BIMI
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Their lives, as they had known it, seemed out of control. However, God was very much in control. Although this was an unsettled time for these missionaries in a turbulent area, it was not an ending but a beginning. The struggles there in the Congo were only the birthing pains for something new that God was starting. On the other side of the Atlantic, the Congo Gospel Mission (CGM) was struggling to facilitate their missionaries, and the leadership longed to extend their influence beyond the Congo—they wanted to reach the world. Through God's leading in the hearts of like-minded men, it was agreed that the CGM would dissolve into a new mission board, one that would be Baptist in name and international in scope. On June 28, 1960, Baptist International Missions was born, and only God could foresee how it would grow from a handful of missionaries in Africa to over 1,000 missionaries encompassing the globe! It was at this time that news reached the Congo that all missionaries were to be evacuated. Martha was able to reach America in safety, which is more than could be said for some missionaries who lost their lives in the violent weeks that followed. It soon became evident that Martha would not be able to return to the land she loved. Her heart was saddened as she had planned to spend her life in the Congo, yet she knew that she must keep going for God. She began to pray that God would once again make His direction clear for her life. God did lead, but to a different continent with another language. For eighteen years, she served God faithfully in Nicaragua until a government uprising forced all foreigners to leave. Not being dissuaded by this, she went to Guatemala where she served four years before this country too underwent a political uprising, and Martha was once again evacuated. Nothing could cause Martha to lose her heart for missions, and God was not finished with her yet. In 1985, she was asked to work at BIMI's home office where she still serves today in various ministries. She works with the Spanish ministry where she assists in overseeing a Bible Institute correspondence program that has over 650 students scattered throughout the Spanish-speaking world. Martha Kunberger, the last of the first missionaries for BIMI, simply kept going on. When asked if she would do it all again, knowing all that she would face, she replied without hesitation, “I'd go back tomorrow if I could!” May God give us more missionaries like Martha! As we look forward to the next fifty years of BIMI, may we never forget those who with great faith and perseverance first blazed the missionary trail for all of us to follow! May we all keep going for God! to god be the glory great things he hath done 15