KUNKEL GRAM THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS, 2010

KUNKEL GRAM, THANKSGIVING, 2010

11/26/2010

Dear friends, Family, and Praying partners,

Greetings to you all, in the PRECIOUS name of Jesus! We are on furlough, and are in Southern California. We arrived on the 3rd of July, and have encountered a whirlwind of activity ever since! In the 4.5 months we have been here, w have shared about 100 times, in churches, Sunday Schools, at women’s meetings, with Children, at On Mission Celebrations, etc, etc. We have been, in Va. 3x, in Alabama, in Mo., in Ia., and in many parts of the great state of California. We have also been to a 2.5 day training event put on by security experts, called contingency training. This is to help us be better prepared to minister in a world that is ever more dark, sinister and dangerous.

SINCE OUR LAST PRAYER GRAM: WE finished up 4 years in E. PARAGUAY, and celebrated the planting, of the LA ROCA church. It is now being pastured by David Barudi. He is someone that I discipled and mentored for about 18 months, prior to this change. He was ordained a few days prior to our leaving Ciudad del Este. He has about 95 or so people in and attending the church, and he is doing a fine job in leading them.

OUR TIME IN THE USA, JULY 3rd, - NOV 25TH, 2010. We have spent a lot of time, in visiting churches, in several states. We have shared in large and small churches, and in conventional, and associational events. We have shared in women’s meetings, and were even at the annual meeting of the CAL. SO. BAP. CONVENTION. We have shared up to 3x on a given Sunday. We have seen God move mightily, and have even seen professions of faith in our services. We are coming into an INTENSE time of speaking, now that we are into the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering season, time. Please pray for us as we attempt, with the Lord’s aid, to put a clear mission’s challenge before God’s choice people.

OUR TIME WITH OUR CHILDREN; We were able to visit on two occasions with Julia, and Jason, in VA. We also spent a week touring with them, the E SEABOARD, and especially enjoyed the time we could spend at a friend’s cottage along the beach in Maine. How blessed a time that was. We also were in VA last week, and celebrated an early TG with them. They are working hard; she as a special ed. teacher, and he as a mortgage banker. We are proud of them, and their accomplishments…

John Glenn, our middle son, moved in with us, on Nov. 1st, and will be with us for the next 7 months. He will graduate with his Master in Public Administration, (MPA), on Dec 17th. We are proud of him. He has worked hard. To have 3 college degrees at his early age is a real accomplishment. (He turned 23 in June). If you want to send him a letter of encouragement, or a grad card, his address is: John Glenn Kunkel, 7431 Magnolia AVE, Apt. # 205, Riverside, CA, 92504

Steven is doing well, and loves SO. CAL. He and JG have visited many of the local sights, and have even gone to Hollywood. Follow him on Facebook, if you want to see some of the places he has gone. He updates a lot of things onto his account there. On FB look him up via his email address; sugoisteve@gmail.com He is now playing the keyboard at Immanuel Baptist Church in their Spanish speaking worship service. He is doing well, has a lot of friends, and has taken a class at the local community college on rebuilding hot rods.  He has made a great friend, in adopted “Uncle Karl”, and has taken this class with him.

He will take several other college classes in the spring, both from a local community college, and the U WISCONSEN. He is planning to return to Paraguay with us, on July 3rd, of 2011 when our furlough ends.

MY DAD: Many of you will remember that last Christmas, in a span of 12 days both Iracema and I lost our mothers. This was a HARD time for us. Thanks for upholding us in your prayers. We have gotten through the year well. As the one year anniversary of their passing draws near, please pray for us as we still grieve but sorrow NOT as those who have no hope. My dad is doing quite well. He still goes a few hours per day to his office at a Chrsitian University, and walks and goes to the gym, almost daily. He has many friends and familial support, in my two sisters and one of my nieces. For this we are most thankful. I have been with him 2x so far, this furlough, for extended times, and will see a lot more of him, in the next 7 months. Please pray for him, especially over the holidays, and on the 1 year anniversary of my mom’s passing, Jan 2nd, 2011.

THE NEXT 7 MONTHS: We will continue to speak, and share about missions. We will also continue to study Guarani, the indigenous language spoken by many Paraguayans, as their heart language. I will also try and learn as much about the demographics, both physical, and even spiritual, of this country we call our home. In July of 2011 we will not be returning to the E part of Paraguay where we lived the past 4 years. Instead of that we will be moving to the capital city, Asuncion, and will be moving into a new job. We have been asked to work as mobilizers in Paraguay, and have accepted this post. As such, we will work with Baptists, and with other evangelical Christians, to try and help them reach their own country for Christ. Please pray for us as we make this significant change. Please also pray for our spiritual children, and grandchildren, in the USA Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay, that we have seen come to the Lord in over 26 years of ministry.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

- For our children. For John Glenn, as he finishes his MPA, and looks for work, and considers the next steps in his life and career.
-For Julia, and Jason, as they live and work in VA.
-For Steven as he stays with us, and prepares to return to Paraguay, with us in 7 months. For Steven’s ministry in music at the Hispanic congregation, and for an up coming mission trip he will make with a group of believers from IMMANUEL BAP CH, in early December to Mexico. Pray for safe travels, and a blessed time there.

-For us as we speak and share.
-For mobilization for missions in Paraguay, and around the world.
-For my dad, and all our family, in the passing of our mothers.
-For Pastor Raul Martinez of Uruguay who also recently lost his mother. For his entire family, especially his father Don Faustino Martinez.
-For Pastor Moreno and Emilia, pastors of several of the churches we helped establish in Uruguay, during the years of 1990-2005.
-For the LA ROCA Church, in Paraguay, and its pastor David, his wife Natalia, and their son Victor. Also for the young leaders we helped to develop and disciple. That they might continue to be faithful…

OUR SINCERE THANKS; as Thanksgiving has arrived, and Christmas draws near, how THANKFUL WE ARE. We have been in ministry now for 26 years. We have been with the International Mission Board of the So. Bap. Convention, almost 21! God has been SO GOOD, kind and GRACIOUS to us. Without you all, lovingly supporting us in prayer, giving through the Cooperative program, and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, none of this would have been possible. We want to say a sincere THANK YOU to you all…

We love and appreciate you all!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!

TIM, IRACEMA, AND THE KIDS,

Hebrews 6:10