November Update

Dear praying friends,

Well, it's about time we update you on the work here. We rejoice that the rains are finally here after a longer than usual dry season. Pray for a good rainy season so that the farmers can get good crops.

Disciples of Jesus school

On October 29, 2022 six students from our discipleship program graduated. Please pray that they would serve the Lord as they return to their home churches. Also pray that the Lord would begin to prepare those for next year. Lord willing, we will begin a new year on Jan. 09, 2023.

Graduates: Shadrack, Neema, Faraja, Tumaini, Daudi and Herman

Bushabani Discipleship school property

We have been working on completing the building plans and getting them approved at the land office for quite some time. We are also waiting on the building permit to be issued so that we can begin building as the Lord provides. Please pray the permit and the plans would be issued soon and that the Lord would help us find an experienced and trustworthy foreman to oversee the work.

Family

We have had quite a few travels lately. At the end of August we traveled to Moshi for a conference of church elders from all over the country. Luke taught a few sessions along with others. On the way there we were delayed for 2 days by car trouble but God took care of us (you can read it on our previous blog post). At the end of September Luke flew to Kenya to be with Esther for 2 weeks due to some struggles she is having at boarding school. During that time Gina and Emily flew to Cyprus to attend Gina's niece's wedding. The 3 boys stayed behind and enjoyed quality time with grandpa and grandma. 😉 Then we all joined up on the coast and went to Zanzibar (an island off the coast of Tanzania) for a 3 night family vacation. Esther returned to RVA (her boarding school) and we took the 2 day train ride back to Kigoma. Please pray for Esther at boarding school, and for Gina as she homeschools Emily, Aaron and Michael.

Hours of fun on the train.

Permits

A couple months ago Luke began working on submitting his online application for his Work and Residence Permits (i.e. Permission to live and work in the country). After many hours of paperwork and collecting and submitting additional documents we praise the Lord that they were both granted. Please pray as we begin the process of applying for student permits for the school age kids. 

Visiting village churches

Last week we were able to visit the village church in Kamala. We were encouraged by their growth, joy and love for one another. Next weekend Luke will travel with an elder to teach a one day seminar at a struggling church. He will stay on for the Sunday meeting and then return. Pray for our preparation.

Luke preaching at the Kamala church.

Upcoming

This Friday we, along with John and Jeniffer Kinlaw, plan on having an evening of fun and teaching for the youth from the Kigoma town church. Also, we are looking forward to having Esther back in a couple of weeks (just after Thanksgiving) for her Christmas vacation.

Thank you for your partnership in the gospel. Pray that the gospel would bear much fruit in the lives of many.

Grace and peace to you,

Luke and Gina and the kiddos

Blessed to be all together.

New Year Update

Dear praying friends, 

Another month has gone by since we last wrote, and a new year has begun with fresh opportunities for serving the Master.

Disciples of Jesus School

On January 10 we began a new school year with 7 new students (2 men, 3 young men, and 2 young ladies). We may get 2 more students next week, if all goes well. Please pray for a deep spiritual hunger and for steadfast commitment for each student. Pray for us as teachers as we seek to nurture them spiritually.

Homeschool and Online School

We were happy to have Esther home from boarding school for the month of December for her Christmas break. Well, she is still at home, studying online after many staff at her school in Kenya had gotten sick with Covid. The plan is for her to return on Jan 29. Gina continues to homeschool the 3 middle children. That comes with many challenges, so you can pray for all of us for patience and wisdom from God with homeschool and online schooling.

William was sick with malaria on Christmas.

We enjoyed a Christmas dinner on Boxing Day!

Pretending to be tourists in our own town.
Visiting Dr. Livingstone museum.

Back to school: Emily doing a science experiment.

Esther doing online school with RVA.

Direction for the future

As we look forward in this new year we would ask for your prayers for us. That God's Spirit would guide us and fill us with love, wisdom, and the knowledge of His will. We need His direction and empowering for our family, for the discipleship school, the new school property, evangelism and outreach, and with the many struggling churches in the region.

