Tim Foster

Dear Friends,

We’re happy to report that Phase 1 of our school construction project in Uvira, DR Congo is complete, and Phase 2 is underway. Due to funding issues, we’re going to have to scale back the project for a while and only build the first floor for now. Then as funds permit, we’ll begin the 2^nd story of construction. I’m looking forward to being able to visit the campus when it’s completed and enjoy the beautiful view of Lake Tanganyika.

We continue to have challenges in sending funds to our staff in Nigeria. The Central Bank of Nigeria no longer permits international funds to be received and issued in local currency. This is true not only of the USA, but of African countries as well. The downside is that most fund sending agencies (Western Union, Money Gram, etc) are set to issue funds in Nigerian currency. A such, our transactions take about a week to process, only to be refunded. To add to the frustration, support representatives at both Western Union and Money Gram did not know why our transactions were being refunded, and Nigerian agents gave our staff members quite the run around. It’s no fun getting sent on wild goose chases in attempts to resolve the problem. After some digging around on multiple financial sites, I was able to pinpoint that the problem was the CBN’s policy change regarding international funds – but a reliable solution remains elusive. In the past week, I’ve had a smaller transactions go through in a somewhat unconventional way. Pray that we’ll be able to find a reliable method that doesn’t include exorbitant costs from our USA bank.

In N’Djamena, Chad, we’re putting the finishing touches on our multi-purpose building. All that’s left now are the wall treatments, doors and windows, water and wastewater facilities, and paint. Due to an unreliable electric grid, we had hoped to have the building powered by solar panels. The initial estimates we received was well above our budget, so we’re seeking alternative solutions.

Indeed, your prayers are coveted!

Tim Foster
Director
Christian Mission for the Deaf

Dear Friends,

Our schools have launched into their new year! Keep our teachers, staff and students in your prayers as we navigate this years challenges!

In Baraka (DR Congo), Director Shukuru Heritier reports that his school has been able to enroll a few more students into his primary school. One challenge they’re facing now is that they have a shortage of furniture. Their old school building was smaller and required fewer pieces of furniture. Now that they have more space in their new building, they need more furniture. We’re also hoping to get a line of drinking water run to the school property. Lord willing, we should have it in place in a few weeks.

In Nigeria we’re facing some peculiar challenges. For reasons I can’t resolve, our ability to send funds to Nigeria has been unsuccessful for the past month. All things being equal, the best way to send funds is usually through Western Union, but for the past few weeks, all attempts to send money through any financial bureau, including Western Union, has met with failure. I’ve tried several attempts to find out why our transactions are failing this month, but details have been sparse and so far, nothing has resolved the situation. As a result, we have a backlog of funds to send for the school operation in Ibadan, seminary fees for 2 students we’re sponsoring at ECWA Seminary, and interpreter services. Pray with us that this mysterious issue will be resolved soon so that we can get some desperately needed funds to our co-workers in Nigeria.

Praise God with us that Stage 1 of construction at our new school in Uvira (DR Congo) is complete! Director Pililo Amani reports that the foundation is in place, and construction on the walls are now underway. When completed, it will be a 2-story school for both primary and secondary students. Pray with us that the funding for this project will be timely.
Indeed, your prayers are coveted!

Tim Foster
Director

Dear Friends,

Although our annual Congo Bible Camp went well, we had some very interesting side issues that are now challenging our thoughts about how to best prepare for our future camps. Our conference material was on the Life of Joseph, with an introduction to Messianic typology. The advanced seminar lectures were on the Feasts of the Lord in Lev 23, showing how these feasts pointed to the person and work of Jesus Christ, and included an extended examination of Ephesians 4 about unity in doctrine. We had over 120 people attending, with almost 50 attending the advanced seminars. Due to limited financial resources, we had to turn away many more who wanted to come. This dilemma brought several issues to light. Unfortunately, we’re seeing a growing number of people who come to the camp but lack the education and communication skills to be able to comprehend the material we are teaching. Their time with us was a wonderful opportunity for fellowship, but their presence meant that other teachers and church leaders – people who could have taken advantage of our teaching material – could not come unless they paid their own way. Please pray for us that we’ll be able to address these issues for our next camp.

One of the perks of trusting in a Sovereign God is the peace that comes with knowing that there are no ‘accidents’ when life is viewed from His perspective, and I got a special dose of that after the Congo camp. Due to a late cab driver, I missed my return flight’s boarding call by 10 minutes, and was stuck in Rwanda for an extra week. I called a missionary friend in Burundi, Daniel Johnson, and it turns out that he was having a pastor’s conference during the extra time I had on hand. Not only that, but the 3 Americans who were coming for his conference missed a connecting flight in Chicago and were delayed by 2 days, causing Daniel to have to leave the next morning for a 6-hr drive to Bujumbura go pick them up. It worked out that he was able to come and get me along the way to Bujumbura, pick up the Americans, and bring us all back to his town, have the conference, and get all of us back to our respective cities the following Wednesday, thus allowing for us to all catch our Thursday flights back to our respective homes. And if that weren’t enough, the Americans were teaching on Ephesians and Hebrews, much of the same content I had been teaching the week before – although I was teaching from the Old Testament. They were kind enough to work me into a 2-hr time slot to provide some teaching as well. That “accidental extra week” could not have been worked out better if I had planned it that way! My time with Daniel’s family was richly rewarding in so many ways. His network of churches in Burundi operates 2 schools for the deaf – one in Bujumbura, started by father back in the ‘80s, and the other at his facility in East Burundi. I’ve been meaning to see his facility and new school for the deaf for several years now. It’s so far out of our way that it’s difficult for me to plan the 3-4 extra days required to make the trip out to his place. But this year, God forced my hand, and it was an absolutely wonderful time! His method of church-planting and operation of his school for the deaf gave me some ideas that I’d like to explore for our schools in the Congo.

