and the impact that God’s Word had on Daniel\u0026rsquo;s life was tremendous. The same week we finished Revelation, Daniel left to another town in order to study nursing. With Daniel gone Noelle and I started praying for further direction from God concerning our village and within a short amount of time we had around 15 men meeting in our home every Wednesday night to fellowship and study God’s Word and Noelle started a separate study with a couple of the women from the community! Our goal with these studies is to lead people into developing their own relationships with God where they know how to pray, how to read the Bible for themselves and understand it, how to memorize scripture, and most importantly give them an understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Praise God for his faithfulness to seek out and save the lost.\nGod has also been moving on the “official ministry” side of things.\nThis past month our pastoral students got to learn about Israel\u0026rsquo;s return from exile in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. Please continue praying for all of the churches they represent.\nWe just finished construction on another chicken house and now have the capacity for 6,600 chickens! God also provided BAM with a means of transporting our large loads!\nAnd we have been very happy with our medical staff who in the last month have seen over 300 patients, immunized more than 400 children, delivered 48 babies and treated many tropical diseases including 143 cases of malaria.\nGod bless you\nMatt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah!\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/10/04/september-2019/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/10/71FCBD46-FB16-41F4-A30E-894AEF1A029E-e1570196202153-1024x768.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen we moved here to the village of Adak, God gave us a burden for our neighborhood and a desire to see the Gospel come to life in our community.  Within a few months of being here, I (Matt) started a bible study on Tuesday nights for the youth of the area.  We pray that some of the seeds that were sown at that time will continue to grow, but it didn’t take very long for us to see that we needed a different approach to reach our neighbors. Then, at the time that we were closing down that Bible study I started meeting with one of our neighbors who’s name was Daniel.  Together Daniel and I read and talked through the entire New Testament and the impact that God’s Word had on Daniel\u0026rsquo;s life was tremendous. The same week we finished Revelation, Daniel left to another town in order to study nursing. With Daniel gone Noelle and I started praying for further direction from God concerning our village and within a short amount of time we had around 15 men meeting in our home every Wednesday night to fellowship and study God’s Word and Noelle started a separate study with a couple of the women from the community! Our goal with these studies is to lead people into developing their own relationships with God where they know how to pray, how to read the Bible for themselves and understand it, how to memorize scripture, and most importantly give them an understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Praise God for his faithfulness to seek out and save the lost.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"September 2019"},{"content":"So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. John 13:12-14 In the month of August I had the awesome privilege of teaching at the first pastors conference put on by the Northern Uganda Calvary Chapel Association. This Association was formed in 2018 as a way to help shepherd the Calvary churches in the area. The theme of the event was servant leadership and we took 2 days to look at Jesus example of washing His disciple’s feet. The Holy Spirit guided us as we taught and touched the hearts of the pastors who were listening to inspire them and challenge their methods of leadership. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and growth and we are thankful for what God did. Please pray for us as we prepare to teach at a few more conferences coming up.\nI’m very excited that recently Noelle has been meeting with two of our neighbors to teach them biblical womanhood. Noelle is taking them through the creation account in Genesis, showing the equal value men and women have, and explaining the different roles God has given us respectively. Please pray for strength and wisdom for her as she continues through the study with these women, and also homeschools our kids.\nLet no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. 1 Tim 4:12 In Christ,\nMatt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/09/08/august-2019/","summary":"\u003ch6 id=\"so-when-he-had-washed-their-feet-and-taken-his-garments-and-reclined-at-the-table-again-he-said-to-them-do-you-know-what-i-have-done-to-you-you-call-me-teacher-and-lord-and-you-are-right-for-so-i-am-if-i-then-the-lord-and-the-teacher-washed-your-feet-you-also-ought-to-wash-one-anothers-feet-john1312-14\"\u003eSo when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.  “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  John 13:12-14\u003c/h6\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/01/IMG%5F3519-1024x239.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the month of August I had the awesome privilege of teaching at the first pastors conference put on by the Northern Uganda Calvary Chapel Association.  This Association was formed in 2018 as a way to help shepherd the Calvary churches in the area.  The theme of the event was servant leadership and we took 2 days to look at Jesus example of washing His disciple’s feet.  The Holy Spirit guided us as we taught and touched the hearts of the pastors who were listening to inspire them and challenge their methods of leadership.  It was a wonderful time of fellowship and growth and we are thankful for what God did.  Please pray for us as we prepare to teach at a few more conferences coming up.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"August 2019"},{"content":"“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble” Psalms 37:38 July marks 2 years since my family moved to Uganda. It has been amazing to reflect on that time and see how faithful God has been to shape us and to work around us. We are so grateful for the call God placed on our lives and I am grateful for the joy and peace that Jesus has brought to our family as we lean on him.\nMy wife Noelle had the blessing of traveling to the United States for a few weeks this past month to visit her family. The main purpose for Noelle’s trip was for her to spend time with her father who is in the later stages of Alzheimer’s. It was really a blessing for Noelle to see her dad and it was very encouraging for her father to be able to meet our son Noah for the first time. Despite taking a little while to warm up to him, Noah really enjoined his grandpa. While she was in NE my parents had the opportunity to pay them a visit so that my Dad could meet our son for the first time as well!\nDuring Noelle’s time with her family, I (Matt) stayed home with our daughters as a single dad. It was hard to be without Noelle but my time with Emma and Madeline was very rewarding. Because I took I lighter work load I was able to spend a lot of time playing, reading, praying and singing with my little girls.\nGod has also continued to show himself faithful on the ministry side during the month of July. Our pastors studied through the books of 1st and 2nd Samuel and got to enjoy seeing David as the picture of Jesus the king of kings.\nAt BAM (Business AS Mission) God has been going above our expectations and our good’s have been selling as fast as we can produce them. We are now supplying 6 schools with our products and despite having 1500 laying chickens we have been selling out of eggs every week.\n“But for you, O Lord, I do wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.” Psalms 38:15 Love you guys,\nMatt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah!\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/08/01/july-2019/","summary":"\u003ch6 id=\"the-salvation-of-the-righteous-is-from-the-lord-he-is-their-stronghold-in-the-time-of-trouble-psalms-3738\"\u003e“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble” Psalms 37:38\u003c/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJuly marks 2 years since my family moved to Uganda.  It has been amazing to reflect on that time and see how faithful God has been to shape us and to work around us.  We are so grateful for the call God placed on our lives and I am grateful for the joy and peace that Jesus has brought to our family as we lean on him.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"July 2019"},{"content":" As a family we have decided to visit the churches of our students and friends to see how they are doing and to bring them some encouragement from Gods Word. With the permission of each pastor we have also decided to allow you to join us on that journey so that you will be more informed as you think about and pray for the churches of Uganda. We pray that these short Pastoral Bios would encourage you in your walk with God and that you would grow in your love for Jesus as you see how he is moving in the hearts of so many people!\nBongonyinge George was born in a small village to very poor parents. From the age of 10 he began working in peoples fields to earn his school fees. Even at a young age he valued life, counseling one young man out of killing an old woman, and when he worked for the government prison he would bring back escapees alive while others were not so careful to do so. Once while working as prison warden, 120 prisoners escaped, for which he was sentenced to 2 years on the other side of those bars. While there, he was helped by a Four Square church who assisted in transporting prisoners to the hospital and paying their fees. After his release in 1977, he joined the Four Square church, which later turned into a Calvary Chapel. He went on to serve as assisting pastor in several church plants from that same Calvary. George and his wife Adoch Grace have 8 children and care for 4 orphan boys.\nPastor George was among our 1st class of graduates from the Terebinth School of Discipleship and in January of this year pastor Bongonying planted Lwala Calvary Chapel under some mango trees. Calvary Lwala has around 40 members and their theme that Jesus Christ is God’s revelation to us was taken out of Revelatoin 1:1.\nPray for Calvary Chapel Lwala Pray that God would continue to grow them in faith and love. Pray that people’s hearts would be transformed by the Gospel. Pray that they would have a place to meet in the future. ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/07/31/pastor-bongonyinge-george/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/02/IMG%5F3780-1024x322.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs a family we have decided to visit the churches of our students and friends to see how they are doing and to bring them some encouragement from Gods Word.  With the permission of each pastor we have also decided to allow you to join us on that journey so that you will be more informed as you think about and pray for the churches of Uganda.  We pray that these short Pastoral Bios would encourage you in your walk with God and that you would grow in your love for Jesus as you see how he is moving in the hearts of so many people!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pastor Bongonyinge George"},{"content":" “Trust in the lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.” Psalm 37:3\nAfter graduating our first class of pastors we shifted the class week of the second group a couple of weeks back, giving us much needed time to rest and extra time to work closer the other parts of ministry. God has really been doing a lot in each area of His work here!\nAt BAM (Business As Mission) we are well on our way towards making a self sustaining ministry! God provided the funding for us to start building our last chicken house which will put our final capacity at 6,000 birds, 5,000 of which will be laying at any given time. This increase has allowed for us to buy a second set of maize milling machines so that we can have one set solely for the use of the community, and one set for us to produce our maize products with. We also have partnered with more schools in our district who are getting regular shipments from us.\nWe are also seeing God’s hand moving at our clinic. We start off every day at the clinic with morning devotions which all of our staff and our patients who are able, attend. Discipleship always feels slow but “in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Gal 6:9b). Recently we have been going through the book of Proverbs which is a great book for laying a foundation of biblical principles and for revealing our need for a savior. The work on the physical side has also been going well as we continue facilitating the communities medical needs. In the last 2 month’s Northern Uganda has had a 3 year high in malaria cases, so please be praying for the health of the people here.\nThe time away from class over the month of June has allowed us to cultivate our home life. Our friend Luke and Matt have been able to start a youtube channel to document our time here and Noelle has gotten to spend time teaching our kids diligence as she works in the garden with them almost everyday. It sure is amazing how responsible and happy a trained child can be! Every week day (with supervision) Emma and Madeline walk to the well and pump their very own 6 liters of water, then they happily drag that water home and keep it outside in the sun so that they can bath themselves in warm water later in the day! We have running water at our house but we just use things like this as training opportunities.