This past month several major things happened.
In our last newsletter we mentioned the successful launch of the sailboat that my father built for ministry along the lake. Some of you may have heard that only 5 days after its launch a huge storm came up on the lake and caused the boat to drag its mooring block and run aground. To make a long story short, with the help of many from the missionary community along with hired workers we were able to pull the boat up on land for some fairly major repairs. We are thankful that there was not more damage as the whole boat could have been smashed to pieces. We have just begun to make repairs, but it may be a few more months before it is launched again.
We are thankful to God for our trip to Dar Es Salaam (the big city on the east coast of the country). We went by road, along with my parents, in order to attend the Annual General Meeting of CMML missionaries in Tanzania. We had a nice 4-day stay in a hotel on the Indian Ocean and heard reports on the work from our fellow missionaries. We also discussed various issues and were able to share our ideas regarding how to better work together in the ministry with our Tanzanian brothers and sisters in Christ. All in all it was a profitable and encouraging time. On the way back we saw many very bad accidents and so we are extra thankful for God's hand of protection on the dangerous Tanzanian roads.
While in the big city we were able to finally pick up Emily's new US passport and her birth certificates (Tanzanian and US consulate report of birth abroad). We are thankful that we were able to get these documents as we prepared for our furlough to the U.S. We will arrive in Chicago on May 2, 2011 and we fly back to Tanzania from Newark airport on July 25, 2011. Needless to say we have many things to do before we leave.
We just visited the village church of Nkungwe and were encouraged by their outreach efforts to a neighboring village. On the way back from church we were able to take a man to the hospital to get treatment. He had broken his leg (or had badly torn some ligaments) the day before and had no way of getting to the hospital to get an X-ray to see if it was broken or not. We were told that he is a new believer.
We would appreciate your prayers for the Gungu church here in town that there would be peace and unity. There have arisen a few complainers who have been trying to stir other people up against the leadership. Please pray as there will be a meeting to discuss these problems on Sat. April 9, 2011
Prayer Items
- Boat repairs
- Praise for good meetings with fellow missionaries
- Praise for Emily's passport
- Prayer for furlough preparations
- Prayer for unity in the Gungu church
Thank you for your participation in the ministry here. May you be blessed in the Lord.
Luke, Gina, Esther, and Emily Johnson