Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,
Happy New Year! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's overview:

1) We continue to create, transform and update courses in the midst of the holiday festivities.

2) Julie's dad left for Colorado this week in the midst of the storm, and arrived safely. The storm had rearranged our family plans; my mom stayed with us for a bit while Julie's dad was here; both are octogenarians. So, what was tight quarters last week, shrank this week. All our daughters joined us for Christmas. A good time was had by all.

Prayer requests:

1) For the students and their courses. The next round is scheduled to be in place on January 12th, to begin on January 19th.

2) For safe and timely travel in the first half of 2013: to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in April, and for the next trip to Belize in May.

3) For increased financial support. We received some special blessings this week.

Your prayers are really important for us. I pray for you every day.
God bless you, and thank you for praying.
In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

Scripture Prayer

Proverbs 1: 2-5

To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.

As we approach a new year, Lord, we thank You for every blessing that you bestowed upon Father Shaw and his students in 2012 and we ask for more of the same in 2013. May both teacher and pupil know wisdom and instruction, understand words of insight, receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity. May they give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth. Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,

Merry Christmas! ¡Feliz Navidad!

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's overview:

1) We are between "live courses". Having arranged for students to take courses by Internet, they may finish the 24/7 version of the courses whenever they need to. Which means: students are hiking at different paces along the ministry trail, so to speak.

2) Julie's dad, and our daughter Ruth have joined us for Christmas day. Julie's dad returns to Colorado shortly, but in the meantime, Julie and I were able to enjoy with holidays with Ruth, Hannah, and Lydia. This coming year should be interesting for all of us.

3) Lydia has passed through the Advent season with a look at the past, while heading towards the future. She has navigated around a major landmark reasonably successfully, at least as far as we can tell.

4) We have enjoyed the services we have been attending (or leading), and we have enjoyed telling people what we do. Apparently, it seems to some people that we move about quite a lot. In hindsight, it has been God's plan for us, and I wondered what God was saying to us in all the comments. And then, as I was preparing a sermon on Monday morning, it occurred to me that what we are doing as SAMS missionaries is somewhat like what the Apostle Paul did. He was in Ephesus for about as long as we were in Peru, and we have moved from place to place just as the Holy Spirit led Paul from place to place in his missionary adventures. However, there are differences, as is befitting the times: our missionary home base is Wynantskill, instead of Antioch, and we use the Internet a lot instead of Roman roads.

Prayer requests:

1) For our family members during the Christmas season. Julie's dad will be staying with us to the 27th. We believe that he has enjoyed his stay with us. It was a bit cramped, but on the whole, we have navigated through this time rather well.

2) For the students who are concluding their courses, and for the development of the upcoming courses during the live course break.

3) For safe and timely travel in the first half of 2013: to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in April, and for the next trip to Belize in May.

4) For increased financial support.

Your prayers are really important for us. I pray for you every day.
God bless you, and thank you for praying.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

Scripture Prayer

Psalm 126:2-3

Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.

The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Lord thank you for all the blessings that You have bestowed upon Fr. Shaw and his students in Belize this year. Thank You for the successful start of the on-line theological program. May Father Shaw and his students and his whole family be full of joy, peace and love throughout the Christmas Season. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,
This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's overview:

1) We are winding down the semester with this semester's live course, and the semester keeps going with 24/7 courses.

2) It is quite possible that I may be connected with online course planning for the online part of the Anglican seminary in Jamaica, this week.

3) In 1985, Julie and I visited Trinity School for Ministry and stayed with the Lang family as our student hosts. Years later, one of the Rev. Dale Lang's sons was shot and killed in his high school in Canada as part of a Columbine copycat incident. Dale Lang's response to what happened to his son has served as a courageous example for me: http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/cr0207.htm. You can also find out about him on YouTube.

4) The horrific events in Connecticut this week remind me that when I travel to places such as Belize, I travel and work by the grace of God. By that I mean that I never can be certain that I am going to be alive at the end of the day, every day of such a mission trip. I am reminded of that whenever the Bishop drops me off at a house and waits for me to enter the house safely before he drives off. In Belize City in July of this year, people said there were safe areas. When I returned in October, people not only said there were no longer safe areas, but also, there were a rash of murders of young women in the Western part of the country, highly unusual. I think one of the things that grabs my attention when I visit Belize City is the nightly news tv report that lists by name all the murders that took place that day, one murder victim per screen at a time. I am convinced that your prayers help keep me safe.

Prayer requests:

1) For our family members and the upcoming Advent and Christmas plans. Julie's dad will be staying with us from the 21st to the 27th. He has advanced Parkinson's disease.

2) For the students and the courses, to the glory of God. Particularly that current students of the live course would end on a strong note, on/by December 21st, and that students taken the 24/7 would keep going strong.

3) For safe and timely travel in the first half of 2013: to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in April, and for the next trip to Belize in May.

4) For increased financial support.

Your prayers are really important for us. I pray for you every day.
God bless you, and thank you for praying.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

Scripture Prayer

Psalm 100:1

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
Serve the Lord with gladness
And come before his presence with a song.

As Christmas approaches Lord, we pray for your joy to permeate all of our gatherings and all of our busy-ness. We pray for the students in Belize who are finishing up their first semester of seminary work. Bless them mightily Lord and lead and guide them to get all of their projects done. Bless Father Shaw as he continues to develop courses and give him some rest during the break between semesters. Also bless Julie and Lydia and Hannah and Ruth and we pray for some quality family time during the holiday. And we pray for financial provision, Lord. May a benefactor looking for end of the year donation opportunities step forward and be an answer to this prayer. We know You will provide, Lord. Thank You.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,
This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's overview:

1) Course development work continues.

2) Students are focusing on the final part of the semester.

3) A number of things have come to our attention for various reasons in the last few days.

Therefore, prayerfully taking everything into account, we have decided it will be more helpful if we made a clearer distinction between our Online Anglican Theological College (OATC) Google resource site and our (OATC) Moodle course site. Both sites continue as 2 complementary parts of our education mission, but we find it necessary to refine the mission of the Moodle course site. Here is the distinction as of this past Sunday:

3a) The OATC Google site continues to be a resource site open to anyone in any diocese or denomination for self-improvement purposes: you may avail yourself of the library links and downloadable resource section for each of our OATC Moodle site courses as you desire, as self-improvement students. A password is not needed to access these pages, but let us know by email that you are a self-improvement student. The home page is: https://sites.google.com/site/onlineanglicancampus/ Feel free to look around.

3b) The OATC Moodle course site requires a password and at the moment is primarily reserved for the Diocese of Belize and the Diocese of Western Tanganyika. If you are a supporter, a bishop or diocesan leader from a diocese other than Belize or W. Tanganyika, or an archbishop, and you would like to look around, it would be my pleasure to give you a tour.

Prayer requests:

1) For our family members and the upcoming Advent and Christmas plans.

2) For the students and the courses, to the glory of God. Particularly that:

2a) current students would end on a strong note, on/by December 21st, and

2b) prayers for the next course beginning January 19th, and

2c) for which students would be attending them.

2d) for our Spanish speaking students.

2e) for the conversion of the current lives courses to 24/7 courses, beginning December 15th.

3) For travel plans in the first half of 2013:

3a) to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in April (current plan is to meet the Bishop of the Diocese here in the US, in March, and then, a group of us travel back possibly with him to Tanzania). This trip is a prerequisite for establishing an online education program at Kasulu Bible College; while in Tanzania, I may be teaching students in Belize, online. With online education, I can do that, and

3b) plans to visit Belize after Ascension Day, in May, to teach in situ (on location) for a week or so, and

3c) the Bishop of Belize has mentioned that he would like me to visit the seminaries in Barbados and Jamaica, on my next visit, to see if we can develop stronger ties there, and

3d) The April trip requires visas, vaccinations (as needed), ticket coordination with others, letter of introduction as needed, and so forth, in advance (some of it at least month in advance); so prayer for all those matters would be appreciated, as well as safe and timely travel, and hopefully having at least some basic vocabulary knowledge of Swahili.

