Oh that men would
praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children
of men!– Psalms 107:21
As the year comes to
a close, we have so much to be thankful for and rejoice in. It has been an exceptional year in
ministry. I am often amazed at God’s
working in lives and His wonderful care for us as His children. I am so glad that He is in control.
In October, we had a
group from Liberty Baptist Church in Holly Ridge, NC come down on a missions
trip, and they were such a great blessing.
There were some professional electricians in the group who were able to
do some very important electrical work throughout the complex that we have
wanted to do for several years. They
also helped with a new parking area and were just a tremendous encouragement to
us all.
In November, we had
our annual Bible conference. Jon Barr, President of Silent Word Ministries, and
Allen Snare, one of the missionaries with Silent Word, were our guest speakers.
The conference was a blessing especially to our deaf and interpreters through
the preaching and workshops. Several Deaf
and hearing were saved, and our people were greatly encouraged.
A week later, we
celebrated thanksgiving with our ministry family here at Efata. This is not a Peruvian holiday, but it is an
Efata holiday that is one of the most important times of the year; a time where
we can give thanks to God for his manifold blessings on us and this ministry.
The very same night
after our thanksgiving dinner, our pastoral staff and primary leaders traveled
to the city of Arequipa where we were able to get away for a few days of
planning and rest. I was able to preach
in two churches and in a family seminar as well. Several of our other pastors were used in
other churches in Arequipa.
Almost every Sunday
these past months we have had people saved and baptized. We have had several funerals for Deaf and
hearing family and friends of our church members. We celebrated several weddings
as well. This week we were able to lead to the Lord the husband of a new
Christian lady in our church, and then on Christmas Eve a lady accepted Christ.
Her family’s home was destroyed, and we have had the opportunity to minister to
their physical needs as well as spiritually.
Through your generosity we were able to be a channel of blessing to
them. She came and said to Lisa, “I really want to give my life to God now will
you help me. I am ready now.” This was a
great answer to prayer. Please pray for the rest of Jimena’s family to come to
Christ.
We are getting ready
for our summer here, and we had two graduate our special high school program
and six graduate from the elementary school. We need more teachers next year.
Please pray for this need and for God to send us the students He would have us
to reach.
We thank
those of you who sent gifts for Christmas to make it special for our deaf
children and our family. One of the most incredible activities that we hosted
this Christmas was a meal for the displaced Venezuelan families who live in our
area. We had over 300 show up and gave
nice gifts to all the children who came.
We preached the Gospel to them and many prayed to trust Christ as Saviour. Please pray for the follow-up.
Relating to our issues
with the municipality regarding the tax situation, we have enlisted the service
of a good Christian lawyer and he is helping us with this issue. Pray for God’s provision to pay the lawyer
and God’s intervention in this matter.
We are seeing some hints of light at the end of that very dark tunnel.
Family News
Wethank
the Lord for His protection and care for Joseph and James and their families as
they travel to raise their mission support. Please continue to pray safety,
strength, and provision for them, and for James’ wife Ann’s health in her
pregnancy. She is due in April. Jared
and Judson are doing well in their respective branches of the military. Joy is
working hard to finish school and preparing to go on to college. The younger four are all well.
Joseph, Julianne, James and their families, along with Jared and Judson,
were able to spend Thanksgiving with Lisa’s mom in Jacksonville. Joseph’s family, Jared, and Judson were able
to spend Christmas with Julianne and Frank in South Florida. All were able to visit with my father in
Tampa during these days as well. We were
able to “Glide”, “Duo” and “Facetime”. J The video
communication helps to mitigate the absence of the kids and grandkids here at
home in Peru.
But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
2 Timothy 4:5
This has been an
incredible time here at Efata with much happening. The Lord has been working and doing wonderful
things amongst us and we rejoice every day to serve Him as we endeavor to “make
full proof” of the ministry that God has given us on the mission field of
Peru.
Ministry News
In July and August
over 260,000 Gospel tracts were distributed here in Lima as the city hosted the
Pan-American Games. Soul-winners from
four different churches, including Fargo Baptist in ND, Victory Baptist in
Wichita Falls, TX, Lehigh Valley Baptist Church in Emmaus, PA and Metropolitan
Baptist Church in Bloomington, MN—26 people in all—came down and along with
members of Efata Baptist Church distributed these tracts. What a great
blessing.
We had the privilege
of supporting International Baptist Church with their Pastor’s school this year
here in Chorrillos in Lima. For three
nights, we hosted about 70 pastors who came in from all over Peru here at
Efata. The conference was a great
inspiration and help to these pastors.
Our choir sang one of the days and we interpreted the services for our
Deaf and Deaf pastors.
Also in September, a group from Lighthouse Baptist
Church in Dawsonville, GA came down and were a great blessing. Pastor Blackstock preached and taught a
married couple’s mini retreat and preached in two of our churches as well as
preaching the first night of our youth conference. This was an extremely impacting and
insightful time for the couples and the youth.
