Jan 18, 2018 | Prayer Letters
Dear Friends and Family,
For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now, ye rejoice in your boastings; all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin. James 4:15-17
We rejoice to know that God’s desire and goal is to guide our days. God is wanting us each day to say, “God, what would you have me to do? Lead and guide my steps, I want YOUR will today, not mine.” If we make our own decisions and we won’t do the good that God would lead us to do, it is sin.
Ministry News
The first week of November, some of my leadership team and I were able to go to Falls Baptist Church in Wisconsin for a Sunday School small-group training workshop. What a blessing that was and a challenge as we work on implementing what we have learned. In addition, God blessed us with a wonderful Bible conference with Missionary Evangelist Doug Whiteside. Both Deaf and hearing were blessed by God. The messages were impacting each night. We were especially thankful for the private training time with our pastoral staff and Bro. Whiteside; his many years of experience and service in ministry were a blessing and challenge to all. Each day was well attended.
The last week of November we had two dear ladies enter the gates of heaven. A pastor’s wife (They loan us the building our son Joseph uses for the deaf in El Agustino.) and the following day, the mother of one of our precious deaf members. I preached at the evening viewing and shared the gospel with many lost family members. That same week we also received a newborn to take care of for a few days. Remembering the verses above, we could see how God has a plan – a way for us to minister, a way to serve, and it may not be in our plans, or designs, but God will lead and guide as we allow Him. We were packing, and preparing to leave the next week… plans change, God opens doors. Packing was a blur.
That same Sunday we were blessed to baptize four soldiers who had been saved through the preaching on their base where I had been preaching on Wednesday mornings. That evening we had the first commencement service of our Bible College. Two young men, one Deaf and one hearing, graduated, and we are so proud of them. This was also the last official service of Bro. Cory Ricker as he and his wife Melissa and their three daughters are moving on to start a new work with the Deaf in Cuzco. They have worked with us for eight years and we will greatly miss them. However, we wish them God’s blessings as they go forward for the Lord. The next day we left Peru with our five children to report to our churches in the States and raise necessary support.
Please pray for us as we schedule meetings to update our wonderful supporters and partners and gain much-needed new support. We praise God we were able to buy a 2006 Chevy Express van that is in very good condition to take us across the country. Also pray for opportunities to share His precious Word as we go and that our children will not only cope but also thrive as they make this journey with us, doing their homeschool studies “on the go.” Pray for God’s continued provision and protection.
Pray especially that we will be sensitive to God’s leading as he guides us to the sources of His provision for us and that those sources will be responsive to Him. The financial situation in Peru is volatile with government instability and corruption at the highest levels and the final bank that was not charging ATM fees just began doing so which means it is going to be more expensive just to get our support in Peru. Pray for our son Joseph, his wife Zulema, and their new baby Esther and two-year-old son, JJ. and our Pastoral team and staff as they serve the Lord in our absence. Joseph celebrated Christmas in the annex ministry that he started with the Deaf in El Augustino. Pray for the children who are in the home and the staff that cares for them.
Please note: As we are in the states on furlough, we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible. If you would like to have us for your mission’s conference or to come and give a report, please let me know via e-mail or call me so we can coordinate this. If you have not heard from me, please contact me. I may have not been able to reach you due to old or lost contact information or answering machines! (813) 406-2838; jkotvas@efata.org. We will be in the States until November.
Family News
Laura Elisabeth Miller
We praise the Lord for the birth of Laura Elizabeth Miller born to our daughter Julianne and Frank Miller. She is beautiful and healthy. We love our five grandbabies. We rejoice that we had the joy of spending time over Christmas with nine of our children. God is so good to us. All five of our children who have grown and are out of the house are serving the Lord and their Country.
James, our second son, would appreciate your prayers as he completes his Master’s program at Baptist College of Ministry, graduates the 13th of May and gets married the 15th of May, just two days later. He and Ann Smith, his fiancé, (daughter of Randall and Joann Smith, missionaries in Japan) will begin deputation shortly thereafter. We praise God for their engagement and ask for your prayers for them.
