Chile Trip Pix

Claudia with sisters Babi, Cristi and Chabe

Jeremy & Nico with cousin Gaspar

Nico and Abuelo

Jeremy, Nicholas and Abuela

The boys get goofy with Tia Chabe & Tia Alejandra

When you're with family, you eat.

When you're with family in Chile, you eat ASADO!

Cristian tries to entertain Nico who can't wait for his "Chori-pan"

It's good to be in Chile!

The family at "Los Chicos Malos"

Pichilemu Visit!!!

Slideshow of more pix:

Click on the viewer to see slides in a larger format

Chile Trip: Worship at Renuevo in Rancagua Chile

We're back from Chile!
I'm going to post more pix as I have the opertunity, but here's a clip from our visit to Claudia's home church Renuevo in Rancagua, Chile. For those of you who have visited Renuevo with us you will notice how they've grown and expanded the sanctuary to fit everyone. They are working on further expansions into the two adjoining properties. There are many new faces as well as the old familiar ones like Pastor Roberto with daughter Valentina and Pastor Juan and Silvia.
Can you identify the worship song we are singing?



Thank you to everyone who made this trip a possibility through your prayers and your financial support. God bless!

See more of our videos using the player in the right hand column.

12-08 Pichilemu, Chile -Tour of our first house

Chile Trip

This is a fast turnaround for me. After quickly submitting some reports and various follow up necessities at LAM, the Abegg family is flying to Chile this Thursday (Thanksgiving) to finally visit Claudia’s family and many of our friends after 4 long years away. Our itinerary will take us first to Lima, Peru for one night and then arriving in Santiago, Chile around 5 PM on Friday. We are looking forward to time with family and finally introducing Nicholas to his abuelo de Chile (Chilean grandpa) and three tias (aunts). Please pray for safety and health in travel, time with family and that the boys (as well as mommy and daddy) would embrace the challenge of improving their Spanish on this trip. Pray that we would be sensitive to the Lord’s leading with family as well as anyone we encounter, and for much needed rest for each of us.

Abegg Finances & Christmas Gift Opertunity

Over the past year, we have had to be creative in order to maintain our income. I have been taking one day a week away from LAM in order to use my home repair and construction abilities which has helped cover the bills to varying degrees. Claudia has also been blessed with an new way to supplement our income as a Lia Sophia representative selling jewelry. As you begin your Christmas shopping, may I suggest that you take a look at her page online? Any purchases will directly assist our finances, (and it’s really nice jewelry too with a lifetime guarantee! www.liasophia.com/claudiaabegg ).

Pastor’s Conference Report

Obviously I didn’t get the update out that I had intended prior to my departure for Medellin, Colombia and the 10 day training conference that LAM put on at the Seminario Biblico de Colombia. I thought I had everything planned out well before hand, including two relaxed evenings at home with Claudia and the boys before I would be gone for a week. That was until I noticed the water in the garage and traced it to our water heater. There went my last two, nights. In fact I finished sweating the last two pipes together and turned the water on at 3:00 AM giving me a few very needed hours of rest before leaving home at five hours later. I do thank the Lord that this happened before I left and could repair it myself instead of having to pay a plumber & electrician to do the job. God is good even (and I would say especially) in our trials.

Hot water at home and I was off to Colombia. I want to thank each of you who have been praying for the training conference over the past six months. We had twenty-nine attendees from nine different countries and eighteen ministries in attendance, including two Cubans. Over the past six months I have been working with partners in Colombia and Cuba to bring what we hoped would be 8 pastors from three Cuban denominations to this training. Just the process of applying for a Cuban exit visa (permission from the Cuban government to travel outside of the country) encompasses a minimum of two visits to the capital (difficult if you live the other side of the country in Santiago) and four to five hundred dollars in fees, travel expenses aside from airline tickets. All of this must be paid in advance with NO GUARENTEE of approval to leave the country. In the end, only two of our pastors were allowed to travel. We are making sure that the materials from the conference arrive in the hands of the other six who worked so hard but were denied access, and thanks to the donations of many of you we are covering their astronomical application expenses so as not to leave that unbearable burden in place since most of these pastors earn as little as $22 a month.

