Titus 3: 4-7

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washings of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

We thank You, Jesus, for all of the wonderful Christmas gifts that you have bestowed upon us. We praise and exalt You, on this anniversary of your wondrous birth. What a miracle that God would become man! We marvel at your kindness and love and mercy, Jesus, that you would save each and every one of us: The Mudge family, all the Peruvians to whom they minister, and the rest of us who intercede for them. Thank You for the Holy Spirit in our lives, for birth and renewal and all the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit. Thank You that being your heirs, we have the hope of eternal life.

Lord, thank You for Fr. Shaw and Mother Julie and Lydia Mudge. Be with them in a very manifest way, on this first Christmas that they are celebrating away from their immediate families. Continue to bless all their endeavors and give them that peace which passeth all understanding as they strive always to do your will. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear Partners in Prayer,

Peace be with you.

This is this week's public prayer mail.

¡Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas!

Wow. I started to write this week's prayer mail on Sunday, and the week's events distracted me. That is a signal for more prayer.

Praise reports:
1) We have been invited to two missionary homes over Christmastime, December 24 and December 26. This was a real blessing to us. The one on December 26 is with a family we met in Scotia in April, this year, through homeschooling friends, and is not part of SAMS of the Anglican Church. Her aunt owns Jumpin´ Jacks restaurant.

2) We talked with my mother and brother yesterday over Skype for the first time, a video conference. That was a real blessing on both ends. You can talk about Peru, and read about Peru, but until you see it, it is sometimes hard to appreciate it. They could not believe they were talking to us in Peru for free. (Feel free to do the same.)

3) We will share the Holy Eucharist with two congregations in the next few days: Mission of Ascencion on Christmas Eve in the Surco District, and Mission of Jesus el Salvador in the Villa el Salvador District on Christmas morning.

4) That we are doing what the Lord wants us to do. That sounds rather basic, but for me there is a deep sense of eternal joy and eternal peace connected with that focus, that I do not have if we do other than what Jesus would have us do.

5) We have enjoyed the Christmas fiestas of chocolate, and panetone bread.

Prayer requests:
1) pray for the vision, mission, ministries, priorities, finances, deeds, thoughts, words, and relationships of the Diocese of Peru, the seminary, the SAMS missionaries, including the Mudges.

2) There are a lot of details and coordination matters at the moment relating to the seminary, diocesan ministries, ordination process, and missions with which we are associated, particularly some of these matters which have very little lead-time. These need your prayers. Pray for the teams that work together to the glory of God, amid all the accompanying stressors. Pray for the peace of God to be at work among us all in harmony in accordance with God´s plans for our lives and his mission, and that the Lord would protect all our hearts and minds, and that lives would be transformed by the Holy Spirit through what we do.

3) For the people we minister to, that the Gospel may spread like wild-fire, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God. Pray for the Bishops Suffragan election process, that the Lord´s candidates be selected and empowered by the Holy Spirit, to his glory, for his purposes here, and that it be obvious to all, whom they are, in peace, love, and joy; pray for the people in the selection process that they be guided by the Holy Spirit. Pray that the Holy Spirit would pour out his spiritual gifts on all the people in the Diocese for the mission to which they are called, in humility and love before God, that the Diocese may grow fruitfully for the Kingdom of God, 100 fold.

4) For those who need healing in soul and body and spirit, whom we meet daily. In the United States, we pray especially for Nigel, Hap, John, Ron, and our parents.

5) For Mike and Linda Chapman as they move into our condominium over the course of the next two weeks.

6) For Ruth and Hannah, our daughters, for safe and timely travel over the next two weeks. Pray for Bishop Godfrey and his beloved as they travel and visit in England.

7) Pray for the short-term mission trip that is coming down in July, pray for the preparations and plans, to the glory of God, for transformed lives as a result of the trip.

8) For Julie who is preparing to preach on Christmas morning as she tries to prepare her sermon. I will be celebrating at the same service (10:30 am). Lydia is coming as well. We need prayer for transportation matters back and forth, logistics matters for getting things done, coordination matters to the glory of God, for the spiritual atmosphere at this time of transition for the mission, and anything else that comes to your mind, that the parish may grow and be fruitful to the glory of God.

We are part of a seminary faculty team that is beginning to serve there (Jesus el Salvador) in a rota, starting Christmas morning, now that the missionary couple there have gone on deputation, for a few months. In a way, on Christmas morning, we are setting the tone for the team, although the official debut of the entire team is on December 27, the same day when the 4 seminarians who will be doing internships there, will start (and please pray for Sunday as well, in which there two services, one at 10:30 am and the other at 6:30 pm, both services to be led by the Rector of the seminary, and we will be attending both services; pray for the Rector of the seminary as he prepares to lead and as he prepares to preach.). Pray for all that, as well.

Your special prayers are appreciated for Jesus el Salvador, for the transition, for the ministry team, for the three of us in particular, and for the people at the mission of Ascencion (who will be missing us as we take our turn on the rota at Jesus el Salvador).

There is a lot that will be new for both the congregation and for the clergy on Christmas morning at Jesus el Salvador, including the Eucharistic liturgy, all in Spanish.

9) Thank you for praying for us. I pray for you every day, in Spanish (I am noticing that in Peru, my daily prayers for you seem more grace-filled and more full of God´s peace when I pray for you in Spanish).

As intercessors on our behalf, you make a difference.

God bless you.

In Christ,

Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia
Lima, Peru.

Scripture Prayer

Zechariah 4: 6b

Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

Father God, we thank You for your Holy Spirit and the way that this Spirit has been working in the ministries of Father Shaw and Mother Julie and Lydia Mudge. It is not their earthly talents but your spiritual gifts that have allowed them to accomplish so much in a very short time in Peru. We ask you to continue to guide them in every step of their journey and by your Holy Spirit may they have many more achievements in the New Year. Amen.

December Newsletter

Christmas in Lima

Merry Christmas! It is summer in Lima, Peru, and Christmas has a special feel to it, this year for us: 1) Christmastime generally marks the beginning of summer, and 2) we are living in a desert.

Think of celebrating the birth of Jesus at the Grand Canyon in June, and you have a better idea of what we mean. Or try to imagine in department stores, next to Santa Claus in his woolies, that bikinis are on sale.

Christmas carols are an English speaking specialty, even in the churches. At the Anglican Cathedral there are two services of English speaking carols: one for people familiar with melodies from England, and another for people familiar with different melodies for the same carols from the United States.

Most churches, however, continue to sing regular hymns at this time of year because many Christmas carols are too culturally specific (figgy pudding) or have to do with cold weather (the snow lay on the ground), and that just does not translate well to summer in Peru.

Culturally, the big thing to do for Christmas is to stay up until mid-night on Christmas Eve at home, and then celebrate with chocolate and panetone, with family and friends.

And on that note, we pray that you would be blessed in some special way this Christmas.

How are we doing?

Present Ministry: We are very excited about what we have been doing and what is ahead. We are in the midst of preparing for the next semester, getting the ordination process up and going, and we will be helping out with sacramental ministry in the Villa el Salvador district of Lima for a month or two; it is a very poor area of the city, with its special joys and sorrows.

Residency process: Lydia's visa process is complete. Yea!

Prayer Requests:
• For our students in their studies.
• For seminary, mission, and diocesan: ministries, relationships, priorities, and finances.
• That we spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all that we do.

God bless you, and thank you for your continuing support! – Shaw, Julie, and Lydia

Weekly Prayer Mail

Dear Friends in Prayer,

Peace be with you.

This is our weekly public prayer mail, for December 14.

Thanksgivings:
1) Thanksgiving that our missionary team is coming together.

2) Thanksgiving that we Mudges have gotten through a rather intense two weeks, spiritually stronger.

3) Thanksgiving that our daughter Hannah became a candidate for Holy Orders in the Diocese of Albany.

4) Thanksgiving for our family and friends.

Prayers:
1) The faculty of the seminary are beginning a team sacramental ministry for perhaps two months in the Villa el Salvador district of Lima. Please pray for all of the work at the Mission of Jesus el Salvador, there.

2) For the finances, ministries, priorities, and relationships of the Diocese of Peru, Saints Augustine seminary, and ourselves.

3) For the ordination process meetings and presentations that Julie makes, and for our preparations for classes; classes begin on January 25.

4) For our daughter Hannah as she prepares for canonical exams, and for both Ruth and Hannah as they travel for Christmas.

5) For God´s plans for the Arequipa branch of the seminary, which is under current assessment.

6) For the Bishop Suffragan process in the Diocese of Peru, that the Holy Spirit would guide the process, and that our heavenly Father´s will be done.

7) For Bp. Godfrey in his travels outside of Peru, which begin this week, and for those who are covering for him.

8) That you would have a very Merry Christmas.

The next week or so could be particularly challenging, spiritually, perhaps the next several weeks.

Thank you for praying for us. It makes a difference. I pray for you every day.

In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia
Lima, Peru

Weekly Scripture Prayer

Revelation 2: 18-19

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

Lord, these words apply so well to Father Shaw and Mother Julie and Lydia Mudge. You know about their deeds and their love and faith, their service and perseverance, and that they are doing so much for You and Your Kingdom. Continue to guide them every step of the way and give them correct discernment about those tasks that You have set for them to do. Thank You for all the accomplishments of this past year. Bless the Mudges especially during this Advent and Christmas Season, their first out of country. May they be able to feel Your Love and Peace and Joy as they await this seasonal celebration of the birth of Your Precious Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Weekly Prayer Mail

Dear Friends in Prayer.