Thank you so much for standing with us in prayer for the Lord's work here in Western Tanzania. May the Master use you as well to accomplish His good purposes.

In Christ, Luke Jonson (for the family)

End of Year Update

Dear praying friends, 

The Disciples of Jesus School celebrated the graduation of its 9 students on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021.

Please pray that they would serve the Master with the new knowledge they have and remain faithful to Him.

Graduates 2021

We have continued to visit village churches as we are able. Luke traveled with 5 others to visit the believers at Kanoge for 4 days. There was a seminar, a wedding, a Sunday service, the recognition of 2 new elders, as well as good conversation and fellowship.

Continue to pray for the many village churches to be salt and light in their communities.

Wedding in Kanoge.

Luke has begun studying the book "True Discipleship" by William MacDonald with 5 young men from the town assembly. We have met 9 times and the discussions have been good so far. Pray for Isa, Michael, Baraka, Daudi and Amini to dedicate their lives fully to their Savior and serve Him mightily.

As a family we have made 2 visits to two different families, both who recently lost loved ones and also recently had new births in their families. It was a joy to spend time with them and seek to encourage and bless them in a small way.

Work at the Discipleship school property continues slowly. We planted a bougainvillea hedge around the fence, and have to replant where the clippings did not sprout. We are in the process of getting the power company to bring electricity to the property as well.

Pray for God's provision and direction to move forward in His time.

Finished fence and gates.

A week ago Gina and I were able to fly to Dar Es Salaam to meet up with Esther, who was returning from boarding school in Kenya for her Christmas vacation. While there we visited the US Embassy to renew Luke and Esther's passports before flying home. We are now enjoying our time with Esther during her 1 month holiday!

Family fun at the beach.

Family time at the beach.

Celebrating Esther's 15th birthday.

There are many different Christmas celebrations at the church in the coming weeks.

Pray for God's Word to bear fruit as some family members who normally don't attend church may be coming for these special events.

We thank you for your continued prayers for the Lord's work here in the Kigoma region. Most of all we thank God for his indescribable gift, as we remember His coming to earth and wrapping Himself in a human body in order to redeem us from the curse. 

Merry Christmas!

May you rejoice in Him always,

Luke and Gina Johnson

Esther, Emily, Aaron, Michael and William too.

September Update

Dear praying friends,

Since our last newsletter we made a quick trip (6 full days of driving) to Kenya and back to drop off our oldest daughter, Esther, at Rift Valley Academy. God worked a miracle regarding the required negative Covid tests which did not all come through on schedule but God made a way through the prayers of His people. Esther has started 9th. grade and is adjusting well to the academic and social life of boarding school, although we miss her here at the house. On the way back to Kigoma we stopped in at the Serengeti national park and got to see some of the african wildlife that tourists come to see. 

Pray for Esther and us as we adjust to the separation.

Saying goodbye to Esther.

Arriving at the main entrance at sunrise.

Baboon on our car while we get signed in.

Ostrich in the Serengeti.

We have recently visited 4 different churches and plan to visit another one this Sunday with the discipleship students. Luke taught a course on Christ and the Holy Spirit at the Disciples of Jesus school and we are now making preparations for graduation which will take place on Saturday Oct. 23, 2021. 

Pray for the students to serve the Lord as they return to their home churches. Pray for the spiritual growth of the assemblies of believers here.

A young student preaching.

Selling Bibles at a very discounted price.

Another exciting development, that has kept Luke extra busy, is the building of a chain link fence around the new property which was purchased to build the discipleship school. Luke has been trying to keep up with the demand of building supplies and make sure things get done right. The property is located on the edge of town with no water or electricity services. Also the road is pretty bad and you have to cross 2 small streams before a steep hill. The motorcycle has been quite useful for going out there and checking on the progress of the work. The fence is almost complete and the last gate nearly installed. Lord willing, we should finish by the end of this week. 

