Newsletter

Photo: taken by George Opejo, Christ Church, Nairobi, Kenya

Mission: East Africa.

We have arrived back from East Africa, and we are in the process of making public at which location we will serve:

Nairobi, Kenya, or
Mityana, Uganda, or
Gulu, Uganda

We liked all three.
We liked them, despite:

the clouds of dust from the unpaved roads;
potholes in the road, lots of them;
the malaria mosquitoes that whine at night;
a consistent 102 degree heat at 5 pm in the shade;
the several electrical failures of a day or more;
the occasional running water outages;
the almost total Internet blackout at times;
the regular near death experiences on foot, by car, or by any other form of transportation;
the risk of parasite ingestion.

At least one or the other of us learned to love:

treated mosquito netting;
several different varieties of peanut sauce;
beans, and rice, matoke, beans, and rice, matoke, beans, and rice, matoke.....;
geckos in the bathroom;
boiled water (to drink).

At times, it was like camping....indoors

We loved it because we made a difference for the Gospel, and the people loved us for it.

We saw lives changed and healed by what we did. We saw the potential for so much more.

We envision ourselves as part of the world-wide body of Christ coming together in East Africa, to share all our spiritual gifts for the building up of the body of Christ, there. Complementary ministry. And with that in mind, we are inspired to go back, to change more lives for the Gospel.

"What can we do, to help Shaw and Julie?"
We would appreciate your on-going prayers and financial support. You are valuable members of our team when you do these things.

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.

You may also arrange for automatic deductions from your bank account by calling SAMS at: 724-266-0669.

"Will you be visiting our parish or group?"
We have been lining up visits to parishes and groups. To arrange for our visit, send emails to: shepherd110@yahoo.com or
mrsdalian@yahoo.com.

God bless you,

Shaw+ and Julie+

Prayer Mail

Dear praying friends,
This is our public prayer mail for this week.
We are back in the United States, and we had a great site-visit trip to East Africa.

We have been talking with SAMS, our missionary society, about which location would be the best fit for us.

We will hold off making a public announcement until we have some more information about Lydia's medical situation and until we have informed the various parties in Uganda and Kenya. They are all praying that we would serve with them.

In the meantime, we are excited about the times ahead, and over the next few months we plan to be visiting parishes and deaneries to talk about our upcoming missionary adventure. We will also have a booth at Diocesan Convention in June. If you have not scheduled a visit and would like to, just e-mail or call.

Thank you for your prayers. They were important, and timely.

Prayers:

1) For Lydia.

2) For the mission planning and preparation phase that we are entering.

3) For all the people we visited in Uganda and Kenya, and the hopes and needs that they have.

4) That we would be the missionaries that God has called us to be, to spread the Gospel, and to help grow the church with our brothers and sisters in Christ, wherever we might be.

If you are interested, I have made videos of the locations we have visited, at the Youtube links below. These videos will give you an idea of the different locations:

Nairobi, Kenya (the capital of Kenya):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw4OJkDbRAw
Mityana, Uganda:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEYhjqfQwfs
Gulu, Uganda:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS9vyE80o1g

God bless you,
Shaw+ and Julie+

Mudge Scripture Prayer

Psalm 25: 4-5

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

From One-Minute Prayers for Women:

Embracing the Unknown

Father in heaven, You see all that takes place in my life. Knowing this gives me peace as I face transition. I exchange my uncertainty for your promise of security. Open my eyes to the wonders of every turn, tangent, and seeming detour I encounter. I don’t want to miss a miracle by starting a new journey diminished by regret, pride, or misplaced longing. I want to long for You. For the path You carve out for me.

Remove the blinders from my physical and spiritual eyes. Lord, I want to see the beauty of the landscape You have built around me. And I want to savor the opportunity that rests on the horizon. As I face a new direction, this time my heart flutters with excitement and not with worry. I am eager to see what You have in store for me. I accept Your provision, Lord.

Scripture Prayer:

Father in Heaven, You know all that takes place in the lives of Father Shaw and Mother Julie Mudge. They are in transition now, and they so want to hear your voice as they discern the mission path which You would have them follow. Is it Mityana? Is it Gulu? Is it Nairobi? The Mudges felt welcome in all three places. They long for You, Lord, and the path that You carve out for them.

