Without Him We Can Do Nothing | February 2025

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ~ John 14:4-5 ~

During our last season of ministry in Ecuador, we often recited these verses as we discussed and prayed over the ministry. We have continued reciting these verses over the past 7 months as we have traveled and ministered in a variety of contexts. In our strength, none of it would be possible. God continues to show us our frailty and need for dependence on Him. Every day, we must cling to the Vine and find our strength and nourishment from Him. Whether we are in Ecuador or Stateside, the truth remains the same: Without Christ, we can do nothing. This brings to mind the words of Charles Spurgeon: “I have a great need for Christ: I have a great Christ for my need.” How comforting to know that if we abide in Christ, we can be fruitful, no matter where we are. He is always great, especially in our need.

We had three meetings last month, and we enjoyed some fruitful time with several of our supporting churches. One church in particular gave us many opportunities to participate in their ministries, and it was a blessing to serve alongside them. However, halfway through the month, Lisa and the boys came down with the flu. Since our bodies are not used to the germs here, they seem to be hitting us harder. Simon had an episode that took him to the ER for further evaluation, but we are thankful that he was okay. We are so grateful to Faith Baptist Church in Altoona Pa for their flexibility and allowing us to use their missionary apartment longer than anticipated!

In seeking to steward our family well, we thought it best to cancel some trips to meet with friends, prospective missionaries, and supporters. While this was disappointing for us, we are thankful for God’s direction and guidance as we restructured our time. We appreciate Jeff’s parents for opening their home to us and giving us a place to rest. We covet your prayers specifically for next weekend as we participate in a conference that will require a lot of our family. Please pray for health and strength!

We will continue with our regularly scheduled meetings in Illinois, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Maine. We don’t anticipate sending an update for the month of March, but we covet your prayers as we travel into the month of April. From Maine, we will stay in the New England area and attend one final conference which will serve as our last official furlough meeting! Following that conference, we will travel down to South Carolina to say a final “farewell” to our sending church.

Following that conference, we will travel down to South Carolina to say a final “farewell” to our sending church. Our season of furlough is concluding rapidly. This brings a myriad of emotions as we prepare to say our goodbyes here, but we anticipate the reunions to be had with loved ones in Ecuador. Thank you so much for your prayers for us as we have been in a long season of Stateside ministry. God continues to show us our desperate need for Him, and He has reminded us of the importance of the body of Christ.

In His Service and Yours,

The Mayfield Family

The Double Scoop:

Titus will have his 3rd birthday in a few weeks! We will be seeing both sets of grandparents right before and right after this, and we think Titus will enjoy all the festivities. Simon has completed 145 days of school. Lord-willing, we will finish mid-April. The boys have been enjoying some warmer temperatures in Illinois. We have lots of adventures exploring farmland, looking for raccoon tracks, and throwing rocks in creeks.