Pray for the Lord to be glorified through this property and that each step of its development would be completed in His time.

Installing the chain link fence.

Getting ready to install one of the side gates.

Since getting back from Kenya, Gina has been busy with homeschooling Emily, Aaron and Michael, and we have all been busy trying to potty train 2 year old William. To add to all the fun and extra business is some plumbing issues in the house which require chipping away at concrete and locating and replacing old copper pipes. But it is not all work. Luke was able to go fishing with the older kids one day and also get an old control line model airplane running. We also managed to squeeze in a date night as a couple, thanks to Grandpa and Grandma babysitting services. We are thankful for the good health that God has blessed us with lately. We are all looking forward to rainy season and saying good bye to dust and brown and hello to mud and green. Pray that we would be clean vessels, ready to be used by the Lord to accomplish His purposes.

Thank you for your prayers. They are much needed and by the power of God they make a difference. We thank the Lord for your partnership in the gospel. We thank Him for how He is using you wherever you are. May we all be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Amen.

Blessings,

Luke and Gina for the family

First Update for 2020

Dear praying friends, it has been a long time since we wrote an update and we apologize for that. Thank you for those of you who continue to pray for us regularly.

Disciples of Jesus school

We are nearing the end of our 2nd trimester at the Bible school. We have 11 students still going strong. We have begun visiting village churches with the students, giving them opportunities to minister and use their spiritual gifts. Please pray that they would continue persevering and that they would be eager to learn and obey God's word.

Moving house

We successfully moved house and are settled into a smaller one than before, reminding us that we need to downsize and give things away. The kids enjoy the "forest" out back and playing with the Kinlaw kids and other neighbors kids in the afternoons.

Christmas with family

Over Christmas and New year we were able to drive to Kenya to meet up with many of the Johnson siblings and their families and Dad and Mom Johnson. We spent part of the time in the capital city, Nairobi, and we also spent a few days at the coast. The kids enjoyed exploring the ocean reef at low tide and snorkeling in the marine park and seeing the beautiful sea life that God's creative word fashioned. After returning in early January we were blessed with a 3 week visit from Mark and Carol Mattix and Fionna (Gina's parents and niece). There were some home improvement projects, a hike, a stay at the beach, and a visit to Katavi National Park, as well as much time to talk and visit.

Car repairs

On our long drive to Kenya (3 days going and 3 days returning) we noticed that our car was burning a huge amount of oil. We knew that the engine needed a major overhaul. Luke decided to take the car to Burundi to get it fixed. We now have it back after 3 weeks in the garage. Please pray that our car would continue to run well and be useful for God's kingdom.

Furlough plans

Some of you may already know that we plan to be in the US from April 24 to July 16, 2020. We plan on traveling a lot, starting on the East Coast and making our way to the West Coast and back for our return flight. Because of the current Coronavirus pandemic we are holding our travel plans loosely. We continue to pray but are confident that our times are in God's hands.

Family

Gina is trying to get as much homeschool done with the kids before our trip. Michael (5 yrs) just recently learned to ride his bike and is starting to learn how to swim. Baby William at 9 months is crawling/cruising around the house and keeping us on our toes. We are thankful for each of our kids.

After their recent dental check-up, they are very happy!

Blessings in Christ,

Luke and Gina Johnson

July and August Update

Dear friends, we are thankful to the Lord for his faithfulness and goodness to us. The last time we wrote was to announce William's safe arrival into our family. He is now 3 months old and enjoys the constant attention he gets from his older siblings.

In June there was an evangelistic conference and outreach at one of the churches about 7 hours south of Kigoma. My father and mother and a team of elders attended and helped with the ministry. After that we began in earnest to meet and plan for an even bigger conference in the village of Mwakizega, about 1 hour south of Kigoma. This conference had been proposed by the saints in Burundi, who ended up bringing at team of 65 or so to minister. There were seminar teachers, preachers and choirs. 