The Mudges long to hear your voice. Let them see, Lord. Let them embrace the adventure that awaits them with confidence, wonder and excitement. Thank You Lord that You always provide!

Thank You that the Mudges arrived home safely. Thank You that You took care of Lydia while they were gone. Be with them in a special way. May the power of your Holy Spirit be strong within them as they follow your way. Amen.

The Mudges are Back in the USA

Dear Friends in Prayer,
This is a public prayer note.

We are back, in a safe and timely manner in the states.
Jeanne Gizara was very nice to pick us up at the airport.
Our flights were generally uneventful (which is good), and the mild weather on our return was nice.

Our site visit trip included three potential sites: Gulu (Uganda), Mityana (Uganda), and Nairobi (Kenya). We also spent time in Kampala (Uganda) to help in our discernment with people there. In addition, we also took notes about another potential site in Kenya. It was not just a site visit trip; it also turned out to be a mission trip where we made a difference.

It is going to be a difficult decision because a lot of factors need to be taken into consideration, and we see strengths for all three potential sites that we have visited. It is a bit too soon to jump to any conclusion, but we have been prayerfully considering matters over the month of February, already.

Because Nairobi National Park is near where we were staying in Nairobi, we ventured forth there yesterday morning on our last day in Kenya. Very nice park.

Thanks to David Chaves and his family in Nairobi (SAMS missionary) for his help in Kenya (we stayed with the Chaves family), and to Alison Barfoot in Kampala for her help in Uganda.

Photos and videos will be appearing on Facebook.

Prayers:

Lydia's medical situation.

Our decision process, and where we go from here. Discernment. Discernment. Discernment.

Catching up on matters that occurred while we were away.

God bless you.
Shaw+ and on behalf of Julie+.

Prayer Mail from Africa

Dear Friends in Prayer,
Peace be with you.

We are in Nairobi, planning to depart tomorrow, checking a potential mission site.

This has been an awesome trip so far. As I am using someone else's computer, this message will be brief.

We have had very good visits to Gulu and Mityana in Uganda, and now, the Nairobi visit seems to be good, as well. To paraphrase someone, site-visits usually are observation visits, to help determine a potential mission site, but this particular trip is unusual in the amount of ministry we are doing, on top of the original agenda.

In Mityana, people could not pronounce my name, so I chose the name Rev. Dr. Mukwano (Rev. Dr. Friend), and that was often received with a laugh and a smile, and a strong sense of relief.

Prayers:

Lydia is having medical issues. Please keep her in your prayers.

For discernment as to our mission location.

For the remaining logistical matters, as well as safe and timely travel.

God bless you,
In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+

Scripture Prayer

Philippians 2: 1-2

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from his love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Father God, as Paul prayed for the Philippians, so we pray for Father Shaw and Mother Julie Mudge. We pray that they feel Christ’s encouragement, his comfort and his love and that they are filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. Be especially with them as they discern your will for them. May Shaw and Julie be of one mind and may that one mind be in full accord with your will for them.

Lord, we pray for travel mercies as they fly home from Africa. Keep them safe. Make it possible for them to get some rest on their flights. And we pray for the family at home. Father God, be with Lydia and Hannah and Ruth. Help this whole family to trust in You and know your comfort and your love. Amen.

Prayer Mail from Mityana Uganda

Dear Praying Friends,
Praise the Lord!
We are preaching and teaching in Mityana.

It is summer weather, has been over 100 degrees since we arrived in Mityana from Gulu on Thursday, and now, I am hearing thunder for the first time (even though it is dry season). Uganda is having a heat wave in the hottest part of their year.

I preached at the Cathedral during the Mityana Diocesan Synod on Friday (It convenes every two years). We both preached at St. Michael's in Mityana this morning.

We begin three days of teaching, tomorrow, at the local theological college:
Shaw: leadership (Monday), Marriage and Family Life (Wednesday)
Julie: Stewardship and Accountability (Tuesday).

Bishop Stephen is a truly wonderful spiritual leader.

We return to Kampala on Thursday.

Please keep us in prayer.
Daily power outages.

We have limitations on our Internet service as we try to find the right service that would work long-time in Mityana. So, we may not be able to contact anyone by email or put pictures on Facebook until we return to Kampala. But you can still send us email messages, that we would open when we have the opportunity.

God bless you,
Shaw and on behalf of Julie.

