Category: Prayer Letter

“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2)

Nigeria

Working in concert with the Andrew Foster Memorial Scholarship in Big Spring, Texas, we’ve been able to help send two deaf Nigerians to ECWA seminary in Igbaja, Nigeria. The scholarship recipients, Cyprain Oraetoka and John Ayanowle, have both been actively involved with deaf evangelism and Gospel work in Nigeria, so we’re pleased to assist in this endeavor. There are two large challenges we’ve had thus far: finding a suitable interpreter to translate the class lectures into sign-language, and transferring funds from the USA to Nigeria in a timely fashion. We thank God that after some searching, we were able to find an interpreter who was able to relocate to the small college town for extended periods of time. But finding an effective means of funds transfer was not so simple. For many years, we’ve had no problem sending funds to Nigeria through regular banks and financial services, but it seems that this year the Central Bank of Nigeria has changed their policies on international fund transfers, and that has caused quite a bit of frustration. After months of various attempts through several recipients and a half-dozen financial firms, we were finally able to get funds reliably from the USA to Nigeria by using Western Union, and sending it through a Nigerian pastor friend of ours. It remains a mystery to us why the transactions failed when we used other recipients and/or services. But for now, this stop-gap solution is getting the job done, and for that, we’re thankful. Pray with us that John and Cyprain will complete their studies at ECWA over the next couple of years, and that they’ll return to their respective home churches better equipped to serve the kingdom of God.

Democratic Republic Of Congo

The city of Baraka has a new initiative to bring city water to outlying buildings in the community where our school is located. We have the funds on hand for this project, and welcome your prayers that this task will be completed soon.

The main construction for the new school was completed last summer and students wasted no time getting settled into the new class rooms. We have three big challenges remaining that our construction budget didn’t account for: a security fence, a residential facility for the director and his family, and furniture for each of the classrooms. Pray with us that these needs will be quickly met.

Director Shukuru set up quite the fanfare for the June graduation ceremony. A number of high-profile dignitaries attended: the city mayor, the city municipal director, the director of education for the province, and various representatives from prominent NGOs in the city of Baraka. We’re excited because this kind of social visibility is an excellent way to help break people’s stigmas and re-calibrate the low expectations they have for deaf people and deaf education in general.

In the fall, Baraka was hit with flooding from torrential rainwater rushing down the mountainside. Some of our students saw their family homes destroyed. Pray for them as they rebuild.

In the city of Uvira, we’ve finally broken ground on new school construction and are rapidly finishing phase 2 of the project. The plans exceed the funds we have available, so we’ll be building just the first floor for now. Pray with us that the first floor will be completed in time for the beginning of the fall semester, and pray with us that the transition to the new property will go smoothly.

Chad

After two years of construction, our new two-story multi-purpose building is mostly complete! We’re very grateful for those of your who have chipped in to support this project!

In November, director Yves was wrongly detained by police when he tried to give testimony about a traffic accident that he had witnessed. Although he was quickly released, the police impounded his motorcycle. When they finally released it two weeks later, they charged him $25 (a week’s salary) for court fees, even though they lost the key. Very frustrating – but we’re glad that’s behind us now.

Congo Bible Camp

One of the most exciting things that I look forward to each summer is our Congo Bible Camp, where ~120 deaf participants from about 25 churches in three countries all come together for fellowship and studying God’s word. Over the past few years, we’ve been seeing an increased need to shift our teaching away from general Bible education, in order to focus more on Bible study tools, methods and skills. We want to increase our ability to equip church leaders and help them lead their congregations to dig deeper into God’s word. This change in our camp structure will allow me to increase the quality of the Bible teaching that we provide, trusting that the attendees will return to their respective churches and teach what they’ve learned at the camp. We welcome your prayers as we work out the various logistics of this transition.

Indeed, your prayers are coveted!

Tim Foster
Director

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 2^nd story walls are mostly up, the 1^st 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

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalms 84:10-11)

Despite a number of Covid-related challenges, we’ve made good progress in 2021, and look forward to exciting times in 2022.

