Update on Uncle Ken

Ken, Melli & family

Good news regarding Ken's surgery! His gall bladder has been safely removed. Thank you to all who so faithfully lifted prayers on his behalf.

The surgeon got a "good biopsy" from the endoscopy of his esophagus and our prayer is that the lab report (due later this week) will show no indication of cancer.

October News

Dear Friends and Family, 

Thank you for your prayers. The weekend seminar in Songambele went really well; Luke and Abeli shared the load of teaching. Many came on day 2 and filled the church. The hosting church worked hard at making meals and serving everybody. A "kitchen" was built just outside the building and smoke seeped in while those inside eagerly took notes in their personal notebooks. They really appreciated the teaching on love and its many aspects. They peppered Luke with questions at the end of the session while he looked to the local leaders for their input as well.

The week previous we enjoyed a little vacation with a drive to Burundi to visit the Johnsons that live there. We attended the memorial service that the local church had for Grandma Eleanor. Esther had a great time playing and reconnecting with her cousins.

We are looking forward to another Youth Seminar and conference at the end of the month, this time in the village of Nkungwe, only an hour away. We'll be getting together with fellow Kigoma missionaries on Thanksgiving Day.

Items of Praise:

- Luke was the only teacher at the seminar in Sunuka and it also went really well. Thank you for praying. 

- 2 new babies in the family: Ruth Margaret Johnson and Carl Daniel Hebert!

Please remember in prayer:

- Danny (Luke's brother) and Anne as they grieve the loss of baby Rebekah.

- Luke's Uncle Ken who is scheduled for surgery on Monday the 14th in Kenya.

- The preparations for the conference at Nkungwe.

With much to be thankful for,

Luke, Gina, Esther and Emily Johnson

"It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindess in the morning and Your faithfulness by night." Psalm 92:1-2

Ken Johnson's Surgery

Luke's Uncle Ken was scheduled for surgery today (Wed. 9th) at Kijabe hospital in Kenya. 
However it has been postponed until Monday. 
Dr. Peter Byrd will do an endoscopy and biopsy of the ulcers in Ken's esophagus, and while Ken is under anesthesia, Dr. Bird will also remove Ken's gall bladder which has been giving him terrible problems, especially lately.
Please keep him in your prayers.

Melli, Ken, Ruth and Harry Johnson at Grandma's Memorial Service

Welcome Carl Daniel!

Carl Daniel Hebert

Born to Jacob and Annette Hebert on Nov. 7th at 3:30 pm.
Big brother Linden must be very proud.
Congratulations!

Another seminar

Dear praying friends and family,
This is just a quick note to remind you to pray for us as we go South to the village of Songambele to teach another seminar. I (Luke) will be teaching along with Abeli (a young man) about love in the church. Gina and Esther & Emily will come along this time, as well as Abeli's wife, Bernadetta. We leave tomorrow (Friday) and return Sunday.
Please pray for the seminar teachers and pray that the believers in that church would be strengthened in faith and love as a result.
Pray for Gina as she will have to take care of both kids most of the time.
Pray that it would be a mutually encouraging time.
Thanks for taking the time to pray for us.
Luke Johnson

Your prayers are needed

Hello dear praying friends and family. This is just a quick email to ask for your prayers for some upcoming ministry events.

- Tomorrow (Friday Oct. 21) Luke will be going down south to the village of Sunuka to teach a seminar to the church on the subject of love. He will return Sunday after church. Pray for Gina too as she stays home alone with the 2 girls.

- Next week on Wednesday (Oct. 26) our whole family will be driving up to Burundi for a memorial service that the believers there are preparing in remembrance of Eleanor Johnson (Luke's grandmother who recently passed away). We will be there until Sunday or Monday.

- On Friday Nov. 4 through Sun. Nov. 6 our family will travel to Songambele with another young couple to teach a seminar to the youth.

Please remember these upcoming events in prayer before our gracious heavenly Father. Pray for greater love and greater fruit among the believers, and that God's Spirit would inundate these efforts.

We thank the Lord for your very real participation in the spread of the gospel here in the Kigoma region, through prayer. Please read Eph. 6:18-20.

Luke Johnson

September Update

Hello dear praying friends and family.