The two who did attend were from different denominations, and returned to Cuba excited to share and implement the many things they learned and worked on including: administrative training, discipleship methods, project development and management, volunteer care, financial administration, development and sustainability of vision and much more. Following the conference we planned an extra 5 days in order to discuss how their ministry was going, focus on projects and simply enjoy the fellowship that the Lord provided since I’ve known them both for nearly nine years. With only the two of them there, we had extra time for sight seeing and a couple of nice meals that they enjoyed immensely, again thanks to your gifts and support. One of the pastors mentioned that he had not had a piece of beef since his last trip abroad in 2005. Watching him savor each bight of churazco con chimichuri brought joy to my heart.

For me personally, this was my first trip to Medellin, and I would love to return with Claudia and the boys given the chance. I was VERY impressed with the mountainous scenery (we miss mountains here in Miami), the deep gorges, thick forests, friendly people and general layout of Medellin. For a mere 75 cents we could get on a bus at the seminary (think stereotypical-brightly colored-diesel smelling-virgin Marry hanging from one mirror-outline of a scantly clad not so virgin hanging from the other-“will the breaks hold?”-type bus), ride 10 minutes to the metro (think modern, clean, glass, 1st world rapid transit), ride the metro from one end of the city to the other and transfer in two separate places to gondolas (think 8 person high speed ski type transportation up the mountain) that take people up the steep ravine to stops on the poverty stricken hillside. ALL THIS FOR THE SAME 75 CENTS! I was amazed that even the gondola system was specifically made as transportation to and from the poorer sections of the city (up the mountainsides), and not for the tourists to ride up to a vantage point after paying $25, although there is obviously the market there. The parks and museums were just as impressive, and despite the drug cartel fame of a decade ago, I never felt concerned for our safety. In fact Medellin is now considered the safest city in Colombia, as well as a center for international fashion shows and trade. OK, enough of the commercial, suffice to say I liked it and would love to go back given the opportunity.

The conference was a big success overall, but after so much work, it is tempting for me to bemoan that we only had two Cuban pastors there and give myself permission to direct my anger at their governmental system and restrictions. Still, I have seen enough over the years to know that the Lord works in ways quite different to my own (even if in my pride I think He should consult me for future plans). He had the two pastors there that He wanted, and He continues to work in their hearts and minds as well as my own.

LAM does these conferences every two years, so we’ll start praying now for the next opportunity!

John Piper has one of the best perspectives that I've heard in addressing election, politics and the Kingdom of God, no matter who you supported or the ammendments you were for. Please listen (only 4 min).

Recient Outtings

I realize I've been amiss at providing recient photos, (Sorry to Grandma, Grandpa, Abuelo y Abuela). Some of our latest outtings:


Pumpkin Patch:

Trick or Treats on "Reformation Day"?

Day At the Beach!

Lessons we’ve Learned from our Kids #10

This is a bit of deviation from our normal “Lesson Plan” but something I wanted to share with you. Every night we have “Bible Time” with the boys before prayer and bed time. We’ve been going through the life of David recently and just finished one of the all time favorites of little boys who like to throw things: David and Goliath. At the end we had our normal question and answer time when Jeremy asked “Wasn’t David afraid of a giant?” On previous nights we had read about how David was shepherd when he was only a little older than Jeremy, and had to defend the sheep from attacking animals like lions and wolves. In doing so he learned to use his sling well and saw God’s faithfulness in his obedience. It was during this time that he had been quietly anointed king even though nobody even knew who he was. The boys and I talked about how through David’s experience as a shepherd, God had prepared him for that very moment against Goliath, using an unknown shepherd boy without armor or sward to defeat a battle hardened warrior in his blasphemous tirades against God’s people. From there we follow David into King Saul’s palace only to find him shortly death marked by the king’s jealousy and pursued by the royal army. Still, God was true to his promise and in the end David became king after seeing God’s powerful hand extend mercy over his life time and time again.

After the family had finished talking about David’s life and the kids were in bed, I found myself reflecting on how David was probably scared before Goliath, but also knew that God had prepared him for that moment and would do the fighting for him. Then in the following years seeing how through each challenge God both used David to glorify Himself, but also prepared David for the next trial. I reflected on my own life and simply thanked God that He has done the same through the trials in my own life. He calls each of us to trust in Him when standing before something that looks really, really big, and to see how He will use these trials in ways we could never imagine. As I ask God for faith in the face of our own trials, I pray for that same faith for each of our supporters in whatever you are facing at this time.

God is good, seek His face and trust in Him. He will answer.

