God in the Darkness... Human Sex Trafficking

Working in the arena of human sex trafficking... 

and being aware of the depravity and darkness that we as humans are capable of, I’m not surprised that I’m drawn to and crave “happy” stories; Things that bring joy to my heart as a balance to the grief and anger.  

Everyone likes a story that ends in victory; A story that leaves a sense of triumph instead of defeat. David bringing down Goliath, the walls of Jericho collapsing, the Israelites crossing the Red Sea as Pharaoh's army, in hot pursuit, is overwhelmed by the waves.

We love stories that clearly exemplify God's powerful hand intervening on behalf of His people. 

However, these monumental moments in scripture shine against extraordinarily dark and painful contexts. 

David was anointed king, yet had a long road of suffering and persecution before actually ascending the throne... but later came adultery and murder. 

Before Jericho’s fall came 40 years of wilderness.

The Red Sea crossing is sandwiched between generations of slavery and those 40 years of wilderness wandering that left an entire generation behind, contributing to the desert's dust.

Like placing a diamond on black velvet helps one see its true brilliance, these stories seize our attention and encourage us all the more when we understand the broader context. But what about the times when we can’t see the radiance, victory, or joy? When all we have is the black background with 20 years of wilderness behind, and another 20 years of wandering ahead?  

When we realize that the 19-year-old woman who’s now free from the horrors of sex slavery also has a criminal record that prevents her from getting a job, renting an apartment, or even being received by local church members overcome by fear?  What is God doing during these dark times?

Somehow, a pat, “Christianese” answer of: “God carries us during the tough times” just doesn’t cut it. No mal-intent to the author of “Footprints in the Sand”, but... 

Where’s God when things are really, REALLY messed up?

Psalm 21 informs us: 

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

Romans 8 instructs us:

“Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words… And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

My personal life verse of James 1 encourages:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” 

I have wrestled with James for many years now, but recognize that not all things, the things we walk through, the pain, death, and grief, are not what's good here. Instead, what we as believers find joy in is a sovereign, purposful God, who can redeem all things and make them good. The horror of the cross becomes the brilliant joy of salvation and the ultimate assurance of a victory beyond the grave. 

And the verse most people have heard but don’t put in the context of pain and suffering, John 3:16-17:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

These, and multiple other verses addressing God’s intimate, sovereign care of His children, have helped me keep hope through my own trials and even as we seek to provide care and freedom for women (and men) who simply can’t see any reason to hope in the midst of unthinkable suffering. The hope and promise I hold on to is that we serve a purposeful, redeeming God. 

We serve the God who defines and gives purpose. The only one who has responded to the horrors of sin and death by drawing a line of His own blood in the sand, and planting a cross proclaiming that even suffering is redeemed for those who are under His Lordship and in His arms!

As I often feel powerless in the face of the world's consumption of the weak, and constantly wonder how my small, seemingly insignificant efforts against the horrific tide of human trafficking can make any difference at all, I am encouraged by Charles Spurgeon’s proclamation of working in God's strength, at His appointed task, until the Lord himself calls me home:

“Those who would gladly measure me for my coffin had better wait a bit, for 'the LORD hath chastened me sore, but he hath not given me over unto death.' Glory be to His name forever! I am immortal till my work is done. Till the LORD wills it, no vault can close upon me”.

That’s assurance and conviction of God’s sovereignty, not only in the midst of trials, but knowing that even the very moment of death is in the Lord’s hands!  And until that day, every storm, every affliction, every trial I walk through is, as James tells us, within His sovereign purpose to make me “mature and complete, lacking nothing."

If there is even a small ray of hope that our work can provide to a survivor of sex trafficking or the vulnerable still under unthinkable abuse and oppression, we need to keep reaching out and working as Christ's Body. Often, survivors can't understand our hope in a sovereign, loving Father, but the hope that WE carry, because of our own assurance in the of salvation through Christ, provides enough hope for the oppressed to take a step of faith. It's simply because of Christ in us that we have anything to offer. And that anything in the end, is actually everything. 

It’s an understanding and hope in a good and sovereign God that keeps the Abegg family moving forward into the seemingly impenetrable darkness, knowing that every beat of our hearts and the daily needs we encounter are ultimately, and eternally in the Lord’s hands. 

It’s this understanding, this conviction that enables us to offer hope to women who can’t imagine redemption for what they’ve done, or what’s been done to them. 