Peace be with you.

This is our public prayer mail for this week.

Thanksgivings:
a) Lydia finally has her visa carnet. The process has ended. She is greatly relieved.

b) Exam week has finished. We are in the midst of grading exams and evaluating projects.

c) I had a great time making a "temperament type" presentation for the Ex-Patriot teenage youth group in our apartment on Saturday, and related it to parish life, marriage, meetings they might hold, etc. It was well received.

d) Fr. Ian Montgomery came by and did an apartment blessing for us, this week.

Prayers:
a) How to make Christmas special in the tropics. "In the Bleak Mid-winter" just is not the same in Lima, at this time of year.

b) For course preparations. Now that our first cycle has ended, we begin planning and preparing for the next one.

c) For Julie´s ordination process presentations this week and next, in Lima. She flies to Arequipa this coming weekend to make a presentation there, as well.

d) For the mission, priorities, resources, relationships, and ministries of the Diocese of Peru, the seminary, and the Mudges.

e) That God would do a mighty work with regards to the Hare-Krishna restaurant, next door. One day this week, we endured six hours of Hare-Krishna music (instead of the traditional two hours). Many times, they begin their day with the their equivalent of sung morning prayer, at 5 am, complete with drums and cymbals.

God bless you all. I pray for you daily. You are very important to us.

In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie, and Lydia.

Psalm 20: 1-5 and 7

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.
May he remember all your sacrifices
And accept your burnt offerings.
May he give you the desire of your heart
And make all your plans succeed.
We will shout for joy when you are victorious
And will lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
But we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Lord, thank you for answering the prayers of and for the Mudges when they are in distress and when they are at peace. Thank you for sending them guidance when difficult decisions need to be made. Thank you for protecting them during wild taxi drives. Thank you for all the help from clergy friends and from the laity as well. Thank you for the continuing financial support needed for the continuation of their mighty ministry in Peru. Thank you that their plans are your plans and that you send your Holy Spirit to make sure that these plans succeed. We praise you, Lord, for all the progress made in a few short months: vast improvement in Spanish language skills, anointed seminary teaching, anointed healing prayer, and advancing administrative details about the ordination process in Lima. All of this success is to your, glory, Lord. Throughout all, we trust in your name, Lord our God. Amen.

Prayer Mail

St. Andrew, Apostle
30 November 09

Dear Friends in Prayer,

Peace be with you.

This is our weekly prayer mail.

Thanksgivings:

1) Thanksgiving for the good healing service on Sunday evening at Ascension, and for my preaching at the service, in Spanish, and mostly without notes for the first time. The sermon was well received.

2) Thanksgiving for our goddaughter's wedding on Saturday in Tennessee.

3) Thanksgiving that the ordination process for the diocese is underway.

4) Thanksgiving for the great thanksgiving celebrations we shared this week.

5) Thanksgiving that Nigel Mumford is doing much better.

6) Thanksgiving for the prayer ministry of Torre and Jean Bissell.

Prayer requests:

1) Prayer for Lydia's visa process. Thanks to the support of Bp. Godfrey, we may actually see a conclusion to the matter on Thursday. It is not over until it is over.... so keep praying.

2) Prayer for fellow faculty member (Arequipa campus) and missionary Ron Robertson who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this past week. He is currently in hospital in the United States.

3) Prayer for:
a) the presentation that I make on Saturday to an ex-pat teenage youth group who will be meeting in our apartment (presentation in English).
b) I will also be celebrating at the Mission of Ascension on Sunday, and will be preaching and celebrating at the mission of San Juan Evangelista inSan Juan de Miraflores (a district of Lima) on December 13th; both services will be in Spanish.
Pray the that Holy Spirit would move in the hearts and minds of everyone attending both services.

4) Prayer for the planning, preparations, ministries, and finances of the Anglican Diocese of Peru, the Saints Augustine Seminary, and the Mudges.

5) Prayer for the preparations of the Diocese of Albany short-term mission trip to Peru next year.

6) Prayer especially for Julie and for everyone in the Diocese of Peru, as the ordination process gets underway (clergy, lay people, diocesan staff). The process has been formally announced over the past two weeks. Julie has some informational meetings coming up on December 7 and 14 in Lima, and is planning a trip for similar kinds of meetings to Arequipa, either on the week-end of December 12th or the 19th. After that, comes the interview stage. Please pray for the people who are likely to be ordained on May 1.

7) Prayer for students, faculty, and administrators of the seminary in Lima, this week. It is final exam week and the last week of the academic year. The next academic year begins on January 25th.

Thank you for praying for us. It makes a difference. I pray for you every day.

God bless you.

In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia.
Lima, Peru.

Weekly Scripture Prayer

Psalm 126:3

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Lord, on this day of Thanksgiving, we give you thanks and praise for all that you are doing through Fr. Shaw and Mother Julie and Lydia Mudge. We thank You for their ministries which are so full of joy. Thank You for the prayer ministries shared by all three Mudges and we ask especially for discernment about Lydia’s special role. We thank You that the Diocesan Youth Leaders’ Retreat went well with the awesome help of Your Holy Spirit. We thank You for progress in the design and implementation of the ordination process in the Diocese of Peru. And we thank You for the special people that the Mudges work with in Peru. All is for Your glory, Lord. Amen.

Weekly Prayer Mail

Dear Partners in Prayer,

Peace be with you.

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

This is Thanksgiving week in North America. If you want to make pumpkin pie from a pumpkin in Peru, you have to ask for "Calabash halloween" (a Halloween squash).

Thanksgivings:

a) Thanksgiving that the Diocesan Youth Leaders retreat went well, this past weekend. The Holy Spirit touched the lives of 20 to 25 youth leaders from across Peru. It was awesome.

b) Thanksgiving for the steps forward being made in the design of the ordination process in the Diocese of Peru.

c) Thanksgiving for our friends, supporters, and family. That would be you. Thank you to Jeanne and Debbie for your part in making sure we are in contact with everyone in various ways. Thank you to Fr. Gus Calvo and the Albany Diocese Mission Commission, members of our support team, and the people at SAMS (our mission sending agency). Thank you for all you do for us.

d) Thanksgiving for what God has done through us because of our willingness to minister in the Diocese of Peru. May you be similarly blessed by what God is doing through your continuing participation in this venture.

e) Thanksgiving for the people who work for Jesus in the Diocese of Peru as missionaries; we have the privilege of working alongside a great group of the people of Peruvian origin, for the Gospel. It is a wonderful team. There is a great bishop in Peru who is our team captain, and we like the seminary Rector and his family. I am glad we are part of this missionary team.

f) Thanksgiving for the diocesan administration teams in the Diocese of Albany and the Diocese of Peru. They have have been very helpful to us.

Prayer requests:

a) Lydia´s visa process is in another delay because of a signature that is needed. Pray for the content of the letter, that it would be signed by the department chief shortly, and for the visa process from that point, onward (whatever may be left to do).

b) Pray for the development and unfolding of the ordination process in the Diocese of Peru. The development process has gained momentum this past week, and an important presentation will be made Wednesday morning to the Diocesan Council. Julie is doing a fantastic preparation job. The exam process is unfolding well, for my part.

c) Pray for the winding down of this semester and the planning and preparation for the next cycle of classes which begins in February. We are having meetings to prepare for the next round. Preaching and Evangelism are our teaching prospects for the next cycle. We just finished teaching an Introduction to the Old Testament and a course on the Nicene Creed. I like team teaching with Julie, and she is really good as a faculty member.

d) Pray that lives will continue to be transformed through our prayer ministry. It seems that everytime we get together with others to pray in a prayer ministry it is just awesome. All three of us are involved: Julie, Lydia, and myself. There was a word from the Lord Saturday night by a priest in the Diocese that Lydia would have an important role to play. Please keep Lydia in prayer, for that role, whatever it may be.

e) Pray for the priorities, ministries, and finances of the Anglican Diocese of Peru, Saints Augustine Seminary, and the Mudge family. We could not do it without your support. You all are a God-send. Thank for praying for us. I pray for you every day.

f) Pray for the planning and preparation for the Diocesan short-term mission trip to Peru, in July, next year. We are in the design phase of the mission trip: what project(s) to do, etc. I just saw the guest list. Wow. What an fantastic group. Please keep Fr. Gus Calvo and the team in your care, and also our counterparts down here in prayer, that we would all do what Jesus wants us to do during that time together.

One additional item of note:

I felt led to look over some of my favorite psalms in Spanish, Saturday, and I came across a verse which is kind of a pun for the short-term mission trip to Peru next year, and also in general, for people in the Diocese of Albany. It goes like this:

NIV, Psalm 127:1/NVI, Salmo 127:1
Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Si el Señor no edifica la casa, en vano se esfuerzan los albañiles.

God bless you.

In Christ,
Fr. Shaw, Mtr. Julie, and Lydia,
Lima, Peru.

Weekly Prayer Mail

Dear Friends in Prayer,

Peace be with you.

This is our public prayer mail for 17 November 09:

Thanksgivings:

1) We hear that Lydia's visa process may be finalized as early as Thursday. One day at a time.

2) The Hari-Krishna restaurant has been silent this week.

3) This week, Julie has made great strides in developing an official ordination process in conjunction with the plans of Bp. Godfrey for the Diocese of Peru.

