Prayer Mail

Dear Friends, 

This is our public prayer mail for Tuesday 8 September 2015. 

Among the highlights of this past week: 

1) Julie had an interesting week that really defies a succinct summary. 

2) Airplane tickets for the Belize trip for the second half of October have been purchased. Took about 2.5 hours to purchase the tickets, talking with about 5 people at the airline. It is a complicated story with roots that go back about 20 years, has to do with an airplane merger, changes in airline software, State Department requirements versus airline requirements, passport databases versus ticket databases, but in the end, it was done. 

Third time this year I have run into this, and someone finally figured out what I should do. I almost certain I will be able to check-in online as much as one can with international flights, this time. Has to do with suffixes at the ends of names, State Department software issues last year, and airline software issues this year. My suggestion, do not ever name a child with a suffix.

3) Later in the same day as "2" above, I ran into an unexpected bump in the road with our grant application for the Spanish prayer book. Ugh. Then, the following day I ran into an unexpected possible resolution. Praise God! Waiting on the committee's determination.

4) Continued to prepare the A200 General Church History and Liturgy online course, 24/7 version. 

5) The A301 Pastoral Ministry course continue. It is a good one. 

6) Parish visitations are going well. I am enjoying them. Sensed the Holy Spirit really doing something last Sunday, even more than in the previous two months (St. Paul's, Darien, and St. Paul's, Brookfield), and each one of those weekly visits has been really awesome. I don't know if you all have that sense of the Holy Spirit moving where you are, but wow. I am hoping it is widespread. This week was solid; I was preaching, and Julie was celebrant. Comments included that we make a good team together. Yes!

Prayers:

1) Pray for the continuing online seminary education program in Belize that all would be done to God's glory, for our ministry fruitfulness and for the students, faculty, parish clergy, Commission on Ministry members, and diocesan staff involved. 

2) Pray for the people in the ordination process and my role as Examining Chaplain. More ordinations are apparently in the works. The date has not been settled yet for the next one, but it is on the Bishop's mind.

3) Please pray for the developments at Kasulu Bible College, and for what the Holy Spirit has in mind for us, there.

4) Pray for the October trip to Belize. 

5) For the ongoing Belizean projects, including the Prayer Book printing and theological library plans.  

6) Pray that I would listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit on what to say and do in the next several months, especially at St. Paul's in Brookfield (CT), St. Mary's in Manchester (CT), St. James in Farmington (CT), and at the Cursillo Weekend in the Belmopan area of Belize. Pray for Julie and her times at St. Paul's in Brookfield, and Trinity, Tariffville (CT).

7) Keep praying for our overall upcoming parish visitation schedule that it would continue to be according to the Holy Spirit's schedule, where and when. If you would like me to visit, let us pray that the Holy Spirit would make that happen in his way and his time. 

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

9) Pray for Lydia and Julie in their studies. Lydia is really enjoying her courses.

10) Several in our prayer team network are going through or have just been through challenges. Please know that every day, I am praying intentionally for you, in addition for the other prayers I pray for you all. Thank you for your related notes this week, as you have made them available.

Your prayers are very important. 

God bless you, 

Shaw, and on behalf of Julie.