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| Enjoying a milk shake in our back yard. |
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| The 5 of us after the accident and day before boarding our first flight back to Tanzania. |
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| Emily and Esther at ViruViru airport in Santa Cruz. |
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Home again, home again...
Saturday, February 2, 2013
January Update
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
"Are we home yet?"
YES, we are!
Thank you for your prayers during our long trip from Bolivia, via Florida. Two weeks ago we left Camiri, Bolivia and by God's grace we have made it all the way to Kigoma, Tanzania.
Some of you may have heard of our little tumble on the Bolivian highway which left my parent's car (Mark and Carol Mattix) crushed beyond repair. Amazingly though, we all who were in the car, walked away with only scrapes and bruises. Even the little bouncing baby inside of me (Gina) is very active and looked great in an ultrasound 5 days later. How we praise the Lord for His protection.
The day after the accident, we kept with plan A and joined Jesse, Janel and family at a bird and water park at the edge of the city for the day. It was just what we needed; we had such a refreshing time at Güembé.
After leaving Bolivia we were able to briefly visit Matt Mattix and family in Florida before continuing on to Tanzania. Our first Sunday in the country we visited the believers in Dar Es Salaam and Luke spoke on unity. It took us a few days to get over jet lag and three days of driving to get home to Kigoma.
Now that we're home we are mostly unpacked and looking forward to meeting with the believers tomorrow morning (Sunday). There are many things planned for the months ahead. Please pray that we would be sensitive to God's leading and that we would be doing what He wants us to do at this time. Also pray for Gina and Esther as they plan to tackle homeschooling.
We will keep you all posted on any boat trips and other teaching and ministry opportunities.
With love in our Savior's name,
Luke, Gina, Esther & Emily Johnson
Thursday, January 31, 2013
January 17, 2013
It's a day we won't easily forget.
It was just another trip, not a very long trip. A trip of 4 or so hours from Camiri to Santa Cruz. We said good-bye to our dear friends in Camiri after a month-long visit and climbed into the car. Dad and Mom Mattix were taking us to Sta. Cruz to catch our flight back to Tanzania, and Gail Ponce was needing a ride to the city to then catch a bus back to her home. Everything with the car seemed to be working fine, in fact, it had just had some work done. At the half-way point we stopped in the town of Abapo for a plate of food. After lunch, Dad and Luke made themselves a cup of coffee before we climbed back in the car for the remaining 2 hours. Dad was needing his "siesta" a few miles down the road so Luke took over the driving while my Dad made himself comfortable in the reclining front seat.
Gail, Mom and I were talking in the back seat. Emily was sitting peacefully on my lap and Esther was lazily stretched out on a thin mattress over the suitcases in the way back.
From my middle-of-the-backseat vantage point I could see far ahead. There were quite a few cars on the opposite shoulder of the road, stopped, and a white Land Cruiser in the lane in front of us coming to a stop behind a big truck. So, being the annoying wife that I often am, I thought it necessary to warn Luke of the stopping vehicle and give him plenty of time to bring the 4Runner to a non-jolting stop. Luke did as I asked and stepped on the brake pedal immediately, only to find it go straight to the floor with no effect or change in our 100+ km/h velocity. He pumped the brakes and tried again while mumbling "the brakes don't work". This one sentence managed to wake my Dad from his "siesta", while us ladies sat in the back seat, frozen and in disbelief at what was happening. We were approaching the stopped vehicles very quickly and Luke was trying to down shift while swerving onto the grassy shoulder and then back again. My Dad pulled on the hand brake and Luke turned the wheel hard to the right to avoid a collision with the white Land Cruiser and then we flipped. We rolled for what seemed like an interminable time, the crunching of metal and breaking of glass was so loud but what was louder was the screaming of my two girls. I had no fear, or pain or even the thought of death, just a desperate feeling to get my girls out of the car, but I felt so helpless while rolling round and round. Fortunately the car came to a stop at some high bushes, in an upright position. Now was my chance to get out! I lurched out of my seat and attempted to open the door on my right, next to my mom and away from the bushes. It wouldn't budge. So I gave it a hard shove and the door opened. I could see some men from the highway running down to the car. I managed to scramble out of the car before any of the men arrived and found Esther standing outside, next to the door screaming in terror. I kept my hold on Emily with my left arm and reached for Esther with my right and we ran up the hill, away from the crushed vehicle. Stepping over glass in our bare feet and one man picking up Esther, we were at the side of the highway before anyone else had a chance to get out of the car. I hugged my girls and thanked the Lord over and over. The men were busy helping everyone else in the car so I stayed close to my girls. Never once did I think that any of the others were injured badly. I just assumed everyone was just as OK as we were, with only a few scrapes and bruises. Esther's little mind was trying to take in what all had happened and kept exclaiming how she'd never been in such a bad accident in all her life!
