Dec. and Jan. Update

Dear praying friends and family, we thank our Lord for each one of you who remembers us in prayer. Your prayers are needed as we fight for our King. We are weak and need His strength.

There was a 3 day Christmas conference at the Gungu town church. We invited believers from the neighboring village of Nkungwe. Over the New Year we were able to spend some time with Jesse and Danny's families (Luke's brothers) who came down from Burundi for a few days. Some of us even got the first time experience of scuba diving in the lake.

At the beginning of January we met with Harry and Ruth Johnson and John and Jenniffer Kinlaw for a missionary planning meeting for the year. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to revive the churches in this region, bringing repentance and an urgency to proclaim the gospel to the unsaved. Pray that the church leaders would humble themselves and be servant leaders who are worthy of imitation.

On January 14 we started the 3rd term of the Disciples of Jesus school. We continue with 5 faithful students and Harry Johnson is currently teaching on the End Times. We hope to make 3 ministry trips to the villages. Our 4th year graduation is planned for the end of April and Lord willing we will have 8 graduates. Please pray that they lay their lives on the altar and for God to use them. We were able to purchase a piece of land for expanding the discipleship school. Please pray that we will be able to get the title deed from the land office and not be cheated by them like last time.

Luke is coming to the end of his marathon teaching series on the Holy Spirit (begun in Sept. 2018) at the local town church of Gungu. We are encouraged at the good attendance on Wednesday afternoons. Please pray that each one would yield to the Holy Spirit, discover their spiritual gift and begin to use it for the building up of the body of Christ.

Our son Michael recently turned 4 years old. The older three, Esther, Emily and Aaron work hard at their schooling which is all done at home. We are thankful for the Lord's healing of Gina from the malaria she had, and pray He will bring full recovery and strength to her body. Pray that she will stay healthy during the remainder of this pregnancy. We all eagerly await the arrival of the newest member of our family, due in May.

Blessings in Christ,
Luke and Gina Johnson

Oct. and Nov. Update

Dear praying friends and family, we appreciate every one of you who remembers to pray for us. A lot has happened since we last wrote at the end of September.

Discipleship school

About 2 weeks ago we finished our 2nd term at the Disciples of Jesus school. We are pleased to see the 6 students enthusiastic and growing in their knowledge of the Word. Pray that they would be greatly used to fulfill Christ's mission on earth. We were able to make 2 village ministry trips with the students, to give them opportunities to serve the Lord.

Village church start-ups

In mid-June we started meeting with a small group of believers in the Kizenga village, about half an hour out of town. The Gungu town church, along with another neighboring village church, made a rotation schedule for teaching Sunday school, leading the service and preaching on Sundays. We continue to minister there on a weekly basis. Please pray for more people to come, especially those we have visited and witnessed to. Please also pray for the Lord to raise up local shepherds for that flock so that they won't have to depend on ministry from the outside. In November we started meeting again in another village called Kamala. It is a similar situation to Kizenga. Please pray for spiritual fruit and growth in both places.

Praying for the sick at the end of the service in Kizenga.

Teaching on Wednesdays

Luke has been teaching on the Holy Spirit at the town church on Wednesday afternoons. Pray for him as he continues to prepare this series. He will probably finish around the end of January 2019.

Youth Group

This coming Friday we will be hosting a second youth group meeting at our house. John & Jenniffer Kinlaw (new missionaries) and us have been burdened to get to know and teach the youth of the chapel in a more relaxed setting, away from church. We want to address pertinent issues and guide them to make God-honoring decisions in their lives.Please pray for us as we meet with them once a month, that the Lord would use these times to shape them. Our first meeting last month went really well.

Helping with needs

As always, much of our ministry involves helping the needy. The needs and requests are so great that it is sometimes overwhelming. People needing food, medical help, educational help, and even help with small businesses. Also there are many church needs such as chapel buildings, and musical instruments for choirs. Of course we know that the greatest needs are spiritual, but we cannot ignore the physical needs, nor can we neglect to show Christ's love and compassion in practical ways.

Thanksgiving

We were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with a nice traditional meal with other American missionaries in town. Truly, when we look around us we have so much to be thankful for, and most of all we give thanks to our God and Father who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 

We are so thankful for our children.