Nigeria

For the 2021-2022 school year, we have added 18 new students to our school in Ibadan. Director Emmanuel Ilabor says that he expects this number to continue to rise during the school year since we’ve have had a good response to our summer advertising campaign. We’re thankful for CMD alumni and CMD supporters who have stepped forward to help financially sponsor enrollment fees for several of these students. As with most of our schools, we accept deaf students from all religions – including Muslim students. Pray for the hearts of these students as they engage with a distinctively Christian curriculum.

Construction of our new campus on the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway has picked up pace thanks to the addition of brick-making machinery and a $9,800 grant from Mission Projects Fellowship a few months ago. We’re looking forward to an expedited completion of the K-12 classrooms followed by the construction of the female dorm rooms. We have earmarked 7 million Nairas (approx $17,000 USD) for this phase of the project, so we’re very thankful for your partnership on this project.

Chad

The big addition this year is a pickup truck, thanks to Mission Projects Fellowship. Director Yves Beosso reports that this has been a huge blessing for both the school and the church, since the only vehicles we’ve had up till then were motorcycles, and transporting passengers or equipment has been a struggle.

We used Covid shut-down time to rebuild a number of administrative buildings. The older mud-brick buildings had outlived their usefulness, and at the time of their construction, we didn’t have running water on the campus. The new buildings are not only structurally superior, but are also designed to take advantage of the new water supply from the city.

Democratic Republic of Congo

We’ve certainly had our share of challenges during 2021 at our school in Bukavu. We’re grateful to the Berean Ministry for letting us use their classrooms in Pageco at no cost, but unfortunately we’ve hit a snag with a couple of their newly appointed leaders. Their director wants to assume ownership of our school, and he doesn’t share our vision for deaf ministry. If we’re not able to resolve our differences, we may need to find a new facility. In the meantime, Pililo, our regional director, will be traveling to Bukavu to provide intensive teacher-training for our Bukavu staff. Pray for wisdom as we seek new options in this time of uncertainty.

In Uvira, we’ve purchased a good lot of land, but we’re holding off on construction till after the seasonal rains. The facility we’ve been renting for the past decade is a bit undersized, and the landlord still has not finished repairs from the flood damage two years ago. Getting our own space will be a great help for students and faculty alike.

In Baraka, our landlord for the past few years suddenly increased the rent, so Director Ramazani has moved the school to a different campus. The landlord offered to sell us the property, but his asking price was exorbitant, and building a completely new facility was a much better option. We’re now about half-way through completing construction of our new school, and we’re looking forward to settling permanently in our new facility in a few months. We could not have made it this far without your support! Thank you for standing with us, and pray with us that we won’t run into any construction snags, and pray for us that we’ll complete the project on time and on budget.

Home

Covid has has no small impact on our operations here at Christian Mission for the Deaf. Although Sheryl and I had Covid in May of 2020, our symptoms were fairly light and we were back to normal in no time at all. Traveling to different countries is not so much an issue, but quarantine requirements would restrict our mobility once we reach our destination. As such, it didn’t make any sense for us to travel during 2020 or 2021. Pray that this will change for 2022, as our pastoral training in the Congo has been hardest hit due to our inability to travel.

Sheryl and I are almost empty nesters. Our youngest 2 kids have moved out this past summer and taken an apartment together in Fort Worth. Our son, the youngest, is hoping to get married this summer. Our oldest daughter moved back home after a 4-year teaching stint at a Classical Christian school in Austin, Texas. Lord willing, she’ll be getting married in the fall of 2022.

Truly, your prayers are coveted.

Tim Foster
Director

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. (Hab 3:17-18)

Despite the tumultuous events of 2020, we know that our Sovereign God is in complete control of the affairs of man. Let us praise Him for all He has brought us through.

Nigeria
Although few cases of Covid were reported in Africa, most African countries implemented a number of shutdowns nonetheless, resulting in price hikes in foods and commodities. Our Nigerian school had it a bit worse than our other schools: because the country has an otherwise strong economy, our Nigerian school gets much of its support from tuition fees. But with the Covid shutdowns, not only were parents not sending their children to school, they were also not paying their tuition fees. As a result, many of our Nigerian teachers had to accept a drastically reduced salary while waiting for the school to reopen. Now that the schools have reopened, the salary situation has improved, but our staff is having to make up for financial losses during these lean months.