Slowly we were joined by my mom and Gail while the men worked at getting the scattered luggage into one place. My dad was moving a little slower than usual and already had a very stiff neck and appeared to be in pain. The men (Luke and Dad mostly) all kept working until a rope was tied to a truck. My dad climbed back into the crushed car thru the passenger's broken window and managed to turn on the engine. Using 4x4 he backed the car away from the bushes but was unable to turn the steering wheel and creep back onto the highway. So with the help of the truck, the car was back onto the shoulder of the highway, looking very sad with most windows broken and the driver's side bent badly. We all hugged and praised the Lord for his amazing protection. As we tried to make phone calls and contact our friends and family, we inspected each other's wounds and found new scrapes as the shock was fading off and the pain was settling in. The ones with the least wounds were Esther and Emily. Emily had been in my arms the whole time, and Esther had bounced with the luggage until the back door opened with the impact of hitting the bushes. When the door popped open, she rolled out, with some of the luggage but still on top of the mattress to land unharmed in the tall grass outside of the car. She dusted herself off and walked around to my side of the car where I met her. Luke and mom knocked out with the first roll and didn't remember anything until the car came to a stop. The driver's side suffered the worst damage when it hit the bushes, and it's a miracle Luke didn't get crushed.
So... that's my perspective on the events of that day. I vividly remember everything, in fact I'd like to forget some of it come 11 pm when I'm lying in bed and trying to fall asleep. By the grace of God we are still here. An endless number of things could have gone "wrong", but they didn't. I believe God personally had his hands around the car as He made it roll in the safest spot possible, not colliding with any other vehicle or person, and then bringing it to a stop at high bushes instead of concrete or some post. We continue to praise the Lord for his protection that day. Here we are, two weeks later and the last of the bruises are fading and the scabs are just about gone. However, we won't easily forget such an experience.
It was just another trip, not a very long trip. A trip of 4 or so hours from Camiri to Santa Cruz. We said good-bye to our dear friends in Camiri after a month-long visit and climbed into the car. Dad and Mom Mattix were taking us to Sta. Cruz to catch our flight back to Tanzania, and Gail Ponce was needing a ride to the city to then catch a bus back to her home. Everything with the car seemed to be working fine, in fact, it had just had some work done. At the half-way point we stopped in the town of Abapo for a plate of food. After lunch, Dad and Luke made themselves a cup of coffee before we climbed back in the car for the remaining 2 hours. Dad was needing his "siesta" a few miles down the road so Luke took over the driving while my Dad made himself comfortable in the reclining front seat.
Gail, Mom and I were talking in the back seat. Emily was sitting peacefully on my lap and Esther was lazily stretched out on a thin mattress over the suitcases in the way back.
From my middle-of-the-backseat vantage point I could see far ahead. There were quite a few cars on the opposite shoulder of the road, stopped, and a white Land Cruiser in the lane in front of us coming to a stop behind a big truck. So, being the annoying wife that I often am, I thought it necessary to warn Luke of the stopping vehicle and give him plenty of time to bring the 4Runner to a non-jolting stop. Luke did as I asked and stepped on the brake pedal immediately, only to find it go straight to the floor with no effect or change in our 100+ km/h velocity. He pumped the brakes and tried again while mumbling "the brakes don't work". This one sentence managed to wake my Dad from his "siesta", while us ladies sat in the back seat, frozen and in disbelief at what was happening. We were approaching the stopped vehicles very quickly and Luke was trying to down shift while swerving onto the grassy shoulder and then back again. My Dad pulled on the hand brake and Luke turned the wheel hard to the right to avoid a collision with the white Land Cruiser and then we flipped. We rolled for what seemed like an interminable time, the crunching of metal and breaking of glass was so loud but what was louder was the screaming of my two girls. I had no fear, or pain or even the thought of death, just a desperate feeling to get my girls out of the car, but I felt so helpless while rolling round and round. Fortunately the car came to a stop at some high bushes, in an upright position. Now was my chance to get out! I lurched out of my seat and attempted to open the door on my right, next to my mom and away from the bushes. It wouldn't budge. So I gave it a hard shove and the door opened. I could see some men from the highway running down to the car. I managed to scramble out of the car before any of the men arrived and found Esther standing outside, next to the door screaming in terror. I kept my hold on Emily with my left arm and reached for Esther with my right and we ran up the hill, away from the crushed vehicle. Stepping over glass in our bare feet and one man picking up Esther, we were at the side of the highway before anyone else had a chance to get out of the car. I hugged my girls and thanked the Lord over and over. The men were busy helping everyone else in the car so I stayed close to my girls. Never once did I think that any of the others were injured badly. I just assumed everyone was just as OK as we were, with only a few scrapes and bruises. Esther's little mind was trying to take in what all had happened and kept exclaiming how she'd never been in such a bad accident in all her life!