John Kinlaw and I (Luke), along with 3 young men from the church were busy for 2.5 weeks before the conference making a big stage that could be dismantled and transported to the site. A month and a half later I called the elders to see how the church is doing with follow-up. They have 4 new members and the rest of the people they visit keep telling them they will come, but they don't.

Choir performing during the afternoon conference in the main square of the village.

After the conference we made a trip to Burundi for a 3 day Johnson family reunion. Five out of seven of us kids were there with our families. It was an enjoyable time, although my father was quite sick with bronchitis. Then we traveled to Rwanda to attend a yearly interdenominational missionary conference. It was wonderful to be able to send our kids each morning to a kid's program and receive teaching from God's Word.

Unfortunately it was during this time that we heard of Lydia's sickness (my brother Danny's daughter). She went unconscious and started having seizures and have to be Medivac-ed to Nairobi Kenya for treatment. She came close to dying from cerebral malaria, but by God's grace she has mostly recovered. We are thankful for the many that were praying for her.

Johnson family reunion in Burundi.

Also my parents were not well during the conference as my father's bronchitis persisted and my mother fell and sprained her ankle. On top of all this they had very bad car trouble and had to be towed by us from the conference in Rwanda all the way to Burundi, up and down windy escarpments. We are so thankful for the Lord's protection and for the tow bar that a missionary couple lent us. 

Now we are back in Kigoma. Gina has started a new year of homeschool with 3 of the kids. Yesterday we began a new school year at the Disciples of Jesus school. We have 9 students so far and they seem eager to learn. I am teaching a survey of salvation history and enjoying it immensely. Pray that God would keep the students safe from the enemy's attacks.

We are thankful for the joy and eagerness of the new believers at the Kamala village church which we visited on Sunday. Pray for their spiritual growth and protection, and for Stanislaus who is attending our discipleship course.

The church at Kamala, on a Sunday morning.

Please also pray for us as we move from our current house in the next month.  Pray that we would be able to transition smoothly and that the kids wouldn't get too far behind in school.

Thank you so much for your support. By your prayers and gifts you are involved in the ministry and the lives of the people here. 

Blessings in Christ,

Luke and Gina Johnson

February and March Update

Dear praying friends, we trust you had a worshipful Easter. We have a wonderful Savior who was not only willing to die for us, but had the power to rise again.

We praise the Lord for each one of you and are thankful for your prayers and gifts that sustain us in our Master's service. 

Disciples of Jesus School

Today the students took their last exam (Church and Missions) and Lord willing we will celebrate their graduation next Saturday (May 4th). We will have 6 graduates. 2 men, 1 woman, 2 young men and 1 young lady. Please pray that they would continue on in the Lord's service and that He would guide their steps.

Luke teaching "Christ and the Holy Spirit" at the Disciples of Jesus School.

Land purchased for Disciples of Jesus school

The paperwork for the land that was purchased for our Bible school is moving along slowly but surely. There are many many requirements, but we think we are nearly done submitting everything in order to get the title deed. Please pray that the title deed would be issued without any more delays once the paperwork is submitted.

Evangelism Seminar

Tomorrow and the next day (Friday and Saturday Apr. 26-27) our fellow worker John Kinlaw will be teaching in Swahili. Please pray for him that the Holy Spirit would communicate clearly through him (in spite of language constraints). Pray also that the methods and illustrations presented would equip and inspire the believers as we go out in teams to preach Christ in the afternoons.

Peter and Naomi - Missionaries to the Wataturu tribe

On May 6 Peter (elder at our chapel) and his wife, Naomi plan to visit an unreached tribe. It will be Peter's 5th visit but Naomi's first. Pray for the Lord's protection over them and that our Savior God would open doors for His Word to continue to be sown. Peter shared a testimony that already 2 people have made professions of faith in Christ and 1 more is waiting for Peter to come and then he will make his decision. Pray for lasting fruit. Pray for the Lord's guidance for Peter and Naomi as to when and how they can move there full time. Pray for the Tanzanian churches to rise to the occasion of sending and supporting a full time missionary family. 