The group was a great encouragement and blessing to us all. We had several young people rededicate their
lives, and several people were saved while they were here.
Right after the
wonderful visit and ministry of Lighthouse Baptist, we hosted a Spiritual
Warfare Conference with Pastor Marvin Smith from Harvest Baptist Church in Fort
Dodge, IA. What an incredible conference
that was. In addition to the preaching
each night, Bro. Smith took half a day to speak to our leadership team and
encourage, challenge and assist them in understanding and identifying spiritual
warfare principles and issues.
We can see God
working in all these back to back ministry efforts as we have had several Deaf
and hearing saved and baptized during these weeks.
We also had a special service on Sunday the 29th in the afternoon to honor the Deaf, as it was the designated “week of the Deaf” here in Peru. It was great, and I was able to preach a special message to them of how God loves and cares for them and they are not a mistake. There were over 100 Deaf in attendance.
Relating to our issues
with the municipality regarding the tax situation, things have gotten a bit
worse. The city here has frozen the
school’s local bank account. However,
this was an illegal move as we still have an appeal in process and there was
not notification beforehand. In
addition, we have been responding to their previous communication within the
legal timelines, but they have not responded back to our letters within that
same legal requirement. We now have a
lawyer helping us who is an expert in this area, and he says we have several
good options as the city has abused its authority and is not operating in good
faith. Please continue to pray as we work on this and investigate every avenue
we have to solve this issue.
Our mission works in
Tablada, Pucallpa, Callao, San Juan de Lurigancho and Chancay are doing well. Each has its unique needs and are at
different stages in their development. As you pray, please lift these works up
to the Lord.
Family News
Joy, our oldest at
home, just turned 19. She is such a
sweet young lady who is very involved in the ministry here with music and interpreting.
She also works directly with our teen and young adult girls in the ministry
here, all while doing a heavier than usual course load in order to finish up
high school.
Greetings from Joy,
John, Joel, Jessica and Jennifer. We had
the blessing of having a visit from Julianne and Frank and our four Miller
grandchildren for a week. They came from
Florida for a visit, and what a wonderful week it was! Please remember Joseph
and Zulema and their little ones and James and Ann and their little one in your
prayers as they continue on deputation.
Thank you for your prayers, support and care for us as we plant churches, train Deaf and hearing, care for orphans and widows and see people saved and baptized here in Peru and beyond through our ministry’s influences.
These have been an
eventful two months here at Efata and in Peru.
We are thankful that we serve the One True God! As the verse above states, “There is no
other!”
Ministry News
We had a wonderful
Mission Conference in June. James (our
second son) came down to preach the conference for us, and he did a great
job. We had three churches participate
in our round-robin conference, and it was such a blessing to our people and to
the other churches. We had several of
our missionaries here who gave updates, and we enjoyed spending time with them.
The week after the
conference, we had a wonderful visit from one of our supporting churches–Berean
Baptist Church from Raleigh, NC. What a
blessing they were! Their youth group led
by their Youth Pastor Philip Rabon came down and did a work project installing
hashtag-shaped pavers (#) to add parking next to the street that grass can grow
through and help to beautify the area.
Our neighbors really like it as well.
Three preacher boys who came with the group were able to preach here at
Efata and at some of our satellite churches around Lima. Their team also joined our young people to help
at another church with a small work project and go soul winning. Several people
were saved. We are very thankful for
the blessing they were.
We have had the joy
of both deaf and hearing following the Lord in baptism recently in our
services. Please pray for them to grow
and for more fruit.
As I write, Lima is hosting
the Pan-American Games. We are thrilled
to be hosting a large group of soul-winners, who have come down from four
different churches. Fargo Baptist in ND,
Victory Baptist in Wichita Falls, TX, Lehigh Valley Baptist Church in Emmaus,
PA and Metropolitan Baptist Church in Bloomington, MN–26 people in all. They, along with members of Efata Baptist Church,
have already distributed about 250,000 gospel tracts of the 300,000 we have,
and they still have several days left. What a great blessing. We have already received
phone calls and inquiries from the tract distribution.
If you are following
our issues with the municipality regarding the tax issues, it is still no closer
to a resolution. We are still waiting
for our appeal before we can further address this with the city. Please pray as
we work on this and investigate every available avenue to solve this issue.
The mission plant in
Chancay now has a permanent missionary! Our missionary Henry Vasquez has taken up
the mantle and has moved to Chancay to minister full time at that location.
Please pray for him and his wife Mirian, especially for her health as she has
some chronic heart issues. If any of you
who have been faithful supporters and friends would like to help them
financially for this church plant, I know it would be a real blessing. They do not have a great deal of support, and
now on top of their regular needs, they have extra ministry expenses and living
costs of rent, utilities, etc. that they are facing. If you would like to help
them on a monthly basis for any amount, just designate that to Henry Vasquez
when you send in your support and every dollar that you designate to them and
the Chancay project will go directly to them.
