The Seed that Grows - January 2022

“With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?

It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,

yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches,

so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

Mark 4:31-32

Ecuadorian soil is very fertile. Due to consistent climate, rich produce grows year-round. However, because of the unvarying temperatures, certain types of produce cannot grow. For instance, cherries cannot grow because the seeds are unable to freeze in the ground. Sweet corn cannot grow because Ecuador maintains 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness, therefore there is not enough sunlight. Some seeds are simply unable to grow in Ecuador. However, there is one seed that will grow. The Gospel is the seed that can grow no matter where it is planted!

This month, we saw the kingdom of God grow! Many of you have been praying for the attendees of the Tuesday night Bible study. Early in January, Hilda and Rolando placed their faith in Christ alone for salvation! Praise God! Hilda’s mother, Juanita, experienced a cancer scare, and she is now attending the Bible studies. Rolando’s brother and sister-in-law have also begun attending. Dayán, the brother, has many questions about the Bible and different religions. Margarita, Dayán and Rolando's aunt, has also attended this Bible study. We know that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, but to see it take root and grow is an amazing thing. Please pray for the salvation of the new attendees. We are very excited to see God work and grow this Tuesday night Bible study. We are so thankful that God is allowing us to see and take part in HIS work in Ecuador.

Last week, God gave us a wonderful visit with Jeff's sister and her family. It was such fun time, and it was a welcome time of refreshment as we head into a busy month. Our coworkers were supposed to arrive on January 31st, but several of them tested positive for Covid. Please pray for them as they work through the details of more testing and rebooking flights. We are thankful that they do not have any symptoms. This month we will be moving from our 4th floor apartment to a house! We are thankful to God for providing the perfect house for us. We have a nice room to host visitors, as well as a small grassy area where Simon can play outside.

We also need to prepare for the baby to arrive in March. At this present moment, we only have baby clothes. Once we move, we will be working on purchasing the baby necessities. Please continue to pray for the remainder of Lisa’s pregnancy. Baby Titus is due on March 18th, so that date is quickly approaching! Thank you to all who have been praying for our license situation. We still have not received an Ecuadorian license because the government requires signatures on our US documents that the US does not provide. As we work to resolve this issue, we have acquired an international permit that will allow us to drive.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. God has been helping us and directing us in so many ways!

In His Service and yours,

Jeff, Lisa, & Simon

Mayfield

Simon Says:

In December we adopted a dog named Noel. I love to play with her, but I still need to learn how to be gentle. Last week, some of my cousins came to visit. We had so much fun!! We had a lot of adventures together; my favorite was when we went to a waterfall at the base of a volcano. I loved playing in the water.

Calling all KIDS!

We are so excited that Baby Titus will be joining our family in March. However, with this new addition, we need to rename the “Simon Says” section of our update. With the assistance of your parents, please click HERE to vote on a new name for “Simon Says.”