4) Financial support, that it would increase, to take into account travel plans in the first half of 2013.

Your prayers are really important for us. I pray for you every day.
God bless you, and thank you for praying.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

December Newsletter

Looking towards 2013.

Mayan ruins in western Belize, Central America.

Our missionary plans for 2013 are taking shape.

As I visit parishes, people regularly ask when I am going to be visiting Belize or Tanzania. Actually, the main part of our missionary work is done online from home in New York State, but we have settled on a plan to visit Belize twice a year, and Tanzania once a year. These trips are essential life-lines that keep the online ministry happening in New York.

Current plans for the Diocese of Belize in 2013 include at least one trip to Barbados and one trip to Jamaica from Belize, to strengthen ties between all the seminaries. Culturally, the other deans need to meet with me in person to enable any future steps forward as per the Bishop of Belize. (Jamaica is about 1,500 miles from Belize, and Barbados is about 3,000 miles from Belize.)

And, before we can set up our adjunct online courses from New York for Tanzania, it is an important cultural point for Shaw to visit the seminary and to meet the students in Kasulu, Tanzania.

2013 will be an important year, culturally.

And we need your continued prayer and financial support. Because the online missionary ministry is our main activity, we need continued financial support for daily living in the US to keep the ministry going, as well as for daily living and ministry matters in Tanzania and Belize, for missionary activity work in the US and other countries, and so on. Being SAMS missionaries, contributions to SAMS for our missionary support goes for both our living and missionary expenses in the US and other countries, just as if we were full-time living in another country and visiting the US.

Ways to support us.

Your prayers and financial support make the online educational ministry happen. Thank you.

Please make checks out to: "SAMS", and put "Mudge" in the memo space. The mailing address is: SAMS, P. O. Box 399, Ambridge, PA 15003-0399.

God bless you,
Shaw+ and Julie+
Global missionaries of SAMS and Albany.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,
This is our weekly public prayer mail.
Welcome to Advent, and the beginning of the Church year!

1) Course development work continues, on several courses.

2) Students are entering the final part of the semester.

3) We begin to turn our attention to plans for 2013.

Prayer requests:

1) For our family members and the upcoming Advent and Christmas plans.

2) For the students and the courses, to the glory of God. Particularly that:
2a) current students would end on a strong note, and
2b) prayers for the next courses, and
2c) for which students would be attending them.
2d) for other interested students (the Archbishop of the Province of the West Indies and the Bishop of Belize have mentioned that anyone who wishes may join the students of Belize in the online courses, so if anyone would like to participate, please let me know; it might be an interesting cross-cultural experience), and
2e) for our Spanish speaking students.

3) For travel plans in the first half of 2013:
3a) to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in April (current plan is to meet the Bishop of the Diocese here in the US, in March, and then, a group of us travel back possibly with him to Tanzania). This trip is a prerequisite for establishing an online education program at Kasulu Bible College; while in Tanzania, I may be teaching students in Belize, online. With online education, I can do that, and
3b) plans to visit Belize after Ascension Day, in May, to teach in situ (on location) for a week or so, and
3c) the Bishop of Belize has mentioned that he would like me to visit the seminaries in Barbados and Jamaica, on my next visit, to see if we can develop stronger ties there, and
3d) The April trip requires visas, vaccinations (as needed), ticket coordination with others, letter of introduction as needed, and so forth, in advance (some of it at least month in advance); so prayer for all those matters would be appreciated, as well as safe and timely travel, and hopefully having at least some basic vocabulary knowledge of Swahili.

4) Financial support, that it would increase, to take into account travel plans in the first half of 2013.

Your prayers are really important for us. I pray for you every day.
God bless you, and thank you for praying.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

Scripture Prayer

Ephesians 1: 15-19

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…

God of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of glory, we dedicate this prayer of Paul for the Ephesians to Father Shaw Mudge as he develops courses and to his students in Belize as they inwardly digest Your Word in their studies. We continue to give thanks to You, Lord, for the great faith of these people and their love toward all the saints. May they always have that spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You; may they have the eyes of their hearts enlightened and always remember the hope to which You have called them and the riches and benefits of the glorious inheritance that we have in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

1) Course development work continues, especially on the Holy Spirit series.

2) We had a good time with family this week.

Prayer requests:

1) For our family members.

2) For the students and the courses, to the glory of God.

3) For the plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in March, and plans to visit Belize after Easter.

Your prayers are really important for us. I pray for you every day.
God bless you, and thank you for praying.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

Scripture Prayer

Colossians 2: 6-7

Therefore as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

As we pray this Thanksgiving weekend, Lord, our hearts are full of gratitude and praise. Thank You for every blessing that You have bestowed upon Father Shaw and Mother Julie and their family. Thank You for the Internet courses that Father Shaw is developing. We praise You for his students in Belize. Thank You for the future students in Tanzania and the U.S. May the whole Mudge family be models for the students and the rest of us, always walking in You, Jesus, rooted and built up in You, established in faith and abounding in thanksgiving. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,
This is our weekly public prayer mail.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, as you are able.

1) Even though Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Belize, it is a short week in Belize, as well, since Monday is Garifuna Settlement Day - a national holiday in Belize.

2) Course development work continues.

3) There was another very good Internet course lecture time this past Saturday.

Prayer requests:

1) For safe holiday travel and good celebrations this week.

2) For our family members.

3) For the students and the courses, to the glory of God.

4) For the plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in March, and plans to visit Belize after Easter.

Your prayers are really important for us. I pray for you every day.
God bless you, and thank you for praying.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

Scripture Prayer

Joel 2:28

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

Joel 2: 32

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Father God, we call upon You and your Holy Spirit to come in great power. Come in great power and bless and fill to overflowing Father Shaw and Mother Julie and all their family, especially Lydia. Also Lord, please pour out your Spirit on all the students in Belize. May there be gifts of prophecy and dreams and visions among all the people. And may this accomplish the ultimate purpose that everyone will call upon your name and be saved.

Lord, we say special prayers today for your servant, Velda. We know that she is resting in your heavenly kingdom. Lord, bring comfort to all of Velda’s family and her friends.

Thank You for her great faith and her witness to her family.

Amen.

November Newsletter

News from the front lines.

I am sometimes asked how many students I have. The answer is that it fluctuates, but I have the right number of people needed in the Diocese of Belize.

One of the advantages of our online program is that it allows for students to come and go as their life circumstances change. In other words, no one fails, but some take longer than others to finish the program. Yet there are some things that even this plan can not adjust for.

One reason the number varies is that critical life circumstances intervene from time to time as happens in many parts of the world. We have experienced this before in South America, for example. Not everything is predictable.

And what comes to mind today is one of my students in Belize (and a Cursillista), Velda. She is a true "veteran of the faith" if you will, not in the military sense, but in the sense of being a life-long saint. Velda has entered a medically induced coma. Currently, she has a 15% survival rate.

Her family believes that they will know the outcome on Thursday.

I am humbled by the observation that another of our students emailed to me about Velda, the day before I wrote this. The student said: "I saw Velda last night and her hand was on the study Bible. Her children said that she referred to it constantly as she taught members of her family."

The study Bible was the study Bible version that I felt led to ask the students to get for the courses and which the Diocese of Belize provided the students for that reason a few months ago. You just never know what God will do with his gifts.

Ways to support us.
Your prayers and financial support make the online educational ministry happen. Thank you.
Please make checks out to: "SAMS", and put "Mudge" in the memo space. The mailing address is: SAMS, P. O. Box 399, Ambridge, PA 15003-0399.

God bless you,
Shaw+ and Julie+
Global missionaries of SAMS and Albany.

Holy Eucharist at the 2012 Synod for the Diocese of Belize at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Belize City.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

It has been another interesting week. I am glad to have Lydia with us (I am also glad to be keeping in touch with the rest of my family). We continue to adjust to the new path ahead. I am pleased with the way things are going, but then, I am an optimist.

