Dear Prayer friends,
Peace be with you.
This is our Christmas public prayer mail:
Have a Merry Christmas!
The Week in Review (please pray as you read this):
1) We have had a lot of input and support (in various ways) from family, friends, prayer warriors, and the Holy Trinity, this week. Thank you all.
2) Family update: Lydia has returned from college campus. Hannah has exciting mission news in Troy. Ruth is soon to arrive here for Christmas vacation.
3) Julie preached a good sermon at Grace Church, Waterford, this week. Her focus was on the lessons of the week.
4) We have pursued, prayed, and talked over our several options for 2012, based on the suggestions and developments over the past week or so. This is the net result:
There are still some important conversations ahead, but as of several phone calls yesterday morning, our current outline is: site visits to Uganda and possibly Kenya in the latter part of January and early February (details to be worked out). Likely long-term assignment start date: latter part of 2012.
People have asked what Lydia thinks: Lydia feels very comfortable with our site visit plans, and with the idea of Kenya.
5) Several clergy have already asked us to visit their parishes. Thank you.
We plan to start visiting parishes/deaneries/mission committees/individuals after we arrive back in the U.S. from Africa.
Additional prayers:
1) For Discernment. Choosing the right location, based on our site-visit. What needs to be done over the course of the next year, in preparation for our long-term assignment.
2) For Finances. We are SAMS missionaries on home assignment, even as we prepare for our next venture. Please pray for God's provision for this venture.
3) For college work. Lydia has some catch-up work to do over break, before next semester. Prayers for timely and good completion of her semester's work in January would be appreciated.
4) That this would be a good preparation year for the entire family.
5) Setting up and logistics of site visits. We are praying for the right guide in Uganda, to help us get around, how the bus system works, etc. With about 34 or so different local languages/tribes throughout the country (though the common one is English), a guide would be helpful to show us how to navigate the culture.
6) For the necessary vaccinations, visas, and other matters in preparation for our site visit.
7) Safe and timely travel during our site-visit trip: back and forth to Uganda, and on location.
8) That Jesus would shine through what we do. That we minister effectively, as He would want us to, in the course of His visits, His planning, and His long-term plans for us.
God bless you, and I continue to pray for you every day. Your prayers matter to us.
In Christ,
Shaw+ and on behalf of Julie+
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Scripture Prayer
From Luke 1: 28, 30, 37,38
The Lord is with you. Do not be afraid. For nothing is impossible with God. Let it be with me according to your word.
A Prayer for the Mudges and their intercessors:
Thank You Lord that You are always with us and that we need not be afraid. We ask Lord for your blessings and especially for your discernment about the special roles that You have for us. Let it be with us according to your word. And it will come to pass because nothing is impossible with You, God. Thank You Lord. Amen.
Luke 1: 35
The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
A prayer for the Mudges:
Lord we petition for a very special gift of discernment for Father Shaw and Mother Julie Mudge. We ask that Your Holy Spirit come upon them and that Your Power will overshadow them so that they may yield to your perfect will for them. In the months ahead as they visit Belize and they visit Africa, be with them Lord so that they correctly sense the mission that is your desire for them. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
The Lord is with you. Do not be afraid. For nothing is impossible with God. Let it be with me according to your word.
A Prayer for the Mudges and their intercessors:
Thank You Lord that You are always with us and that we need not be afraid. We ask Lord for your blessings and especially for your discernment about the special roles that You have for us. Let it be with us according to your word. And it will come to pass because nothing is impossible with You, God. Thank You Lord. Amen.
Luke 1: 35
The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
A prayer for the Mudges:
Lord we petition for a very special gift of discernment for Father Shaw and Mother Julie Mudge. We ask that Your Holy Spirit come upon them and that Your Power will overshadow them so that they may yield to your perfect will for them. In the months ahead as they visit Belize and they visit Africa, be with them Lord so that they correctly sense the mission that is your desire for them. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Scripture Prayer
From Isaiah 61: 1-3
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; … to comfort all who mourn, … to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified.
