Dec 6, 2018 | Prayer Letters
Dear Friends and Family,
It has been an incredible time of traveling and reporting to most of our wonderful friends and partners in ministry. Everyone has been gracious, generous and supportive of the ministry God has blessed us with. We had the privilege of being in many wonderful new churches as well during this time. We are praying that many will be able to directly partner with us and the work we are doing in Peru among the Deaf and hearing.
After one year in the States, we flew back to Peru on November 15th. It’s good to be home. Our kids are overjoyed to be back, and we are settling back into the ministry and preparing for what the Lord has in store for us in the months and years ahead. We have been so blessed to see eight souls saved these weeks we have been back.
James and Ann have settled in for their six-month mission work at Efata. Thank you to those who have responded to our appeal to help them for this short-term mission work prior to them going on full-time deputation to raise their support to return permanently. Please keep Ann in prayer for her health and pregnancy. It has been a tremendous blessing to Efata to have them here.
Juan Zevallos and his family at Efata for Family Day
The work in Peru is going strong. They had 350 people in Efata for Family Day in October. Six souls were saved and 3 baptized during this time.
We do have a few major prayer requests for you to pray about:
First, the local city hall has assessed a large tax on Efata that is retroactive to 2012. They say we owe 144,500 Soles, which equates to approx. $44,000. Of course, we do not have that kind of money and are applying for an exemption. We have already been exempted from the property taxes, but these are service taxes that we used to pay at a rate of $3 a year. The government has changed, and we are not against paying our fair share, but this is a retroactive commercial rate that is going back and covering years that were already payed. It is a long and complicated story. Please pray for the “king’s heart”, that God will turn it in our favor.
Second, please pray for the continued advancement of the work in Chancay. This month we were able to have a wall built around the property and more contacts have been made. Please pray for God to raise up this work.
Third, please pray for our mission in Pucallpa. Missionary Henry Vasquez, who is overseeing that work, will be moving to Lima this month due to his wife’s heart problems. They will work with us in the new Chancay church plant. The ministry in Pucallpa has been very difficult, and we are selling the property that we have there with the intent of buying property further out of town where the population is headed and moving the work there to reach more people. We already have Bible studies in these areas. We have not been able to sell the property and now we need a new national missionary/pastor to take the work over and carry it through its transition. Pray for God’s wisdom and leading in all of this as well.
Thank you once again to every church, family member and friend who has hosted us and cared for us during this special time of reacquainting with our friends and supporters. A special thanks to all the new friends and churches we have met along the way. It is wonderful to know that mission work is still the heartbeat of many as it is still the heartbeat of God!
Joe & Lisa. Children: Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
Aug 18, 2018 | Prayer Letters
Dear Friends and Family,
I would like to take this time to thank all of you once again for your wonderful care and support for our family as your representatives in Peru, South America and Beyond, reaching both the Deaf and hearing.
We are continuing our furlough, visiting our supporting churches and friends and visiting several new churches and meeting new friends as we travel across the country. During this time, we have been encouraged and blessed as we have reacquainted with you.
We have our return tickets to Peru for November 15th and have a great deal of work waiting for us. We are grateful to the Lord for the wonderful staff and ministry partners he has given us that keep the ministry going in our absence.
Let me present to you a very special opportunity to be a further blessing and help to the work in Peru. As many of you know, my son James and his new wife Ann are on deputation to come to Peru as missionaries. They are planning a six-month mission trip, working on the field, allowing Ann to get to know the culture, languages and people of Peru, and helping them prepare for their move to Peru after deputation. They have their tickets to Peru for the 2nd of October 2018.
I would like to personally ask all of you if you would help James and Ann with either a one-time love offering to help them with the expenses of the six-month mission trip or if possible, if you could even begin supporting them as missionaries to Peru on a monthly basis either for this six-month trip or permanently.
James grew up in Peru and now he is returning as a missionary with his new family. He is also expecting his first child in February. Many of you know or remember James from when we visited with you in the past. James now has a master’s degree in missions, a wonderful MK wife and a strong missions-focused testimony. He has helped teach at mission’s camp for the last several years to mission-minded college students.
