Tim Foster
Author's posts
Dec 31
December, 2022
Dear Friends,
We’ve been making progress with “Andrew Foster Memorial Scholarship”, a Texas group headed by Jim Walterhouse, working to sponsor deaf Nigerians for seminary education. With the help of administrators at our school in Nigeria, we’ve identified two hopefuls, and are preparing to get them enrolled at ECWA Theological Seminary in Igbaja, Nigeria. The two men are named Cyprian and John. They have wives and children, and have been serving the Lord at our center in Nigeria for a number of years. Lord willing, Cyprian will be studying Missiology, and John will be studying Christian Education. ECWA is willing to take them on, but we will need to arrange for interpreters for them. Pray that we’ll be able to get all the logistics sorted out so they can start their seminary education soon.
In the Congo, we’re getting close to breaking ground on our new campus outside of Uvira. Pray for wisdom as we manage rapidly increasing costs in the middle of civil unrest. For now, most of the violence and civil unrest is several hours north in the North Kivu province, but the unrest often affects the cost of transporting goods and construction materials.
Indeed, your prayers are coveted.
Tim Foster
Director
Christian Mission for the Deaf
Dec 12
Winter 2022
There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. (Eph 4:4-6)
Along with the day-to-day tasks of administering budgets, developing course curriculum and constructing buildings, we do well to remind ourselves that our primary motivation is the Great Commission: going into all the world, making disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything God has commanded in His Word. To that end, teaching solid doctrine is paramount (Eph 4:4-16), and everything flows from that. Our African staff members tend to these duties daily, while our American team gets to join in at our annual Congo Bible Camp. So we’re thankful to God that the Covid restrictions are, for the most part, behind us now, and our international travel can resume relatively unimpeded.
Congo Bible Camp
This year, our annual Congo Bible Camp took place in the city of Goma. It’s been about ten years since we last met here. John Gakuru, our primary contact in Goma, arranged for me to speak at a 3-day regional conference at his church prior to the week-long conference we had with our annual deaf group. John chose “The Sovereignty of God and the Responsibility of Man” as the title for his conference, and was well attended by a number of people from his church network. I confess I had mixed emotions when the conference ended and a number of people asked me for my PowerPoint files, saying they’d never heard these verses before. While I’m thrilled that many of them gained a deeper appreciation and excitement for God’s Word, I’m also sad that the fields are so white for harvest. They insisted I come back next year. We’ll see what the Lord has in store.
Our camp with the deaf also went very well. We had about 130 people from ~15 different cities in the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. Our morning classes continued our extended study through the book of Genesis, focusing on the lives of Isaac and Jacob. Our evening classes dealt with hermeneutics (how to interpret the Bible) and lectures on God’s sovereignty. Among the many conversations I had with various attendees, two people stood out: Didi Luanda, a Roman Catholic, and Chance Bakunzi, a Muslim. They both had very poignant questions about the Protestant Christian faith. Please keep them in your prayers.
Democratic Republic of Congo
We praise God that our new classrooms in Baraka were completed this year! Although Covid disruptions to the supply chain caused the project to run $7,000 over budget, the school was finished just in time for the 2022-2023 school year. We still have several administrative buildings and fencing to erect, so pray with us that these can be completed soon.
In the spring of 2023, we plan to begin construction of our new school in Uvira. We’ve long outgrown the 2-building facility, and to make matters worse, the landlord wants us to vacate the premesis. Pray that we’ll be able to complete this project before the 2023-2024 school year starts in October.
Chad
After much labor, our administrative buildings have been completed, and construction of the second story of our multi-purpose building began in March. Progress is slow, but as of this writing (November, 2022), the 2nd story walls are mostly up, the 1st floor rooms are already in use, and construction of the roof will begin soon. It’s exciting to see it all come together now!
We had quite a scare in the late summer. The annual flooding of the Chari River was the worst it’s been since 1990. Hundreds of thousands of Chadians were affected, and a number of parents of our deaf school brought their kids to our school for safekeeping till the waters subsided and homes repaired. Director Yves reports that although the increase in students boarding was unexpected, it was a welcome opportunity to minister to the displaced families. We’re thankful for our many friends in the USA who rushed in to help carry the financial burden.
Home
This year, our oldest and youngest kids got married! Micah, our daughter, married in October and moved to Pennsylvania with Zach, her new husband. Daniel and his wife, Annie, were married in April and live in Fort Worth. We’re now ready to become grandparents! Noelle, our middle child, moved back home with us about a year ago, and expects to move out again in the spring. We’re also beginning to plan for Sheryl’s mother’s declining health. She’s having a hard time with mobility and will be relying on us more and more.
Truly, your prayers are coveted.
