Remember God | October-November 2023

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your works and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?”

~ Psalm 77:11-13 ~

We have just finished the Thanksgiving season. We’re sure that many of you have some sort of tradition of recording things that you’re thankful for, especially during the month of November. In our home, our traditions include writing what we are thankful for on leaves, and then hanging those leaves in our home. On Day 2 of our thankfulness leaves, Simon chose to write “God.” Sometimes, it is easier to have a heart of ingratitude, rather than gratitude. During some of those harder days, Simon would often say, “Remember the second leaf - remember God.” What a challenge from a 5 year-old! When we place our focus on the things going on around us, we take our gaze from our good God who has done great things for us. Praise the Lord for His many blessings, and for using Simon to point us to Him.

The past two months have been some of our busiest months during our time in Ecuador. In October, in addition to regular ministries, we were making final preparations for the 2023 Latin America Field Conference. Thank you to those who prayed for the details of the conference. Everything went so smoothly. We praise the Lord for a fruitful time of fellowship with the other missionaries. One highlight for us was seeing the faithfulness of the missionaries who have gone on before us. Many of them are nearing retirement age, but there is no one to take their place. Will you pray that God would send more laborers to Latin America? The harvest is great and there is still more work to be done in these countries. After the conference, part of the group returned to Riobamba, and we enjoyed showing them where we live and serve. It was fun to host two missionary families in our home. They were of great blessing and encouragement to us!

We also want to thank those of you who prayed for the presidential election that took place on October 15th. We are thankful to God and pleased with the candidate who was elected. While he is the youngest president in the history of Ecuador (35 years old), he seems to have a good vision for Ecuador. He was inaugurated on the 23rd of November, and we enjoyed watching some of the ceremony online.

After the highlight of the conference, we have resumed our normal ministries. The Bible Institute began a new semester on November 18th. The two classes being offered are Eschatology and Missions (Acts part 2). It has been a slow start so far - please pray that the believers, especially the men, will commit to studying God’s Word. On December 10th, the church will hold elections for the church leadership. Adding new leadership provides an opportunity to teach the men about Biblical leadership. Please pray that God will develop these men to lead the church!

Many of you may remember that Lisa had been discipling Naomy, a teen girl that she led to the Lord over the summer. They have started a new study, and they have invited another teen girl from the church. Please pray that they would grow to know and love God’s Word and that it would change their lives. This will be stretching for Lisa’s Spanish, but it is a good opportunity to grow in the language.

As we enter December, we ask for prayer for our Christmas program on December 17th. This is always a fun event as a church family, but it is also a time when many unsaved friends and family members attend. Please pray that the message of Christmas would reach their hearts and show them their need for the Gospel!

Finally, please continue to pray for Kevin and Trina’s relocation to the States in January. They have been busy sorting and organizing their things, trying to decide what to take with them and what to sell. We are trying to be helpful and encouraging as they prepare for this major transition. Please pray for team unity as we seek to use our gifts to continue the ministry here.

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers for us. We truly could not do what we are doing without you. Thank you!

In His service and yours,

The Mayfields

The Double Scoop:

The boys are growing quickly and it has been so much fun to watch them play together. Simon is our “social butterfly,” and he really enjoyed spending time with the conference visitors. Titus has figured out how to get through any barriers that we have put on our stairs, so that makes life more interesting! We continue to pray that they will come to know the Lord and be used for His glory!