In the midst of it all was veterans day, a time to honor those who have sacrificed their time and talent in the service of our country. And there was elections day.

And what comes to mind today is one of my students in Belize (and a Cursillista), Velda. She is a true "veteran of the faith" if you will, not in the military sense, but in the sense of being a life-long saint. Velda has entered a medically induced coma, and tomorrow, her family will have to make a tough decision.

I am humbled by the observation that another of our students emailed to me about Velda, today: "I saw Velda last night and her hand was on the study Bible. Her children said that she referred to it constantly as she taught members of her family."

The study Bible was the study bible version that I felt led to ask the students to get for the courses and which the Diocese of Belize provided the students for that reason a few months ago. You just never know what God will do with his gifts.

1) We survived the storm of the week without a problem or a snowflake. My brother had 5 inches of snow in Connecticut.

2) With editorial help from family members and with suggestions from students, I continue to develop additional teaching materials for the Belize courses. Thank you, every one.

Prayer requests:

1) For Velda and her family.

2) For our family. Each of us has our own challenges and opportunities, including Lydia's next steps.

3) For the students and the courses.

4) That people's lives would be transformed by what we do and teach, to the glory of God.

5) For the plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in March, and plans to visit Belize after Easter.

Your prayers are really important for us. I pray for you every day.
God bless you, and thank you for praying.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

Scripture Prayer

Galatians 5:25

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Holy Spirit, wash over me that I might live daily in Your truth and understanding and be born anew in the Kingdom of God. Amen. (From a document of the Daughters of the King)

Holy Spirit, wash over Father Shaw. Holy Spirit wash over Mother Julie and Lydia and Hannah and Ruth. Holy Spirit wash over all the students in Belize. May all live daily in Your truth and understanding. May they be born anew everyday in Your Kingdom. Dwell in them and swell in them so that they may do their parts in the growing of Your Kingdom. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

It has been an interesting week.

1) We survived the hurricane - superstorm intact without damage, nor with a power loss.

2) Lydia's Face Book words to her friends today are a good summary of events for her this week: "So I think it's about time to inform you all that I am withdrawing from school."

3) I am in the processing of trying to develop more teaching materials for the Belize courses. The courses continue.

Prayer requests:

1) For our family. Each of us has our own challenges and opportunities. One of the big ones is Lydia's next step.

2) For the students and the courses. I plan to start a series on the Holy Spirit on Thursday.

3) That people's lives would be transformed by what we do and teach, to the glory of God.

4) For the plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in March, and plans to visit Belize after Easter.

5) For God's vote in the elections.

Your prayers are really important for us. I pray for you every day.

God bless you, and thank you for praying.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

Scripture Prayer

Isaiah 11:2

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Holy Spirit, come. Come with all your power and might. Rest upon Father Shaw. Fill him completely as he prepares lessons about You. Be with all his students as they reflect upon You and learn how to live in the power of You, Holy Spirit. May Father Shaw and his students be full of the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

We pray these words for all of the Mudge family as well. Be with them Lord. May each member know the love of Jesus Christ and the joy of His Spirit, and ever grow in You according to your perfect will. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

This week has had everything from the heights of Heaven to the depths of Hell and back again. Well, back again for some of us. Julie is visiting Lydia at this time, and the enemy is working overtime. Meanwhile, they are not far from Salem, Massachusetts, as witches descend, heavy traffic on Route 128. At the full moon, just before Halloween. Before the big storm.

Praise God for all the great students who are doing wonderful work in Belize. They are a real blessing.

Praise God for our praying friends. You are a real blessing.

Praise God for our family. You are a real blessing. All of you.

Praise God for God. He is a real blessing.

Prayer requests:

1) Against the storm. Some of our Belizean friends are joining us in this. They have lot of experience praying with hurricanes. They suggest praying the storm into a depression. I suggest praying that the jet stream would move further to the East and in this way, take the storm out over the Atlantic.

2) For our family.

3) For the students and the courses. I plan to start a series on the Holy Spirit in about a week and a half.

4) That people's lives would be transformed by what we do and teach, to the glory of God.

5) For the plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in March, and plans to visit Belize after Easter.

6) That the Lord of all the saints would be honored on October 31st, especially in the Salem, Massachusetts, area.

Your prayers are really important for us. I pray for you every day.

God bless you, and thank you for praying.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

A Comment from Fr. Shaw and Scripture Prayer

Father Shaw's Comment:

We had an interesting time last night. One of the Spanish speaking women had never had an email account before, and with help of others in Belize she was able to get one. Then, I put her into the program. Wow. She was thrilled. Email was new, and then, to see the course in action,.... Those both were big moments for her. She was not up to the full class, but she enjoyed just watching it take place, and enjoyed it when the English speakers in the class said hello to her in Spanish.

Scripture Prayer:

Psalm 31:19

Oh how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!

Father God, we thank You again for all the blessings that you have sent to Father Shaw and his students. How abundant is your goodness, Lord! Please continue to be with Father Shaw as he expands the curriculum and starts teaching Spanish speaking students as well as the English. Show him, Lord, how to teach students of so many different levels of ability, all at the same time. Thank You for your merciful grace bestowed upon Fr. Shaw and his students, and to all who will learn from them, all the children of mankind. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

1) Developments continue for connecting with two other theological colleges (seminaries) in the Caribbean: one is in Jamaica and the other is in Barbados. Of the two, Jamaica appears more likely, probably because of their online capabilities.

Further discussions are anticipated when the Provincial Synod (the equivalent of General Convention for the entire Province of the West Indies) meets in Jamaica on November 9 to 17. It is an exciting venture, always keeping one on the edge of one's seat.

2) Lydia came home from college for a few days on break, and has returned. Ah, college life. With its ups and downs.

3) Students are settling into their studies. Some students have interesting cultural approaches to education. Some surprises.

4) We have also been preparing for another experiment this week: holding evening interactive lecture times during the week for students who can not attend the lectures on Saturday mornings.

5) We have been planning for an experiment in bilingual education (which begins this week): to see if it is feasible for Spanish speaking students (from the West of Belize) to join with English speaking students (in other parts of Belize), each speaking their own language, as part of the same interactive lecture, at the same time. I get to teach in this environment and to respond to each group. This experiment has potential cultural significance as well as a being an experiment in linguistic technique.

Prayer requests:

1) For a cessation of violence in the West of Belize. Several young women/girls have been murdered. Unusual for this area.

2) For the Holy Spirit's guidance with the various educational initiatives that I have mentioned, above.

3) For the students.

4) That people's lives would be transformed by what we teach, to the glory of God.

5) For the plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in March, and plans to visit Belize after Easter.

6) For the addition of new students this week, and more in January. As we continue to develop courses in the direction of the "24/7" version, it is becoming increasingly possible for students to start a course at any time.

Your prayers are really important for us. I pray for you every day.
God bless you, and thank you for praying.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

October Newsletter

News from the Synod in Belize.

Shaw attended the Synod (diocesan convention) of the Diocese of Belize in Belize City in mid-October. Their Synod is held every other year. He extended greetings from President Stewart Wicker of SAMS and from Bishop William Love of the Diocese of Albany: to the Synod, to Bishop Philip of the Diocese of Belize, and to Archbishop John of the Anglican Province of the West Indies.

The Synod and the Bishop Philip honored Shaw for the work that he has already done with the on-line theological seminary, on behalf of the Diocese of Belize.

While at the Synod, he 1) was asked to facilitate the formative meeting of a new commission pertaining to Total Ministry in the parishes of the Diocese, 2) gave a presentation for Synod attendees about the Anglican Online program. Several Synod members expressed an interest in taking courses. 3) Because of the way that he addressed the Spanish speaking members in Spanish during his presentation, he was subsequently asked to be one of the translators for the Spanish speaking Synod members, and 4) he had a separate meeting with students, and all who attended were Cursillistas, and most had been team members.

