Mar 25, 2015 | Prayer Letters
Dear Friends and Family,
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8
Our desire is that He works continuously in our lives to make us fruitful in the ministry. God has worked in many wonderful ways in our ministry these last two months. The Fires of Evangelism conference that we had in Chiclayo was a great blessing and did see much fruit. There were classes for preachers, for women, for youth, and joint services with messages for all. At least fifteen people were saved, and at least five people surrendered to full time service to the Lord. We had been praying a long time for the salvation of one of the couples who trusted Christ. We thank God for Franco Loyola, and Galo Montalvo from Ecuador, and Gil Torres from California. These men of God preached with me and we are so grateful that they gave of their time, and shared their hearts, preaching God’s word to the people here in Peru.
Summer in Peru (December – February) passed quickly with the deaf children and ours also, but God has blessed them in many ways. They were blessed to go out and enjoy themselves many times, and the deaf children were given brand new shoes for school. We have had a donation for the roof of the cafeteria, and this is being constructed. We praise God for this and pray for safety and that the Lord will continue to provide for this.
Yerik had his surgery, placing plates in his hips. Pray for his recovery. It is really hard for this little guy to be still. He doesn’t understand yet that this will help him. He is in a cast from his chest down, and can only lay flat on his back for a month. We are so thankful how God provided for his surgery. Thank you for your prayers!
Church services have been a blessing, we have seen spiritual growth in our newer members, as well as seeing souls saved. We have had both deaf and hearing baptized, and we thank God for his working in hearts. Please continue to pray for Efata Baptist Church and ministry, that God would continue to help us that we might be fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jared and James are still in the States studying at Bible College, Julianne and Frank are expecting a baby in June, and Joseph and Zulema are a great help here in the Ministry. Judson was a great help interpreting for the Fires conference. We thank God for each of our children, and pray that God protects, leads, and guides them in all His ways.
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. May God bless you,
Bro. Joe & Lisa,
James, Jared, Judson, Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
Feb 5, 2015 | Prayer Letters
Dear Friends and Family,
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
We are so thankful to the Lord for all he has done on our behalf; His protection, His provision and His providence in our lives. We are also thankful to each and every one of you who stands beside and with us as we serve here in Peru.
Ministry News
School ended with several younger children graduating from kindergarten. The seminary ended well and we look forward to the new year of school which will start in March. Many of our church family and workers, as well as students, are gone on vacation or back home for the summer.
November was a busy month with two tremendous Bible Conferences and several saved and many decisions made.
On Jan. 4th, we commissioned Wilder Rojas, one of our assistant pastors as our newest missionary to the mountain city of Cajamarca, Peru. He and his family have been such a blessing here as they have worked, trained and prepared for ministry.
Christmas was a wonderful time and we thank all of you who gave extra to make it special for the children and staff of Efata and for our family as well. From all of us to all of you, THANK YOU!
This year has been a great year for souls saved and converts baptized. Just before school ended, we has several deaf saved and two were baptized.
One wonderful blessing that we experienced here at Efata this year is that Serafin, the father of Zulema, Joseph’s bride, realized back in February that he was not truly saved. He trusted Christ as Saviour and came to me asking to be baptized. This has been an answer to many prayers and to see the change in his life is wonderful.
Family News
Joseph is finally married! What a time it has been getting everything prepared. There were almost 400 people in attendance here in Peru for the wedding and several others who watched the event online. Thank you to all of our friends and family who were able to come and participate in making this a special time for Joseph and his bride Zulema. They are now off enjoying their honeymoon.
When they get back, they will be working hard with our Deaf ministry, School ministry and every aspect of the work here at Efata.
It was great to have all of our children here for a short time. Both James and Jared, as well as Julianne and her husband Frank were able to come to the wedding.
In November I had the opportunity to fly to the States to accompany my father to my uncle and aunts home in NJ. The purpose of the trip was to have the opportunity to witness to them as my uncle had cancer Both he and my aunt prayed to receive Christ as Savior before he passed away in December. I cannot tell you what that meant to me. My uncle Frankie was a wonderful father and husband and tremendous uncle. My Aunt Charlotte as well is a tremendous mother, grandmother and aunt. We will miss Uncle Frankie. I look forward to seeing him again in Heaven.
Lord willing, I’m going to be a GRANPA!!! I cannot wait. Julianne and Frank are expecting a baby boy! He is set to present himself to the world the first part of June. Lisa, the family and I are so happy for them. Pray for Julianne’s health. This is her second pregnancy so they are being as careful as they can.