\nHere is the link to our youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCutz0sjvtCp0w5pvohBvZ4g\nMay God bless you guys\nMatt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/07/04/june-2019/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/07/14CFA139-6DA9-4D7B-B5ED-5780E17DAE41-1024x768.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e“Trust in the lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.”  Psalm 37:3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter graduating our first class of pastors we shifted the class week of the second group a couple of weeks back, giving us much needed time to rest and extra time to work closer the other parts of ministry.  God has really been doing a lot in each area of His work here!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/07/58EE7912-947F-406D-A942-FF85D6CCDED6-1024x768.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt BAM (Business As Mission) we are well on our way towards making a self sustaining ministry!  God provided the funding for us to start building our last chicken house which will put our final capacity at 6,000 birds, 5,000 of which will be laying at any given time.  This increase has allowed for us to buy a second set of maize milling machines so that we can have one set solely for the use of the community, and one set for us to produce our maize products with.  We also have partnered with more schools in our district who are getting regular shipments from us.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"June 2019"},{"content":" “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,” 1 Timothy 1:12\nI hope this letter finds you well and continuing on in the love of Christ.\nHappy Missionversary! In the month of April we celebrated a whole year of being in Uganda. By God’s grace we have done many things and endured many things, small as they may be, for the sake of Christ and His gospel. We are continually amazed by the opportunities God puts in our path, the grace and strength He gives us as we walk through it, and by the results of our obedience which are most times better than we expected. And then we look at the many people God used to bring and keep us out here, and the fact that each of you made a decision to give and support and pray, being obedient to what God put on your heart. We are humbled by Gods abundant and lavish love on us in such evident form. Praise God with us for the good things He has done, especially the ones He has done here as we celebrate our 1 year mark. And thank you so much for your part in this ministry!\nRight now Matt is on an airplane with our good friend and teammate Luke, headed to Mexico to celebrate his brother’s wedding. God answered a direct prayer and allowed Matt to go for the wedding, and we are so thankful! I’ve stayed behind with the kids and am faring well. God has put in place many good relationships in our community and I feel at peace with being here “alone”. We are in good hands here in our little village. Pray for us though, while he’s away, I think by the end of his trip the kids will be out of their minds from missing him. Pray for me too that I would have wisdom and patience.\nLast month was eventful. Besides for the normal happenings of studying, classes, and managerial work by Matt, and homeschooling and managing neighborhood kids by me, we’ve had some really cool stuff going on. We’ve seen an increase in the profitability of the clinic here at the Dream Center, which is a huge matter of praise to God. The business end was blessed to expand it’s chicken operation, and to fence off the property to protect crops and assets from cows and anyone taking advantage of the openness of things here. And the first set of pastors just finished their last week of class, which included each pastor teaching through a scriptural theme and presenting the gospel. Later on this month we will see them graduate!\nPlease be in prayer for our friend from this community, for his sake I’ll call him Edward. He was friends with the last American who lived in this house, and naturally he came soon after our arrival and wanted to get to know us a bit too. Matt would often sit with him and answer his questions, especially about the Bible, and encourage him to live the way Jesus talked about, since Edward says he is a Christian. Recently through the rumor mill we heard that he has been getting drunk regularly in the village center, which we have since found out to be true through overhearing a conversation of his. We also heard that he was providing his family’s unused hut for prostitution purposes (the women were doing it as an unfortunate way to make ends meet). When we ask him about his life right now he is very closed off, not like before, and when we ask around the topic (indirectly inquiring), it would seem as though these rumors are true. Please pray for Edward. Whether or not he truly is saved we don’t know, but we do know that he’s not living in Christ, and we need to now evangelize to and treat him as if he were an unbeliever. Please pray that the truth would come to light, that he would be convicted by the Holy Spirit and repent of his sinful lifestyle. Pray for his heart to be soft toward the gospel and that he would hope in Christ to satisfy him.\nMay the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.\nIn Christ,\nMatt, Noelle, Emma, Maddie and Noah\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/05/09/april-2019/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/02/IMG%5F3780-1024x322.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,” 1 Timothy 1:12\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI hope this letter finds you well and continuing on in the love of Christ.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/05/6E508137-8297-46CF-8149-00DDDC5692F8-300x225.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHappy Missionversary! In the month of April we celebrated a whole year of being in Uganda. By God’s grace we have done many things and endured many things, small as they may be, for the sake of Christ and His gospel. We are continually amazed by the opportunities God puts in our path, the grace and strength He gives us as we walk through it, and by the results of our obedience which are most times better than we expected. And then we look at the many people God used to bring and keep us out here, and the fact that each of you made a decision to give and support and pray, being obedient to what God put on your heart. We are humbled by Gods abundant and lavish love on us in such evident form. Praise God with us for the good things He has done, especially the ones He has done here as we celebrate our 1 year mark. And thank you so much for your part in this ministry!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"April 2019"},{"content":" As a family we have decided to visit the churches of our students and friends once a month to see how they are doing and to bring them some encouragement from Gods Word. With the permission of each pastor we have also decided to allow you to join us on that journey so that you will be more informed as you think about and pray for the churches of Uganda. We pray that these short Pastoral Bios would encourage you in your walk with God and that you would grow in your love for Jesus as you see how he is moving in the hearts of so many people!\nPastor Okidi Stephen was 9 years old when he was kidnapped by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) and forced to fight in Kony’s rebellion. Stephen was forced to fight for 6 years and during that time he was promoted to the rank of Major and was Kony’s treasurer. After escaping Stephen Joined the Ugandan Military. During that time God revealed Himself to Stephen and saved him. God took a broken man who was enslaved to satan and turned him into a man after His own heart who loves people and advocates for life. 2 years after getting saved Stephen married Aloyo Margret and together they have 8 children.\nCalvary Chapel Opit was founded in 2008 in the village of Opit in the district of Omoro. Stephen became the pastor there in 2009. Close to 100 men women and children attend church there and are fed spiritually and God has used Stephens church to plant 3 branch churches. Their passion is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and their vision is to preach the Gospel to all people. Calvary Chapel Opit also has operates a primary school.\nPray for Calvary Chapel Opit\nPray for that they would have a boldness and ability to preach the Gospel. Pray that God would help them receive a public address from the government. Pray that the members of Calvary would grow in their understanding and love for the Lord. ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/05/09/pastor-okidi-stephen/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/01/IMG%5F3519-1024x239.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs a family we have decided to visit the churches of our students and friends once a month to see how they are doing and to bring them some encouragement from Gods Word.  With the permission of each pastor we have also decided to allow you to join us on that journey so that you will be more informed as you think about and pray for the churches of Uganda.  We pray that these short Pastoral Bios would encourage you in your walk with God and that you would grow in your love for Jesus as you see how he is moving in the hearts of so many people!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pastor Okidi Stephen"},{"content":"“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 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!\nIn 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.\nOn 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.\nAs 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!\nMay the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/04/07/march-2019/","summary":"\u003ch6 id=\"therefore-if-anyone-is-in-christ-he-is-a-new-creature-the-old-things-passed-away-behold-new-things-have-come-2-cor-517\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“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\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h6\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/04/57A0B202-F5ED-4A11-9457-9C85D0C7654D-1024x295.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThank 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!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/04/3EE4E7B9-05EC-4846-AA99-867EEFB9ED0C-300x225.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 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.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"March 2019"},{"content":" “By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea; Who establishes the mountains by His strength, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples. They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.” Psalm 65:5-8 The month of February transitioned us from the dreaded dry season back to wet season, from blistering highs in the hundreds to moist upper eighties and nineties, and as always, God is still good. It is amazing to watch God’s awesome power as he controls the times and seasons of our planet. After seeing something over and over it becomes easy to forget to praise God for His constant provision for us and that the natural patterns of nature are held together by the word of our Father. It is sad how we separate the natural from the supernatural as if God is only displaying his presence through things that we can’t understand. As we are here in Uganda watching the trees flower with new life and hearing the music of the wildlife, we are taken back by the splendor and majesty of our King!\n“Pure and undefined religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself stained by the world.” James 1:27\nMany of you may know that we have the awesome privilege to be here in Gulu serving with my long time best friend, Luke Buescher. Luke and I met through a spring break missions trip when we were 11 years old. And since that time we have lived together in 3 different countries and have preached the Gospel together through many different avenues. The evil that has taken place here in Northern Uganda has left many children without parents, many families without homes and many wives without husbands. God had opened wonderful doors for us at Terebinth Ministries to reach out to many in need through the launching of our brand new widows ministry and my friend Luke has agreed to help lead that program as its assistant directer. Our Widows Ministry will both provide livelihood for widows in need and discipleship for our pastors as they “adopt” the widows of their communities. As our pastors have studied through Gods Word they have been exposed many times to God’s desire to care for the orphan, the widow, the poor, the Levite, and the sojourner, and now God has given us the ability to disciple them into fleshing that out in their own neighborhoods!\nThank you so much for your partnership with us in the Gospel! In Christ Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah! ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/03/03/february-2019/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/03/0FF39FF1-036A-4ACA-8209-73B0370A1038-1024x273.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003ch6 id=\"by-awesome-deeds-you-answer-us-in-righteousness-o-god-of-our-salvation-you-who-are-the-trust-of-all-the-ends-of-the-earth-and-of-the-farthest-sea-who-establishes-the-mountains-by-his-strength-being-girded-with-might-who-stills-the-roaring-of-the-seas-the-roaring-of-their-waves-and-the-tumult-of-the-peoples-they-who-dwell-in-the-ends-of-the-earth-stand-in-awe-of-your-signs-you-make-the-dawn-and-the-sunset-shout-for-joy-psalm-655-8\"\u003e“By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea; Who establishes the mountains by His strength, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.  They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.”  