In Him,
Tim Foster
Director
Nov 30
November, 2022
Dear Friends,
Emmanuel Ilabor, the director of our school in Nigeria, reports that a driver lost control of his truck and plowed into our school van while our driver and several other cars were waiting in line to purchase gas. Our van was totaled, and before the truck came to a stop, the driver hit several other vehicles and, sadly, killed several onlookers. We don’t know the affected families, but they surely need prayer. The driver was arrested and had no insurance. He was only able to pay $257 towards that $15,000 to replace the van. Our second van will have to do double duty until we can afford to buy a replacement.
After a long court battle, a judge has finally recognized us as the lawful owners of the 39-acre site we’ve been slowly developing over the past few years. So far, we have the frame and roof for the females dorm, and hope to start the interior. Construction of our Classrooms building is underway, with the dining hall and property fencing still ahead of us. We anticipate the total cost for this phase to be 177.5 million Niras (approx $250,000 USD).
At our newest school in Barka (DR Congo), parents are pleased to see their children gaining a formal education – something many thought would never happen. The parents are now realizing that they need to learn sign language in order to communicate with their children’s rapidly expanding vocabulary. Pray for director Shukuru as he plans parental training classes for January 2023.
Indeed, your prayers are coveted.
Tim Foster
Director
Christian Mission for the Deaf
Oct 31
October, 2022
Dear Friends,
There has been quite a bit of civil unrest in the Kivu province of the DR Congo this year. Since the end of March, a militia group called M23 has been stirring up trouble. The UN High Commission for Refugees reports that the violence has displaced about 50,000 locals. We partner with several churches for the deaf in the affected areas. We partner with the deaf church in Rutshuru, and they’ve been heavily affected. Pray for the church in Goma, as they send delegates to the refugee camps to minister to the refugees seeking shelter and peace. Pray also that this recent eruption of violence will come to an end so that the people can resume normal lives (1 Tim 2:1-4).
In Chad, the Chari River’s annual flooding was much heavier than in years past. In 2021, about 256,000 people were affected, but this year, almost 1,000,000 people have been affected in the October flooding. More than 465,000 hectares of crops and 19,000 heads of livestock were destroyed and the government declared a state of emergency for 18 provinces. Several parents have brought their children to our school in N’Djamena, asking us to board their children until they can rebuild their homes.
We’re happy for the opportunity to serve the community, but the extra mouths to feed have certainly added to the financial burden. We’re thankful for the American friends who quickly stepped in to help shoulder some of the growing costs.
Indeed, your prayers are coveted.
Tim Foster
Director
Christian Mission for the Deaf
Sep 30
September, 2022
School is back in full swing for us in Nigeria, Chad and the DR Congo!
In Chad, construction of our 2-story multi-purpose is moving along smoothly as funds slowly come in. We won’t complete the building by the end of October as we had originally hoped, but construction for the first floor is mostly complete, and is now being used. Director Yves says that they had their first church service in the new building a couple weeks ago, and school classes are meeting in the downstairs rooms. Pray with us that we’ll be able to get the second floor completed soon.
In Likasi (a small town in the southern part of the Congo), Director Mwamba informs us that his administrative staff were able to attend a conference for directors and headmasters. Such conferences are rare in his area, so we’re thankful they were able to get this additional training.
In Baraka, in central/east Congo, we’ve completed our first phase of our new school, praise God! We’re behind on getting new furniture into all the classrooms, but that didn’t stop the kids from being excited to see the completion of the new building!
Indeed, your prayers are coveted.
Tim Foster
Director
Christian Mission for the Deaf
Aug 31
August, 2022
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your faithful support and prayers last month as we taught God’s Word in two different conferences in Goma (DR Congo). Our trip lasted just shy of two weeks.
The first conference that I spoke at was a 3-day conference titled “The Sovereignty of God and the Responsibility of Man”. The topic was chosen by our friend and associate Pastor John Gakuru. He had about 60 pastors and church leaders from his network of churches in the region, along with a small group of deaf church leaders. The course material was well received, and the feedback was excellent. Perhaps the biggest complaint from the pastors was that it was too short, and they wanted more time to absorb the information since much of it was new to them. It’s definitely a case of mixed emotions to hear pastors and teachers of God’s word say “I’ve never heard that before!” after reading a laundry list of verses dealing directly with the issue of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. Many of them insisted they were going to take the material to their home churches and teach on it. Pray that God will give them wisdom as they challenge dominant cultural narratives (ie, misunderstandings) about the nature and work of God.
The 5-day deaf Bible camp was well attended. We had about 90 people traveling in from different cities (and countries), and about 40 local people. In total, we had just over 130 people in attendance. During the Q&A session, we could see different strains of Roman Catholic and Muslim doctrine woven into the fabric of various notions held by the attendees. We’re thankful for the opportunity to shine the light of God’s Word on the hearts and minds of the camp attendees. In particular, pray for Chance Bakunzi and Didi Luanda. These two young men struggle with Muslim and Roman Catholic teaching from their upbringing. I was able to have hours-long conversations with them individually, working to direct their attention at plain Scriptures that challenged their notions of God, man and salvation. Pray that they’ll abandon the false doctrines permeating their thinking, and cleave to Christ alone.
