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“Refired” update 2024 – “What’s been going on?!”

     RANDY & SHARON MAYFIELD

Hey All…  It’s been a while since I’ve updated my “blog.”  I retired, or as I say “refired,” the end of Dec. 2020  after 42 years of ministry at the Central Presbyterian Church. The past four years have been full of great ministry and family time. Here’s a little photo collage…

I had a great time in Kyiv, Ukraine singing for their Prayer and Thanksgiving Festival before more than 100,000 in attendance.  And I then had the privilege to sing once again with the Hungarian choir and orchestra under the direction of Tunde Futo. I had pneumonia and the crowd was wearing masks due to Covid, but we played to full houses and it was great.  I’ve enjoyed singing with them over the past several years. 

 

 

 

 

 

ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS

I’ve had some fun recently singing the National anthem for various sporting events including a Home Run Derby, The Home Opener for the St. Louis Battlehawks Football Club, The Joplin Slammers Minor League team and for the Stl. City soccer team! 

ST. LOUIS CITY 2 SOCCER
Home Run Derby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharon and I also had a great few weeks in India visiting Justin’s in-laws , the Yella-Reddys in Bangalore. We had a wonderful time eating spicy food, seeing the sights, took a short safari and we also got to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra. 

 

                    BATH TIME IN INDIA!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have had some wonderful family times with the Grand-kids both in St. Louis and Ohio. We all watched the  Eclipse in Ohio and we also had both of our kids and their spouses along with Afton & Kellen here for Christmas. We took in the “Garden Glow” at Shaw Garden, worshiped on Christmas Eve together and we even met “Elf!” one morning for breakfast!  We also spent some time in California with the family in Bodega Bay!

 

 

 

 

 

  MINISTRY IN PORTO, PORTUGAL-                                                                  > I took a wonderful  mission trip to Porto, Portugal with Pastor Clay and Pete Johnson. We sang, taught, preached and loved up on our missionaries, the Pires’.  Such a beautiful country and great trip.                                                                                                                  >  I also recently met with some friends from Iraq and we visited the Missouri capital and had lunch with Sec. of State, Jay Ashcroft.                                                                                                                    > And finally, I had the privilege of appearing once again as an extra in the TV series, “The Chosen.”  Sorry… I was a Sadducee!
             THE GUYS WITH SEC. OF STATE, JAY ASHCROFT
                  Randy as a Sadducee in “The Chosen” season 5
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“The Chosen”

Friends, if you haven’t yet had the opportunity to watch the television series, “The Chosen,” I would implore you to do so. You will thank me! No matter what you believe about Jesus Christ, this is one of the best programs on TV today! I’ve seen a lot of “hokey” Christian movies and TV shows… this is NOT one of them! The production quality, script, actors, etc. are all excellent. Yes, it stays true to the scriptures on the life of Christ, but it also “fleshes out” the life of Christ and his disciples to where we see them as real people who lived in the first century and faced real day to day issues in life and relationships.

Jesus is loving and personable… and even funny at times. At one point in the show, he looks at his disciples and says… “Too soon?!” The disciples are typical down to earth fishermen, tax collectors and they even get into arguments from time to time. No, we don’t read about much of this in between the lines in the Bible, but I wouldn’t write about my arguments with others either!

So far, there have been two seasons of 8 episodes each and they are available free on a number of streaming sites including Netflix, YouTube and best on the Chosen app. The series has been fully funded through three seasons (Season 3 should come out late summer or early fall.) It has become the largest media crowd funded project in history.

The Chosen is the vision of its director, Dallas Jenkins and he anticipates there being at least seven seasons. He gives his all during the filming.

As a joyous aside, my girlfriend, Sharon, and I were blessed to be “extras” in the filming of the feeding of the 5000 episode this past June in Midlothian, Texas where the new Chosen studios have been built. It was hot but wonderful spending 10 hours in the warm Texas sun. Here are a few of our favorite photos. I especially love the one taken from a screen grab of The Chosen video made during the filming where I’m standing on the sidelines on my cell phone! So first century!! (Sharon’s favorite is Matthew – Paras Patel!)

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What’s Been Happening?? (An update on Ministry and Life since my Retirement!)

So hey, I finally retired at the end of 2020!… but not from life or ministry. I just said goodbye to my office at the Central Presbyterian Church in St. Louis where I’ve served for more than 42 years and it’s been a fun ride since!

Sharon and I spent most of 2020 during the “lock-down” at our family home in Bodega Bay, California where I preached, sang, had meetings and kept in touch with my friends online as did many of you! (Who knew that Zoom would become the largest church in the world!!)

In 2021 I had mission trips to Hungary where I performed with an awesome choir and orchestra directed by our missionary, Tunde Futo and I took what may be my final trip (for a while anyway) to Ukraine to preach, teach and sing with my friends at Irpin Seminary just before the war began.