4) This week, I have made great strides with the help of Bp. Godfrey and the Rector of the seminary in developing a process for Diocesan Anglican Assessments (type of General Ordination examinations).

5) I believe that my preaching was fine at the parish on Sunday. I hope that people were blessed by it.

Prayer requests:

1) For the seminary students, and for the people in the ordination process. Particular weeks to keep in mind: the week of Nov 30 (exam week), the week of December 6, and the week of December 13. Ordination meetings will be taking place in the cities of Lima (central coast) and Arequipa (southern highlands).

2) For the priorities, ministries, resources, and finances of the Anglican Diocese of Peru, the seminary, and for us.

3) For the Provincial Youth leader retreat this coming weekend (that Lydia will be attending), and the Life of the Spirit seminar during that retreat with which Julie and I will be helping.

4) For the remaining two weeks of classes and the mentoring groups that we lead.

Thank you for praying for us. Your continuing prayer support really makes a different. I pray for you every day.

God bless you.

In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie, and Lydia.
Lima, Peru

Details about Lydia's Visa Process

Dear Friends in Prayer,

Peace be with you.

This is a bit detailed in parts, but it gives you an idea of the visa process phase we are currently in, so you can be praying. I was not originally intending this for general circulation, but if you have prayer partners and friends that you want to share this with or if the missions committee wanted to circulate it, that is fine with me. Lydia would like as many people praying as possible about this.

Your continued prayers are appreciated for this process, and also for the Norton´s antivirus protection program that I am trying to arrange for Julie´s computer (we paid for it, and it should arrive as download by Internet in the next day or so).

In general, we are back on track with incremental progress for Lydia´s visa, but it is not over, until it is over.

1) Yesterday, we went to El Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores del Perú, in Central Lima with Lydia´s birth certificate to get a signature notarized, and we were to return this morning to pick up the document at 8:15 am, en punto.

2) There was additional incremental progress today with Lydia´s visa. At 8:15 am, we picked up the double notarized birth certificate from the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores del Perú in the District of Cental Lima, and headed over to Migraciones in the Breña District of Lima.

Our brief meeting at Migraciones ended with a need for an official translation of the birth certificate, and we were told that for a translator we should go back to the Ministerio de Relaciones building in Central Lima, where we would find a translator outside.

What we discovered was that there are names of translators posted outside of the Minsterio de Relaciones building, by the entrance, with the different languages that people are officially registered for (English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, German, Japanese, etc). Considering the size of Lima, there are not a lot of official translators listed, and we jotted down several names for English in the part of the city near where we lived (we live in the primary commercial section of the city so that may be a reason why are a fair number listed for our part of the city). And we were able to locate one official translator in the Miraflores District of Lima, not too far from our language school. Then, we went to the translator´s office, and arranged for a translation to be picked up tomorrow. A very nice gentleman.

Tomorrow, the plan is to pick up the birth certificate and the translation of it, about 8 am, and head back to Migraciones in the Breña section of Lima.

2) Cultural enrichment (the word choice was not intended as a pun), if you would like to read further:
To give you an idea of fees for this part of our adventure: about $30 for the notarization in Hartford (Connecticut), about $7 (S/. 22.90) for the notarization at the Ministerio de Relaciones, and about $16 (S/. 50) for the translation (which seems to be a standard price for translation of such a document). On top of that are taxi fares (which vary for a number of reasons, including relationships).

In case you were not aware, this is the part of the process where no additional fees would be charged by Migraciones, but they do not tell you about these other fees, you just have to assume that there will be an additional fee in an unknown amount, for every step. So, we are helping the economy of Peru.

While there is bureaucracy, at the same time, the bureaucracy is a bit entrepreneurial, with outsourcing for things like translation work. Official translators are not available in the vicinity of Migraciones, by the way.

Recommended personal preparation for all of this: ability to be a self-starter, organization, patience, perseverance, a sense of humor, and a basic understanding for how a typical government works (in the US or Peru). Familiarity with ordination steps and doctoral degree program steps, can be helpful. Being from an entrepreneurial family helps.

And so, the adventure continues.....

Please keep Lydia and her visa process in your prayers. Thank you.

God bless you all,
In Christ,
Shaw

Weekly Scripture Prayer

Nehemiah 8: 10b

”The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Lord, we thank You for all the good reports that we are getting pertaining to the Mudge’s mission in Peru. Thank You that the Holy Spirit is working through Father Shaw and Mother Julie and Lydia Mudge. Thank You for your Joy that they spread at the seminary and at the Mission of Ascension and in the Diocese of Peru. Thank You for all those to whom they minister: the seminary students, the ex-pat youth, other clergy and all of the people. May they all experience the fruit of Your Holy Spirit, especially Love, Peace and Joy. Amen.

http://mudgeperureport.blogspot.com/

A Prayer by Liv Hicks

Father, give this family wisdom as to how to deal with everything on this list. I pray for unity at Christmas for them; if there is a way for their daughters to come to Lima and the family to be together please provide it. Thank You for their willingness to serve in Peru and the renewal of their minds in this foreign culture.

Help Lydia's visa to come through rapidly...or more rapidly. Give them each a sense of Your love and direction, and encourage them in their walk with You. Help them reflect Your love to each other and to everyone they meet today. Protect them, healthwise and driving. I pray for the Hari Krishna people to come to know You.

In Christ we pray. Amen

Newsletter November 2009

Peruvian Holidays

There are two US holiday celebrations we are encountering in a new way at this time of year: Halloween and Christmas.

Halloween is popular. On October 31st, young children go from home to home or from store to store with a parent, or several children go with a few parents, saying something like "Hal-een" and holding out little orange plastic pumpkins, into which merchants or homeowners put several pieces of candy.

Most times, the children were dressed in costumes, and the most common ones this year were: Superman, Spiderman, Snow White, witches, devils, and Michael Jackson. The same costumes appeared all over our area of Lima.

Businesspeople in Peru imitate business practices of the US and Europe. Thanksgiving does not exist here, so the next merchant's holiday is Christmas, and marketing for Christmas begins about the day of Halloween, similar to the practice in the US.

We are in a desert. Therefore, people buy small artificial evergreen Christmas trees at Wong or other "supermercados" (something like Walmart). You are able to buy lights, ornaments, and so forth, all at Wong.

One of Julie's hobbies has been collecting nativity sets, but we gave up much of that when we moved to Lima. However, for her birthday in October, I bought her a ceramic nativity set in Andean motif, made in the Ayacucho area of Peru, complete with shepherd and his vicuñas.

We pray for people in Lima at these holiday times of the year, that they may find true blessings in Christ. We pray for our students, that they may pass the gift of the love of Jesus Christ to everyone they meet.

And we pray for, you. May you be blessed during the holidays.

How are we doing?

Present Ministry: We are excited about what we have been doing and what is ahead. We are seeing evidence of the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit in what we are doing, thanks to your continuing prayer and financial support.

Residency process: Hopefully, Lydia's process is nearing completion.

Prayer Requests:
• For our students in their studies.
• Seminary, parish, and diocesan ministries and finances.
• That we spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all that we do.

Blessings! – Shaw, Julie, and Lydia

Weekly Prayer Mail

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Prayer,

Peace be with you.

This is our public Prayer Mail for 9 November 09:

1) Thanksgiving that Lydia´s visa process moves forward. Her notarized birth certificate has arrived in Lima. More meetings ahead.

2) Thanksgiving for the ministries in which we are participating at the seminary, parish, and in the diocese.

3) Thanksgiving for all our supporters, financially, in prayer, and with resources.

4) Thanksgiving that a date has been set up for the coming Albany short term mission trip to Lima next year.

Prayer requests:
1) For Lydia´s visa process. More meetings ahead.

2) For the people we meet and minister to, at seminary, in the Mission of Ascension, and in the Diocese of Peru.

3) For the priorities, finances, and resources (including prayer resources) of the Diocese of Peru, the seminary, and the missionaries here (including us).

4) For Mudge family Thanksgiving and Christmas celebration plans. We will be in Peru (that is one set of plans), and we will have family in the US (that is another set of plans).

5) For the Diocese of Albany short-term mission trip next year. As it turns out, the team would be down here during the national holiday in July, which happens to be my birthday. This is great.

6) For the Hari-Krishna restaurant behind our apartment building which sometimes plays music at such a volume that it is easy to imagine that we are in India instead of Peru.

7) For a Provincial Youth Leaders retreat coming up on November 20. We may be helping to lead a Life in the Spirit seminar for them on that weekend.

8) For the students in our classes as exam week nears (exams begin November 30).

9) For the seminary´s administrative and course planning, and the planning of the diocesan ordination process. We are involved in all of this.

10) I will be preaching in Spanish this coming Sunday at the Mission of Ascension, at 11 am (same as New York time).

Thank you for praying for us. I pray for you every day.

God bless you.

Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia.
Diocesan Missionaries, Lima, Peru

Weekly Scripture Prayer

Revelation 15: 3b-4

Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways, King of the ages.
Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
For your righteous acts have been revealed.


Lord, we continue to thank You for the blessings that You have bestowed upon the Mudges. Thank You for working along side of them in Lima, Peru. We praise You for the way that Fr. Shaw and Mother Julie and Lydia bring glory to your name and reveal your righteous acts to all those to whom they minister. Thank You for their part in bringing the people of Peru to come and worship before You. Amen.