Thank you all once again for your care for us and the ministry of God in which we are privileged to serve. We hope to hear from you soon and look forward to visiting with you as the Lord allows. May the Lord bless you all.
Joe & Lisa Kotvas
Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
Oct 21, 2017 | Spanish Prayer Letters
Queridos amigos y familia,
“Y si alguno de vosotros tiene falta de sabiduría, pídala a Dios, el cual da a todos abundantemente y sin reproche, y le será dada.” Santiago 1:5
Han sido unos meses maravillosos con mucha actividad y bendición. Hemos tenido que tomar muchas decisiones, y estamos agradecidos con Dios por cada bendición y respuesta a nuestras oraciones. Como dice el versículo arriba, Dios desea darnos su sabiduría para las tareas que nos ha encomendado. Solo debemos pedírselo.
Noticias del ministerio
Estos últimos meses han pasado rápidamente. Tuve el privilegio de predicar una conferencia de aniversario para una iglesia en Trujillo, lo cual fue una gran bendición. Siempre disfruto ir a otra ciudad en Perú y predicar y enseñar la preciosa Palabra de Dios.
También tuvimos desde los EE.UU. grupos de visita de dos iglesias. Fueron de mucha bendición reparando la infraestructura del ministerio. Siempre es un honor recibir grupos misioneros.
Una de las mayores bendiciones para mí ha sido una oportunidad para predicar a los militares aquí en Lima. Cada semana voy a una base y predico a una compañía de soldados, enseñándoles principios y ética de la Biblia. Que alegría. Varios soldados se han salvado y algunos han llegado a la iglesia los miércoles por la noche. Oramos que Dios nos dé más puertas abiertas en este ámbito. Hemos estado buscando la oportunidad de enseñar en la academia de policía durante mucho tiempo también. Por favor ora por esto; voy a abordar esto con un esfuerzo renovado cuando regresemos de nuestra licencia.
Nuestra iglesia está prosperando y entusiasmada por alcanzar a la gente para Cristo. Muchos invitan a sus seres queridos y amigos, y constantemente tenemos visitantes sordos y oyentes. Hemos visto almas salvadas y bautizadas. Esperamos compartir con ustedes pronto. Hablando de “licencia,” los amamos a todos y en gran manera deseamos verlos e informar sobre lo que el Señor está haciendo aquí en Efata a través de nuestro ministerio. No he tenido éxito en contactarme con muchos por teléfono. Si puede, llámeme o envíeme un correo electrónico a jkotvas@efata.org.
Seguimos trabajando para asegurar el terreno para la nueva misión en Chancay, a unas dos horas al norte de nosotros. Planificamos una iglesia, un campamento, un centro pro-vida y otros ministerios para esta nueva zona. Varios en la comunidad están agradecidos de nuestra llegada y han expresado interés en la nueva misión. Debido al bajo costo de los terrenos, muchos de los miembros de nuestra iglesia también están comprando lotes allá, y algunos tienen la intención de mudarse allá y ayudar a plantar la nueva iglesia. Por favor, oren para que cualquier dificultad se supere con este terreno.
Noticias de la familia
¡Tenemos una nueva nieta! Esther Catherine Emerald Kotvas nació el lunes, 16 de octubre. No puedo expresar lo emocionado que estoy. Ella será nuestro cuarto nieto y primera nieta. Julianne dará a luz, Dios mediante, en diciembre, a nuestro quinto nieto y segunda nieta. Estamos agradecidos con el Señor por estos regalos.
Judson está trabajando por un mes en Wisconsin como asistente de reclutamiento, y luego continuará en 29 Palms, California en entrenamiento técnico con los Marines, y Jared está sirviendo en su primera estación de servicio permanente en Panama City, FL. Estamos muy orgullosos de ambos. Parece que ambos podrán venir al sur de Florida por Navidad este año. Joseph y Zulema serán los únicos que no podrán venir este año. James también podrá venir desde su seminario. Vamos a extrañar a Joseph, Zulema y los bebés.
