Yesterday afternoon we said "farewell" to my dad, Robert Leland Abegg around 5:45. He had a rough week due to the pain, but in the end went rather peacefully and surprisingly quickly in God's mercy. Just Saturday night he enjoyed a fantastic lobster and ribs dinner with the entire family including all 5 grandchildren. He polished off the meal and slowly but consistently slipped into slumber over the next three days. I can imagine him waltzing with my Grandmother "Mor-mor", playing "pull my finger" with Scott Mew and arguing about which one of them shot the prize squirrel back on the farm with Don Deviley. All Abegg! He will be dearly missed by many, and we thank you all who have poured out your love to him in the past days and continue to intercede for the family in the days ahead.

We did not say "Adiós/Goodbye" to my dad, but 'Hasta Luego/Until Later". We KNOW we will see him again and rejoice, thanking our Lord for this certainty:

I Thes. 1:4 "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words". ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+thes+4&version=ESV )

More in the days to come. God bless and thank you again!

Dear Friends, Companions and Loved Ones - Robert L. Abegg

I want to thank all of you who have been carrying us through this time as we care for my parents and prepare for my Father's "heavenly graduation".  He is attempting to broadcast the following letter to all he knows, and since many of our supporters know and love him, or have simply prayed for him over the past years I want to pass it along. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, please make note of the reception to be held on February 9th. 

 God bless!

-Kevin

Saturday, Jan. 25^th, 2014

Dear Friends, Companions, and Loved Ones; 

It has been a great pleasure these last four or five years writing of the things I did in my childhood, but the time has come now to write about my near future.  I learned a few weeks ago that my cancer has regrouped within my body to the extent that not much can be done other than make the best of the last couple months that the doctors seem to think I have.  I thank you all for the privilege I have had of knowing and doing life with you.   My concern is for you, those I leave behind.  This is a difficult world in which we live.  Though technology has made many things easier, it has not solved the stress, frustrations, and deceit we all must live with.  I have said to some of you, I am glad my parents passed away before 9-11. Terrorism, they would have never understood. To kill any and all, young and old pointlessly, just for the sake of killing, I also cannot understand.  The world my parents lived in was hard and difficult.   They toiled and in many cases didn't live as long or healthy as we, but I think it was a more "friendly" world.   Even with the two World Wars my parents lived through, you at least know who the good guys and the bad guys were.   OK, enough of that.  You might say I'm leaving before the party gets too rough. 

My life has been good. The things I have seen, the places I have gone, and the sports I have done, far surpass my wildest hopes and dreams.  I thank God, and my Lord Jesus Christ for the life they have led me to live.   Their leading goes back before I even knew there was a God.  I have no idea why the Lord decided to grab hold of me, for it was a time when I thought, Jesus Christ, was only a cuss word!   What a privilege to have God guiding my way, even before I knew Him.   I read one of my stories a while back at the Chateau (the assisted living where I resided much of the past year due to my illnesses) to a group of "senior-seniors" entitled, "Be Careful How You Pray".   Because----someone up there is listening and you're more than likely going to have to live with those answered prayers. 

I have been through a lot these last few years, and a few doctors have been surprised that I'm still here.   I am here, but the truth of the matter is I'm not sure for how long.  I had pancreatic cancer surgery last March and though I was pretty close to leaving, I came through, ok.  In the last couple weeks a CAT scan picked up some cancer in my lungs and pancreas again.   Their guess is that I have about two months.  One of those months is mostly gone. The type of cancer, and where it is, means they can't do anything about it.   God is still looking after me though. Kevin, Claudia and the boys moved in with us in September, before we knew my timeline. He was able to arrange a year's "home assignment" from his missionary work and they're spending it here helping Bitta and me. That's another prayer God has answered. Our house is alive again; with Niko-8, and Jeremy-10, bouncing around like a couple Ping-Pong ball.   It's fantastic, it's invigorating, and it's fun. Kevin will be managing most of the ventures Bitta and I are invested in, and that leaves me time to write and do things with my beloved wife.   I didn't know what was coming, and neither did Kevin, but obviously God did.   Kevin is here, just when needed, to take over whenever I leave.