James is fluent in Peruvian Spanish and Peruvian Sign Language and before he went to college was an active leader in our ministry and is completely knowledgeable regarding Peruvian culture. His wife, Ann was born and raised in Japan and is no stranger to missions. She has had a love for the Deaf and a long-held desire to come to Peru, even before her courtship and marriage to James.
When they return from this trip, we are hoping they will be able to raise their needed support quickly, so they can return and continue the work that God has called them to do.
Thank you so much for your consideration for James and the overall mission work of Efata Ministries and the Kotvas family which you have been faithfully supporting. He is going to be a tremendous asset in our outreach and church planting ministries. Below is James’ contact information if you would like to reach out to him for further information. Feel free to call me as well – 813-406-2838.
jameskotvas@gmail.com 303-718-2801 www.kotvastoperu.com
The Family is doing great. The kids are getting a great education visiting various national monuments and locations (D.C., Philadelphia, Mount Rushmore, Statue of Liberty, Gateway Arch St. Luis, etc.) as well as different areas of the US and Canada. God has used His people to be a tremendous blessing to us all along the way!!! Thank you to all.
Joe & Lisa
Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
Jun 6, 2018 | Prayer Letters
Dear Friends and Family,
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
Psalm 68:19
These have been some of the most fantastic months for us in our ministry and family. God is great and does daily load us with benefits. Even when times are stressful and difficult, God is good.
Ministry News
Stateside furlough
Our furlough is going well. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family of supporting churches. We have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with each of you we have had the privilege to visit. Our schedule is almost completely full.
To our churches that we have not been able to contact or visit, we love you and are grateful for you. We look forward to seeing you in the future. Pastor, we would be happy to connect with you by phone. Our number is 813-406-2838 and my e-mail address is jkotvas@efata.org.
Field-side news:
On May 20th Efata Baptist Church celebrated its 41st anniversary. It was a great joy for Lisa and I to be able to fly down for the Anniversary and also for a Spanish La Espada (The Sword) Conference with Evangelist Daniel Garlick and Joel Marsh from Redemption Baptist Church in Tampa, FL. There were several saved and 43 people came forward surrendering their lives to serve God, 34 From Efata, 6 From our mission in Tablada and 3 From our good friends’ churches with Team Peru.
One of the most exciting honors we had was to ordain one of our Deaf Bible College Graduates to the Gospel Ministry. Bro. Frank Chavez has been working with us as he was studying. He graduated in December with his Bachelor’s Degree. He was married last October and is expecting his first child. He is the first qualified Deaf man we have ordained in 17 years. Our first Deaf man that we ordained in 2000, Jorge Pozo, Missionary to the Deaf in Huancayo, was present and participated in this wonderful ordination counsel and service. He is a faithful example for Frank to follow.
During our time in Peru, a young man named Marcos, one of our deaf students in the school, came to us and asked for forgiveness for his rebellious attitude and told me that he wanted to be a preacher of the Gospel. Please pray for him that he will allow God to work in his life to make His will clear and plain and that he will keep himself unspotted from the world.
We continue to move forward with our purchase and securing of land in Chancay. Please pray that we will be able to raise the additional funds needed to purchase additional land and to secure the property. As we get closer to the need, I will write to you more about that. Currently, one of our assistant pastors is going there three to four days a week and working with the people that live in the area and preparing the ground work spiritually for the church plant.
Family News
Lisa and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary on the 20th of May as well. I was thankful she was able to travel with me, so we would not be separated from each other during this special time. Joseph was able to make this possible when the Visa came through for his wife Zulema and they were able to come to the States for James’ wedding. They were able to stay with the children while we were away.
We are excited to announce the addition of a new DAUGHTER to the Kotvas family! Ann (formerly) Smith and James were married in a beautiful ceremony at Falls Baptist Church in Menominee Falls, WI. She is a wonderful MK born in Japan to missionaries Randy and JoAnne Smith who have been serving in Japan for 30 years.
After their honeymoon, they will begin full-time deputation as missionaries to Peru and beyond. We are so excited to have them join our mission team. They will work at Efata and have a unique ministry as well to unreached people groups in interior regions of Peru and other countries.
Jared (Air Force) & Judson (Marine Corps.) are doing well as they serve in their respective services. We have had several opportunities to spend time with each of them when we are close and especially during the wedding. What a blessing we had at both Mother’s Day and the wedding to have ALL of our children, grandchildren and parents present for the first time ever.