Some Special Needs
In November we were given a grant of $10,000 to replace the roof of our Kitchen/Cafeteria/Pregnancy Crisis Center. It is going to cost about $5000 more above the grant that was given. The current roof is over 30 years old and very dangerous. One good earthquake and it can come down. Please pray with us that the Lord will provide the much needed extra funds for this project.
As I mentioned in our previous letters, our “Big Box” project is still in the works. We are now in the final paperwork stages before packing and shipping and it is not an easy process. Please pray for all of our friends and workers that are involved in this project so that it can be completed and shipped within the next few months. It has been a long and blessed process, however with many frustrating turns.
God Bless,
Bro. Joe & Lisa,
James, Jared, Judson, Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
Oct 13, 2014 | Prayer Letters
Dear Friends and Family,
And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is God.
Luke 18:19
What a busy time this has been for all of us, especially my family. “God is Good, all the Time! All the Time, God is good!” This is a catchy saying that I love telling to the church because it is a truth from the Word of God as stated in Luke.
Ministry News
We are seeing steady growth and blessing in the church these past few months. Several people have been saved and we have had several baptized. One of the men who was saved has been in our prayers for quite some time. He has a brain tumor, and God brought him successfully through hours of surgery. This caused some paralysis, and he is no longer able to speak, but thanks God for his life as well as the salvation of his soul. His little girl is in our Christian School. We praise God for his salvation. We have also passed through some very trying difficulties as a ministry. These difficulties have come from within and without. Through prayer and fasting, we have seen God give the victory in many things. We have felt His presence through these difficulties, and we know that our God is great. We do covet your continued prayers.
We are preparing for our annual Bible conference October 21st – 26th. Missionary Bill Patterson is our special speaker this year. He is a wonderful man of God and has worked for many years in Bible translation in various languages. Please pray that God will use him in a mighty way to strengthen the hearts of our people in their love for the Bible and obedience to His Word.
Family News
Things are marching forward for Joseph’s wedding on January 3, 2015. Please continue to pray for him and his fiancé, Zulema. Joseph is on deputation raising support at this time but will be returning to Peru in December to prepare for his wedding. He will stay in Peru working here at Efata with us in ministry and then after a year, they will return to the States to complete deputation.
With Jared in North Dakota
I had the privilege of bringing Jared back to the States in late August and September so he could start college. He is attending Master’s Baptist College in Fargo, ND. He is loving it, and has his first job at Culver’s. He has a great work environment. Pray for him as he embarks on this new stage in his life. We are all very proud of him.
While in the States, I had the privilege of visiting four of our supporting churches, two new churches and other churches we are friends with and have not seen for over eight years. It was so good to see the pastors and friends and to report to them what the Lord is doing in the ministry He has allowed us the privilege of having here in Peru. What a blessing to see old friends and meet new ones. Joseph was able to travel with me to these churches and present his work as well.
James is doing well at Baptist College of Ministry in Menomonee Falls, WI. He enjoyed a great summer of hard work, and attended a missionary training camp where he learned a great deal. He was also able to work enough to pay his school bill through this semester. What a blessing!
I was able to see my daughter Julianne and her husband Frank while in the States. They are doing great and serving in their local church in Labelle, FL, Labelle Baptist Temple.
The rest of the children are doing fine. They survived Dad! As I was coming back to Peru, Lisa left to go to her mother’s to help her move to her new home. She was gone for two weeks, and I was able to hold the fort through three sick kids, a new puppy and a virus that is going around Efata right now. Joy did a great job helping me cook, and Judson was a big help with the little ones and cleaning up as well.
Thank you all once again for all you do for us. Please pray for our Big Box project that we have been telling you about. It is being prepared to ship. Please pray all goes well. They are shipping over 95 boxes, plus furniture! We thank the Lord for this blessing.
God Bless,
Bro. Joe & Lisa,
James, Jared, Judson, Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
Aug 2, 2014 | Prayer Letters
Dear Friends and Family,
The Desire accomplished is sweet to the soul… Proverbs 13:19
May and June are very busy months for us here at Efata as the church’s anniversary is in May and our mission conference is in June. This year was no exception. We had a wonderful anniversary celebrating 37 years for the church and the mission conference was wonderful. In addition to these events, we had the privilege of hosting several visiting groups that were wonderful blessings to us while they were here. These months were definitely “sweet to the soul”!
