KUNKELGRAM / PRAYER LETTER JUNE 2009
Dear friends, family and prayer partners,
We wanted to take some time today to connect with you all. We are fine. After a lot of travels we are back in our home in Paraguay. We were in Buenos Aires Argentina, for 2 days and then winged our way north to the USA, where our first priority was to be at our son JOHN GLENN’S graduation from Cal Baptist U, in Riverside. This was May 2nd. We made this, and it was GREAT to be there and cheer him on. He graduated with a double major, in Pol. Sci., and Philosophy. He graduated with HONORS! We are proud of him. GREAT JOB JOHN!! If you’d like to write him, his email is
Jgkunkel@gmail.com “Snail mail” is:
JOHN GLENN KUNKEL PMB # 385
CALIF. BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
8432 MAGNOLIA AVE
RIVERSIDE CA, 92504
He is already applying to the MA in Public Administration program at CBU and plans to begin this fall. He is living on campus for the summer, but needs to find more permanent housing. Please pray that the Lord will provide this for him, soon! He can pay some rent but would like a house sharing situation, where he can do some chores for part of his keep. If you know of a situation like this please let him know. 951 660 3083
We also spent some time with my (Tim’s) parents. They are not doing too well physically. My dad is 81, and will turn 82 in a couple of weeks. My mom is 77. She is suffering from kidney troubles, and is near to the point where she may need dialysis. Please pray that the Lord will undertake in this regards, so that this condition may be reversed. My dad has had a couple of heart procedures and is quite frail. Please pray for them!
While I was in the USA part of what I did was to promote the partnership that we have with the DELTA VALLEY SB ASSOCIATION, located in the Stockton area. We have a 3 year partnership with these fine folks. We plan to receive them here in Cuidad del Este Paraguay, 6 times in the next 3 years. They will help us in evangelism, Scripture distribution, and some social ministry projects. We were able to share in one of their churches and spend time with their Director of Missions, Jerry Yates and his wife Linda. They also gave us a suitcase of “goodies”, and for this we are most grateful.
Iracema and Steven then went to Norfolk VA, where they spent a week with Jason, and Julia. They had a great time. While there Iracema and Steven shared in one of our partner churches, London Bridge Baptist Church, who last year sent a volunteer group to help us here in the work. We so appreciate these fine folks as well, and all they have done to help us here. During this time Iracema and Julia could spend mother’s day together for the first time in MANY years. Julia is teaching spec. ed., in a middle school. Jason, is doing a fine job as a mortgage broker. We are so proud of them.
I did not make the trip east, as I had been with Julia and Jason, a few months before. I did however, during this week, go to WA State where we have many friends and two churches with whom we have CLOSE ties. I preached two revivals/missions conferences at these churches. How good it was to reconnect with these kind folks. Many made professions of faith, and rededicated their lives to Christ. One of them, at least, has already been baptized. To God be the Glory!
We got back to Paraguay, and were home just a few hours before we had to travel to a Bible Conference in Brazil. Here we shared with folks from all over South America, and I (Tim), led in the daily Bible devotions for the folks. It was a great experience to be at this conference.
Now we are back, and caught up, and into the fill swing of things again. We spent a good part of last week in the capital, to get our permanent residency cards. This has been a 3!! year process, but we are now at the end of the same. This is a GREAT ANSWER to prayer… We have now been here almost three years. We have been on the mission field almost 20 years. God has been so good and faithful to us. Thanks for your prayers and support through your giving to the LMCO, and the CP. That is what has sustained us, and almost 5400 other SBC missionaries doing this work of missions and church planting outside of the USA. We are seeing much fruit of our labors and without you all! we could not do this. Thanks again.
Steven is doing well. He is in his 2nd semester of university online. He is doing great. He is also in a Japanese school three days a week, and is becoming quite fluent in spoken and written Japanese. If you would like to write him, his email is,
stekunkel@hotmail.com He is also on FACEBOOK, as am I, Tim. If you are on facebook, this is a good way to get frequent update from us, and our prayer requests.
The work here goes well. We are seeing some miraculous conversions. We are also seeing people that make initial decisions, then after counting the costs shrinking back. There are many peer and familily pressures that go against people making a commitment to Christ and then following through with it. We are about starting or facilitating a network of houses churches here in EAST PARAGUAY. We are calling it LA ROCA, THE ROCK. We have two house groups now meeting, and a nucleus of about 60 folks that meet regularly. We are now in the winter here, and it is quite cold, (about 50 or so, in the mornings), when we meet outside in the garage, or varanda of a house. So it is a challenge. So please do pray for us.
