May Update

Dear praying friends, we thank the Lord for your partnership in the gospel.

Be patient and take heart, beloved brothers and sisters, because we believe the judge is standing at the door (James 5:7). And through your labor of love (your prayers and your generosity) the Word of the Lord continues to grow and multiply (Acts 12:24).

We praise the Lord for a team of Burundi believers that came the end of May. They were an encouragement to our local church in Kigoma and gave teaching and also reached out to two other village churches. They focused on teaching the youth, the women and the church leaders. On their last day, a marriage seminar was also added last minute, and almost our entire church showed up for that. Those who were translating did a great job and were all tired after 4 long days of ministry. We are thankful how the Lord guided in the many aspects of the visit and how the local church received the team well.

Peter translating during the marriage seminar.

Peter Yamungu is finishing up teaching Old Testament Survey (Part 1) at the Disciples of Jesus School. We currently have 5 committed students. We hope to gain more students next term, as some did not complete their studies last year and plan to resume where they left off. Please pray that each student would humbly receive the Word implanted (James 1:21).

The Gungu town church has committed to reviving the church in the nearby village of Kizenga. A handful of gifted members from the town church have been going each Sunday to teach Sunday School, lead the service and preach, as there is currently no qualified leadership there. Pray for a strong assembly to be established in that majority Muslim village.

The kids enjoying being at Kizenga.

The building at Kizenga has been destroyed, but the church continues to meet under the mango trees.

We praise the Lord for the safe arrival of the Kinlaw family to Kigoma after 4 months of language study. We are looking forward to working together with them for the advancement of Christ's church in this region. Pray for them as they get settled into life here, and as they continue to learn and practice the Swahili language, needed for ministry here. Our 4 kids are really enjoying playing with the Kinlaw kids, who are similar in age.

We are getting ready for an evangelistic conference in the village of Songambele, June 14-18. Pray for the door to door evangelism and tract distribution. Pray that the Word being proclaimed through singing, preaching and Christian films, would accomplish new birth in many. "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Pray for Gina and the kids as Luke will be gone for 5 days.

Blessings in Christ,
Luke and Gina Johnson

2 of 3 - Ministry Boat Trip - Igalula

Emineli steering the boat.

On May 10, 2017 the team continued on their way and sailed further south until they anchored at the village of Igalula.

Amosi on the boat, anchored at Igalula.

The believers at Igalula have finished their foundation to their church building, so they have been working hard at making and firing the bricks that are needed for building the walls. Now with their bricks fired they are ready to continue.

Amosi standing on the church building foundation.

The current church building is made of palm branches with a grass roof.

The current chapel at Igalula.

The boat was tied to an island of reeds.

In preparation for the boat trip, Luke worked on getting some old solar panels fixed up. Emineli helped wire the cables and install lights so the boat was well lit after dark, unlike most village homes.

Solar panels for the boat.

Harry and Luke showed films for 2 nights at Igalula. On the second night, after showing films and packing up the equipment, a young woman was brought to the local elder's house to be prayed for. She had not spoken for a day and a half and was staying with her grandmother.  So before returning to the boat, Amosi, Luke, Polo and two other local believers prayed for this young lady. She sat on the mat in a daze, but as soon as they started praying for her she started shaking. Finally they laid her down on the mat and she continued to shake for a while and then became still. Not long after they finished praying, she sat up as if she had woken up from a sleep. One of the local elders began to talk to her and she responded like a normal person. She was a muslim but had been to a Christian conference and had been prayed for and even repeated the sinner's prayer, but she did not understand who Christ was and what He had done for her. They shared the gospel with her and asked her if she would like to have her sins forgiven by trusting in Christ. She agreed and prayed. The elders prayed for her once more and then gave her advice about meeting with believers and praying and reading God's Word and trusting in His power over demons. She was later given a new testament. Her name is Shakira. Please continue to pray for her, to be completely freed from the powers of darkness.

Many muslims in our area are severely oppressed by demons and need deliverance thru the power of Christ who has overcome the evil one.