Scripture Prayer

Psalm 90: 12 and 16-17

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

Father God, we thank You for everything that You are doing for Father Shaw and Mother Julie Mudge. We thank You that they are a blessing and are being blessed as they explore opportunities in Uganda and Kenya. Give them hearts of wisdom so that they perfectly discern the site for their new work for You. Show them what that work is to be and grant them the power to do it. May your favor be upon the Mudges and we ask that you establish the work of their hands. Father God we pray for your Holy Spirit to surround all that the Mudges do. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Update from Uganda

Hi, everyone,
Public mid-week update.

We are having a great time in Gulu, Uganda.
Despite: Dust.

Update: Running water just came back on. Electric power just went out, again. It's like camping, in a way. Temperature is a bit lower than yesterday. Perhaps down to 95 degrees.

I was preaching in two parishes, including the Diocese of Northern Uganda cathedral on Sunday.

Bp. Johnson set us up to teach at the first diocesan Lay Reader Training Program this week. Our part just finished. They said that they will miss us. We believe that. The clergy said that they find us very easy to get along with, from the start. One of the Vicars said that is it not often that you meet people that you have such an immediate connection with. They are praying for us to come back.

I taught on Roles of a Shepherd, yesterday. I taught preaching and the importance of pastoral visiting today. Julie taught on the importance of devotions, today. All were topics the Bishop wanted to be taught.

About 60 to 70 people, including some clergy, attended, both days.

The clergy visually saw that the 60 or so lay leaders dramatically improved their sermons because of the three hour sermon presentation today, based on the group exercises and presentations that followed.

They like Julie's teaching a lot.

We still have some more of the Diocese to see, tomorrow, and then on to the Diocese of Mityana on Thursday.

It has been fun.

No one can really pronounce my first and last name, and so I am becoming known as the Rev. Dr. Omehgoo (my phonetic pronunciation), which means "Brother." They like that. So, some day, there may be mysterious stories circulating around northern Uganda, about....

Some photos are on Facebook.

God bless you.
Shaw and on behalf of Julie.

Prayer Mail from Uganda

Dear Praying friends,
Thank you for your prayers.
This is our weekly public prayer mail.

The Lord keeps answering prayers right and left.

We are having a great time in Gulu, Uganda, in the Diocese of Northern Uganda and are the guests of Bishop Johnson.

(We arrived in Kampala, Uganda, on Wednesday, and a coordinator in Kampala arranged for our 5 hour land transportation to Gulu from Kampala.). Uganda is about the size of Oregon, and Gulu is in Uganda, on the road to Juba in Southern Sudan.

It is the dry season. February is the driest and hottest month of the year. Currently, at 5:22 pm (9:22 am East Coast Time) it is about 88 degrees inside, at least 97 degrees outside, and a fine layer of red dust can settle on just about everything at any time.

On Thursday, we are scheduled to be driven to Mityana, Uganda.

Today, I preached at the local cathedral and at Christ Church, both in Gulu. Both parishes were packed with hundreds of people, each. The parishes have several services a day.

Over the next two days, I and Julie will be giving workshops at the first Lay Reader training in the Diocese of Northern Uganda.

We like it here.
We have been blessed and have been a blessing.

We are trying a local Internet connection, and it is somewhat successful, but I need to ration my time. Some photos may appear on my Facebook site, depending on ease of uploading them.

Prayers:
That our logistical questions would be answered, for a long-term assignment.
That we choose the right site that the Lord has in mind.
For our family in the U.S.

Thank you for praying. Your prayers have been important.
God bless you.
Shaw+ and on behalf of Julie+

Scripture Prayer

Genesis 24: 12 and 26-27

O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and steadfast love to my master Abraham.

The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord and said. “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.”

O Lord, our God, please grant success to Fr. Shaw and Mother Julie Mudge as they try to discern your will for them and the location of their next ministry. Show them your steadfast love. Just as Abraham’s servant was directed to the family of Rebekah, lead the Mudges to the next assignment You have for them.

Lord, we have not heard from Shaw and Julie since they left for Africa. We trust that they are in your care. Protect them from every danger and lead them. Give them an assurance that they are on the path You desire for them.

And we continue to pray for Lydia. We ask that You help her to thrive in her second semester at college. Help her to grow into the person that You desire her to be.

Thank You Lord for all your blessings. Thank You for your steadfast love. Amen.