In His Hands / En Sus manos;
Kevin S. Abegg

“Going South for the winter” –Our Upcomming Chile Trip

“I’m going to teach Gaspy English and he’s going to teach me Spanish!” Jeremy is very excited about seeing his cousin Gaspar in Chile. The last time they were together they were each one year old, that was four years ago. Our hopes and tentative plans are to fly to Chile right after Thanksgiving (or Thanksgiving Day depending on tickets) and spend two weeks with family, previous ministry partners (the first 2 ½ years of our marriage we were helping plant a church in Chile), as well as some current LAM partners. This will be right on the heels of Kevin’s being gone for the Cuban pastors conference, so we anticipate a much needed time of rest and togetherness for our immediate family. Please pray for:
the planning process in that we want to first and foremost take advantage of a restful time with family but also visit past ministry partners and those now associated with LAM. That we could find a reasonable flight as currently the prices begin around $900/person. Our financial provision for this trip as these are currently tight.
Should you be lead to assist with some of the involved costs, please see our support information in the colum to the right on how to do so.

Thank you!

Update: Pastoral Conference

It’s been a wild few weeks! Ten days ago I began an update to you describing my disappointment at the news that Cuban exit visas had been denied to all of the pastors who we had hoped would attend the conference. As usual, no explanation was given by Cuban authorities. Thankfully I wasn’t able to get that letter out before receiving news only a few days later that there was still hope via a few untapped channels, and miraculously by the end of last week I received yet another phone call that each every one of them are “verbally approved” to obtain exit visas! Praise the Lord, but please keep praying them through to the conference which starts in a few weeks. We’ve coined the phrase: “Don’t count your chickens until they’ve hatched or your Cubans until they’re at the conference”. Pray that they would receive the actual physical visas in hand in the next few days and that there would be no “hangups” in the airline ticket delivery, Cuban passport control, and entry into the third country. I plan to fly to the conference half way through the seminar since I will be staying with the pastors for 5 days afterwards as we conduct various follow-up meetings and visit some churches and ministries that they can learn from and build relationships with. Please also pray for safety in travel, that the Lord would direct this key time with the pastors and His care for Claudia and the boys while daddy is away. Upon my return the family plans to make a quick turn around and spend some time with Claudia’s family in Chile (see “Going South for the Winter” entry). We want to thank each of you for your faithfulness in prayer as well as the generosity of those who have contributed toward this program. If you would like more information on this program please visit the Pastor’s Conference entry on our website.

TIMES ARE TIGHT, GOD IS GOOD

As we listen to the financial news as of late we are not surprised to get the occasional note from one or another of our amazingly faithful supporters stating that they simply cannot continue at the same level as before. We graciously release them from any commitment and assure them that since our faith is in God, and it is He who provides through the giving of others, they can know that it will in no way affect our relationship but will encourage us to pray for them all the more. God knows each of our needs and has sustained us in missions for so many years, we know He is in charge of every detail. I do want to ask for your prayers and consideration since for the first time in over a year, our LAM missionary account will dip into the red when we receive this month’s check. Please pray for our finances especially as we anticipate the expense of upcoming travel (see “Going South-Chile Trip” and “Pastoral Conference” entries), and as we seek to close out the year in the black. We are very grateful, and humbly thank our current supporters who are so faithful in trusting God for their own provision and then decide to steward part of it in supporting our ministry. Thank you, you are in our prayers. If anyone else would be lead to become part of this amazing support and prayer team, please contact us or see our “support section” in the colum to the right. God bless!

Time for Some Campaignin! (Caution, may offend some!)

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Returning Home -Our Upcomming Chile Trip

The last time we were “home” to visit our family in Chile was in December of ’04 which means that most of Claudia’s side of the family (including her dad and sisters) have not met Nicholas. With that in mind we are planning on visiting Chile for two weeks at the end of November. We will have more details in the following weeks but for now we want to ask for your prayers. Please pray for the planning process in that we want to first and foremost take advantage of time with family but also visit & encourage past ministry partners and those now associated with LAM. Pray that we could find a reasonable flight as currently the prices begin around $900/person. Pray that we would take advantage of the coming weeks to re-affirm the Spanish that Jeremy and Nicholas know and teach them more in preparation for time with their cousin Gaspar and other friends. Pray that we would be sensitive to the Lord’s leading and His purposes for this trip.

As we draw closer to the trip we’ll have more details, but should you be lead to assist with some of the involved costs, please see our Missionary Support and Gifts links to the right on how to do so.

Thank you!