1 of 3 - Ministry Boat Trip - Sigunga

On May 8, 2017, Luke went on a ministry boat trip. He went on his father's boat, Wings of the Morning, along with Harry and Ruth Johnson (his parents) and Emineli Jonathan and Polo Nasibu. The purpose of the trip was to visit 3 village churches to the south of Kigoma. Two of these villages are not accessible by land, but only by lake.

So, I went with the kids at 7 am to the Kikodeco port to bid them farewell.

Getting everything ready to untie the ropes.

They finally pulled up anchor at 8 am and were off. As they went past the Ujiji bay at 10 am the swells were quite high and rocking the boat. The kids and I prayed for a safe trip and for calm waters during the week that they were traveling. But we also prayed for rain for ourselves, we desperately wanted one good rain before the dry season set in for good!
Finally at around 6 pm, I got word that they had arrived at Kirando, a safe harbor for spending the night. Here they picked up one more crew member, Amosi Amani.

Polo working on the boat.

Dropping anchor at Kirando.

The next morning they were off again and only had to sail some 2 hours to get to their destination, the village of Sigunga.

Pulling into Sigunga.

Here they had the opportunity to see the church property, which the believers had to level before building the foundation to their church building.

Rocks that were carried and placed by hand.

The believers at Sigunga standing on their new foundation.

Ruth Johnson taught Bible lessons to the children.

Ruth with children at Sigunga.

The village of Sigunga sits on a steep hill and all of the trails in the village are almost vertical. It is also hard to terrace the land for building due to the many rocks.

Women coming down to the lake to get water.

The boat is safely anchored in the bay, but nobody ventured to cool off in the waters nearby. The local people say there is a crocodile that likes to live among those reeds.

Wings of the Morning

As the sun set, they got the film equipment ready and showed Christian films (The Hope and Le Combat) to some 200 people in the open air until 10 pm. Luke gave an invitation to anyone wanting to accept Christ after the films.

Harry and Emineli showing films at Sigunga.

December Update

Happy New Year to all of you!

We thank the Lord for all of His blessings this past year, and we rejoice in the challenges which He has allowed in our lives which form us spiritually and teach us endurance. We also praise our heavenly King for each one of you who love Christ, though you have not seen Him, and serve Him continually through your prayers and participation in the gospel. Truly our Sovereign Head has designed the body to function in unity and to work together in love.


Ministry
The last time we wrote was in the middle of September. Since then we have had the opportunity to visit 4 churches, one of them a new fellowship of believers started by an elder from a nearby village. We were able to meet them, encourage them in the Word and give guidance to them as they gathered for the first time to remember Christ's death. We gave them some Christian literature and shared a meal together before returning. Please pray for these believers to seek to learn God’s word and be faithful in meeting together to encourage one another. Also, pray that the Holy Spirit would raise up elders among them who will have a true calling to shepherd the flock of God. These saints live in the village of Kajeje.

Luke preaching at Kajeje

Our friend and brother in Christ, Peter Yamungu, made another trip to visit the unreached tribe of the Wataturu, a full day’s drive away from here, in the Tabora region. He was able to meet the local chief and chairman, who was very friendly to him. He preached the Good News to many at a gathering and from house to house. He handed out tracts, portions on Scripture, and 3 Bibles, to those who knew how to read and who understood Kiswahili. He also attended a wedding and got to see their customs, which are very different from his own. We thank the Lord for preparing the way for him and keeping the door open for future service. Our family has decided to support Peter in his vision by sending him to a good missions school in Dar Es Salaam. He will be away from his wife and 4 kids for 8 months (from May - Dec.), with a short break in the middle. Please pray for Peter as he takes this big step of faith to become a cross cultural missionary. Pray for him and his family as they will be apart for this period of time. Pray that he will learn many things that will be useful for him in future service. And pray for our discipleship course, as we will not have Peter, who is one of our key teachers, for our 2nd and 3rd terms.

Chief in the village of Uwajawanungu reading the Bible he received.