Ministry News
Pastor Steven Smallwood from Hope Baptist Church in Winder, Ga, brought a group from his church. They were a great blessing to us here. Two of the ladies from the group were medical professionals and were able to care for the children in the home and school. Pastor Smallwood preached and he and the others in the group helped us with a work project.
For the mission conference We were blessed to have visiting with us Bro. Stephen Zempel from Falls Baptist Church in Menomenee Falls, WI, and a small group of young men (including my son James who is studying at Baptist College of Ministry). Bro. Zempel and the young men preached our mission conference and did a wonderful Job.
Our international banquet was incredible this year and we are looking forward to what the Lord will do through the Church in the area of missions. Missionary to the Deaf Jim Sloan also paid us a visit with two young people. He has always been a personal blessing and help to me and an encouragement to the church. It was great to see him again.
The work in Tablada is going strong with new families coming. Several have been saved and we are rejoicing in what the Lord is doing there. We are praying and planning for our next church plant in another area of the city. Please be in prayer for wisdom regarding this.
As I mentioned in our last prayer letter, we are praying about taking the watch-care again of one of the former Efata missions in Iquitos. The trip was informative and fruitful. We spoke with the Deaf and the leadership who is maintaining that ministry at this time and believe that there was a positive desire one the part of the Deaf to have us reintegrate with that work. Missionary Matt Mckendree, who is part of our ministry team, as well as one of our national pastors, are praying about moving to Iquitos to lead that work. We are waiting for a final decision from the congregation there.
Family News
Well it is official, Joseph is engaged to be married! He came down for a few weeks to ask for the young ladies hand in marriage. Her name is Zulema. She has grown up most of her teen years here at Efata. She is a “CODA” (Child of deaf adults). Zulema is a faithful worker here and a Bible college student. They are planning to be married on January 3rd, 2015. Please pray for them as the Lord works in their lives. She and Joseph have been friend since their early teen years. She is going to make a wonderful help-meet for Joseph and the ministry God has given him.
In August I will be taking Jared to the States to Bible College. Please pray for him as he begins his own journey of life and that God will continue to work in his life and Guide him.
Pray for us and the ministry here at Efata. Souls continue to be saved and converts baptized. Please pray for a couple named Maximo and Gisela. They are new Christians that Lisa and I are discipling and counseling. Gisela is having a very difficult time letting go and allowing God and His Word to have the preeminence in her life.
God Bless,
Bro. Joe & Lisa,
James, Jared, Judson, Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
May 12, 2014 | Prayer Letters
Dear Friends and Family,
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
These past two months have been busy and exciting. As you read our letter you will see both how God has supplied, and a pressing need. We look forward to seeing how He will continue to supply through his wonderful people.
Ministry News
In March we celebrated our first anniversary for our Tablada mission. God has really blessed this ministry. Up until recently, they had Sunday evening and Wednesday evening services. Beginning in March, however, we added Sunday morning services. This addition has pulled several of our leaders out of Efata on Sunday morning to be a part of the new work, and God has blessed this with more visitors at every service in Tablada, and many saved. We are seeing new converts and visitors here at Efata every Sunday as well, and the attendance has been fairly stable.
In April, Associate Pastor Robert Sutton from Winker Road Baptist Church in Fort Myers, FL, came down and preached the anniversary service of our mission work in the jungle city of Pucallpa. What a blessing! God used him to help us raise over $12,000 to build a new church building and parsonage four years ago, and we were able to have the dedication service of the new church building during this anniversary. Six people were saved, four deaf and two hearing. The congregation in Pucallpa was greatly encouraged that Brother Sutton came to preach and visit. He also raised an additional $2,100 to repair the damaged parsonage roof that is leaking heavily when it rains. What a blessing this is for Pastor Vasquez and his family!
Our school and home for the deaf is growing and blessed. We have a good increase in students this year, from kindergarten all the way through secondary school. Your gifts to help us teach and raise these children, from little Danilo, (3) thru Francisco (19), are investments in lives and make a difference that COUNTS. Thank you! Each month, both children and parents come to know Christ through this ministry.
As you know, the Deaf department of Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville, FL have been organizing a “Big Box” project to ship needed supplies to us. We have asked for your help previously in a special letter sent out regarding this.
We are so thankful for those of you who have responded and given items to put in the container! The items for the school, home and church are very needed and appreciated.