Esther's baptism

On November 4 our daughter Esther was baptized at the Gungu town church, along with 3 other youth. We are happy for her desire to publicly declare herself a devoted follower of Christ. Please pray for her continued growth.

Ashura, Jenny, Isa and Esther after their baptism.

Upcoming

This month we will be celebrating Esther's and Gina's birthday. This coming Sunday will be a special Sunday school program. Then on Dec. 23-25 our town church will be hosting a 3 day Christmas conference with 3 nearby village churches. Pray that we would be refreshed daily in the Word and not grow weary in doing good.

May the Lord bless you and keep you,

Sincerely,

Luke, Gina and the kids

July, August and September Update

"How great are his signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation." (Dan. 4:3)

Greetings to all of you in our wonderful Savior's name. It has been a while since we wrote a proper update; the end of June, to be specific.

After the evangelistic conference in Songambele, my father, some church elders and I took a 5 day trip down south. I was dropped off with one other elder at the village of Katumba where we have a church. We team taught a 2 day seminar and then fellowshipped with the believers on Sunday. Meanwhile my Dad and the other elders went further south to visit 4 new churches for the first time. All in all the trip went well, the fellowship was uplifting and God's Word was taught.

The following week, in the middle of July, the Gungu town church hosted 3 days of meetings for the local elders of the Kigoma region. Besides discussing ministry and administrative items the Scriptures were taught 2 of the evenings.

The following week there was yet another evangelistic conference, 6.5 hours north-east of Kigoma, in the village of Kasanda. This time I was able to go with my family and we picked up 2 elders along the way. The seminar times in the morning were poorly organized and very late in starting, yet well attended. The afternoons consisted of open air preaching and in the evenings we showed the "King of Glory" film in Swahili.

Getting ready to show "King of Glory" in Kasanda.

5 believers baptized in the river at Kasanda.

By this time we were ready for a break and the last week of July we got to go to a missionary retreat on Lake Kivu in Rwanda. It was a wonderful time of being taught in the mornings (with the kids attending their own program) and the afternoons full of family activities and/or relaxing by the water. On the way back to Kigoma we stopped by to visit Danny & Anne Johnson (Luke's younger brother's family) in Gisuru, Burundi.

"Camping" in Rwanda for a week.

Kid having fun in the water

As soon as we got back the discipleship course started its 2nd term. Then toward the end of August we got a brief visit from Brook Ford (former missionary in Kigoma). It was great to see her again, and she spent much of it, traveling, teaching and ministering to the ladies. While that was going on we snuck in another visit to Burundi, this time to see Jesse and Joy Johnson (Luke's older brother's family) who had just returned from the US.

We got back just in time for me to begin teaching on Salvation at the Disciples of Jesus school, and also once a week at the mid-week Bible study at the Gungu town church.

Luke teaching at Disciples of Jesus School.

I just got back from another evangelistic conference in the village of Munzeze. The seminar was well received and prompted some good questions. The gospel preaching was met with no visible response, although the Word was faithfully sown, and will not return void. There seems to be a spiritual blindness over that village; even the evangelical churches are very stagnant, with little or no growth. Please pray for that village, that Satan's strongholds would be broken down and the veil lifted from people's eyes.

Harry Johnson teaching the morning seminar at Munzeze.

Gina has begun a new school year of homeschooling, and now Aaron has begun kindergarten. Please pray for Gina as she tries to find time to focus on each of the 3 school children. It is not an easy task, I assure you, especially with a little 3 year old (Michael) who feels left out.

Lately I have been challenged about the need to unite in prayer for the churches of the Kigoma region. Pray that they would grow and multiply with vitality and boldness, like the churches in the book of Acts. Please join with us in prayer for the outpouring of God's life-giving Spirit. God may be wanting us to take a bold step in a new direction, but we want to make sure we are following His lead, and not our own agenda. Prayer is the key that will open this new door. Please pray with us.

Thank you for your partnership with us in the gospel.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you,

Luke, Gina, Esther, Emily, Aaron and Michael

Odd post

Why some photos just won't make it on a newsletter:

They are blurry.

Now, I like this photo of the kids. It shows the excitement in the car that morning as we headed off to Burundi, and then onto Rwanda for a week of family fun. We had gotten up early and had packed the car, the girls remembered to bring their "kanga" (cloth) in case they got cold. Well, sure enough, as we climbed the hills it got chilly. Here they are huddled in the back seat, trying to stay warm just as we got back on the road after the first of many potty breaks. It was a full two weeks before we were back home, but we sure enjoyed traveling and seeing so many places and visiting with so many people.

