April Update

Dear praying friends and family, we want to thank you for your prayers for us this past month.

We have 2 praise items that we are pleased to mention:
1. We received our residence permits (we had to reapply since they had lost the first application papers) and they gave us 2 full years from now.
2. We were given an alternate piece of land for the Discipleship Course, as compensation for the one we bought from someone who was not really the owner. It has been a long wait and has required perseverance and patience but we thank the Lord for answering our prayers and yours.

We thank you for your prayers for the 2 day seminar on giving at the village of Sambara. As follow up I have heard good reports from one of the elders there. Since then we attended the Easter Conference here in town (Friday) and then we went to the village of Songambele for Easter Sunday.

Church at Sambara

Luke has since been back to Songambele with some elders from the nearby churches to reinstall the other elder in that church. He had fallen into sin, received discipline, confessed his sin publicly and waited for a period while his life was watched to make sure he had changed. We are pleased that along with the congregation's full consent he was officially put back into leadership.

We also hosted, together with Harry and Ruth Johnson, our Annual General Meeting (AGM) of CMML missionaries here in Kigoma (it is required by the government). Ron and Maria Cunningham (an older couple from N. Ireland) attended from Moshi and Steve Davies from Dar Es Salaam. We enjoyed our time together giving and hearing reports and fellowshipping.

AGM attendees

We had a local church meeting last Saturday, and on Sunday 2 ladies that have been at odds were able to ask each other's forgiveness and reconcile. Please pray that there would be complete restoration between their families as there may still be some other problems under the surface. This is also an answer to prayer.

This past week was quite a challenge. Our whole family got sick, one at a time with a very bad flu, accompanied by a bad cold. We are all over the flu, except for Michael who just came down with it yesterday, and still has a fever. Some of the rest of us are still coughing quite a bit, especially at night.

On Saturday Luke will be traveling with 4 Tanzanian brothers to the town of Mpanda where there is a new church plant. We will be with them for the Sunday meetings and then begin teaching a seminar on the subject of the church (starting Sunday afternoon and going through Tuesday). We will also be showing Christian and evangelistic films for 2 nights. We will return, Lord willing, on Wednesday.

Please pray for safe travels, that the car would run well, and that God's Word would build up, strengthen and save new souls. Also pray for Gina as she stays home with the kids (some still sick) and homeschools them and keeps house while I'm gone.

Helpful Aaron

Silly Michael

Emily and Esther relaxing at the beach.

You are a vital part of this battle, so keep praying. There is opposition but the Lord is still working so we take courage.

In Christ,
Luke, for the family.

Exciting sightings

It's not a couple of little rocks.

"Now you see me ... now you don't."

I would like to share a praise: I went to Jakobsen's beach with the 4 kids on Saturday as Luke was at a long church meeting. It was unusually quiet and we had the place to ourselves. The girls stayed close to the edge instead of venturing to snorkel by the cliffs or "fish world" as they call it. As we were relaxing in the sand and warming up we saw a hippo near the rocks (right where the kids like to snorkel). It resurfaced 3 other times before heading in the direction of beach 1. We watched in awe from the safety of the sandy beach. The girls got a little frantic and kept telling me that they were ready to head home and could we please hurry!

I am thankful for the times that God protects us and we don't even know it.

Just 3 minutes before I was taking photos of Aaron.

So the girls went to the changing rooms while I got the boys dressed and packed our things. A few minutes later the girls came back telling of how they'd jumped when they saw a monitor lizard run in front of them. They thought it was funny because they were already a bit uneasy with the sighting of a hippo. As we talked excitedly on our way back to the car and past the fresh zebra poop there was a scurrying just ahead and I saw a duiker bound along the path and into the cover of the trees!

I think I'll go to the beach with Luke next time!

Catching up on photos for 2016

Luke with another rat caught in the attic. 

Aaron in the back yard.

Emily and Aaron with a butterfly in the back yard.

Traffic in Kigoma. =)

Checking out the new ice cream shop in town!

Kingfisher outside my kitchen window.

Driving home while a storm approaches.

The new restaurant in town. It was fun to explore and the food was good!

Checking out the newest restaurant in town.

Michael. Visiting friends that just moved down the street from us.

Cleaning the books that came in the container, they were moldy.

Playing a game with the neighbors on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

March Update

Dear praying friends and family, I just wanted to thank you all for your prayers for the Seminar on salvation by grace and the assurance of salvation. The Seminar went well with about 45 in attendance (on and off during that time). Most of them were church leaders. Please continue to pray that they might fully understand the grace of God in salvation and that the church leaders would effectively communicate these truths to their respective congregations.

I would also ask for prayer for another seminar, in the village of Sambala. I will be teaching for 2 days (Mon and Tues) with a Tanzania brother on the subject of giving. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would use us as vessels to communicate His truth. Pray for receptive ears and hearts and pray for God’s protection against the schemes of the enemy. 

I would also ask for your prayers for my health as I have been feeling a bad cold coming on, which could affect my voice. Pray for healing and strength, and also pray for Gina and the kids as they stay at home.