Truly our God is an awesome God!

Tim Foster
Director
Christian Mission for the Deaf

Dear Friends,

We head out to Bukavu, DR Congo, in just a few days for our annual Congo Bible Camp. I’m excited to see what God has in store for us as we conclude our 4-part series on the book of Genesis.

At this year’s camp, we’ll be focusing on the life of Joseph, and using it to flesh out the concept of types and shadows that can be seen all throughout Scripture, pointing us to the person and work of Jesus Christ. For many of the attendees, their familiarity of the Bible doesn’t extend much farther than Bible stories and basic concepts of salvation and sanctification. So this week promises to be richly rewarding as we introduce new concepts to help them grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Pray with us that we’ll we’ll be faithful to His Word and clear in our teaching.

Director Shukuru reports that all ten of his sixth-grade students in Baraka (DR Congo) passed their national exams with perfect scores. His school is the newest of the schools in our network, and is working hard to build a good reputation in the city. Many people in the city – including the parents of the deaf students – are skeptical that deaf children can be successfully trained, let alone graduate from primary school. His progress has been a bold testimony of what Godly people can do among “the least of these”. At their graduation ceremony, a number of local dignitaries attended: the city mayor, the city municipality director, the director of education for the province, and various representatives from NGOs in the city of Baraka. We thank God for the good reputation that is being built in the city.

Indeed, your prayers are coveted.

Tim Foster
Director
Christian Mission for the Deaf

Dear Friends,

Director Yves Beosso reports that two of their teachers, Tarna Richard and Mamtombaye Djerareou, have completed a 9-month advanced teacher training program. We’re excited to see how God will use their additional training to benefit the deaf pupils in Chad.

Meanwhile, on the construction end of things, we’re getting closer to completing the two-story multi-purpose building.

The first floor is already being used for church services and various meetings. By the time classes start in the fall, we hope to have the better part of the second story completed as well.

The economic situation in Nigeria has been especially bleak in the past few months. Political tensions combined with Covid’s impact on the economy have caused prices to jump sky-high. To make matters worse, there has been a lot of pressure coming from outside the country, trying to get Nigeria to move to a cash-less society. Although the idea can look good on paper, the reality is that too many small businesses are cash-only, and as a result of reduced paper currency in circulation, cash has been hard to come by. In response, many people are cutting discretionary spending and many parents have been slow to pay tuition for their students at our school. Director Emmanuel has had to make a number of unpleasant cutbacks as things grind to a halt. Pray that the economy can get back on track quickly.

In the midst of this downturn in the economy, we’re still hoping to host our annual two-week leadership training program in July. Pray that things will go smoothly in spite of the current financial hardships.

Indeed, your prayers are coveted.

Tim Foster
Director

Dear Friends,

Plans are underway for our annual Congo Bible Camp. Last year, we met in the city of Goma, but this year, political unrest is a little too high, so if the Lord wills, the camp will be held in Bukavu from August 7-11. We haven’t been in Bukavu since 2017, so I’m looking forward to it. After the camp, director Yves Beosso and I will travel to Goma for a short 3-day conference with another church. I’ll be teaching on the Feasts of the Lord (Lev 23) and how they are fulfilled in the Messiah. It’s a lot of material to cover in three short days, so your prayers are greatly appreciated.

In Chad, Director Yves Beosso has launched construction of a new school for the deaf about 20 km south of his current school in N’Djamena. Yves and I had not discussed this school before, so I was surprised to hear about it. He’s taken out a personal loan to begin construction and had not asked for any supporting funds for it. These kinds of initiatives are encouraging to me on many levels. Too often we see people immobilized because they believe they can’t move forward without foreign support.

In the DR Congo, Director Pililo reports that we’re prepared to break ground for our new school. I’m excited to see this project finally getting to this stage. Lord willing, construction will begin in the next couple of weeks and run through the summer, and if all goes well, the new school will be ready by December or so.

Indeed, your prayers are coveted.

Tim Foster
Director

Dear Friends,

Continue to pray for our Nigerian students, John Ayanowle and Cyprain Oraetoka. They’re having a hard time finding suitable intepreters for their classes at ECWA Theological Seminary in Igbaja, Nigeria. Continue to keep them in your prayers as they are away from their families during this time.

