Lessons We've Learned from our Kids #17

If you use a dry-erase board for Home Schooling your 7 year old, and there happens to be one permanent marker hidden somewhere safe in the same house, the 7 year old will find it and use it for schoolwork on the dry-erase board, leaving a record for future generations to enjoy.

This same 7 year old, using this same permanent marker, just may happen to “accidently” draw eyebrows and a mustache on his younger brother.

If you are going to carve something into mommy and daddy's office desk and then attempt to deny it, do not carve your own name.

Anything and everything can be a musical instrument…a VERY, VERY LOUD musical instrument.

On that note, for the life of me I can’t remember why we keep bongos in the house.

Lessons We’ve learned from our kids#16

Basic Life Skills Classes:

We’re trying to instill a “work first and then play” understanding in the boys. It seems to be working at least with Jeremy: “Daddy, after I clean my bedroom, can I get a tattoo?”

Listening AND Understanding: At Costco: "You two can stay here and watch the video while I get what we need, just DO NOT TOUCH THE GLASSES there. Do you understand?" In unison both Jeremy and Nico answer: "Yes daddy"…also in unison, before the last syllable leaves their lips, they both pick up the glasses to try them on.

Outdoors skills: After three unsuccessful fishing trips Jeremy finally caught his first fish, a pretty good sized bass, which apparently instantly made him an expert: “Daddy, I know why you haven't caught a fish, you’re casting past where the fish are.”

Cause and Effect: "Nico, if you keep doing that you're going to hurt yourself." Nico:"I know, that's why I'm doing it".

Health Education: Nico: “It’s OK if we go swimming daddy, we can’t get sick, we’ve already got colds!”

-For Previous “Lessons” installments, please visit our “Lesson Plan”.

Lessons we've learned from our kids #15

Another Economics Lesson:

Nico: "Daddy, I need one of those cards you pay for things at the store so I can buy a car."

Daddy: "You know, those cards are the same as money, it just comes out of our bank account instead of my wallet."

Nico: "That takes our money?!"...OK then I'll just get a car from the internet so we don't have to pay!"

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Zoology lessons via our pet water turtles:

• "Daddy, did you know you can't pull turtles out of thier shell?"
• "Since turtles live in water they have to drink glasses of air when they're thirsty."
• Said while choking back sobs: "The bigger turtles get the harder they bite!"

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At the movies we discovered that 5 and 6 year olds have the uncanny ability to whisper as loud as an adult can yell.

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For Previous “Lessons” installments, please visit our “Lesson Plan”.

The Abegg’s Electronic Love Letter 1/09

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

Abegg Family Updates

As I mentioned in our last news letter, this New Year is full of changes & challenges. Up until a few months ago we were seriously considering ending our 16 years of full time missions work (see our November Blog entry for more on this), but the Lord made it clear that this wasn’t what He had planned. We are to stay right where we are with LAM and He will be using many of the things He has taught us over the past year about missions, the theology of missions and how to foster international partnerships as a way to assist US Churches in their missions thinking and action. Yet as I return to the office after a Christmas break and begin to consider what lies ahead I am wondering if…or rather know that I am not up to the task in and of myself. But thank God I don’t have to be since I, like anyone else am merely a tool in the Lord’s hands. That’s all I’ve ever been, be that in Chile, Cuba, California or elsewhere, and for me to take credit for what’s been accomplished would be like a farmer’s rake taking credit for the harvest at the end of the season. Already I’ve been encouraged by the initial response of various churches as I share the vision with them, and look forward to exploring the various ways LAM can be of assistance to their existing and developing missions programs, and I trust the Lord will provide even more of these divine appointments. Please keep this new “Department of US Missions” in your prayers, asking for wisdom, the Lord’s guidance and the ability to care for and assist partner ministries in what the Lord is calling them to do in World Missions. This is an exciting time, and we invite you to be part of where the Lord is leading us. Thank you for your partnership, prayers and support. God bless!

Lessons We’ve learned from our kids:

Christmas Carols have funny words:
“Hark the Hairy Angels Sing”
“Gloria! In Egg Shells Day Old!”

While building bunk beds for a friend:
“Straight edges” will not remain straight for long with little helpers at hand.

Wood stain also stains anything else it gets on, including clothes, hair and 4 year old tummies.