Divine God, we know that Father Shaw and Mother Julie Mudge wish to be planted exactly where you want to place them. We ask Lord, that You gift them with discernment so that they may hear your orders clearly. Then they will be oaks of righteousness ministering on your behalf and bringing You glory. They will thrive while sharing good news with the poor, binding up the broken hearted, proclaiming liberty to captives, and opening the prison doors for those who are bound, as well as comforting those who mourn, and replacing faint spirits with garments of praise. Lord, we ask this for the Mudges and for us their intercessors, that our faint spirits may be exchanged for strong ones made up of praise and adoration. We ask this in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; … to comfort all who mourn, … to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified.
Divine God, we know that Father Shaw and Mother Julie Mudge wish to be planted exactly where you want to place them. We ask Lord, that You gift them with discernment so that they may hear your orders clearly. Then they will be oaks of righteousness ministering on your behalf and bringing You glory. They will thrive while sharing good news with the poor, binding up the broken hearted, proclaiming liberty to captives, and opening the prison doors for those who are bound, as well as comforting those who mourn, and replacing faint spirits with garments of praise. Lord, we ask this for the Mudges and for us their intercessors, that our faint spirits may be exchanged for strong ones made up of praise and adoration. We ask this in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Prayer Mail
Dear Prayer friends,
Peace be with you.
This is our weekly public prayer mail:
The Week in Review (you might pray as you read):
We continue to make progress down the road in discerning God's call for us in mission, but sometimes, it appears only to be a straight line, from God's perspective. Please keep our discernment in your prayers, especially for the following three areas:
1. Belize:
The Bishop of Belize contacted us with his vision for what he would have us do. We responded with our version of his vision. The two visions are very similar, but some questions remain. This assignment would be a mixture of pioneering ministry and a coming-alongside ministry, at the same time.
2. Uganda:
We had a very good two-hour phone call on Sunday morning, before Church. Consequently, we are praying about the two options below:
a) We have been informed about a potential assignment in a diocese in central Uganda. It seems like a very good assignment. This would be more along the lines of coming-alongside current ministry.
b) We have been informed about a potential assignment in a diocese in a part of Southern Sudan that borders Uganda. It is a bit more rustic assignment than the one in Uganda, and it would be a pioneering assignment, kind of like helping a virtual diocese become reality.
Our prospective site visits for both the Uganda and Southern Sudan assignments might be held in conjunction with someone else's short term mission trip to Uganda, scheduled for March, 2012.
3. Kenya:
We continue to wait to hear back about a potential assignment in western Kenya; that would be a coming-alongside kind of ministry. We do not expect to hear back until some time after Christmas.
Prayers:
1) Please keep Lydia in your prayers, for exams and vacation plans. She seems to be doing reasonably well in most subjects, but she needs your special prayers for one particular course.
2) Please keep parents in your prayers (my mom, Julie's parents), as they plan their lives over the next few months.
3) We are currently SAMS missionaries on Home Mission Assignment. This is the phase in which we are preparing for our next assignment. Please pray for our finances, meetings, logistics, and the right open doors in the Lord's timing.
God bless you, and I continue to pray for you every day. Your prayers matter to us.
In Christ,
Shaw+ and on behalf of Julie+
Peace be with you.
This is our weekly public prayer mail:
The Week in Review (you might pray as you read):
We continue to make progress down the road in discerning God's call for us in mission, but sometimes, it appears only to be a straight line, from God's perspective. Please keep our discernment in your prayers, especially for the following three areas:
1. Belize:
The Bishop of Belize contacted us with his vision for what he would have us do. We responded with our version of his vision. The two visions are very similar, but some questions remain. This assignment would be a mixture of pioneering ministry and a coming-alongside ministry, at the same time.