That’s the God who turns Saul into Paul, and blind, abused beggars into heralds of hope. That’s the God we trust in, and where our hope is placed, day-by-day, until we have no more days on this earth.

Please join us in trusting Him for the work ahead, and interceding for the wisdom, discernment, and provision necessary for each and every day.  

Visit our UWM SUPPORT PAGE and help us provide care for survivors and prevent others from becoming victims. 

In Loving Memory of Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, "Mor-mor" -Martha Stevens

Her name was Martha, but she was "Mor-mor" (Swedish for "mother's mother") to me as well as to Claudia and the boys. We so enjoyed her and we will so miss her. Thank you to all who have expressed sympathy.

We will be having a memorial on Sunday September 26th at 3:00 PM in the Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church Sanctuary (see www.wcpres.org for directions). This will be followed by a reception in the sanctuary. All are invited. Claudia, the boys and I will be in attendance and would love to see you.

Have your Passport ready in case you need to travel abroad (or to Miami)

We are hoping to attend Claudia’s youngest sister’s wedding in Chile in just a few weeks, but realized that Jeremy’s passport will soon expire. (I didn’t even have a passport until college, but we’re already on Jeremy’s second!)

So, Claudia spent hours online and by phone only to find that a child’s passport cannot be renewed by mail, and that both parents must be present to renew. She then phoned all over Miami and found that the only “drop in” office in the city (all others had a month+ waiting list) opened at 10:00 AM. So there we were at 9:30 the next morning only to be told that yes, the passport desk opens at 10:00 but we needed to be there at 8:00 in order to get on the day’s list, which was already full for the day. (Why they left out that one vital detail when we called is beyond me). So, Claudia went back home with the kids, I went back to work and returned at 7:15 the next morning to find two people already in line (probably still there from the day before).

True to what we’d been told (the second time around), a gentleman arrived to open the post office at 8:00, but when we asked him for the passport appointment list he flatly informed us: “We don’t have a list; the passport desk opens at 10:00”. Deaf to our protests he opened a few doors, moved a box or two then had a cup of coffee, leaving us standing in front of the passport counter for 45 minutes. Finally, coffee gone, he casually walked over to the passport desk and produced the very clipboard and list we had been asking for! Everyone in line (there was now a small crowd) stared at him in disbelief, muttering descriptive words just out of his earshot so as not to jeopardize their chances any further. I confess that I myself found it rather difficult to “assume the best” of this civil servant at that particular moment as well.

So, the two men in front of me filled in the 10:00 and 10:30 slots and I took the 11:00. Not wanting to assume anything at this point I asked if that meant I could now go to work and return with the family for our 11:00 AM appointment. Not surprisingly he said “no” and explained that the times do not mean anything but that everyone in line (now about 20 adults, most with fidgety children making the entire post office look something like a sugar hyped, chocolate factory daycare) had to stay until their names were called starting at 10:00. (Flashback to the stunned disbelief and descriptive words from a few minutes earlier.)

“What’s the point in having time slots?” I asked.
“It works better this way” he said as I watched one of the kids spill sticky grape juice all over the floor.

So…Claudia and the boys joined me in line before 10:00. We were the second party to be attended since the first person in line left before 10:00 (possibly having a nervous breakdown). And Jeremy’s passport should arrive within a week.

It makes me proud to be an American and know our government handles these things with such dedication and efficiency. Maybe, once Jeremy has his passport, we’ll actually cross the boarder from Miami and visit the US one of these days!

Prayer

Simple and straight forward: WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS

Some of you have been praying for the Abegg family for years. Thank you…a true, from the bottom of the heart, THANK YOU! We receive support in numerous ways including monthly monetary donations, emotional support through letters, phone calls or e-mails, and spiritual support through prayer and intercession. Right now I want to emphasize the importance of these prayers and ask each of you to pray and petition the Lord in a few specific ways:

For the MSO (Miami Service Office) where we serve with LAM:

• Software transition and the finance department: The MSO is responsible for receiving and receipting all gifts for all missionaries as well as any projects they or their associate ministry are doing. On any given month one family may receive 20 to 50 gifts of varying amounts. Multiply this by 100 and you have only the missionary part of the equation without considering the hundreds of associate ministries we serve. This must all be sent internationally and again, receipted. The software we were using has been on it’s last legs, so a month ago we began the training and supposedly “seamless” transition. Unfortunately the seam has come unraveled in Grand Canyon proportions essentially paralyzing that department and taxing the IT department in unprecedented ways. Yet even in this, God provided. By His design, Rob Johnson was visiting from Phoenix for a few days, and one of his many expertise is in assisting with problematic software transitions. He came for a few days but stayed a month. We are still not fully out of the woods, but we can see daylight. Please pray and intercede for the transition process to come to completion and the ability for the finance department to then catch up on all receipts (if you’ve given toward our account recently and have not received a receipt, please know that it will be generated and sent out soon).