The seminary was bombed and burned down during the war with Russia and we pray that it will be rebuilt one day soon. Many of my friends lost their homes as well. As many of you know, I’ve been ministering in Ukraine for over 30 years and I’m in communication with many of my friends almost every day. They continue to minister during the war and are feeding, clothing, housing and ministering to those in need. In spite of the horrific tragedy that Putin has brought upon Ukraine, there are many coming to Jesus in the midst of all of it. God continues to redeem all things! (Psalm 130)

In 2022, I was part of a mission team to Portugal with Pastor Clay Smith and his wife Missy and with my girlfriend and bride, Sharon. We had a wonderful time teaching, preaching and worshipping with our missionaries, the Pires family. I returned to Honduras in March and will lead a team once again to Iraq in December.

I did my last concert after more than 40 years with my “All Star Band.” A great night and we raised $30K for Ukraine! I’ve also done a number of weddings and funerals and I had the joy of preaching again at Central this past June. I’ve also enjoyed sharing at “Worship by the Pool” on a couple of occasions with many friends!

Sharon and I also celebrated 43 years of marriage on June 9th! We celebrated by being extras in the TV show, “The Chosen.” It was fun to be a part of such a wonderful show, hot in Texas, but fun! *(See article that follows with more details and photos.)

My brother and sisters and I said goodbye to my beautiful Mom recently and we will celebrate her life in California later this summer as we meet together at one of her favorite spots, Newport Beach, where my family spent many summer vacations. Mom always wanted her ashes to be sprinkled as sea, so we’re hopping on a boat and having a party in her honor! She’d love it!!

Randy and Mom!
“King” Kellen in his big Hotel bed!
Afton & Kellen say goodbye to Ketchikan
Afton & Mandy

In other big news… our Alaskan kids and grandbabies have moved after 14 years to the lower 48. They moved to Ohio near Brian’s family. It will be only an 8 hour drive to visit them and hopefully, we’ll get more time with the babies! It was an eventful 5 day journey by Ferry and car to Ohio with all of their belongings, two kids and a dog!

Sharon and I are looking forward to finishing 2022 well and we’re excited about what the future brings us!

God bless, Randy

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On the Streets of Honduras

So today was my first full day here in Honduras… and it was indeed FULL! By the way, this may be a bit long for a Facebook post but I can’t get to my blog from here, so if you don’t want to know what God is doing in Honduras, that’s OK, just look at the photos and pray for the people of this beautiful country!

As I write this, my heart is still heavy as I continue to think of and pray for our dear brothers and sisters in Ukraine. Many are still trying to leave the country. A friend of mine just had a baby in-country and they need your prayers. The baby is in ICU with some breathing issues.

So, I’ve been coming to Honduras for more than 20 years and it seems that little has changed for those living on the streets… My day started at 7 am with coffee and a wonderful breakfast prepared by the young men of the Micah House Culinary department! At 7:30, we all gathered in the main room of the house for a time of devotions. (I posted a video of this earlier.) Then Michael, the Micah director, CEO, father, mentor, etc. and I began visiting many of our old and new friends and all of the work that’s going on here at the project. We visited the music class, the science and math classes, the new Micah Works ministry as they worked in their new water treatment facility and the culinary class as they begin to move into their new, spacious kitchen!

In the early afternoon, we visited old friends in Villa Linda Miller, the village next door that many churches and friends of Micah helped to establish almost 20 years ago. Flora and her family are doing well and caring for many kids by preparing them meals each day!

We then hit the streets in downtown to visit with many of the street kids. (They have a more PC name for them but I don’t recall it right now… sorry.) These are the same streets of the city where almost all of the Micah boys/men came from. As we made our first stop, many young men and young ladies ran up to Michael and his staff who were helping with food but more-so giving hugs and sharing in conversation with them for a long period of time. They don’t just hand out food, though many appreciate it, but they spend time getting to know the people and offer God’s love to all. They give a sense of importance and caring to these often forgotten people. They are not forgotten by the Micah Project and even more, they are not forgotten by God!

Many of our street friends were very dirty from sleeping endless nights in alleyways, on street corners and most of the men smelled like the yellow glue that they were huffing to take away the pain and hunger of living on the streets. Several young girls had one or two babies and others were pregnant with no fathers in the picture. The staff ladies of the Micah project gave them their full attention and love. Their sunken eyes told the story of their lostness and of them being so impacted by the drugs, hunger and of yellow glue. But they wanted to hug and talk, even before we offered them some food and hygiene supplies.

