“Praying at all times in the Spirit…that words may be given to me in opening my
mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel…
that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”
~ Ephesians 6:18-20 ~
The Apostle Paul does not seem like an individual who struggled with fear. Yet, in Ephesians 6, he requests prayer for boldness to proclaim the Gospel. Traveling on deputation has required a certain degree of courage – to leave secure jobs, to give up your own home, to travel across the country prayerfully seeking ministry partners. But going to the field requires a different level of courage. As missionaries face culture and language acquisition, they must proclaim the Gospel in spite of those challenges. Mark Twain said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to master and overcome it.” As you pray for us, and as you pray for missionaries around the world, pray that we would have courage and boldness to proclaim the Gospel!
Our month has been full, but full of great things! We lived in the same house for an entire month – what a tremendous blessing! Our hosts’ daughter and her family are BMW missionaries in Ireland. We are thankful for the opportunity to get to know our hosts. We truly appreciate them and their willingness to house us for an entire month.
God provided many opportunities to fellowship with our church family! Once we arrive in Ecuador, fellowship with other believers will be lacking, so we treasure these precious blessings. We were able to attend one of our church’s Ropeholder meetings. We are abundantly blessed to have a sending church that prioritizes intercession. At our Thanksgiving Praise Service, we were reminded once again that our church is a praying church and that God answers the prayers of His people.
God provided several ministry opportunities in music, preaching and speaking. Jeff made good progress on several missions projects, one of which is a church planting class. One interesting aspect of the class was the presentation of the life cycle of the church: Infancy, Adolescent Stage, Adulthood and Decline. This was a reminder that the church is a living organism with life cycles, just like all living organisms in this world. Because we live in a sin-cursed world, sometimes churches face decline. But the beauty of these cycles is that God promises to build His church! We are so excited to take part in church-planting in Ecuador where we can see God fulfill this promise!
Lisa had many opportunities to meet with Marcy, her friend and Spanish tutor from our church. We are so grateful to Marcy for taking the time to assist Lisa in preparation for language school. The different tenses and grammatical elements covered will be a tremendous help in the months to come! Lisa also had to opportunity to observe an ESL class. We don’t know exactly what ministry will look like in our different prospective cities, but we are open to the idea of an ESL ministry. Teaching English could be a means to build redemptive relationships, so it was profitable to observe this class! God graciously continues to remind us that He is our provider. This month, we learned that our Outgoing Expenses are now at 98%! Praise His name!
December is filled with a lot of traveling! Next weekend, we have the opportunity to spend a few days away as a couple. The remainder of month will involve a lot of family time with both of our families. Jeff’s parents, Kevin and Trina Mayfield will return to the field in January, so we are looking forward to a short time with them. The Lord has provided opportunities to see several unsaved family members. Some of them do not understand why we are going to Ecuador because they do not believe the Gospel. Please pray that God will give us courage and boldness to share the Gospel!
We will also be packing our things and preparing to transition from Pennsylvania to Texas. We are so thankful for Lisa’s parents and their willingness to house us and store our things during our deputation season! For our limited itinerary, please click HERE.
Thank you for your prayers and partnership in the ministry in Ecuador!
Praise and Prayer:
1. Praise: Fellowship and encouragement of our church family 2. Praise: Outgoing Expense Level - 98% 3. Pray: Safe traveling in December 4. Pray: Profitable time with family (saved and unsaved) 5. Pray: Preparation for Language School
For a printable PDF, please click HERE.