• Helping Missionaries stay on the field: The downturn in the economy has hit nearly everyone hard, but missionaries have had an especially difficult time as partnering families or churches face their own struggles and need to lower their support. This however becomes an extremely problematic situation when a faithfully serving missionary family must contemplate returning home for lack of support. In order to prevent this we at the MSO are helping missionaries communicate better through websites, social networking sites and even Youtube. Yet the software problems I mentioned above have slowed these efforts in many ways. Please pray and intercede for the missionaries in general (ourselves included) as they seek to keep their support at a level that will keep them on the field. Also pray that the work of those at the MSO would be fruitful in our attempts to assist them.

For the Abegg Family:

• We recently received news that one of our main supporting churches is going through the tough times I described above resulting in lowering our support by about $400/month. We fully understand their reasons and know it was a difficult decision to make. We are praying for all of our supporters, be they families, individuals or churches and appreciate immensely the sacrificial giving in allowing us to serve the many Latin ministries we are involved with. Right now we realistically need to replace that support as well as others who have had to lower or discontinue their gifts over the past year. Please pray and intercede for supporters and churches that are suffering financially, and for others to “step into the gap” and help us cover the monthly needs in order to keep serving the church throughout Latin America. If you would like to consider partnering with us you can easily do so through online donations or a printable donation form.

Link to a Printable Donation Form. (click link for mail in donation form)

Link to Online Donation page (click link for online credit/debit card

Thank you for your prayers. We know the Lord will answer and we pray He blesses you as well.

"On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

2 Corinthians 1:10-12

Relationships (It's What We Do)

Over the past six months of overseeing the ministries department at Latin America Mission I’ve come to appreciate the concept of partnerships and real relationships. LAM does not have our own projects on the field but rather we rely on “partnerships” with the Latin Church by strategically placing missionaries under and along side existing, national Latin ministries. This approach is culturally and linguistically difficult in many ways, but enters into a relationship of trust. Obviously these partnerships are of extreme importance for the care of the missionaries, but also for the health, growth and expansion of the Gospel in Latin America. As in the Church, poor relationships and a lack of care poorly reflect the Gospel on the mission field as well, whereas strong, trusting, Christ centered and caring relationships better reflect and personify the Gospel message.

The LAM ministries department is responsible for approximately 100 missionary units (families or singles) and their partnerships or “ministry covenants” with the ministries they serve, be that a children’s home in Costa Rica such as Roble Alto, a seminary in Colombia such as the Biblical Theological Seminary or a Church Planting and pastoral care ministry in Mexico. But as you know, a true relationship is not maintained through a business contract, but regular communication, heartfelt involvement and tangible expressions of care. As I stepped into the ministries department six months ago I was tempted to “just get the paperwork done” and assume in a staunch, business like manner that the partnership was then in place. But a signed document does not a friend make. Relationship building takes time, energy and involvement. It’s slow going, but very much worth it. Please pray for me, the ministries department and the LAM as we seek to better serve those that we have a history of partnership with and those we are getting to know on the road to new partnerships. This is a time of change with the mission, a time of diving in deeper with those we serve along side of throughout Latin America. It’s an exciting time. I’ll share more of this in future entries, but for now I ask you and thank you for your prayers.

God bless!

LAM Missionaries- Baptisms and Funerals

With my position in the Ministries Department and LAM I have the priviledge to corespond with our Latin partner ministries as well as all of our missionaries, which means I get to here the "Good News" (AKA the Gospel) at work. Here's another example of what LAM missionaries are doing:

From: Mirna Sotomayor y Diana Garrett

I´m racking my brain in the midst of all the noise to write down the words of the Costa Rican national anthem. Beside me is an 11 year old boy who is looking at me with nervous intensity. "Are you sure you want to do this?", I ask. "Yes. For my mother´s sake," he answers, and controls a sob.It was his mother´s funeral. Carlos is the only child of a single mother who just died of cancer the day before. His mother was Costa Rican by birth, and he wanted to honour her. So that is how his aunt, Mirna, Carlos and I sang the Costa Rican national anthem at a Mexican funeral yesterday. I was the only one who really knew it, and I was thanking the Lord for my Costa Rican upbringing.

