October 2019 Ministry Update – A Whirlwind of Meetings 📅
> Click here to download this letter as a printable PDF <
A Whirlwind of Meetings. In September, we traveled throughout Michigan, sharing our work in 15 (!) churches. Thank you so much to each of you who hosted us and loved on us. We are so blessed. We received several offerings and pledges that will allow us to purchase needed clothing, as well as a laptop for ministry use. We made many new friends as we traveled. I hope to stay in touch with many of you, whether through email, Facebook, or telephone.
More to Come. This month we are presenting our work in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Illinois; in November we will be speaking in Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida, and then we will be headed up to Ontario for more meetings and a VERY white Christmas in December!We are currently scheduling meetings for 2020 and 2021. Some of the best meetings are scheduled by personal reference; would you help us connect with more churches and present our burden for the Deaf in Peru?
Our Trusty Van. Those of you who received our September letter may remember how the Lord provided for us to purchase an ’06 Dodge Grand Caravan at the end of August. We started out at around 201,900 miles, and the van certainly worked hard last month, adding 4000 more miles to the odometer! It has been so amazing and encouraging to see how the Lord has provided each time there has been a need and kept us on the deputation trail.
Deaf People Along the Way. We enjoyed meeting two deaf people last month. My wife was able to interpret the service for one deaf lady in eastern Michigan, and we spent some time with her afterwards. We try to be an encouragement as the Lord allows to those deaf Christians we encounter, as well as challenge churches to reach out to the Deaf in their communities. Several people approached us after services mentioning specific deaf people whom they will try to reach in the coming weeks. Pray for them! It’s not easy reaching across languages and cultures. Pray that the Lord will give them boldness and that he will give the increase.
Family Praises and Prayer Requests. My son JJ (3 ½ years old) is learning more about God every day. When we pass churches on the road, he calls them out to us, recognizing what he calls “Christ’s letter t” 😃 We remind him that it is called the cross, and he replies, “yes, where God died for us.” He has much to learn, but we’re on the right track! It’s heartwarming how people have gone out of their way to bless our children. JJ prayed for over a month for a “Bumblebee” transformer robot toy, and at a church in Grass Lake, MI, the children were showered with “Christmas presents.” My son was jumping for joy because God answered his prayer!
Esther will turn two on October 16th, and we can’t believe it! She’s talking so much already, in full sentences. She’s so much fun. She’s a handful, too! She and JJ keep us on our toes 24/7. Continue praying for my wife’s health; she deals with a lot most days.
Opportunities in Venezuela. I close this month’s letter with an appeal for help for another missionary. Brother Rafael Ramirez and his family have been doing a wonderful work with the Deaf in Venezuela despite incredible economic and social hardships. Please take a few minutes to watch the following video and pray about joining me in giving to help this wonderful ministry. Also, please pray for me as I may have the opportunity to travel to Venezuela in 2020 to encourage the churches there in their work with the Deaf.
God bless,
Joseph and Zulema Kotvas, JJ and Esther
P.S. As announced last month, this letter has been sent via email only. I’ll continue to mail printed letters every three months. To make other arrangements, please give me a call at (904) 335-8563 and I will gladly accommodate your needs.
(904) 335-8563 | joseph@reachandteach.org | www.reachandteach.org