It’s hard to pinpoint what makes us “human”: Mommy: “Nico, this is Natalie. Her mommy dropped her off here for a few hours, would you like to play with her?” Nico: “No, I only like to play with humans.” Mommy: “Well, what is she?” Nico: “She’s a girl!”

Those advertisers are tricky!: Nico: “Daddy, they’re advertising a toy Yodda (of Star Wars fame) on the radio, but it’s really expensive!” Daddy: “Was that “toy Yodda” or “Toyota” like our old truck?” Nico: “Our old truck belonged to Yodda?”

We have more teaching to do in economics: Jeremy: “Nico and I are saving up to buy a Wii (video game system costing about $200.) and we already have lots of money!” Daddy: “Where did you get all that money from?” Jeremy: “The change dish next to your bed and we found some pennies on the ground!”


Specific praise, prayer and partnership opportunities:

Please pray for the Lord’s continued guidance, wisdom and provision as we step forward in faith and continue to work with Cuban Churches but also branch out to work with Churches in the US as they develop or improve their own missions programs.

Prayer for Monthly Support: As many of our supporters wrestle with financial difficulty, we have seen our monthly support dip to dangerous levels. Thankfully the Lord has equipped Kevin to work in home repair and Claudia through Lia Sophia jewelry sales to keep the bills paid. Our hope and prayer however is to be able to dedicate this time completely to the ministerial projects at hand. Please join us in prayer for this and for an increase in support in the new year that would allow us to do so. Please see “Support and Special Gifts” below if you would like to partner with us in this way.

Prayer for Roof Repair: Over the past year we have been attempting to save enough to re-roof the living area of our home. This has included refinancing (an answered prayer) and setting aside as much as possible on a monthly basis. Still, we are currently about $3,000. short and need to have the work done before the rainy season begins in April. Please pray for the Lord’s provision in this way.

Prayer for Chilean Wedding: Claudia’s youngest sister Christy will be getting married in Chile on May 28th. We hope to combine this wonderful event with visiting family, friends and churches as well as some ministry opportunities. Please join us in praying for the airline and other expenses of this trip, currently tickets are about $800. each.

Missionary Support and Special Gifts
Through the generosity and prayers of partners like you, we are able to continue ministering to the Churches in Cuba and assisting US churches in International Missions.
If you would like to make a tax deductible donation please take advantage of the links at the top right of the page or simply send checks to Latin America Mission with a note indicating “For the Abeggs” to:

Latin America Mission P.O. Box 52-7900 Miami FL, 33152-7900.

· 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 donation)

LESSONS WE'VE LEARNED FROM OUR KIDS #13

• Benefit to having a 4 year old: you don't need to purchase a paper shredder. Drawback: he's self serving.
• It's a blessing to see that the boys want to serve by washing my car. It's also a blessing when it rains that evening to re-wash what they washed.
  Jeremy: "If God is everywhere at once, wouldn't we bump into Him any time we move?"
• Jeremy: "Can I pour my own juice when I'm older, like 50 years old?"
  Exaggeration happens -Nico to a friend: "Daddy says that if you shake a soda can and then open it, it will blow up the whole house!"
• Note to self: the next time you have Jeremy and Nico help with gardening, be VERY specific as to which plants are weeds to be pulled out, and which plants should stay in the ground. P.S. buy Claudia some new flowers.
• 23 story apartment buildings are for throwing paper airplanes or water balloons off of. (OK, Daddy already knew that one).
  Jeremy: “Worms live in dirt so that's what they eat. We live in air so that's what we eat… Wait, that's not right!"
• Faith of a child -Jeremy: "I can't wait to die." Daddy: "Why would you say that? Don't you know how much we would miss you?" Jeremy: "Yeah, I’d miss you too but then I get to be with God!" (See Phil 1:12-26)

While at Disney for Nico & Grandpa’s Birthday, Jeremy got to take part in "Jedi Training" and is now convinced he can use the force on Mommy and Daddy: “You don’t want to discipline me”. So here’s some for you Star Wars fans:

• Nico: "If knights had to fight dragons today, they'd use light sabers!"
• Nico: Ham Solo is captain of the Mañana Falcon.
• Jeremy: "If I feed a worm a lot, would he get as big as Jabba the Hut?"
• Nico: "If a bad guy came to our house I'd spin around and around with my light saber and he'd just run away!"
• Jeremy: "Chewbacca needs to shave like daddy."

For Previous “Lessons” installments, please visit our “Lesson Plan”.