Psalm 65:5-8\u003c/h6\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/03/2CDE5431-9F16-42CB-BF5C-382E8FFAEBD7-300x300.jpeg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe month of February transitioned us from the dreaded dry season back to wet season, from blistering highs in the hundreds to moist upper eighties and nineties, and as always, God is still good.  It is amazing to watch God’s awesome power as he controls the times and seasons of our planet.  After seeing something over and over it becomes easy to forget to praise God for His constant provision for us and that the natural patterns of nature are held together by the word of our Father.  It is sad how we separate the natural from the supernatural as if God is only displaying his presence through things that we can’t understand.  As we are here in Uganda watching the trees flower with new life and hearing the music of the wildlife, we are taken back by the splendor and majesty of our King!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"February 2019"},{"content":" “Therefore everyone hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matt 7:24 As we continue in our mission training pastors in the Word of God, it is easy to see the Holy Spirit moving within the church as they learn to stand on His Word. To stand on the truth of scripture is to stand on the nature of the One who created all things, and that is the only firm foundation on which to base one’s life. “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor 3:11. It is necessary for someone to truly examine their beliefs and motivations to see exactly what determines his actions. How you were raised, what your teachers said, what society demands, what your peers pressure you into, what you think is necessary for survival; all play a role in shaping your thoughts, and ultimately ruling your life. It is always painful and hard to expose what you have believed in for so long, to reshape your identity and to transplant yourself onto a new foundation. But any foundation apart from Christ is just sand anyway, it will crumble. And as we watch our new set of pastors stare intently at the perfect law, it is amazing to see how God is transforming their hearts and blessing them. And the fruit of abiding in God’s word is clearly evident in the lives of the other set of pastors who are nearing their graduation.\nOn the same note it has been a pleasure for me (Matt) to watch God stir Noelle’s heart with compassion for the neighboring children. There are close to 50 children near our home who are left to raise themselves and each other as their parents dig in their gardens and go about their regular business. It is an everyday thing to see a 3 year old carrying an infant on their back. When we were new on the ground it was easy to expend the energy necessary to love on them and take care of them, but over time it became a chore to answer the door for the 15th time on a Sunday, or to break up the 3rd fight of the day on our lawn. However, within the last month God has convicted Noelle about serving Him begrudgingly on this front, and my wife\u0026rsquo;s love for them has convicted me. The fruit is small but it is a reward in itself to strive to live in obedience.\nAlso, after 2 months of hard work we have finished remodeling our clinic!\n“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.” James 5:7 ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/02/07/january-2018/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/02/IMG%5F3780-1024x322.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003ch6 id=\"therefore-everyone-hears-these-words-of-mine-and-acts-on-them-may-be-compared-to-a-wise-man-who-built-his-house-on-the-rock-matt-724\"\u003e“Therefore everyone hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matt 7:24\u003c/h6\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/02/IMG%5F2664-300x225.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs we continue in our mission training pastors in the Word of God, it is easy to see the Holy Spirit moving within the church as they learn to stand on His Word. To stand on the truth of scripture is to stand on the nature of the One who created all things, and that is the only firm foundation on which to base one’s life. \u003cem\u003e“For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor 3:11.\u003c/em\u003e It is necessary for someone to truly examine their beliefs and motivations to see exactly what determines his actions. How you were raised, what your teachers said, what society demands, what your peers pressure you into, what you think is necessary for survival; all play a role in shaping your thoughts, and ultimately ruling your life. It is always painful and hard to expose what you have believed in for so long, to reshape your identity and to transplant yourself onto a new foundation. But any foundation apart from Christ is just sand anyway, it will crumble. And as we watch our new set of pastors stare intently at the perfect law, it is amazing to see how God is transforming their hearts and blessing them. And the fruit of abiding in God’s word is clearly evident in the lives of the other set of pastors who are nearing their graduation.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"January 2018"},{"content":" As a family we have decided to visit the churches of our students and friends once a month to see how they are doing and to bring them some encouragement from Gods Word. With the permission of each pastor we have also decided to allow you to join us on that journey so that you will be more informed as you think about and pray for the churches of Uganda. We pray that these short Pastoral Bios would encourage you in your walk with God and that you would grow in your love for Jesus as you see how he is moving in the hearts of so many people!\nPastor David Kizito Came to know the Lord at a very young age when a preacher told him that God had a plan for his life. David took the Gospel to heart and has tried to spread the good news in many ways to the people around him. In May of 2017, Adak Bible Community Church planted Odongkicel Bible Community Church and placed David at it’s head. About 90 people there share the vision of preaching the Gospel, teaching the Word of God, and planting future branch churches. David, his wife Julian, and their baby Heaven are our neighbors in Adak Village, and David is one of our employees at our Business As a Mission. In the future we hope to have him as one of our students at the Pastoral School of Discipleship, but for now we enjoy discussing the Bible together at work.\nPray for Odongkicel Bible Community Church: That the members would be firmly planted in the Word of God and filled with love. For the family’s of the church to be strong in the Lord. Pray that the congregation would be unified in their vision of spreading the Gospel and planting future churches. That David’s family\u0026rsquo;s needs would be met ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/01/14/pastor-david-kizito/","summary":"\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2018/09/IMG%5F2336-1024x113.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAs a family we have decided to visit the churches of our students and friends once a month to see how they are doing and to bring them some encouragement from Gods Word. With the permission of each pastor we have also decided to allow you to join us on that journey so that you will be more informed as you think about and pray for the churches of Uganda. We pray that these short Pastoral Bios would encourage you in your walk with God and that you would grow in your love for Jesus as you see how he is moving in the hearts of so many people!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pastor David Kizito"},{"content":"“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now…. And this I pray, that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.” Phil 1:3-4,9-10 As 2018 fades away we would like to take a moment to thank you for your partnership with our family in the Gospel, as that is the core of our relationship with you as part of the body of Christ. No matter where you’re at on the map, you find the same things at the heart of mankind’s problems; selfishness and pride, which lead to all sorts of destruction whether it be extreme poverty, murder, immorality… and today, just as it was since the first man sinned, the solution for mankind is reconciliation with our Creator. No matter how noble a cause may be, if void of the redeeming work of Christ on the cross, it will fail to touch man’s true need. So we praise God that you have endeavored to join us as we seek to spread the truth of God through Northern Uganda, and we pray that our relationship with you would continue encouraging you to do things of eternal consequence in your neck of the woods, as there is no one in the world who does not need further Gospel transformation.\nDecember was a busy month for our family. Although the pastoral school was on break for the month, our work was certainly not. The holiday rush created an increase of work at our Business As Mission. It is rice harvesting season here, and have been milling up to 2 metric tons of rice most every day for the surrounding community. Our second batch of chickens, numbering 990 hens, have started producing eggs. We harvested one of our tilapia ponds. Planted a crop of green peppers. And we’ve continued producing fine Maize flour and pure sunflower oil throughout the week. Most of Matt’s time throughout the month was taken by overseeing the remodel of our dilapidated medical facility which we hope to complete sometime this month. Despite seemingly mundane work, God is ever at work, and even two of the contractors got saved. Noelle also has had an exciting opportunity to begin discipling a young woman in the community. As a family we had a restful Christmas Day, and even Boxing Day, which is very celebrated here.\nIt’s hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone considering the fact that the climate here is still the same as when we arrived in April, and we praise God for what He has done in that time:\n-Praise God that he brought us here to Northern Uganda safely!\n-Praise God that our son Noah was born healthy!\n-Praise God that in 2018 our first group of 17 pastors have studied through and tested out of Mark, Psalms, 1 \u0026amp; 2 Timothy/Titus, Ezekiel, Daniel, The 12 Minor Prophets, Matthew, Luke, Acts, Romans, and 1 \u0026amp; 2 Corinthians!\n-Praise God that in 2018 our second group of 32 pastors have almost finished the Pentateuch with only Deuteronomy remaining having studied Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers!\n-Praise God that our medical clinic saw close to 4000 patients in 2018 including delivering more than 200 babies!\n- Praise God that things are going well at the Business As a Mission and that we are on track to have our ministry operations self sustaining as of 2021!\n“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” 2 Cor 5:18 We look Forward to a fruitful 2019 with you!\nIn Christ\nMatt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2019/01/06/december-2018/","summary":"\u003ch6 id=\"i-thank-my-god-in-all-my-remembrance-of-you-always-offering-prayer-with-joy-in-my-every-prayer-for-you-all-in-view-of-your-participation-in-the-gospel-from-the-first-day-until-now-and-this-i-pray-that-you-may-approve-the-things-that-are-excellent-in-order-to-be-sincere-and-blameless-until-the-day-of-christ-phil-13-49-10\"\u003e“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now…. And this I pray, that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.” Phil 1:3-4,9-10\u003c/h6\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2019/01/IMG%5F3519-1024x239.jpg\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs 2018 fades away we would like to take a moment to thank you for your partnership with our family in the Gospel, as that is the core of our relationship with you as part of the body of Christ. No matter where you’re at on the map, you find the same things at the heart of mankind’s problems; selfishness and pride, which lead to all sorts of destruction whether it be extreme poverty, murder, immorality… and today, just as it was since the first man sinned, the solution for mankind is reconciliation with our Creator. No matter how noble a cause may be, if void of the redeeming work of Christ on the cross, it will fail to touch man’s true need. So we praise God that you have endeavored to join us as we seek to spread the truth of God through Northern Uganda, and we pray that our relationship with you would continue encouraging you to do things of eternal consequence in your neck of the woods, as there is no one in the world who does not need further Gospel transformation.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"December 2018"},{"content":"“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5 Our month of November started on a high note as we taught at a marriage conference in the village of Pabbo at one of our students churches. It was truly a blessing to teach on marriage from a biblical perspective. Satan has been redefining the union of a man and a woman, what it is, what it’s for and how you actually go about it, since the beginning. Every culture sees the effects of those lies and the Acholi are no exception. They are plagued with polygamy, abuse, alcoholism, child neglect and on and on. But by God’s grace family\u0026rsquo;s are finding light as the Gospel continues penetrating the dark. Noelle and I were blessed to teach about God’s design of men and women as individuals and as a unit, we got to explain how marriage is a picture of the Gospel and that you can have peace in your family by living a lifestyle of repentance before Jesus Christ.