Lessons We've Learned From Our Kids

It’s School time again:

• Economics: In a feeble attempt to explain the concept of “cost” with regards to Disney tickets I tried relating it to something Jeremy seemed to already grasp: “Jeremy, do you remember how long it took you to save up your pennies to buy the Light Saber you got last week? Well it would take 8 light sabers to buy one ticket to Disneyworld”. After thinking for a second Jeremy responded: “That’s OK daddy, you don’t need to buy me 8 light sabers, let’s just go to Disneyworld instead!”
• Logic: Daddy said that my saw is only for cutting wood. The dining room chair is made out of wood. Therefore…

• Oceanography: If fishies can breathe in water, what do they do when they get thirsty? I wonder if they could breathe in my orange juice?
• Memory skills: While a 4 year old may have a memory that goes back 5 years, his parents are often hard pressed to remember what they were talking about 10 seconds before they were interrupted by said 4 year old.
• Bible: How can Jesus be the “Son of God” and the “Son of David” at the same time?
• Geography: “Can we go to grandma and grandpa’s (in CA) after nap?
• Physics: How can electricity “flow”, I don’t see any water in the light bulbs!
  

More “Lessons We’ve Learned From Our Kids”

Prayer Request -CJ George

Please pray for the healing of CJ George (10 years old) whose family is part of the Church home group that Claudia and I lead. He has been diagnosed with Precursor B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. Stage 3 and over the past few weeks has undergone more tests, scans and treatments than most will in their entire lifetimes. Please keep praying for CJ and take some time to read the George’s blog at: http://georgefamilybreakthemold.blogspot.com

There was God, by CJ George

There was God....God created the Universe. Inside that universe was a solar system; inside that solar system was a planet, inside that planet was a continent, inside that continent was a country; inside that country was a state; inside that state was a city; inside that city was a county; inside that county was house; inside that house was a boy; inside that boy was a heart; inside that heart.........There was God.

Cuba Damage Video

Updates from Cuban Pastors

I received the following e-mails over the weekend and wanted to pass them on. Please keep these pastors in your prayers as they minister to those around them with a joy and dedication that comes directly from the Lord.

Brother, thank you for your prayers.

I want to tell you that although Ike was devastating in the Eastern part and Central Cuba as well as in Pinar del Rio and the Isla de Juventud, where we live there was not too much damage and we only had to go three days without electricity which is noting in comparison to other parts of the country where they will go months without light.

The Hurricane that passed over Camolote resulted in disaster there as well. The only homes that have roofs left are those made of concrete. The home of sister (xxxxx) survived but everything inside was damaged.

Love to all and may the Lord bless each of you.
Your brother; “Ernesto”

-----------------------------

Brother Kevin;

Thank you so much for your concern and prayers. We thank the Lord that we are fine. As I have explained to you previously I live and pastor in the city of Pinar del Rio (head municipality of the province of the same name). The two hurricanes (Gustav and Ike) passed through our city but thankfully not with the same intensity as in other regions of our province which were terribly impacted and practically devastated by their force. Right now we have many evacuated families taking refuge in the educational building of our church, the majority of whom are not Christians but neighbors that had their homes destroyed or left uninhabitable. There are various children with them and it has been a blessing to be able to serve them. Tomorrow we intend to visit the missions [church plants] and small churches within our region with the hopes of assisting them with any of their immediate needs. Truly there are many people suffering and much need.

Again, thank you for your concern for this difficult situation that our country is experiencing at this time.

In the love of Jesus Christ;
“Bernebé”

Preliminary Assessment of the Impact of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike

An Information Service of the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami

Excerps from: Issue 101 - September 12, 2008 - Staff Report

Cuba was hit in the past few weeks by two major hurricanes that have caused widespread destruction and human misery. This is perhaps the worst natural disaster in the past half-century.



