Servant & Follower of a Tireless Lord

It's good to know that God never tires, gets "moody" or forgets where the car keys are. I've been thinking about that recently and how it's also very good that I'm NOT God. God doesn't have "intentions". He speaks and it's done. In a one week brief auditory lecture God brought everything into being that exists. I can barely create a cup of coffee in the morning without accidentally putting salt into Claudia's cup instead of sugar. (It hasn't happened yet, but I've come dangerously close).

God also has a perfect balance of work and rest (He initiated the idea). I find myself struggling lately to prioritize my work, which just happens to serve missionaries similar to myself as they do what God has called them to do. It is increasingly difficult to balance this work and my time with family, church, home repairs, communication with supporters (hence the amount of time from my last entry) and get some rest in there at some point. Yet in this all God has a perfect balance. A balance which I continue to seek in this life and will fully experience in the next. I don't believe we'll be floating around playing a harp in Heaven. Like Jeremy and Nico, there daddy would be too tempted to shoot Nerf arrows from the harp strings and probably get kicked off my cloud for hitting a Seraphim or something! God designed work pre-sin. Adam and Eve were called to dedicate themselves to caring for the garden, so it would stand to reason that we will do work in the new creation. But this will be fruitful, productive work where every effort undertaken will have the intended, glorified results since sin and its influences will reign no more. A welcome thought as I survey the bunk beds I'm building in my garage...supposedly a Christmas present to the boys.

But enough of my rambling, my point was balance. Balance of work, rest and overall responsibility. I enjoy what I do as work because I get to see many ways the Kingdom of God is advanced not only in Latin America but throughout the world. I have the privilege of working with and assisting ministries that are evangelizing future believers and training present leaders in the Gospel. We also get to partner with ministries in Latin America that are sending Latin Missionaries to countries that a North American simply does not have access to. Places familiar to me like Cuba or unreachable such as many countries in the 10/40 window where someone with a North American Passport simply cannot go. I have the privilege of taking part in a "global partnership" to reach the world with the Gospel, and I love it!!! So that's where the temptation comes in. I love what I do, but in order to honor God (and simply survive) as I do it, I need to embrace His balance for my life. We see in Genesis that God loved what he did in creation proclaiming it "Good" and "Very Good", yet even He rested. What makes me think I cold ever do any different? I desperately need Him to pour into me if I can ever hope to have anything to give to others.

Like I said: "It's good that I'm not God" but it's also good of God to give me Himself as my savior, my hope and my strength, not to mention an example of how to live the very life He gave me.

God bless!
-Kevin

One of our fun Christmas favorites

Ministry Prayer Needs:

Over the past few months it’s been exciting to work with many LAM missionaries and associate ministries as they seek to respond to God’s call. The following are a few items that I would ask you to lift up in prayer:

• I am exploring how to send a pastor working in the US and his family back Panama to continue working with, and ministering to fledgling churches of the Embera tribe (his tribe of birth). This tribe was used as actors in order to portray the Auca tribe of Ecuador involved in the martyrdom of young missionaries including Jim Elliot in the movie End of the Spear. Please pray for wisdom and key partnerships in Panama that will allow this to move forward.
• Since I was blacklisted by the Cuban government a few years back I have continued to encourage our associate ministries throughout Latin America in their own involvement in Cuba. I am excited about the possibility of having someone who has worked on these projects with me in the past return to the MSO next year in order to dedicate themselves full time to these projects. Please pray for this person (name withheld for their security) as they finish up studies, and raise their support. Please pray for me as I renew contacts and lay the groundwork for this ministry, preparing to increase LAM’s involvement in Cuba.
• I’ve had the privilege to assist one of our missionary families working in Brazil recently. We believe the Lord has strategically placed them through their ministry, and LAM through our partnerships to help prepare local churches for the 2014 World Cup Soccer Games and 2016 Olympics that Brazil will be hosting. Brazil has a complicate past in dealing with Children at Risk (street kids) and Women at Risk (primarily prostitutes). LAM works with multiple ministries throughout Latin America, many of which have already expressed interest in working together to not only help minimize the damage and abuse to these groups of people during these events, but to share eternal hope and immediate help with those who know neither of these. Please pray for wisdom for all involved in what will undoubtedly be a massive project incorporating partners from throughout Latin America, North America and around the globe.
• We have various missionaries in transition at this point, some of whom are changing ministries in the same country, others changing countries but with the same ministry focus (children, church planting, Christian camping, Biblical/Theological education, etc), all of whom need assistance from the ministry department in order to re-engage them in serving the Latin Church or reaching the lost with the Good News as quickly as possible. Please pray for the Ministry Department at LAM where I serve as we provide guidance, assistance and in some cases healing to these other missionaries in transition.

