Two Major Hurricanes in Ten Days

Nearly EVERY part of Cuba has been drastically impacted by two deadly hurricanes that ripped through the island in the period of one week. Gustav has all but destroyed the Isla of Pinos / Isla de la Juventud in Western Cuba as it hit just short of a Category 5 Hurricane (highest level possible) with 140 mph winds with gusts measured at 212 mph! This was followed by Ike slamming into the Eastern Coast of Holguin province as a category 3 hurricane pushing a storm surge with waves that literally crashed over 5 story buildings! (see video). Ike worked it’s way through he center of Cuba and is currently assaulting the already devastated Western portion. Here in Miami (over 300 miles away) we are feeling the wind and rain effects of Ike’s outer bands.

Over the years Claudia and I have enjoyed the hospitality of numerous pastors throughout the island and specifically in the province of Holguin, the majority of whose homes were little more than tin shacks with no window or door closures whatsoever. I can only imagine the devastation to what little they possess.

Before losing communication during Ike’s onslaught I received a few e-mails from some of the pastors we work with:

Dear Brother Kevin, may the Lord richly bless you;

I want to inform you that here in Cuba we are going through a very difficult time. In less than 8 days we have been punished by two very large hurricanes, first Gustav and right now Ike is pounding on our churches and homes. This latest hurricane is attacking the center of the island with devastating effects through the Eastern provinces like Baracoa, Maisí, Holguin, Moa, Tunas, Camaguey and now continuing West. In these Eastern provinces we have around 115 Baptist Churches that attend the over 9,600 members. I am praying that God would guard each of their lives.

At this point we do not have any official news as to the losses as the storm is still full force, and many of the provinces have lost all communication. Government officials in the office that attends to religious matters have simply communicated to us that the situation is “very delicate”. Ike has already covered some 750 KM (466 miles) as it continues advancing Westward through the center of the country with winds now slowing to 155 km/hr (96 mph) from the category 3 (130 mph winds) that first came onshore. In the province of Santiago where we live the rain has not yet done excessive damage, but I am starting to receive reports that many of our churches in the outlying regions have been very badly damaged.

I continue praying for the Biblical seminar, and at this time we count on your prayers for us as well. Our people are in great need of God’s mercy. We will be in contact whenever possible.

In Christ; Reverend “Alex”

Please keep these brothers and sisters in your prayers as they confront natural disasters without the resources or infrastructure we enjoy here in the US, and please keep our ministry in your prayers as we seek to assist the Cuban church through our ongoing programs as well as along side of other partner ministries responding to the urgent needs they now face.


If you would like to make donations to any of these programs please do so through our website. If you would like to specifically designate gifts to hurricane relief please contact me as we are still assessing the damage and the best way to do so considering US and Cuban laws.

For Links to Ongoing Programs:

Cuban Pastor's Conference
Cuban Pastoral Resources

For more hurricane pictures see:
Cuba Hurricane Images.

Seminary for Cuban Pastors: A Partnership Opportunity

The Concept:
LAM regularly partners with Latin ministries to provide seminars that equip pastors and ministry leaders with practical tools for their ministry. This November we will be inviting seven specifically chosen Cuban leaders from three key Cuban denominations to a 10 day intensive training seminar in Central America. Throughout the conference these pastors, along with 30 other Latin ministry leaders, will attend teachings and small workshops on topics such as the formation of leadership teams, people vs. ministry goals, management of volunteers, strategic planning, birth and development of ministries, organizational structuring, financial management, project sustainability and more. We are pleased to offer this seminar to Cuban pastors who have very few (if any) opportunities for such training, though they oversee many churches or in some cases even bride various denominations. In order to broaden the impact, once the pastors return to Cuba they will conduct similar training seminars themselves and provide follow up reports on the multiplied impact of the training they receive in November.

The Cost:
A Cuban pastor living on an average of $20 / month could never dream of attending such a seminar, much less being able to pay for the air travel, room, board and materials involved. Simply applying for permission from the Cuban Government to travel outside of the country costs nearly $400! The entire cost for one Cuban to attend this seminary will be about $1,500. / Cuban or $10,500. for all seven pastors including all travel, lodging, meal and materials costs.

Adopt a Pastor:
Our hope is to have the entire amount needed to send each of these pastors pledged by the beginning of August since the permission for Cubans to travel can literally take months to navigate. The good news is that we’re off to a great start with one ministry partner already pledging to cover ALL of the pastors’ room and board, (about $1,500!). Would you consider adopting (or co-adopting) a pastor to attend this seminar?

Each tax deductible gift $1,500. adds one more Cuban pastor to the conference.