Dear friends in Prayer,

This is our prayer public mail, for 3 November 09:

Thanksgivings:

1) We have had some great weather here today, perhaps the clearest day in years.

2) We had a great time with "Mudge Sunday" during the All Saints Day service at Ascension Mission in Surco yesterday morning, and we had a great time at a mission last night in San Juan de Miraflores. Both services were wonderful. We sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit at both.

3) Our seminary classroom teaching seems to be going very well.

4) The Diocese of Albany mission trip to Peru next summer under the leadership of Fr. Gus Calvo has been approved by Bp. Godfrey. We look forward to seeing everyone who will be here.

5) Our mission work was mentioned in the current edition of the Trinity School for Ministry publication: Seed and Harvest. They included a photo of us, as well as the now famous Mother's Day octopus that we ate.

Prayer requests:

1) Our daughter Hannah is still in flu recovery, so we would appreciate your continued prayers for her.

2) Continued prayer for Lydia's visa process. The document we are waiting for, is en route from the US to us.

3) Prayer for priorities, finances, and mission work for the Diocese of Peru, the seminary, and ourselves. Pray that we would continue to be a blessing to everyone we work with and with whom we meet.

4) For travel safety as we go out and about. Taxis are very inexpensive here, but there can be a trade-off. I am reminded by the taxi drivers from time to time to make sure that our doors are locked in certain parts of the city. This is in addition to prayers for protection from auto accidents, several times each week. (It can be exciting when our taxi's engine dies in the middle of a busy intersection.) We can sense your prayers, and praise God.

God bless you.
Thank you for praying for us. I pray for you every day.
In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia
Lima, Peru.

Deuteronomy 32: 1-3

Moses spoke the words of this song, “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, as the gentle rain upon the tender grass, and as the showers upon the herb. For I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is he.”


Heavenly Father and Jesus, the rock that saves, we thank you for the good reports that we are getting about the Mudges in Peru. We thank You that the first healing service at the Mission of Ascension was so well received and that Your Holy Spirit touched the lives of everyone there. We praise You for the wonderful reports about the Mudge’s Old Testament course being such a blessing. We know that You are blessing the Mudges in a wonderful way. Lord, we pray that your anointing continue to be upon them and that their work bears much fruit. Let the earth hear their words and let their teaching drop as the rain. May their teaching get right to the essence of what You would have them say. Let them continue to proclaim Your Holy Name and ascribe greatness to You, teaching of your justice, your faithfulness, and your perfection. Amen

Weekly Prayer Mail

Dear Friends in Prayer,

Thanksgivings:
1) That Hannah is recovering nicely from the flu. She went to theCDC regional statistics website for her area and figured that there was a 2,700:15 possibility that she had the swine flu.

2) The prayer service that was held on Sunday evening was awesome. It was the first healing service at the Mission of Ascension, and the Holy Spirit touched the lives of everyone there in some way. Among the people we prayed for were Hap Carrier, Faye VanDermark, and Nigel Mumford. It was just awesome.

3) That the courses that we are teaching continue to be a blessing to the students. We are hearing reports as far away as Belize that the Old Testament course is a blessing.

Prayer requests:
1) Lydia's visa process. An attorney at our parish yesterday speculated that the way forward is the path that we are on, and that confirms what the sense that I have had when I pray. The current step is that Lydia' birth certificate be notarized in Hartford, Connecticut.

2) For the courses, mentoring groups, and ministries that we are involved in. This coming Sunday is a Mudge Sunday at the Mission of Ascension: I celebrate the Holy Eucharist. Julie preaches. Lydia is on the healing prayer team. All in Spanish. It is All Saints Day.

3) For the Priorities, Finances, and Ministries of the Mudge family, Saints Augustin Seminary, and the Diocese of Peru.

4) For health, for those needing healing prayer, including: Hannah, Nigel, Faye, Hap, John, Dave, Sonia, Juan, Bp. Godfrey, Raquel, Celia, Luis, and the others on our hearts and minds.

I pray for you daily. Thank you for praying for us.

God bless you.

In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia
Lima, Peru

Weekly Scripture Prayer

Psalm 37: 3-6

Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the Lord
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
Trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
The justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Lord, we thank You for all the blessings of the Mudge family. Thank You that they are enjoying their ministries in Lima, Peru. Thank you for Mother Julie’s birthday and for Lydia’s new ministry, helping with an after-school program at a mission. We know that the Mudges trust in You, and delight in You. Continue to give then safe pasture in Peru. Lord, we ask for some help with Lydia’s visa process. Give Father Shaw and Mother Julie and Lydia a sense of peace that the visa process is in your hands and that all the paper work and hassle will be finished soon. May the righteousness of this very special family continue to shine like the dawn and may they continue to have success in all their undertakings. Amen.

http://mudgeperureport.blogspot.com/

Weekly Prayer Mail

Dear friends in Prayer,

Peace be with you.

Thank you for praying for us.

A) Thanksgivings:
1) That we enjoy the ministries that we are doing.
2) This week Lydia began helping with an after-school program at a mission.
3) Julie celebrates a birthday tomorrow. We have plans.
4) That the road construction near our apartment is nearing completion and looks great.

B) Prayers:
1) There is a special prayer emphasis this week here for diocesan and seminary finances, ministries, and priorities. (I am sure that is a prayer request that we could pray for all of us, and not just the Diocese and the seminary, and not just the Mudges, but for everyone who reads this, so I invite you to pray for all of us in our prayer team as well, for this. I hope you don't mind, but we care about you, too.)
2) Lydia's visa process could use a jump start; at the moment it does not seem to be making more progress. We have plan B in the works, but we would like plan A to work.
3) That we would continue to bless people in our ministries.
4) For our brother in Christ, Nigel Mumford, who is ailing at the moment.

God bless you.

Thank you for praying for us. I pray for you daily.

In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia
Lima, Peru

October Newsletter

Water

Just about everyone drinks bottled water in Lima. In our apartment, we have a portable water dispenser on our kitchen counter, and we buy several
"5 galones" bottles of water at a time. The water company delivers to the apartment, within an hour or two of our placing an order for water.

Removing the spout cover of a 5 gallon bottle of water requires either a) a superhero or b) a pair of pliers. We opted for the pliers. (I had not anticipated that pliers would become such an important part of our apartment dwelling life.)

The challenge: the foot high water dispenser rests comfortably on our kitchen counter. The bottle of water stands upright (spout upward) on the floor, with its spout cover removed. This means that I have to lift up the 5 gallon bottle of water above my waist, turn it upside down, and put the spout squarely into the top of the dispenser, and do all this without sliding the very portable (movable) dispenser somewhere along the counter top.

I think the water companies have this plan down to a science because to my utter amazement, every time I turn the water bottle upside down, on the whole, the process has worked. A few drops of liberated water may splash merrily on the countertop, but I have not yet ended up with a 2012 type tsunami in our kitchen. My level of confidence increases if someone else holds the dispenser in place while I tip the bottle upside down.

The Scriptures sometimes use water as an analogy for God's Holy Spirit. Our relationship with the Holy Spirit can sometimes be like the water dispenser arrangement. The Holy Spirit has a plan, and we have to trust that his plan will work. It takes teamwork on our part for the plan to be effective, and we need to skillfully remove obstacles that get in the way of his plan (like removing the tops of the bottles).

How are we doing?

Present Ministry:
We are just about at the six month mark, and we look back at the impact we have had already with a great deal of satisfaction, not just in the classroom setting, but in diocesan ministry and in parish ministry as well.

Residency process: As of today, Julie and I have completed our process, and Lydia's process is nearing completion.

Prayer Requests:• Continued effectiveness in teaching
• Seminary, parish, and diocesan ministries
• Continued outpouring of God's Holy Spirit in Peru

Blessings! – Shaw, Julie, and Lydia

Weekly Scripture Prayer

Psalm 20: 4-5 and 7

May He give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
We will shout for joy when you are victorious
and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Lord, we continue to rejoice in the good reports that we are getting from the Mudges in Peru: Your Holy Spirit acting so strongly throughout the diocese of Peru; the wonderful reception of the Life in the Spirit Seminar; Father Shaw’s new confidence in celebrating the Mass in Spanish, the teachings and preachings and music and healing ministries of Fr. Shaw and Mother Julie and Lydia. Lord, continue to give the Mudges the desires of their hearts and make their plans succeed as they continue to trust in Your name. Amen.

Prayer Mail

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Prayer,

Peace be with you.

It has been a busy week, full of blessings and opportunities for growth.
Blessings:
1) Lydia's visa process continues to make incremental progress, from one phone call to the next.
2) We were able to use the vacation week, this past week, to make great headway in our course preparation.
3) We hosted two different youth groups at our apartment this week: an English-speaking teenage group and a Spanish speaking Youth Alpha group.
4) The Life in the Spirit Seminar for clergy and their spouses in the Diocese of Peru concluded, and it seemed to be well received.
5) Julie and the Rector of the seminary have accomplished a significant administrative project.
6) Julie was able to make important progress with Commission on Ministry matters.
7) I had a very good time celebrating the Holy Eucharist in Spanish at Cristo-Redentor in San Juan de Miraflores, yesterday.