In a pre-Synod meeting between Shaw and Archbishop John of the Province of the West Indies, the Archbishop put his stamp of approval for the Belizean program and suggested that Shaw might contact the two Anglican seminaries in the Caribbean about a joint venture of some sort. That is a step by step process, but Bp. Philip of the Diocese of Belize has already started to contact the other seminaries as part of this effort.

Bishop Philip and Archbishop John welcome people in North America and Africa to participate in the program, alongside the Belizean students. The courses are in English.

If you are interested in participating in classes with Belizean students, please contact Shaw.

Cultural factoid:

Because he has a Doctor of Ministry degree, most people in Belize and (now somewhat across the Province of the Caribbean) refer to Shaw as “Dr. Shaw”. That is, he is called Dr. Shaw by most people except for Bishop Philip and some others who are beginning to call him “Doc” when not formally introducing him, perhaps a cultural indication that he has become part of the diocesan team.

Shaw with Bishop Philip of Belize and Archbishop John of the Church in the Province of the West Indies, October 2012, immediately after Shaw’s meeting with the Archbishop.

Scripture Prayer

Psalm 16:11

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness and joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever more.

Father God, we thank You for every blessing, especially for all the positive results of Father Shaw's visit to Belize. Thank You that he had fruitful visits with the Archbishop of the West Indies and the Bishop of Belize and some of his students. We thank You that the on-line program is growing and that students from the US and Tanzania can start benefitting from the curriculum.  .Lord, continue to be with Father Shaw as he develops new courses. Also, show Mother Julie what her role is to be in this effort. We pray that Lydia is doing well in college and that Hannah and Ruth are thriving as well.

Indeed, Lord, You make known the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

1) I have had a wonderful trip in Belize. Gave a presentation at the Diocesan Synod (the Synod is held every two years). Led a discussion group that started planning total ministry in the Diocese over the next two years. Talked with students. Added more potential students. Spent perhaps 2 hours of quality time with Bp. Philip, and another hour and a half separately with Archbishop John. A great time was had by all. This was Archbishop John's first visit to the Diocese of Belize since Bp. Philip was consecrated Bishop.

2) I received permission from both Bishop Philip and Archbishop John, that if anyone in Tanzania or North America wishes to take my online courses, an option is to join the same courses that the students in Belize are taking. Classes are in English. Please contact me for more information.

Prayer requests:

1) For safe and timely travel for all our family members, and good health.

2) For completing the follow-up matters from the trip.

3) For my contacting the heads of the two other Anglican seminaries: in Jamaica and Barbados this week by email. This has been a suggestion of both Bishop Philip and Archbishop John. In fact, Bp. Philip has already contacted them about my pending email messages. I am awaiting a further message from Bp. Philip.

4) For the timing of the next trip to Belize. It may be a trip that takes me to Belize as well as meeting with the leaders of the two other Anglican seminaries in their respective countries. This meeting has been proposed by Bishop Philip.

5) For the plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in March.

God bless you, and thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are really important for us, and I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

Safe Arrival in Belize

Dear Praying friends,

I have arrived safely in Belize and am attending the Synod.

I arrived during the second strike of the week in the western part of Belize that has taken place because of the frequency of murders there. Yes, that part of the country is protesting that there are too many recent murders, there.

During the afternoon, I had a one and a half hour meeting with the Archbishop of the Province of the Church in the West Indies today about the path ahead for our online education program, integrating into the rest of the Province. So, with his blessing, I have a path forward. Pray that the Lord would guide this project.

I was welcomed warmly at the opening Holy Eucharist at the Synod tonight.

I started out the travel day about 1:30 am Belize time, and now I am concluding the day about mid-night on the same day: that's a 22.5 hour day. I did get a few hours sleep during flights and in the afternoon.

Tomorrow (Friday) I am to address the Synod, briefly. I have had an opportunity to talk briefly with students, potential students, and others.

God bless you,
Shaw+

Scripture Prayer

Prayer for Travelers (BCP page 831)

O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel, in particular Father Shaw Mudge, surround him with your loving care; protect him from every danger; and bring him in safety to his journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Father God, we lift up Father Shaw to you this day as he travels to Belize and meets with the Archbishop of the Province of the West Indies today. We pray for every travel mercy. We pray for your Holy Spirit to be with Father Shaw and the Archbishop. May their discussion lead to many more students from the West Indies benefitting from Father Shaw’s on-line program.

We pray for all events at the Synod of the Diocese of Belize. And we pray for the rest of this trip, especially when Father Shaw meets face to face those students that he has been teaching via the internet; and for all future students as well, and for the continuing development of the curriculum. May all teaching and all the student’s work be done in the power of your Holy Spirit.

We pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

1) My visit to the Diocese of Belize annual Synod begins on Thursday, including making a presentation to the Synod, meeting with the Archbishop of the Province of the West Indies, and meeting with students after the Synod.

2) We had a great visit at Grace Church, Waterford, today.

3) Praise God! I am receiving more and more requests about our program, such as: how to find it, or where to see specific program updates other than what is on our blogsite, etc. My response is in two parts.

a) The best thing to do is for people to drop by our open program Web site: OATC (Online Anglican Theological College).

Browse the Web site: https://sites.google.com/site/onlineanglicancampus/

b) And, if you are interested in looking at the courses themselves, perhaps you want to read the assignments for your own benefit or you want to participate in courses, you need an account for our Moodle Anglican-Theology classroom site. If so, please contact me, and let me know what you would like to do. I can advise a personalized plan of study for you, depending on your goals.

Even if you have spoken to me about wanting to take courses, now is a good time to send me an email request about this.

Prayer requests:

1) For the plans at the Synod of the Diocese of Belize, over the next week, and for safe and timely travel.

2) For the present and future students in our programs, and for program design and that teaching and the student work would be done in the power of the Holy Spirit.

3) For the plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in March.

God bless you, and thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are really important for us, and I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+
SAMS missionaries, as well as missionaries of the Diocese of Albany
Serving globally.

Scripture Prayer

John 15:26

But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thank You for being with Father Shaw and his students in Belize. Holy Spirit, come in all your power to impress these servants with the truth so that they can most effectively bear witness to Jesus.

Be especially with Father Shaw as he prepares for his trip to Belize, a presentation at the Diocesan Synod and meetings with the Archbishop of the Province of the West Indies and with his students.

We pray for the continued development of the online courses and for the plans to start a program in Tanzania and to open up the courses to interested parties from the Diocese of Albany.

We thank You Lord, that You do provide for those who love You, who work for You according to your purpose.

Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

Things are shaping up for my visit to the Diocese of Belize annual Synod in about 2 weeks, including making a presentation, meeting with the Archbishop of the Province of the West Indies, and meeting with students.

Plans are in the works for a trip to the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in early March to firm up final plans for their online program.

We had a great visit to St. Paul's in Brookfield, CT, today. I preached; Julie and I were at the altar with the Rector. A wonderful congregation.

I also redesigned our seminary webpage, to focus solely on Belize and W. Tanganyika. If anyone else would like to participate in courses, please let me know by email (lay people or clergy). You could start in 2013 with courses available (and continue as courses are developed) as you desire.

Prayer requests:

1) For our students, classes, and the continued development of the online courses.

2) For the plans at the Synod of the Diocese of Belize, the week after next.

3) For the plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in March.

4) For Julie leading services at Grace, Church, Waterford, next Sunday.

God bless you, and thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are really important for us, and I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+
SAMS missionaries, as well as missionaries of the Diocese of Albany
Serving globally.

Scripture Prayer

Proverbs 4:7

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

Lord, we thank You for the excellent start to the on-line theological program in Belize. Thank You for sending your Holy Spirit to Father Shaw as he develops the curriculum and thinks of new ways to deliver the course material in this technological age. Thank you for all the students who are working so hard to become ministers of Your Word. May all of Father Shaw’s work and all of the students’ studying be guided by You, full of your wisdom and leading to the understanding that You intend.