\nTowards the end of the month we had the awesome opportunity to take a breather for a few days at Musana Camps! Located on the shores of lake Victoria, Musana is a beautiful place, designed to give rest to missionaries and to facilitate groups of young people as they learn about biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Because of the physical workload coming up in December we decided to take our Christmas break a month early. Our time there really helped us refocus and recuperate as a family, and we certainly look forward to visiting there again in the future.\nWe love you guys, God bless,\nMatt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/12/06/november-2018/","summary":"\u003ch4 id=\"abide-in-me-and-i-in-you-as-the-branch-cannot-bear-fruit-of-itself-unless-it-abides-in-the-vine-so-neither-can-you-unless-you-abide-in-me-i-am-the-vine-you-are-the-branches-he-who-abides-in-me-and-i-in-him-he-bears-much-fruit-for-apart-from-me-you-can-do-nothing-john-154-5\"\u003e“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2018/11/IMG%5F3490-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur month of November started on a high note as we taught at a marriage conference in the village of Pabbo at one of our students churches. It was truly a blessing to teach on marriage from a biblical perspective. Satan has been redefining the union of a man and a woman, what it is, what it’s for and how you actually go about it, since the beginning. Every culture sees the effects of those lies and the Acholi are no exception. They are plagued with polygamy, abuse, alcoholism, child neglect and on and on. But by God’s grace family\u0026rsquo;s are finding light as the Gospel continues penetrating the dark. Noelle and I were blessed to teach about God’s design of men and women as individuals and as a unit, we got to explain how marriage is a picture of the Gospel and that you can have peace in your family by living a lifestyle of repentance before Jesus Christ.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"November 2018"},{"content":"\nAs a family we have decided to visit the churches of our students and friends once a month to see how they are doing and to bring them some encouragement from Gods Word. With the permission of each pastor we have also decided to allow you to join us on that journey so that you will be more informed as you think about and pray for the churches of Uganda. We pray that these short Pastoral Bios would encourage you in your walk with God and that you would grow in your love for Jesus as you see how he is moving in the hearts of so many people!\n[caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_299\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;alignleft\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;296\u0026rdquo;] Pastor Otim Jacob and his wife Dorish[/caption]\nPastor Otim Jacob came to Jesus Christ during a Gospel crusade in September 1990. At that time Jesus radically transformed him from an alcoholic, an adulterer and a brawler into a man of peace who loves his family and community. He told me that his neighbors and friends were bewildered by the drastic change in his actions. Jacob is married to Dorish and together they have 4 children, the oldest of which is 17. We are also proud to have Jacob as one of our students in the Terebinth School of Discipleship.\nIn 1993 Pastor Jacob started leading home fellowships and bible discussions as a church assistant. 10 years later, in 2003 God told him to plant a church in the town of Pabbo which was a center for internally displaced people during Joseph Kony’s reign of terror. Hope and Grace Church now consists of around 150 people who’s vision is to follow the Great Commission of our Master which he gave to us at the end of Matthew 28, that is to make disciples of Jesus. God has moved in awesome ways in the past 15 years of this churches existence, including the births of 4 off shooting churches!\nPray for Hope and Grace Church: Pray - That God would give Jacob wisdom to lead God’s people Pray - That God would send them the funds for a church building Pray - That God would ground them in the truth of His Word as they learn the great depth of Love He has for them [caption id=\u0026ldquo;attachment_298\u0026rdquo; align=\u0026ldquo;aligncenter\u0026rdquo; width=\u0026ldquo;1024\u0026rdquo;] Hope and Grace Church[/caption]\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/11/22/pasor-otim-jacob/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2018/09/IMG_2336-1024x113.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a family we have decided to visit the churches of our students and friends once a month to see how they are doing and to bring them some encouragement from Gods Word. With the permission of each pastor we have also decided to allow you to join us on that journey so that you will be more informed as you think about and pray for the churches of Uganda. We pray that these short Pastoral Bios would encourage you in your walk with God and that you would grow in your love for Jesus as you see how he is moving in the hearts of so many people!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pastor Otim Jacob"},{"content":"“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are.” 1 John 3:1a\nOver and over, day after day, conversation after conversation, again and again and again we are reminded that every part of our ministry, and moreover, our personal lives, should point to Jesus. The entire Bible, front to back, points to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Every story has a picture, every law is a shadow, every prophecy a foretelling of what Jesus would do. And what has He done? To the praise of the glory of His grace, He has made us His children.\nBeing the children of God, acting as ambassadors, being “Jesus with skin on” as we have heard it said, is both an exciting and humbling position. There are many stirring events that have taken place over the last month, from personal discipleship opportunities to opportunities to practice Holy Spirit patience; instances always compelling us to put out our hands and say “Father, help me point to Jesus.” The pastoral classes have continued, the first group studying through Romans, and the second making their way through Leviticus. Watching the two groups progress in their understanding of the Scriptures is a unique experience. On the one hand you run into a lot of controversy and ungrounded beliefs, which can at times be discouraging. But on the other hand, to see them taking to heart and act on things which they had not understood, done, or sometimes did not believe previously is immensely rewarding.\nOne thing which has been particularly exciting for us is the opportunity for Matt to personally disciple a young man by the name of Daniel. After many weeks of trying to get men to come to our Tuesday Night Bible Study, and only young boys coming who just could not understand; we decided to end the study and teach only Daniel until older men are more willing to come, or until the boys are a little older. Those boys need the gospel too, but it seems best to us that we train up the ones who are eager and able to understand in order to reach those less able, and even somewhat unwilling. Along with replacing the Tuesday night group study, Daniel has been commissioned by his father, our pastor, to travel with us to the different churches and act as our guide and translator. Most often Matt will end up preaching, and Daniel will be translating, thus receiving even more than a once or twice a week study. It is a special and exciting open door that we do not cease to thank God for. Please pray for Daniel as he meets with Matt, that God would reveal Himself through His word, and that Daniel would hear and take to heart all that the Father says.\nOne situation, which I’m sure will be ongoing, is with the community children. Beautiful. Lively. Fun-loving. Creative. Love-starved. Undisciplined. Bored. These children are in serious need of fatherly love and discipline. Whether they have a father in the home, he’s a drunkard, or he’s passed away, these children do not have a particularly positive influence from their fathers, and it shows dreadfully. While each child has his or her own endearing attribute, each one also has the tendency to outweigh that attribute with one much less agreeable, and often times destructive or downright rebellious. This is indeed a humbling experience, and something I would sincerely ask you to pray for. These children need fathers, and their fathers need the true Father. Pray for us as well, that we would be patient in Christ, showing love and teaching in an understandable manner. Even though we have ended Tuesday night Bible study with the boys, we have not given up on general friendship and involvement. Pray with us that we would point always to Jesus.\nAs for the family, we are doing well. Emma and Maddie have started preschool at home, and Noah, now 6 months old, continues to progress physically. We have much to be thankful for in every area of our lives, and our home life especially. However, please pray for that also as the family is a favorite battleground of the enemy, ours included.\nThank you for your ongoing prayers, they are so needed, and also for the support, either financial or relational. We are so grateful for all that you do to keep us out here on this portion of the mission field! We love you and remember you in our prayers.\nIn Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Maddie, and Noah\n“let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/10/31/october-2018/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are.” 1 John 3:1a\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver and over, day after day, conversation after conversation, again and again and again we are reminded that every part of our ministry, and moreover, our personal lives, should point to Jesus. The entire Bible, front to back, points to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Every story has a picture, every law is a shadow, every prophecy a foretelling of what Jesus would do. And what has He done? To the praise of the glory of His grace, He has made us His children.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"October 2018"},{"content":"“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God,” 2 Pet 3:11-12a Thank you for your love, for your concerns, for all of your encouragement in the LORD and for all of your prayers. It is such a blessing to be partnered with you for the sake of the Gospel. Know that your prayers make a difference here in my family\u0026rsquo;s life and in our ministry. Know that God is using you. As we are here in Uganda we are often blessed to catch glimpses of what God is doing back home through people like you. God’s heart is for the whole world to know Him intimately, and you also play a direct role in that. As members of one body let us continue working together to bring the transforming hope of the Gospel into hearts and minds, not growing tired of doing good, let us obediently carry out the good works which God created each of us for.\nOn the ministry end of things this past month of September has been very eventful, full of high highs and low lows. On the high end we had a great time in the School Of Discipleship this past month as one class studied through the book of Exodus and the other went through Acts. We had the awesome opportunity to replicate the Tabernacle for the pastors who were in the book of Exodus, this people group really tends to get a lot out of object lessons and props. We experienced some highs at BAM this month as well since it is harvest season here and our public milling services have been running seemingly non-stop, and a local school used us as their supplier for over 2 metric tons of food!\nHowever, on the low end we had serious struggles this past month, most of which have centered around our clinic. It wouldn’t be right to go into many details but the change of staff and enforcement of certain policies has not endeared us to the surrounding community and has put us in a few rough positions. Also on the low end, please be praying for my managing partner at BAM, who’s wife just underwent surgery, and who’s brother is currently in serious condition in the hospital. Pray that God brings them peace and rest. The other bad news is that there has been a serious lack of rain during this planting season, so pray for our community as we anticipate famine next year.\nToday as we were in church our pastor told us a story concerning one of our congregants that really reminds me of why we are here, and how Uganda is in desperate need of discipleship. Many people this week have gathered together in Gulu for a gospel crusade featuring a renown so-and-so, “bishop of Christ.” Halfway through the conference, the “holy man of God” approached a member of our church and explained to him that a special anointing of the Holy Spirit was available for him and that he needed to meet with him the following morning at his hotel. When our church congregant showed up the next day, the bishop explained that the “anointing” (including a vial of “blessed oil” and a “holy handkerchief”) could be his for 1.5 million UGX (just over $400.00). Thankfully, knowing better than that, our church member left in a hurry without further entanglement. Without having received real, biblical discipleship, he would have been taken advantage of, just as so many others who are being deceived here every day. Please continue to pray that the church of Uganda would experience true discipleship.\n“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/09/30/september-2018/","summary":"\u003ch4 id=\"since-all-these-things-are-to-be-destroyed-in-this-way-what-sort-of-people-ought-you-to-be-in-holy-conduct-and-godliness-looking-for-and-hastening-the-coming-of-the-day-of-god-2-pet-311-12a\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God,”\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e2 Pet 3:11-12a\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThank you for your love, for your concerns, for all of your encouragement in the LORD and for all of your prayers. It is such a blessing to be partnered with you for the sake of the Gospel. Know that your prayers make a difference here in my family\u0026rsquo;s life and in our ministry. Know that God is using you. As we are here in Uganda we are often blessed to catch glimpses of what God is doing back home through people like you. God’s heart is for the whole world to know Him intimately, and you also play a direct role in that. As members of one body let us continue working together to bring the transforming hope of the Gospel into hearts and minds, not growing tired of doing good, let us obediently carry out the good works which God created each of us for.