SPECIFIC PRAYER REQUESTS:
-For Iracema’s 95 year old mother Ruth. She is in great health.
For Iracema’s sister Suely who is the main caregiver to Ruth.
-For my two sisters, Suzanne, and Sharon, as they look after my parents. Both of them work full time, and do what they can to help our parents. I am most grateful for what they do for them.
-For the couples we are working with here in the house churches; Pablo and Olga,
Alipio and Olga, Elbio and Carla, Natalia, and David, and Martin and Elsa. Pray that they would form strong families.
-For the youth of our church, especially Jose, Alcides, Norma, Lucas, Alberto, and Elizabeth. Also for Steven as he leads music, in one of the house churches.
-For Cepherino and Celia, who looked to be so promising, and with whom we worked so much, who have fallen away. Pray that they would be convicted and return!
-For Marlene, and her two children. She lost her husband this week in an HORRIFIC plane crash. I led him to the Lord about 2.5 months ago. His name was Clevio. It greatly affected me to see this vibrant, 45 year old man, with so many plans, projects and such a FUTURE snuffed out in a ball of flames. Only the Lord knows why he allowed this. Pray for us as we minister to this family and the others who live in the gated community where he lived, in the aftermath of this event.
-For David, Natalia, and Victor, the pastoral family of the second of the house churches. They have about 25 or so now coming, and a lot of youth. Pray for them as they balance all the demands of being a bi vocational family of church planters. Pray for us, as we mentor this couple.
- For our safety. This is a dangerous place and we must be vigilant, in every way.
-For us to be bold witnesses for the Lord. With the Apostle Paul we would ask that you pray for us, so that whenever we open our mouths words may be given us, so that we will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel, for which we are ambassadors. Pray that we might declare it fearlessly as we should… ( Ef. 6:19-20). For a great and effective door is open before us, but there are adversaries. 1 Cor. 16;9. Pray that we might be STEADFAST, unmovable ALWAYS abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing well that our labor for HIM is not in vain. ( I Cor. 15: 58). This is our pray for all of you, as well.
Love in Christ,
Tim, Iracema, and THE ENTIRE KUNKEL family
tikunkel@gmail.com Facebook,; find us using this email…
johntkunkel.blogspot.com
Dear friends, family and prayer partners,
We wanted to take some time today to connect with you all. We are fine. After a lot of travels we are back in our home in Paraguay. We were in Buenos Aires Argentina, for 2 days and then winged our way north to the USA, where our first priority was to be at our son JOHN GLENN’S graduation from Cal Baptist U, in Riverside. This was May 2nd. We made this, and it was GREAT to be there and cheer him on. He graduated with a double major, in Pol. Sci., and Philosophy. He graduated with HONORS! We are proud of him. GREAT JOB JOHN!! If you’d like to write him, his email is
Jgkunkel@gmail.com “Snail mail” is:
JOHN GLENN KUNKEL PMB # 385
CALIF. BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
8432 MAGNOLIA AVE
RIVERSIDE CA, 92504
He is already applying to the MA in Public Administration program at CBU and plans to begin this fall. He is living on campus for the summer, but needs to find more permanent housing. Please pray that the Lord will provide this for him, soon! He can pay some rent but would like a house sharing situation, where he can do some chores for part of his keep. If you know of a situation like this please let him know. 951 660 3083
We also spent some time with my (Tim’s) parents. They are not doing too well physically. My dad is 81, and will turn 82 in a couple of weeks. My mom is 77. She is suffering from kidney troubles, and is near to the point where she may need dialysis. Please pray that the Lord will undertake in this regards, so that this condition may be reversed. My dad has had a couple of heart procedures and is quite frail. Please pray for them!
While I was in the USA part of what I did was to promote the partnership that we have with the DELTA VALLEY SB ASSOCIATION, located in the Stockton area. We have a 3 year partnership with these fine folks. We plan to receive them here in Cuidad del Este Paraguay, 6 times in the next 3 years. They will help us in evangelism, Scripture distribution, and some social ministry projects. We were able to share in one of their churches and spend time with their Director of Missions, Jerry Yates and his wife Linda. They also gave us a suitcase of “goodies”, and for this we are most grateful.
Iracema and Steven then went to Norfolk VA, where they spent a week with Jason, and Julia. They had a great time. While there Iracema and Steven shared in one of our partner churches, London Bridge Baptist Church, who last year sent a volunteer group to help us here in the work. We so appreciate these fine folks as well, and all they have done to help us here. During this time Iracema and Julia could spend mother’s day together for the first time in MANY years. Julia is teaching spec. ed., in a middle school. Jason, is doing a fine job as a mortgage broker. We are so proud of them.