On a positive note, our CMD location in Onireke (Ibadan) celebrated their 30th annual Thanksgiving celebration in late November. About 500 people were in attendance, celebrating God’s faithfulness over the decades. Praise God indeed!

Chad
The school shutdowns in Chad gave us an excellent opportunity to tear down older dilapidated mud-brick buildings and rebuild them with more durable fired-brick and concrete. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to rebuild all the administrative buildings. The new facilities are lager, and are a welcome expansion for the faculty and staff.

We’re deeply grateful to the AfriDeaf Foundation, a US-based organization founded by Clement Abonyi, a deaf graduate from our Nigerian school. With his support, they’ve undertaken the daunting task of rebuilding our largest building on the property. The one-story building will be replaced with a 2-story multi-purpose building. It will serve as the main chapel and classrooms.

Democratic Republic of Congo
Our annual Congo Bible Camp was canceled at the last minute due to Covid lockdowns and border closings. The cancellation ended up being a benefit for our Uvira school: just a few weeks before the Bible camp would have started, torrential rain and massive flooding in Uvira killed 36 people, damaged 15,000 homes, and displaced over 70,000 people. About 30 of our regular camp attendees were affected by the flooding in Uvira, and would not have been able to attend the camp since the flood damage took priority over everything else.

Pililo Amani, our school director, and his assistant, Shindano Andre, were two of thousands who lost their homes and all their possessions in the flooding. Thank God, none of their family members lost their lives. They were able to temporarily move in with family members until they could find new housing. The flood disaster, along with the Covid lockdown, caused widespread spikes in the cost of living. We’re very thankful that God moved many of you to help out financially with their burdens. Your assistance has truly been a blessing!

Local authorities designated our school as one of the temporary community shelters, and herded dozens of disaster-struck families onto our school property. While we were grateful for the opportunity to help, the people were, for the most part, rather unruly. Regional Director Pililo reports that by the time they left our facility a few weeks later, they had destroyed almost all our desks, chairs and doors. Unfortunately, this setback caused us to delay reopening the school.

Our Bukavu school is still going through growing pains after having moved in from the outskirts of the city. It’s been a difficult transition, but now that we’re a bit more settled, director Nanza has been able to triple our student body and double the staff members. There are still many unreached deaf people in the city, so pray with us that director Nanza will continue to grow both the school and the church in Bukavu.

In the city of Baraka, God continues to show His faithfulness to us by

steadily growing both the school and church. A few months ago, director Shukuru married a deaf young lady from Goma, a major city to the north. His wife, Mpasa, is one of several new teachers that has joined his rapidly growing school. God has blessed us by providing a solar electricity station and a small on-site water vat. (The city doesn’t provide water or electricity in that part of the city). Unfortunately, the landlord wants to sell the property quickly. His asking price is far more than the land is worth, so we’ll need to relocate within the next couple of months. We’ve found what appears to be a good piece of property nearby. Pray with us that we’ll be able to secure it before someone else buys it, and that we’ll be able to build a suitable school quickly.

Indeed, your prayers are coveted!

In Him,

Tim Foster
Director

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning HIMSELF. (Luke 24:27)

We have a lot of new changes since our last newsletter!

12^th Annual Congo Bible Camp

Our 2019 Congo Bible Camp went better than expected. We taught about the life and promises of Abraham, and used passages like Romans 4, Galatians 3 & 4 and Hebrews 7-9 to show how Abraham’s life and promises are not merely stories about an Old Testament character, but rather, these are promises aimed at Christ and passed through to us for the glory of God. The Christological connection was new material for most of these church leaders. Pray that they will continue to read the Scriptures with an understanding that all the Scriptures are about Christ.

We’ve been slowly making inroads into the Burundian deaf churches, and this year, the turnout exceeded our expectations. The numbers fluctuated during the week, but we had well over 150 attendees, with at least 60 participants from the Burundian deaf churches. Praise God! However, on a sad note, Israël Mungumwema, one of the prominent deaf pastors in Burundi, was called home to be with the Lord earlier this year. He had a great impact on all the deaf churches in Burundi, and his presence will be greatly missed.