Prayer requests (opportunities for growth):
1) It is conceivable (but how probable is uncertain) that Lydia's visa process could wrap up this week with no extra paperwork needed.
2) For finances, resources, priorities, and growth of: the Diocese of Peru, Saint Agustin seminary, the mission of La Ascension, and the missionaries who serve in the Diocese of Peru (including us).
3) For our course-work preparation and teaching in class, as well as for the mentoring groups we lead.
4) For the people we meet daily, and the opportunities we have to pray with people and to share: the Peace of God which passes all understanding, the Love of Jesus, and the Power of the Holy Spirit.
5) That the people in the country of Peru would be fruitful in their ministries and labors, be blessed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and that basic human needs would be taken care of.
6) For an increase in the healing ministry in the Diocese of Peru.
7) For the upcoming Suffragan Bishops selection processes/elections, perhaps sometime within the next two years or so. Please pray for the process and for the future candidates (you can read more about this, below, as you desire)
8) For any prayer that comes to your heart or mind.
9) For Jeanne Gizara's computer. It is a vital link to our prayer-blog and our communication network. She has been having difficulties for about a month.
10) For our beloved daughters, Ruth and Hannah, in the United States, that the Lord would answer, bless and guide them through the various needs and requests that they have.

Re: Suffragan bishops. The Diocese of Peru has approval from the Province to elect 4 Missionary Suffragan bishops, one in each of four different areas of the Diocese of Peru, and we would like your continued prayers for God's candidates to be selected and for God's people to be chosen. The right people make all the difference as to the effectiveness of ministry here. The term "Missionary" Suffragan Bishop means a certain role for a bishop, and it does not necessarily mean that the bishops have to be missionaries.

God bless you, and thank you for praying for us. I pray for you daily, and your prayers make a difference.

In Christ,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia.

September's Newsletter

Note from Jeanne Gizara: This newsletter is out of chronological order. When it was sent out on September 15, my computer was down.

Ladrillo

"Ladrillo" was not a word that we were expecting to use very often in Peru. It is the Spanish word for "brick," as in "building materials." Sometimes, people use the word to mean blocks of stone or concrete that are about the same size and serve a similar purpose as brick.

One of Shaw's great grandfathers was the largest supplier of brick to New York City before World War II. Family tradition has it that some of the brick was used for the construction of the Empire State Building. And because he supplied so much brick, he needed trucks to move them, and so at one point, the result was that he had the largest Mack Truck distributorship in the city as well. And yet, brick has not exactly been a household word with us, until Lima, until we moved to the street where we live.

Across the street from us, a new apartment building is going up. It is amazing to see the construction team work, and when they move brick, they pass each one, one at a time, rapidly, along a chain of orange vested people, up ladders and across walkways. Meanwhile, at the intersection closest to our apartment, a new road is going in, and it is amazing to see the men, in this construction team, rapidly laying brick for the road, brick by brick in a diagonal pattern, and rapidly cutting hundreds of smaller pieces and fitting them in place to make the edges trim. They are artisans.

The Anglican Church in Peru is like these men. We are a spiritual construction crew. Ladrillo by ladrillo, we build up the body of Christ as a team effort, adding one person at a time. It is amazing what people can do when they put their mind to it, and on so few resources, with plenty of growing pains and spiritual dust from the construction process.


Photo taken by Charo Saavedra and used with Permission. Shaw, Bp. Godfrey, Lydia, and Julie. at our installation service as professors of Santos Agustin seminary in Lima.

How are we doing?

Present Ministry: A few weeks ago, it seemed like floodgates opened. From youth ministry, to mentoring people in the ordination process, to teaching classes and ministering to clergy, to participating in parish life (including helping to start a healing ministry), and more, there is a lot for us to do, and we are only one part of the Church.

Residency process: As of today, we are about 98% completed with the process. We have met some great people in the governmental offices along the way, and the process has been proceeding very smoothly.

Prayer Requests:
• Listening and Speaking skills
• Seminary, parish, and diocesan ministries
• Continuing adjustment and good health

Blessings! – Julie, Shaw, and Lydia

Weekly Scripture Prayer

1Corinthians 12: 4-11

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

Holy Spirit, we thank You for the wonderful reports that we are getting about how You are moving through Father Shaw and Mother Julie and Lydia Mudge in the Diocese of Lima, Peru. Thank You that many lives have been touched by the Life in the Spirit Seminar. We praise You for the many ministries in which the Mudges are involved: music, healing prayer, liturgical assistance. Thank You for their eager students and mentoring groups. And thank You for giving the Mudges so many gifts with which to spread the wisdom of the Father and the love of Jesus and the joy and inspiration of the Spirit. We especially thank You for Fr. Shaw’s organizational skills, for Mother Julie’s music, for teaching skills, and for the healing ministries of all three Mudges. Amen.

Fr. Shaw's Prayer Mail Oct 4

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Peace be with you.

We have had an eventful week.

1) Praise God for the many lives that have been touched by the Life in the Spirit seminar this past Saturday, both clergy and their spouses.

2) Praise God for the various ministries we participate in, including music, healing prayer, liturgical assistance, and in other ways. God is using us to touch peoples lives, in these ministries as well.

3) Praise God that Lydia's visa process continues to move forward, although at a slower pace than it has in the past.

4) For the students in our classes and mentoring groups, who seem eager to learn what the Holy Spirit is inspiring us to teach and say.

Prayer requests:

1) For Lydia's visa process. The next phase is a phone call on Tuesday.

2) For our students and all the teachers at the seminary.

3) For our priorities and finances and organizational matters, as well as those of the seminary and the Diocese of Peru. We really like the Rector of the seminary and his family, please keep them in prayer on these matters, as well.

4) For the Diocese of Peru that it may continue to reach out to others with the love of Jesus. The Holy Spirit seems to be blowing fresh winds across the diocese in the last few months.

5) This coming weekend I celebrate at the Mission of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) in San Juan de Miraflores (another part of the city of Lima). Please keep this wonderful congregation in your prayers this week.

6) Gus Calvo is trying to organize a mission trip from the Diocese of Albany to the Diocese of Peru, and we would like the organizational matters to be worked out as quickly and smoothly as possible at both ends, to the glory of God.

Thank you so much for praying for us. It makes a difference. Lydia's visa process continued without unnecessary complications this weekend, although there is a certain amount of mystery yet to be revealed. I am sure your prayers made a difference. I pray for you daily.

I conclude with some of the prayers from the Mission of The Ascension, where we usually worship, from this morning's bulletin:

1) For the health of Sonia, Juan Maufinet, and Bishop William Godfrey.
2) For the Reverends Shaw and Julie Mudge and their daughter Lydia. God bless them in their ministry.
3) For the youth ministry in Brena (another mission in Lima)
4) For the health of our sister Mary Luz Zuzunaga.
5) For our mission in formation in Brena.
6) For Luis Antonio Torres, brother of the community of Brena.

God bless you,

In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia.
Lima, Peru

Weekly Scripture Prayer Sept 30

Philippians 4: 4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
We rejoice in You, Lord Jesus and are so thankful for your gentleness. We know You are near and that You are especially close to Father Shaw and Mother Julie and Lydia Mudge. We thank You for the marvelous reports we are getting as their mission work has gone into full gear. Continue to be with them, Lord, and give them your discernment about those tasks You are asking them to do. Give them the energy that they need and may your peace be with them guarding their hearts and their minds always to be doing Your Perfect Will. Amen.

Father Shaw's Prayer Mail Sept 28

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

This is our public prayer mail for 29 Tuesday 09. This week we have added the Rector of the Seminary to our prayer team (the Rev. Allen Hill).

Thanksgivings:
1) For the great responses to the Life in the Spirit seminar on Saturday.

2) That Lydia´s visa process is moving forward at a better pace.

3) For the students in our classes, and the many positive responses to our teaching.

4) For the very good responses we are getting to the various ministries in which we participate at Ascension mission.

Prayer requests:
1) For Lydia´s visa process. We have a very important meeting on Wednesday beginning about 9 am. (see below)

2) For priorities and financing for ourselves, the seminary, the diocese ofPeru, and Ascension Mission in the Surco district of Lima, that all the ministries may grow in the Gospel and that lives would be fruitful and be transformed by the Holy Spirit.

3) For a presentation which a visiting clergyman will make to Diocesan clergy on Wednesday about Stewardship; and for the balance of the Life in the Spirit seminar over the next two saturdays.

4) For the seminary students and their families as they try to balance: work, studying, ministry, and family life. For Lydia, in her studies.

5) For the spiritual growth of the Diocese of Peru and Ascension Mission.

6) In theory, Julie begins a new ministry on Thursday: music rehearsals at Ascension. She would appreciate prayers that the music is in place, in time for the rehearsal.

More on Lydia´s visa process: We returned to the immigration office today, and we had a pleasant surprise that the process which was suggested last week is not the process they have in mind, this week. So, Ruth will not need to visit the Consulate in Chicago on our behalf. Now, the plan is to meet with someone in the immigration office on Wednesday morning, to walk us through the process here, to fix the administrative error.

Thank you for your prayers. They make a difference in our ministries and in the lives of the people among whom we live and work. I pray for you daily.

God bless you.

In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia
Lima, Peru

Weekly Prayer Mail Sept 24

Psalm 85: 10-13

Love and faithfulness meet together;
Righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
The Lord will indeed give what is good,
And our land will yield its harvest.
Righteousness goes before him
And prepares the way for his steps.