Una vez más, gracias por su cuidado de nosotros y del ministerio de Dios en el cual tenemos el privilegio de servir. Esperamos saber de ustedes pronto, y programar visitas según lo permita el Señor.
Bendiciones a todos,
Joe y Lisa Kotvas
Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
Oct 21, 2017 | Prayer Letters
Dear friends and family,
”If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5
It has been a wonderful few months with a great deal of activity and blessings. We have had many decisions to make and are grateful to God for each blessing and response to our prayers. As the verse above states, God desires to give us his wisdom for the tasks he has set before us. All we need do is ask.
Ministry News
These past months have gone by quickly. I had the privilege to preach an anniversary conference for a church in Trujillo which was a great blessing. I always enjoy when I can go to another city in Peru and preach and teach the precious Word of God.
We also had two groups from churches in the States that were a great blessing to us in helping with infrastructure construction repair and ministry. it is always an honor to host mission trips from the States.
One of the greatest blessings for me has been an open door to preach to the military here in Lima. Every week I go to one of the bases here and preach to a company of soldiers, teaching them principles and ethics from the Bible. What a joy. Several of these soldiers have been saved and some have been able to come to church on Wednesday nights here at Efata. We are praying that God will give us more open doors in this area. We have been seeking the opportunity to teach in the police academy for a long time also. Please pray for this. I will be tackling this with renewed effort when we return from our furlough.
Our church is thriving and excited about reaching people for Christ. Many are inviting their loved ones and friends, and we constantly have deaf and hearing visitors. We have seen souls saved, and baptized. We are looking forward to sharing with you soon. Speaking of furlough, we love you all and greatly wish to see you and report on what the Lord is doing here at Efata through our ministry. I have been unsuccessful in reaching many by phone. If you can, please call me back or e-mail me if you prefer at jkotvas@efata.org.
We are still working on securing our land for the new ministry that we are planning to start in Chancay, about two hours north of us. We are planning a church, camp, pro-life center and other ministries for this new area. Several people in the community are thankful that we will be coming in and have expressed interest in the new church plant. Because of the wonderful price of the land there, many of our church members are purchasing their own land there as well, and some of them plan on moving there and helping plant the new church. Please pray that all issues will be cleared with this new land.
Family News:
We have a new granddaughter! Esther Catherine Emerald Kotvas was born on Monday, Oct. 16th. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am. This will be our fourth grandchild and first granddaughter. Julianne will be giving birth, Lord willing in December, to our fifth grandchild and second granddaughter. We are grateful to the Lord for these gifts.
Judson is in Wisconsin working as a recruiter’s assistant for a month then will continue in 29 Palms, California in technical training with the Marine Corps, and Jared is serving at his first permanent duty station in Panama City, FL. We are very proud of them both. It looks like they both will be able to come to South Florida for Christmas this year. Joseph and Zulema will be the only ones not able to come this year. James will be able to come down from Bible Seminary as well. We will miss Joseph, Zulema and the babies.
Thank you all once again for your care for us and the ministry of God in which we are privileged to serve. We hope to hear from you soon and look forward to scheduling visits with you as the Lord allows.
Blessings to all,
Joe & Lisa Kotvas
Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
Jun 18, 2017 | Spanish Prayer Letters
Queridos amigos y familiares,
Marcos 7:37 dice: ” bien lo ha hecho todo…” ¡Dios hace todas las cosas bien! Estamos tan agradecidos a Él por habernos salvado y elegido para usarnos en Su ministerio.
Estos dos meses han sido algunos de los más ocupados tanto en el ámbito familiar como en el ministerio en general. Estamos agradecidos de que Dios es omnipotente y, sin embargo, es íntimamente consciente de lo que somos y todo lo que hacemos.