2. Uganda:
We had a very good two-hour phone call on Sunday morning, before Church. Consequently, we are praying about the two options below:
a) We have been informed about a potential assignment in a diocese in central Uganda. It seems like a very good assignment. This would be more along the lines of coming-alongside current ministry.
b) We have been informed about a potential assignment in a diocese in a part of Southern Sudan that borders Uganda. It is a bit more rustic assignment than the one in Uganda, and it would be a pioneering assignment, kind of like helping a virtual diocese become reality.
Our prospective site visits for both the Uganda and Southern Sudan assignments might be held in conjunction with someone else's short term mission trip to Uganda, scheduled for March, 2012.
3. Kenya:
We continue to wait to hear back about a potential assignment in western Kenya; that would be a coming-alongside kind of ministry. We do not expect to hear back until some time after Christmas.
Prayers:
1) Please keep Lydia in your prayers, for exams and vacation plans. She seems to be doing reasonably well in most subjects, but she needs your special prayers for one particular course.
2) Please keep parents in your prayers (my mom, Julie's parents), as they plan their lives over the next few months.
3) We are currently SAMS missionaries on Home Mission Assignment. This is the phase in which we are preparing for our next assignment. Please pray for our finances, meetings, logistics, and the right open doors in the Lord's timing.
God bless you, and I continue to pray for you every day. Your prayers matter to us.
In Christ,
Shaw+ and on behalf of Julie+
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Prayer Mail
Dear Prayer friends,
Peace be with you.
This is our weekly public prayer mail:
I hope you are having a good Advent.
The Week in Review:
1a) This past week there have been quite few developments as to where we might be serving next. To keep it simple: there is at least one location in Belize, possibly several locations exist in Uganda, and a location in western Kenya. We anticipate that we will find more about the Kenyan possibility as the process unfolds there, over the next month.
1b) Finding a good missionary match is very much like a clergy search process, both for the missionaries as well as for the dioceses involved. We are prayerfully evaluating all the missionary options.
2) Julie's parents have decided to move to Colorado, perhaps by next May, moving out there with Julie's sister and brother-in-law. We are pleased to have helped them come to a unanimous decision, and thank you for your prayers.
Prayers:
1) Please keep Lydia in your prayers, for school remaining work, exams, adjustments, and vacation plans.
2) Please keep Julie's sister's family and Julie's parents in your prayers, as they plan their relocation to Colorado from Connecticut over the next few months.
3) We are SAMS missionaries, even in the US, even as we plan our next venture. Please pray for our finances, meetings, logistics, and the right open doors in the Lord's timing over the next few months.
4) We have an important Ugandan phone call this coming weekend, communications permitting. Your prayers would be appreciated.
God bless you, and I continue to pray for you every day. Your prayers matter to us.
In Christ,
Shaw+ and on behalf of Julie+
Peace be with you.
This is our weekly public prayer mail:
I hope you are having a good Advent.
The Week in Review:
1a) This past week there have been quite few developments as to where we might be serving next. To keep it simple: there is at least one location in Belize, possibly several locations exist in Uganda, and a location in western Kenya. We anticipate that we will find more about the Kenyan possibility as the process unfolds there, over the next month.
1b) Finding a good missionary match is very much like a clergy search process, both for the missionaries as well as for the dioceses involved. We are prayerfully evaluating all the missionary options.
2) Julie's parents have decided to move to Colorado, perhaps by next May, moving out there with Julie's sister and brother-in-law. We are pleased to have helped them come to a unanimous decision, and thank you for your prayers.
Prayers:
1) Please keep Lydia in your prayers, for school remaining work, exams, adjustments, and vacation plans.
2) Please keep Julie's sister's family and Julie's parents in your prayers, as they plan their relocation to Colorado from Connecticut over the next few months.
3) We are SAMS missionaries, even in the US, even as we plan our next venture. Please pray for our finances, meetings, logistics, and the right open doors in the Lord's timing over the next few months.