Lessons We’ve Learned from Our Kids #12

• If the toilet doesn’t flush the first time try, try again until you get a really neat waterfall!

• Some brands of toilets are self clogging. Daddy: “What did you put down there Nico?” Nicholas: “Nothing, it just happened!”
• Does Walmart sell brothers?: When Jeremy first learned to play "Hide and Seek", he didn't know that he needed to tell others that he was playing. This resulted in half the church desperately "seeking" a disappeared little boy for about 20 min one Sunday morning. From his hiding spot he thought it was great that so many people were “seeking” him! Once we found him and nerves were quieted down, Nico asked: "Daddy, if we didn't find Jeremy, would you buy me another big brother?”
• Desitin (diaper rash cream) has the same basic ingredient found in that white sun block mom used to put on your nose, it's called Zinc Oxide. Talk about bumper to bumper dual purpose material! So next time your skin is getting baked at the beach, pass the diaper cream!

• Jeremy: If God is God, and Jesus is God too, how could He have himself as a baby?
• Benadryl is a gift from God through pharmacists. Nico didn’t realize he was standing on a fire ant nest until they started biting. By the time we cleaned him off he had about 8 really bad bites and began to turn red and puffy, talk with a swollen tongue and have difficulty breathing. We rushed to the pharmacy for a dose of Benadryl and he was better in ½ an hour. Praise God!
• Faulty memory is not only for the elderly. Mommy: “How did you get so dirty? Jeremy: “I don’t know”
• Grownup rear ends can be severely damaged on slides made for little buns. (Daddy was black, blue, red and some nice shades of green for 2 weeks after one particularly painful game of playground tag.)
• Snails are really neat, but extremely messy if they get “pet too hard”.
• According to our in resident dino-hunters: “Lizards don’t become dinosaurs because they don’t live long enough to get that big”.

• When set at high speed, a ceiling fan can make a Superman action hero fly like in the cartoons if thrown just right! It can also make rolled up socks, hats, quarters and even sunglasses do the same…just not necessarily in one piece.

For Previous “Lessons” installments, please visit our “Lesson Plan”.

Lessons We’ve Learned from Our Kids #11

• Nico: "I knew that, I know everything!" Daddy: "Really? Where did you learn everything you know?" Nico: "I don't know."
• Jeremy: But daddy, boys are never wrong!
• Nico, while flying to Chile: “You can hold my hand daddy so you’re not scared when we take off”.
• Nico: “I didn’t squish the bug, I was just making sure it didn’t get away!”
• General Wisdom: When planning a trip with two little boys, imagine the number of clothes you think they will need, and then double it.
• On Change: The town of Pichilemu, Chile (where Claudia and I worked when we first got married) seems a lot dustier than I remembered it now that we are here with two very curious boys.
• Logic?: Even though different types of food shouldn't touch each other on your dinner plate, it's somehow acceptable (and edible) to mix tomato juice with your ice-cream.
• Jeremy: “Why does God need our money just on Sundays and not the rest of the days?”
• Nico: “I thought my pocket would make the caterpillar warm, not squishy!”
• Jeremy: “If God wasn't born or made, and he's been alive from always, he must be really, really tired by now!”

For Previous "Lessions" please see our Lesson Plan

Lessons we’ve Learned from our Kids #10

This is a bit of deviation from our normal “Lesson Plan” but something I wanted to share with you. Every night we have “Bible Time” with the boys before prayer and bed time. We’ve been going through the life of David recently and just finished one of the all time favorites of little boys who like to throw things: David and Goliath. At the end we had our normal question and answer time when Jeremy asked “Wasn’t David afraid of a giant?” On previous nights we had read about how David was shepherd when he was only a little older than Jeremy, and had to defend the sheep from attacking animals like lions and wolves. In doing so he learned to use his sling well and saw God’s faithfulness in his obedience. It was during this time that he had been quietly anointed king even though nobody even knew who he was. The boys and I talked about how through David’s experience as a shepherd, God had prepared him for that very moment against Goliath, using an unknown shepherd boy without armor or sward to defeat a battle hardened warrior in his blasphemous tirades against God’s people. From there we follow David into King Saul’s palace only to find him shortly death marked by the king’s jealousy and pursued by the royal army. Still, God was true to his promise and in the end David became king after seeing God’s powerful hand extend mercy over his life time and time again.