Family

We had regional church elder meetings at the end of November and were able to sneak away on the last day and travel to Burundi to spend an early Thanksgiving with Luke’s brother Danny and his wife Anne and their 3 children. We enjoyed our time together and Luke was able to attend a morning session at the Timothy Bible School where Danny was teaching on the 4 gospels. We made it back in time for Thanksgiving in Kigoma and enjoyed the fellowship with other missionaries.

Visiting the cousins in Bujumbura, Burundi

During the month of December we had a visit from Gina’s parents, Mark and Carol Mattix. We had a wonderful time with them doing various things such as celebrating Esther’s 10th. birthday, singing together, rest and relaxation, walks, hikes and talks, 2 nights of camping at the beach, and ministry. Mark gave a 1 day seminar on Creationism. We visited a village church, and Mark preached on Christmas morning. They left the day after Christmas and we thank the Lord for the special time we had together.

On a hike with "Grandpa Mattix".

On a family outing up country.

The four kids.

Looking Forward
On Jan. 9 we’ll start up our new year at the Disciples of Jesus school. A number have shown interest from town and out of town but we wait to see how many will actually come. Please pray that the Lord would bring those who are hungry for God’s Word and ready to put it into practice. At the end of February we’ll start visiting the village churches with the discipleship students to give them opportunity to serve and develop their gifts. Please pray for the many other things that we have planned for this year, that God will direct and enable us in everything, and that His will would be done in us and His people. It is our desire that this would be a fruitful year for Christ’s church in the Kigoma region. We covet your prayers for us and our dear Tanzanian brothers and sisters.

May God’s grace abound to you this year,
Luke and Gina Johnson

February Update

Dear praying friends and family, we continue to praise the Lord for his faithfulness to us.

Ministry

Last time we wrote Luke was teaching at the discipleship course. The teaching went well and now we are back up to 7 students (2 dropped out since last term but 2 new ones joined). Japhet is currently teaching on the attributes of God. Please continue to pray for the teachers and the students, that God's word would be planted in their hearts and that they would become firmly rooted in Christ's love.

Luke finished teaching his 2 week course on the End Times at Grace Bible School in the village of Sunuka. Thank you for your prayers for Gina and the kids. Gina did a great job though we were all very happy to be back together again.

Upcoming

The next thing we are preparing for is a 3 day seminar in the village of Lugunga. (Monday Feb. 29 - Mar. 2). Lameck and Luke will be teaching on salvation by grace and the assurance of salvation. This teaching is very much needed in the village churches as many of them have received a false gospel of works or they believe their salvation is kept by good works. Please pray, pray, pray for this seminar that the Holy Spirit might bring understanding and conviction to those who are in darkness and give peace and assurance to those who know the Father. 

Then on March 14 and 15 there will be a 2 day seminar at the village of Sambala, taught by Ayubu and Luke on giving. We hope to encourage cheerful giving on their part to support a full time elder (his name is Bahati) who has been traveling from a neighboring village twice a week for over 2 years to encourage, help, teach and preach at their church. He was chosen to go there after their church began experiencing problems, and has been faithfully doing so. Pray that the saints would be encouraged to give freely from their hearts, out of love for the Lord.

Family

We celebrated Michael's 1st Birthday on February 15. He is crawling now and getting into all kinds of things he shouldn't. He was quite sick at the beginning of February so we are thankful he is doing better now.

Michael on his first birthday.

We had a quick visit from Luke's Aunt Janet who lives in France. She stayed with Harry and Ruth and it was nice to see her again. Danny and Anne Johnson also came down with Anne's mother Raquel, to pick Aunt Janet up and take her to Burundi for a while. 

Ruth, Janet and Harry singing a special number at church.

Danny and Luke with their young boys.

 Thank you so much for your prayers for us and the Lord's work. Pray that we would be wise and faithful to the One who has called us.

Blessings,

Luke & Gina & the kids

August and September Update

Hello dear praying friends and family,

Here are a few highlights from the past two months:

Discipleship Course

On August 18, I (Luke) sent out a quick email asking for prayer for the discipleship course that had just started up again. We continue with that 3 times a week. Peter is finishing up a course on Old Testament Survey (Part I), then Swedi (an elder from the town church) will teach on "The Christian Life." Please continue to pray for us teachers, as well as the 7 faithful students who have continued on with us. 

