Prayer Mail May 4

Dear Friends,

This is an update/prayer mail combination for 4 May 2016:

1) Update: my 13th Belize trip in about 4 years continues. The trip has been a succession of meetings and consultations, as I continue to serve as a catalyst to make ordinations happen. It’s a long story. It has a lot of pieces to it. Our final meeting is tomorrow morning (Thursday). This has been totally awesome. Only God could have pulled this together. We have a great team here pulling it together between the Commission on Ministry, the Bishop of the Diocese, and myself, as well as others we work with. The people in the process, their contacts, and their families have been great. Wonderful people. 
Ordinations may be scheduled on a Holy Day in July (as of today), although the Bishop has been really focused on Saturday August 6 (Transfiguration – the day before I go on vacation; that could be awkward for our vacation plans – so your prayers would be appreciated about the date and my availability).

2) And in the middle of all that, life happened: people with serious pastoral issues, here, that needed attending to. 

3) And in the geopolitical sense of things: 
tensions between Guatemala and Belize seem to be described as being on a level not seen since 1976. Apparently in that year and perhaps another year before then, when this level of tension last arose, it was toned down only when Guatemala had to attend to an earthquake in its own country in each instance. It raises an interesting question: do people get edgy before an earthquake?
4) For Belizeans, the weather has been hot and humid. Too hot. I held a meeting in the Bishop’s office (he was not there and gave me permission to use his office), and I was not really aware how hot it was because the fan was on. Then, after the meeting, the Bishop came in and said “isn’t it warm in here?” and he turned on the air conditioning. Then, I noticed it. Wow. I am getting used to it. Continued prayer for those of us walking in a perpetual very warm shower of humidity, especially with regards to dehydration. I seem to be managing. Praise God.
OK. so how hot has it been? Today, in the cool of the evening, it was about 90 degrees with about 88% humidity, and according to a weather Web site, the feel of the temperature was about 105 degrees. It was hotter in the West of the country a few days ago. That sustained level can do a job on computers, Internet infrastructure, and on a lot people. Prayers for getting through it all. My bedroom in Belize City this time benefits from the warmth of the afternoon sun if you know what I mean.

5) Prayers: 

a) that this trip continue to be fruitful, and for all the plans we are making for the future in Belize in several areas, and for all the people involved in those plans. 
b) For the future: we are going to keep going ahead with more people in the ordination process and future ordination plans, we may offer more live courses on the ground, the distance learning program continues, as I minister to my brothers and sisters (both ordained and lay), and the Bishop may be asking me to do different things as the Holy Spirit leads. 
c) Meanwhile, prayers for the Spanish Prayerbook as it moves closer to being printed.
d) For safe and timely travel. I depart on Friday.
6) I pray for you every day.
7) If you are going to be at the Diocese of Albany diocesan convention in about a month, look for our booth.
Are we making a difference? Absolutely. We are the Holy Trinity’s people, at the right time, doing the right things, as the right team in Belize. Awesome. 
God bless you,