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"September 2018"},{"content":"Matthew, Noelle, and their children, Emma, Madeline and Noah are Colorado natives. They have a passion for the Word of God and a desire to see people fully equipped with scripture. They are consumed with Christ’s command to go into all the world and make disciples; to baptize them and teach them to observe the full counsel of God, eagerly awaiting Christ’s return, and going wherever He would lead them.\nThe Harris’ work with Terebinth Ministries, whose focus is the spiritual and physical health of the Acholi people in Gulu, Uganda. Training local pastors to interpret scripture with scripture, taking them verse by verse and chapter by chapter through the whole of God’s Word. They also work closely with Terebinth’s medical clinic and agricultural projects, which help provide for the physical needs of the community.\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/about-us-2/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMatthew, Noelle, and their children, Emma, Madeline and Noah are Colorado natives. They have a passion for the Word of God and a desire to see people fully equipped with scripture. They are consumed with Christ’s command to go into all the world and make disciples; to baptize them and teach them to observe the full counsel of God, eagerly awaiting Christ’s return, and going wherever He would lead them.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About us"},{"content":" As a family we have decided to visit the churches of our students and friends once a month to see how they are doing and to bring them some encouragement from Gods Word. With the permission of each pastor we have also decided to allow you to join us on that journey so that you will be more informed as you think about and pray for the churches of Uganda. We pray that these short Pastoral Bios would encourage you in your walk with God and that you would grow in your love for Jesus as you see how he is moving in the hearts of so many people!\nPastor Moses is one of the students in our newest class of pastors, he is also my neighbor here in the small town of Adak, and he is our head grounds manager at BAM. Not only that, but pastor Moses is my personal friend! I love him and his family and I am so grateful to know him.\nMoses is the leader of Adak Deliverance Church which has 150+ adults and around 100 kids, they also have 6 branches that meet in peoples houses, under trees and places like that. Their desire is to help the communities physical and spiritual needs as they share the love of Jesus. They have outgrown their current hut and are slowly working on building a larger church as money allows.\nPray for Adak Deliverance Church: Pray - that God would bring bibles for the churchgoers so that they can grow in their personal walks with God. Pray - That it rains here in Adak so that peoples crops would succeed this coming harvest (this has been an especially dry wet season) Pray - That God would touch the marriages and the families of Adak, that God would give understanding in the roles of wives and husbands and that he would give parents wisdom in raising their children. Pray - Pray that God sustains them as money is tight here in Northern Uganda. ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/09/16/pastor-moses-lapir/","summary":"\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2018/09/IMG_2336-1024x113.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a family we have decided to visit the churches of our students and friends once a month to see how they are doing and to bring them some encouragement from Gods Word. With the permission of each pastor we have also decided to allow you to join us on that journey so that you will be more informed as you think about and pray for the churches of Uganda. We pray that these short Pastoral Bios would encourage you in your walk with God and that you would grow in your love for Jesus as you see how he is moving in the hearts of so many people!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pastor Moses Lapir"},{"content":"“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” Colossians 1:28-29 This past week our ministry chose to make this verse in Colossians our theme verse. I am so grateful that God has placed our family within a group of likeminded individuals who\u0026rsquo;s desire is to make Christ known and understood through abiding in the Word of God. We have been sent by God through you, our brothers and sisters, that we might labor to reveal Christ here in Uganda. So, thank you for being partners with us in the Gospel! It is so exciting to see how God is working and moving all around us. Some days are more exciting than others, and we aren’t always on spiritual mountain tops, but we trust Gods promise that His Word won’t return to Him void.\nIn the last month we had the opportunity as a family to visit one of our students churches for a Sunday morning service. We were so blessed to see 200 or so people crammed together to the point of no more standing room, in a grass hut structure, with hearts and minds focused on Jesus Christ. Sometimes it can be scary to visit churches outside of America because, as a visiting adult male, the chances that you will end up preaching the sermon without any warning are very high, and that visit was no exception to the rule. Luckily I had guessed it would happen and I came prepared:). Please pray for Adak Deliverance Church, that they would grow in their understanding and knowledge of our Savior through a love for His Word, that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that they would abide in Christ. Our future hope/plan is to visit one of our student’s churches on the third Sunday of every month.\nThis month had it’s highs, but it also had it’s difficulties. This past Sunday night was one of the most difficult things I’ve faced so far in life. After Noelle and I were asleep there was a knock on the door by our nursing staff from the clinic. A small child needed to be transported to a more equipped hospital due to his critical condition. He had far stages of malaria teamed with anemia. I drove him in the ambulance, along with his baby sister and his mother to the closest large hospital through extremely bad road conditions due to the rainy season. Upon arrival to the pediatric wing of the hospital I learned that he died literally seconds before. Death is hard, but cross-culturally, handling a situation like that is even harder. I’ve had time to be candid with God and come to some closure, but please pray for the family of the boy.\nConcerning our school, our first class of pastors just finished studying through the whole Old Testament, and our second class finished the first book of the Old Testament, Genesis. This coming week we will be teaching through the book of Exodus. Through my time studying through Exodus in preparation for teaching, God has really been showing me His faithfulness to His Word in the way that He remembered His covenant with Abraham and kept all of His previous promises. God is faithful. May He make us a faithful people who are content to honor Him day in and day out.\n“I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Say, therefore, to say the sons of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you to the land which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the LORD.’” Exodus 6:4-8 ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/09/01/august-2018/","summary":"\u003ch3 id=\"him-we-preach-warning-every-man-and-teaching-every-man-in-all-wisdom-that-we-may-present-every-man-perfect-in-christ-jesus-to-this-end-i-also-labor-striving-according-to-his-working-which-works-in-me-mightily-colossians-128-29\"\u003e“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” Colossians 1:28-29\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2018/09/IMG_2807-1024x768.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis past week our ministry chose to make this verse in Colossians our theme verse. I am so grateful that God has placed our family within a group of likeminded individuals who\u0026rsquo;s desire is to make Christ known and understood through abiding in the Word of God. We have been sent by God through you, our brothers and sisters, that we might labor to reveal Christ here in Uganda. So, thank you for being partners with us in the Gospel! It is so exciting to see how God is working and moving all around us. Some days are more exciting than others, and we aren’t always on spiritual mountain tops, but we trust Gods promise that His Word won’t return to Him void.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"August 2018"},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.\u0026rdquo; Philipians 4:6-7 We started out this month with the first week of class for the new pastors. On the first Sunday of the month all the new pastors showed up at Calvary Chapel Gulu for their introduction into the class. Each pastor was introduced and given a study Bible for the course. They worshiped, went over ground rules, and ate together. For this first week, we only covered Genesis 1-12:3; from creation through Abraham\u0026rsquo;s calling from God. These first chapters of the Bible carry so many foundational themes for the rest of scripture, it was difficult to unpack them in only a weeks time. By the end of the week, one student pastor whom we work with at the BAM was saying it was as if he had never read the Bible before and was now reading it for the first time, despite being a pastor for many years. Praise God for that work!\nWe did a lot of work with the Business As Mission (BAM), as well. Gerald, the man who manages the BAM with Matt was at a class out of town for 3 weeks, and Matt was paired with another administrator to keep things running. Things are really developing at the BAM. The first batch of chickens are about to start laying eggs, the fish are growing, and the products we make from sunflower seeds and maize are selling very well. Matt has also worked hard to get the hydroponics system working so we can feed our chickens for cheaper. I think all-in-all it was a very productive 3 weeks despite Gerald being gone and us not being farmers and all.\nThis month we were also hit with malaria. Maddie contracted it first (now recovered), and now Matt and I both have it at the same time. Matt is almost recovered, and I am still taking the anti-malaria pills. Malaria is actually a parasite, passed through mosquitoes (this is apparently mosquito season). Thankfully, for those who can get tested right away, malaria is not as fatal as it sounds. You can die from it if you don’t treat it right away, but if you have a fever and you get tested for it sooner than later, it is a very treatable sickness. The last few days have been difficult. One person with malaria is manageable, but both parents having it at once has made it hard to keep on top of things. Today we have been taking turns napping and caring for the kids, while our amazing helper, Gladys, has taken care of the house for us. Please pray for us over the next few days as we recover and as we try protect our children from the mosquitoes (thank God we have nets for our beds and plenty of bug spray).\n“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory, in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/07/31/july-2018/","summary":"\u003ch4 id=\"heading\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"philipians-46-7\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhilipians 4:6-7\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe started out this month with the first week of class for the new pastors. On the first Sunday of the month all the new pastors showed up at Calvary Chapel Gulu for their introduction into the class. Each pastor was introduced and given a study Bible for the course. They worshiped, went over ground rules, and ate together. For this first week, we only covered Genesis 1-12:3; from creation through Abraham\u0026rsquo;s calling from God. These first chapters of the Bible carry so many foundational themes for the rest of scripture, it was difficult to unpack them in only a weeks time.  By the end of the week, one student pastor whom we work with at the BAM was saying it was as if he had never read the Bible before and was now reading it for the first time, despite being a pastor for many years. Praise God for that work!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"July 2018"},{"content":"“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” John 8:31-32 Last month we finished our update by telling you about the guys who would end up meeting at our house for discipleship. That picture above is who all was here last Tuesday as we worshiped God together and looked at His Word. John 8:31-32 is our theme verse and we read it and talk about it every time we meet, which is every Tuesday. The guys show up around 6 pm and we have tea and bread together, than we play some worship songs before studying Scripture. Right now we are going through 1 Peter, and I plan to continue from that point through Jude, which should take just a few years. Sometimes the meetings go smoother than other times, especially when we have a good translator and someone who can read Acholi:). When that is not the case we just play worship together and break bread!