Peter and Naomi singing a special number at church.

Family Life

For the past 2 weeks our family has been fighting sickness. First it was a bad cold that made its rounds (only Esther was spared). Then it was worms that affected the 2 boys (so we all took worm medicine). That was followed by a flu which started with Aaron (vomiting and extreme weakness) and passed on to Michael (who is still recovering). Please pray for our health at this time, and especially for Gina to stay healthy in these last few weeks before delivery. We eagerly await the arrival of our 5th child, but please pray for safety for mother and child.

We know that our Almighty God will accomplish much for his glory as you labor with us in prayer.

Blessings and peace to you all, in our Savior's name

Luke, Gina and the kids

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

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

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

What a trip!

Just wanted to let you know that we arrived safely in Kigoma. What a trip!

The train pulled in at 7:20 pm on Friday. That was way earlier than we thought and a nice bonus to be able to be in our house before 8 pm and sitting down for a supper (that was all prepared in advance by our house helper, Grace). We were all bathed or showered and in our beds shortly after that. Boy, did it feel good to sleep in our own beds. Of course we were all up around 2 am. Emily walked right past me in the hallway with her Bible and into the living room at one point, while I put the boys down for the 16th time. She matter-of-factly tells me that she’s going to read her bible now. Well, I reminded her of the time and that she had to wait for the sun to come up first if she wanted to be out of bed!

It’s just amazing to think that everything went as planned, the car trip, with meeting up with Larry at SeaTac to get our two suitcases and giving him the car, and then onto 3 long flights, the luggage all arriving in Dar, and then our train tickets waiting for us at the motel where we stayed before getting on the train. We had no idea how it would all turn out. We prayed that God would just make things happen because a lot of things were out of our control.

While in Newark, we decided to use the smartphone one last time to check for any new e-mails. So we found a place to sit and charge it for a bit and then we fired it up. The first e-mail that caught our attention was from the man in Dar who had purchased our train tickets… well he said that something urgent had just come up so he was not able to meet us at the train station as planned. So where should he have the tickets sent? Wow, we hadn’t thought of that sudden change. And we had to think fast. So that is how the train tickets ended up at our motel. We had already made reservations at this hotel for one night so we figured it was the safest place to have something like tickets be dropped off.

God protected and guided every step of the way. I had prayed that the luggage wouldn’t arrive. You see I had visions of us arriving at a very crowded Dar Es Salaam train station with 6 pieces of checked luggage, all of our carry on back packs and our 4 kids, ... in the pouring rain. I figured it’d be simpler to have the airline figure out how to get our luggage to Kigoma if they misplaced it and all we had to deal with was our carry ons and the kids. But our luggage did arrive, and the moment of checking into the train station wasn’t as chaotic as it could have been. And it did rain very hard, but not until we were settled into our cabin!

All of our checked bags fit under the bunks, and the two carry ons were used by the boys to stand on and look out the window. So it wasn’t too crowded on the train after all.

So today we are busy unpacking and organizing. It rained in the night and it has stayed overcast all day so it’s nice to have cooler weather. And the cooler weather meant that our beach day was cancelled, and just as well as we have so much to do to get this place ship-shape.

Luke begins teaching on Monday. Tomorrow we will see everyone at the local church. The kids have had a chance to pick guavas and eat fresh mangoes, now they are catching up with the neighbor kids.

And I need to prepare supper.
Bye for now.
Gina for the family

Getting comfortable for a night at SeaTac, or uncomfortable.

The calm train station... maybe it's because we were more than an hour early!

Back on the train, feels so familiar...  it's only our 4th time this year!