Noticias del ministerio
En la semana del 17 al 21 de mayo, la Iglesia Bautista Efata celebró nuestro 40o aniversario. ¡Qué gran evento! Evangelista Jim Sloan, misionero John Olson y pastor Joe Davis vinieron y fueron de bendición para nosotros. Varios de nuestros misioneros asistieron, así como muchas personas sordas y oyentes que han estado o siguen siendo conectadas con nuestro ministerio. La gente venía de nuestras obras misioneras en Callao y Tablada también. El domingo, tuvimos más de 540 personas presentes. Fue un tiempo maravilloso de recuerdos y visión para el futuro. En una nota agridulce, Velma Miller, la esposa del fundador, fue a casa para estar con el Señor el domingo anterior, que era el Día de la Madre. Tenía 91 años, y se fue a su casa en paz mientras dormía, justo como ella oraba.
Por favor oren por Washington y Ana, una pareja de ancianos con quienes Lisa y yo hemos estado trabajando. Washington es un nuevo cristiano, y guiamos a su esposa a Cristo. Oren para que ella venga y sea bautizada y asista a la iglesia con su esposo. Provienen de una tradición muy católica. Estamos planeando un estudio bíblico en su hogar. Oren para que ellos respondan.
Lisa y yo estuvimos recientemente en los Estados Unidos para asistir a la graduación de nuestro hijo Judson del entrenamiento básico de los Marine Corps. (Más sobre eso a continuación). Mientras estuvimos allí tuvimos el privilegio de rendir cuentas a varias de nuestras iglesias. Era tan bueno volver a verlas. Gracias por su hospitalidad y cuidado.
POR FAVOR TOMEN NOTA: Estamos planeando nuestra primera licencia (furlough) extendida para 2018. No hemos estado de licencia desde hace seis años, y no hemos estado de licencia por más de cinco meses desde hace casi 12 años. Recientemente cambiamos nuestra calidad migratoria peruana para permitirnos estar fuera del país por un año completo sin consecuencias. Esperamos ver a tantos de ustedes como sea posible. Empezaré a llamar pronto. Si ustedes quisieran tenernos para su conferencia misionera o para un domingo, por favor escríbanme por correo electrónico o llámenme para coordinar. Si no tienen noticias de mí en los próximos meses, pónganse en contacto conmigo. Puedo no haber sido capaz de contactarles debido a información de contacto viejo o perdido.
Noticias de la familia:
Como mencioné, Judson acaba de graduarse del entrenamiento básico de los Marine Corps en Parris Island, NC. Estamos muy orgullosos de él. Además, acaba de terminar el entrenamiento de infantería (¡Cada Marine es un fusilero primero!). Ahora está estacionado en 29 Palms, California, preparándose para la escuela técnica.
Jared también se unió al servicio militar, y completó el entrenamiento básico de la Fuerza Aérea el 2 de junio. Estuve con él en San Antonio, TX para la ceremonia de graduación. Jared irá a Biloxi, MS para entrenamiento técnico en Keesler AFB.
Dios es tan bueno para nosotros. Todos los cinco de nuestros hijos que han crecido y están fuera de la casa están sirviendo al Señor y a su país. Cuando Judson estaba en el entrenamiento básico, le encantaba ir a la capilla media hora antes y quedarse media hora tarde para tocar el piano. Dijo que era un gran alivio para el estrés.
James ha completado el primer año de su maestría en Baptist College of Ministry, y está sirviendo y entrenando como voluntario Técnico de emergencias médicas. Trabaja en la iglesia en el mantenimiento y la seguridad y sirve como un instructor en un campo de la misión del verano en MO. Tiene un año más de escuela, después de lo cual planea ir a la diputación.
Joseph y su esposa Zulema y Julianne y su marido Frank están esperando a otro bebé (octubre y diciembre, respectivamente). Cuando nazcan, ¡eso nos hará cinco maravillosos nietos! ¡Estoy rezando para que algunas nietas se echen a perder!
Nuestros cinco hijos en casa, Joy (16), John (13), Joel (11), Jessica (9) & Jennifer (6) están todos bien, creciendo, ayudando, cantando en el coro, etc. Es como tener una segunda generación de niños para criar. Oramos que Dios nos da mucha sabiduría.
