Prayer Mail

Dear Friends, 

For everyone in the Diocese of Albany, I hope you have a wonderful convention. I shall be in Belize.  

This is our public prayer mail for Tuesday 2 June 2015.  

Among the highlights of this past week: 

1) National holiday week: Commonwealth Day. 6 chapel services at three schools, 1 teachers devotions, 2 church services, most with electricity. The lack of electricity was a surprise (1 church service and 2 chapel services), especially when I had one of the chapel services and a church service planned for a powerpoint format. Missing in action at the mission: the Sunday School teacher. Missing in action at the parish: the acolytes. Present and accounted for: the Holy Spirit. 

The "missionary triad' comes in handy in times like these: "flexibility, sense of humor, and organization". Note to self: keep repeating that.

2) Attended presentations in Belize City by Dr. Neville Duncan on Social Entrepreneurship, sponsored in part by the Anglican Diocese of Belize. Goals: job creation, and making a profit intended in part to be passed along to Belize and towards the ministry goals of the Anglican Diocese of Belize. If this catches on, this could really be big for Belize. We are at the beginning. 

  

3) Have been working on preparations for various pending events, appointments, and courses. 

Prayers:

1) The upcoming Hurricane Service and Baptism at St. Ann's in Belmopan this coming Sunday.

2) Something has arrived in Belize and of interest to upper elementary students here: "Charlie-Charlie". Apparently this "game" has ties to questionable spirituality and warnings have been issued to the schools. I have been asked by the schools to address it. I did so at three chapel services this past week; more to come. Pray that I may address the students in a way that they will hear and will spiritually benefit from the warnings.

3) The dam upriver from San Ignacio where I am staying. I was asked on Saturday whether I had heard anything about the crack in the dam. It was news to me, but apparently it is a significant one that needs attending to, and the rainy season progresses. We are not sure what is actually happening in terms of repair work. I am not really fond of having to participate in flash flood evacuations (plus the warning system assumes that there would be power at all to announce the warning), so pray that a solution would be provided in a safe, economically viable, and timely manner, preferably sooner than later.

4) Please keep each of the above items in prayer: health issues, our mission work, parish supply work, driving the truck that I use, the various language opportunities, food, the time in Belize, and the weather (rainy season has started; hurricane season begins in June). Pray for safe and timely travel, smooth transitions, that the grant be granted for the publication of the prayer book, and the Holy Spirit's priorities for us.

5) Pray for my visa extension attempt next week. I will be heading for Belmopan to make that happen. It is supposed to be routine, but pray that all would go smoothly in a safe and timely manner as the Holy Spirit wishes.

6) Please keep various family members in prayer about: relationships, events and appointments, decisions to make, educational goals, gainful employment, fruitful ministry, and God's presence while I am away.

7) Please pray for Lydia as she continues to work on her Fall education plans. She is making progress.

Your prayers are very important. I am praying for you every day.

God bless you,

Shaw, and on behalf of Julie.

San Ignacio, Belize, Central America.

Scripture Prayer

2Corinthians 4:6

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Father God, we thank You for the light of Christ that shines in the hearts of all believers.  May that light bring glory to You and to Jesus and to the Holy Spirit as well.

We thank You for the light shining forth from Father Shaw Mudge.  Please guide him and keep him safe during his extended stay in Belize.  May his light bring many Belizans into your Kingdom.  Help him to meet the needs of the parishioners in San Ignacio this Sunday and those in Belmopan next Sunday.  We pray Lord that hurricanes stay away from Belize this year.  Thank You Lord.

We pray for all of Father Shaw’s concerns; health issues, mission work, parish supply work, driving the truck in Belize, finding his way, the extension of his visa, and success of grant applications.

We pray for Mother Julie as she gets ready to attend the Albany Diocesan Convention at the end of this week.  And for Lydia as she makes plans for continuing her education in the Fall.

As Trinity Sunday nears, we ask for new insight into the mystery of Three in One.  Thank You, God the Father.  Thank You, God the Son.  Thank You, God the Holy Spirit.  Amen

Prayer Mail

Dear Friends, 

I Hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day or Commonwealth Day weekend. In any case, I hope you had a blessed Pentecost Day.

This is our public prayer mail for Tuesday 26 May 2015.  

Among the highlights of this past week: 

1) Ministry in San Ignacio, Georgeville, and Central Farm continues. My current pastoral ministry includes about 1,000 elementary students, including perhaps the best elementary school in the country, and faculty and staff for the three schools. There are chapel services during the week for students and faculty. Sundays include St. Hilda's mission in Georgeville, and St. Andrew's parish in San Ignacio. I had the opportunity to visit about 16 classrooms this week in San Ignacio, or about 450 students. 

The students had an opportunity to ask me questions. A very few thought I was the Bishop of Belize. I mentioned that though we might look alike, I am not he. One very young student said that everyone over 40 looks the same. If you have ever seen a photo of the Bishop of Belize, you might chuckle.