Slowly we were joined by my mom and Gail while the men worked at getting the scattered luggage into one place. My dad was moving a little slower than usual and already had a very stiff neck and appeared to be in pain. The men (Luke and Dad mostly) all kept working until a rope was tied to a truck. My dad climbed back into the crushed car thru the passenger's broken window and managed to turn on the engine. Using 4x4 he backed the car away from the bushes but was unable to turn the steering wheel and creep back onto the highway. So with the help of the truck, the car was back onto the shoulder of the highway, looking very sad with most windows broken and the driver's side bent badly. We all hugged and praised the Lord for his amazing protection. As we tried to make phone calls and contact our friends and family, we inspected each other's wounds and found new scrapes as the shock was fading off and the pain was settling in. The ones with the least wounds were Esther and Emily. Emily had been in my arms the whole time, and Esther had bounced with the luggage until the back door opened with the impact of hitting the bushes. When the door popped open, she rolled out, with some of the luggage but still on top of the mattress to land unharmed in the tall grass outside of the car. She dusted herself off and walked around to my side of the car where I met her. Luke and mom knocked out with the first roll and didn't remember anything until the car came to a stop. The driver's side suffered the worst damage when it hit the bushes, and it's a miracle Luke didn't get crushed.
So... that's my perspective on the events of that day. I vividly remember everything, in fact I'd like to forget some of it come 11 pm when I'm lying in bed and trying to fall asleep. By the grace of God we are still here. An endless number of things could have gone "wrong", but they didn't. I believe God personally had his hands around the car as He made it roll in the safest spot possible, not colliding with any other vehicle or person, and then bringing it to a stop at high bushes instead of concrete or some post. We continue to praise the Lord for his protection that day. Here we are, two weeks later and the last of the bruises are fading and the scabs are just about gone. However, we won't easily forget such an experience.
"I cast all my cares upon You;
I lay all of my burden down at your feet.
And any time I don't know what to do;
I will cast all my cares upon You."
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Expecting # 3
At 23 weeks along, here is a glimpse of our little one. The baby was so active during the ultrasound that it was hard to get a good picture, so this is as good as it got for the 3D.
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| Very active little baby. |
Monday, January 14, 2013
Traveling
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| Waiting for our bus in London. |
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| Emily and Uncle Chris in Camiri. |
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| Luke and his two girls heading over to the farm. |
Sunday, January 13, 2013
New Year
Hello dear family and friends. Happy New Year to all! We have been so "busy" visiting with other family and friends here in Bolivia that this month's letter is late in coming. Sorry about that.
Well, here we are in Bolivia staying with Mark and Carol Mattix (Gina's parents) and seeing Jesse and Janel Mattix over at the farm on most days. Esther and Emily are enjoying playing with and getting to know their cousins Fionna and Isaac. Upon arrival Gina and I were put right to work by her brother Christopher and got to sing in an evening Christmas program.
We have had the opportunity to visit the church Gina grew up in and see a lot of her old friends. We also visited the new church that has recently started. We have had a few speaking opportunities, at Youth Group, and at mid-week Bible studies. We traveled to the town of Huacareta and met with the small church there. We have also battled with the flu and stomach issues at various times. We are thankful Emily is doing better after a long bout of stomach problems.
Next Sunday we will be traveling back to Tanzania. We will spend 3 days in Florida with Gina's brother Matt and family and then on to London and then Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania). And then it's only a 3 day drive back to our home in Kigoma. Needless to say we would appreciate your prayers for our travels, and for comfort for Gina, as she is past her halfway mark in her pregnancy.
