Christmas in Kigoma

A day trip to a white rocky beach north of Kigoma...

Esther showing off her new hairstyle....

Esther's figured out that Christmas involves gifts...

Drilling a well at the Chapel in Kigoma ...

January Update

Dear family and friends,

First of all we would like to wish you all a blessed New Year. Our wish for  each of you this year is that you continue to grow in your knowledge of our Savior and become more like Him.

As we think back on this past year we can say that it has been one of many changes, yet through it all we have seen God's hand at work and experienced His faithfulness. When we look at the great task that has been entrusted to us we cannot help but feel inadequate, but we know that our "adequacy is from God" (2 Cor. 3:5) and so we persevere. God's infinite power is at work in and through us, frail clay vessels that we are. But this is so that all the glory will go to God (2 Cor. 4:7).

We would ask that your prayers for us this year would be directed toward our ownspiritual growth and development. With the changes and the pressures and the responsibilities and the requests for help, we can easily see how little the fruit of the Spirit is displayed in our lives. But we are called by God to display the glorious attributes of His Spirit in EVERY situation in our lives, not just when it is easy. This becomes even more important when God's reputation is at stake because we are His servants and representatives. We lament the fact that our sinful flesh seems to often veil "Christ in us" (Col. 1:27).

So would you please pray that we would display the Spirit's love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). And would you also pray that we would have the "wisdom from above" (James 3:17) for each situation that we are faced with this coming year.

Ministry (God's work through us) can only prosper insomuch as we are walking in close fellowship with Him and in obedience to His Word.

We thank God for all of you that pray for us.

With love in the Spirit,

Luke, Gina and Esther Johnson