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 Missionaries 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.

Friday, April 17, 2020

The Good News, a Wedding Celebration

and the Big & Little Things

Carrie Smith, one of our family’s dear friends and a fellow UWM missionary, was slated to marry Justin Stafinski tomorrow, April 18^th. Carrie had wrapped up her time as a single missionary, packed up her belongings and moved up to Maine for the wedding. But as the couple finalized plans, the entire globe hit a Covid-19 speed bump that rearranged everything, including countless anticipated weddings worldwide. For Justin and Carrie, this meant no more than 10 people at the ceremony, and wedding guests couldn’t cross state lines much less find flights from Central America. As Maine’s government responded to Covid-19, the couple, through faith-filled tears, released their wedding plans and opted for a small ceremony, postponing a formal reception until the fall. Then, on the evening of Tue. March 31^st, Main’s governor Janet Mills announced a statewide “stay at home order” starting April 2^nd at 12:01 AM, barely 24 hrs. later and lasting until April 30^th. No leaving home, no exceptions apart from life-threatening emergencies and vital necessities. So once again, Justin and Carrie shifted their plans and sent the following email:

“This move makes an April 18th ceremony near impossible to pull off since all non-essential gatherings are banned. They've also thrown in fines, penalties, and potential jail time for good measure. They are not messing around. And neither are we… Justin & I have decided to move our ceremony up. It will happen today @ 1pm. Surprise! We have a pastor, a venue, our marriage license, some in-person witnesses, and hundreds of you who'll join online -- what more do we need?!...”

And so…with nearly no notice, on a cold and windy day in Maine, Justin and Carrie were united in holy matrimony. The Abegg family, along with many friends and family scattered around the globe, was blessed to be online witnesses of their vows and marriage covenant.

Maine, USA

Miami, FL

Chimaltenango, Guatemala

San Jose, Costa Rica

Even the flower girl, stranded in Costa Rica joyfully performed her duty from 2,500 miles away!

So why do I share this? Apart from encouraging you to praise Lord for Justin and Carrie's God-glorifying union, I want to highlight how, in the midst of struggle, grief, and frustration, God calls us to the basics: How do I honor Him in my circumstances? What is He calling me to do right now that can bring Him glory and reveal the hope that I profess? (See 1 Peter 3:15). It’s easy to discount the seemingly small things like not grumbling at those we’re sheltering in place with or fighting slothfulness as our routines lay dead on the floor. Yet according to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, our “chief end”, and may I say daily responsibility, is to “…glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” Or as Paul puts it: “…whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col. 3).

Admittedly there’s plenty to grieve these days, but God remains…well...God. He doesn’t change, and I can say with confidence that He’s not only in control, He’s using this horrific situation for our good. We don’t need to be “happy” about suffering and death, Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus, but through tears of faith and sometimes really hard decisions, we can know that He is ultimately in control and will bring Himself glory and good to those who love Him. Check out James 1, and then take a moment to talk to God about where He has you right now in both the big as well as what may seem to be “the little things”.

God bless, and much love from the Abegg Family!

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