We ask for your continued inspiration for Father Shaw and his students as they continue to delve into effective ways to interpret the Bible. Be with Father Shaw and Mother Julie as they visit St. Paul’s in Brookfield CT this Sunday. May they meet new financial supporters and intercessory prayer supporters during their stay. And we pray also for Father Shaw’s trip to Belize in October and his part at the Synod of the Diocese of Belize and for the longer range plans of bringing on-line theological training to the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania and to the Diocese of Albany as well.

We thank You, Lord, for every blessing. Amen.

Newsletter

A foot in two realms.

I am teaching students in Belize a Biblical Interpretation course by Internet, but as I engage them in chat sessions and by email daily, and as I set up the course for them, I feel as though I am there, in Belize: a foot in both worlds.

From my desk, which looks like a wardrobe, entering Narnia is almost a fitting analogy, but not quite. This is real, and nobody moves. We meet each other, almost as if we were two sides of the same computer screen, except that we are both appearing on the same side, at the same time. Metaphorically, they enter North America while I enter Belize. Many feet in two realms.

Some of the students seem challenged just with the academics, and some seem challenged by the local telecommunications company in Belize. But they are all enthused, for their backs are to the wall. This is it. There is no other theological educational plan, so we are invested in each other, to make it work, and it is working.

One of my goals is to leave no one behind. It was not an officially assigned goal, but it is a role that I gladly take on for the Gospel.

And so, it comes as a pleasant surprise to the students when I reach into the muck of their situation and metaphorically pull out a rose of a solution, so that they can keep going. And they are so relieved. They are not left behind. Another dashed hope averted. Someone cares.

And they learn things. Learning things about God, about mission, about prayer, about being Anglican in Belize. Part of teaching the future leaders of the Diocese of Belize is to learn to come together as a team. We work with the regular folks whom the Lord gave us. Some might be little rough around the edges, but they are part of our team. People are people, everywhere.

It may be hard for some people to see growth right now, but it is happening, slowly, deliberately, patiently, day by day, one footstep at a time. And then, one day in the future, other people may suddenly notice what is happening, and see what God did. And they will be amazed and may want to become involved.

If you see the students through God’s eyes as successful, there is a good chance that they will succeed, but maybe not in the way that you or they expect, but in God’s way. So, not only do all the students and faculty have a foot on each continent, we have one foot on earth and one in the Kingdom of Heaven. That could be a lot of feet in heaven and on earth!

Ways to support us.

Your prayers and financial support make the online educational ministry happen. Thank you.

Please make checks out to: "SAMS", and put "Mudge" in the memo space. The mailing address is: SAMS, P. O. Box 399, Ambridge, PA 15003-0399.

God bless you,
Shaw+ and Julie+
Global missionaries of SAMS and Albany.

Shaw and Julie in San Ignacio, Belize, July 2012 with Ms. Cecile Reyes, Administrative/Diocesan Secretary. Photo by Fr. Juan Marentes.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

We are full swing into our semester curriculum. We are having a great time. Great students.

Since Belize is much closer to the equator, we don't have Fall and Spring semesters. We have semester 1 and semester 2 of each academic year; we are in semester 1 of this year.

Prayer requests:

1) For our visit to St. Paul's in Brookfield, CT, this coming weekend, to preach and make a presentation about our on-line program.

2) For our students, classes, and the continued development of the online courses.

3) For my part at the Synod of the Diocese of Belize in October.

4) For the plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in March or April.

God bless you, and thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are really important for us, and I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+
SAMS missionaries, as well as missionaries of the Diocese of Albany
Serving globally.

Scripture Prayer

John 1: 1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Today, Lord, Father Shaw Mudge and his students from Belize begin their course on Biblical Interpretation. Lord, we thank You for that great source of Your Word that reveals Jesus Christ to us. May the students have great insight into the character of your Son, Jesus Christ. May they know his light. May they share that light with others. May your Kingdom come in all its glory as your light shines in the hearts of Father Shaw and his students. Shine, Jesus, shine! And may your Holy Spirit help them and inspire them in their studies.

We pray for stamina for Father Shaw as he creates new resources with which to deliver his courses. We pray for financial provision for him and his family. And we ask for blessings on Mother Julie and Lydia and Hannah and Ruth. We thank You Lord for your provision and for every answer to prayer. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,
This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

1) This week, we are currently in a transition from our Orientation course to the first Biblical Interpretation course. Things seem to be going well; and each day there seems to be something interesting. Additional students are wanting to join.

2) It seems that I am online just about every day with students in Belize. I can do this more easily online, as it turns out, than if I were on the ground in a traditional setting.

3) Because there is a fair amount of mold that grows during the rainy season on books in Belize, providing the students with electronic resources that they can use on their flash drives, keeps the materials fresh and portable.

4) I developed presentations to make it easier for students to access the courses at various times of the week. I think we are doing well in this part. To do this in an orderly fashion, I rearranged part of the OATC (Online Anglican Theological College) online library to handle the sudden increase in course materials available online.

5) Our mailing went out.

Prayer requests:

1) For our class chat lecture on Saturday (11 am Eastern time).

2) For the students taking the online courses in Belize, and for those thinking about joining.

3) For continued development of the online courses.

4) For plans to visit Belize City in October, for the Synod of the Diocese of Belize.

5) For a favorable response to our mailing.

6) For the plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in March or April.

God bless you, and thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are really important for us, and I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+
SAMS missionaries, as well as missionaries of the Diocese of Albany
Serving globally.

Scripture Prayer

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Father God, I write this prayer at the same time that Father Shaw is leading a chat session with his students. Lord, we thank You for the inspiration that You have given him and for the enthusiastic reception of his slide programs and videos. Lord, continue to guide Father Shaw into the best methods of interacting with his students. May all that are connected with this program learn to see You better.

Be especially with Shaw in the next week as he gets ready to launch the first content driven course to his Belize students.

We also pray for further support for Father Shaw and Mother Julie Mudge. We thank You Lord that You do provide. We ask for stronger financial support so that they can meet the needs of everyday living and family concerns.

Thank You for every blessing that You send, Lord. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

A) Today, I think back to where I was in September 11, 2001. I did not watch much of the video coverage of the event at the time. I have not seen too much to this day. Too close to home, in fact 32 funerals in my home town. Personal stories from the living. A story of at least one person I knew who perished helping others get out; he had a strong commitment to the Gospel.

B) But the Gospel is not stopped by human events. God is bigger. And so, in Belize we are raising up a seminary from virtual extinction, now with a greater potential to reach people across Belize, and Africa, and the US: online, because of what is happening in Belize.

There is no one else doing it for the Diocese of Belize. I am more and more awestruck as I stand in the gap for the entire diocese of Belize with goals: to bring more people to Christ, to raise up clergy, to train people to do the work of ministry in the midst of difficult circumstances: healing, prayer, Bible, leading congregations, transforming communities for the gospel.

I sense your prayers, every day. I am awed by what God is doing. You are making a difference.

C) Other updates:

1) We had a great time at Trinity Church in Granville, yesterday. Awesome. In the midst of it all, Julie preached a great sermon; we concelebrated with Fr. Art, and my presentation went well.

2) I have made plane reservations for the Diocesan Synod in Belize in October; Bp. Philip would like me to talk about the online program at the Synod.

3) We have a mailing coming out, and Julie and I have been working on that.

4) Hardware installation in the Diocese of W. Tanganyika in Tanzania is now projected for sometime in March/April 2013; this is better timing than before. I am planning to make a visit there at that time, to check out the system and to meet with people. It is possible that I may be teaching students in Belize from Tanzania during the trip.

5) At the suggestion of several students, on Friday, I created a set of two slide presentations and turned them into videos, (some people prefer video but not everyone can access video); both sets became immediately accessible online and turned out to be right on target. What I did not realize (and what really turned out to be a home run) is that the method and the combination that I used feeds right into the kind of educational learning style that most of the world uses, in a way that is really helpful to the students. I sensed God's hand in it, in a powerful way. In the forefront, I pray about what to do.

Prayer requests:

1) For the students taking the Fall online courses in Belize.