We were able to purchase a piece of property for the discipleship course, and we went through all the legal steps to make certain all would go well. However, there is now a "hang up" at the land office due to corruption. Please pray that we would be able to get the title deed transferred to us.

Ministry

The seminar back in July, at the village church of Munzeze went well. A few people were able to come from a neighboring village church as well. Peter and I taught on the New Testament church. That Sunday, 4 people were baptized! Please pray that the Lord would raise up other elders to shepherd the small flock there, as there is currently only one elder.

Baptism at Munzeze

As soon as I finished teaching "History of Salvation" at the discipleship course, I taught a 36 hr. course on Pastoral Epistles at a local Christian college to 30+ students. Please pray for these students who are also church leaders from various parts of Tanzania.

We attended the wedding of Habil and Margaret in a southern village (same one we visited with Nate and Tabi Douglas). 

Wedding Vows

Family
The Kumbya missionary retreat in Rwanda at the end of July was a nice break from the routine. (Yes, we were able to get an emergency passport for baby Michael just in time!) Esther and Emily had a great time at the kid's program and enjoyed swimming and playing with the friends they made. Aaron was not too keen to stay with the toddler's program, so unfortunately Gina had to miss out on most of the adult teaching and discussion. All in all we were encouraged from the book of Acts concerning the task of world evangelism. We thank God for a short visit in Burundi with Danny and Anne and their kids (Luke's brother and family) after our time at the retreat. Please continue to pray for peace and stability for Burundi as there has been some unrest and killings since the elections.

Family at Kumbya retreat

And we also celebrated a couple birthdays this month.

Aaron enjoying Emily's birthday cake at the beach.

Upcoming

This week we are happy to have Phil and Mary Parsons visit us on behalf of CMML. We leave in the morning to visit one of the kindergartens that is managed by a village church.

In less than two weeks we are making a trip to the nearest city of Mwanza (13 hr. drive) to take advantage of the Embassy's consular visit and renew Emily's passport.

Please pray for the country of Tanzania with the upcoming presidential elections (Oct. 25).

And finally, please join us in prayer for Esther's school books. They were sent in a container over a year ago, but that container has not yet cleared customs. The summer break has been great but we are eager to start school (I think she would say that too).

Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel.

Blessings in Christ,

Luke and Gina

and Esther, Emily, Aaron and Michael

March Update

Dear praying friends and family,

We hope that you have been busy in the master’s service in whatever way He has enabled you to serve Him. In Ephesians 4 Paul tells us that the risen Christ gave gifted leaders to the church “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building upon the body of Christ” (v. 12). We feel that this is our special task and calling at this time. Please pray with us to that end. 

Family

Our last general email was the news of Michael’s birth (Mid-February). Since then we have been adjusting to a new schedule of being up in the night and caring for a newborn, as well as taking care of the other 3 kids. This has made home life busy, but we continue to count our many blessings. The older kids are learning to be helpful in many ways and a delighted to have another sibling. However, it is especially hard for Gina and Esther to keep to a regular schedule with homeschool each week day.

Discipleship Course

The discipleship course has been in session since the beginning of March and Peter Y. is currently teaching our 3rd module on New Testament Survey 3 times a week. On some of the Sundays we have been trying to visit the village churches with the students, for their practical experience and to encourage the saints in these locations. Tomorrow we will travel 3 hours to the village of Sigunga along Lake Tanganyika. By the end of this session, Lord willing, we will have our first graduating class in May 2015, and in hope we pray for many more in the future.

One new development is that we are currently in the process of purchasing another property close to the church for the discipleship course’s needs. As we prayerfully seek the Lord we trust that He will guide us and provide for us in the days ahead.

Students teaching SS kids.

