Scripture Prayer

Hebrews 13: 20-21

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen.

God of peace, You who sent your only Son to earth to die for our sins, but then brought him to life again, we ask that You equip Father Shaw Mudge with everything good that He may do your will as He provides theological education to the people of Belize.  Work in him, Lord, that which is pleasing in your sight.  Lord Jesus, shepherd of the sheep and the blood of the new covenant, through You and Your Holy Spirit, may Father Shaw have every blessing possible as He works for Your Kingdom.  Jesus, to You be the glory forever and ever.  Amen.

We thank You Lord that the new computer server has been installed and is working well.  We thank You that the numbers visiting Father Shaw’s websites are increasing.  As a new semester begins, we pray for all of the students.  And Lord, please be with Father Shaw and Mother Julie as they participate in the diocese of Connecticut’s mission conference this weekend.  We ask all of this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Prayer mail Feb 17

Dear partners in prayer,

 

This is a public prayermail.  

This week's selective overview: 

 

1) Our Moodle course Web site has successfully upgraded to a new server, and the speed is really great. Thank you to Cn. Bill Schrull.

2) This week included providing insights for a theological seminary in the Caribbean, helping to start up its online program 3,000 miles from Belize. 

3) Heard on Saturday that an educational online program that is going up in West Africa was inspired by my comments in a conversation a few months ago.

4) Did some vocational counseling.

5) Technical support for students and faculty, and course work. A new semester begins. A new version of our software was in place. 

 

6) How are we doing, numbers-wise? a) Since the beginning of Advent, 96 individual people explored our Google Web links site (open to the public world-wide),12 new people in the past week: http://goo.gl/XXF0Ti. b) The Moodle password course site is up to 24 users, 5 new people in the past week.

7) Happy birthday to our daughter Ruth!

Prayer requests:

 

1) Julie and I are making presentations on different topics at the Diocese of Connecticut Mission Conference next week, as well as being the SAMS representatives there, with a display. Pray that all would be done to the glory of God.

2) Pray for plans under consideration. Julie and I sense the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit through it all. Your prayers are very helpful. 

 

3) Pray that our parish visitation schedule be His schedule.  

 

4) Pray for my upcoming visit to Belize in March.

 

5) Pray that the Holy Spirit would guide and supply the needs of: faculty, family, finances, plans, programs, diocesan plans, and parish visits.  

 

In Christ,

 

Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+ 

I pray for you, everyday.

 

Scripture Prayer Feb 15

Psalm 90:17

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
    establish the work of our hands for us—
    yes, establish the work of our hands.

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on Father Shaw;
    establish the work of his hands for us—
    yes, establish the work of his hands.

Father God, we thank You for the mission work of Father Shaw Mudge: for all that He does in the diocese of Peru; for all the organizing work in developing an on-line curriculum of theological education for potential priests and lay leaders; for the teaching that he does and for all the interactions with the people of Belize each and every time he visits.  May your favor rest upon him and may your Holy Spirit continue to guide him.

We pray that the upgrading of the Moodle course site is going smoothly.  We pray that opportunities may develop in Tanzania and in other parts of the world so that more students may take advantage of all the work that Father Shaw is doing for You.

We pray for the outcomes of meetings in the recent past and in the near future.  We pray for more chances for Father Shaw to share his work with parishes in Connecticut and New York.  And may Your Holy Spirit guide and supply the needs of his faculty, family and students. Amen.

February Newsletter

Ask a Missionary.

Clarissa Falls, Belize, Central America.

Photo: Fr. Shaw Mudge (c) 2014.

As a missionary, people ask me questions all the time. One of the questions of late has been:

"What is the impact that your missionary work is having on the individual people among whom you minister?"

For security reasons and safety reasons for the people concerned, I generally do not mention individual people by name or put their photos in our newsletters, unless they would not mind.

For example, in Belize we no longer can take photographs in schools because of concern that pictures of students appearing in social media contexts might lead to kidnappings. Since our newsletter is published openly on the Internet, I believe that I have a moral obligation to respect that decision.

But in general, and so that you may have some glimpse on the impact of our ministry, this month I include some paraphrased quotes:

"Thank you for your sermon on praying for healing. I was particularly moved by the fact that God deals with those wounds that people can not see."

"Thank you for speaking up for me in the ordination process."

"Thank you for your way of speaking down- to-earth, in a pastoral manner, in a way that we can understand."

"Thank you for your Internet educational program. It is wonderful."

"Thank you for being so flexible. It is rare to find a missionary who is so flexible; being flexible is very important in missionary work."

"We noticed that you were not saying anything. We suspected that the reason you were not saying anything is that you were listening to us and learning our cultural ways. We respect that."

"Thank you for praying with me."

"Thank you for pointing out that we can be ourselves when praying for healing."

I hope this answers the question. There is more, and it is a team effort. I am glad that we serve as part of God's team.

Ways to support us.

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.

https://secureq.net/Donations/SAMS/3397

In Jesus' Name and God bless you,

The Revs. Shaw and Julie Mudge Missionaries of SAMS and Albany.  

Prayer Mail

Dear partners in prayer,

This is a public email. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day on Friday.

This week's selective overview: 

1) Our Moodle course side is upgrading to a new server, the process has begun and continues this week.

