Tuesday, May 27, 2014

I need your help!

After working for several years in Mozambique, we continued to see such great physical needs among the people, we knew we had to find a way to do more. That was the beginning of The ECHO Project, a way for us to raise additional funds that would go directly to individuals in need.

Over the past few years, God has used people from literally all over the world to partner with us financially, allowing us to make a difference in the lives of individuals. We have been able to build houses for the homeless, put in water wells, give school supplies, uniforms, provide medicine and eye glasses, deliver food baskets to the sick and orphaned, provide baby formula, and vitamins, and much, much more.

This year, with help of our teammates, we have started expanding to include farming projects that will supply food to those in need and to create jobs. This currently includes making fertilizer, teaching farming techniques, gardening, and a coconut project.

What do we need from you?

In addition to broadening our financial support so we can expand what we are currently able to do, we are looking for individuals who will help us spread the word about what God is doing through The ECHO Project by becoming Friends of The ECHO Project.

What are Friends of The ECHO Project?


It's simple. We have started a FB group specifically for our Friends of the ECHO Project. Every couple of weeks I will post a video and/or update and ask that you share it with your friends on FB and any other social media you are involved in. You can even take it a step further and share with your church, Bible class, and small group. 

If you are interested in helping, please email or FB me privately and I will send you an invitation to be a  part of the FB group. You can visit our website to find out more about how you can make a difference!

Thank you for helping us ensure that no child or parent's cry goes unheard.

Lisa Harris

Click here to watch video

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. . .the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice." Proverbs 31:8

Friday, May 16, 2014

Killer Suspense Giveaway!


You've got to check this out, because if you love reading suspense, 
you won't want to miss this! 

Fabulous fellow suspense authors have joined forces behind the Killer Suspense Giveaway ~ win 7 signed books AND a $100 Visa gift card. 

Check out the giveaway--including Fatal Exchange--now at the blog of the 
amazing Rel Mollett (RelzReviewz) 


Seven new releases by seven suspense authors!



Happy Reading!!

Lisa Harris

Monday, May 12, 2014

The Dark Side of Paradise

People have told us that living by the Indian Ocean must be like living in paradise. And to a small extent that is true. We live thirty minutes from white sandy beaches where tourists love to fish, snorkel, and scuba dive.

But there is another side that struck again recently. A side that I hate.

It’s the dark side of paradise. Because while tourists explore the beauty of the ocean, people around us are dying.

In the past year, I’ve lost several friends to HIV/Aids. I’ve watched them deteriorate until all they could do was lay outside in the compound on a mat. I’ve seen young women with children and families taken by the disease, young students, older women caring for their grandchildren. The disease doesn’t have a preference.

This time, it’s a young mother of four I’ve known for several years. Her husband left her to go live with his second family, but he returns for sex, doing little if anything to care for his family. And now she has the virus.

It’s a scenario all too familiar. But they aren’t the only ones who are dying. There are people all around us who are dying spiritually.

It reminds me of the verse we all know. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” 

When we chose to come to an unreached people group, we expected the journey to be difficult, but we came because we knew people were dying. And because we knew that God loved them enough to die for them.

My prayer today is that we have that same love for those around us no matter where we live. That we will be lights in a world that desperately needs the love of a Savior.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." John 1:5

Wednesday, May 07, 2014

Bring Back Our Girls

Before I started researching my novel Blood Ransom, I knew nothing about modern-day slavery. It didn't take long for me to realize that human trafficking wasn't just something people on the other side of the world were dealing with. Slavery is a reality in my home country in the US. 

In fact, there are 27 million people today who are enslaved around the world.

Think about that. 27 million individual lives.

The shocking fact is that human trafficking is world wide and can hit very close to home. Asia, Africa, Europe, and across the US as well. It’s become the second largest illegal and profitable enterprise in the world.


Just weeks ago, 276 girls were taken in the middle of the night from a boarding school in Nigeria. Today, the leader of the group that took them is threatening to sell them into slavery.

The group's leader said in a video that he abducted their girls and will sell them in the market. He said that they are slaves and he will sell them because he has the market to sell them. 

Young girls sold like goods in the market place.

This isn't from a history book. This is real. Today.

What can we do?

I’ve mentioned before how God uses the ordinary to do extraordinary things for Him. While the task might seem overwhelming, we can get engaged and make a difference in the world around us!

First of all pray. Pray for the men, women, and children involved in this horrific crime around the world, and right now, pray specifically the girls and families in Nigeria.

Second, inform yourself about what is happening. There are a number of groups who are standing together to put an end to human trafficking worldwide.


Thirdly, don't be afraid to go where you hear God sending you and reach out to those around you. It might mean getting involved with a group who is specifically fighting human trafficking. Or it might be a hurting neighbor down the street, a lonely teen in your church’s youth group, or a forgotten elderly person in your apartment building. Through His strength, we can make a difference--wherever we are--one person at a time.


Make a difference in someone else's life today!

Lisa

Tuesday, May 06, 2014

The toughest thing I've ever done


Over the past decade or so, there were a lot of things I said I'd never do. I said I'd never move again. . .never learn another language. . .and never send my kids to boarding school. All of which, I've ended up doing! But while sending my kids to boarding school has been the toughest thing I've ever done, it's also come with incredible rewards. This video explains it all.


 

 P.S. Fatal Exchange is now available as an ebook if you haven't got your copy! And even better is that it's on sale for a great price. D. Leitch says, "Another home run from Lisa Harris."

Be blessed,

Lisa