In Him,
Tim Foster
Director
Christian Mission for the Deaf
Jul 31
July, 2022
We’re in the final days of preparation for our 2022 Congo Bible Camp. Due to Covid travel difficulties, we’ve had to delay the Bible camp, so I’m glad we’re back on for this year. Instead of meeting in Bujumbura (Burundi) as we did for the past 2 camp sessions, we’re meeting in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As such, we’ll have a lot of locals at the camp, and I’m looking forward to metting up with friends I haven’t seen in many years because they’ve not been able to travel to Bujumbura. Pray with us that our course material on the lives of the Patriarchs (Gen 25-38) will be well received, and that the lessons will not be understood as stand-alone stories, but rather, complex narratives adorning the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We’ll also be offering additional evening classes on church history, homiletics and hermeneutics.
Prior to the Congo Bible Camp, I’ll be the keynote speaker at a conference that’s being put on by one of the local pastors, John Gakuru. As a certified French/Swahili/English/Signlanguage interpreter, he’s been a huge blessing and service to us over the years. I’m honored that he’s asked me to come and speak at his 3-day conference. As far as the topic for the conference, we’ll be delving into some pretty deep waters regarding the Sovereignty of God and the Duty of Man. Pray that God’s word will be honored, and that the challenging material will be absorbed well, even with the language challenges at hand.
It’ll be an action-packed couple of weeks, so we covet your prayers!
Tim Foster
Director
Christian Mission for the Deaf
Jun 30
June, 2022
Dear Friends,
We’re holding off on breaking ground in Uvira (DRCongo) till after the Bible conference. Do keep us in prayer that construction will go quickly once we start. In the meantime, we’re exited to see our new school in Baraka near completion. Lord willing, it will be open in time for the 2022/2023 school year in a few months.
Director Shukuru has put his youthful energy to good work rallying resources, materials and donations from parents and local organizations. The Norwegian Refugee Council donated several thousand dollars worth of furniture: desks, tables, chairs, blackboards, cabinet, fans and more. Director Shukuru had contacted the Norwegian Refugee Council in the past, requesting assistance with our construction project. They seemed disinterested back then. But now that the school is nearing completion, they were happy to donate. We’re very thankful indeed!
In Chad, Director Yves Beosso’s two-story multi-purpose building is coming along nicely. The flooring for the second floor is underway now, and they’ll soon begin the walls. Pray with us that we’ll be able to hit our target completion date in October 2022.
Indeed, your prayers are coveted.
Tim Foster
Director
May 31
May, 2022
Dear Friends,
The school year is wrapping up, and looking back we can see many blessings from the hand of our Lord.
In Bukavu, one of our young pupils went missing from her home. Her parents were unable to find her for several days and feared the worst. Strangely enough, she turned up three weeks later. Praise God that she’s been returned to her family safe and sound. Pray that incidents like this don’t happen again to our deaf students.
In the northern area of the Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Chad, there’s been an increase in militia violence. A rebel group called M23 has been stirring up trouble near the city of Goma in the past few weeks. This is the same city where we plan to host our next Congo Bile Conference. Pray that the violence will subside soon and that our plans for our conference in August will go smoothly and without delays.
In the southern region of the Kivu province, our construction at our school in Baraka is slowing down a bit. As the summer heat increases, workers are having to bring in water from further distances. Despite the increased work requirements, Director Shukuru is happy to report that construction is still moving along nicely, and we’re looking to having the new school operational in a few months. Pray with us that this will happen!
In Him,
Tim Foster
Director
Christian Mission for the Deaf
Apr 30
April, 2022
Dear Friends,
Here’s a note we received from Yves Beosso, the director of our school in N’Djamena, Chad:
“We praise God for a successful 24th annual Easter Bible conference took place in Sahr, Chad during the middle of April. The city of Sahr is about 15 hours southeast from the capital city, N’Djamena. In all, about 130 campers came in from 8 different regions of Chad. This was the city we last held the 1st Easter Bible conference in 1996 when we moved to Chad from Nigeria in October 1995. God has blessed our ministry and our participants through this camp, bringing light to the deaf. We give Glory to Him and continue praying as we extend educational and Gospel work among the Deaf in Chad.”
Congo
In the city of Uvira, DR Congo, we’re finally ready to break ground on a new school. It’s been a long delay, but the time is now right. One of the hold ups is that we’ve had a buyer willing to purchase our old property. That deal appears to be falling through, so pray with us that the buyer will go through with his original commitment and complete the transaction.
Indeed, your prayers are coveted.
Tim Foster
Director
Christian Mission for the Deaf