Two pledges of $750. from families or study groups adds one more pastor to the conference.

A Bible Study or Church Small Group of 12 sponsors at only $125 each allows yet another pastor to attend.

Our goal is to fully finance and bless all seven of these pastors and then release them to in turn train even more pastors in Cuba. Your donation has the potential to not only train the pastors attending, but many, many more!

If interested, please contact us for more information or:

Make an online donation (credit card/debit card) to “work funds” here: Link to Online Donation page

Print and Mail in your own donation form here indicating “work funds” : Link to a Printable Donation Form

Lessons We've Learned from our Kids #8

1. “Spontaneous Self-Destruction” happens: "I didn't break it Daddy. It just fell apart while I was holding it!"

2. Practical Biblical Application: "See my new shoes daddy? Now I can run away from temptation REALLY fast!"

3. Deep thoughts on Super Heroes: "Her name is Wonder Woman because she wonders about a lot of things."

4. The phrase: "Clean up time” means that children who normally run at 50,000 RPM's suddenly slow to around 27 RPMs.

5. Adult logic can’t keep up with a Child’s imagination: Daddy asked Jeremy: "What do you think that cloud looks like?" Jeremy: "A Barnstorm". Daddy: "What's a barnstorm Jeremy?" Jeremy: "Something that looks like that cloud!"

6. Favorite Cosby Quote: “Before we had children, my wife and I used to be intellectuals.”

7. Using a loud, angry voice to say: "Would you stop yelling at your brother!" is counter productive.

8. Mommy and Daddy may represent God in a young child’s understanding, but children are a particularly effective tool in God’s hand to show us the sin hiding in our hearts, and then to express forgiveness with unlimited hugs, kisses and “I love you daddy…I love you mommy”.

Click here for the entire list of "Lessons We've Learned from our Kids"

Big News...Claudia is approved for Citizenship

US Flag & Chilean Flag

Yesterday at about 3:00 Claudia was officially approved for her US citizenship!!!

We began this process ten (yes that's "10") years ago in Chile. While we were living in CA she received her US resident card, the infamous "Green Card", but was informed only six months later that she had to "surrender" it to Homeland Security since they were making updates, and that she would receive a new card with "enhanced security features" shortly thereafter. Needless to say, that card never came and upon further inquiry we were simply informed that her documents had been lost and that we should start again. Thankfully we had photocopies of everything and were able to move straight to citizenship. While at her interview yesterday the officer informed her that he actually had her complete folder there and does not know why we were informed that it was ever lost or why Claudia ever had to surrender her original card. He was very encouraging and in the end simply told Claudia "Of course you're approved". Praise the Lord, this long process is coming to a close! We now only have to wait for her ceremony date when she will be sworn in as a Citizen. Thank you all for your prayers!

Here's a fun link we came across in her studies, could you pass the tests at the bottom of the page?: US Civics resources.

FACTBOX-Reforms by Raul Castro in Cuba

April 8 (Reuters) - In the six weeks since he succeeded his ailing brother Fidel Castro, new Cuban President Raul Castro has introduced a series of reforms to raise food output and end what he called "excessive prohibitions" in communist Cuba.

The following are some of the reforms undertaken so far:

• Decentralized agriculture to allow private farmers more leeway to decide how to use their land, what crops to plant and what supplies to buy. Farmers granted leases to unused land.
• Lifted ban on Cubans buying consumer goods such as computers, DVD players, microwave ovens and other electronic appliances previously prohibited due to energy crisis.
• Cubans can now stay at hotels at beach resorts previously reserved for foreigners only, ending a "tourism apartheid" that was a source of resentment.
• As of April 14, Cubans will be allowed to freely buy and use cellular telephones, a service that only government officials and foreign companies had access to until now.
• Reduced bureaucracy for filling medical prescriptions and began revamping family doctor program in response to public complaints it was understaffed.

For special coverage from Reuters on the changes in Cuba, see: http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/cuba

Change! (Could you spare some?)

There’s a lot of talk about change in Cuba these days, and it’s true, exciting things are afoot. But what does it all really add up to? For the first time, Cubans are “allowed” (as in: it was illegal before) to purchase things like pressure cookers, rechargeable electric bicycles and in a few weeks, cell phones! They have even been granted the “right” to stay in the “tourist only” hotels that they have been bard from for so many years. All this is pretty big, and must be embraced as steps in the right direction, but even in the US we are familiar with the difference between being “allowed” to do something and “able” to do something. Consider that our own, all American Disneyworld is open to everyone. Everyone that is, who can afford the $71 per person to get in (Walt must be spinning in his grave!). For a family of four that would be about 1/10 of our monthly income, making it occasionally possible with lots of prior planning. But what about actual daily needs in relation to an average Cuban salary? Imagine that the tube of toothpaste you squeezed this morning cost 1/8 of your monthly salary. To begin with you’d squeeze quite a bit less on your toothbrush. Now bump it up a bit, how about a small “pressure cooker” that costs four times your monthly household income (and that’s a bargain price), or one night in a tourist hotel that costs more than what you (and all other average citizens) make all year? You get the picture. Even though you may be allowed to do something, it doesn’t mean you can.