In Chad, Director Yves reports that they had a very wonderful Easter camp. They met in the mountains of Bitkine, about 200 miles east, and were joined by some American missionaries who were very curious to see a congregation of deaf Christians. He reports that the scenery was a welcome change from the arid climate of N’Djamena, and the people hosting the camp were wonderfully hospitable. The topic of the camp was the Life of Isaac and Jacob, and a number of deaf people placed their faith in Jesus Christ, and made commitments to follow after Him. Praise God for His faithfulness to His people!

In Uvira (D.R. Congo), we’re started the process of getting the requisite paperwork to break ground on our new school – finally! Construction costs are still a little high due to Covid, and at this point, it doesn’t look like they’ll come down much more. Director Pililo has an ambitious budget in hand, so pray that we’ll be able to make good time and be ready for the fall semester!

Indeed, your prayers are coveted.

Tim Foster
Director
Christian Mission for the Deaf

Dear Friends,

Our two deaf Nigerian students, John Ayanowle and Cyprain Oraetoka, are finally enrolled at ECWA Theological Seminary in Igbaja, Nigeria. Thank you for your prayers as we navigated the challenges of getting them in place. John and Cyprain have both informed me that they’re enjoying the challenges and learning much in their classes. Continue to keep them in your prayers as they further their education.

On a somewhat coincidental note, John Adetoyese, the current provost of ECWA, was surprised to find out that I was involved with helping these two deaf men get enrolled. He was a student at ECWA back in the ’80s, and vividly remembered my father, Dr. Andrew Foster, coming to ECWA to enroll several deaf students from various countries in Africa. He even showed me a photo of his deaf classmates from that year. What a fun reminder of God’s grace as we see how he navigates us across the decades!

In Baraka (Democratic Republic of Congo), Director Shukuru reports that the the Provincial Directorate of Primary Secondary and Technical Education is building their new offices adjacent to our new school building on the outskirts of town. This is quite a blessing. Although we’re not affiliated with this government organization, their high-profile presence will bring additional attention to the work we’re doing in Baraka. Not only will we get more foot-traffic from passersby, but we’ll also have better access to municipal infrastructure (water, electricity, etc) as the city expands.

In Chad, Director Yves Beosso’s staff is preparing for their annual Easter Bible Camp. It’ll take place in Bitkine, a mountainous region about 200 miles east of the school in N’Djamena. They expect to have participants from several cities across the southern region of Chad. Pray that God will grant them traveling mercies, and the camp time will be a good occasion for Bible teaching and fellowship.

Truly your prayers are coveted,

Tim Foster
Director

Dear Friends

Director Shukuru brought some good news regarding the theft at our Baraka school last month: two of the five robbers were caught and are now in jail. However, the thieves haven’t been able to return the stolen materials. Pray for recovery of the stolen items, and more importantly, pray for the salvation of these thieves as they languish in prison. It is fortunate for them that they were caught by police and not a mob: at the end of February, a thief in the same town died at the hands of the mob that caught him. Pray for us as we evaluate the best path forward on replacing the stolen items and securing the property from further theft and vandalism.

Mission Projects Fellowship was able to help us out with a construction project in Nigeria. We’re grateful to the Lord for MPF’s labor in raising $6,870 for roofing materials and construction for our new classrooms. We’re eager to continue this project, and MPF’s donation will carry us a long way.

With a bit of struggle, we were finally able to get two deaf Nigerian students enrolled at ECWA Theological Seminary in Igbaja, Nigeria. Keep John Ayanowle and Cyprain Oraetoka in your prayers as they begin their studies. Pray that after they graduate in a few years, their additional training will be a great asset for the deaf churches in Nigeria.

Pray for us as we begin plans for our 2023 Congo Bible Camp. Our hope was to meet in Goma again this summer, but it looks like civil unrest will require us to relocate to Bukavu or perhaps Bujumbura instead. The facility in Bujumbura is nicer all the way around, but the cost of transportation for the attendees will be a challenge. Pray for wisdom as we seek God’s plan.

In Him,

Tim Foster
Director

Dear Friends,

We ran into a bit of a snag sending funds to two deaf Nigerians, Cyprian and John, as they prepare to head to seminary in Igbaja, Nigeria. After a brief delay, were were able to get funds from the “Andrew Foster Memorial Scholarship” to them, and they’re now enrolling. Pray that we’ll be able to get interpreters for them before they fall too far behind.

We’re excited to see construction progress in Chad. In just a few more weeks, we’ll be ready to put the roof in place.It’s been a long time coming.

Director Shukuru reports that our newest building in Baraka (DR Congo) has had a set back. Robbers broke into the school and stole some chairs, solar equipment and books. Ideally, we need to build a wall around the compound. The parents – mostly poor rural villagers – are willing to help contribute, but the best they can come up with is about 10% towards a $12,000 wall. It may actually be cheaper to build a small home on property for Shukuru and his family, so he can live there and do a better job protecting the facility.

In the mean time, a number of the parents have asked for sign-language classes so they can communicate with their deaf children. Shukuru was more than happy to host some evening classes in town. It’s good to see the parents getting excited about the education their children are receiving, and interested in learning how to communicate with them. We’re praying that this will open more doors for Gospel work in their families.

Indeed, your prayers are coveted.

Tim Foster
Director
Christian Mission for the Deaf