They show every day travel but, maybe just a little too much.

On the second day of travel, just as we were leaving Bujumbura we came across this overturned taxi. It's common to see accidents while we travel and it's usually because the drivers are speeding. The roads aren't meant for cruising at high speeds and it's a good reminder to the other drivers to stay alert and not be foolish.
And speaking of accidents, you can clearly see the reflection of some underwear drying on the dashboard of the car. I think we'll blame the 3-year old, it looks about his size. Again, just a common occurrence when we travel!

They are too hard to explain.

I don't understand electronic stuff. But the sight of so many wires, with hardly any proper connections, and so much dirt covering it all, it's a wonder it works at all!

They are just awful.

In the 9 years we have lived here, I have failed at taking a good photo of the food. I think it'd be nice to show the amazing hospitality that is showered on us, especially in feeding us so well, but I can never get a good shot. I think it's partly the chaos that surrounds the meal time, the kids are so happy to get fed and we're all excited to dig in, the spoons are falling on the dirt floor, the littlest one is touching the dirty bench when he's just had his hands washed, the girls are arguing over which soda they should share, and we're trying to remind them all that in this culture kids are seen and not heard, especially at meal times. Oh well! So this is an example of an amazing spread by our local hosts, a goat was slaughtered that morning (Esther has pictures of that!) so we all enjoyed roasted goat, goat innards in a sauce (which we eagerly shared with another table), rice, beans and cooking bananas in tomato sauce. And of course the soda.

I don't know what to caption them

A dry pod with cool looking seeds....

This photo was taken in Kasanda, on our last day there. These seeds are Emily's current favorite. And they were growing on this vine, inside these pods right by the hedge where the ladies were cooking. They are really bright red as they dry, and a lighter pink when they are fresh. The church kids saw how excited Emily was that they all chipped in to help her collect as many as she could before we got in the car to drive back to Kigoma. So now they sit in an old spice container, waiting for Emily to get inspired and make a bracelet out of them, or perhaps a bulky ring.

They are not from the right angle.

I was sitting at the back of the church, listening to Luke teach on the Holy Spirit during the morning seminar at Kasanda. I purposely sit at the back so I can keep an eye on the kids that are playing outside. And as I'm looking out the church door from my bench I can see Aaron and Michael with some other kids hanging on the guava branches. They are swinging so hard I'm afraid they'll break it (later Luke assured me that guava limbs are very flexible), but they are having such a great time too. Later on they were up the tree and jumping off, making all the old ladies gasp. Best nursery care yet!

Wondering if they are appropriate.

This is in Kigoma, just outside the market, at dusk. The vendors come out to the road and it instantly turns into a street market for the many heading home who need to buy dinner on their way. We are one of the many buying dinner that evening. I like how the women are just going about their business and have the fish displayed on their trays or basins. I don't know them personally and I feel a little bad for taking their photo without them knowing. But now you know a little bit about our town and its evening market, we have lots of fish!

They make us look like weird parents.

It was the Sunday after Easter, and we were met with a down pour as we were finishing up the service at the church in Mwakizega. We waited for the rain to subside a bit while they served us a delicious meal of ugali and beans. An elder's adobe home in the next village over had just fallen the night before. So we drove the 20 minutes to his village, parked the car off the main road and then walked. This photos shows the road and the mud and the drippy rain as we walked some 10 minutes to the elder's home. Well, we didn't have any umbrellas with us, and thought that a rag on Michael's head would do the trick of keeping him a bit dry.

So that is why you won't see these photos in our newsletters. I'm sure I can find some more reasons and some more funny photos and give you a glimpse into our adventurous life here in East Africa.

June Update

Greetings from Kigoma dear praying friends. 

We thank those of you who were praying for the evangelistic conference and outreach at the village of Songambele. We praise the Lord for the many who heard Christ’s glorious gospel clearly presented through door to door, tract distribution, choir songs, preaching and Christian films. On Sunday morning we baptized 5 new believers. 
Please pray for lasting fruit. Several made professions of faith for the first time, others recommitted their lives to the Lord. We also prayed for the sick and those oppressed by demons. We strongly urged the local leaders to follow up with those who came forward or showed interest. Please pray that the church will continue to visit and encourage the ones who were drawn near by the Lord. Also pray that the strongholds of witchcraft and domestic violence would be broken down in that village, and that many would be delivered from the evil one.