Damage Reports:
Over 320,000 houses were damaged by the hurricanes. (1)

50% of houses in Holguin have been irreparably damaged (2),

80% of houses in Banes have been destroyed. (3)

In Nuevitas, Camaguey, at least 15% of the hotels were damaged. (4)

70% of the agricultural production in Villa Clara was destroyed. (5)

Over 2 million Cubans have been displaced by the storms. (6)

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported estimates of damage between $3-$4 billion USD. (7)

Cuba’s health care infrastructure is severely damaged: in Isla de la Juventud, the general hospital, “Héroes de Baire,” which serves 87,000 people, is not functional. “Comandante Pinares,” a hospital in the municipality of San Cristobal, serving 200,000 people, has been severely damaged. (8)

In Isla de la Juventud, “4,500 posts are reported down, 530 transformers damaged, 5,000 street lights destroyed and 38,700 electrical isolators and 800 tons worth of conductors are beyond repair.” (9)

In Pinar del Rio, 55 km of the primary and secondary electrical network were severely damaged. (10)

In Pinar del Rio, over 25,900 metric tons of agricultural crops were lost, and another 1,184 damaged. 13,070 hectares of root vegetables, 2,931 hectares of grains, and 543 hectares of fruits and 3,306 tobacco houses have been destroyed. (11)

Outlook:
The next few weeks are critical for the Cuban government as to how it is going to react to meet the basic food, shelter and health needs of the Cuban people. It is also the first real test of General Raul Castro’s administration in a crisis situation. Raul has not apeared in public, delegating the role of spokespersons to first Vice President Ramon Machado Ventura and second Vice President Carlos Lage.

The intermediate term outlook for economic recovery is dismal. The highly centralized nature of Cuba’s decision making process, together with the lack of resources, present formidable barriers to effective recovery efforts. Major reconstruction efforts will take a long time...

In the short term, Cuba’s productive capabilities have been severely affected including significant damage in some key sectors (e.g., agriculture, tobacco, and tourism) further limiting the country’s purchasing power in international markets. In particular, tourism may suffer as foreign visitors curtail their travel plans given Cuba's uncertain situation...
_________________________________________________
Notes
1. Hernandez, Marta. “Más de 320,000 casas dañadas,” Granma, September 11, 2008.
2. “Holguín: Más del 50% de las viviendas ha sufrido graves daños,” Cuba Encuentro, September 10, 2008.
3. “Prepararnos para la Recuperación,” Granma, September 9, 2008.
4. Robles, Frances. “Rising waters threaten Hurricane Ike-ravaged Cuba,” Miami Herald, September 10, 2008.
5. Robles, Frances. “Rising waters threaten Hurricane Ike-ravaged Cuba,” Miami Herald, September 10, 2008.
6. Williams, Carol J. “Ike Moves into Gulf to Regain Strength,” Los Angeles Times, September 10, 2008.
7. “Los Daños de Ike y Gustav podrían sumar 4.000 millones de dólares,” Cuba Encuentro, September 10, 2008.
8. PAHO (Pan American Health Organization). “2008 Hurricane Season, Cuba Situation Report.”http://www.paho.org/english/dd/ped/hurricanes2008.htm September 10, 2008.
9. “Cuba: Hurricane Season 2008 Emergency Appeal No. MDRCU001” ReliefWeb.
10. “Cuba: Hurricane Season 2008 Emergency Appeal No. MDRCU001” ReliefWeb.
11. “La agricultura, víctima de Gustav en Pinar del Río,” Granma, September 2, 2008.

Prayer Request for Pastor's Conference

Many of you have been praying as well as donating towards the Pastor’s Conference we are working on for this coming November (see website for details). We are excited to have confirmed 9 key ministry leaders representing four denominations that cover the entire country of Cuba, but there is a lot of ground to cover between now and November, so please pray for wisdom, discernment and simply that all goes well with the project.

Just yesterday we received confirmation that the Cuban embassy in the host country will finally produce the necessary paperwork to invite the Cuban pastors, something we were working on for over a month before finally getting a positive answer. Thank the Lord!

Still the Cuban exit visa can be an erratic process with no guarantees until the travelers are literally flying to their destination. Please continue to pray for favor with the Cuban authorities and that there would be no unpleasant surprises between now and November. Thank you for your partnership in this and we value your prayers highly.

If you would like to know more about the details of this project or how to “adopt a pastor” for the training conference, please visit: Seminary for Cuban Pastors on our website.

Two Major Hurricanes in Ten Days

Nearly EVERY part of Cuba has been drastically impacted by two deadly hurricanes that ripped through the island in the period of one week. Gustav has all but destroyed the Isla of Pinos / Isla de la Juventud in Western Cuba as it hit just short of a Category 5 Hurricane (highest level possible) with 140 mph winds with gusts measured at 212 mph! This was followed by Ike slamming into the Eastern Coast of Holguin province as a category 3 hurricane pushing a storm surge with waves that literally crashed over 5 story buildings! (see video). Ike worked it’s way through he center of Cuba and is currently assaulting the already devastated Western portion. Here in Miami (over 300 miles away) we are feeling the wind and rain effects of Ike’s outer bands.

