Lisa Harris's Blog, page 15

Video highlights from all church get together

A couple weeks ago we had Christians from five of our towns and villages came together for a day of celebration in Guinjata. Here is a short video highlighting the day.

Enjoy!

Lisa

PS If you haven't seen my Heart of Africa giveaway post, be sure and stop by today and leave a comment here! I'm really loving hearing what people are thankful about. Contest ends Monday night.)

All Church Gathering from Lisa Harris on Vimeo.

Heart of Africa Giveaway!

I'm so thankful to each one of you who takes the time to read my blog and my books, and especially to those who have taken the time to contact me personally. I love connecting with each one of you!     
As a small thank you, I've got a few fun things to giveaway as we come to the end of another year! 
1.) Along with a copy of Dangerous Passage, one winner will receive a 2014 calendar, African tea and coffee, and a set of beautiful, beaded teaspoons. 
2.) Two winners will receive one copy each of Blood Ransom and Blood Covenant, my romantic suspense series set in Africa.
3.) Two winners will receive one copy each of Dangerous Passage
(Total of five winners!) 
You can leave a comment now through Monday, November 25, 11:59 pm, EST.
HOW DO YOU ENTER:
All you have to do is leave a comment below on this blog and tell me what you are most thankful for this year and you will be automatically entered. PLEASE include your email and state so I can get in touch with the winners. To make it simple, the winners be be chosen by random.org. (Sorry, but because of rules and regulations, I'm limiting this to US addresses only. Please read the official rules at the end of this post. ) 
If you already have copies of any of these books, feel free to give them away! Also, if you haven't signed up yet for my Author Newsletter, you can still receive your ebook copy of Recipe for Murder just for signing up! Feel free to spread the word!!!
I'll probably be extra quiet over the holidays as I spend time with my family, but I do want to wish every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas. 
Be blessed, 
Lisa
Here are the rules of the sweepstakes:
No purchase necessary. Open to US residents only. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Winners will have 7 days to respond to my email. if they do not they will be removed from the giveaway and another will be randomly selected.This offer is void where prohibited, and the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering this giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal laws.

A visit to the very end of the earth

This past weekend we had a fantastic time with many of the villages we work in gathering together for a day of celebration and worship.

I will be sharing a video highlighting the weekend soon, but in the meantime, here is a video about a recent visit into a new area where we are beginning to work.

In this short video, Scott shares the story of Maria, a woman who God healed and who is not sharing her new-found faith in her home village. After visiting in Maria's village, one of the disciples who went with Scott described this village as being at "the very end of the earth."




Click on the arrow above to watch the video!

The ECHO Project: Dinner TIme

Here's the third, short video about live in Africa from a kid's point of view all about. . .dinner time!
Please consider making a donation this holiday season to The ECHO Project. 100% of the money raised goes to helping individuals. You can learn more about how you can help us make a difference here.     
Click on the arrow in the box below to watch this week's video and enjoy!

This week in photos: Loving your neighbor

As we work primarily with village churches, one of the things we've tried to encourage is for the Christians to reach out to those in their communities. And that is exactly what we are seeing. After church on Sundays, the Christians in Guinjata have begun going around and praying for the sick in the community. Last week, Scott took a carload of people from Magola to visit and encourage a woman over an hour away who had invited us to come and teach her and her neighbros. Another woman took in two small children when their mother was unable to take care of them. 
We are so excited to see people truly living out their faith and being light in their communities as they demonstrate their Christ to their neighbors.


One of the young men from English camp and his two sisters went with us out in to the community
Visiting the sick in GuinjataPraying for the sick in the community

Leaving our shoes outside before going inside the dark hut and praying for a young woman.

Massai Mara video highlights

After dropping out kids off at school last month, Scott and I took two days to explore the nearby Massai Mara, one of Africa's most incredible game reserves and celebrate our anniversary. I have to say, I wasn't disappointed. It was truly incredible! Here are some video highlights I thought you might enjoy.

Lisa

Life in Africa: Thirsty Anyone?