Fr. Shaw
Belize City, Belize, Central America

Prayer Letter: May 2016

Why do bad things happen to good people? I don’t know…I just don’t know. Oh, I could throw out a bunch of stock answers we evangelicals love to use…original sin, a broken world, and so on…but the longer I live the more hollow these clichés sound to me.
We recently heard that a dear, sweet, gentle, loving friend of ours in the US is suffering unimaginably with complications of cancer. What does one say that will not sound cruel or distant? I have been at the receiving end of such statements as “it is the Lord’s will”, “ the Lord works in mysterious ways”, “do you have any sin in your life that you have not confessed?”, “just trust Jesus”, and so on…fill in the blanks…none of which were helpful at the time.
We face the unsanitised and raw ugliness of life just about every day in Gambella. In the West, much of our suffering is covered or hidden or ignored or denied, but here suffering is in your face, blatant and naked. Here one stands on the brink of the sulphurous abyss and the stench is, at times, overpowering. And yet, I believe that somehow here we stand on the brink of Heaven as well…I feel this when talking to our fellow believers in Gambella.
Theirs is not a comfortable faith, but one shaped and moulded in a crucible of hardship and agony. Though they have sorrow, they also have a hope that is almost tangible…the only way I can explain it is that they have met the Son of God in the fiery furnace and they walk with Him there. They have come to know His Presence in the Valley of the shadow of death more keenly than anyone I know. They know that regardless of the ugliness of life, God remains the same. A patient, benevolent, good, kind, loving, forgiving, merciful, understanding, gracious Heavenly Father.
So, I told our friend, among other things, that I have learned not to ask for answers, but rather, to ask for Him to come closer to me than He has ever been before. I told her that God is like a shepherd who leads and guides us through this life – even when it is so dark that we cannot see our hands in front of our face – and so I ask for His presence to be with me and to help me through whatever it is I have to face. He is a Comforter, one who comes alongside. The Bible speaks about a ‘peace that transcends understanding’. That is what I ask for. In worldly terms, the word ‘peace’ simply doesn’t fit…it doesn’t make sense. But Jesus said that His peace is not like that which the world gives…it is something that is beyond human understanding.
Gambella always seems to deal out extremes. Heat, drought, humidity, violence, flooding, large snakes, sickness…but in the midst of this seeming chaos, the Lord is right here beside us, walking with us, weeping when we weep, comforting us when we sorrow, understanding us when we do not understand Him. And He is blessing us. To watch His Spirit work in the lives of our students has been a blessing beyond compare. Their short devotions at morning Chapel move us more than the most eloquent sermons we have heard or read, because what they speak of has been tried and tested – there is nothing Satan can throw at them that will undermine their belief in the One who to them is very real – the One they have come to know at the lowest points of their lives – and, by God’s grace, we have come to know a little bit more of Him through their eyes as we have walked with them through this past year.
We can hardly believe that we are the end of our first year as a College! It feels like it was only yesterday when we admitted our first students and yet here we are. We are so grateful to everyone who has walked this path with us…there is another presence we have been very aware of throughout our time here and that is yours. There is something about being surrounded by the great cloud of witnesses that is very comforting. Thank you for being here for us!
On a very personal note, please pray for our dear little granddaughter, Beatrix, who will be undergoing cochlear implant surgery tomorrow in Birmingham. Pray for her parents, Lauren and Hanno and for her sibling, Jeremiah. May they too come to know His unfailing presence through this particular valley.
I recently was moved to write what I have entitled a hymn of praise. I believe it captures what is in our hearts. God is great…
With much love and blessings.
Johann and Louise
A Hymn of Praise
Breathe in the goodness of the Lord
Breathe deep my troubled heart
He watches over everyone
He never does depart.
Through thick and thin, through light and dark
Through storms and through the rains
The Shepherd leads, the Shepherd guides
And faithful He remains.
O praise the Lord Omnipotent;
O praise the Holy One;
O praise the Spirit immanent;
O praise the only Son.
Though dark clouds gather overhead
Though energies are spent
The King of kings and Lord of lords
Hears every sad lament
He is the only one who can
Turn darkness into light
His chariots, ten thousand strong,
Put enemies to flight.
O praise the Lord Omnipotent;
O praise the Holy One;
O praise the Spirit immanent;
O praise the only Son.
We trust that He who never sleeps
Will keep a watchful eye
And in the silences of prayer
His presence will drawn nigh
Though heaven’s gates from time to time
May seem securely locked
His name is still Immanuel
And He will not be mocked.
O praise the Lord Omnipotent;
O praise the Holy One;
O praise the Spirit immanent;
O praise the only Son.
In spite of stress, in spite of strain
We look to Him who reigns;
By faith we see, though all is dim
What minds cannot contain;
That day-by-day He still can work
Together for our good
The many things that life may bring
As only Jesus could.
O praise the Lord Omnipotent;
O praise the Holy One;
O praise the Spirit immanent;
O praise the only Son.
Johann van der Bijl © 2016-05-14

The Recital was a Success!!

We are now three days past my senior recital and I’m here to tell you it was a great success!  Thank you for the many prayers both leading up to Friday and during the recital itself.  God is good!

Friday started off with seemingly every single person trying to keep my stress level low (something I greatly appreciated!).  My mother and sister drove up early to do my hair and makeup, doing a fantastic job I might add, as well as to just spending time with me praying and talking…again keeping me calm.  David was the perfect husband, helping with last minute details and even running to the store to surprise me with blueberry muffins and chocolate cupcakes.  I was still very nervous as it got closer and closer to my recital, but the prayers and support of so many people was evident throughout the whole day.

I got to the hall an hour early to warmup before they opened the doors and it was at this point that I started to get both incredibly excited and increasingly nervous.  My piano teacher (probably the most helpful and inspiring mentor for me during my time here at CSUF) waited backstage with me to encourage and boost my confidence as the hall started to fill with the (surprisingly loud) audience.  Once the recital itself actually started the time flew.  There were ups and downs, but as a whole I was very happy with the result.  Plus, there is something special about getting to share the music and work I’ve been doing in the past three years at this school with so many friends and family.  I also want to point out that I was very aware of all the prayers from people for/during my recital.  One of my biggest fears going into the performance was forgetting my music and just stopping, but while I did have a couple slips, the music kept going for the entire recital.  Once again, God is good!

After the recital was when I got to go out into to the lobby to greet all the people that came to hear me play.  It was such an encouragement and great joy to not only see so many friends and family (I even had family fly down for this!), but also to see so many of our supporters from different churches, both in the area and also from quite a ways away!

Thank you to everyone who came, it was lovely seeing all of you there!  Thank you to everyone who prayed, I could not have done this without your prayers!  Thank you to everyone who sent notes of encouragement, they helped keep me going!

This recital was the accumulation of all the work I’ve done during my time studying for my Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at CSUF and I’m very excited for this accomplishment.  I have to say I’m also even more excited, post-recital, for the next chapter of music in my life as we continue to raise support to return to Belize where my love for music can move more into ministry role.

As I wrap this up I have one more quick prayer request.  My graduation is less than two weeks away (yay!) and there are still some paperwork issues with my transcripts.  Please pray that all the glitches workout quickly with no complications!

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support for David and me!

Blessings,

Mary Beth