Chile Update & Homeward Bound for Abegg Family

The Abegg's Love Letter   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     Providing Healing to Survivors & Hope to Victims of Sex Trafficking 2 Weeks With Family After 7 Years Apart Thank you so much to everyone who prayed and helped us get to Chile for a Christmas with family after 7 years of absence. It's been a wonderful, challenging but oh so necessary time of catching up, sharing over "asados" (BBQs) and simply being together. We've been on a roller coaster of encouragement as well as reasons for sadness in seeing so many changes in Pichilemu, Rancagua, Santiago, family, friends, churches and every other area imaginable. Nearly all of our time was focused on family and we see God working in us and through us to accomplish His purposes. Please Pray for His hand to care for loved ones in the way they need and for us to have the wisdom on how to be involved from afar. As we prepare to return home, once again flying standby, we ask for your prayers. We're pretty assured of getting on the flight we anticipate, and with standby tickets we could even have the possibility of getting bumped up to first class (which is a world of difference on an 8 hr. redeye flight). But even if we're flying cattle class as we're used to, we are SO grateful for the time we've had here and are returning energized to continue ministry with the Life of Freedom Center & our anti-sex trafficking efforts.  If you'd like to help us in ministry with a tax deductible gift before the end of the year, or you desire to become a regular supporter through 2017, please see our MISSIONARY SUPPORT PAGE or use the information at the bottom of this letter.  You can always find more frequent updates on our Facebook pages, and we'd love to know how you're doing. We look forward to reading through the Christmas cards and updates that arrived while we were away. God bless and may the New Year bring you, and those you love encouragement and refreshment in our Lord!  Kevin, Claudia, Jeremy & Nicholas Abegg Nico, Jeremy & cousin Gaspi enjoying the dunes! Fishing with Abuelo (grandpa)! Every family has a bit of CRAZY. OH how we've missed truly FRESH fruits & vegetables! Missionary Support (give online):  http://uwm.org/missionaries/27521/ Mail Support: mail a check with an accompanying note stating "For the Abegg Family" to: 205 Regency Executive Park Dr Suite 430, Charlotte, NC 28217. Blog: www.abeggloveletters.blogspot.com Life of Freedom Center: www.lofcenter.org Stay in Touch! Follow & Like Us! Kevin's Facebook Abegg Family Blog LoF Center's Facebook LoF Center's Webpage Thank you for your prayerful support! -Kevin, Claudia, Jeremy and Nicholas Abegg

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Christmas Greetings & Anti - Sex Trafficking Update

Dear Loved Ones; This is a heartfelt year end update. Apart from struggle, I want you to hear Thanksgiving and Hope as I write. We're UWM Missionaries working in the difficult arena of human sex trafficking in Miami, FL.  Apart from being the #3 city in the country for sex trafficking, Miami is also the #3 "most overpriced city in the country" according to Forbes Magazine. Supporters like you make it possible to carry out our work of educating to prevent the commercial sexual exploitation of children and provide care for survivors through our ministry at the Life of Freedom Center. We've considered / been tempted to continue ministering in a more affordable scenario as sex trafficking exists EVERYWHERE in this country & around the world, but we have not sensed the Lord's release to go elsewhere yet, and if He doesn't lead, leaving where He has us would be foolish. Living in such an overpriced city as missionaries has taken some creativity. We are blessed with a wonderful housemate who helps by renting a room and has become family in a very "Matthew 19:29" sort of way. I take care of all house repairs myself, and Claudia's ability in the kitchen means we can still do five star hospitality on a ½ star budget. The first half of this year I worked hard to reduce our $2,600/month deficit by reaching out to potential supporters, and we are so grateful to have new partners join us in ministry. However, by July I was worn out, and opted to pick up a few side carpentry projects to cover the boys education expenses, a few medical needs and basic family bills. I'm so incredibly thankful that our average monthly shortfall has been cut in half by those new supporters, but that leaves another $1,300/month to raise in order to focus on full time ministry, not splitting my time & energy between the LoF Center, carpentry jobs and support raising. This year we're not spending the $500+ we generally do to send out support letters. All our news is available on facebook, email, & our Blog so please make sure you're connected, because we NEED YOUR PRAYERS! For the past 7 years (over ½ of Jeremy & Nico's lives) we have put off visiting Claudia's parents (the boy's grandparents) and family in Chile. We'd been praying for 3 years to make a visit, and this year some dear friends have generously blessed us with standby tickets, reducing the travel costs from nearly $7,000 down to just under $2000 for air taxes & fees! Another set of friends creatively donated a fishing boat that sold for exactly $2000! We will finally be able enjoy and hug family this Christmas after such a long absence! We've been asked why we do what we do. 20+ years of ministry should be enough, right? The thing is, we're not paying something back, or even "paying forward". We've been unimaginably blessed through Christ's arrival in a manger and sacrifice on a cross. We're told to follow His example and love as He loved. We are simply called to glorify God and enjoy Him. He has gifted us to work in ways, and with people, that not everyone is called to. We trust Him and have seen Him first work in us, so we can extend His care to others. As not everyone is called to minister in the arena of Sex Trafficking, we need the giftings of others to help us continue. We humbly ask if you would join us in prayer for the remaining $1,300 / month in order to meet our basic budget here in Miami, and continue serving those who need protection and healing from Sex Trafficking. We won't be enjoying a "white Christmas" in Miami (or Chile), and there's no fireplace to hang stockings. However celebrating Christ's arrival transcends our circumstances. As the year draws to a close, we are deeply grateful for all God has done, and count friends both far and near as some of the greatest gifts we have during this season, and year round.   Wishing you an immensely blessed Christmas; Kevin, Claudia, Jeremy & Nico Abegg Contact and Support: Missionary Support (give online): http://uwm.org/missionaries/27521/ Mail Support: mail a check with an accompanying note stating "For the Abegg Family" to: 205 Regency Executive Park Dr Suite 430, Charlotte, NC 28217. Blog: www.abeggloveletters.blogspot.com Life of Freedom Center: www.lofcenter.org