Lord, God, we thank You and we praise You for the wonderful report
that Fr. Shaw sent this week in his prayer mail. We thank You that the
classes at the seminary are going well as are activities at their assigned
mission parish. Indeed Lord, You have given what is good and there will
be a rich harvest in Lima, Peru. May the mission work of Father Shaw
and Mother Julie and Lydia Mudge continue to go well and bring glory
to Your Name. Amen.

Fr. Shaw's Prayer Mail Sept 23

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Peace be with you.

This is our public prayer mail for the week of 22 Sep 09.

Thanksgivings:
1) There was a great diocesan healing service last night, giving thanks for the health of Bp. Godfrey (Julie and I were on healing teams. It was awesome, praying for people.)

2) Classes are off to a great start.

3) The Diocesan youth/family day was a success on Saturday.

4) That the country of Peru is such a great place to serve.

5) That Spring has started (apologies to people north of the equator).

6) We have had a very good time leading worship services in parish and seminary settings (Book of Common Prayer 1979, Spanish version, Peruvian context).

There was an awesome Holy Eucharist at the Seminary on Thursday evening in which Julie was inspired to ask the students to be prayed for, at the end of her sermon. And Julie, I, and the Rector (Dean) of the seminary prayed for students. That was an awesome moment.

And a similar thing happened at the healing service with Bp. Godfrey last night. It was one of those fantastic eternal moments that took place while we were praying for Bp. Godfrey and while praying for the people who came forward for healing prayer.

In both instances, it was as though the power of the Holy Spirit which had passed on to us through Bp. Dan and Bp. Dave in the Diocese of Albany a few years ago was now doing the same thing here, touching lives of the people and clergy in the Diocese of Peru through those of us who were praying for people, for healing, for filling with the Holy Spirit. (last night included lay people, and clergy). Wow.

Prayer requests:
1) Our schedule and priorities. There are a lot of demands on us/opportunities in front of us at the moment, competing for our time, so we want to keep Jesus´ priorities in the forefront.

2) For the seminary classes, the mentoring groups, healing ministry, youth ministries, the Life in the Spirit Seminar, worship leadership teams, and diocesan and seminary administrative ministries in which we are involved.

3) For the growth of the mission of Ascension where we serve.

4) For the conclusion of our visa process tomorrow (Wednesday) in the morning, hopefully. We begin our trek at 9 am, US Central Time.

5) For our finances and goals, as well as those of the Diocese, the Seminary, and the mission of Ascension (Ascension is not quite parish size yet, yet it is in the process of starting another mission).

We pray that everything would be done to the glory of God.

God bless you all. Thank you for praying for us, your prayers make a difference in the lives of the people among whom we minister. I pray for you daily.

In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia
Lima, Peru

A Prayer from Liv Hicks Sept 15

Father, Thank You for so many answered prayers and blessings. Thank You too that the Mudges keeps us all updated on their lives. I now pray for the students that they would learn about You, Your mercy, Your wisdom, that they would be renewed by You and follow Your plans for their lives. I pray for the students in the menoring group, that they would grow in Christ and that You would give Shaw and Julie and Lydia Your wisdom in the mentoring process, help them to be wonderful examples of Your love. Help Saturday to be a day of unity and strengthening of Your body. Help Shaw's celebrating the Eucherist on Sunday to be beautiful and a revelation of Your love to all who attend. Help them to get their registration cards. Bless the finances in Peru for this organization and all other Christian organizations, meet their needs. Renew the clergy and their wives at the Life in the Spirit seminar later this month. Bless them. In Christ we pray. Amen

Fr. Shaw's Prayer Mail Sept 15

Thanksgivings:
1) Our residential visa process has been great so far.
2) The seminary classes that we teach at Santos Agustin are beginning this week
3) Our parish ministry at the Mission of Ascension is getting underway
4) Our diocesan ministry in Peru is getting underway
5) That the healing ministry at the mission of Ascension is off to a very good start.

Prayer requests:
1) For the students in the classes, that they would learn what they need for their ministries from the courses that we teach.
2) For the students in our mentoring group, that God would answer their prayers in his way and in his timing.
3) For the diocesan youth ministry/family ministry day on Saturday, that all who attend would be blessed and strengthened in the love of Jesus Christ.
4) For my celebrating the Holy Eucharist at our mission church of Ascension on Sunday, that the occasion would be the Holy Spirit's blessing on that day for all who attend.
5) For the registration-card step of the visa process, that it would continue to be a speedy and joyful experience.
6) For the finances, priorities, and relationships in our ministry, as well as the finances, priorities, ministries, and relationships in the seminary, the Mission of Ascension, and the Diocese of Peru.
7) For the Life in the Spirit seminar for clergy and their spouses, which begins on September 26.

Thank you for praying for us. It makes a difference. I pray for you every day.

God bless you.

In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia
Lima, Peru

Mudge Prayer Sept 9

Philippians 1:25-26

Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

As Paul ministered to the Philippians, so Fr. Shaw, Mother Julie, and Lydia Mudge minister to those in Lima. May the Mudges see progress and joy in faith surrounding all that they encounter. May joy in Jesus be overflowing in the classrooms at the seminary, in the Life in the Spirit seminars, and in the healing initiatives in their local parish. Lord, this next week is the starting point of the main ministry to which you have called the Mudges. Please be with them in a special way this week, giving them confidence in their new roles and extra help in understanding the Spanish that their students speak. And we thank You, Lord, for the successful trip to Chile and the resulting residential visas. Be with Shaw, Julie and Lydia in the final paper work. May all that the Mudges do glorify your name. Amen.

Prayer 2 from Liv Hicks 9/8

Father, Thank You for the Mudges and help them to be well immersed into their new jobs. Help them to establish good relationships, give them the words in Spanish and the expressions that they need to communicate well. Bless their own walks with You daily, help them to be sensitive to what You want them to teach and exemplify. Encourage them so they may encourage others. Thank You too for what Lydia is doing and bless her on the healing team. Thank You for their love and their works. In Christ we pray. Amen

Prayer 1 from Liv Hicks 9/8

Thank You Father that they got their visas! Yeah! Thank You too Father for their time in Chile. Give them a safe trip back to Peru and help them now to get their residential cards. Bless the Mudge family, encourage them, help them to have a good time in their travels, help them to make all their connections, and to be a blessing to whoever they meet. In Christ we pray. Amen

Note from Jeanne Gizara

I have been having computer problems for the last month and therefore have not updated the blog. I am still having computer problems, but I think that I can start the updating now. I am wanting to put items in in chronological order. I thank you for praying for the Mudges!

Weekly Prayer Mail

Sunday 6 September 2009

Dear Prayer Team,

Peace be with you.

I hope you are having a great Labor Day weekend. I am sending this weekly public prayer mail ahead of our usual time, due to our journey to Chile tomorrow.

1) Thanksgivings:

a) Our visa process is well underway. The appointment last week went well, and now we go to Chile to get the actual visas.

b) Lydia has finished her time at language school.

c) Seminary class preparation is well underway.

d) Our installation at the seminary service went well on Monday.

e) We like Lima and what God is doing here.

2) Prayer requests:

a) Our trip to Chile. Monday through Wednesday.

b) For the final phase of the whole immigration paperwork process (the final phase will be applying for the official cards we carry).

c) Course preparation. Classes and mentor groups begin the week September 14. Pray for the Holy Spirit to touch the lives of the students by what we do.

d) Life in the Spirit seminar. There is a good team working with us. It is a key program for the Bishop of Peru for the Diocese. Pray for the clergy and spouses and leaders. Begins on September 26. Julie and I lead off.

e) Parish ministry. A special long term parish emphasis on healing kicks off this week. Lydia is on the first healing team. Julie and I are part of the clergy team for various ministries. Please pray for the parish, that it may grow in the Lord.

f) Julie´s ministry with the Commission on Ministry.

g) Our administrative ministries at the seminary, and the various regular meetings at the seminary and in the diocese. For the staff, budgets, and priorities of both the diocese and the seminary.

h) Our language comprehension and speaking, finances, and priorities.

Thank you for praying for us. I pray for you every day.

Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia
Lima, Peru

Disciples Making Disciples.
Discípulos Haciendo Discípulos.

Prayer from Liv Hicks

Father, Thank You for what is happening in the Mudge family and in their ministry in Peru. Bless them and encourage them. Help them to see with Your eyes, hear with Your ears, listen with Your heart, and communicate what You want communicated. Thank You that Lydia is finished with language school, and thank You for her new friends. Encourage her with Your love and show her the way she should minister. Be with Shaw and Julie in their new positions. Bless their words, cover their mistakes, continue to give them humor in their language learning and living conditions. Protect their health, direct their days. In Christ we pray. Amen

Weekly Mudge Prayer

James 3: 1-2

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

Lord, very soon the Mudges will be commencing their main ministry in Peru: teaching at the seminary. Be with Father Shaw and Mother Julie as they prepare for their classes. Be with them also as they present parts of the Life in the Spirit Seminar to clergy and spouses. Be with Mother Julie as she home schools Lydia. And bless them in their administrative roles as well: Father Shaw as Academic Dean and Mother Julie as registrar. Guide them so that they are never at fault in what they say. Amen.

Weekly Prayer Mail

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Peace be with you.

Here is this week's prayer mail. I have sent it out earlier than usual this week because of the installation service for us as faculty members of the seminary, tomorrow evening. I forwarded the announcement by email last week so you would be in the loop. Please pray for us. It begins 6 pm, Lima time.

