If you've been following Claudia's or my entries on Facebook or our Blog, you know that this has been an exciting year. That sort of "first time on a roller coaster and the seatbelt won't tighten" type of exciting! Between parent's health needs, support issues and the end of one era and beginning of another as Latin America Mission merges into United World Mission, it's been quite the year!
Since March, I've made three trips to CA to assist my parents with various physical needs. After determining with LAM that such travel wasn't feasible, and that some time with partners on the West Coast would be beneficial, the whole family made the 3,000 mile trek from Miami to Martinez, CA a few weeks ago. Our last stop en route was the Grand Canyon where we got word of the next day's federal Government shut down as we checked in! However we were able to stay 3 of our planned 4 nights and shared Mather camp ground on the South rim with only a handful of other campers and lots of wildlife wandering through the empty grounds!
Now that we've arrived in CA, for our first full-fledged "home assignment" since we joined LAM as missionaries to Cuba 10 years ago, we are looking forward to catching up with old friends and faithful supporters. Evan as we work through merging two missions organizations into one. You can read more about the merger in our previous blog entry or on LAM's and UWM's websites, but this leaves the question of what's next for the Abeggs? For now, though on a long overdue missionary "home assignment", I will continue assisting other LAM missionaries and their supporting churches through the transition, and lending my experience and understanding to a transitional Partnership Team working with our local and international partners. Over the next few months I will continue conversing with UWM on possible next steps, including their current invitation to move to Charlotte, and fulfill a similar role to what I've had over the past four years as LAM's North American Partnerships Director.
Yet we're also discussing an exciting possibility of being involved directly in the battle against Human Trafficking, particularly in Latin populations in the US. Over the years, my connection with LAM partner ministry Rahab Foundation in Costa Rica has shown me that there is much for North Americans to LEARN from Latin America in this arena, and who better to bridge such a partnership other than LAM now further strengthened by merging with UWM as an international organization? This is all in the discernment process, but I ask that you pray for us and intercede with us on numerous fronts:
- An ability to discern the Lord's direction, clarify the vision and lay plans that honor Him, agree with UWM's vision mission and purpose as well as the Abegg's calling.
- The overall LAM and UWM merger process and my ability to assist my fellow missionaries and the many supporting churches in this transition.
- Adjustment for the whole family being away from our 10 year home and living with and caring for my parents for the coming months.
We look forward to connecting with those on the West Coast whom we seldom see, and we'll be setting up catch up times in the coming months. This Sunday we will be taking part in Walnut Creek Presbyterian's missions conference and hope to see some of you there!
Please send us a note and let us know how you're doing, and know that we are SO VERY THANKFUL to those of you who constantly lift us up in prayer and have made sacrificial decisions enabling us to continue ministering alongside Latin Americans for so many years!
As some have asked, for now donations and support will continue as normal until the beginning of next year:
- Checks may continue to be mailed to: Latin America Mission P.O. Box 52-7900 Miami FL, 33152-7900. Please include a note indicating "For the Abeggs". Online
- Donations may also be made online at: http://www.lam.org/missionaries/abegg