Human Trafficking Survivor Care & Prevention -Challenges & Growth 💭

The Abegg's Love Letter   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     Providing Healing to Survivors & Hope to Victims of Sex Trafficking New Manual, New Staff...Pray for ReNEWED Energies! Wrap around Care for Survivors Awareness Leading to Action That's the focus of nearly all LoF activities. Both of these take an immense amount of work. In providing care for survivors we need to co-labor with local, state and sometimes federal agencies, case managers, social workers, mentors as well as counselors and multiple organizations willing to volunteer time or resources to help these deeply wounded individuals learn that a "normal" life free of sexual exploitation is even possible. Confidential documentation of all activities has to be managed and maintained. In order to improve care, we've taken nearly half of the summer to re-vamp and improve our Client Care Policies and Procedures, resulting in a 60+ page manual that should go into effect this fall. Please keep the editing process in your prayers, that this manual will cover everything that new & current staff will need, but is at the same time manageable & not overwhelming.  A Consistent Stream of Volunteers! The LoF Center functions because of the work of missionaries and a small army of volunteers. As we conduct more awareness events, we receive more applications for those who want to volunteer their time and energies in the battle against sex trafficking! Coordinating an army (even a small one) takes...well, coordination. Right now I'm looking for a volunteer to help manage volunteer applications, communication & schedules.   Please pray for the rite person to step into this position and help make sure those who volunteer have the opportunity to use their time and giftings to their greatest potential.  "Shipping Out" (We Hope!) It's been over 6 years since we've been back to Chile to visit Claudia's parents & the boys abuelos and tias (grandparents & aunts). But it's looking more like a possibility this year!  We've been amazingly blessed with standby tickets for the trip (amounting to over $4k), but we need to renew the kids passports, purchase visas and cover other travel expenses. To do so, another generous supporter has donated A BEAUTIFUL FISHING BOAT to sell & use the proceeds!  On top of this another friend has allowed us to store it in his boat repair yard until it sells. It's encouraging to see God working through so many in such creative ways to make this a possibility for the family. Please pray that we can sell this 17' Mckee Craft Southporter Fishing Boat quickly. Oh yeah...and that there are no significant storms before we do so (being in the middle of hurricane season).  If you're interested contact me and I'll connect you to the add! Partner With Us Summer schedules always brings a lull in our missionary support (what we live off of in order to manage the ministry & life in general). Apart from this we are still trying to reach full support with about $1000/month to go.  Please prayerfully consider joining our support team by visiting our UWM DONATION PAGE and help us continue providing care to survivors of Sex Trafficking and Educate those who can "be the rescue".    Please Share What We're Doing! Share Tweet Forward Share +1 Stay in Touch! Follow & Like Us! Kevin's Facebook Abegg Family Blog LoF Center's Facebook LoF Center's Webpage Thank you for your prayerful support! -Kevin, Claudia, Jeremy and Nicholas Abegg

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