Gracias a todos una vez más por su cuidado por nosotros y el ministerio de Dios en el cual tenemos el privilegio de servir. Esperamos tener noticias de usted pronto y esperamos programar visitas con usted como el Señor lo permite.
Bendiciones a todos,
Joe y Lisa Kotvas
Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
Jun 18, 2017 | Prayer Letters
Dear Friends and Family,
Mark 7:37 states, “he hath done all things well….” God does all things well! We are so thankful that He has saved us, and chosen to use us in His ministry.
These past couple of months have been some of the busiest in both the family realm as well as the ministry overall. We are grateful that God is omnipotent, and yet still intimately aware of who we are and all that we do.
Ministry News
The week of May 17th through the 21st, Efata Baptist Church celebrated our 40th anniversary. What a great event that was. Evangelist Jim Sloan, Missionary John Olson and Pastor Joe Davis came and were such a blessing to us. Several of our missionaries attended, as well as many deaf and hearing folks who have been or are connected to our ministry. People came from our mission works in Callao and Tablada as well. On Sunday, we had over 540 people in attendance. It was a wonderful time of remembrance and vision casting for the future. On a bittersweet note, the founder’s wife Velma Miller went home to be with the Lord the Sunday prior, which was Mother’s Day. She was 91 years old and went home in peace in her sleep just as she prayed she would.
Please pray for Washington and Ana, an elderly couple Lisa and I have been working with. Washington is a new Christian, and we led his wife to Christ. Pray that she would come and be baptized and attend church with her husband. They come from a strong Catholic tradition. We are planning a Bible study in their home. Pray that they respond.
Lisa and I were recently in the States to attended our son Judson’s graduation from Marine Corps. Boot Camp (More about that below). While there we had the privilege to report to several of our supporting churches along the way. It was so good to see them and reacquaint with them. Thank you for your hospitality and care.
PLEASE NOTE: We are planning our first extended furlough for 2018. We have not been on furlough in six years and have not been on furlough longer than five months for almost 12 years. We recently changed our Peruvian immigration status to allow us to be out of the country for a full year without consequence. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible. I will begin calling soon. If you would like to have us for your mission conference or for a Sunday, please email me or call me to coordinate. If you do not hear from me in the next few months, please contact me. I may have not been able to get a hold of you due to old or lost contact information.
Family News:
As I mentioned above, Judson just graduated Marine Corps Boot Camp on Paris Island, NC. We are so proud of him. He just finished infantry training (Every Marine is a Rifleman first!). He is now stationed at 29 Palms, California, preparing for technical school.
Jared also just joined the military, and he completed Air Force Basic Training on June 2. I was with him in San Antonio, TX for the graduation ceremony. Jared will be going to Biloxi, MS for technical training at Keesler AFB.
God is so good to us. All five of our children who have grown and are out of the house are serving the Lord and their country. When Judson was in boot camp, he loved going to chapel half an hour early and staying half an hour late so he could play the piano. He said it was a great stress relief.
James has completed the first year of his master’s program at Baptist College of Ministry and is serving and training as a volunteer EMT. He works at the church in maintenance and security and serves as an instructor at a summer mission camp in MO. He has one more year of school, after which he plans to go on deputation.
Joseph and his wife Zulema and Julianne and her husband Frank are both expecting another baby (October and December respectively). When born, that will make five wonderful grandchildren for us! I am praying for some granddaughters to spoil!
Our five children at home, Joy (16), John (13), Joel (11), Jessica (9) & Jennifer (6) are all doing well, growing, helping, singing in choir, etc. We are so blessed. It’s like having a second generation of children to raise. We pray God gives us much wisdom.
Thank you all once again for your care for us and the ministry of God in which we are privileged to serve. We hope to hear from you soon and look forward to scheduling visits with you as the Lord allows.
Blessings to all,
Joe & Lisa Kotvas
Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