This all takes place close to the Guatemala border. My understanding of Guatemalan Spanish improves. My Spanish is very helpful. I am also in Mayan area, and I am beginning to become familiar with Mayan ways. I have learned that "Ko-ox Han-nah" is Mayan for "Eat at Hannah's" (and is the name of an eatery I have been frequenting; it is pronounced "Kosh" Hannah; "Kosh" is pronounced like the character on Babylon 5).

2) Then, there is the diocesan ministry work, and this weekend I participated in a workshop for select individuals regarding ministry (Lay Ministry/Ordained Ministry) in Belize City, which is about 2 hours away from the other ministries. Belize City borders the Caribbean. During the trip, I had an opportunity to visit the only escalator in Belize, in a home maintenance type store. 

3) I have begun making pastoral visits, and those are also one of my favorite activities, except there is nuance here. Most people's street addresses are a mystery. So, I do what I can.

4) I am involved with training a Postulant in the Diocese of Belize. That is fun.

  

5) Have been working on preparations for various pending events, appointments, and courses. 

This week, the Bishop asked if I would be willing to serve at St. Ann's in Belmopan on June 7th instead of the other parishes, for just that week, for St. Ann's Hurricane Service and possibly a baptism. If you know the history of Belize, the capital (Belmopan) became the capital because of the 1961 hurricane that Torre Bissell lived through.

This week, the date of the upcoming pastoral ministry workshop was set for June 13th, and I have the outline roughed out. I will be working in tandem with a deacon in the Diocese. 

6) I am working on exercise (walking, even in the heat), and trying to eat healthy (read: Daniel Plan, Belize style - there real advantages to being in Belize for this.

Prayers:

1) Please keep each of the above items in prayer: health issues, our mission work, parish supply work, driving the truck that I use, the various language opportunities, food, the time in Belize, and the weather (rainy season has started; hurricane season begins in June). Pray for safe and timely travel, smooth transitions, that the grant be granted for the publication of the prayer book, and the Holy Spirit's priorities for us.

2) Pray for my visa extension about the first week of June. I will be heading for Belmopan to make that happen. It is routine, but pray that all would go smoothly in a safe and timely manner as the Holy Spirit wishes.

3) Please keep various family members in prayer about: relationships, events and appointments, decisions to make, educational goals, gainful employment, fruitful ministry, and God's presence while I am away.

4) Please pray for Lydia as she continues to work on her Fall education plans.

Your prayers are very important. I am praying for you every day.

God bless you,

Shaw, and on behalf of Julie.

San Ignacio, Belize, Central America.

Scripture Prayer

Colossians 3: 14-17

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

We pray for peace and love for Father Shaw and his family as he spends 6 weeks in Belize doing your work, Lord.  We are thankful for Father Shaw’s ministry.  Let the word of Christ dwell richly in him as he teaches the future clergy of Belize and fills in for a parish priest on a short sabbatical.  All that he does, both word and deed, is done in your name, Jesus.  We give thanks to God the Father through You, Jesus.

We pray for safety for Father Shaw and for his family back in the U.S.  Let your Holy Spirit guide Father Shaw in all that he does.  May he do a mighty work for You.  We pray for issues of health, the weather, and safe and smooth travel.  May the grant application be successful and the visa extension be trouble free.

And we pray for the whole Mudge family about relationships, events and appointments, decisions to make, educational goals, gainful employment, fruitful ministry, and God’s presence with them.  We pray especially for Lydia as she makes plans to continue her education.  Bless them all, Lord.  Amen.

May Newsletter

Ascension

On the road.

This week I arrived in Belize on my 11th trip here in about 3 years, this time for a month and a half.

After I arrived, I checked in with Bishop Philip who likes to surprise me. And off we went, to a hospital visitation and then on to St. Philip’s in Orange Walk where there was a baptism (about an hour away, to the north).

Yesterday, I met with a person in the ordinatoin process for an update. Then, Bishop Philip and I made another hospital visitation, before going off to the blessing of an new insurance company headquarters where I was asked to read the scripture. While there, I took the opportunity to exchange ideas one-on-one with an acquaintance, the government Minister for Education, Youth, and Sports, on ways to inspire youth who think they have no future. And then, it dawned on me how to do this: just create something from nothing by inspiring folks. Simple. The people without hope and vision perish. So, that’s what the Church does for youth: provides hope and vision through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, and watch what happens. And then, a thought came to me: the Church can help prepare our youth for leadership positions in society by enabling them to become leaders in the Church, first (alongside adults). What a way to redeem/transform society! Wow! And now, I am energized.

Today, Bishop Philip and I co-led a workshop in Belize City for all the Lay Ministers in the Diocese of Belize on: the relationship between Lay Ministers and Clergy in the Church. From there, I traveled 2 hours west to San Ignacio in time to help out at a marriage service, in the town where I begin serving as acting clergy at St. Andrew’s in a few days, as well as continuing my diocesan ministries. Cool!