Over the years Claudia and I have enjoyed the hospitality of numerous pastors throughout the island and specifically in the province of Holguin, the majority of whose homes were little more than tin shacks with no window or door closures whatsoever. I can only imagine the devastation to what little they possess.

Before losing communication during Ike’s onslaught I received a few e-mails from some of the pastors we work with:

Dear Brother Kevin, may the Lord richly bless you;

I want to inform you that here in Cuba we are going through a very difficult time. In less than 8 days we have been punished by two very large hurricanes, first Gustav and right now Ike is pounding on our churches and homes. This latest hurricane is attacking the center of the island with devastating effects through the Eastern provinces like Baracoa, Maisí, Holguin, Moa, Tunas, Camaguey and now continuing West. In these Eastern provinces we have around 115 Baptist Churches that attend the over 9,600 members. I am praying that God would guard each of their lives.

At this point we do not have any official news as to the losses as the storm is still full force, and many of the provinces have lost all communication. Government officials in the office that attends to religious matters have simply communicated to us that the situation is “very delicate”. Ike has already covered some 750 KM (466 miles) as it continues advancing Westward through the center of the country with winds now slowing to 155 km/hr (96 mph) from the category 3 (130 mph winds) that first came onshore. In the province of Santiago where we live the rain has not yet done excessive damage, but I am starting to receive reports that many of our churches in the outlying regions have been very badly damaged.

I continue praying for the Biblical seminar, and at this time we count on your prayers for us as well. Our people are in great need of God’s mercy. We will be in contact whenever possible.

In Christ; Reverend “Alex”

Please keep these brothers and sisters in your prayers as they confront natural disasters without the resources or infrastructure we enjoy here in the US, and please keep our ministry in your prayers as we seek to assist the Cuban church through our ongoing programs as well as along side of other partner ministries responding to the urgent needs they now face.


If you would like to make donations to any of these programs please do so through our website. If you would like to specifically designate gifts to hurricane relief please contact me as we are still assessing the damage and the best way to do so considering US and Cuban laws.

For Links to Ongoing Programs:

Cuban Pastor's Conference
Cuban Pastoral Resources

For more hurricane pictures see:
Cuba Hurricane Images.

Seminary for Cuban Pastors: A Partnership Opportunity

The Concept:
LAM regularly partners with Latin ministries to provide seminars that equip pastors and ministry leaders with practical tools for their ministry. This November we will be inviting seven specifically chosen Cuban leaders from three key Cuban denominations to a 10 day intensive training seminar in Central America. Throughout the conference these pastors, along with 30 other Latin ministry leaders, will attend teachings and small workshops on topics such as the formation of leadership teams, people vs. ministry goals, management of volunteers, strategic planning, birth and development of ministries, organizational structuring, financial management, project sustainability and more. We are pleased to offer this seminar to Cuban pastors who have very few (if any) opportunities for such training, though they oversee many churches or in some cases even bride various denominations. In order to broaden the impact, once the pastors return to Cuba they will conduct similar training seminars themselves and provide follow up reports on the multiplied impact of the training they receive in November.

The Cost:
A Cuban pastor living on an average of $20 / month could never dream of attending such a seminar, much less being able to pay for the air travel, room, board and materials involved. Simply applying for permission from the Cuban Government to travel outside of the country costs nearly $400! The entire cost for one Cuban to attend this seminary will be about $1,500. / Cuban or $10,500. for all seven pastors including all travel, lodging, meal and materials costs.

Adopt a Pastor:
Our hope is to have the entire amount needed to send each of these pastors pledged by the beginning of August since the permission for Cubans to travel can literally take months to navigate. The good news is that we’re off to a great start with one ministry partner already pledging to cover ALL of the pastors’ room and board, (about $1,500!). Would you consider adopting (or co-adopting) a pastor to attend this seminar?

Each tax deductible gift $1,500. adds one more Cuban pastor to the conference.

Two pledges of $750. from families or study groups adds one more pastor to the conference.

A Bible Study or Church Small Group of 12 sponsors at only $125 each allows yet another pastor to attend.

Our goal is to fully finance and bless all seven of these pastors and then release them to in turn train even more pastors in Cuba. Your donation has the potential to not only train the pastors attending, but many, many more!