2) A Business Ethics Web link in our OATC Theological Applications > Ethics and Moral Theology section now connects with about 700 links relating to various facets of business ethics: http://goo.gl/eTRrKm.

3) How are we doing, numbers-wise? Since the beginning of Advent, 86 individual people have visited and/or used our Google open Web links site (open to the general public - adding up to over 1400 hits, so far, for various reasons), 8 new people in the past week: http://goo.gl/XXF0Ti.

4) I have been asked if I find the links myself for my various Web pages. The answer: yes, except for certain of the Spanish links that were passed along to me, originally from the Bishop of the Dominican Republic. Check out the Sitemap on each Web site, to work your way through the links pages; click on any "plus sign" in the Sitemap to open up to another page of Web links.

Prayer requests:

1) Pray for the outcomes from the meetings from recent weeks and pray for meetings that will be coming up. Julie and I sense the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit through it all. Your prayers are very helpful. 

2) Pray for the Holy Spirit's provision and that our parish visitation schedule be his schedule. If your would like me to visit your parish, please let me know.  

3) Pray for my upcoming visits to Belize in March (clergy retreat and more), May (during lay vocation month), and October (diocesan Synod).

4) Pray that the Holy Spirit would guide and supply the needs of: faculty, family, finances, plans, programs, diocesan plans, and parish visits.  

In Christ,

Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+ 

I pray for you, everyday.

Scripture Prayer Feb 7

Psalm 9:1-2

 

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your wondrous deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you;

I will sing praise to your name,

O Most High.

 

O Most High God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I give thanks to you with my whole heart.

Thank You for every blessing that you have bestowed upon Father Shaw Mudge during his most recent trip to Belize.  Thank You for his opportunity to deliver healing ministry to the people of St. Ignacio Church.  Thank You for all the opportunities that he had with vestries and grade school teachers and with people who needed vocational and personal counseling.  We pray that good fruit has resulted from the spiritual warfare walk.  Thank You that some people from Honduras were able to find out about his online courses and links.  Thank You for the increasing numbers of people that are visiting and using Fr. Shaw’s Google web links. Thank You for the three pro-bono faculty members.  And we are glad that You granted him safe travel. Indeed Lord, You are worthy of all praise.

 

Lord we pray for the Belizean students as they continue their work with Fr. Shaw’s on-line program.  We pray for the other trips to Belize which will take place in March, May and October.  May your Holy Spirit guide and supply every need of Father Shaw, his family, his faculty and his students.

 

Amen.

Prayer Mail Feb 3

Dear partners in prayer,

This is a public email.

This week's selective overview: 

1) I had a totally awesome trip to Belize. So, this is a bit of a trip praise report and update as it is a prayer request.

I preached on healing prayer at the 8 am service at St. Ignacio in Belize; it was very well received and addressed several needs and questions that people had about healing ministry during a service. 

Unplanned ministry opportunities: I advised a vestry on a matter that was before them, participated with grade school teachers in morning devotions, did some vocational and personal counseling, and participated in a spiritual warfare prayer walk.  

On the trip, people in Honduras became interested in our online courses and links. 

2) Thank you to Jeanne Gizara, Tom Gizara and Torre Bissell for passing our messages on to others. 

3) How are we doing, numbers-wise? Since the beginning of Advent, 78 individual people have visited and used our Google web links site (open to the general public - adding up to over 1200 hits, so far, for various reasons), 5 new people in the last three days. 19 registered people entered our Moodle courses site (where our courses are; only available with a password). These numbers of people are sizeable, but it is not about numbers: it is about "who" is taking advantage of all this, each person is valuable in their contribution to the Church. 

We currently have 3 pro-bono faculty aside from myself, one of whom is just about to start up an online program at Codrington College in Barbados (seminary 3,000 miles from Belize), as well. Another was just hired by a seminary in another part of the world.

The above compares with Codrington College's current student body at the moment (a long-time traditional seminary for the entire Anglican province of the West Indies): 10 full time students in residence. 

In the past two weeks I have added more links to the Google Web library of links (open to the general public), including: the Church year (seasons and days), business ethics (two people in Belize were very interested to hear about that), and an international information section for missionaries (short term, long term), vacationers, business people, and anyone in general.

I did not come in contact with pesky mosquitoes. Aside from 5 or 6 very near misses with 18 wheelers on slippery roads at night, travel was smooth and timely. I did encounter a tick, but a local doctor in Belize has advised me not to be concerned with that type of tick, just treat the affected area as he suggested. Belize has survived a 50 year amount of rain fall, and dry season began to emerge at the end of our visit.

Prayer requests:

1) Pray for the outcomes from the meetings from recent weeks and pray for any meetings that will be coming up shortly. A lot of important ground continues to be covered, and Julie and I sense the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit through it all. Your prayers are very helpful. 

2) Pray for the Holy Spirit's provision and that our parish visitation schedule be his schedule. If your parish would like me to visit, please let me know.  

4) Pray for my upcoming visits to Belize in March (clergy retreat and more), May (during lay vocation month), and October (diocesan Synod).

5) Pray that the Holy Spirit would guide and supply the needs of: faculty, family, finances, plans, programs, diocesan plans, and parish visits.  

In Christ,

Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+