Mozambique

Millions around the globe are asking, "What's going on in Mozambique?"
So I, your local (and by "local" I mean "international") WOL Missionary Intern, have made it my duty to fill you all in on the details.
For those of you out of the loop, I am in Mozambique!!! I have been looking forward to coming here since I first began this journey and after a 6 1/2 hour trip I am finally here!!!

Right: A view of Maputo from the balcony of the Nogueira's apartment.
Middle: The camp property in Gaza.
Bottom: Enjoying lunch in a cafe in Maputo.

I have been staying in the capital city of Maputo, located in the southernmost province of Mozambique, with the two Word of Life Missionary couples that run the ministry here. I spent the first week with the director of Word of Life Mozambique, Carlos Nogueira, and his wife Maria Jose. I have just spent the past week with the other couple, Eneias and Bibiana Gomes. Both couples are Brazilians originally from the area near Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The first week was spent preparing for our two camps that are going to be running these next two weeks. It was just me and the missionaries, so we took a little trip to both camp sites and brought supplies in advance of the staff arriving.



This past week, there was an invasion of Brazilians! Word of Life in Mozambique has only run one youth camp before this year, so they are still working on getting a full Mozambiqan staff for camp. Because of this, eleven Brazilians came over from Palavra da Vida (Word of Life) in Sao Paulo to help with our camps, and if you know anything about Latin culture (or Brazilians) you understand that the houses became much louder this week. :)

This past December 25 was my first Christmas spent away from home, and it was very different from that to which I've become accustomed. There was no tree, no presents, none of the "normal" Christmas food, etc. but it was still a very good Christmas, nonetheless. On Christmas Eve, we had some Mozambiqan cooking, sang some songs in Portuguese and Shanyana (one of the African languages of Mozambique) and read the story of Christ's birth in Portuguese. On Christmas Day, I was able to Skype with my family as they opened their presents, so all in all it was a very good Christmas. I absolutely loved it!

Saturday, the 30th of January, we are leaving for the first camp site in the state of Gaza (about two hours north of Maputo) and we won't return to Maputo for 15 days. I am very excited to serve God in these camps. To see God work through others, campers lives changed, fellowship with the Brazilians and Mozambiqans, and of course improve my Portuguese. I am in a supporting role, serving with the food area of camp (as well as any other area they need me) while Mozambiqans are taking the roles of the counselors for the youth camps.

Please pray for:
The campers, that we would see many come to know Christ in these next few weeks, and see many lives changed by God's work.
The counselors, that God would give them wisdom and discernment in working with the campers;
For the support staff, that God would give us hearts of service and joy in our areas of ministry;
For the leadership as they will be sharing God's word throughout both weeks;
For the program staff, as they lead all the different games, activities, music, etc;
and for all the staff in general, that God would glorify Himself through us, and that we would be open and willing to do whatever He desires of us.

See you in two weeks!

Mostly Harmless

Being involved in anything, be it work, school, activities, church, or ministry, we can become forgetful of the little things that God has done/is doing to bring us to where we are.. Yesterday, I did something I haven't done in nearly a year and a half; I took a walk in the rain.
The weekend of June 16, 2010, I walked with a group of very good friends in Marilla, New York, and just talked about God's grace. I do not have that group of friends here, so I went by myself and just thought over what God is doing.

My roommates are about to finish school, and go back to their homes. I'm thankful for them, for God bringing them all to Bible college for this year, the way He's worked in their lives, and getting to know them, myself. They will need prayer as some are not sure where God is leading them in the future, and they are all going back to serve in their local churches in some form of leadership.

This past Saturday, I was able to go visit a water park with the young adults of Hillbrow Independent Baptist Church (my church in here in South Africa) and had a great time. After stopping at a grocery store, our vehicle refused to start again. Eventually it started, and after a long day of cooking out and swimming, we drove back toward Johannesburg hoping to return to the city in time to get dinner, God, it seems, had other plans. Our vehicle broke down two different times with overheating problems, and the night finally ended with everyone getting out and pushing the van up a hill and finally getting it to church. I am so thankful God got us back in one piece, and for the group of friends He's given me since being here.

I'm going to be going to Mozambique in December to serve short term with the Word of Life ministry there, and I am very excited for that. More details about that will be included in my last newsletter for the year.

Right now, I just need God to break me down, and make me whatever He wants me to be. Submissive to His will, regardless of what it is. I'm grateful for all those praying for me, I am praying for you as well (while walking, I used that time to pray over my friends, family, and all other supporters).

The next post will probably come either right before, or right after I arrive in Mozambique.

By His Grace,

John Cottier

September Newsletter

Grace Like Rain...or a Torrential Downpour...

Wow, I can't believe it has been over two months since I first arrived in South Africa. Where has the time gone? Oh right, that is what I'm writing to you about!