Lana, Jason and their boys have been down often from Sacramento to help with doctor appointments and much of the overall care that's so needed for both Bitta and me. We are incredibly blessed to have them close enough to visit for a day and lend a hand at whatever we need. Just two weeks ago we were able to take a drive to Bitta and Bob's old stomping grounds, Children's Fairy Land, near Lake Merritt in Oakland.  This last weekend we all (Bitta, myself, Lana's family and Kevin's family) went to Monterrey for a long weekend.  What a memorable weekend that was.

At first I was shaken up by my short future, but then I realized where I'm going there will be no more spinal surgeries, my two titanium shoulders and knees won't hurt, my numb feet will have feeling again, and nothing else is going to pain me!  Those of you I leave behind; I hope you can appreciate, what I was, while I was here.   I tried very hard to be the person that I myself would like to have as a friend.  Keep up the good fight, Look to the Lord for guidance, and remember, this world needs as many people with Christ-like integrity as it can possibly get.

With my love, respect, and good wishes; 

Robert L. Abegg

PS: There will be a reception (as opposed to a memorial since I'm still here!) held Sunday Feb. 9^th from 2PM – 4PM at the Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church parlor:  1801 Lacassie Ave, Walnut Creek, CA  94596 .  I would love to see all who can make it!

PSS: The family invites you to follow my status and send any notes, memories or words of encouragement via https://www.thestatus.com. Please click the "request an invitation" button on the home page just below the "login" button and fill out the brief form including my name "Robert Abegg. Thank you so much.

News of Grief ...and Hope

Last week we received the news that we knew would eventually come, but we hoped would be much further down the road…my dad's pancreatic cancer had returned and already spread to his lungs.  The doctor estimated he has about two months.

We recognize that every one of my father's days over the past year has been a gift from the Lord since the initial mass was discovered during his spinal surgery a year ago February. If that had not happened, we would have more than likely lost my father in March last year.  

Though I have worked with my dad over the past months to prepare family, finances and our hearts for this, and I rejoice in the time Jeremy, Nico, Claudia and I have had with him, I don't think we could ever be "prepared" for the news, and what we will continue to walk through in the coming months.

The one true, profound comfort we do have is the assurance we carry that after his body is spent; After his strength is gone; After he leaves the pain and decay behind, HE WILL BE NEW. And we KNOW we will see him again. 

"When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."

"O death, where is your victory?
 O death, where is your sting?"

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."  I Cor 15:54-57

My dad knows his savior. He knows where he is going. And we know that because of Christ's sacrifice for us, we will get to see him and rejoice with him more deeply than ever before.

For now though, we grieve and push through the wages of sin on our mortal bodies, in assured hope of a brighter future. 

Please keep my dad, Robert Abegg in your prayers. Pray for his body and mind during this time. He particularly enjoys and desires to continue writing and recording stories from his childhood and life. Pray that he is able to do so throughout this process and that he would be satisfied with the accomplishments the Lord allows. Please pray for the entire Abegg family as we navigate the grief and major decisions ahead. Please pray for my mom, Bitta Abegg, as she prepares for a future unlike the past 46 years. 

Thank you for your encouragement, support and intercession. 

God bless. 

In His Hands / En Sus manos;

Kevin S. Abegg (for the family)