2) For the continued course development of the on-line programs for the dioceses of Belize, Albany, and W. Tanganyika. The goal is 58 courses over 3.5 years. We create one set of live courses, and use those to develop the 24/7 courses; the combination of the two types is 58 courses.

3) For our family.

4) For plans to visit Belize City in October, during the Diocesan Synod.

5) For the response to the mailing.

6) For the plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania.

God bless you, and thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are really important for us, and I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+
SAMS missionaries, as well as missionaries of the Diocese of Albany
Serving globally.

Scripture Prayer

Proverbs 24:3

By wisdom a house is built; and by understanding it is established.

Father God, we continue to pray for Father Shaw and for his 15 students from Belize. He describes his work as continuing to build a ship while it is sailing. Could it also be a house that is being built and lived in at the same time? Lord, we pray for that wisdom for Father Shaw and for his students, that the house is being built by Your wisdom and the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus, Your Son. May true understanding be established.

We pray that all computer bugs be eliminated and that each chat session is trouble free. Lord, we ask that You keep the communication lines open between Father Shaw and his students, between Father Shaw and Yourself, and between the students and You.

Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,
This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

1) It has been an interesting week for Julie and myself. This missionary lifestyle is full of adventure: up and down, spiritual warfare, up and down, spiritual warfare, up.... What keeps me going through it all is the image of my resting in the palm of Jesus' hand. It keeps me going through it all, with a sense of God's peace.

2) Regarding the Belize online campus:

The first day of orientation class was exciting. One of the reasons we have an orientation course is to work out the bugs so that we don't work them out during a regular class. That was a wise decision. Net result: we got through our first bug, and the 3.5 year seminary plan is off to a solid start.

3) Regarding the Albany online campus:

The goal is to have the first course or so available at the turn of the year.

4) Lydia is at college. She has a great roommate and very good room. She is taking control of her studies. Great stuff!

5) We had a good time at Trinity Church in Watervliet, this morning. I got to pray a prayer for the anniversary of Fr. Marty and Judy. That was a powerful moment.

Prayer requests:

1) For the students taking the Fall online courses in Belize, and for the program overall, especially the next few weeks as we go through our shake-down cruise. I think this sums up the situation: we are building the ship while sailing it.

2) For the continued course development of the on-line programs for Belize, Albany, and W. Tanganyika.

3) For Lydia as she settles into college.

4) For Hannah and the month of prayer for Troy.

5) For the goals of each of our family members, that we would be the ministers whom Jesus has called us to be.

6) For plans to visit Belize City in October, during the Diocesan Synod.

7) For possible plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in December/January, to work out on-line plans for Kasulu Bible College (East Africa).

God bless you, and thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are really important for us, and I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+
SAMS missionaries, as well as missionaries of the Diocese of Albany
Serving globally.

Scripture Prayer

Psalm 149:1

Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful.

The Reverend Dr. Shaw Mudge begins the Orientation course for Belize students with the Scripture above. The first on-line class session is scheduled for tomorrow, September 1 at 11:00 A.M. New York time. Please cover this session which will last about 1 hour 15 minutes with prayer. We pray that all computers work as intended and that this program gets off to a good start. May all of Father Shaw’s work bring glory to You, Lord. May the students learn what You want and may they ever grow in You. Praise the Lord!

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,
This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

1) Hannah has arrived back with photos and movie clips from her Uganda trip. Awesome. The photos and videos seem very similar in some ways to Julie and my short term mission trip to Uganda in February.

2a) Regarding the Belize online campus:

Course materials are in place on the Web sites. Thanks to Bill Schrull's efforts, software and hardware pieces are in place. Course content is on-schedule for the Fall courses ("Fall semester" is really "semester 1" as you get closer to the equator; there is not an "Autumn.") Students are discovering the sites.

2b) Our first time together as a class is this coming Saturday at 9 am Belize time (which is Mountain Time in the US at this time of year); I am discovering the advantages of some of the dictation software in the new operating system on my computer.

2c) This week Jeanne Gizara has been helping me proof-read materials, some of which could be used for the other online campuses. She has been very helpful.

3a) Regarding the Albany online campus:

"Albany" is a catch-all site for people who wish to take online courses in the Diocese of Albany and elsewhere. Bill Schrull has put live Moodle site in place for the Albany campus, and I am now beginning to put the overall course structure in place. The goal is to have the first course or so available at the turn of the year.

3b) The Albany campus library is up and going - feel free to browse it; it is the same library on the OATC website as is used for the Belize campus ("OATC" is my theological program name: "Online Anglican Theological College"). https://sites.google.com/site/onlineanglicancampus/

4) By the time you read this, Lydia may be back on campus for her Fall semester.

5) Praise God that I survived the upgrades of my both Web browser and operating system this week. The future had seemed pretty grim, initially, when things did not go well. I came to know some tech support people really well. They were great.

Prayer requests:

1) For the students taking the Fall online courses; there is a fluctuation among the non-Commission on Ministry students. But there are a good number of Commission on Ministry students. First chat class begins on Saturday; 11 am East Coast time.

2) For course development of the on-line programs for Belize, Albany, and W. Tanganyika.

3) For Lydia as she adjusts to college this week. She seems to be excited about both that and about the fact that she has a birthday coming up this week.

4) For the goals of each of us, that we would be the ministers whom Jesus has called us to be.

5) For plans to visit Belize City in October, during the Diocesan Synod. Bishop Philip would like me to talk about the on-line program at the Synod for the Diocese of Belize (Central America).

6) For plans to visit the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in Tanzania in December/January, to work out on-line plans for Kasulu Bible College (East Africa).

God bless you, and thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are very important for us, and I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+
SAMS missionaries, as well as missionaries of the Diocese of Albany
Serving globally.

Newsletter

Greetings!

As I write this, Lydia is about to return to college for her sophomore year, and the Belize on-line campus is about to get underway.

Belize. Over the past few weeks, I have been in regular contact with the diocesan office in Belize, several times a week, and sometimes, several times a day for a number of reasons.

Among the topics: I have been asked to attend the Diocesan Synod in October so that I may explain and promote the online program.

Administrative pieces have been falling into place. The structures of the first two courses have been finished and course content has been developed. The first course is an Orientation program designed to familiarize students with the online program, beginning September 1.

Pray that Jesus would use these courses to his glory that lives may be transformed for the Kingdom of God by what the students learn.

Educational Software: our Moodle 2.3 live site is up and going for the Belize campus, and the live site has been put in place for the Albany campus.

Website: administrative parts, Moodle portals (for Albany and Belize campuses), and the library (open to anyone) are in place at:  https://sites.google.com/site/onlineanglicancampus/

Tanzania: The President of Kasulu Bible College has alerted students that I am developing online courses for them. I plan a trip to Kasulu Bible College to outline specific plans, about the turn of the year.

Diocese of Albany: This campus is a "catch-all" campus for online students in the Diocese of Albany and elsewhere who are not in the Belize or Kasulu Bible College programs. Course development has just begun, and I hope to offer the first course or so about the turn of the year.

Julie and I had the pleasure of serving with Bp. Bill and Karen Love, Tom and Jeanne Gizara, and the other team members of the Couples Cursillo weekend at the SLC last week. Fantastic team and fantastic candidates.

Our upcoming visits.
September 9: Trinity Church, Granville
September 30: St. Paul's, Brookfield, CT.

Ways to support us.

Your prayers and financial support make the online educational ministry happen. Thank you.

Please make checks out to: "SAMS", and put "Mudge" in the memo space. The mailing address is: SAMS, P. O. Box 399, Ambridge, PA 15003-0399.

God bless you,
Shaw+ and Julie+
Global missionaries of SAMS and Albany.

Shaw and Julie in Belize July 2012. The Lord Bishop Philip Wright's photo is behind them on the wall. He is never too far from their thoughts. Please join them in praying for his work.

Scripture Prayer

John 6:51

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.