University Scholarship Program

We have five teachers from Chad and one director from the DR Congo participating in our university scholarship program. Participants are required to raise 20% of their own support, and are required to maintain their regular morning teaching duties while keeping good grades in their evening university classes. We’re pleased with their overall progress, and looking to add a few more teachers from the Congo into the program. One of our directors, Shukur Hertier, surprised his university administrators by achieving the highest score in his class this past year. Originally, they were reluctant to let a deaf person enroll, but when he showed them that he knew English, they decided to give him a chance. Suffice it to say that they now have a very different appreciation for deaf people. Praise God for that! Shukuru’s academic excellence isn’t limited to his own studies: his students emulate him.

Democratic Republic of Congo

In Baraka, Director Shukuru reports that his three Primary 6 (sixth grade) students passed their national tests with top scores. This is an amazing feat because all across the Kivu province, test scores for P6 hearing students usually average around 70%, and deaf students almost always lag behind their hearing counterparts. But not so with Shukuru’s students: We were thrilled when all three of Shukuru’s P6 students scored 100%! But the best result of their success is that their parents’ attitudes towards deaf education has now changed. Whereas they used to see deaf education as “throwing money in the river”, and a distraction from their life as poor village farmers, they’re now fully on board, and want their children to continue on to Secondary school – even though there’s no Secondary school available. Considering the excitement of the parents and students (and the regional public school administrators), we decided that the budget increase was justified, and have proceeded to add Secondary classes for the deaf in Baraka. In turn, the parents have agreed to help support the school by bringing some of their crops to offset the school’s food costs. How good it is to see God growing His children this way! Pray for their continued success.

In order to expand our Bukavu school, we’ve had to move it from the outskirts and into the city. It’s been a difficult transition. Pray that director Nanza will guide the school to new growth, and that his staff will stay strong in their commitment to the deaf of Bukavu.

In Uvira, Director Pililo is preparing for new construction. A Congolese donor has graciously contributed 75% of the cost of new land, and we’ve finalized the purchase of land in September. We expect construction to begin around the 1^st of the year, with a price tag between $15,000-$20,000. The new facility will be larger than our current rented facility, and will be a welcome relief to our crowded situation. Pray with us that we’ll be able to find the funding for this ambitious project. In the meantime, we’ve purchased solar equipment to power the current building, and are happy to report that they now have electricity for the first time! Along with the electricity, we’ve been able to equip them with updated laptops and a projector. Director Pililo reports they’ve put the laptop and projector to good use with education and evangelism movies. Praise God!

Chad

The main building of our N’Djamena property has deteriorated past the point of repair. The structure was torn down after this last rain season, and a new 2-story building is now under construction. The first story will be used for chapel and offices, while the 2^nd story will be used for classrooms.  Progress moves as fast as funds are raised, so it’s been moving a little slower than expected. Pray that we’ll continue to receive funds and complete the building quickly.

Indeed, your prayers are coveted!

In Him,

Tim Foster
Director

Although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:7-8

As we approach the end of the year, we’re both humbled and excited when we reflect on how God has used you to help shape more deaf Africans into the image of our Savior.

Burundi Camp
Our 2018 Congo Bible Camp took place in Bujumbura, Burundi, at the Ephphatha school for the Deaf. It was a good opportunity to reach out to deaf leaders who aren’t usually able to travel to our camp when we meet in the Congo. In addition to many of our usual Congolese and Rwandan attendees, we had five different Burundian cities participate, as well as a small group of pastors and evangelists who traveled 2 days from Lubumbashi (DR Congo) to make it to the camp. The theme of the week was “God’s Plan of Redemption from the Beginning”, and we taught from Genesis 1-11, showing how God’s redemptive plan throughout history connects with the rest of the Bible. Although our conferences are mainly geared towards church leaders, we had a few Muslims in attendance, and were thrilled to see one Muslim young lady come to Christ! Pray for Ramla as she begins her discipleship under the pastoral care of Israël Mungumwema. Lord willing, our 2019 camp will continue in Genesis, looking at Abraham, the Father of Our Faith.