If interested, please contact us for more information or:

Make an online donation (credit card/debit card) to “work funds” here: Link to Online Donation page

Print and Mail in your own donation form here indicating “work funds” : Link to a Printable Donation Form

Lessons We've Learned from our Kids #8

1. “Spontaneous Self-Destruction” happens: "I didn't break it Daddy. It just fell apart while I was holding it!"

2. Practical Biblical Application: "See my new shoes daddy? Now I can run away from temptation REALLY fast!"

3. Deep thoughts on Super Heroes: "Her name is Wonder Woman because she wonders about a lot of things."

4. The phrase: "Clean up time” means that children who normally run at 50,000 RPM's suddenly slow to around 27 RPMs.

5. Adult logic can’t keep up with a Child’s imagination: Daddy asked Jeremy: "What do you think that cloud looks like?" Jeremy: "A Barnstorm". Daddy: "What's a barnstorm Jeremy?" Jeremy: "Something that looks like that cloud!"

6. Favorite Cosby Quote: “Before we had children, my wife and I used to be intellectuals.”

7. Using a loud, angry voice to say: "Would you stop yelling at your brother!" is counter productive.

8. Mommy and Daddy may represent God in a young child’s understanding, but children are a particularly effective tool in God’s hand to show us the sin hiding in our hearts, and then to express forgiveness with unlimited hugs, kisses and “I love you daddy…I love you mommy”.

Click here for the entire list of "Lessons We've Learned from our Kids"

Big News...Claudia is approved for Citizenship

US Flag & Chilean Flag

Yesterday at about 3:00 Claudia was officially approved for her US citizenship!!!

We began this process ten (yes that's "10") years ago in Chile. While we were living in CA she received her US resident card, the infamous "Green Card", but was informed only six months later that she had to "surrender" it to Homeland Security since they were making updates, and that she would receive a new card with "enhanced security features" shortly thereafter. Needless to say, that card never came and upon further inquiry we were simply informed that her documents had been lost and that we should start again. Thankfully we had photocopies of everything and were able to move straight to citizenship. While at her interview yesterday the officer informed her that he actually had her complete folder there and does not know why we were informed that it was ever lost or why Claudia ever had to surrender her original card. He was very encouraging and in the end simply told Claudia "Of course you're approved". Praise the Lord, this long process is coming to a close! We now only have to wait for her ceremony date when she will be sworn in as a Citizen. Thank you all for your prayers!

Here's a fun link we came across in her studies, could you pass the tests at the bottom of the page?: US Civics resources.

FACTBOX-Reforms by Raul Castro in Cuba

April 8 (Reuters) - In the six weeks since he succeeded his ailing brother Fidel Castro, new Cuban President Raul Castro has introduced a series of reforms to raise food output and end what he called "excessive prohibitions" in communist Cuba.

The following are some of the reforms undertaken so far:

• Decentralized agriculture to allow private farmers more leeway to decide how to use their land, what crops to plant and what supplies to buy. Farmers granted leases to unused land.
• Lifted ban on Cubans buying consumer goods such as computers, DVD players, microwave ovens and other electronic appliances previously prohibited due to energy crisis.
• Cubans can now stay at hotels at beach resorts previously reserved for foreigners only, ending a "tourism apartheid" that was a source of resentment.
• As of April 14, Cubans will be allowed to freely buy and use cellular telephones, a service that only government officials and foreign companies had access to until now.
• Reduced bureaucracy for filling medical prescriptions and began revamping family doctor program in response to public complaints it was understaffed.

For special coverage from Reuters on the changes in Cuba, see: http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/cuba

Change! (Could you spare some?)

There’s a lot of talk about change in Cuba these days, and it’s true, exciting things are afoot. But what does it all really add up to? For the first time, Cubans are “allowed” (as in: it was illegal before) to purchase things like pressure cookers, rechargeable electric bicycles and in a few weeks, cell phones! They have even been granted the “right” to stay in the “tourist only” hotels that they have been bard from for so many years. All this is pretty big, and must be embraced as steps in the right direction, but even in the US we are familiar with the difference between being “allowed” to do something and “able” to do something. Consider that our own, all American Disneyworld is open to everyone. Everyone that is, who can afford the $71 per person to get in (Walt must be spinning in his grave!). For a family of four that would be about 1/10 of our monthly income, making it occasionally possible with lots of prior planning. But what about actual daily needs in relation to an average Cuban salary? Imagine that the tube of toothpaste you squeezed this morning cost 1/8 of your monthly salary. To begin with you’d squeeze quite a bit less on your toothbrush. Now bump it up a bit, how about a small “pressure cooker” that costs four times your monthly household income (and that’s a bargain price), or one night in a tourist hotel that costs more than what you (and all other average citizens) make all year? You get the picture. Even though you may be allowed to do something, it doesn’t mean you can.