Ever thought about how blessed you are to be able to walk into your kitchen and get water from the faucet?

Here is the second in a series of short, fun videos sharing about life in Africa from a kid's point of view. Consider sharing these with your kids, grandkids, or Sunday School classes.

To learn more about what The ECHO Project is doing to make a difference in the lives of individuals and how you can help, you can visit the website.

Click on the arrow in the box below to watch the video and enjoy!

Perspectives

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These past couple weeks, we've been hit extra hard with the news of so many tragedies.  Scott's father's best friend for forty years was killed in a car accident. Four young boys from one of the villages we work in drowned in the ocean. We were first responders to a tragic accident outside of town and had to transport a man to the hospital who had just lost his arm. On top of that, both of our boys had friends who were in the Nairobi mall during the terrorists attack. They survived without injuries, but the emotional impact has affected all of us.
As this news hit us over the span of a few short days, I was reminded of the simple fact that life is short. We are here for a time, then vanish in an instant. There aren't even any guarantees we will see tomorrow.  
God confirmed this to Isaiah when he said 'Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field.The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.'
Through all of the tragedy, I have been reminded again why we are here. Paul made it very clear that we are fighting, not against those around us, but a spiritual battle. Against the rulers and authorities of the unseen world. Which was why he then goes on to write in Ephesians 6:14 that we need to put on every piece of God's armor so we can resist the enemy in the time of evil.
He calls each one of us to be in a relationship with Him. As fragile as life might be, He loves us. He has called us to be a light, to serve and to love those around us. And He will give us the strength we need for the task He gives us to complete.
A quote I recently read by Tullian Tchividjian sums it up well. "We don't need answers (to suffering) as much as we need God's presence in and through the suffering itself." 

Life in Africa

Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing with you ten fun, short videos we made to share more about life in Africa from a kids point of view, in connection to The ECHO Project. Consider sharing these with your kids, grandkids, or Sunday School classes.

To learn more about what The ECHO Project is doing to make a difference in the lives of individuals you can visit our website.

Clink on the arrow in the box below and enjoy!

Lisa

Playing Catchup

Stopping for yogurt and toppings while doing last minute school shopping.It's hard to believe that a month has past since I last posted. So much has happened and I've had little time on the internet. 
The first major thing was taking the children to Kenya where they will be attending a missionary boarding school. The first few weeks have had their ups and downs, but they all love the school, are making friends, and are settling in.
Already, they are almost halfway through the first term. I will be going to visit them over a long weekend during this mid-term break, something I'm so thankful to be able to do. I miss them but am thrilled for the opportunities that they are having. 
Going away to school requires TONS of luggage!

Family photo before heading off to school
Getting settled into Jayden's dorm

After we dropped off the kids, including two days of new-student orientation, Scott and I celebrated our  belated 23rd anniversary and our new part-time empty nester status by spending two nights in the Masai Mara. For those of you who know how much I love Kruger in South Africa, I had very high expectation after hearing how incredible the sightings could be. I have to say, I wasn't disappointed. With only one full day plus a few hours, we saw the big five and so much more. I will be posting more photos and videos of our time later. Here are a few highlights.
Leopard with a kill
Cheetah



An incredible male lion up on a ledge.

After Kenya, I went to the States as I had won an all expense paid trip to the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference through the CreateFiction writers contest last year. Here I was able to not only sit in on some fantastic classes, but see old friends, meet new ones, and meet all of my editors for the first time in person. This was such a blessing as it has been a number of years since I have been able to attend one of these conferences. I was also able to spend a few days with my family which was a blessing.
While I was gone, Scott made his yearly trip to Zambia to encourage the churches that Allen and Janelle worked with before we moved here. His time there was a huge blessing both to him and to the churches.  Dressed up for the gala.We arrived back in Mozambique over a week ago and have hit the ground running. Last week, twelve new believers took on Christ in Magola, so we are excited to see people reaching out to those in their communities and praying with those in need. I've enjoyed being back with the women and going out with them to the villages to teach.

Twelve baptisms in Magola

Be blessed,
Lisa