4) We have an important Ugandan phone call this coming weekend, communications permitting. Your prayers would be appreciated.
God bless you, and I continue to pray for you every day. Your prayers matter to us.
In Christ,
Shaw+ and on behalf of Julie+
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Scripture Prayer
Romans 10: 13-15
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed. And how are they to believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of them who preach good news!”
Lord, what a powerful passage that shows the purpose for mission, mission near and far. Lord, we pray for missionaries everywhere, those who serve You and spread your good news wherever they are. But in particular, we pray for Father Shaw and Mother Julie Mudge. They are asking for your direction as to where you want to send them. We pray that they hear you clearly and will be in the mission field again soon preaching your good news and training others as well to preach your good news. Amen.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed. And how are they to believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of them who preach good news!”
Lord, what a powerful passage that shows the purpose for mission, mission near and far. Lord, we pray for missionaries everywhere, those who serve You and spread your good news wherever they are. But in particular, we pray for Father Shaw and Mother Julie Mudge. They are asking for your direction as to where you want to send them. We pray that they hear you clearly and will be in the mission field again soon preaching your good news and training others as well to preach your good news. Amen.
December Newsletter
On home leave (furlough). Lydia begins college.Home leave.
“Are you still a missionary when you are back home?”
Yes! In fact, they have a name for any extended time when a full time missionary is back home: furlough.
A furlough, or home leave, is a natural part of a missionary’s life. Mission agencies recognize that life happens, even to missionaries, and that their missionaries will be healthier, happier and more productive in the long run if they are allowed time back home from time to time to attend to “Life.”
Why Missionaries Take Home Leaves.
Missionaries take furloughs for a number of reasons:
Life changes: It may be that a missionary comes home for a year or two to care for ailing or aging parents, or, as in our case, to help a young person adjust back to the US / college.
Health issues: It may be that a missionary has some health issues that need to be attended to, things that can’t be taken care of “on the field.”
Health issues: It may be that a missionary has some health issues that need to be attended to, things that can’t be taken care of “on the field.”
A new assignment: Missionaries may also return home for a time of discernment if they believe the Lord is calling them to a new location. This involves discussions with the mission agency and support groups, and in our case, with our bishop.
Fundraising: Every few years, missionaries will return home to touch base with their supporters, giving reports of work accomplished, sharing a vision for the next term of service, and building up their support and funds. This is especially important when a new assignment is being announced.
FAQ
“Do you still receive a salary from SAMS while you are home?”
Yes! A missionary on home leave continues to be employed by their mission agency, and continues to receive a paycheck from them.
“Where does the paycheck come from?”
The paycheck comes from the missionary’s account, which is made up of all the contributions made by supporting individuals and churches, mission boards and dioceses. When we don’t continue to receive contributions during home leave, our account dwindles, and it can become harder for us to get back on the field again to the next assignment.
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.
“Are you going back on the field again?”
Yes! The Lord is definitely calling us to continue as missionaries.
“What’s next?”
Visits to various sites we are considering for our next assignment (Jan.- Mar. more or less)
Visits with as many of our supporters and supporting churches as we can fit in!
Shaw+ and Julie+.
Yes! A missionary on home leave continues to be employed by their mission agency, and continues to receive a paycheck from them.
“Where does the paycheck come from?”
The paycheck comes from the missionary’s account, which is made up of all the contributions made by supporting individuals and churches, mission boards and dioceses. When we don’t continue to receive contributions during home leave, our account dwindles, and it can become harder for us to get back on the field again to the next assignment.
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.
“Are you going back on the field again?”
Yes! The Lord is definitely calling us to continue as missionaries.
“What’s next?”
Visits to various sites we are considering for our next assignment (Jan.- Mar. more or less)
Visits with as many of our supporters and supporting churches as we can fit in!
Shaw+ and Julie+.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)