Family News
All is well on the
family home front. The kids enjoyed
celebrating their Peruvian Independence Day on the 28th of
July. Both Jessica and Jennifer wore
beautiful red and white dresses, the colors of the Peruvian flag. My youngest is getting older! We celebrated Jennifer’s 9th
birthday on the 22nd. Thank you to those who send notes and cards on our
special days. It is an encouragement.
Jared and Judson are
well, serving in their respective Services and churches. Judson’s Pastor, a dear friend of mine whom I
mentioned in my last prayer letter, Ray Warren, went home to be with the Lord.
Please pray for his family and his church, Liberty Baptist Church in Holly
Springs, NC. I will greatly miss this choice servant of God, but I look forward
to seeing him again in Glory! He loved Peru and ministered here on many
occasions.
Please keep Joseph, Zulema
and their two little ones, J.J. and Esther, in your prayers while they are on
furlough, asking that God would continue
to supply their needs and give them just the meetings that He would have for
them to be able to raise the needed support. Pray that God would use them as
they travel.
Also please pray for
James and Ann and little Elsie that God would supply their every need and
encourage them as they are also on deputation.
Pray that God will use them as well and lead them as they go. We’re missing the grandkids!
Once again, thank you
for your prayers, support and care for us as we plant churches, train deaf and
hearing, care for orphans and widows and see people saved and baptized here in
Peru and beyond.
As we serve together
here in Peru as your faithful partners in the Lord, busy about the Master’s
business, we know that one day we will be with our Savior and rejoice in His
presence with those who came to know Him. It is wonderful to see people’s
understanding opened and their eyes alight with joy to know Christ. We have
been blessed by many different opportunities this summer.
Ministry News
The new school year
has started for the Deaf children, and it is good to see them back again along
with some new students God sent our way.
Two of the Deaf boys who grew up here and lived here as orphans were reunited with their family. They graduated from the school, and a few months ago their brother came to visit them. From there, we were able to get in touch with their mom. She lives several hours from Lima in a rural community.
The judge turned custody over to her, and with the help of an organization, we were able to purchase several Guinea pigs for them to raise and sell as a business. We are thrilled that after all these years they were able to reconnect with their family. Both boys were saved and baptized during their years with us.
I am currently teaching
our Bible Institute which I enjoy immensely.
We have twenty students from our church enrolled. Our Bible College started a bit late due to a
reorganization, but it is going well with seven hearing students and one
Deaf. Two young men in the seminary have
surrendered to preach to the Deaf and we are excited for them. Please pray that they will stay focused and
dedicated during these years of preparation.
Please pray for the
Montufar family; we were able to lead them to the Lord and have begun marriage
counseling and discipleship with them. Brother
Montufar is a retired police colonel.
One of his sons, who is a police helicopter pilot, also received Christ with
his wife in our annex ministry in Pucallpa, a jungle city. They have been
faithful to services as his work schedule allows. We are praying for his other son who also is
a pilot with the police here in Lima. This family has a burden for their friends,
and invited others over who we were also able to lead to the Lord. We praise
the Lord for these opportunities.
On Mother’s Day we
had over 120 come for a banquet, and many ladies came for the first time and
heard the Gospel. Many deaf ladies as well as hearing were presented with God’s
precious Word.
On the 19th
we had a wonderful anniversary service. We were able to see five people
baptized and just had a sweet time of fellowship with the church family.
We are still working
on the issue with the municipality and the tax situation. There really has been no movement on that
front as we wait for the appeal process to move. We are praying that through the current laws
and our situation, we will see some relief.
Family News
Joseph and James and
their families are currently on deputation/furlough to raise their support to
come back to Peru. We praise God for
providing for their vehicle needs. Please
pray that God will provide for their daily needs and especially meetings to
present their ministry. I know they
would love to hear from you. Contact info: Joseph & Zulema Kotvas –
904-335-8563, joseph.kotvas@gmail.com; James & Ann Kotvas – 303-718-2801,
jameskotvas@gmail.com.
Jared is doing well
in the Air Force, and Judson is currently deployed overseas in the Marine
Corps. He is also doing well. Please
pray for his Pastor, Dr. Ray Warren from Liberty Baptist Church in Holly
Springs, NC. for the Lord to intercede for his health. He is a good friend of ours.
The children at home
are doing well. Joy is attending the
Bible institute as well as starting her last year of high school. John, Joel,
Jessica and Jennifer are doing well in school and at home. We enjoy having both
Joy and John interpret. It is hard to
believe that our youngest will be nine in July.