\nWork wise things have been going along at a fast pace out here as I have been trying to balance between my roles and responsibilities as a manager at the BAM (Business As Mission) and as a teacher at the School of Discipleship for the pastors. That balance is not always easy to find since there are always so many pressing needs on both ends. This month has been a doozy at the BAM since we are down multiple people; our receptionist at the clinic is on maternity leave and her replacement got malaria, our head manager is going to school for a few weeks and one of our main guys got in a boda boda (the little motorcycles they drive around Africa) accident…. So as you can imagine we have all been working over time to keep the ball from being dropped. Please pray for Stephen, who got in the accident, for Irene as she stays up at night with her new born son, and for Daniel as he recovers from Malaria. Daniel also has sickle cell, so this Malaria spell came very near to killing him.\nPrep for the new class of pastors is almost over, they arrive at church tomorrow evening for there first of 36 weeks living together at Calvary Chapel Gulu. During that week they will study through Gen 1-11, the foundation of Gods Word and the origin of all things. If a person can get a firm grasp on these 11 chapters of the Bible they can understand nearly everything else in Scripture. Please pray for me as I teach next week, on Thursday I will be covering the cursing of Canaan, which is a very sensitive issue since most evangelicals throughout Africa believe that all of their misfortunes can be traced back to that event in Gen 9.\nYou should also know that Noelle, Noah and the girls are doing well. Emma has started joining the nursery school that our ministry runs for P.E. and she has really been enjoying that. Madeline is just as cute as ever, it has been a blast watching her interact with the world around her. Noelle is nearly done recovering from her surgery but could use your prayers for her strength as I am trying to hold the reigns on BAM and the school. Please pray for Noah because he has a small fever right now and a cough. As for myself, I am very proud to announce that I am an official resident of Uganda and I have a 3 year work permit!\nIn Christ Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/06/30/june-2018/","summary":"\u003ch4 id=\"so-jesus-said-to-the-jews-who-had-believed-him-if-you-abide-in-my-word-you-are-truly-my-disciples-and-you-will-know-the-truth-and-the-truth-will-set-you-free----------john-831-32\"\u003e“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””                    John 8:31-32\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2018/06/IMG%5F2468-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"1024\"/\u003e \n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLast month we finished our update by telling you about the guys who would end up meeting at our house for discipleship. That picture above is who all was here last Tuesday as we worshiped God together and looked at His Word. John 8:31-32 is our theme verse and we read it and talk about it every time we meet, which is every Tuesday. The guys show up around 6 pm and we have tea and bread together, than we play some worship songs before studying Scripture. Right now we are going through 1 Peter, and I plan to continue from that point through Jude, which should take just a few years. Sometimes the meetings go smoother than other times, especially when we have a good translator and someone who can read Acholi:). When that is not the case we just play worship together and break bread!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"June 2018"},{"content":"Dear loved one, God has truly blessed my family in our transition across the world. We are extremely grateful for each of you and for all of your prayers. Adjusting to our new family member, our new jobs, our new friends and our new life while Noelle is recovering from surgery would have been so hard had it not have been for all of your dedicated prayers. We know that God heard you. Thank you. Many of your prayers for this transition and for Noelle\u0026rsquo;s recovery were answered in the form of the long visit of my mother. Initially my mom was going to come in order to assist with Noah\u0026rsquo;s birth (since she is a doula), but God had other things in mind and had Noah come two and a half weeks early. So instead she was able to use her other awesome skills as homemaker and massage therapist to help my wife. It was really great to have family out here, and all in all my mom was a tremendous blessing!\nWell, it took two years but we have finally started the work that God laid on our hearts in the spring of 2016. It is so exciting to be involved in things that we really believe in. Jeremiah 23:21-22 says “I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied. But if they had stood in My council, then they would have announced My words to My people, and would have turned them back from their evil way and from the evil of their deeds.” This verse has really been on my heart as I have been helping write the curriculum for our new class of 33 pastors who will be starting out in Genesis one month from now. The current class of pastors is still a year from graduation, and yet they have truly come a long way. It is amazing how far someone can grow in their relationship with God and their witness as they immerse themselves in the Word of God. And it is amazing how things as simple as introducing the concept of poetry can bring illumination and understanding of Scripture.\nThese are my neighbors who helped me paint and who I will be discipling.\nAs part of the process of settling in here, we have painted our house, or rather, have had our house painted. When I was first painting outside a few of my neighbors started helping me and soon thereafter they took over for me and received a job out of it. God used that to help us really develop good friendships with a few of the young men of our community! When they finished the paint job we took them out to an Ethiopian food place and then got a picture with them at a photo booth. The exciting thing is that they are coming to my house tomorrow for the first of our semi-regular neighborhood worship nights! On top of that, I and a few of the young men are going to start meeting every Tuesday night for discipleship! In no way will these gatherings replace our roles with Terebinth Ministries, but it is just one way God is answering our prayers for our community and our home life. Praise God for His orchestration of these things.\nGod Bless you Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Noah ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/05/31/may-2018/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"dear-loved-one\"\u003eDear loved one,\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod has truly blessed my family in our transition across the world. We are extremely grateful for each of you and for all of your prayers. Adjusting to our new family member, our new jobs, our new friends and our new life while Noelle is recovering from surgery would have been so hard had it not have been for all of your dedicated prayers. We know that God heard you. Thank you.\nMany of your prayers for this transition and for Noelle\u0026rsquo;s recovery were answered in the form of the long visit of my mother. Initially my mom was going to come in order to assist with Noah\u0026rsquo;s birth (since she is a doula), but God had other things in mind and had Noah come two and a half weeks early. So instead she was able to use her other awesome skills as homemaker and massage therapist to help my wife. It was really great to have family out here, and all in all my mom was a tremendous blessing!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"May 2018"},{"content":"We are all finally here! “I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:1-2\nApril has been a month full of thanksgiving for us as we have established our family here in Uganda. On April 12 our dear friends and family sent us off to Denver International Airport where we started our long journey across the world. We arrived the night of the 13th and have spent the remainder of the month getting established here so that we can have a firm foundation for our family. The director of our ministry has graciously given us as much time as we need to put our family life in order here so that when we start ministering we don’t burn out and suffer as a family. So we have taken this opportunity to put our house in order. Doing things like greeting our neighbors well, to fixing the solar on our house, buying our beds and water filtering systems and getting the ball rolling on our work visas.\nBut the real excitement came this weekend, on Friday morning Noelle had a pregnancy check up and everything was going well, Noelle and the baby were healthy and Noah was in perfect delivering position. Before dawn on Sunday morning Noelle started going into the beginning stages of labour although she wasn’t due for another 2 weeks. Then our tire went flat on the way into town! The labour wasn’t progressing very quickly so we had time to switch to the spare and then get the tire fixed before heading to our directors house to spend the night in town where the clinic was. Then Monday morning about 7 am when the contractions were close together we headed for the clinic. (We were going to be the first white people to have a baby there). Once we got there they discovered that Noelle was 9 cm dilated and ready to go, unfortunately however, they also learned that Noah had twisted sideways and that his right shoulder was coming out. At which point Noelle was rushed to the ambulance and transferred to a hospital equipped for a C Section. Noelle was in the operating theater for about 2 hours. If everything goes according to schedule Noelle should be discharged this Thursday. Sometimes it’s hard to stay calm here because of how “majority world” the hospital is eg; blood stained bed sheets, running out of necessary pain meds, continuously wrapping my son in insane amounts of blankets despite the African heat, hallways and corridors stuffed with patients waiting for treatment (many of whom are in active labour), and so on…. But through it all God is good and Noelle and I are confident that we are where He wants us and that His plan is well thought through and Good. Anyway, OUR SON IS OUT AND HEALTHY!\nWe praise God that after 2 years of anticipation we are now here. We saw God do amazing things in peoples lives during that period and we are looking forward to how God will move in the time to come. We are so blessed to have the privilege of announcing God’s word to His people. May Christ’s bride fall deeper in love with him and be more and more acquainted with what He said!\n“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands, yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:17\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/05/03/april-2018/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe are all finally here!\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e“I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:1-2\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApril has been a month full of thanksgiving for us as we have established our family here in Uganda.\nOn April 12 our dear friends and family sent us off to Denver International Airport where we started our long journey across the world. We arrived the night of the 13th and have spent the remainder of the month getting established here so that we can have a firm foundation for our family. The director of our ministry has graciously given us as much time as we need to put our family life in order here so that when we start ministering we don’t burn out and suffer as a family. So we have taken this opportunity to put our house in order. Doing things like greeting our neighbors well, to fixing the solar on our house, buying our beds and water filtering systems and getting the ball rolling on our work visas.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"April 2018"},{"content":"“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” John 3:16-19 God is so good! Over the last month my desire to know Him and walk with Him has grown as I have seen more and more everyday how much I need Him and how helpless I am without Him and how much He loves me and is faithful towards me. I praise God that He lives, and that Jesus’ grave is empty. Sometimes it’s hard for us as a family to continue down a path that is against the flow and is opposed by so many different groups of people, and it can be especially hard for me (Matt) to really lead my family in the ways of God. It would be much simpler to just work a normal job and let things “go their course”. After all, so many people don’t really believe Gods Word anyway. We talk about it in our huddles but we don’t live like it’s contents are historic facts that were recorded under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I also battle the same apathy - What is the difference between my moral and humanitarian efforts, and well meaning Mormons, Muslims, or Atheists?\nHowever, this weekend we celebrated the resurrection of our Savior and King, Jesus Christ; who’s life, death, and appearance after death is the most well documented event in all of human history. The evidence that Jesus really lived is unsurpassable, the historicity of His death is a verifiable fact, and Jesus’ resurrection is a provable truth. What separates a Christian from a Buddhist is not emotional stability. What separates believers in Christ from Agnostics is not the amount of good deeds done. What separates disciples of Jesus from devoted Taoists is not their moments of spiritual elevation. A Muslim can feed the homeless and care for an orphan. A Pantheist can live a stable, productive life. And a Mormon can have spiritually high moments of inspiration. The difference between us and all other belief systems is that what we believe in is true, and verifiably so. The Bible is proved more true every passing day. I have chosen to move my entire family, including our unborn son, across the world on April 12th, to an unfamiliar situation, because Jesus said to make disciples of all peoples and to teach them all that He (Jesus) commanded. It isn’t easy and it isn’t always popular, especially when our focus is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not always the alleviation of earthly suffering. But here’s the thing; Jesus spoke of two separate places each human gets to spend their eternal post-earth existence. According to Jesus we all will either end up in a never ending relationship with God in heaven, or in separation from Him in the unquenchable fires of Hell. Only belief in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior will dictate which of those places you spend eternity. And no matter what earthly suffering you might be delivered from, your soul could still be in perilous jeopardy.