We have been given 460 Bibles from Beams Bibles, and we have a pallet of tracts, but we have learned that the humanitarian government organization which is shipping the “Big Box” is not allowed to deliver any religious literature because they are a government organization. Please pray that God provides the funds to have these shipped to us separately. We need the Bibles and Tracts for our church planting annexes and missions, as well as for some national pastors. We know God will get them here somehow.
Please pray for us as we begin the ground work to start a new church plant in an area call José Galvez. We are in the initial “cost counting,” praying and planning stages. We are praying that the Lord will allow us to actually begin the work in January 2015. We hope to begin home Bible studies and targeted soul-winning in this area in the next few months.
Lisa and I will be flying to the jungle city of Iquitos with several members of our team to plan and prepare to revive a work with the Deaf in Iquitos that was once a part of our ministry but was estranged several years ago. Please pray as we work to reestablish our mission work there as well.
Family News
The family is well. We are missing Julianne but are grateful for how God is working in her new life with our son-in-law Frank.
Continue to pray for Joseph on deputation and James in college. Lord willing, in August I will be bringing Jared up to Bible College in Fargo, ND.
It is quite an adjustment having several of our children “out of the nest” and still having very young ones in the home. What a blessing!
God Bless,
Bro. Joe & Lisa,
James, Jared, Judson, Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
Mar 10, 2014 | Prayer Letters
Dear Friends and Family,
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Ephesians 3:20
What a busy but blessed past two months. I am thankful for God’s care. He is able!, and continually shows his blessing and handiwork in our lives.
Ministry News
These past two months have been very busy for us. The school has been on vacation, but we have been working to get ready for the new school year which started March 3rd. The students are still coming in from the provinces and we are doing a great deal of rearranging in the dorms.
We returned home to Peru after the wedding of Julianne and have been going ever since. During the last week of Feb. we had our annual Fires of Evangelism Conference. What a great blessing that was. Conference speakers Pastor Gil Torres and Evangelist Bacilio Alfaro did a tremendous job. The conference was held in Chiclayo, Peru this year. Over 20 people were saved and five young people surrendered to full-time Christian service. The services were packed with standing room only every night. Various local pastors worked hard during the year in coordination with myself and Fires to host this wonderful conference. The Spirit was wonderful.
Financially, Efata Ministries has several large needs. I mentioned in our last prayer letter about the need to redo the electrical wiring in the entire complex. Please continue to pray for this very important need. We also need to build more classrooms for the school. We are reopening our High School for the Deaf and need more classroom space for our Bible College. This year we will have several more students. College classes start March 11th. We have several new deaf children in the school this year and some in the dorms. If you would like to help support one of our deaf children, please let us know. $30.00 a month is 10% of the support needed for one child here at Efata. You could help to make an investment in these children’s lives that will make an eternal difference!
Also we have several national pastors, both Deaf and hearing that are struggling financially. If you would like to support one of our national pastors and their church planting works, please let us know.
We will begin Sunday morning services at our Tablada church plant in April. This will be a great advance in that church’s ministry. We are also looking at Deaf ministry options in the Jungle city of Iquitos. Please pray for God’s wisdom in that.
Family News
Well, Julianne is now officially Julianne Raye Miller. What a beautiful wedding it was! We were able to live stream the wedding and our church family in Peru was able to watch it as were many others. We will be holding a nice reception for them here in Peru this month since our people were not able to go to the wedding.
We were also able to help Joseph get set up and sent off for his deputation. He is now on full-time deputation raising his support. Please pray for his continued safety and good reception in the churches he is privileged to visit.
James continues to study at Baptist College of Ministry. Continue to pray for him and his studies and work.
Jared is working to finish his High School. Pray for him that he will stay on task so he can start Bible College in the fall. His current plans are to attend Bible College for one year and then transfer into an ROTC program to join the military and eventually become a pilot. In the meantime, he has been a great blessing and help here at Efata in many areas of ministry support.
The other children are doing well and getting back into the school rhythm. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
God Bless,
Bro. Joe & Lisa,
James, Jared, Judson, Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
Yerik had his surgery, placing plates in his hips. Pray for his recovery. It is really hard for this little guy to be still. He doesn’t understand yet that this will help him. He is in a cast from his chest down, and can only lay flat on his back for a month. We are so thankful how God provided for his surgery. Thank you for your prayers!