Jesus, we thank You for the gift of salvation and for eternal life in Heaven. Thank You for dying on the cross for us and for the grace that You give us as we accept You into every corner of our lives. Thank You for spiritual nourishment and refreshing.

Lord, we pray that the online education that the Mudges are developing will also be nourishment for those that enroll in their courses. May Father Shaw and Mother Julie be providing to their seminary students the solid food that is necessary for a life of ministry.

We pray for your blessing this week as students in Belize begin to look at the materials that are being developed. We pray against computer bugs and ask for inspiration on how to fix them when they occur.

And Lord, we ask for your protection and guidance for Lydia as she goes back to college at the end of this week. Bless the whole Mudge family, Lord: for Father Shaw’s mother who had a pacemaker put in last week, and for Hannah and Ruth as well. You know their needs Lord. They are in good hands! Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear praying partners,
This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

1) Regarding Cursillo: we had a great Cursillo weekend. It was a great team; we have a great bishop; it was a great group of candidates; the music was awesome; and there was a special quality to the weekend because it was a couples' weekend. I thought my beloved did an outstanding job.

2a) Regarding Belize:
Course materials go live this coming Saturday, for students to preview. They can do this for a week before we actually begin the orientation course on 1 September. The Biblical Interpretation I course materials are moving towards completion; the course is from late September to December.

2b) Regarding Albany:
More people are expressing interest in similar courses for Albany. We are making the first steps in that direction. And there are people in the Diocese of Albany who are offering their expertise to help with program development. Thank you to everyone.

Prayer requests:

1) For the participants of the Cursillo Couples weekend this week, and how they move forward. Ultreya for this group is coming up at Church of the Messiah in Glens Falls on September 8. Pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to touch lives through us all in a mighty way, and for spiritual protection in the days after the weekend.

2) For the preparations for the Fall online courses; the Orientation Course begins on September 1st, and prayers for Albany and W. Tanganyika course development plans.

3) For future parish visits. We are entertaining requests for parish visits in late September, and also October, November, and December.

4) For Lydia as she prepares for her return to college in about a week and a half.

5) For Hannah in Uganda. We continue to hear brief but great reports. She returns on Wednesday.

6) For my mom: she had a pacemaker put in during the Cursillo weekend. She seems fine, but my brother has been through a lot on what he thought was going to be an uneventful vacation.

7) There is a lot of spiritual static this morning. Pray that my computer's functioning would return to normal.

God bless you, and thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are very important for us, and I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+
SAMS missionaries, as well as missionaries of the Diocese of Albany
Serving globally.

Scripture Prayer

From Luke 1: 46-49

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He who is mighty has done great things, and holy is his name.

Lord, we thank You for these words from your mother, Mary. May they be the ideal upon which all our ministry depends, the mission work of Father Shaw and Mother Julie and the work of all of the intercessors as well. May all of our lives magnify You, Lord, and may our spirits be joyful as we contemplate all the wonderful gifts that You have bestowed upon us. May we always give thanks for the great things that You have done, and may our worship be holy in your name.

Lord, we pray for a faith growing and spirit-filling Cursillo weekend. We pray for the talks and the music and the fellowship. May your love be received and reflected back to all the team and candidates. We pray for the Anglican theology on-line curriculum that Father Shaw is developing. And we pray for safety and blessings for Hannah in her travels in Uganda and her trip home. Be with Lydia as the summer draws to a close, and she starts her second year in college.

Thank You Lord for all the blessings You send. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost."  Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear praying partners,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

1) Regarding Cursillo: we had a great teaming meeting on Saturday; the presenters are top notch; the music team is a very good one. The Couples weekend begins on Thursday.

2) Regarding Belize:
I have continued to work on the structure for the Fall courses, covering the months of September through December, as well as developing another important administrative document for the Diocese of Belize.

I have contacted and begun enrolling the 20+ prospective Anglican students in the various programs.

This week we received the news, as per the Diocesan Office in Belize, that additionally, there may be a few Methodists in Belize who may be enrolling in the courses.

3) We had a great time today at both services at Calvary Church in Burnt Hills.

Prayer requests:

1) For the Cursillo Couples weekend this week. Pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to touch lives through us in a mighty way.

2) For the preparations for the Fall courses; the Orientation Course begins on September 1st.

3) For future parish visits. We are entertaining requests for parish visits in late September, and also October, November, and December.

4) For Lydia as she prepares for her return to college at the end of August.

5) For Hannah in Uganda. We hear great reports.

God bless you, and thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are very important for us, and I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+
SAMS missionaries, as well as missionaries of the Diocese of Albany
Serving globally.

Scripture Prayer

Ephesians 5: 1-2

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Lord, we thank You for the ministry of Father Shaw and Mother Julie. In all ministry, your Son Jesus Christ is the perfect model. As Christ gave himself to be a fragrant offering and sacrifice, the Mudges are always giving themselves to their work. Thank You, Lord, that You are always with them, sending them blessings and inspiration every step along the way. Thank You for the love that You give to all of us, your beloved children. Thank You for showing Shaw and Julie how to share that love with so many others.

We pray for the visit to Calvary Church in Burnt Hills this Sunday; for the Cursillo teaming this Saturday and the weekend itself starting on August 16; for further steps in implementing the on-line theology courses; for Hannah in her short term mission to Uganda; for Lydia as she starts to get ready to go back to college.

Thank You, Lord, for your loving care. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear praying partners,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.
This week's update:

1) Julie and Lydia are back. Hannah has started on a short term mission trip to Uganda.

2) Regarding Belize:

a) I have started constructing course G100A, the three week online orientation course, to be in place on August 25. I should have the basic structure finished on Monday or Tuesday, and then to begin working on the the 12 part Biblical Interpretation I course, to be in place by September 8.

b) In addition, I have done considerable work on the 16 part G101 course, the Theological Preparation course; some more work is needed to get the main pieces in place by September 1st.

3) Regarding Tanzania: I received word today that Kasulu Bible College has already been passing the word that I will be part of their program.

4) We had a great time today at both services at St. Matthew's in Latham.

Prayer requests:

1) We will be at Calvary Church in Burnt Hills, next week. Pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to touch lives through us in a mighty way.

2) For the preparations for the September courses, and for our September and October plans.

3) For future parish visits.

4) For Lydia as she concludes her summer plans before returning to college.

5) For our roles in the upcoming Cursillo Couples Weekend, August 16-19, and the  teaming meeting before then.

God bless you, and thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are very important for us, and I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+
SAMS missionaries, as well as missionaries of the Diocese of Albany
Serving globally.

Scripture Prayer

Acts 2: 1-4

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Father God, we are so in need of Your Holy Spirit. We get bogged down in this earthly life, what with sickness and the loss of loved ones and just plain worry about ourselves and our families. So we ask for a continual replenishing of Your Holy Spirit, especially for Father Shaw and Mother Julie, but for all the intercessors as well. Come Holy Spirit., come with all your power. Amen.

We pray especially for Julie as she grieves the passing of her mom. We pray for the start of the on-line courses and that all runs smoothly as participants begin to use the Moogle program. We pray for the expansion of the program to all of the churches in the West Indies and in Tanzania and beyond. Keep Hannah safe as she does some short term mission work in Uganda. And Lord we thank You for financial provision for the Mudges. May they never have to worry because of their trust in You.  Amen.

Prayer Mail July 30

Dear praying partners,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:
What a week to sum up. I am back in New York State, and Julie and Lydia are away until Tuesday evening.

1) The memorial service for Julie's mom went well. Julie preached a great sermon. (Subsequently, she and her sister have been working on some matters relating to their mom.)

2) I am making good progress with developing the online education program for Belize. Interest is gaining momentum about all our online programs, and on Tuesday, I met a person on an airplane, a Pentecostal person; after I gave him a briefing on what Anglicanism was, he said that he would be interested in supporting us financially and in taking part in the program for his self-improvement. Praise God!

3) I had an interesting birthday on Saturday. Just about every relative, except Hannah, was out of town. Touched base with most.

4) I had a great time celebrating and preaching at both services at Christ Church, Cooperstown, today.