We are thankful to the Lord for the refreshing time we have had here, but in some ways look forward to getting back into the work there in Kigoma.
We are thankful for the new year we have been given to serve Him and the hope of Christ's return for His church. It could be this year!
In His blessings,
Luke, Gina, Esther and Emily Johnson
Well, here we are in Bolivia staying with Mark and Carol Mattix (Gina's parents) and seeing Jesse and Janel Mattix over at the farm on most days. Esther and Emily are enjoying playing with and getting to know their cousins Fionna and Isaac. Upon arrival Gina and I were put right to work by her brother Christopher and got to sing in an evening Christmas program.
We have had the opportunity to visit the church Gina grew up in and see a lot of her old friends. We also visited the new church that has recently started. We have had a few speaking opportunities, at Youth Group, and at mid-week Bible studies. We traveled to the town of Huacareta and met with the small church there. We have also battled with the flu and stomach issues at various times. We are thankful Emily is doing better after a long bout of stomach problems.
Next Sunday we will be traveling back to Tanzania. We will spend 3 days in Florida with Gina's brother Matt and family and then on to London and then Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania). And then it's only a 3 day drive back to our home in Kigoma. Needless to say we would appreciate your prayers for our travels, and for comfort for Gina, as she is past her halfway mark in her pregnancy.
We are thankful to the Lord for the refreshing time we have had here, but in some ways look forward to getting back into the work there in Kigoma.
We are thankful for the new year we have been given to serve Him and the hope of Christ's return for His church. It could be this year!
In His blessings,
Luke, Gina, Esther and Emily Johnson
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Quick November Update
Hello dear praying friends and family.
The past few weeks have been quite busy. We had a visit from 2 Johnson families: Jesse & Joy's and Danny & Anne's from Burundi. We celebrated Thanksgiving together and Danny brought the turkey with him.
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| The gang posing for a good-bye photo. |
(Thanks to Steven for the photo of the gang!)
After they left we had 2 days to pack up and get ready for our trip/visit to Bolivia for nearly 2 months. We celebrated Esther's 6th birthday with Grandpa & Grandma (Harry & Ruth Johnson) and Uncle Stevie the day before we left.
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| Esther on her early birthday celebration. |
(Esther after blowing her 6 candles.)
Then we drove for 3 days across the country to get to Dar Es Salaam, the coastal city from which we fly out. We are thankful to God for safety on all the dangerous roads and for no major car trouble.
Tomorrow (Sunday Dec. 9) we fly to London, then Miami, then Peru, then La Paz Bolivia, and finally Santa Cruz Bolivia. We will arrive, Lord willing, on Tuesday morning and will be met by Mark & Carol Mattix. We plan to be back in Tanzania on Jan. 25, 2013.
For those of you have not heard yet, we want to announce that we are expecting a third little Johnson kid mid-May of next year.
Your thoughts and prayers will be much appreciated for our long travels and for Gina's pregnancy.
Thank you.
In His care,
Luke, Gina, Esther, Emily & ??? (baby) Johnson
If you'd like to see some pictures of our trip so far click here.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
October Update
Dear friends and family,
Greetings from Tanzania.
Luke taught at the youth seminar last month, while the marriage seminar was postponed.
A group of some 20+ men pulled the boat out of the water for re-caulking and improvements.
Our mango tree finally dropped all its fruit just as the rains are finally becoming consistent.
Last week we enjoyed a little break by Lake Victoria, our car got some needed repairs and we briefly visited a new church.
Upon our return we joined Gracie (our faithful helper) at the wedding of her nephew.
Luke continues to work hard at translating a Doctrinal Survey course. We are looking forward to our trip next month, this time all the way to Bolivia! However, we are not looking forward to the paperwork for the renewal of our work permits. ;-)
With much to be thankful for,
Luke, Gina, Esther and Emily Johnson
Greetings from Tanzania.
Luke taught at the youth seminar last month, while the marriage seminar was postponed.
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| Youth seminar at Bukuba. |
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| Men working for hours getting the boat out of water. |
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| Neighbor boys picking mangoes and getting their share. |
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| New church in Mwanza, Tanzania. |
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| Gracie (in blue dress) with her husband Abeli next to the bride and groom. |
With much to be thankful for,
Luke, Gina, Esther and Emily Johnson
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
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.
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| 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.
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| 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. =)
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| Emily |
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| 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
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