Thanksgivings:

1) Lydia's birthday party went well. She is a happy girl.

2) Weather continues to improve.

3) We have begun planning our participation in our parish services and ministry.

4) This is Lydia's last week at language school. She is a happy girl.

Prayer requests:

1) Visa applications.

2) Course planning. Courses begin on September 14.

3) Language.

4) Priority and budget matters.

5) Since the last prayer mail, Julie and I have been asked to lead Life in the Spirit seminar segments on Saturday mornings, September 12 and 26. This will include 5 segments, over the two Saturdays. These segments are intended especially for clergy and their spouses of the Diocese of Peru.

6) Julie will be meeting with Bp. Godfrey to discuss Commission on Ministry matters.

7) We have an all day parish outing on Saturday to a mission in another part of the city.

8) We have a parish ministry planning meeting on Wednesday beginning about 9 am.

9) SAMS missionaries in Peru meet by Skype/in person on Tuesday at the Cathedral to coordinate schedules for 2010, at 9 am.

Thank you for praying for us. I can tell that people are praying for us, and I pray for you daily.

God bless you.
In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia.
Disciples Making Disciples.

Liv Hick's Prayer

Father, Thank You for the wonderful things happening to the Mudges. We praise You for Your hand in their lives and their obedience to being uncomfortable in a language, because You can help them learn another; for being uncomfortable in a new culture, because You can shake out the cobwebs of conformity and broaden their understanding of Your beautiful differences in peoples and places. Father, I ask that you continue to encourage them in their relationships, in their language learning, and that they could get their permanent visas. Thank You for Lydia's birthday, help her to have a wonderful party. Give her good friends. Bless Julie and Shaw's upcoming teaching schedules. Thank You for the beautiful weather and keep them healthy and safe, for Your glory. In Christ we pray. Amen

Weekly Prayer

Psalm 13:5-6

But I trust in your unfailing love;
My heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
For He has been good to me.

We trust in your unfailing love, Lord Jesus. Our hearts rejoice in your salvation. We sing praises to You, Lord, for you have been good to us. We thank You Lord, for the new developments this week in the Mudge Mission Ministry. Thank You for Fr. Shaw’s selection to be Academic Dean and for Mother Julie’s appointment as Registrar of the seminary. Be with them as they talk to the rector of the mission parish so that their role there will be just what You want it to be. Thank You for Lydia. Bless her mightily on her “Sweet 16” birthday. Keep her safe and ever growing in You. Amen.

Fr. Shaw Mudge's Prayer Mail

Dear Friends in Prayer,

Peace be with you.

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

Thanksgivings:

1) We are having great weather today, for the first day in a long time. Wow! Praise God.

2) We have our seminary ministries lined up. Julie accepted a position as the Seminary's Registrar this week. It seems that quite a few clergy are interested in having us visit their parishes; we are leading a prayer time for Diocesan youth leaders tomorrow. And our ministries at the mission parish are beginning to take shape. Course preparation is underway.

3) Lydia is having a great time with various youth in the area.

Prayer requests:

1) That we can get everything prepared in time for classes to begin on September 14.

2) For our Visa process.

3) For our budget of time and finances, and continuing good relationships with people.

4) For continuing language progress.

5) For Lydia's sixteenth birthday on Friday (and for on that occasion, she's having a "slumber" party at our apartment).

6) For the meeting with the Rector of the mission on Wednesday at 10:30 am (Lima time - same time as Chicago, I believe), as we discuss our up-coming parish ministry opportunities.

Thank you for praying for us. I pray for you all daily.

God bless you!

In Christ,

Shaw+

A Prayer by Liv Hicks

Father, I ask for the right maid for the Mudges, one that can see the love of God through their lives, one that is a real help, an honest one, and one that has a sense of humor about Americans. I ask that the Mudges would love and grow to understand the Peruvians through this servant. I pray for the visa and all the other necessary papers to be granted to the Mudges and that they would know as soon as possible even before September 2nd. Help them to feel more and more comfortable in their language skills. Bring them bonuses of fun encounters, help them to continue to learn and be comfortable in the learning processes. Protect them through earth quakes and tremors, protect this whole country from this disaster. Thank You Father for the Mudges, we ask Your blessing on them. In Christ we pray. Amen

Weekly Mudge Prayer

Psalm 121:5-8


The Lord watches over you—
The Lord is your shade at your right hand;
The sun will not harm you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
He will watch over your life;
The Lord will watch over your coming and going
Both now and forever more.


Lord, thank You that You watch over Fr. Shaw, Mother Julie, and Lydia Mudge day and night. Thank You for keeping them safe in Lima, safe from earthquakes,safe from taxicab accidents, safe from the swine flu. Thank You for watching over every aspect of the Mudge’s lives, every coming and going both now and forever more.
Amen.

Dear friends in Christ,

Peace be with you.

Thanksgivings:

1) For our language progress so far! Shaw's assessment: Language learning is daily making progress, step by step. Julie's assessment: we have a long way to go. Shaw's unbiased assessment of Julie's assessment: Shaw is impressed by how well Julie can speak Spanish, and she can speak it very well.

2) We had a good meeting with the Rector of the seminary today (the overall Dean of the seminary), and we have begun planning the next segment of the academic year, as well as looking towards 2010.

3) Lydia has become part of two youth groups: a diocesan youth group (Spanish speaking) and an expat youth group (English speaking). She really likes both.

4) For the Lord's provision for our lives, and for your prayers. They make a difference.

5) Lydia has begin the advanced course in Spanish at the language school.

Prayer requests:

1) For our upcoming seminary responsibilities; for our course preparation, administrative goals, and teaching abilities. Prayer for Julie's upcoming choice of responsibilities.

(Shaw has been asked to be Academic Dean of the Seminary, and he has accepted. Julie is also pondering one of two roles with the seminary. We are going to be team teaching two courses, and also each of us will be mentoring a group of students. Classes begin September 14. It is a bit like jumping into the deep end, at least, initially.)

2) Our travels across Lima, as we get to know the clergy, students, and their parishes better.

3) Continued prayers for our finances, priorities, time management, and for continued good relationships with our landlady and other people in our building.


4) Please pray for the people in the city and buildings.

(Some people get a little nervous with the tremors. We had another one on Saturday morning that I slept through, but other people noticed it. The buildings in Lima undergo a certain elastic bending and twisting during earthquakes and tremors, so things jar loose, and repairs are needed from time to time - which gets back to the prayer for building maintenance and being on good terms with our landlady.)

5) For continued improvement in our language learning and comprehension.

6) For our participation in the life of Church of the Ascension in the District of Surco, the parish that we attend in Lima (where the diocesan offices are and where the seminary is). This week, Julie has been asked to become involved in the music ministry, and Shaw and Julie have been asked to participate liturgically on a regular basis.

7) For our visa application process. Courses now begin on September 14, and now, we are not expected to hear back about our visa applications until September 2. We hope to go to a Peruvian Consulate in Chile for a day and return, between the two dates, as part of the visa process. We would like a positive response before September 2, if possible.

8) Please pray for the right person to help us with house-work.

(We now need someone to help us, because of the increased seminary and diocesan work load and because the amount of dust thrown up by area construction - including: a) a new road surface being put in, on a nearby street starting this week, and b) a new apartment building going up across the street. We are going to need someone to help out part-time with housecleaning, perhaps two mornings a week, such as Tuesday and Friday.

Hiring house-help is normal for people in Lima with our responsibilities; we have given it a try without, and now, with better language skills, having finished language school, and having had a time of adjustment, we will try again; such the person would typically help out in other ways, such as language learning and by helping us with local knowledge.)

Thank you for praying for us. I pray for you every day.

God bless you.

In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia.
Lima, Peru

August Newsletter

“The many languages of Lima”

I have heard several people in the U.S. say that Spanish is an easy language because there are so many words like English.... Well, that probably is true for the first year or two of Spanish in High School or College. Once you get on the ground in a country like Peru, however, Spanish is as complicated as any other Romance language.

Here in Lima, there is a wide variety of Spanish that is spoken. About a week ago, a linguist in Lima pointed out to us, that the kind of Spanish which one speaks in Lima depends on several factors. Our linguist friend mentioned 4 different kinds in Lima alone. And Spanish in Peru varies in the jungle, mountains, and other coastal areas, as well. That is just Spanish. Then, there are varieties of other languages in the country.

As seminary professors, we need to understand the variety of Spanish that students may use when they ask questions, so we are trying to learn at least two different kinds of Spanish for that: two different languages, in effect.

The first kind is the one you learn in language school. The other is the one spoken by many people on the street, with words that are not found in the dictionary, or if they are in the dictionary, have different meanings on the street. Both languages represent different worlds. Even people born and raised in Peru, who speak the first language, can not understand the second. That is how different it is. I call the street language "taxi" or "maintenance" because it seems that many taxi drivers and maintenance workers speak this second language.

How are we doing?

Language school: Julie and I have finished language school. We have two tutors who help us weekly. Our language abilities increase daily. We are on track for what we need to do.

Present Ministry: Julie has been asked by Bp. Godfrey to be his equivalent of Fr. Peter Schofield in the Diocese of Albany, with respect to coordinating matters relating to people in the ordination process. Julie and I are also preparing to teach our next courses as a team at the seminary: in October. We are visiting parishes and learning Lima.

Residency papers: We are well on the way, we hope, to get our residency visas and carnets. It is an interesting process. Much patience is needed.