After the family had finished talking about David’s life and the kids were in bed, I found myself reflecting on how David was probably scared before Goliath, but also knew that God had prepared him for that moment and would do the fighting for him. Then in the following years seeing how through each challenge God both used David to glorify Himself, but also prepared David for the next trial. I reflected on my own life and simply thanked God that He has done the same through the trials in my own life. He calls each of us to trust in Him when standing before something that looks really, really big, and to see how He will use these trials in ways we could never imagine. As I ask God for faith in the face of our own trials, I pray for that same faith for each of our supporters in whatever you are facing at this time.

God is good, seek His face and trust in Him. He will answer.

In His Hands / En Sus manos;
Kevin S. Abegg

Lessons We've Learned From Our Kids

It’s School time again:

• Economics: In a feeble attempt to explain the concept of “cost” with regards to Disney tickets I tried relating it to something Jeremy seemed to already grasp: “Jeremy, do you remember how long it took you to save up your pennies to buy the Light Saber you got last week? Well it would take 8 light sabers to buy one ticket to Disneyworld”. After thinking for a second Jeremy responded: “That’s OK daddy, you don’t need to buy me 8 light sabers, let’s just go to Disneyworld instead!”
• Logic: Daddy said that my saw is only for cutting wood. The dining room chair is made out of wood. Therefore…

• Oceanography: If fishies can breathe in water, what do they do when they get thirsty? I wonder if they could breathe in my orange juice?
• Memory skills: While a 4 year old may have a memory that goes back 5 years, his parents are often hard pressed to remember what they were talking about 10 seconds before they were interrupted by said 4 year old.
• Bible: How can Jesus be the “Son of God” and the “Son of David” at the same time?
• Geography: “Can we go to grandma and grandpa’s (in CA) after nap?
• Physics: How can electricity “flow”, I don’t see any water in the light bulbs!
  

More “Lessons We’ve Learned From Our Kids”

Lessons We've Learned From Our Kids

12-2-07 Lessons #6

1. Fish tanks and cell phones don’t mix. Neither do fish tanks and puzzles, keyless remotes or battery operated toys.
   
2. Unexplained hair loss in a 2 year old does not necessarily mean a disease, just that his older brother is now tall enough to reach the scissors.
3. At the most inconvenient times a small child can have a very long memory and a very loud voice.
4. "Teachable moments" are more like "teachable milliseconds" with three year olds.
5. In the hands of a four year old, a yo-yo holds a strong resemblance in appearance and practice to a certain medieval weapon known as a "mace".
6. Think long and hard before teaching kids how to: -Juggle: they will not necessarily choose soft items (as grandpa Abegg found out); -Fish: when a lake isn’t available, the fish tank is very tempting; -Use volume controls: clock radios become early AM time bombs; -Use flashlights: they will never be there when you need them; -Turn off a garden hose: they are smart enough to turn it on again when you aren’t around.
7. If you want to use the bathroom in private, hold it until the kids are in bed for the night…but even then there are no guarantees!
8. God can, and will speak through toddlers when He so desires, and the faith of a child that Jesus spoke of in Mark 18 is a very real and powerful thing.

For all of our previous "lessons" plus pix please visit our "Lessons from Kids" page.

Lessons We’ve Learned from our Kids

7-8-07 Lessons #5

1. Highlighters are non-toxic but extremely messy when bit just right.
2. The liquid inside of glow sticks is also non toxic, but makes a child’s mouth look really, really creepy.
3. All songs should be sung at the top of your lungs even if you don’t know the words.
4. The "happy birthday song" is applicable on all occasions, especially Sunday morning worship if you apply lesson #3.
5. The alphabet song can be substituted for the Birthday song in a pinch. Again, apply lesson #3.
6. Libraries have a sense of humor. Sign #1: “Please maintain a quiet atmosphere for our patrons” Sign #2: “Children’s section this way”.
7. Squirt guns will never go out of style.
8. Question: “Jeremy, how do you talk to God?” Answer: “With my mouth.”
9. Under the right circumstances, a 35 lb child is capable of producing 4.86 gallons of barf in a very short period of time.
10. Their names aren’t “Superman” or “Batman” daddy, its… “SEWER-man” and “BAD-man”!
11. When the car ashtray is vacant of coins, don’t be surprised that the CD player no longer works, the AC vents rattle, you hear at least three clanks the next time each window is rolled down and the seat belt will not lock into its designated, “quarter sized” slot.

For all of our lessons plus pix please visit our "Lessons from Kids" page.