The dancing choirs draw a crowd and stir up the dust.

The people sit and listen.

Alfred preaches on the makeshift stage.

Singing and praying before going door to door.

Petro baptizing new believers at the river.

I, Luke, have barely been home a week, but tomorrow (Thursday) I leave for another 5 day ministry trip down south. We are taking one car load of church elders and dividing into 2 groups to visit and encourage the churches and teach seminars. Please pray for safety and for the ministry of the Word, that the saints will be encouraged and motivated to attain the stature of the fullness of Christ. Please pray for Gina and the kids, as we will be apart again for that time, that God would grant them grace and strength.

These trips are not without their challenges so we TRULY do need your prayers. God is looking for men and women who will stand in the gap and fight against the powers of darkness through intercessory prayer. God is able to deliver!

In our Savior’s holy and powerful name,

Luke Johnson

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

Rhino Rock

Our kids love going to the beach, the Jakobsen's beach, to be exact. And just between beach 1 and beach 2 there are some rocks, one of the bigger ones we call Rhino Rock. You can jump off this rock and into the lake, but not just any time. The water needs to be high enough, so you don't hit the rocks below. Well, these last weeks the water has been really high, so it's the perfect time to jump off Rhino Rock.
Back in May 2015, Esther climbed to the top of the rock and after seeing her dad and Javen Mirabella jump off the rock she'd figure she'd try too. She was only 8 years old then. I was ready with the camera but I was also strongly encouraging her NOT to jump. After seeing how high it was and hesitating for awhile, she finally decided it wasn't the right time. *whew*
Well, now it's June of 2018 and with the high water it's a great opportunity to try the jump off of Rhino Rock.
And Esther did it!

Esther's first jump.

And again...

Ready for her second jump.

No problem!

Well, guess who has to try and keep up with her big sister (by almost 4 years!!). That little girl in the pink swim shirt at the top of the rock. That's Emily.

And she's only 7!

I just about dropped the camera in the water!

And they both climbed right back up to the top and jumped once each again.

And these are only the girls, what will the boys be like!?!

A facelift on the car.

We're going on 3 weeks without the use of our car. The kids have enjoyed the many bajaji rides recently. We still have the use of the motorbike so Luke can still make it to teaching his class at the Discipleship School. The girls and I have also enjoyed walking to market and to friends' houses.

Spraying primer.

So the car is in the shop to get a new paint job. It's been needing one for some time and we finally got around to it. Before the paint, Luke had the mechanics fix some other things on it too. When Luke checked up on the work last week, they had not been able to paint much due to no electricity. With using a sprayer for painting, the compressor needs to have electricity. So everything was brought to a halt, but that's how it goes. And so we continue to enjoy our walks and the numerous motorbike rides.

Happy Saturday!

Coffee beans cooling in the baking pan.

We had a good start today with a cup of coffee made with Luke's freshly roasted coffee beans. These are bought green by the kilo in our local market. We then sort them and roast them. They make excellent coffee.
You never know what your day may hold.

Our washer.

This is what the rest of our day looked like!

Luke did a great job of finding some spares from our old washing machine (which has been invaded by rats who ate at the wires and all the plastic) and adjusted them to fit this one, which is smaller. Nothing is a simple fix, you always need to modify and do your best at using what's available. Luke is pretty good at that, and I'm grateful he is!

Being 3.

We had an exciting morning... Michael wanted Aaron (and no one else) to help him get on the trampoline. Well, as Aaron was trying with all his might to give his brother a boost, he got a fit of giggles and dropped him. Maybe Michael was laughing too 'cause his top tooth caught the side of the metal bar and pushed it halfway into his gum.

Ouch!

He has a different smile!

About three hours later he let me touch it and I gently pulled it out. That's a three-year-old's baby tooth:

A very long baby tooth!

We are thankful to God that he's doing fine. And that the tooth came out intact. We'll continue to watch him and see if he has any swelling later or things like that.
Of course within 20 minutes of the ordeal, he was back outside, on the trampoline, no less!