Fun traveling

Just hours after arriving at O'hare.

Sick baby and tired mommy... welcome to the USA!

Taking a family photo for our prayer card.

A couple days later we're feeling and looking a lot better.

In the Modern World

Dear friends and family, thank you for your prayers.

The long car trip across Tanzania and the long plane rides en route to the U.S. all went well. An overnight lay-over in London meant that we could see the Whites (Old time friends of the Johnsons) briefly, and rest between continents.

We are currently in Chicago staying with Danny & Annie Johnson. Annette & baby Linden, and Lisa (Luke's sisters) showed up and surprised us. It has been great to spend time together with all of them.

On Friday (May 6) we met up with Carol Mattix (Gina's Mom) and went to Emmaus Bible College to attend Christopher Mattix's graduation. We were able to see many of our old professors from when we attended the College and, of course, participate in the graduation ceremonies. Now we are back in Chicago and tomorrow we will take a two-day train trip to Seattle, along with Carol and Christopher Mattix.

It has been a bit difficult getting over jet lag, and along with the fatigue Gina and I feel like we are coming down with colds again. Emily has also had a rough first week in the States, being sick since we started the first flight out of Tanzania. After a doctor's visit and proper medication she is now on the mend.

We would appreciate your prayers for health & strength and for the many travels and visiting we have ahead of us. Hopefully we will get to see many of you during our stay in this country. We certainly do appreciate your prayers and support on our behalf.

In His grace & care,

Luke, Gina, Esther, & Emily Johnson

April Update

Hello dear praying friends and family, we trust you are all enjoying close fellowship with our Lord. 

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

Mbawa za Asubuhi

Wings of the Morning is now in the water!

March Update

Dear Friends and Family,

    Yesterday was an historical day. The boat (Wings of the Morning) that Luke, his father and many other men have been working on since May of last year was launched. Some 80 men were hired to push the boat into the lake, but only 40 showed up. However, they still managed to turn/lift her 90 degrees before pushing her down the beach and into the water. It made for a good show as the men worked together to the leader’s sing-song chanting and all grunting in response as they heaved the 4-ton boat in unison. There is much work to do still on the boat (for comforts’ sake), but we are thankful that it does well in the water, either with motor power or wind power. We pray this boat will be used for God’s glory in reaching many of the village churches up and down lake Tanganyika.

    Luke had the opportunity to preach this past Sunday on Psalm 84. Much discernment is needed in knowing how to best help the struggling churches and people of this area. Pray that we would show Christ-like love to all that we meet.

    A couple weeks back Luke and Esther joined Harry and Ruth in visiting the small church at Kamara. Emily kept me (Gina) company while I laid low and recovered from malaria. Thankfully we are all now healthy; Emily is a chubby 6-month old reaching for everything and Esther is begging to go to school. 

    At the end of this month we are planning to go to the big city on the east coast for a conference with fellow CMML missionaries from Tanzania. Please pray that the national airlines will resume their flights to our corner of the country so we won’t need to make the 3-day drive.

In His Service,

Gina, Luke, Esther and Emily Johnson

Kaziramihunda Trip

Esther playing with Eva

Getting things set up for the film.

Choir singing.

Sitting on a low stool to stay off the mud.

Emily getting some attention.

January Update

Dear praying friends and family,

In January we traveled to Kazira (near our old Keza place) for evangelistic meetings. Two 4WD vehicles were full with people and equipment for the 6 hr. drive. The hosting church was thrilled to have some 30 visitors and scrambled to get everything ready. Our 5 days were full with Sunday School, Seminars, Evangelistic meetings, and evening films. We were also able to sell a box of Bibles at a reduced price to many eager believers who were hungry to get a personal Bible.

The rains were persistent and clay-like mud was everywhere. The fellowship among the believers was the highlight, especially for the hosts. They feel a little left out being so far from the other assemblies that are close to Kigoma town. 