Two years ago when the US dollar was the main “hard currency” in Cuba, my Cuban friends would accompany me to the “dollar stores” where imported goods and produce were sold for good old American “greenbacks” which Cubans had to purchase with their salaries that were paid in pesos. At first I found it humorous that they referred to these stores as “museums” but I soon realized how this pet name demonstrated the irony in being “allowed” to look but never even hope to buy one of the high priced items on display, like a pop up toaster. Not to sound cynical but today my friends have the freedom and right to visit even more “museums” and see even more high priced items than ever before! (OK, maybe just a hint of cynicism there).

Still, I do believe these are truly good and worthwhile steps to take, but these changes will only become relevant to the average Cuban when they are “able” (even with sacrifice) to obtain what they are now “allowed”.

…It’s so tempting to end there. Sounds like a neat and clean wrap up encapsulating my current thoughts on a nicely packaged presentation. But my conscience won’t let me do that, trust me, I tried. It’s messier in my mind than the words let on. Economic or political commentaries don’t mean a thing to my friends in Pinar del Rio suffering with giardia and dengue fever. There’s more in the mix. There’s the body of Christ, the Word of God, His divine providence for Cuba, the World at large and my respectively tiny, quiet, nebulous current job description of “serving the Cuban Church”. The bottom line question I have to ask is: “How does the Gospel of Jesus Christ inform the way I approach this (or any other) problem?” What hope does Calvary bring to the Caribbean and the Church in Cuba? If I’m not willing to apply the Gospel to the problems of Cuba, be they political, social, economic or otherwise, then I’m ignoring God’s one and only answer to the very foundational problem that Cuba faces…sin. Which ironically is the very same problem the United States as a whole, and I as an individual face. We just put different names on what God simply and clearly calls “sin”. So as I go about my work I find myself repeating the plea of a father asking the Lord to heal his son in Mark 9, “Lord I believe! Help my unbelief!”

Lord; I do believe you gave your final and definitive answer to suffering, death and sin in Christ’s sacrifice, -help my unbelief as I encourage my friend who sees no other way to feed his family but though the black market.

Lord, I do believe and hope in things unseen, in Your Kingdom come, -help my unbelief as I see husbands and wives, parents and children torn apart by earthly kingdoms.

Lord I do believe You have conquered sin, -help my unbelief as I proclaim that truth over my own angry, spiteful, unforgiving heart.

Lord, Your Grace is amazing! Let it amaze me as I look at how You continuously love and care for me and my family, and how You love and care for Your Bride, the Church in Cuba…

Amen.

Lessons We’ve Learned from our Kids

Lessons #7

1. When a 4 year old says "I can do it by myself", beware! Especially if it has anything to do with the toilet or breakable items.
2. Baby wipes do not work for cleaning computer screens or eyeglasses.
3. Clorox wipes are NOT substitutable for baby wipes.
4. It’s important for children to know who their parents are: Claudia asked Jeremy: “What is daddy’s name?" Jeremy: “Mr. Kevin Abegg”. Claudia: “Good! What’s Mommy’s name?” Jeremy: “Mommy Mr. Kevin Abegg!”
5. When you're impressed by the job you did in the bathroom, the whole world, including strangers at the supermarket, need to know about it.
6. After explaining to Jeremy that it takes money to buy toys, and that money comes from working at a job, Jeremy concluded: “Then I need to find a job for Nicholas”.
7. The ponderings of Boys and Men are often the same. A few weeks ago Jeremy asked: “Mommy, are girls human?” (He's promised to let daddy know if he ever finds an answer.)
8. God's love and joy can be heard in the laughter of little boys.
9. Further Ponderings: Jeremy exclaims: "Look! I've got hair on my leg!" Daddy asks: "Are you turning into a monkey?" Jeremy: "No! I'm turning into a daddy!"
10. If you give a hundred monkeys (or two little boys) a camera...

If you would like to see more of the boy's "artwork", click: Jeremy’s Photo Album (With Guest Photographer…Nicholas)

Click here for the entire list of "Lessons We've Learned from our Kids"