I did not make the trip east, as I had been with Julia and Jason, a few months before. I did however, during this week, go to WA State where we have many friends and two churches with whom we have CLOSE ties. I preached two revivals/missions conferences at these churches. How good it was to reconnect with these kind folks. Many made professions of faith, and rededicated their lives to Christ. One of them, at least, has already been baptized. To God be the Glory!
We got back to Paraguay, and were home just a few hours before we had to travel to a Bible Conference in Brazil. Here we shared with folks from all over South America, and I (Tim), led in the daily Bible devotions for the folks. It was a great experience to be at this conference.
Now we are back, and caught up, and into the fill swing of things again. We spent a good part of last week in the capital, to get our permanent residency cards. This has been a 3!! year process, but we are now at the end of the same. This is a GREAT ANSWER to prayer… We have now been here almost three years. We have been on the mission field almost 20 years. God has been so good and faithful to us. Thanks for your prayers and support through your giving to the LMCO, and the CP. That is what has sustained us, and almost 5400 other SBC missionaries doing this work of missions and church planting outside of the USA. We are seeing much fruit of our labors and without you all! we could not do this. Thanks again.
Steven is doing well. He is in his 2nd semester of university online. He is doing great. He is also in a Japanese school three days a week, and is becoming quite fluent in spoken and written Japanese. If you would like to write him, his email is,
stekunkel@hotmail.com He is also on FACEBOOK, as am I, Tim. If you are on facebook, this is a good way to get frequent update from us, and our prayer requests.
The work here goes well. We are seeing some miraculous conversions. We are also seeing people that make initial decisions, then after counting the costs shrinking back. There are many peer and familily pressures that go against people making a commitment to Christ and then following through with it. We are about starting or facilitating a network of houses churches here in EAST PARAGUAY. We are calling it LA ROCA, THE ROCK. We have two house groups now meeting, and a nucleus of about 60 folks that meet regularly. We are now in the winter here, and it is quite cold, (about 50 or so, in the mornings), when we meet outside in the garage, or varanda of a house. So it is a challenge. So please do pray for us.
SPECIFIC PRAYER REQUESTS:
-For Iracema’s 95 year old mother Ruth. She is in great health.
For Iracema’s sister Suely who is the main caregiver to Ruth.
-For my two sisters, Suzanne, and Sharon, as they look after my parents. Both of them work full time, and do what they can to help our parents. I am most grateful for what they do for them.
-For the couples we are working with here in the house churches; Pablo and Olga,
Alipio and Olga, Elbio and Carla, Natalia, and David, and Martin and Elsa. Pray that they would form strong families.
-For the youth of our church, especially Jose, Alcides, Norma, Lucas, Alberto, and Elizabeth. Also for Steven as he leads music, in one of the house churches.
-For Cepherino and Celia, who looked to be so promising, and with whom we worked so much, who have fallen away. Pray that they would be convicted and return!
-For Marlene, and her two children. She lost her husband this week in an HORRIFIC plane crash. I led him to the Lord about 2.5 months ago. His name was Clevio. It greatly affected me to see this vibrant, 45 year old man, with so many plans, projects and such a FUTURE snuffed out in a ball of flames. Only the Lord knows why he allowed this. Pray for us as we minister to this family and the others who live in the gated community where he lived, in the aftermath of this event.
-For David, Natalia, and Victor, the pastoral family of the second of the house churches. They have about 25 or so now coming, and a lot of youth. Pray for them as they balance all the demands of being a bi vocational family of church planters. Pray for us, as we mentor this couple.
- For our safety. This is a dangerous place and we must be vigilant, in every way.
-For us to be bold witnesses for the Lord. With the Apostle Paul we would ask that you pray for us, so that whenever we open our mouths words may be given us, so that we will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel, for which we are ambassadors. Pray that we might declare it fearlessly as we should… ( Ef. 6:19-20). For a great and effective door is open before us, but there are adversaries. 1 Cor. 16;9. Pray that we might be STEADFAST, unmovable ALWAYS abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing well that our labor for HIM is not in vain. ( I Cor. 15: 58). This is our pray for all of you, as well.
Love in Christ,
Tim, Iracema, and THE ENTIRE KUNKEL family
tikunkel@gmail.com Facebook,; find us using this email…
johntkunkel.blogspot.com
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