Two weeks later we were visiting another village assembly (Nkungwe), this one only being about an hour away. Youth leaders from 4 churches were invited to attend a 3-day seminar, and Luke was busy preparing to teach 3 of the sessions. The youth face similar problems like in the Western world, but add to it the poverty and the harsh village life and it creates many more issues.

On the home front, we are grateful for good health, besides a few stomach bugs. Luke has been busy helping his Dad with the sailboat that he is building. They are finishing the last few jobs that need to be done before it is launched. There is still a lot to do but some of it can be done once it is in the water.

Thank you to those of you who pray for us faithfully. 

Please continue to pray specifically for:

- the word that was preached and taught, that it would bear fruit in those who heard it.

- those who received Bibles, that they would have a hunger for the Word of God.

- the youth in the churches to stand with integrity and be a Christ-like witness.

- the work that needs to be done on the boat before it can be launched.

Praise: 

- Emily's passport is ready! Just needs to be picked up when we go to the big city.

Blessings to you all in Christ,

Luke, Gina, Esther, & Emily Johnson

December Update

Dear friends and family,

We hope many of you had a chance to see family members and friends during the Christmas and New Year's season. This is what we've been up to:

Looking back - Christmas day was spent visiting the assembly at Lugunga for the closing meeting of their conference. The choirs sang enthusiastically and Luke preached a message from Matthew 1.

We welcomed the new year with a night of fun and fellowship with other missionaries in Kigoma. On the first Sunday of the year 4 believers from the local church were baptized. Please pray that these believers will continue to grow in maturity and be a witness for Christ.

Looking forward - we will all be going for a week-long evangelistic campaign on the 11th of this month to the villages of Kazilamihunda and Kasanda (where we lived for 8 months last year). The two vehicles are filling up fast with people, film equipment, generator, and boxes of Bibles. There will be seminars every morning, open air meetings in the afternoons, a visiting choir, and Christian films in the evenings. The days will be busy and full of activities. Please pray that this effort would draw many to Christ and strengthen the 2 local churches in that area.

Esther celebrated her 4th birthday with some friends and Emily is now 4 months old. Please pray that Emily's birth certificate will be issued so we can get her US passport.

We are grateful for your continued prayers and hope you have a blessed 2011.

In His Service,

Luke, Gina, Esther and Emily Johnson

Guess who?

The girls at 3 months old. Which one is Esther and which one is Emily?

God's protection

(note to my mom -- Don't read this)

-- (Sept. 2010) Driving from Keza to Kigoma we met a small truck on a turn in the road. Neither of us were completely on our side of the road so we quickly moved to our left (the side we were supposed to be on) only to skid on the lose gravel that sits on the compact red soil. In trying to stay on the road and not go in the ditch the vehicle over-corrected and went to the other side making a U turn in the dust of the passing truck. The small truck halted to a stop and the many passengers in the back jumped off to come help us assuming we had flipped. We drove up to meet them and assure them that we (including Esther 3, Emily 2 weeks) were OK. Thank you Lord for your protection!

-- (Oct. 2010) The plug to our toaster was beginning to smoke while plugged into the kitchen socket. Oblivious to any of this, I (Gina) decided to unplug it on my way out to hang laundry while leaving Emily in her bouncy seat. I could not pull the plug out, the plastic was melted and the 'tronic' multi-plug was beginning to deform from the heat. The Lord protected us from a possible fire by making me check on the plug at that exact moment.

-- (Dec. 2010) I (Gina) walked into the kitchen and immediately smelled the overpowering fumes of propane gas. The milk that had been left to reach a boiling point had instead boiled over and extinguished the flame leaving the burner 'on' to allow the gas to continually leak. I had been in the bedroom down the hall nursing Emily and talking with Esther for some 20 minutes while the fumes filled the kitchen. Thankfully there was no other flame on in the entire house to start an unwanted fire. The Lord protected our family once again!