After about 3 hours on the streets, we returned to the safe haven and the noisy, active boys and young men of the Micah House. We had another delicious dinner of tortillas, frijoles and cheese before settling in for the evening. As I came to my cabin around 8 pm or so, I could still hear the sounds of the boys playing football (soccer to us Gringos) and laughing at each other. What a blessing the Micah House is and what a blessing the wonderful leaders and staff are who have made a huge difference in they guys lives.

If you would like to be a part of what God is doing at the Micah Project here in Honduras, please go to their web page at; www.micahprojecthonduras.org and please pray for all who are a part of the Micah Project.
Thanks & God bless!

He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8

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On the Road Again… 2021 Mission to Iraq

After almost two years of Covid lock-down, I was finally able to make my first international trip in July of 2021. I’ve been waiting to get back to Iraq to see and minister with some very close friends. My friend, Jamal, has faithfully been going to Iraq, particularly the Northern Kurdistan region, for almost 15 years. I’ve gone with him for 13 of those years. We minister to refugees, many who are still in tent camps even though many have now started re-locating to their former homes near Mosul and other areas of Iraq.

Continue reading On the Road Again… 2021 Mission to Iraq

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WE ARE FAMILY!

WE ARE FAMILY…

Did you just start singing the Sister Sledge song, “We are Family…  I  got all my sisters with me. We are family, Get up everybody and sing!” I did!

God created us to live in “family” and I love my family. It’s not always been perfect but I’ve been nourished, encouraged and blessed by my family over the years.

Sharon and I recently returned from a wonderful couple of weeks in beautiful Alaska! We didn’t go there just to get colder or to see the beautiful mountains, whales and eagles… thought we saw plenty of them…. We went to see our family! Particularly the birth of our new grandson, Kellen.

Continue reading WE ARE FAMILY!

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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!

So, I met the notorious preacher and cult leader, Rev. Jim Jones in 1974.  He was working in Los Angeles with his new “People’s Temple” and raising money to help the homeless with his “Rainbow” community. A wonderful, diverse yet very poor community. He seemed like a good guy who was doing good things for people.  I even “drank the Kool-Aid!” No kidding, after walking 20 miles to raise funds with several hundred other High School students, we gathered at the beach where Jim and his leaders served us Hot Dogs and Kool-Aid. It seems bizarre now to look back on it. To think that he was a pastor helping the poor, doing good…when in actuality he was really manipulating and abusing them. It looked so good from the outside, but for 909 human beings, it was deadly.

We can all pass judgement on the people around us, but we don’t always know the whole story. We really don’t know what’s in their hearts, only God knows. Think apologist, Ravi Z. whom I met and respected, Rev. Yonggi Cho (Korean pastor whose church I attended some years ago; Evangelist, Jim Baker and the many “Mega-church” and “Faith” leaders who have fallen in recent months and years! Not to mention our political icons who we have lifted up as demigods.

Be careful church whom you lift up. Only Jesus is truly worthy. I’ll leave you with some harsh words from God Himself…“It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. 14 You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— 15 for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.” –  Deut. 6:13-15

Just some thoughts.

Peace – RM

 

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What’s Up With Christians?

WHAT’S UP WITH CHRISTIANS??

I read some pretty interesting stuff recently. I’d love to know what you think… without trying to be exactly what the article is talking about. Here are some excerpts…

Spend two minutes talking to almost anyone outside the Christian faith and you’re almost certain to hear a list of complaints they have about Christians. The problem with many non-Christians isn’t that they don’t know any Christians. The challenge is they do! So what gives?

Many Christians would tell you we have an image problem: we’re treated unfairly, we’re being persecuted, or we’re just badly misunderstood. I’m not so sure.

It’s not so much that Christians have an image problem. It’s far more likely that we have an integrity problem. Do we get misunderstood on some issues? Of course. But that’s outside our control. There are more than a few issues entirely within our control that give us a bad name with people outside Christianity.

Too many Christians come across online as either

  • Toxic (Hello angry ranters, trolls and haters);
  • Cynical (Yes, we know you’re disappointed with everyone all the time and no one gets it as right as you); or
  • Syrupy (So sweet we can’t stand the taste and are not really sure you live in the real world)

Why do so many Christians think their social media feed is a place to show the world their weirdness? It gives the impression that if you’re going to follow Jesus you also need to become socially awkward.

I know people might say “no, I’m just being authentic”. But being authentic does not mean being weird. (I shared my personal criteria for what I share online in the name of authenticity in this post). I think a general rule is if you can’t imagine saying it in real life to a person, you shouldn’t say it online.

If you go to post something and you think, well, that would be braggy if I said that to someone, that’s a healthy check. It means you’d be bragging. So don’t post it.  Similarly, if you think “Well, people would just walk out of the room if I said that in real life,” then maybe don’t say it.