Besides the daily burden of helping people with their many needs we have begun the long process of renewing our work permit, so that we can continue to serve the Lord in this country. Please pray that another 2 year work permit would be granted to us. At the same time there have been motorbike and car repairs, as well as leadership and ministry meetings. Please pray that we would be renewed and strengthened in our inner man each day, in order to accomplish God’s purposes for us at this time. We need wisdom, patience and love in all things.

Upcoming

Next week we will make a 2 day drive up to the city of Moshi, for the Annual General Meeting with our fellow missionaries. Lord willing, we will meet up with Luke’s parents (Harry & Ruth Johnson) who are returning from the US after Ruth’s heart operation. After the meeting Gina, Michael and I will fly to Dar Es Salaam to visit the US Embassy and  work on Michael’s legal documents, before returning to Moshi and then driving back to Kigoma. 

Please pray for us in these travels: 

1. For safety and that the old car would run well

2. For our meeting with fellow missionaries, that it would be profitable 

3. For Michael’s paperwork

And do not forget to pray for the Tanzanian church, especially for the leaders, that many who are sleeping would wake up and serve the Lord with humility, sincerity, and gladness.

Believers in the village of Kahwibiri.

Thanks for reading and partnering in prayer with us in the work of the gospel.

In Christ,
Luke, for the family

November Update

Dear praying friends and family, we are rejoicing in the hope of our eternal inheritance which we have in Christ. We have received more blessings from God our Father than we could ever count. We trust you are thanking the Lord as well during this thanksgiving season.

Women's Retreat

In mid-November, Gina had the opportunity to attend a conference in the big city with 50+ other women. Luke and the kids managed just fine without her cooking and cleaning for 5 days while Gina enjoyed fellowship, great teaching and pampering at a fancy hotel. The team that hosted the retreat were very encouraging and generous. Here is a a link to their ministry website: http://www.purejoyinternational.org

Trip to Burundi and Kibondo

A couple hours after picking Gina up from the airport we went on a 3 day trip to Burundi to visit one of Luke's childhood friends, Davidi, whom he had not seen for 15 years. We had a nice time with Davidi and his new bride, as well as with relatives (Luke's brother and uncle and their families). On our way back to Tanzania we took a different route and border crossing we had not tried before, in order to visit a new church plant in the town of Kibondo. We stayed with them for 3 full days, with 2 days of seminars and the Sunday meeting with them. We returned on Monday Nov. 24, very tired, but glad to be home.

Visiting Nyakarago with Davidi and Melissa.

Ladies busy cooking the meal.

Small children being prayed for in the church.

Discipleship Course

We continue faithfully with the discipleship course although 1 more student has traveled, so that leaves only four. We have one more module (Old Testament Survey) for 3 weeks and then our 2nd term will be over. Pray for wisdom for us leaders as to how to proceed next term and in the future as well. We want to be as effective as possible, and pursue God's purpose for us. 

Christmas

There are several things going on for Christmas. The northern churches and the southern churches are each separately getting ready for a 3 day conference; a time for fellowship and encouragement. The youth in the town church plan to lead the church service next week, followed by a year-end celebration to God for having brought us through another year. The following Sunday will be a special Sunday School program service. 

Family

At the moment Gina and all 3 kids have nasty colds and coughs, and Aaron has tummy trouble as well. Please pray for healing for them, and that we would grow in grace and in faith through the many challenges we face. 

We are so thankful to God for those of you who stand together with us in prayer and giving. One day you will receive your reward from the all-knowing Master. Your labor of love will not be forgotten.

In His grace,

Luke, Gina, Esther, Emily, and Aaron Johnson

August Update

Dear praying friends and family,

The time for our return to Tanzania has come. As I write this the car is all loaded up with our luggage for our trip to Seattle and then our flight Monday morning. It has been a great furlough of seeing lots of chapel friends and many family members as well.

Since our last newsletter we visited Luke's uncle Don Tinder and his son Derek and his family in the San Francisco area. We had a great time with them and got to share about the work at Sun Valley Bible Chapel. We enjoyed the train ride there and back.