The Abegg's Love Letters

	Merry Christmas! "Like a stone on the surface of a still river,  Driving the ripples on forever. Redemption RIPS through the surface of time In the cry of a tiny babe…" -Cry of a Tiny Baby by Bruce Cockburn Neither Joseph nor Mary had planned on ruining their lives. They were engaged to be married, humble as it were on a carpenter's salary. Then God's messenger showed up and told Mary she was going to have a baby that was…well, not her husbands. How do you think that was received in 1 B.C. Palestine? It was an absolute disaster that could have actually resulted in Mary's death on legal grounds! Joseph, not wanting to expose her to this, decided that a quiet divorce would preserve his own name and not endanger Mary (and whoever's baby she carried). It took a second visit from an angel to re-order his thinking, opening him to a lifetime of ridicule and shame. Joseph chose to accept his brides perceived guilt and named the baby "Jesus", adopting him into the savior's prophesied lineage of King David. Then they fled for their lives to Egypt and the story continues... (See Matthew 1-2).  God seems to work that way. He messes up our own seemingly perfect plans and does something insane like bringing redemption, hope and purpose to our lives. However the real problems come when we don't respond to God's invitation and we try to avoid stepping into the terrifying unknown, trying to remain in our own tiny, pathetic world following our own minuscule agenda. In his work "The Weight of Glory", CS Lewis wrote  "…when infinite joy is offered us, [we are] like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea…" With God's help and intervention, Mary and Joseph got it right.  They laid their planned lives on the altar in exchange for the rough, rocky road that leads to True Glory.  If you've been following the Abegg family through our web page, you know that we're currently on a road that we had not necessarily planned on, and God has lead us back to CA for a season to assist my parents with various health issues, raise support, continue with my LAM responsibilities even as we discern what our next steps will be following LAM's completed merger with United World Mission the January.  We've clearly see how this is the road God laid for us. We're having to trust He will provide the timing in the coming year to move ahead with plans for a new ministry to those caught in Human Trafficking and an anticipated training trip to Costa Rica. It has honestly felt like a lot at once, but then I focus on Christmas. On CHRIST. On Joseph and Mary's decisions and how in God's perfect timing, history itself was divided and forgiveness poured out through a child who would eventually lay His life down for our sins. Dwelling on this makes it easier to see the foolishness in thinking that God should follow my agenda rather than my simply choosing to follow Him! The Abegg family wants to THANK all of you who have supported us with prayer and finances making our ministry feasible over many years. You are vital partners in these rough ministry roads. As the year comes to a close, please consider further assisting during this transition time with a tax deductible year end gift, and for those who are not part of our support team, please prayerfully consider joining us in the coming year as we lay the groundwork for a Human Trafficking Ministry.  Donations can be made by using the "support this missionary" button at: http://www.lam.org/missionaries/abegg or mailed to: Latin America Mission, PO Box 52-7900, Miami, FL 33152-7900  (please include a note stating "for the Abeggs" or it will not be credited to our account).  Thank you so very much, and we wish each and every one of you the Joy of Hope found only in the child whose birthday we prepare to celebrate! In His Hands / En Sus manos; Kevin, Claudia, Jeremy and Nicholas Abegg Latin America Mission Director, North American Partnerships Cell: 305-799-7476

The Abegg's Love Letters - Transitions abound!

	The Abegg's Love Letters *If you have trouble viewing this e-mail, please find it online at: http://abeggloveletters.blogspot.com If you've been following Claudia's or my entries on Facebook or our Blog, you know that this has been an exciting year. That sort of "first time on a roller coaster and the seatbelt won't tighten" type of exciting! Between parent's health needs, support issues and the end of one era and beginning of another as Latin America Mission merges into United World Mission, it's been quite the year! Since March, I've made three trips to CA to assist my parents with various physical needs. After determining with LAM that such travel wasn't feasible, and that some time with partners on the West Coast would be beneficial, the whole family made the 3,000 mile trek from Miami to Martinez, CA a few weeks ago. Our last stop en route was the Grand Canyon where we got word of the next day's federal Government shut down as we checked in! However we were able to stay 3 of our planned 4 nights and shared Mather camp ground on the South rim with only a handful of other campers and lots of wildlife wandering through the empty grounds! Now that we've arrived in CA, for our first full-fledged "home assignment" since we joined LAM as missionaries to Cuba 10 years ago, we are looking forward to catching up with old friends and faithful supporters.  Evan as we work through merging two missions organizations into one.  You can read more about the merger in our previous blog entry or on LAM's and UWM's websites, but this leaves the question of what's next for the Abeggs? For now, though on a long overdue missionary "home assignment", I will continue assisting other LAM missionaries and their supporting churches through the transition, and lending my experience and understanding to a transitional Partnership Team working with our local and international partners. Over the next few months I will continue conversing with UWM on possible next steps, including their current invitation to move to Charlotte, and fulfill a similar role to what I've had over the past four years as LAM's North American Partnerships Director. Yet we're also discussing an exciting possibility of being involved directly in the battle against Human Trafficking,  particularly in Latin populations in the US.   Over the years, my connection with LAM partner ministry Rahab Foundation in Costa Rica has shown me that there is much for North Americans to LEARN from Latin America in this arena, and who better to bridge such a partnership other than LAM now further strengthened by merging with UWM as an international organization?   This is all in the discernment process, but I ask that you pray for us and intercede with us on numerous fronts: An ability to discern the Lord's direction, clarify the vision and lay plans that honor Him, agree with UWM's vision mission and purpose as well as the Abegg's calling. The overall LAM and UWM merger process and my ability to assist my fellow missionaries and the many supporting churches in this transition. Adjustment for the whole family being away from our 10 year home and living with and caring for my parents for the coming months. We look forward to connecting with those on the West Coast whom we seldom see, and we'll be setting up catch up times in the coming months.  This Sunday we will be taking part in Walnut Creek Presbyterian's missions conference and hope to see some of you there! Please send us a note and let us know how you're doing, and know that we are SO VERY THANKFUL to those of you who constantly lift us up in prayer and have made sacrificial decisions enabling us to continue ministering alongside Latin Americans for so many years! As some have asked, for now donations and support will continue as normal until the beginning of next year:  Checks may continue to be mailed to: Latin America Mission P.O. Box 52-7900 Miami FL, 33152-7900. Please include a note indicating "For the Abeggs". Online Donations may also be made online at: http://www.lam.org/missionaries/abegg In His Hands / En Sus manos; Kevin S. Abegg Latin America Mission Director, North American Partnerships Office: 305-884-8400 x225 Cell: 305-799-7476 Mission Partnership info

