The Abegg Love Letters

To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ; mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. -Jude 1:1

As Regional Leaders with United World Mission, we serve in Latin America to provide support & training to missionaries on the field. We work with Latin Partner Ministries that focus on everything from theological education to medical care, from children’s homes to retirement homes. Our goal is to come along side organizations & amplify their impact for good and the Gospel.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Here Comes Christmas!

Just the other day our two year old Nicholas walked into the living room where I was struggling to get the Abegg Christmas tree into its proper corner. As he gazed at the lights, he began to smile from ear to ear and exclaimed: “Daddy, that’s a lot of Christmas!” Both Nico and older brother Jeremy are excited about Christmas, especially the gifts…food…gifts…lights and of coarse…gifts. Claudia and I hope that this year will bring a deeper understanding and wonder of the true meaning of Christmas for the both of them. We do realize that we have to be very intentional to balance out the things they see in the stores or while watching TV with the Historical and Biblical reality of what Christmas means today.

We have found the testimonies of those we serve in our ministry to the Cuban Churches to help in giving our boys a better perspective on Christmas. It was only 10 years ago that any celebration of Christmas was illegal. When Claudia and I first visited the island in December of 1999, only a few lights or ornaments were visible in homes, yet there was an almost tangible sense of awe that permeated the churches as they anticipated celebrating our Savior’s arrival. Today, more lights and decorations can be seen, but still no post-Thanksgiving “black Friday” rush on the poorly stocked stores, no traffic jams around the non-existent shopping malls and no internet access means no online purchases for the perfect gift, even if a $14/month salary could afford them.

As a Cuban pastor once told me: “For us, Christmas isn’t in a box with ribbons, we just can’t do that. It’s found in a simple, dirty manger that shepherds and angels once visited”. –This is a good reminder for my own family as we enjoy the abundant blessings we have this Christmas.

With the year coming to a close, we want to thank those of you who partner with us for your faith and trust in the Lord and what He is doing in the Cuban Church. Thank you again for your support and your encouraging friendship and we hope you have a very profound and merry Christmas