\nI celebrate the fact that God is good, and that despite His people sharing the attitude that I often struggle with, He still saw fit to redeem us and to pay for us at the cost of His own life. I thank God that Jesus rose from the dead, proving His power over sin and death, and forever reserving a place for us in His Kingdom. We are extremely grateful for God’s faithfulness, and for your partnership with us and support as we go out. It is God’s faithfulness and your support that allow us to continue in this ministry. May God increase each of our faithfulness to His individual callings on our lives. May we each be used in the spreading of His Truth! ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/04/02/happy-easter/","summary":"\u003ch5 id=\"for-god-so-loved-the-world-that-he-gave-his-only-begotten-son-that-whoever-believes-in-him-shall-not-perish-but-have-eternal-life-for-god-did-not-send-the-son-into-the-world-to-judge-the-world-but-that-the-world-might-be-saved-through-him-he-who-believes-in-him-is-not-judged-he-who-does-not-believe-has-been-judged-already-because-he-has-not-believed-in-the-name-of-the-only-begotten-son-of-god-this-is-the-judgment-that-the-light-has-come-into-the-world-and-men-loved-the-darkness-rather-than-the-light-for-their-deeds-were-evil-john-316-19\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” John 3:16-19\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2018/04/0BAD812C-8352-40F5-873D-139340349E15-616-00000090427F6E70-300x228.jpeg\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eGod is so good!\u003c/strong\u003e Over the last month my desire to know Him and walk with Him has grown as I have seen more and more everyday how much I need Him and how helpless I am without Him and how much He loves me and is faithful towards me. I praise God that He lives, and that Jesus’ grave is empty.\nSometimes it’s hard for us as a family to continue down a path that is against the flow and is opposed by so many different groups of people, and it can be especially hard for me (Matt) to really lead my family in the ways of God. It would be much simpler to just work a normal job and let things “go their course”. After all, so many people don’t really believe Gods Word anyway. We talk about it in our huddles but we don’t live like it’s contents are historic facts that were recorded under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I also battle the same apathy - What is the difference between my moral and humanitarian efforts, and well meaning Mormons, Muslims, or Atheists?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Happy Easter!"},{"content":"Guess what! We Harris’s are officially heading back to Uganda, in less than a month! Our time here in the United States has truly been a blessing. It has been great to be mutually encouraged by the body of Christ here in America. We have been blessed so much by all of you; the way you here are pursuing God has been inspiring for us, the things you are doing in Jesus name have astounded us, your prayers have blessed us and your support has been a truly wonderful gift. Now it is time for the next season of life to begin for us as we once again leave our home-culture and enter the mission field that God has directed us to.\nAs a family we are so excited to join Terebinth Ministries in all that God is doing in Gulu, Uganda. I (Matt) can’t wait to join the pastoral “School of Discipleship” as a teacher, I just can’t think of anything I would rather do than equip indigenous pastors to continue the disciple making process! I am also excited to help establish the agricultural projects Terebinth is running, so that those same pastors can continue being trained, and so they can learn some practical skills to offset the cost of living as a pastor. Noelle is excited to settle down a little and prepare for the arrival of our son. And our girls are excited for warm weather so they can play outside without getting so sick!\nIf it has been on your mind to partner with us in the Gospel through monthly financial support, now is the time to sign up by clicking on the “Become a Financial Partner” button. Please pray about how God would have you join us in the work of the Kingdom with the Acholi people.\nPlease keep us in your prayers while we are away.\n\u0026ldquo;Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper; the snare is broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the Name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.\u0026rdquo; Psalm 124:7-8\nWe love you all so much and are grateful for you.\nIn Christ, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and baby Noah\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/03/14/departure-quickly-approaching/","summary":"\u003ch3 id=\"guess-what-we-harriss-are-officially-heading-back-to-uganda-in-less-than-a-month\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGuess what! We Harris’s are officially heading back to Uganda, in less than a month!\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2018/02/Harris-Family-e1518221459426-300x217.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur time here in the United States has truly been a blessing. It has been great to be mutually encouraged by the body of Christ here in America. We have been blessed so much by all of you; the way you here are pursuing God has been inspiring for us, the things you are doing in Jesus name have astounded us, your prayers have blessed us and your support has been a truly wonderful gift. Now it is time for the next season of life to begin for us as we once again leave our home-culture and enter the mission field that God has directed us to.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"March 2018"},{"content":"Hello dear family and friends, A nother month has passed, and so have many wonderful days of meeting with friends, encouraging and being encouraged, and planning our return to Uganda.\nE very weekend has allowed for speaking engagements at different churches and small groups, and most week nights have been spent at the homes of friends or new acquaintances, sharing on a deeper level the things God has been and is doing in our lives. It has been a blessing to be welcomed into so many homes and gatherings, and not only to share, but to hear what God has been doing in our own home-town. We are not surprised to find that God has been working in so many ways back here, but we are continually amazed and brought to a place of worship because of it. Hearing of individuals being transformed, families stepping out in faith, small groups taking new directions, and churches healing and reawakening… Praise God for all He is doing here!\nD espite a continuous string of sicknesses making their rounds through our family, we have had quite a few happy highlights. One highlight was Matt’s trip to visit our sending team, Saving Grace World Missions, in California. He spent a few days meeting with the staff and getting to know them, joining a few small groups, and even meeting a missionary family who lives just a few hours northwest of our future home in Gulu. He was greatly encouraged by his entire time there, especially by his host and our good friend, Tim. I was sad that the girls and I missed the trip, but we were very thankful for God’s provision of plane tickets for Matt.\nAnother highlight was reuniting with some of the guys from the men’s Bible study that met weekly in our home for more than 3 years, up until we left for Uganda last summer. Roughly 15 men sat around folding tables in the basement God has provided for our housing, ate our traditional Tuesday taco salad, and each shared the things God has been doing since we left. We were amazed to find that about 75% of the men from the study (including those who could not join our meal) were pursuing or actively participating in full-time ministry or cross-cultural missions. We prayed as a group, then sang several songs. It was late when we finally looked at the clock and stopped singing, but we had all been encouraged by the testimonies and worshipping together again. Our most recent highlight was my visit to the doctors office where they did an ultrasound revealing that the newest member of our family is a precious baby boy! We are so excited to welcome little Noah Ezekiel into the world in just a few months! We still do not know whether he will be born here in America, or in Uganda, but we know that he is in God’s hands either way.\nP lease continue to pray for us as we prepare for the return to Uganda. Several details still need to be worked out before we go, such as finances, baby related questions, and travel plans. God has provided many wonderful financial partners for us, and we are slowly getting closer to our goal of $3,500/month. We thank God for every penny given into our care. Please pray for this aspect of the mission, as we are required to have a certain percent pledged monthly before we can return. If you feel lead of the Lord to partner with us in this way, please click on the “Become a Financial Partner” button at the top of the page. Please also pray for wisdom for us as we continue to raise our girls, travel across the states, and encounter different opportunities to share with people the goodness of our Savior.\nT hank you for your prayers, love, and gifts of support. We are praying for you all as well. May God give you His peace!\nThe Harris Family\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/03/02/february/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHello dear family and friends,\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eA\u003c/strong\u003e nother month has passed, and so have many wonderful days of meeting with friends, encouraging and being encouraged, and planning our return to Uganda.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE\u003c/strong\u003e very weekend has allowed for speaking engagements at different churches and small groups, and most week nights have been spent at the homes of friends or new acquaintances, sharing on a deeper level the things God has been and is doing in our lives. It has been a blessing to be welcomed into so many homes and gatherings, and not only to share, but to hear what God has been doing in our own home-town. We are not surprised to find that God has been working in so many ways back here, but we are continually amazed and brought to a place of worship because of it. Hearing of individuals being transformed, families stepping out in faith, small groups taking new directions, and churches healing and reawakening… Praise God for all He is doing here!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"February 2018"},{"content":"\u0026ldquo;The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.\u0026rdquo; -Matt 13:44-\nThis valentines day I hope we can step back and enjoy the love that the God of the universe has for his children. We often think of the \u0026ldquo;parable of the hidden treasure\u0026rdquo; as a lesson on how we aught to love our Savior, and although it is that, it is first a lesson on how much love He had for us. Jesus was the the one who first gave up everything for the treasure that He found. Jesus decided that He loved you and I so much that He would give up all of heaven and the rights He enjoyed as Supreme King of The Universe so that He could be born into a lost, hostile, unrespectful, vulger society. Not only did He come as a vunerable human baby; He first came as a tiny, single cell in the womb of a young female. Can you even grasp that love? The One who holds the entire universe in the span of His hand decided to become a single cell because He wanted to reedem us! Then when His life came to the climax, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, the One who has the sharp two-edged sword, paid the highest price and laid down His life for His bride! God saw fit to love you and me so much that He gave up the most valuable thing in all of existence so that we could live together with Him! This Valentines day let us remember in thankfulness the great love of God.\n\u0026ldquo;For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotton son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life\u0026rdquo; -John 3:16-\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/02/14/valentines-day-thoughts/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.\u0026rdquo; -Matt 13:44-\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis valentines day I hope we can step back and enjoy the love that the God of the universe has for his children. We often think of the \u0026ldquo;parable of the hidden treasure\u0026rdquo; as a lesson on how we aught to love our Savior, and although it is that, it is first a lesson on how much love He had for us. Jesus was the the one who first gave up everything for the treasure that He found. Jesus decided that He loved you and I so much that He would give up all of heaven and the rights He enjoyed as Supreme King of The Universe so that He could be born into a lost, hostile, unrespectful, vulger society. Not only did He come as a vunerable human baby; He first came as a tiny, single cell in the womb of a young female. Can you even grasp that love? The One who holds the entire universe in the span of His hand decided to become a single cell because He wanted to reedem us! Then when His life came to the climax, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, the One who has the sharp two-edged sword, paid the highest price and laid down His life for His bride! God saw fit to love you and me so much that He gave up the most valuable thing in all of existence so that we could live together with Him!