An Exciting Ride and a New Day for LAM!

On Friday I returned from Toronto, Canada, which has not been my usual direction of travel over the past 10 years with Latin America Mission.  However this was a special trip addressing some significant changes taking place at Latin America Mission. A few days ago a communication was sent out announcing LAM’s merger into United World Mission. Having served on LAM’s guidance team over the past few years, I can tell you that this has been a difficult process, however one that we anticipate to bear much fruit as we move forward. The new merged ministry will certainly result in greater pathways for Kingdom service, not only within Latin America but for our Latin partners into the rest of the world.

Interestingly my first interaction with UWM and current president John Bernard was at a 2002 Cuba conference held at their US office in Charlotte, NC. Actually, UWM’s origins were in in 1946 when they first began work in Cuba, and they now have ministries Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. The new combined organization will consist of more than 350 missionaries (doubling the size of each individual organization) serving in 42 countries. As a mission, UWM is committed to upholding the principal of partnership, and to continue working alongside Latin partners in both word and action as LAM has done for nearly a century. The merger will reduce overhead costs, allowing our missionaries, sending churches and receiving ministries to be even better stewards of what the Lord has entrusted.  For now, the name “Latin America Mission” will continue as ministry of UWM, and donations can continue as usual until further notice.

So…what does this mean for the Abegg Family? We joined LAM as missionaries to Cuba in the year 2000, have had extensive involvement in re-inventing and managing LAM’s international partnerships over the years, and more recently worked to strengthen LAM’s North American Partnerships with Sending and Supporting Churches.  I would be lying if I said this change isn’t significant, however we’ve see how the Lord moves through, and uses times of change to guide and align us with His purposes. For now, we continue on our anticipated trajectory of a 9 month “home assignment” in order to raise share with supporters, visit churches and care for some significant needs my (Kevin’s) parents are facing.

UWM has asked us to consider joining their home office in Charlotte. Yet over the past few years we believe the Lord has been opening doors and leading us toward further work between the N. American and Latin Church in the area of Human Trafficking. Over the next couple of months we ask for intercession as we will be discerning with UWM leadership where the Lord is leading us all: The Abegg’s in terms of long term ministry assignment, UWM/LAM in terms of transfer of specific partnerships, missionaries and next steps in Latin America. We will keep you posted and updated to the best of our ability, and ask that you keep us all in your prayers.

We will be arriving in CA sometime during the first week of October, and began our journey West yesterday. Please follow us on Facebook and know we will miss our friends and partners in Miami this year but look forward to connecting with those on the West Coast in the near future.

For now donations and support will continue as normal until the beginning of next year: 

• Checks may continue to be mailed to: Latin America Mission P.O. Box 52-7900 Miami FL, 33152-7900. Please include a note indicating “For the Abeggs”. 
• Online Donations may be made at: http://www.lam.org/missionaries/abegg

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. We look forward to continuing this journey together and will keep you posted!