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+