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
Friday, November 13, 2009
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/
”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/
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
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
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
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
Friday, November 6, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
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.
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.
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