We also have a big praise because Esther's school books have arrived! On Monday she will officially start 3rd grade. The container (that belongs to missionary friends) that we were waiting for sat in the port city of Dar Es Salaam for a full year.

Esther opening her box of school books.

Thank you so much for lifting up these needs before the throne of God. Your participation with us in prayer is vital to the success of our calling and mission.

With love in Christ,

Luke 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

December and January Update

Dear praying friends and family, we praise our God and Savior for each of you, because He has called us into fellowship with His Son, and with one another.

Family news 

Praise the Lord with us! Since our last newsletter we have moved in to a bigger house, next door, on the same property. We have been fixing up the old house and trying to rid the attic of rats (we have caught 11 so far). We are thankful for the extra room we now have.

During the month of December we had a visit from Luke's siblings and their families, a special Sunday School program on one of the Sundays, a Christmas service on Christmas day, and a special Youth service on the last Sunday of the year. Also Esther and Gina celebrated their birthdays, and Luke and Gina their 10th Anniversary.

Ministry

We had a month long break at the discipleship course and just started up again on Monday, January 11. Luke is teaching for 3 weeks on Salvation. Please pray that all 7 students would return this term and be ready to grow and learn, as only 3 have shown up so far. (We did remind them last week that we were going to start again).

In December there were different planning meetings; with the youth leaders, the board of Grace Bible School (in the village of Sunuka), and a planning meeting with our fellow missionaries, Harry and Ruth Johnson. Please pray that God's purposes would be accomplished this year in and through every leader, every ministry and every local church, to the glory of Christ. 

Upcoming Events

After Luke finishes teaching at the discipleship course he will go to the village to teach for 2 weeks on the End Times at Grace Bible School. Please pray for Gina and the kids who will be staying home alone for those 2 weeks, and that the students will be ready to learn the modules that will be taught this term.

Prayer Requests

- Please pray for some interpersonal conflicts that are causing division in the Gungu town church. Pray for true repentance, forgiveness, unity and restoration.

- Pray for growth in the village churches this year, and faithfulness and vision for the leaders.

- Continue to pray for our work permits, as they have not been issued yet.

- Pray for the property that was purchased for the discipleship course but has not come through due to corruption.

Thanks for praying.

Luke and Gina and kids.

November Update

Dear praying friends and family,

In our last newsletter we mentioned the visit of Phil and Mary Parsons.
Here is a photo we will share of their visit to a village kindergarten. 

Parsons at Lugunga

It was a blessing and an encouragement to have them visit us.

We praise God for a safe trip to the city of Mwanza. On that Sunday we were able to visit the small assembly that is renting a building. Unfortunately they will need to look for a new place soon. Luke spoke on the excellency of Christ from Colossians 1.

Assembly in Mwanza

Tanzania held nationwide presidential elections, and we praise God for a peaceful week while the votes were being counted. In fact, the new president has already been sworn in. The country is passing new laws regarding the status of foreigners with a permanent address here, so that affects us. Pray that our work visa from April will be issued soon, as we and many others wait. We are thankful to have Emily's new passport, as well as Michael's 5 year passport (instead of the 1 year emergency one).Luke taught three weeks of "Bible Study Methods" to the Discipleship course students and now they are finishing up the term learning about the doctrines of man and sin. We are thankful for the 7 students who faithfully attend. The property we purchased for further development of this Discipleship program is still being held up at the land office due to injustice and corruption. Please pray that the name change could be completed on the title deed. God is still able to move in the hearts of men.Our family is transitioning as we look forward to moving house, just next door! The new house will be bigger, and the girls will have their room separate from the boys for the first time.

Esther (8 y/o) and Michael (9months old).

We have been getting a lot of rain, almost every day now, for the past 3 weeks. Last Friday there were high winds and a very heavy rain. 2 church buildings (of other denominations) and many houses were knocked down. Pray for the people who are trying to rebuild, as many of them are poor.Thank you for your prayers for us. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Blessings in Christ,
Luke & Gina Johnson
with Esther, Emily, Aaron and Michael

Baby Luka

Luke has a baby named after him! But it's not ours... unless you count Aaron, whose middle name is Luke.
But this is a first name, the baby is Luka Abeli. He lives in the village of Nkungwe with his mom Bernadette, his dad Abeli and his big brother Shadrach. We enjoyed meeting him for the first time. At the time of his birth, we tried to visit him and his mother at the local hospital, but we were not able to see him or his mother. We are thankful he is doing well.

Esther and Luka

Bernadette, Luka and Emily

The neighbor kids also enjoyed seeing the visitors...

Just outside the door.

Trick o' treating with the cousins

We had a big group of kids for trick or treating this year. And they were all related! The cousins from Burundi arrived that day. So we piled them in the car and we headed to the missionaries' homes to get some candy. It took awhile to do the rounds, so it's a good thing this only comes around once a year!

Cucpcakes at Mrs. Sue's

Aaron dressed up as Lowell Wertz from Joy in the Harvest.

The whole crew.

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