God bless you all, and thank you for your support,

Fr. Shaw, and on behalf of Mtr. Julie.

Examining Chaplain, Diocese of Belize

SAMS missionaries.

Support.

Please pray and continue to make checks out to: "SAMS". Put "Shaw and Julie Mudge" in the memo, to support what we are doing. Your continued support makes the work in Belize possible.

Mailing address:

SAMS,

P. O. Box 399,

Ambridge, PA 15003-0399.

Or on-line, at http://goo.gl/nll8ut  

Baptism at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Orange Walk, Belize.

Photo copyright Fr. Shaw Mudge, 2015.

Prayer Mail May 19

Dear Friends, 

Hope you had a blessed Ascension Day. Pentecost approaches.

This is our public prayer mail for Tuesday 19 May 2015.  

Among the highlights of this past week: 

1) I arrived in Belize on my 11th trip in about 3 years, and have been working with diocesan ministries in Belize City. Now I turn my attention to final preparations for serving as the priest in residence in San Ignacio. The May Mudge Mission newsletter for May informs you of some of my activities in the first few days of this Belize trip.

My communications system has been a success. Please pray that communications disruptions would be held to a minimum.

  

2) Have been working on preparations for various pending events, appointments, and courses. 

This week, Bishop Philip has started me working on a pastoral ministry workshop which I will use as a basis for my pastoral ministry course and which will include segments on prayer (including healing prayer), as well as home and hospital visitations, active listening, and more. 

3) I believe that our grant application for the printing of the Spanish Book of Common Prayer for the Province of the Church in the West Indies has been completed at this point. Praise God!

Prayers:

1) Please keep each of the following items in prayer: health issues, our mission work, parish supply work, the time in Belize, and the weather (rainy season begins in June). Pray for safe and timely travel, smooth transitions, that the grant be granted for the publication of the prayer book, and the Holy Spirit's priorities for us.

2) Pray for my visa extension about the first week of June. I will be heading for Belmopan to make that happen. It is routine, but pray that all would go smoothly in a safe and timely manner as the Holy Spirit wishes.

3) Please keep various family members in prayer about: relationships, events and appointments, decisions to make, educational goals, gainful employment, fruitful ministry, and God's presence while I am away.

4) Please pray for Lydia as she works on her Fall education plans.

Your prayers are very important. I am praying for you every day.

God bless you,

Shaw, and on behalf of Julie.

 

Prayer Mail May 12

Dear Friends, 

Hope you are continuing to have a blessed Easter season. 

This is our public prayer mail for Tuesday 12 May 2015.  

Among the highlights of this past week: 

A) Final preparations for the trip to Belize, and have been working on courses.

  

B) Have been working on preparations for various pending events and appointments. 

C) We had a blessed time with my mother on Mother's Day; and Julie and I celebrated our wedding anniversary about a month in advance, because of the trip to Belize.

Prayers:

1) Please keep each of the following items in prayer: health issues, our mission work, parish supply work, and the trip to Belize which begins this week. Pray for safe and timely travel, smooth transitions, and the Holy Spirit's priorities.

2) Please keep various family members in prayer about: relationships, events and appointments, decisions to make, educational goals, gainful employment, fruitful ministry, and God's presence while I am away.

3) Please pray for Lydia as she tries to establish her Fall education plans this week. 

Your prayers are very important. I am praying for you every day.

God bless you,

Shaw, and on behalf of Julie.

Prayer Mail May 5

Dear Friends, 

Hope you are continuing to have a blessed Easter season.

This is our public prayer mail for Tuesday 5 May 2015.  

Among the highlights of this past week: 

A) Have been preparing for the next trip to Belize in May and have been working on courses.

B) Attended the Clergy and Spouse retreat in the Diocese of Albany.

C) Julie and I took a vacation to visit Julie's dad.

  

D) Have been working on preparations for various pending events and appointments. 

E) In general, progress varies in terms of various family member's ailments. Julie now suspects possible nerve damage related to her oral surgery. Please continue to pray for complete healing.

Prayers:

1) Please keep each of the above items in prayer, especially health issues, our mission work, parish supply work, and the upcoming trip to Belize, in about 1 week.  

I will be doing supply work in Belize, from mid-May through June, covering a sabbatical for Fr. David Alenskis. I will also be doing diocesan matters as well as continuing course work. It will be a busy month and a half. 

Then, the following Sunday after I return from Belize, I begin a month of Sunday supply work on Sundays and serving at healing service Tuesdays at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Darien, CT. For the rest of the week, during those weeks, I prepare for services, work on Belize diocesan matters and work on-line course matters from my Belizean office near Hartford. 

2) Please keep various family members in prayer about: relationships, events and appointments, decisions to make, educational goals, gainful employment, and fruitful ministry.

Your prayers are very important. I am praying for you every day.

God bless you,

Shaw, and on behalf of Julie.