Prayer Mail

Dear Partners in Prayer,
Peace be with you.
This is our weekly public prayer mail for the week of 2 Advent 2010. It has quite a few points because there is a lot going on at this moment in our lives.

Thanksgivings:

1) Praise God for getting us through his past week. Now, onto the next.

2) For the responsiveness of our landlady and of the building repair people to some sudden repairs that needed to be made to the plumbing on the floor above us while the Chapmans were staying with us for a few days. There was water dripping in to our bathroom area, and a great stench from mold that was crescendoing. Still a ways to go before it is over.

3) For the responsiveness of our landlady to the general list of repairs to be made. This week´s challenge was the curtains. Praise God, at least the bedrooms now have curtains, though in the long term some of these curtains will have to be replaced.

4) For Lydia´s SAT (second round) scores that came back. A dramatic improvement over the first set, and these put her in scholarship range for college. Go, Lydia!

5) For the great Advent retreat Saturday at La Ascension in the Surco District of Lima. 3 or 4 missions participated. The Holy Spirit really moved when we clergy from the various missions were praying for folks.

6) For the final week of classes this past week. I like our students, and I like what we taught. Now, on to exam week.

7) This week, I finally found some great on-line teaching segments on YouTube in Spanish for the computer programs that the students will need to learn to use for on-line courses that we are developing. Their availability takes the pressure off my having to read through all of that 1,006 page book, but the book is great help, as well. Only about 960 pages to go!

8) That Lydia handed in her semester long AP English paper.

9) For the service today at La Ascension, the mission that we attend. There was one baptism, one confirmation, and one reception. The Holy Spirit was part of everything. Great music.

Prayers:

1) For the intercontinental seminary on-line planning meeting this week, on Wednesday and Thursday, here at the seminary in Lima. If all goes according to plan, this could be the hottest Anglican seminary in Latin America. One day at a time, though.

Our particular prayer requests for this meeting:
a) to make it perfectly clear what God is doing and how to make it a reality.
b) for discernment in all this, to guide us, as we as a seminary try to go with what God is blessing.

2) For Julie and I as we learn necessary computer matters relating to on-line seminary teaching our New Testament courses,
and as we explore how best to prepare on-line materials in order to reach more students across Peru and across certain South American countries, through on-line courses.

3) For Julie and I as we continue to plan and prepare for February seminary orientation, and for our regular course series on Biblical Interpretation. We are team teaching the next course, beginning in February, 2011. Eventually, we plan to make this an on-line course, as well in 2011.

4) For our landlady´s continued responsiveness and openness to what remains to be done in our apartment.

5) For the exam week (this week) for our Church History and New Testament classes.

6) For safe and timely travel over the next few weeks. We are coming up to the Northern Hemisphere, briefly, for our daughter Hannah´s anticipated ordination the weekend before Christmas.

7) On the Tuesday before the ordination, Lydia plans to be taking an on-line AP English final exam from the US, and she could use your prayers for that, that we find the right internet connection, and for her preparations and test taking.

8) This trip is also an opportunity for Lydia to log in more hours as part of process of getting her driver´s license in New York State (special prayers for us all and our car would be appreciated).

9) For the relationships and spiritual protection of missionaries and other diocesan team members in Peru, and our ministries, finances, resources, and priorities.

10) That we would be able to keep on top of all the daily things that God wants us to do.

11) For the construction on the apartment building next door. The are at the final floor of the main structure. A secondary demolition phase has almost been completed out back. We are looking forwarding to missing at least some of the construction work when we are in the US.

12) My nose and eyes took a hit this week with a) the petroleum fumes from the wall construction next door, b) the various kinds of dust in the air, and then c) the mold in a bathroom, which was really nasty for at least two of us.

But praise God, we got through it, and I was in much better shape yesterday than in the last few weeks, even with all that was going on. Your prayers for the continuing protection of our health from all of the environmental matters would be appreciated (and have helped!).

Thank you for praying for us. Your praying is very important, really makes a difference for us, and I pray for you every day.

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