🌎 Kevin's ordination service!

View this email in your browser Love Letters from the Abeggs:  "…to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you." (Jude 1:1) Good Friday 2022, Sermon at Palm Vista Community Church Pastor Kevin? …Join us for the ordination this Sunday! Though Claudia and I received MA's in Theology nearly 20 years ago as preparation to work with pastors and churches in Cuba, I've rarely considered that God may be calling me to pastorship. For years I've corrected those throughout Latin America who introduced me as "Pastor Kevin" when called to the pulpit to teach or preach. However in working through bylaws and church polity with the elders and a fellow Deacon of Palm Vista Community Church, God changed my heart. Now, after a lengthy process including written and oral exams, interviews and references, I will be one of two men added to the pastoral team as non-staff, bi-vocational elders at Palm Vista Community Church where my family has worshiped and served for the past 18 years. Though our missionary work has and will continue to take us throughout Central America and the Caribbean, Palm Vista has become home, and in many ways a surrogate family to our boys as they've grown. So I won't be giving up my "day job" with United World Mission and will continue serving with Claudia as full time missionaries and Regional Leaders to Central America and the Caribbean, even as I contribute to the pastoral staff of the church that our family is privileged to be part of.  If you're available, the ordination service will be this Sunday, May 22nd starting at 10:30 AM Eastern at 4450 NW 183rd St. Miami Gardens, FL 33055. You can also tune in liveor view later on PVCC's Youtube channel or our website: https://www.palmvista.org/sermons As a family we are incredibly thankful for your prayers and support that enable us to minister and care for missionaries and ministries throughout Central America & the Caribbean, as well as locally. We are blessed to see God's hand at work across cultures here in Miami and throughout Latin America.  Anti Human Trafficking Teaching/Training Remember, we love hearing from YOU, our partners, and we're thrilled to know how to be praying for you. Send us a note whenever you can! Partner with us in the Great Commission:  Our work with and through believers in Central America is only possible with the prayer and financial support we receive from you, our partners:  Prayer Team: Send us note to let us know you're praying for us, and let us know how we can be praying for you.  Financial Support Team:  Visit: Abegg Missionary Support Page Give via US Mail: Send a check with accompanying note stating: "For the Abegg Family" to: 205 Regency Executive Park Dr. Suite 430, Charlotte, NC 28217 Give Via Phone: Dial 800-825-5896 and talk to a very helpful person. For past issues of our newsletters and other posts visit our Blog.

