March 2008 Update   We hope you are doing well and getting ready for spring.  We are doing well from all of our traveling lately and are preparing again to leave.    Updates… The last weekend in February we traveled to Cerro Gordo, IL to visit with the people of the Cerro Gordo Brethren Church.  We were put in touch with this church by CMF because last summer they used the Turkana Well program for their VBS and we were their on-call missionaries.  They did not need us to come over for the week but were told to contact them if we were still support raising in February.  They use February as their missions month and have different missionaries from all around come to speak and share with them.  We were housed by a wonderful family who welcomed the 3 of us like their own family.  They had a big black Labrador that Elias just loved!  And to Elias’ delight they also drove a big black truck (SUV) that we all rode in.  The weekend with the church was wonderful and so filling for us.  We look forward to keeping in contact with this church while we are in Kenya and then visiting them when we are on furlough.    The next weekend we traveled to Berwick, PA to visit with Berwick Christian Church.  This as well as the weekend before was a wonderful weekend.  We were also put in touch with this church by CMF.  Berwick CC had supported the Chapmans for many years.  The Chapmans served in Turkana from 1977 until last May when they retired.  This church was looking to continue to support a CMF missionary and we were one of the next in line.  This church dedicates a month to each of the missions or missionaries that they support.  So Berwick CC had already raised a donation for us during the month of January and this was a chance for us to say thank you and for them to get to know us as well as us get to know them.  We were also housed by a wonderful family within the church and had a great weekend with this congregation.  We look forward to keeping in contact with this church and visiting them while we are on furlough.    We are finishing up different things and packing to leave on Monday morning, March 31 for our 5 weeks of training in Colorado.  We are looking forward to all that we will learn and the different people we will meet.   Now for some new things… First Christian Church set up a time for us to speak to the mission committee but it was during April which is when we will be in Colorado for training.  We are waiting to hear about a rescheduled date.    We are speaking in Eaton, OH this Sunday, March 30, 2008 at the Crossroads Church which is the YMCA branch of St. Paul UMC. We will be speaking at their YMCA branch campus.  The pastor at this campus used to be at Stillwater UMC a few years ago and that is how we know her.  She is excited for us to speak and share with the congregation.  The mission committee is also meeting soon and will be discussing us and there is a possibility that we will also get the opportunity to speak at the main campus of this church as well. We are very excited that when we return from training in Colorado we have been invited to the CMF Board Meeting to be commissioned.  This is one of the final steps within CMF and is required of all missionaries before going to the field.  We will fly home from Colorado Friday May 2, and then Sunday May 4 we will go over to Indianapolis for the Board Meeting.  Please rejoice with us that we have been invited!  This is something we have been looking forward to.  I will then remain in Indianapolis until Tuesday afternoon for the rest of the Board Meeting while Chad will travel to North Carolina Monday morning for the plant and animal husbandry training he signed up for.  While he is in NC for two weeks Elias and I will take the time to stay with family and friends.   I had an appointment with our midwife toady and the baby and I are doing great.  Good weight gain on my part and a great heart beat on the baby’s!  We are cleared to travel to Colorado, but she said no skiing!  I finally asked about a due date- something we had just never talked about- and it is July 14.    Chad has been putting updates as well as new pictures on our web site, check it out- www.HarrisFamilyMission.com   Kitopia Akuj (God bless), Kara