Christmas is coming!

Depending on how you look at Christmas this thought can cause debilitating anxiety or overwhelming Joy. This year, my anticipation of Christmas began before Thanksgiving and that’s not just because Christmas items hit the stores in August this year (Costco already had one Christmas isle the last few days of August, “Christmas in July isn’t a joke anymore!). Our church has spent the past few months going through the book of Nehemiah, and I was particularly impacted not only in God’s faithfulness to his many promises including the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, but the preparation that Israel went through in order to celebrate his faithfulness (Giving Thanks) and worship Him as Lord, Savior and Redeemer (See Neh. 12:27-47). Anyone can flippantly say “thanks”, but true, worshipful THANKSGIVING takes not only heart and mind, but physical preparation. Israel literally built tent cities to house all those who were preparing to worship the Lord.

I want to approach Christmas with a similar preparation. Not a running around franticly checking things off my list, but in reflecting on God’s faithfulness. We just celebrated a national Holiday (Holy-Day) dedicated to reflecting on God’s faithfulness and giving Thanks. Is there any other act more worthy of awe and thanksgiving in all of history (make that eternity) than God becoming flesh for the purpose of dying for the sins of His very own creation? In the words of one of my favorite songwriters: “Redemption ripped through the surface of time in the cry of a tiny baby”.

So, even as Claudia does the daily work of homeschooling two high energy boys, as I make phone calls, respond to e-mails and assist missionaries, Latin ministries and US churches, as we go about our daily, sometimes monotonous routines I try to keep the manger, and the cross in the forefront of my mind and give thanks that it’s because of those reality changing acts that there is purpose, beauty and joy (despite circumstances) to the life we’ve been given.

Happy Thanksgiving and a joyous anticipation of Christmas to you!

praise, prayer and partnership opportunities:

Prayer about Monthly Support: As many of our supporters wrestle with financial difficulty, we have seen our own monthly support suffer. Ultimately we look to the Lord to provide for our needs, and He has done so at times in truly miraculous ways. We however recognize that the primary way has been in His providing for our supporters who in turn include our ministry in their plan for stewarding what they have received. Please join us in praying for the Lord’s blessing and provision for our prayer and financial supporters (which may even include your own family!), but especially for those who are being faced with difficult financial decisions and have had to reduce their donations. Also, please pray for those who would be able to “stand in the gap” of those who currently cannot continue their support.

To make a contribution, please visit:
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#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”.

Where’s Waldo Now?

Where am I? While traveling from Miami to Martinez to Santa Cruz to San Diego and now in Tijuana, I’ve managed to sleep as best I could in six different beds over an eight night spread. I was going to title this entry “Missionaries who Sleep Around” but figured I’d get in trouble somehow, so just pretend you didn't read that potential title :-) !

The Abegg family breezed through my parents house Th. Night, but got to spend the weekend with them and Walnut Creek Pres at their fall conference in Mt. Hermon, CA. Claudia, the kids and I describe Mt. Hermon as “Our favorite place on earth”. I grew up going to conferences and counseling Jr. High and High school camps there while going to UCSC (go banana slugs!). There’s something about the trees, rivers and mountains that nourish our souls, and each time we visit we make a point of taking a family picture in the chapel where I proposed to Claudia.

OK, enough memory lane, what am I doing in Tijuana? After visiting with many old friends in Santa Cruz I headed to Tijuana as Claudia and the boys got to spend the day at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium. The bulk of Wed was used to visit Team Tijuana ministries with LAM missionary Greg Saracoff before attending an evening service at a church plant in the slums of Tijuana where another LAM missionary Meagan Riggot is serving at a church plant being spearheaded by Pastor Giovanni Hernandez (who's kitchen I slept in last night. I had a few more meetings this morning (starting at 5AM) and then back North of the boarder in a few hours.

Thank you for your prayers!