Lisa and I were able with points and a voucher to fly
to the States in April for a few days to visit our new grandson, Nathaniel
Miller. He is so precious! Julianne and
Frank have now given us four grandchildren. We were also able to see Judson
before he deployed and catch a dinner with Jared and Joseph and family. What a
blessing!
We are so thankful
for modern means of communication to keep up with our seven grandchildren and five
adult children as they are all so far away now.
As always, thank you
so much for your prayers, support and care for us as we plant churches, train
deaf and hearing, care for orphans and widows and see people saved and baptized
here in Peru.
Blessings,
Bro. Joe & Lisa Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
These
past couple of months have been very busy here at Efata and for our ministry
overall. During these months the Lord has put it upon my heart to preach and
encourage our church in personal revival.
As the verse above clearly shows, God will respond if we turn from our
own ways and seek Him.
Ministry News
We
can see God moving within our youth group.
During camp there were several teens who dedicated or rededicated their
lives to Christ. Two young men surrender
to preach and be involved with the Deaf full-time during a tremendous youth
conference at a sister church here in Lima.
You can see changes in attitudes and actions.
In addition, there have been several salvations during the soul winning time and open-air preaching, many baptisms, and a series of baby dedications that have taken place these couple of months.
The new structure
School just started back March 4th and we have been in a construction project for the past two months adding a new multi-purpose area for the school and church on the second story over our cafeteria. I have clearly demonstrated that I am not a professional drywall hanger, but I have enjoyed working alongside our men during this time.
We
currently still have an appeal in to be exonerated from municipality
taxes. We were exonerated from property
tax, but the municipal service tax is still pending. We are talking a tax in excess of
$7000.00. (Understand this tax used to
be less than $5.00 a year for us, then the municipality decided to reevaluate everything,
and this is the result of back tax hikes back to 2012 from which by law we
should be exonerated from paying.)
Family News:
Joseph
has been working as our Pastor to the Deaf for almost four years. He is now on furlough/deputation with his
family to raise much needed support. He
had very minimal support when he came down to get married and could not return
to finish raising his support until now.
Please pray for him that he will be able to raise his support quickly
and return to the field.
James
and Ann have completed a six-month term of field prep with us and are now on deputation
to raise their support as well. They
just had a baby, Elsie Joy, and we are thrilled for this addition to our
family.
IF you would like to have either Joseph or James in for a meeting, here are their phone numbers and e-mails. You may contact them to schedule them in. I know they would love to hear from you.
Lisa
was able to go the States for a couple of weeks to help our daughter Julianne
and her husband Frank with the birth of our 7th grandchild.
Thank
you all once again for your care for us and the ministry in which God has given
us the privilege of serving Him. 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
As 2018 ends and we
prepare for 2019, I Think of the verse above and not only rejoice in the “day”
that the Lord has made, but in the year that the Lord has made and allowed us
to continue to serve him.
I want to let you all
know that we are greatly blessed by your prayers and financial care for us as
we all partner together to fulfill our Lords command to go into all the world
and preach the Gospel.
This year has seen so
many blessings and overcome trials that we can only look back and see how great
our God is and can agree with the Psalmist when he wrote multiple times in
Psalm 107: Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his
wonderful works to the children of men!
This year we have seen
many deaf and hearing saved, baptized and growing in the Lord. We have
seen marriages strengthened, abortions averted, ground-breaking advancement on
a new church plant, young people more dedicated and improvement in
infrastructure of our facilities.
2018 was special as
well in that our son James graduated with his master’s degree in Missions from
Baptist College of Ministry and was married, and he and his wife Ann are
expecting their first child. He is also a full-time missionary who is
spending 6 months here at Efata before embarking on their deputation to raise
their support to come and work in Peru as well. Joseph and Zulema with their
two little ones will also be on furlough/deputation beginning in Feb. of 2019.
We are also excited for Julianne and Frank who are expecting their 4th
child in March.
During 2018, we had
the blessing and honor to travel over 50,000 miles reporting to churches and
visiting new churches to give an account of our stewardship of the sacrificial
giving and financial support for Efata Ministries and our family; as well as challenging
and encouraging churches regarding missions and Deaf missions
specifically. Though we were not able to visit all our churches that
partner with us this furlough, we will do all we can to catch up with you all
as the Lord gives opportunity. It was a blessing to meet some new pastors
of churches that have been supporting us for many years and to forge a solid
relationship with these servants of the Lord and they lead their churches
onward for the Lord. We will also miss our pastor friends who have moved
on or passed away during our time here in Peru.
2019 looks to be a
year of many opportunities and challenges for us here in Peru and we look
forward to seeing how God leads and guides us as we move forward for Him in
this new year that is upon us The blessing is we will not be facing this new
year alone. We know that God is with us and that you are there for us as well
with your prayers, notes of encouragement financial gifts and support.
May God continue to use you all for His glory where you are and around the
world.
