“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
1 John 4:10-11
God has been using these verses to remind us that if we are going to love others well, we must first know and understand God’s love for us. He is our example of love, and we are incapable of truly loving others without experiencing God’s love first. We came to Ecuador to proclaim the Gospel, and we must remind ourselves of the truths of the Gospel every day, especially when it is hard to love those around us. God loved us when we were His enemies, completely undeserving of His mercy and grace. We love because He first loved us. We cannot love our children, spouses, friends, teammates, nationals, or anyone else well if we are not rooted in God’s love for us. If we want to overflow in our love for others, we need a source of love outside ourselves. As we bask in the love God has shown us, we are able to selflessly love those around us. Praise Him for His love!
It is hard to believe that we are already in November. It seems like the weeks and months continue to fly by, and the last two months were no different. At the beginning of September, Lisa taught the monthly ladies’ meeting. She shared from Hebrews 2 how we as believers do not need to fear death because Jesus tasted death for everyone. It was an encouraging time of fellowship with the ladies. Thank you so much for your prayers for her!
If you follow our social media accounts, you may remember a prayer request for the salvation of Dayán, Rolando’s brother. He has been presented with the Gospel numerous times, yet he has not made a decision to follow Christ. This last month, he admitted he doesn’t agree with churches so he doesn’t like to attend them. Please continue to pray for Dayán - that he will see a difference in the lives of his family members and that he will see that the Bible does not offer the bondage of religion, but rather the freedom of a relationship with Christ.
Jeff continues to minister in Aguas Frías, typically the last weekend of every month. This past month, our whole family traveled down because the church held a baptism; it was good to be there for that special service. We traveled down with the Woodfins, and it was a fun adventure to take together and a profitable team building opportunity.
We started October with a small outreach event in the neighborhood surrounding our church building. We walked around the neighborhood with the intent of telling people about our church and seeking opportunities to share the Gospel. Two families have started visiting the church because of this outreach.
We have made several trips to Quito since our last update. We were able to take a few days of vacation, and then we officially finished our immigration paperwork. Since Titus is an Ecuadorian citizen, we were able to get our permanent visas under him. We no longer have to worry about the visa process any longer - praise the Lord!
There is not much to say about this next month as it will be very similar to the previous months. Bible studies during the weeks, leadership meetings and other church ministries on the weekends. One big project we are all working on is preparation for Christmas. Lisa is busy working with a choir and different small groups. It is a lot of work for her, but she is thankful for the opportunity to work and serve in the music ministry. It is strange to think that we are at this point but, as you well know, planning for Christmas starts months in advance. Here in Ecuador we only start a month before, and even that is considered early.
Thank you so much for your continued prayers for us. The days are full and our enemy is ever-present, striving to discourage us. We could not do what we are doing without your prayers and support on our behalf.
In His service and yours,
Jeff, Lisa, Simon, & Titus
Mayfield
The Double Scoop:
The boys continue to grow and learn! Simon has been asking a lot of questions about heaven, how we get there, and who we will see there. We are thankful to see his heart becoming more sensitive to the things of the Lord. Titus had been busy figuring out rolling and sitting up. We expect to see some teeth fairly soon. He has endured a lot of adventures recently, and he is certainly content to stay put for a while.
Praise and Prayer
Praise: Praise God for His love
Praise: Encouraging ladies’ meeting on 9/10
Praise: Permanent visas received
Pray: Salvation of Dayán
Pray: Christmas preparations