Two years ago when the US dollar was the main “hard currency” in Cuba, my Cuban friends would accompany me to the “dollar stores” where imported goods and produce were sold for good old American “greenbacks” which Cubans had to purchase with their salaries that were paid in pesos. At first I found it humorous that they referred to these stores as “museums” but I soon realized how this pet name demonstrated the irony in being “allowed” to look but never even hope to buy one of the high priced items on display, like a pop up toaster. Not to sound cynical but today my friends have the freedom and right to visit even more “museums” and see even more high priced items than ever before! (OK, maybe just a hint of cynicism there).

Still, I do believe these are truly good and worthwhile steps to take, but these changes will only become relevant to the average Cuban when they are “able” (even with sacrifice) to obtain what they are now “allowed”.

…It’s so tempting to end there. Sounds like a neat and clean wrap up encapsulating my current thoughts on a nicely packaged presentation. But my conscience won’t let me do that, trust me, I tried. It’s messier in my mind than the words let on. Economic or political commentaries don’t mean a thing to my friends in Pinar del Rio suffering with giardia and dengue fever. There’s more in the mix. There’s the body of Christ, the Word of God, His divine providence for Cuba, the World at large and my respectively tiny, quiet, nebulous current job description of “serving the Cuban Church”. The bottom line question I have to ask is: “How does the Gospel of Jesus Christ inform the way I approach this (or any other) problem?” What hope does Calvary bring to the Caribbean and the Church in Cuba? If I’m not willing to apply the Gospel to the problems of Cuba, be they political, social, economic or otherwise, then I’m ignoring God’s one and only answer to the very foundational problem that Cuba faces…sin. Which ironically is the very same problem the United States as a whole, and I as an individual face. We just put different names on what God simply and clearly calls “sin”. So as I go about my work I find myself repeating the plea of a father asking the Lord to heal his son in Mark 9, “Lord I believe! Help my unbelief!”

Lord; I do believe you gave your final and definitive answer to suffering, death and sin in Christ’s sacrifice, -help my unbelief as I encourage my friend who sees no other way to feed his family but though the black market.

Lord, I do believe and hope in things unseen, in Your Kingdom come, -help my unbelief as I see husbands and wives, parents and children torn apart by earthly kingdoms.

Lord I do believe You have conquered sin, -help my unbelief as I proclaim that truth over my own angry, spiteful, unforgiving heart.

Lord, Your Grace is amazing! Let it amaze me as I look at how You continuously love and care for me and my family, and how You love and care for Your Bride, the Church in Cuba…

Amen.

Lessons We’ve Learned from our Kids

Lessons #7

1. When a 4 year old says "I can do it by myself", beware! Especially if it has anything to do with the toilet or breakable items.
2. Baby wipes do not work for cleaning computer screens or eyeglasses.
3. Clorox wipes are NOT substitutable for baby wipes.
4. It’s important for children to know who their parents are: Claudia asked Jeremy: “What is daddy’s name?" Jeremy: “Mr. Kevin Abegg”. Claudia: “Good! What’s Mommy’s name?” Jeremy: “Mommy Mr. Kevin Abegg!”
5. When you're impressed by the job you did in the bathroom, the whole world, including strangers at the supermarket, need to know about it.
6. After explaining to Jeremy that it takes money to buy toys, and that money comes from working at a job, Jeremy concluded: “Then I need to find a job for Nicholas”.
7. The ponderings of Boys and Men are often the same. A few weeks ago Jeremy asked: “Mommy, are girls human?” (He's promised to let daddy know if he ever finds an answer.)
8. God's love and joy can be heard in the laughter of little boys.
9. Further Ponderings: Jeremy exclaims: "Look! I've got hair on my leg!" Daddy asks: "Are you turning into a monkey?" Jeremy: "No! I'm turning into a daddy!"
10. If you give a hundred monkeys (or two little boys) a camera...

If you would like to see more of the boy's "artwork", click: Jeremy’s Photo Album (With Guest Photographer…Nicholas)

Click here for the entire list of "Lessons We've Learned from our Kids"