Kyle Paradis, my fellow American intern, and I have scarcely a day where something is not happening in the ministry, and right now is no different. I finished my distance learning with Liberty University's distance learning program several weeks ago, but Kyle has begun taking summer courses, which he will continue to do until Autumn. With my break from classes, I have been working in Word of Life's office, calling youth leaders, pastors, and doing anything they tell me to do. I have also been putting the mechanical skills my Dad taught me to use on WOL's vehicles, learning Portuguese, chauffeuring my roommates to/from school, leading children's small groups in several churches, as well as leading game time and teaching for children's Bible programs in local churches.

This weekend WOL is running a young adults camp outside the city at which Kyle, the other interns, and myself, are all going to be working. This is the first time WOL South Africa has had a young adults camp, and the meetings will be challenges from Louie Giglio's "How Great is our God" series. 
In all of this, God has been working on breaking me down. Even on a foreign mission field, missionaries are not immune to losing sight of the goal, or reverting to a self-centered mindset, but praise God! He never leaves His children! I found the desire within myself to try and accomplish tasks, while loving those around me became second priority, which is the same as becoming no priority at all. Thankfully I was challenged by today's Quiet Time in Luke by Jesus' disciples going out and preaching and healing all over Judea, they were living their example out. Jesus lived His, and His disciples followed suit after watching Him. I realized that, though I can wax eloquent on many subjects, possess good ideas on the Bible, know many great quotes, and can help people with their problems; I am falling short in living the love and faith that I know and share so well! 


I desired to see change in my life, and was asking for it, but though I was standing in the middle of a downpour of grace, I have been using a little umbrella of pride to try to change without allowing God to change me! Praise God His grace is not a sprinkle, nor even a steady patter, but a full fledged torrential downpour upon us that never runs dry, regardless of what we do!

So you can praise God for the work He's doing in me (I know I am).
You can also praise God for the work He's doing in the Bible Clubs ministry.
You can pray for the work He is going to do this weekend and young adults camp.


A newsletter will be coming before too long, but I was so excited to share all this that I couldn't wait until then to share with you.

April Newsletter!

Praise Adonai!

Word of Life Florida is getting prepared for their Easter production, "Jesus, Behold The Man," in which the song "Praise Adonai" is featured. The song fits my mood today, and I pray it will be yours as well after reading what God has done. 

The past two months have been low in support, but just this past week, $1,000 in support was given toward the ministry in South Africa from all over the United States!  God truly is great, and He is in control! Thank you so much for your prayers, God is using them, and He is using you!

Kyle Paradis and I are leaving for South Africa in just over seven days (See countdown on the upper right) and not sure exactly how things are going to go, or how God is going to use us, but we do know He is in control, and is worthy of all our praise from sunup to sundown.

January Support Letter

 500 students stood together singing in the final service of an incredible weekend hearing how God was working around the world. A man spoke, declaring the worth of serving God with everything full time, with all a person had, regardless of how much they had to give. A single person silently moved out of a back aisle, and came forward as hundreds of others did the same, none of them realizing how God would use their lives, only knowing that He was worth anything they could give, and that was all that mattered.

What I just described to you was the annual Word of Life Missions Conference in upstate New York, a weekend that God uses every year to change the direction of hundreds of individual's lives. The story is of Mission's Conference during my first year at the Bible Institute, and it truly was a life-changing weekend. Missionaries from all over the globe came for one weekend and simply shared how God was changing lives across languages, cultures, and circumstances with several men of God sharing their past experiences serving God overseas. God used this weekend to confirm His calling me into full time service to Him three years ago, and I was blessed to be one of the missionaries heading overseas for God this year.

Can I just say that there is nothing more exciting than serving God? It is amazing! Right now, I am seeing Him work in not only my life, but also the lives of twenty other missionary interns as He brings prayer supporters and financial supporters to build us up. God has already supplied full support for several who will be heading out to Hungary and Mexico, with the rest of us following soon after as the Lord provides.

God continues to amaze me as more people join this team of supporters, and join with me in playing a part in God's work across the globe. To date, 73% of the amount needed for my initial send off has come in, with the total amount given being $3,833, which is awesome! Many have given one-time gifts this past month, which really helped raise support, and many more have committed to praying for this ministry, which is a huge blessing. Right now, with support being what it is, mid-March has become the goal for departure to South Africa. Monthly support is just under half of the goal of $1,150 thus far, and is one of the biggest things I will be discussing with churches and potential supporters.

Prayer is a huge element in helping this ministry to go forward, and I thank you so much for your prayers thus far! Thank you so much for reading this! Know that I pray for you, and ask that you please let me know how to pray for you specifically.

Unworthy of Anything but Eternal Death,

John Cottier

Prayer Requests:

1. Submission to God in everything.
2. Faithfulness in support raising, schoolwork, and time with God.
3. Individuals to join the prayer and/or financial support team, especially for monthly supporters.
4. Speaking opportunities in churches and with individuals.