The following diary entry comes from John Lawrenz on Saturday, November 29, 2008, marking 40 years in the ministry of Pastor Karl Gurgel.  Gurgel formerly served as WELS President and currently serves as visiting professor at Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong.

Today is our Thanksgiving Day in HK.  And it is a day we are going to surprise Karl Gurgel by using our celebration to mark his 40th anniversary in the ministry.

I would say that everyone pitched in, each doing something significant for the evening.  Patti served as MC.  Sherton and Pastor Siirila got the tech stuff to work.  The USRC has WI-FI.  They tested setting up a Skype connection with the USA.  They had a projector so that what appeared later on the computer screen also appeared large enough for all to see.  In the computer was also a Power Point slide show of Karl’s life which Barb and the office staff had put together.  Joe Beatrice got the evening off and running with the singing of four Thanksgiving hymns from Christian Worship.  Then the Fung boys, Oscar and Thomas, did a stand up comedy routine with original jokes.  Pastor Tse Tat Chiu arrived.  Patti had each person comment on the past week as way to introduce themselves.  Then I was asked to say the prayer and we began the meal.  It began with very delicious pumpkin soup served by the waiters at each place.  Then came buffet browsing on the table that had turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes, and veggies.  Gravy came to the table.  It was a remarkably “authentic” American Thanksgiving meal.  [slideshow=89]

As the meal wound down, people got up and moved around.  Sherton and Pastor Siirila were testing Skype.  Karl got into a discussion with Pastor Tse and didn’t see the posting of a second green banner announcing his special day.  The cat was let out of the bag by son Seth when he stood up and spoke for the family.  Then Karl caught on.  The evening was also the celebration of 40 years of ministry, 1968-2008.   The “this is your life” PowerPoint had comments added by wife Barb.  Next came the successful tie in via Skype with four of the Gurgel children and a host of grandchildren.  All had congregated at one place in Minnesota.  The kids were full face on the screen.  One sweet girl expressed genuine astonishment that it was evening in HK.  She had just gotten roused from sleep!  The grandkids talked first, then the grown-ups.  The Gurgels have seven kids.  Two couldn’t make the Minnesota gathering, four were on screen and one in HK.

Following the Skype it was my turn to officially present Karl with a plaque that we had made here in HK.  It mentioned his 40 years, listed the places where he had served, Messiah in South Windsor, CT, St. Paul’s in Lake Mills, WI, the synod as president in Milwaukee, and of course HK as visiting professor.  We also presented Karl with a spiral booklet nicely put together by Irene that contained letters from colleagues and friends in the USA.  Phoebe made a gift presentation to Barb of a jade necklace that was selected from Lai Ping’s fathers shop and put on an appropriate string by Yvonne.  Last of all—to wrap things up—I read a prayer/poem that I had composed earlier in the day.