Prayer Requests:
• Listening and Speaking skills
• Seminary courses
• Continuing adjustment and good health
• Residency papers process

Blessings! – Julie, Shaw, and Lydia

Weekly Mudge Prayer

Psalm 90: 16-17

Do wonderful things for us, your servants,
And show your mighty power to our children.
Our Lord and our God,
Treat us with kindness
and let all go well for us.
Please let all go well!

Heavenly Father, do wonderful things for Father Shaw, Mother Julie and Lydia Mudge, your servants. Show your mighty power to them and to all of their family. Our Lord and our God, treat them with kindness and let all go well for them. Please let all go well! May the Mudge family be singing in their hearts and in their souls: "All is well; all is well; all is well with my soul!" Thanks be to God our Father, to Jesus the Son and Savior and to the mighty Holy Spirit. Amen.

A Prayer from Liv Hicks

Father, Thank You for the Mudges. Thank You for their continued progress in their new language! Help them to be able to stay in this country and help their visa and carnet to go through for all three of them. Keep them safe, healthy, alert, grow them in wisdom, and bless them in their walk with You, the loving Father and God of all people everywhere. Bless their relationship with whoever they meet. Open doors for the people of Peru through Your Word, Your Holy Spirit and Your great love. In Christ we pray. Amen

Weekly Prayer Mail

Dear Partners in Prayer,

Peace be with you.

This is our weekly public prayer mail.

Thanksgivings:

1) The Extraordinary Diocesan Synod in Lima went very well on Saturday. We had a good time catching up with friends from Arequipa whom we had visited last year.

2) We have had more opportunities this week to get to know the clergy, the people, and city of Lima better.

3) Our visa process continues.

4) We continue to improve in Spanish.

5) Our landlady arranged for some routine maintenance to our apartment.

Prayer requests:

1) Continued improvement in language comprehension and speaking.

2) Preparations for upcoming classes that we will be teaching, and our planning meeting with the Dean of the seminary this week.

3) Budget and priorities.

4) Continued progress in the residential visa and carnet process. If the paperwork goes smoothly over the course of the week or so, it is possible we could be traveling to a Peruvian consulate in Chilesometime in a few weeks from now.

5) Continuing good relationships with our landlady and the people in our building.

6) That we would continue to be good witnesses for Jesus Christ in all that we say and do.

7) That God's Holy Spirit would touch many lives through our ministry and life here.

I continue to pray for you daily. Thank you for keeping us in prayer.

God bless you.

In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia.

Weekly Prayer

2Samuel 22-23 and 28-29

How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.
O sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.

How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.
O sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised good things to your servants, Fr. Shaw, Mother Julie, and Lydia Mudge Now be pleased to bless them, that they may continue to serve you; for you, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the Mudge’s ministry will be blessed forever. Amen.

http://mudgeperureport.blogspot.com/

A Prayer from Liv Hicks

Father, Thank You that the Mudges are in Peru and I ask for their visas to be granted. Help Shaw's mom to be able to visit and be encouraged. Encourage them daily in their language processes, give them fun learning experiences, new insights into the beautiful Latin relationship skills, broaden their vision, encouage their hearts, give them good times of worship, mediation and study. Strengthen them in Your service. In Christ we pray. Amen

Fr. Shaw Mudge's Prayer Mail

Dear friends in prayer,

Peace be with you. This is our public prayer mail of the week.

Winter continues in Lima, though we had a wonderful day of sunshine yesterday. It was our second day of sun in about 7 weeks.

Praise reports:

1) Language progress continues, day by day.

2) Lydia and Julie have resumed homeschooling. (At first glance, resuming school may not seem like a praise report for Lydia, but she has been looking forward to it.)

3) We had a great time at the Archaeological Museum in Lima on Saturday.

4) I had my first Peruvian haircut today. I needed it.

5) We sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in our circumstances, in what we say and do.

6) We are making headway in sorting out our cellular phone difficulties.

7) One of our god-daughters in Tennessee has just announced her engagement to be married in November.

Prayer requests:

1) For continued language progress.

2) For continued good relationships with our landlady and the people in our building.

3) For our preparations for teaching October classes. We hope to have our next meeting with the Dean of the Seminary sometime in the next week or so.

4) For our priorities and for our finances.

5) That we would be effective ministers of Christ to the people we encounter.

6) For our families, friends, and supporters, that our heavenly Father would bless you all with His deep desires for you.

7) For the diocesan Synod which takes place on Saturday.


8) For our residential visa (and carnet) process. We anticipate a response to our visa applications in about two weeks.

9) Where/when we should go, outside of Peru, as part of the next phase of the visa process - assuming all goes well in "8", above. We would like your prayers about this.

We are thinking of Quito, Ecuador, or Arica, Chile, or Santiago, Chile. Our first choice is Quito. There are logistical and weather matters involved, in each of the locations.

10) For drier weather in the Diocese of Albany.

11) We are beginning to make plans for next year:

a) SAMS would like us to attend the SAMS world-wide missionary meeting and the New Wineskins Missionary Conference, both in North Carolina after Easter.

b) Then, we are hoping to make a separate trip that includes Hannah's graduation from Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA, linked to a possible trek up to the Diocese of Albany in time for Convention.

If both of these trips could be arranged, that would be great. These two trips would be our primary stateside trips for some time. Please pray about this.

12) For my mother's plans to visit us here in Lima if she can (perhaps sometime in late November or early December).

13) For Julie's ministry to the people in the ordination process in the Diocese of Peru.

God bless you. Thank you for praying for us. I pray for you every day.

In Christ,

Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia.

Weekly Prayer

Psalm 56:9-11

I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let your glory be over all the earth.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth, especially in Albany and in Lima, Peru. We thank You for Fr. Shaw, Mother Julie, and Lydia Mudge and the work that they are doing, sharing your love among the peoples of Peru. Thank You for your everlasting love and your far-reaching faithfulness. Lord, bless the people of Peru especially today, their Founding Day. Protect them from the H1N1 flu. And in particular, bless Father Shaw and his brother, whose birthdays they share with the U.S. and Peru. What a delightful God-incidence, Lord. Thank You. Amen.

Weekly Prayer Mail

Dear friends in Prayer,

Peace be with you.

Praise reports this week:

1. The Life in the Spirit Seminar prayer session went well last Thursday. I am sure that many lives will be touched in a positive way by what the seminarians experienced.

2. We are getting to know the diocese a bit better.

3. Our language skills improve daily.

4. Julie's chemistry supplies have arrived.

Prayer requests:

1. Preparing for teaching in October. We plan to be teaching "Introduction to Old Testament" and an introductory theology course.

2. Improved Spanish speaking and comprehension.

3. Budget and priorities.

4. Improvement with cell phones.

5. A smooth visa process.

6. Health protection from el gripe (flu): H1 N1.

7. For the final week or two of the Life in the Spirit Seminar, remaining. It is unclear at this point, precisely how many weeks are left.

8. Continuing good terms with our landlady and the people in our building.

9. That we would be a good witness for Christ wherever we go, and that the Kingdom of God would spread by what we do.

Things of note:

Prayer requests from the parish we frequently attend (Ascensión), this week include:
for the economy,
for the end of the flu,
for all the missions in the Diocese,
for the country of Peru in this month of celebrating its founding.

Additional comments pertaining to the above:

The national equivalent of 4th of July in Peru is on July 28th. I only have one sibling, my brother. He lives in Connecticut, and his birthday is on the 4th of July. Mine is on the 28th of July. However, due to the concern over the flu here, the government has cancelled the usual parades, and schools are taking an extra two weeks vacation, in hopes of minimizing the flu's effects. So, pray for irradication of the flu.

This week, the Bishop has issued special instructions to the Diocese for the administration of the elements of Holy Eucharist, in light of increased concern about the flu, nationally.

Having said all that, we do not have any symptoms of the flu, and we do not personally know anyone who has the flu, but there is a daily count in the local newspaper for the country. Prayer for us is precautionary at this point, and prayer is important for the people of the country.

Thank you for praying for us. I pray for you every day.

God bless you.

In Christ,
Shaw, and on behalf of Julie and Lydia.
Lima, Peru

A Prayer from Liv Hicks

Thank You Father for Shaw and Julie and Lydia in Peru. Help get Julie's chemistry supplies through customs without a lot of extra expense, intact and with nothing stolen. Help them to get their car insurance. Give them whatever help they need with their financial support and get it into their account on time to pay their bills. Bless and increase their language abilities. Thank You for their adventurous souls...for being in Peru. Help their visas to be granted. Bless the Spiritual Life conference. Keep them safe, healthy and learners of You and Your way. Bless them with Your joy, peace, abundance,protection, friendships and skills in Spanish. In Christ we pray. Amen

Weekly Mudge Prayer

Acts 13: 47-48

For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
“I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
That you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

Heavenly Father, again we lift up Fr. Shaw, Mother Julie, and Lydia Mudge to you. We thank You that you have made them a light for the Peruvians so that they may bring salvation to the people of Lima. We pray that when they minister, the people will be glad and honor Your Word, and all those whom You have appointed for eternal life will believe. Lord, we pray especially for those attending the Life in the Spirit seminar that they may know Your Holy Spirit; and for all those that attended the Spanish mass said by Father Shaw this past Sunday that they may come into that saving relationship with Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You, Lord, for every blessing with which You have graced the Mudges. Amen.