Prayer Mail

Dear Prayer friends,
Peace be with you.
This is our Christmas public prayer mail:
Have a Merry Christmas!

The Week in Review (please pray as you read this):

1) We have had a lot of input and support (in various ways) from family, friends, prayer warriors, and the Holy Trinity, this week. Thank you all.

2) Family update: Lydia has returned from college campus. Hannah has exciting mission news in Troy. Ruth is soon to arrive here for Christmas vacation.

3) Julie preached a good sermon at Grace Church, Waterford, this week. Her focus was on the lessons of the week.

4) We have pursued, prayed, and talked over our several options for 2012, based on the suggestions and developments over the past week or so. This is the net result:

There are still some important conversations ahead, but as of several phone calls yesterday morning, our current outline is: site visits to Uganda and possibly Kenya in the latter part of January and early February (details to be worked out). Likely long-term assignment start date: latter part of 2012.

People have asked what Lydia thinks: Lydia feels very comfortable with our site visit plans, and with the idea of Kenya.

5) Several clergy have already asked us to visit their parishes. Thank you.
We plan to start visiting parishes/deaneries/mission committees/individuals after we arrive back in the U.S. from Africa.

Additional prayers:

1) For Discernment. Choosing the right location, based on our site-visit. What needs to be done over the course of the next year, in preparation for our long-term assignment.

2) For Finances. We are SAMS missionaries on home assignment, even as we prepare for our next venture. Please pray for God's provision for this venture.

3) For college work. Lydia has some catch-up work to do over break, before next semester. Prayers for timely and good completion of her semester's work in January would be appreciated.

4) That this would be a good preparation year for the entire family.

5) Setting up and logistics of site visits. We are praying for the right guide in Uganda, to help us get around, how the bus system works, etc. With about 34 or so different local languages/tribes throughout the country (though the common one is English), a guide would be helpful to show us how to navigate the culture.

6) For the necessary vaccinations, visas, and other matters in preparation for our site visit.

7) Safe and timely travel during our site-visit trip: back and forth to Uganda, and on location.

8) That Jesus would shine through what we do. That we minister effectively, as He would want us to, in the course of His visits, His planning, and His long-term plans for us.

God bless you, and I continue to pray for you every day. Your prayers matter to us.

In Christ,
Shaw+ and on behalf of Julie+