April and May Update

Dear praying friends and family, this newsletter is long overdue! We thank the Lord that we have been keeping busy in His service.

Since our last newsletter we have been to Moshi and back for our Annual General Meeting with other CMML missionaries. It was an encouraging time. While there we left the kids with their grandparents and Gina and I traveled with baby Michael to Dar Es Salaam to visit the U.S. Embassy and fill out the paperwork for his birth certificate and passport. Please pray that those would be sent to us soon, before we have to travel in July.

While we were gone we heard that my motorcycle had been stolen, but miraculously, a day later some students found it hidden and reported it to the police. Upon returning to Kigoma, I was eventually able to get it back from the police after multiple visits to the station. Praise the Lord for His help in this situation!

A couple weeks later I taught the last course at the discipleship course on the end times. During the last week of teaching we welcomed Nate and Tabi Douglas who were visiting from our home assembly in Yakima, Washington. What a blessing it was to spend time with them and show them some of the ministry that the Lord has called us to. On their first Saturday here we had a church celebration for our 4 graduating discipleship students. We praise the Lord for their determination throughout the year and it is our earnest prayer that they will go on serving the Master faithfully. Please pray for them. Their names are Paulo, Aroni, Peter, and Furaha.

Graduates with the 3 teachers.

On Sunday we visited a village church with Nate and Tabi. On the way back the clutch failed but God helped us to get it fixed temporarily and get back home. 

Nate, Luke and Aaron fixing the car.

We also spent some time at the beach and sailing with them, and Tabi got to teach at the Good News Girl's club and the women's meeting. On another day we visited with 2 of the deacons in their homes. Nate and Tabi helped Esther with her homeschool, they spent time with the kids, and they helped around the house, and they encouraged us by talking with us and asking questions. We were sad to see them leave but we know they were eager to get back home to their 5 kids. Praise the Lord for their encouraging visit!

(There are many more photos from Nate and Tabi's visit, if you'd like to see those just click on this link: https://www.facebook.com/gina.johnson.739/media_set?set=a.10153083895704219.1073741834.614664218&type=3&pnref=story )

Upcoming

Right now I am trying to buy some new tires before the 4 day evangelistic conference in the remote village of Kahwibiri. Pray that the tires arrive from the big city in time, and pray for other repairs on the car before this big trip. We hope to do door to door evangelism, open air meetings, and show evangelistic films in the evenings. Please pray for lasting fruit at the conference. 

When I return I will be teaching a course on Hermeneutics (Bible interpretation) at a local Bible College in town. And then in July Peter Yamungu (one of the discipleship course teachers) and I will be teaching a 3 day seminar at one of the village churches. Please pray that in all these endeavors each member of the body would become complete in Christ.

The Homefront

Meanwhile, and perhaps most importantly, Gina continues to homeschool Esther (currently in their last week!), and take care of a 3 month old baby, as well as 2 other kids (and a thousand other things I don't have time to list here). I am so thankful for all that she does for our family. On June 2nd we celebrated Aaron's 2nd birthday. He is growing up so fast and tries to keep up with his sisters.

Aaron on his birthday.

Thank you for remembering to pray for us. We need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, because sometimes we forget that we are serving Him.

In Christ,

Luke and Gina