First african meal on the train. Dig in!

Lake Tanganyika, at last!

Video post

Here is a video we made for our church in Yakima, WA.
It gives a little glimpse into our daily lives.

Just click on the link:

TDBC Video January 2017

December Update

Happy New Year to all of you!

We thank the Lord for all of His blessings this past year, and we rejoice in the challenges which He has allowed in our lives which form us spiritually and teach us endurance. We also praise our heavenly King for each one of you who love Christ, though you have not seen Him, and serve Him continually through your prayers and participation in the gospel. Truly our Sovereign Head has designed the body to function in unity and to work together in love.


Ministry
The last time we wrote was in the middle of September. Since then we have had the opportunity to visit 4 churches, one of them a new fellowship of believers started by an elder from a nearby village. We were able to meet them, encourage them in the Word and give guidance to them as they gathered for the first time to remember Christ's death. We gave them some Christian literature and shared a meal together before returning. Please pray for these believers to seek to learn God’s word and be faithful in meeting together to encourage one another. Also, pray that the Holy Spirit would raise up elders among them who will have a true calling to shepherd the flock of God. These saints live in the village of Kajeje.

Luke preaching at Kajeje

Our friend and brother in Christ, Peter Yamungu, made another trip to visit the unreached tribe of the Wataturu, a full day’s drive away from here, in the Tabora region. He was able to meet the local chief and chairman, who was very friendly to him. He preached the Good News to many at a gathering and from house to house. He handed out tracts, portions on Scripture, and 3 Bibles, to those who knew how to read and who understood Kiswahili. He also attended a wedding and got to see their customs, which are very different from his own. We thank the Lord for preparing the way for him and keeping the door open for future service. Our family has decided to support Peter in his vision by sending him to a good missions school in Dar Es Salaam. He will be away from his wife and 4 kids for 8 months (from May - Dec.), with a short break in the middle. Please pray for Peter as he takes this big step of faith to become a cross cultural missionary. Pray for him and his family as they will be apart for this period of time. Pray that he will learn many things that will be useful for him in future service. And pray for our discipleship course, as we will not have Peter, who is one of our key teachers, for our 2nd and 3rd terms.

Chief in the village of Uwajawanungu reading the Bible he received.

Family

We had regional church elder meetings at the end of November and were able to sneak away on the last day and travel to Burundi to spend an early Thanksgiving with Luke’s brother Danny and his wife Anne and their 3 children. We enjoyed our time together and Luke was able to attend a morning session at the Timothy Bible School where Danny was teaching on the 4 gospels. We made it back in time for Thanksgiving in Kigoma and enjoyed the fellowship with other missionaries.

Visiting the cousins in Bujumbura, Burundi

During the month of December we had a visit from Gina’s parents, Mark and Carol Mattix. We had a wonderful time with them doing various things such as celebrating Esther’s 10th. birthday, singing together, rest and relaxation, walks, hikes and talks, 2 nights of camping at the beach, and ministry. Mark gave a 1 day seminar on Creationism. We visited a village church, and Mark preached on Christmas morning. They left the day after Christmas and we thank the Lord for the special time we had together.

On a hike with "Grandpa Mattix".

On a family outing up country.

The four kids.

Looking Forward
On Jan. 9 we’ll start up our new year at the Disciples of Jesus school. A number have shown interest from town and out of town but we wait to see how many will actually come. Please pray that the Lord would bring those who are hungry for God’s Word and ready to put it into practice. At the end of February we’ll start visiting the village churches with the discipleship students to give them opportunity to serve and develop their gifts. Please pray for the many other things that we have planned for this year, that God will direct and enable us in everything, and that His will would be done in us and His people. It is our desire that this would be a fruitful year for Christ’s church in the Kigoma region. We covet your prayers for us and our dear Tanzanian brothers and sisters.

May God’s grace abound to you this year,
Luke and Gina Johnson