Trip to Guatemala

 We had a great trip to Guatemala. The primary reason for trip was for Levi and Alanna's wedding. The trip also served a few other purposes. One was a way for us to hopefully close this chapter of our lives by visiting friends and places we have missed greatly. The other purpose for Ben at least was our annual meetings for New Life Network. Every year we meet together to pray, celebrate, plan and strategize for the coming year of ministry. 

Here are some pictures with our visits with friends. See next blog to see pictures and info from New Like Network Retreat.

Hanging out with our friend Eswin

Love the beautiful sunsets in Guatemala!

Planning meeting for team

Lots of play time with girls on property where we were staying. They had 300 chickens that the girls always wanted to go and see.

Trip down

Family

More play time

Feeding Center at Love Guatemala

New Life Church in Magdalena

Day before wedding everyone went up mountain to play

Weekly pastoral prayer time together.

Visit with our friends the Nortons to celebrate their daughters 15th birthday

Carlos keeps shrinking ;-)

Carlos and I had dinner at the end of our trip to celebrate all God has done!

We visited a lot more people with whom we didn't get pics :-(

Levi and Alanna's Wedding

 We just got back from Guatemala this week and spent nearly a month there. Well Ben, Joel and Caleb did spent that long there. Jennifer, Luke, Jake and the girls spent about 2 weeks there. We went primarily for the wedding of our son Levi and new daughter in law Alanna (that still doesn't seem right to say). Ben, Joel and Caleb stayed longer for camp and some meetings with New Life Network. It was an amazing time although hard in some ways as well. It was awesome to see Levi get married, but hard because everyone got sick at some point and Emma was very sick the day of the wedding and couldn't participate as a flower girl. 

It was a very hot day the day of the wedding but a beautiful location in Antigua, Guatemala about 30 minutes from were we lived from 10 years. Enjoy a small sampling of pictures.

We got one picture with Emma in it.

The goomsmen

Alanna and her family

The beautiful flower girls

Thanks for praying for Levi and Alanna as they prepare to move to Kansas City where Levi will work and study at Spurgeon College and Alanna already has a job lined up as a Kindergarten Teacher. We are very proud of them both and excited for what the Lord has in store for them.

Luke's Birthday and Mother's Day

 Luke just turned 24! He is a special boy who likes TV, looking out the window, playing with trucks, and whatever is next. He reminds of things over and over until they happen and then he is on to the next thing! We got to take him to an Indians game and out to eat for his birthday.

We celebrated our moms on Sunday. We are so grateful for our moms! Ben and Jennifer's moms came over Sunday evening. (Didn't get any pics) Here in Indianapolis it was a beautiful day so we spent most of the evening outside. We got some decent pictures at church in the morning too. You can see below.

Graduations and Last Family Get Away

 We are coming up on some more big changes for the Kunkel Family! Levi and Alanna are getting married in 18 days, Jacob is leaving for basic training for the space force in about 6 weeks. We were able to get away for a long weekend at a friends lake house before these changes happen. Probably our last vacation as a family of 10. We had some really great weather for last part of April. Here are some pictures of our time away.

Lake was cold but didn't keep kids from swimming and kayaking

Lots of park time

I (Ben) might have fallen a bit behind on the hike I did with the boys.

Almost everyone

Levi and Alanna recently graduated as well so we celebrated those accomplishments with them, of course. Levi finish an associates degree from a community college here in Indianapolis and Alanna her Bachelors in Education from Northern Kentucky University. They both graduated with honors and we are proud.

Ministry with Red Nueva Vida in the U.S.

 Ben has enjoyed learning and growing in his new role as National Coordinator of Red Nueva Vida in the United States. His work looks different each week, but he is connecting and building relationships with the Pastors and churches and supporting them in different ways.

This was from a recent visit to one of our churches just north of Chicago.

This was some church multiplication training that Ben did recently.

He has also helped with our Bible Institute facilitating some of the topics shared there.

Thanks for continuing to prayer for our work amongst Hispanic Churches!