It seemed hard to believe that just one week ago, on Sunday, Mirna and I baptised another of Carlos´s aunts in the beautiful Tuxpan ocean. Lupe received Jesus, along with her two sisters as a result of the team from Costa Rica that came during Holy Week. One of the team members from Costa Rica is a cousin of theirs and the Lord used the relationship to bring Jesus into their lives. Lupe asked to be baptised last Sunday because she was going to be operated on, also because of cancer, on Friday. She had the surgery on Friday and on Saturday her sister passed away, leaving their third sister, Marta, holding the fort.

Just before we stood up to sing the anthem, Mirna took advantage to share the Gospel to the extended family, many of whom were hearing the Good News for the first time. We were a handful of evangelical Christians that surrounded this family in their distress, and helped them set their hope in their newly found faith. We beg your prayers for the Mora family during this very difficult time, as Lupe is recuperating from surgery and metastasis of cancer to other organs in her body, as the grandmother is ill in a home, and as young Carlos hits his teenage years without his mother. And please don´t forget to pray for Marta, her husband and two children who have been buffetted on all sides, and seek to follow the Lord.

Thank you for your prayers and support for me as I provide support for others!

Date Nights and Answers to Prayer

I’ve never been an actor and usually try not to sing too loud out of respect for those around me, but two nights ago I found myself onstage for the curtain call of “Forbidden Broadway” playing at the Carnival Center for the Performing arts. What a surreal experience! Well that’s the latest in a series of blessings I want to share with you in order to give testimony to God’s faithfulness. Just before Christmas ’06 I had committed to having more “date nights” with Claudia so that we could step away from the normal routine and do the marital maintenance on the wonderful relationship that the Lord had blessed us with. The only problem was that we had precious little “discretionary income” to put towards these nights. I remember praying and asking the Lord for the means to do a little more than a cup of coffee every now and then. I had no idea as to what the Lord had in store!

Only a week or so after that prayer I was leaving for work at 7:00 AM, about ½ hr later than usual, when the home phone rang. The woman calling asked: “This is going to sound strange, but are you Kevin Ayebeg?”
“Yes, who is this?” I asked.
“That’s not important.” she said hurriedly, “I found your name in the directory. You need to call WIOD (local AM News station) right now! They just announced your name as one of the Christmas prize winners and you’ve got 5 minutes left to call in!” She quickly gave me the station’s number and hung up. I never even got her name.

Sure enough, I called the station, gave them my name and they told me that I had won a $100 American Express gift card (and a Rush Limbaugh bobble-head doll). Claudia and I got two really nice date nights out of the card and blessed our mailman with Rush.

It was about two months later that I called in on the same station’s early AM commute trivia show and got through on the second try, only to win yet another $100. certificate for a local Seafood Grill, resulting in another wonderful pair of date nights for Claudia and I.

Since finances have been tight, I’ve been doing various home repair projects for friends and neighbors to make ends meet. I often find myself in the garage working on pieces of furniture or simply getting the tools together I will need for the next project while listening to the local “oldies” station Majic 102.7 which also has various games and contests. I occasionally (maybe two times a month at most) will attempt to call in but only take time to dial up to two times in a row figuring that any more than two tries is a waste of time. Well, again, I got through and won a dinner for two at the local NYPD Pizza Parlor and was entered into a drawing for a new Lexus. I was relieved to not win the Lexus since we couldn’t have afforded the taxes, licensing, registration or insurance, not to mention how to reconcile a missionary driving a brand new Lexus, but we sure enjoyed a nice meal out once again!

It didn’t stop there though. From a local hardware store that I shop at we won a drawing for two tickets (usually $50. each) to the Weston Food and Wine festival, yet another great date afternoon. The most recent answer to my date night prayer came in an unsolicited phone call from another local radio station informing me that I won their monthly birthday drawing which included four tickets to the Broadway show I started with. Since my parents were in town we got to treat them to a night out (and I even looked generous doing it! :-)

God bless!