🌎 Cent. America, Ukraine, Strip Clubs & Family

Love Letters from the Abeggs:  "…to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you." (Jude 1:1) I've previously noted that when the US economically sneezes, Central America gets financial pneumonia. Often these days the needs of those we work alongside as well as within the mission can seem overwhelming. Still, we serve The LORD who is over all things, whose plans are perfect and cannot be thwarted, though we're often unable to see them with our own eyes. Over the past year I've been encouraged by the victories and even the grief of Elijah in 1 Kings 18-19, seeing God's care constantly present in both joy and pain. (Check the passage out, as always it's worth your time.) Please pray for our work and God's provision for us and those we serve. Here's few details to help in your thanksgiving and intercession: The Gospel and Strip Clubs? Anti-Sex Trafficking in Miami… In the coming months Claudia and I will be joining the advisory board of Scarlett Hope Miami. For years we've been praying for solid Christian ministries to help the few faithful anti-sex trafficking organizations providing care and a Christian witness to South Florida. Scarlett Hope trains women to literally enter the darkness of strip clubs and minister to the girls, many of whom see stripping, or selling their bodies, as a last resort to meet the needs of their children or to pay for an education in hopes of escape. Please pray for the Scarlett Hope Miami director Liz Pino and the women joining her team. Pray also for the board as we seek to assist in the rescue of those being drawn into the darkness of human trafficking. If you'd like to join us in helping to establish this ministry, consider donating through Scarlet Hope's giving page. UWM in the Ukraine -Theology & bullet proof vests! As news and images flow out of Eastern Europe most are aware of at least some of the horrors Ukrainians face as a result of the Russian invasion. United World Mission partners with seminaries in the Ukraine that are receiving, caring for and assisting with the flood of refugees. Our own son Nico was able to assist with the refugee receiving process during his 3-week stay in the Czech Republic last month, and we are so proud of how he chose to use his time there (more below). If you would like to help the Ukrainian seminaries, UWM has set up a fund and waved administrative fees to ensure that every dollar gets into the hands of those who are saving lives. Please pray for the pastors and seminary staff, many remaining in the war zones as they continue to serve. In a post from last month one of the pastors stated: "Friends, thank you so much for your support! Together with the help of the United World Mission and some Ukrainian businessmen from the US we were able to purchase 60 bulletproof vests which serve to protect our chaplains, paramedics and volunteers…" Visit: UWM Ukraine Assistance for more information. UWM Central America: Pray for existing and future laborers… In Jesus' words: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Mat. 9:37-38). I'm blessed to be working with a small team on ways to help N. American missionaries enter into new cultures, and how to best partner with national (non-US) missionary sending organizations in mobilizing Latins to the rest of the world. Please pray for wisdom, open doors, and more Biblically minded workers gifted in planning, development and especially cross-cultural relations. All are absolutely necessary in collaborating to prepare non-US missionaries, who the Lord is raising up to take the gospel to unreached peoples and even "post-christian" nations.  Our Globally Spread Out Family… Abeggs in Transition: Nico is back from Czech Republic! Our thanks to everyone who prayed for him during his internship with a dear friend and photographer for the International Mission Board. God's timing, as always, was perfect with Europe emerging from Covid restrictions enabling travel and Nico's ability to serve multiple times into the early morning as Ukrainian refugees arrived at the Prague train station. If you're interested in seeing his internship pix you can visit his Czech Photo Page. Nico's Highschool Graduation Ceremony will be this Saturday 5/7 at 3PM Eastern / noon Pacific broadcast live on: https://youtube.com/c/954Church and  https://954church.com/watch-live. Feel free to join in if you can!  Please pray for Nico and the whole family as we prepare for his transition to Idaho to work with Cannon Press by the end of the summer. Jeremy is wrapping up his first year at New St. Andrews. He's done very well and is looking forward to next year. Apart from the rigorous academics he enjoyed intramural rugby and basketball and even trained with the rowing team. Quite the change from his homeschooling days! We're thrilled with how he's growing and though we missed him, we couldn't be happier. For years Jeremy has been part of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and always hoped to get his private pilot's license. We laid these desires before the Lord for a long time, knowing we simply couldn't cover that cost. Just recently however, Jeremy was selected for a 2-month intensive program at Purdue university at no cost to us! He was given a grant equivalent to $26,000 and should end the summer with his private pilot's license in hand! We are so grateful for God's mercy and kindness! Please thank the Lord with us and pray for Jeremy as he wraps up his finals, deals with a broken-down car, visits with us for a few weeks and then heads off to flight school. Family in Chile: Claudia's dad continues to gain strength at home after nearly 8 months in the hospital. Claudia and I hope to visit next month but increasing airlines costs at over $1k / ticket may limit our options. Please pray for wisdom and provision as we lay plans for the coming months and our desire to care for and encourage family that's far away. If you're encouraged to join our financial support team and help with both ministry and general expenses please prayerfully consider using the link below. Remember, we love hearing from YOU, our teammates, and we're thrilled to know how to bre praying for you. Send us a note whenever you can! Partner with us in the Great Commission:  Our work with and through believers in Central America is only possible with the prayer and financial support we receive from you, our partners:  Prayer Team: Send us note to let us know you're praying for us, and let us know how we can be praying for you.  Financial Support Team:  Visit: Abegg Missionary Support Page Give via US Mail: Send a check with accompanying note stating: "For the Abegg Family" to: 205 Regency Executive Park Dr. Suite 430, Charlotte, NC 28217 Give Via Phone: Dial 800-825-5896 and talk to a very helpful person. For past issues of our newsletters and other posts visit our Blog.