With the cousins in California

As soon as we got back we helped out with a week of Day Camp (like a VBS) at the Tieton Drive Bible Chapel in Yakima, WA. We did the journey through the Bible and it was a wonderful outreach to the kids of the community. The children really enjoyed acting out parts of the Bible as well as all the teaching, activities, crafts and singing. Please pray for lasting fruit from this effort. Since then we have been getting stuff we need and packing for our return to Tanzania, and now it has come. 

Our Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) in Tanzania is 7:30 AM, Wed. Aug. 27, 2014 (Local Time). In the meantime, and for the next few months we will be awaiting another arrival. The ETA for his/her arrival is February 2015.

Aaron has no idea what this is all about!

When we get to Tanzania we'll still have a 3 day drive to our home in Kigoma, then we will begin unpacking and settling in. The discipleship course will be starting up soon after that. Please keep all these things in mind as you pray for us. Thanks.

May God's peace be with you,

Luke, Gina, Esther, Emily, Aaron & ????? Johnson

Just a typical Sunday ...

All three of my kids. =)

Luke leading the sunday service at the Kigoma chapel.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday we drove to the nearby village of Nkungwe. Luke and I were accompanied by Peter, his wife Naomi and their 2 little ones, and David, and our own daughter Emily. Esther stayed behind. Luke, Peter and David all spoke a message. There was the typical Sunday morning service, but a little longer with choirs singing more than their allotted 2 songs. Shortly after this service we gathered around the table for Breaking of Bread. After this, we just sat and waited for things to get ready for the afternoon service. It rained a slow yet heavy drizzle most of the day. The youth were in charge of the afternoon service and many came to see the drama performance they had prepared. After another message and more singing the meeting came to a close. The ladies ushered in the food and sodas and we barely made a dent in our food. As quickly as we could, we said our good-byes and drove slowly back on the wet and slick roads. It was past 8 pm when we finally made it home to our comfortable beds. =)

Luke speaking at the morning service.

Waiting for the afternoon service to begin.

Emily enjoying our undivided attention.

Dismas' wife showing off her growing twin girls (whom we had seen as newborns here).

FOOD! One mountain size plate per person.

September Update

Dear praying friends and family, thank you very much for your prayers for us this past month. We know that God is working through your prayers to accomplish his purposes here in Kigoma Tanzania.

Ministry News

We mentioned in our last newsletter that Jeremy and Sonja Bassett were visiting from Wisconsin. During their stay we were able to visit the southern village church of Ilagala. 

Gina, Luke, Jeremy and Sonja.

We also took a boat ministry trip north of Kigoma to the predominantly Muslim village of Kagongo. We had 2 days and 2 nights of children's ministry and showing Christian films in the evening. One Muslim young person named Baraka seemed interested and Jeremy and I were able to converse with him at length concerning Christianity and Jesus Christ. Please pray for him and for all that heard the gospel.

Luke, Jeremy and Harry read to set sail.

Later on in the month we traveled down south to the old Burundian refugee settlement of Mishamo. There we participated in 4 days of Seminars in the mornings, evangelistic meetings in the afternoons, and Christian films in the evenings. Gina and the girls were able to go this time. (You can see more photos of that trip in a previous post.)

Family News

Soon after our return from Mishamo Emily got very sick with malaria and an infection for about a week or so. Thankfully she is better although still having a little tummy trouble. We have also been working on our car, trying to stay ahead of the constant maintenance. We installed 5 new tires in preparation for the raining season, which is just beginning. Please pray that there would be sufficient rains this year to sustain the many farmers in this area. Esther enjoys her new "school house" and playing with any kids or adults that might be willing. =)

Emily

Esther

Upcoming Events

Looking forward, I (Luke) will be teaching at 2 seminars; one for youth and the other for married couples. Please pray for my preparation for these events; that God would prepare me and use me for His glory. I also need to finish revising my translation of a Fairhaven Doctrinal Survey course for Berea Bible College, before it gets a final revision and then gets printed.

We thank all of you who remember us regularly before the throne of grace. 

May the God of ALL peace be with you.

Sincerely,

Luke, Gina, Esther & Emily Johnson