\nThis Valentines day let us remember in thankfulness the great love of God.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Valentines Day Thoughts"},{"content":"“And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25 NASB\nOur family\u0026rsquo;s time back in the United States has been a fulfillment of this verse in many ways. Since arriving here, God has blessed us with opportunity after opportunity to encourage the body of Christ in America to love God and to love others. Although at times it has been exhausting to some degree, God has been at work during this recent period of our lives and we are grateful to be here.\nWe started our time in America by visiting our home church, Calvary Worship Center, in Colorado Springs, to visit the new missions pastor and the staff. It was amazing to see just how many of our prayers concerning the missions department at our church were answered during our absence. In very tangible ways God has given our church a renewed vision for Gods heart for all the people groups, and it has been amazing to see Jesus’ love manifest in this way.\nAfter a very short time in the Springs, we transitioned ourselves to the Omaha, Nebraska, in order to spend time with Noelle’s huge family. While there we had the awesome privilege of sharing what God has been doing through Terebinth Ministry in Uganda, with Bible studies and even a homeschool group. We pray that God used our time there to instill a love for missions into the hearts of adults, as well as children.\nSince then we have spent the last few weeks sharing about God’s work in Gulu, to many of the different groups from our church; men’s/women\u0026rsquo;s Bible study\u0026rsquo;s, youth groups, elementary classes, small groups, etc, and meeting for dinner with as many of our gospel partners as possible. I personally have found this month to be hugely encouraging to me. It is an immeasurable blessing to share what God has placed on my heart with the rest of the body of Christ. Just as in Nebraska, we pray that the time God gives us here in Colorado, will inspire future missionaries, encourage believers to live a lifestyle of discipleship, and gather in partners for the Gospel to be spread throughout Acholiland!\nPrayer: -Pray for our children who have severe colds. -pray that Noelle and baby #3 are safe throughout the pregnancy. -pray that God brings in all of our needed monthly financial partners. -pray that Gods Word sinks deep into His people, especially those in Uganda. -Pray that we are able to get back onto the field in time for the start of the next class of pastors!\nPraise: -Praise God for providing us safe transportation in our travels thus far. -Praise God for giving renewed vision for world missions to our home church. -Praise God for His Love. -Praise God that He has provided a wonderful home for my family to stay in while we are in CO. -Praise God for many new prayer and financial partners as we seek to return to Uganda.\nGiving: We have yet to reach our required monthly budget to return to Uganda. Please pray about whether God would use you in this way, partnering with us in the furtherance of the gospel. To give, please click on the “Become A Financial Partner” button located on the side of the screen.\n“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 24-25 NASB\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2018/01/29/january-2018-update/","summary":"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e“And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25 NASB\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e","title":"January 2018"},{"content":"From our family to yours, we want to thank you for your partnership in the Gospel, and we wish you a happy New Year filled with growth in the knowledge and understanding of our Savior and King, Jesus Christ!\nThis month in Gulu it has been hot and dry, but where we are in America it has been literally freezing cold, tomorrow it’s supposed to be -20 F (-29 C) in Omaha, Nebraska, and that’s before the wind chill! But on the same day in Gulu, Uganda it is 90 F (32.2 C)!\nAt the beginning of this month we were in Gulu, finishing our introduction time there with the team at Terebinth, and Matt was studying hard to teach through 1st and 2nd Chronicles with our partner Luke. They spent a whole week teaching, and after experiencing a piece of what we will be doing in the pastoral school, we are only MORE excited to be working in Gulu! It is such a blessing that God has put us in a place where we can (and are required to) study His Word, and are able to pass it on to those who are hungry for it. What an incredibly humbling and blessed responsibility. After wrapping up the teaching week, we packed up a few of our belongings and headed back to the USA. We are so grateful to those of you who were praying during our long trip, God was gracious to us in letting the girls sleep and be generally well-mannered on our 3 flights. After 2 days of driving and flying, including a 34 hour Monday (we gained 10 hours in one day), we finally arrived in Colorado Springs. Home! We and our families are thankful to be able to spend the holidays together before we head back to Uganda long-term. We spent some time with Matt’s parents, spent Christmas with Noelle\u0026rsquo;s family, and made a quick trip to KS to spend New Years with his grandparents in KS.\nGod has opened the door for us to share what He is doing in Gulu with many groups of people, and we are eager to see what He will bring about during our time here in the States. We will be in the US until all of our required monthly-giving partnerships are met. Our primary goal while here in the US is to stir the body of Christ on towards good work. We pray that what God is doing in Africa will encourage and admonish the body in America. We also hope to get together with any of you that would have us, so please invite us to your homes or to coffee so that we can encourage each other in the Lord. We would love to see you!\nGod Bless all of you!\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2017/12/31/december-update/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFrom our family to yours, we want to thank you for your partnership in the Gospel, and we wish you a happy New Year filled with growth in the knowledge and understanding of our Savior and King, Jesus Christ!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis month in Gulu it has been hot and dry, but where we are in America it has been literally freezing cold, tomorrow it’s supposed to be -20 F (-29 C) in Omaha, Nebraska, and that’s before the wind chill! But on the same day in Gulu, Uganda it is 90 F (32.2 C)!\u003c/p\u003e","title":"December 2017"},{"content":"Please read our Nov. update!\nDear friends and family,\nOn Nov 17th, Noelle and I officially graduated the Institute For Gospel Transformation, at New Hope Uganda, along with 19 other students from all over the world! During the first weeks of the month we worked extra hard in preparation for our final exams and on our final projects. For her final project, Noelle burned a beautiful picture into wood, depicting a redeemed life’s relationships and how they reveal different aspects of our relationship with God. As my final project I created a vision statement and a syllabus for the Harris School of Discipleship, which essentially is my plan for training my children to serve the Lord. I was very encouraged after sharing my final project when several students and teachers wanted copies of it to help them as they lead their own families.\nThe Sunday after we graduated we packed up all of our belongings and moved our family from the little town of Kiwoko (Chi-woko), to the city of Gulu, about 4 hours North of our training. Some members of Terebinth Ministry are graciously letting us stay in and care for their house while they are on a short furlough back the U.S. We are using the time we have here to become acquainted with the ministry and to become familiar with the in’s and out’s of the city. Luke and I are also taking on the awesome responsibility of teaching the books of 1st and 2nd Chronicles to the pastors in the School of Discipleship, during the first week of December. Please pray that we will teach with truth and power, and that we prepare with diligence.\nIn light of the Thanksgiving holiday, we would like to share a few things we’re very thankful for. Food, shelter, clean water and filtration systems, friends, family, our ministry partner Luke, the answered prayers of many faithful people, the vehicle God provided for us, and the lives we have seen transformed through the Gospel. But this Thanksgiving, we are especially thankful for our newest baby, whom we will get to meet face to face sometime this Spring!\nThank you all, Matt, Noelle, Emma, Madeline and Baby\nIMG\\_1410 IMG\\_1451 Noelle\u0026#39;s Picture ","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/2017/11/30/november-2017/","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePlease read our Nov. update!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDear friends and family,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn Nov 17th, Noelle and I officially graduated the Institute For Gospel Transformation, at New Hope Uganda, along with 19 other students from all over the world! During the first weeks of the month we worked extra hard in preparation for our final exams and on our final projects. For her final project, Noelle burned a beautiful picture into wood, depicting a redeemed life’s relationships and how they reveal different aspects of our relationship with God. As my final project I created a vision statement and a syllabus for the Harris School of Discipleship, which essentially is my plan for training my children to serve the Lord. I was very encouraged after sharing my final project when several students and teachers wanted copies of it to help them as they lead their own families.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"November 2017"},{"content":"This is the WPForms preview page. All your form previews will be handled on this page.\nThe page is set to private, so it is not publicly accessible. Please do not delete this page :) .\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/wpforms-preview/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis is the WPForms preview page. All your form previews will be handled on this page.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe page is set to private, so it is not publicly accessible. Please do not delete this page :) .\u003c/p\u003e","title":"WPForms Preview"},{"content":"Matthew, Noelle, and their children, Emma, Madeline and Noah are Colorado natives. They have a passion for the Word of God and a desire to see people fully equipped with scripture. They are consumed with Christ’s command to go into all the world and make disciples; to baptize them and teach them to observe the full counsel of God, eagerly awaiting Christ’s return, and going wherever He would lead them.\nThe Harris’ work with Terebinth Ministries, whose focus is the spiritual and physical health of the Acholi people in Gulu, Uganda. Training local pastors to interpret scripture with scripture, taking them verse by verse and chapter by chapter through the whole of God’s Word. They also work closely with Terebinth’s medical clinic and agricultural projects, which help provide for the physical needs of the community.\n\u0026ldquo;Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.\u0026rdquo; Colossians 1:28-29\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/about-us/","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/harris/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2023/08/Best-1-300x200.jpg\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMatthew, Noelle, and their children, Emma, Madeline and Noah\u003c/strong\u003e are Colorado natives. They have a passion for the Word of God and a desire to see people fully equipped with scripture. They are consumed with Christ’s command to go into all the world and make disciples; to baptize them and teach them to observe the full counsel of God, eagerly awaiting Christ’s return, and going wherever He would lead them.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About us"},{"content":"This is an example page. It\u0026rsquo;s different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this:\nHi there! I\u0026rsquo;m a bike messenger by day, aspiring actor by night, and this is my website. I live in Los Angeles, have a great dog named Jack, and I like piña coladas. (And gettin\u0026rsquo; caught in the rain.)\n\u0026hellip;or something like this:\nThe XYZ Doohickey Company was founded in 1971, and has been providing quality doohickeys to the public ever since. Located in Gotham City, XYZ employs over 2,000 people and does all kinds of awesome things for the Gotham community.\nAs a new WordPress user, you should go to your dashboard to delete this page and create new pages for your content. Have fun!\n","permalink":"https://archive.sgwm.com/harris/harris/sample-page/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis is an example page. It\u0026rsquo;s different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHi there! I\u0026rsquo;m a bike messenger by day, aspiring actor by night, and this is my website. I live in Los Angeles, have a great dog named Jack, and I like piña coladas. (And gettin\u0026rsquo; caught in the rain.)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sample Page"}]