We continue to travel miles and miles and miles…… reporting to our churches. The children are doing great. Not so sure that Dad is as much of a trooper as they are! Smile…!
Thank you to every church and individual who has helped and is helping us along our way as we visit our wonderful friends and mission family of supporters. We have greatly enjoyed meeting so many new churches and friends as well. Thank you for allowing us the privilege of being with you.
Joe & Lisa
Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
Apr 2, 2018 | Prayer Letters
Dear Friends and Family,
Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
Romans 1:13
It has been a joy as we visit both new and supporting churches. As Paul states above, he had a great desire to visit the church at Rome so that he could share in their ministry and have fruit among them. That is how we feel; we wish to be with you all and share with you and have fruit among you as well.
Ministry News
Stateside furlough:
We have had wonderful meetings and fellowship with our supporters and new friends. A passion for missions is alive and well in many places in America. We are thankful to see this.
If we were not able to schedule you this year, feel free to contact me if you would still like to connect with us. If it is possible, we will try to make a meeting happen. My number is (813) 406-2838 and my e-mail address is jkotvas@efata.org. If nothing else, I would love to talk with you. We love and thank God for each of you.
Field-side news:
Please pray for Peru. They are going through a political crisis. The president has resigned, and the country is still reeling from the construction bribery scandal that has plagued it. Pray the new president’s transition will go smoothly and the country can move forward.
In May I will be returning to Peru for the church’s anniversary and for a “La Espada” conference. We are really looking forward to these two wonderful events and meetings to encourage and train our people in the Lord’s work. Lord willing, we will also be ordaining Frank Chavez, the Deaf young man who recently graduated from our Bible college and married Margot, a precious young lady who grew up in Efata. He is doing a great job and we are looking forward to this momentous occasion in his life. I will keep you posted.
We are advancing with the new mission work in Chancay, two hours north of us. We are excited about this work. One of our national pastors is now living there and visiting and working with the residents who live in the area. Please pray as we establish this new church and ministry.
Deaf camp in January was wonderful. Bro. Alan Snare, Deaf evangelist, preached, and many lives were touched. Two were saved, and many deaf gave testimony to how God worked in their lives. Two weeks later was hearing camp. They had approximately 150 participating and many decisions were made for the Lord. Only in eternity will you see all the fruit that came as a result. Thank you, Pastor Ronald Tubillas for coming to preach this year!
School has started and is going well. We have several new students; the teachers are very busy! Please pray for our students as God works in hearts and opens their minds to know HIM and grow in grace and knowledge. He has blessed us with a wonderful staff. Pray as we start an adult tutoring class for those who are illiterate.
Family News
Please pray for Joseph. He is doing a great job at Efata as we are away. However, he desperately needs to raise his support, but cannot until we return. As you know, he only raised a small amount on deputation before coming to Peru, then married, and has two beautiful babies, born C-section. This has left them hurting financially. He is working on all the visa paperwork for His wife Zulema to come to the States and the process is expensive and slow. If any of our dear friends and supporters could help him with a love offering, it would be a great blessing. Just send it to Macedonia with a note “Joseph Visa”. He would like to be able to come to his brother James’ wedding in May and stay for a month or so to reach out and raise more support. but he simply does not have the funds. Joseph is a hard-working missionary with his own new mission work in El Agustino, teaching in the Deaf School, and pastoring the Deaf at Efata. He is an incredible young missionary, has a heart for the Lord, and is making a difference. Please, consider this great need.
James is doing great and preparing for marriage and the mission field. He was accepted by Macedonia as a missionary to Peru. We will keep you up to date as things draw near.
Please pray for Bro. Bob Miller, he is the former pastor of the church where I served before going to the mission field and is my daughter Julianne’s father-in-law. He is struggling with bone cancer and a damaged spine from two car crashes where his car was rear-ended. Please, pray for God to intervene and help him get relief.
Judson will be moving to Camp Lejeune in April. We are looking forward to getting him connected with a good ministry nearby. Jared is doing well in the Air Force in Panama City.
The five children still at home are enjoying traveling and experiencing life on the road in the States on furlough. God has been SO good to them and us.
Joe & Lisa Kotvas
Joy, John, Joel, Jessica, Jennifer
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 | 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