If you’re always angry or cynical or all you do is complain online and you think “well, I wouldn’t want to be friends with someone like that in real life,” then that’s a clue that maybe you shouldn’t say it, or be like that.

And if you think “well, then I’ll have nothing to post,” then you’ve likely put your finger on a deeper issue.

Christians, let’s just stop being so weird online, okay?

There’s much more on this subject. If interested, go here for the full article.

 

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You’re Just Like God…

One quick thought that continues to remind me that others are watching us, especially our children and grandchildren…

I was sitting on the couch in my boxer shorts watching a basketball game, when my then, 6 year old son, Justin, comes into the room. He sees me so he strips down to his underwear and sits by me on the couch. He acted like he knew what was going on with the game so he could be like me.

A few minutes later, Justin looks up at me and says, “Dad, you’re just like God… only bigger!” He was quite serious and it was hard for me not to smile. He had heard about a loving Father God and he saw me, his father, who was loving to him but I had skin on and was “real” to him. Just like God… only bigger.

Of course, I can never live up to that comparison, not even close, but I strive to live like Jesus and when I fail and fall, I hope and pray that my family and friends see my heart and forgive me! I pray that Justin will return to the Jesus who I tried to exemplify for him and I pray that my daughter Amanda, who walking with the Lord today will remain strong also. And now, I have a beautiful 6 year old granddaughter, Afton, and brand new grandson, Kellen, to whom I can be an example of the love of Jesus as well!

Justin’s words to me inspired me to sing the song, “I Wanna be Just Like You.” See the lyrics below and the video link to the song and story as told to the MOPS National Conference (Mothers of Preschoolers).

I Want to be Just Like You – Phillips, Craig & Dean

He climbs in my lap for a goodnight hug
He calls me Dad and I call him Bub
With his faded old pillow and a bear named Pooh
He snuggles up close and says, I want to be like you.
So I tuck him in bed and I kiss him goodnight
Trippin’ over the toys as I turn out the light
And I whisper a prayer that someday he’ll see
He’s got a father in God ’cause he’s seen Jesus in me.

Chorus:
Lord, I want to be just like You
’Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example
For his innocent eyes to see.
Help me be a living Bible, Lord
That my little boy can read
I want to be just like You
’Cause he wants to be like me.

Got to admit I’ve got so far to go
Make so many mistakes and I’m sure that You know
Sometimes it seems no matter how hard I try
With all the pressures in life, I just can’t get it all right.
But I’m trying so hard to learn from the best
Being patient and kind, filled with Your tenderness
’Cause I know that he’ll learn from the things that he sees
And the Jesus he finds will be the Jesus in me.

Chorus:
Lord, I want to be just like You
’Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example
For his innocent eyes to see.
Help me be a living Bible, Lord
That my little boy can read
I want to be just like You
’Cause he wants to be like me.

Bridge:
Right now from where he stands
I may seem mighty tall
But it’s only ’cause I’m learning
From the best Father of them all.

Lord, I want to be just like You
’Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example
For his innocent eyes to see.
Help me be a living Bible, Lord
That my little boy can read
I want to be just like You.
‘Cause he wants to be like me.
Lord, I want to be just like You
’Cause he wants to be like me.

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And the Wall Came Tumbling Down!

Here we are at the base in Frankfurt

It was November of 1989 and Sharon and I were in Frankfurt, Germany. I was singing for a renewal event in a church that was made up of mostly American military from the Rhein-Main Air Base, a United States Air Force air base near the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. I also had the privilege of singing on the base.

That was on November 8th and the next day, on Nov. 9th, the Berlin wall came down! So, off Sharon and I were to Berlin the next day to join in the celebration! I bought a couple of smaller chunks of the wall that the newly free German entrepreneurs had cut out and were selling on the street. One guy even tried to sell me about a 20 lb. chunk of the wall and I told him no thanks! I had no idea how I would get it into my luggage back to St. Louis! When I got back to the states and very saw small fragments of the wall being sold for $10 each, I realized that I could have made a mint off that chunk of the Berlin Wall!  Several small “Wall” chunks are still being sold in the US for anywhere from $40 to $400 and much more for larger segments.  I think that if they connected all the pieces of the “Berlin Wall” that have been sold to date, you could build the great wall of China. Not sure how one could tell that their piece of concrete is real!  I know mine are, I was there and saw them chopped off!  (Yes, I’ll sell you a genuine piece for $1000!)

Segments of wall in Fulton, Missouri

I’ve also seen several full segments of the wall all over the world (even in the Men’s room at a Vegas hotel!!)  But there are several segments very near us in Fulton, Missouri on the campus of Westminster College where Sir Winston Churchill delivered his “Iron Curtain” speech in March of 1946.

And who can forget US President Ronald Reagan’s famous, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” in 1987.