Prayer requests:

1) We will be at St. Matthew's in Latham, next week. Pray that the Holy Spirit would touch lives through us in a mighty way.

2) For our program preparations over the next month, and for our October plans. The Bp. of Belize would like me to attend the diocesan synod in October, and if things can be worked out, to talk with the Primate of the Church in the Province of the West Indies about our online plans, during the diocesan Synod. Your prayers about this would be appreciated.

3) Prayers about scheduling visits to parishes. We have a few dates in September open and beyond that. Pray that the Holy Spirit would open doors for what he wants to do through us, and to connect with the right people that he wants us to meet.

4) For Lydia as she finishes her summer plans before returning to college, for Hannah as she prepares for her short-term mission trip to Uganda which begins this week, and for Ruth who adjusts to a new workweek schedule, and prepares for music students in the Fall. It would be helpful for Ruth to have an increase in the number of her students.

God bless you, and thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are very important for us, and I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+
SAMS missionaries, as well as missionaries of the Diocese of Albany
Serving globally.

Prayer Mail July 23

Dear praying partners,
This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

We had safe and timely travel back from Belize. We now enter the next phase of preparing our courses, to go live in September.
And, then, as you may have heard, Julie's mom died after a long bout with various mysterious illnesses. We attend her memorial service on Tuesday.
We had a great time at St. Peter's in Albany today.

Prayer requests:

1) I preach and celebrate at Christ Church, Cooperstown, next week. Julie will be in Colorado. Pray that the Holy Spirit would work through me in a mighty way.

2) For our course implementation plans over the next 40 days. Our Orientation course for Belize begins on September 1, and our Biblical Interpretation I course (how to use and study the Bible) begins on September 22. After we have those live versions of our courses underway, we will be in a position to develop 24/7 versions for anyone.

3) For everyone in the family as they grieve. For Lydia as she finishes her summer plans before returning to college, for Hannah as she prepares for her short-term mission trip to Uganda, and for Ruth who teaches cello in Illinois.

Thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are very important us, and I pray for you every day.
In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+
SAMS missionaries, as well as missionaries of the Diocese of Albany
Serving globally.

Prayer Mail

Dear praying partners,

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This week's update:

Greetings from Belize in Central America. We return shortly. It has been a fruitful mission trip in many ways. Jesus touched many people by our presence. We move forward, one step at a time.

Our hosts, Fr. Juan and Maria Marentes, have been very gracious. We appreciate everything that they have done with us.

Our Tanzanian friends are moving forward with our online education plans for the Kasulu Bible College.

Prayer requests:

1) For the balance of this mission trip in Belize. I preach at St. Ann's in Belmopan on the 15th. There are a few more meetings to go. For safe and timely travel home on Monday. That the Holy Spirit would guide all conversations and actions, and that the next step of our online program would fall into place in God's way, in God's timing.

2) For our Moodle implementation plans over the next month and a half, getting ready for the course to begin in September. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would bring the people he wants to take the courses. Our Orientation course begins on September 1 (how to use the programs for the courses), and our Biblical Interpretation I course (how to use and study the Bible) begins on September 22.

If you or anyone you know would like to participate in our online courses for personal spiritual growth, please send me your name and your email address. In Belize, such participants can join as a family (grandparent with grandchildren or parents or aunts and uncles), or with a friend, or as an individual, whether as clergy for continuing education or as a lay person. This way, people can share computer resources and do things together. The same offer is extended to the people in the Diocese of Albany, and elsewhere. Our youngest prospective student is 12 years old.

3) Next Sunday, Julie and I will be at St. Peter's in Albany making a presentation/preaching.

This week, I have a dentist appointment (replacing a filling) and we plan to be attending a Metropolitan Deanery clergy lunch, both of these events on the same day. Your prayers would be appreciated for all three events this week that the Holy Spirit would touch the lives of everyone involved.

4) For Lydia in Maine, Hannah as she prepares for her short-term mission trip to Uganda, and Ruth in Illinois.

Thank you for praying for us. Your prayers are very important us, and I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

Scripture Prayer

2Corinthians 3: 17-18


Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.


Holy Spirit, we thank You for the freedom that You bring and God’s glory that is reflected as we are ever being transformed into the likeness of Jesus. We pray that Father Shaw and Mother Julie Mudge are being guided by You, and that they always reflect the Father’s glory and shine forth with Jesus’ love as they minister in Belize or Tanzania or Albany.

We pray especially for Father Shaw as he preaches at St. Ann’s in Belmopan Belize this Sunday. God, we pray that he will preach and talk about matters as You would lead. We also ask for travel mercies as Shaw and Julie fly back to the U.S. on Monday. Lord, keep them safe.

We thank You for the encouraging results so far in Belize, especially for the enthusiasm of so many people as it is made known that the on-line course materials to be prepared by Shaw and Julie will be available to any Anglican in Belize that wants to know more about You and ministering in Your name.

Lord, we thank You for every blessing. Amen.

Newsletter July 2012

Greetings from Belize!
We are writing this month's newsletter from Belize, the site of one of our on-line educational ministries. Our current update:

Meeting with Prospective Students in Belize: July 7, 2012

Belize: Over the past week, Julie and I have been meeting in Belize with Bp. Philip, the Commission on Ministry, and prospective students. We have been talking about our online program with several parishes and groups of people. People are excited about this. We are planning to begin teaching in September.

We are under the umbrella of the Diocese of Belize's Anglican Theological Institute, and we are the main provider of their theological education. I am Director of their online program. At Bp. Philip's request, I may need to visit the Diocese of Belize again during their October diocesan synod, to continue talks about interactions with other dioceses in the Church in the Province of the West Indies (CPWI).

In the Diocese of Belize, our courses are going to be available to: lay people, people in the ordination process, current clergy, and those training to become Lay Ministers. Our lay courses are intergenerational (families and friends can work together), and the youngest prospective student is age 12. We plan to be developing an Anglican Track and a Spanish speaking Track.

Educational Software: our Moodle 2.3 test site is up and going. Bill Schrull, our IT expert and a Faith Alive Board Member, plans to switch over to the live version sometime soon.
Website: we will be using a Moodle website, but also a combination of learning tools. To see see some of our updates, go to the Online Anglican Theological College (OATC) website: https://sites.google.com/site/onlineanglicancampus/

Tanzania: Bill Schrull advises us that things are going ahead, and he will be making the final hardware modifications around the turn of the year when he visits Kasulu Bible College (KBC). Our online plans are to complement the traditional courses offered at KBC.
Diocese of Albany: the Diocese of Albany benefits from all the other work being done. Contributions to SAMS on our behalf not only helps the programs in Belize and Tanzania, but also enables us to offer online courses for deacons who are planning to become priests and for any interested lay person, in the Diocese of Albany.

Our upcoming visits.

August 5: St. Matthew's, Latham.
August 12: Calvary Church, Burnt Hills.
August 19: Couples Cursillo team, SLC.
August 26: Lydia, Christ Church, Schenectady.

Ways to support us:
Your prayers and financial support make the online educational ministry happen. Thank you.
Please make checks out to: "SAMS", and put "Mudge" in the memo space. The mailing address is: SAMS, P. O. Box 399, Ambridge, PA 15003-0399.

God bless you,
Shaw+ and Julie+
Missionaries of SAMS and Albany.
Clergy from Belize

Scripture Prayer

From 2Corinthians 12:9



“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”


Lord, we know that when we are weak, You are strong. And that in ministry, more of You and less of us is important. Father, we pray this prayer for Fr. Shaw and Mother Julie Mudge that when they are weak, You are strong. We thank You that they arrived safely in Belize and that Julie had a positive experience preaching Sunday morning. We pray that meetings with the Bishop and the Commission on Ministry go well and that the joint effort with other Caribbean nations comes to fruition. May your Holy Spirit guide all conversations and actions. May the next step of the Mudge’s mission program fall into place in your way and your timing. We thank You Lord, that You always provide for those ministries that are part of your perfect will. Amen.