Since we got back from Moshi (where Luke taught at the Bible School) we have been settling back in to the ministry here. That has included several things.

- The weekend of our return we went to a funeral service and burial of a close relative of some of our town church members.

- The following week we went out for a sail on Harry's sailboat and have continued to discuss what still needs to be done before the boat can be used for ministry trips.

- We also attended the wedding of Abeli and Bernadetta, young people from 2 churches in the North.

- We had 2 days of prayer for the young people of the town church to seek God's face and pray for spiritual renewal.

Then we began to plan for a weekend trip to visit 6 of the Southern churches that we as a family had never visited before. We planned to go down with my father and mother as well as 2 church elders, but just a few days before the trip we received news that my grandmother (Eleanor Johnson) had passed away in the U.S. and Harry returned to the States for the funeral.

We continued with the trip however and it was a blessing to see the believers and get a feel for what is going on in their respective places. We left Friday morning and returned late Sunday. It was quite tiring and filled with many impromptu meetings with lots of preaching for me, but the Lord gave us strength. There are so many needs and the Lord has burdened us to pray for these believers now that we have actually met them. 

We have had our share of challenges this month and have dealt with some discouragement with regards to ministry.  We had 5 days with no city water, but fortunately God blessed us with 2 big rains and we were able to collect rain water. We have also had quite a few power cuts that have lasted longer than usual. The girls are entertaining and learning how to  be playmates. Emily is a good crawler and our little mischief maker! Esther is always eager to help around the house.

Counting our blessings,

Luke, Gina, Esther and Emily Johnson

Visit to southern churches

We made a trip this past weekend to visit 6 churches. Luke and I had never visited these churches so this trip was planned so we could see the locations.

Amosi at Kirando chapel

First place we visited was Ilagala. The believers there meet outside still and are trying to get a building of their own.

Ruth (mom) teaching the kids at Kirando

The second place we visited was the village of Songambele. This was the only village of the 6 that wasn't along the lake, we drove inland a bit. The people there are farmers and not fishermen, therefore of Waha origin as opposed to Wabembe (the Congolese that live along the lake).

Fishing village of Sigunga

The third place was Sunuka where we spent the night.

Talking and relaxing with Isaac and Lameck

The following morning we went to Kirando where the believers eagerly awaited us. We had an impromptu service at their chapel. They fed us a delicious meal before we went on our way.

Women getting the meal ready

The fifth village was the village of Kahwibiri. They are mostly Burundian refugees so the people preferred to speak in Kirundi. However the service that was quickly scheduled at the elementary school was held in Swahili.

Luke speaking at Sigunga

The sixth and last village was Sigunga, lying on a mountain side next to the lake. The homes almost seemed to be one on top of the other and we had to park the car at the very top and make our way down to our host's home by foot. The following morning was Sunday and we enjoyed fellowship and breaking the bread with the saints.

Weddings

The bride and groom are never to lift a finger. Their assistants are there to fuss over them. Like, wipe the sweat from their faces, adjust the veil, and adjust the "cool" sunglasses. The bride does not show emotion and has her eyes downcast at all times and bows low to her husband at the appropriate times. The groom however is more free to "be himself".

Attendants fussing over Abeli and Bernadeta.

The "Icky, Mud-wedding"

On Saturday we attended a wedding in a nearby village. Our car was loaded with people as we headed out at 9 am to get there in time for the ceremony that was to start at 10 am. Just before noon the bride finally arrived with her attendants and proceeded to the nearest house to finish getting ready. An impromptu meeting was started while we waited for the bride, and the rain started to pour! The man leading the ceremony eagerly called for the bride, asking that she'd come because we had all waited long enough. She finally made it out, under umbrellas and some 3 girls helping her keep the white dress from getting all muddy. 

Bernadeta, the bride being escorted to the chapel.

The rain never let up, and the walk to the reception was a mucky mess. 

People trying to stay dry during the reception and walking barefoot for a better grip.

Finally wanting to head home after 4 pm we made our way to the car to find that the kids had tried their hand at some "mud art" on the windows of our car. So, the wedding will go down in history, as Esther likes to call it: "the icky, mud-wedding".