University Scholarships
A few months ago we launched a university scholarship program to enable our teachers in Chad and the Congo to enroll in local universities. Participants are required to raise 20% of their own funds, and maintain high grades while continuing their teaching duties at school. So far, six candidates have signed up for the program. Although they are doing well, they face special challenges because the universities are not equipped to handle deaf students. Pray that they will handle the additional workload with grace.

Nigeria
Earlier this year, the Nigerian government seized our 30-acre property, located just outside of Ibadan,

New well in Nigeria

with the intention of using it for their own purposes. Although the property is still under construction, our staff immediately moved to appeal the decision, and was able to bring public attention to the situation. Losing this property would have been a huge blow to the growth of deaf education in Nigeria, so we praise God that the government rescinded its decision and returned ownership of the property back to CMDN.

Democratic Republic of Congo
We praise God for increased enrollment at our Bukavu school. We’ve added Fabien Morisho to the staff. He’s a friend of ours from Goma, and a gifted deaf teacher with a passion for Christ and deaf education. With limited funds and no long-term support, he felt led to travel to Bukavu because he heard the deaf church there had education and spiritual needs. The timing was perfect, as we had just begun looking for a deaf person to add to our school’s faculty. Now his teacher’s salary enables him to teach children at the school and minister to the deaf adults at the church. The downside to this is that the cost of living continues to increase in Bukavu. Our school is feeling the pinch, and several of our co-workers are finding it difficult to make ends meet. Pray for us to have wisdom as we devise ways for our school to navigate the hurdles of increased rent, increased food costs, etc.

Uvira Secondary School

Historically, our Uvira school has concentrated on primary education, but this year, we’re thankful that enrollment of secondary students is at an all-time high. Pray for director Pililo as he and his staff continue to train up the next generation of deaf leaders.

A growing concern for our Congolese schools is the lack of electricity. Many homes and small businesses in the Kivu province can’t afford to be connected to the city’s unreliable electric grid. Instead, people with minimal electrical needs go to ‘charging kiosks’, where for about $1.00, they can charge up laptops, tablets and phones. As solar equipment continues to become more and more affordable, homeowners are installing mini solar powered systems. The initial costs for such systems can be as low as $400, with no recurring costs, minimal maintenance, and better reliability when compared to city electricity. Pray for wisdom as we continue to explore these options for our three schools in the Kivu province.
Pray for peace as national elections are now underway in the DR Congo this Christmas season.

Chad
Earlier this summer, because of your loving support, we were able to add a water well to the ongoing

Toukoura (Chad) Farm

construction at our Toukoura property, allowing one of our staff families establish a small farm there. In the mean time, ongoing repairs are needed at the N’Djamena property, near the country’s capital, and God has graciously allowed Clement Abonyi, a Nigerian friend living in the USA, to help us with his fund-raising efforts. Director Yves reports that repairs and construction are now underway. Praise God for His faithfulness!

In Him,

Tim Foster
Director

Berta Foster
1937-2018

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! – Job 19:25-27

It’s been a very busy spring, and with summer already upon us, things are promising to be even busier.

Home
After many faithful years of serving the Lord in Africa and in the USA, my mother stepped into her eternal reward on January 27, 2018.

Berta became deaf at the age of 4 through measles. She met Andrew Foster in 1960 at an international conference for deaf educators in Germany. She was fascinated by his mission work among the deaf in Nigeria, and soon thereafter dedicated her life to Christ. They married in 1961 and had five children. Through Christian Mission for the Deaf, God used Andrew and Berta to pioneer work in deaf evangelism and education, opening over 30 schools for the deaf and dozens of churches for the deaf throughout central and west Africa. After Andrew’s untimely death in 1987, Berta served as the administrator of CMD until a stroke in 2009 led to her early retirement. I, Tim Foster, was appointed by the CMD board to step in as director. Since then, we’ve pressed on with the original vision of CMD, paying closer attention to improving doctrinal clarity and depth, especially among the young pastors and evangelists we interact with. These past nine years have been an exciting time of exhilaration and frustration, but we know that we serve a Sovereign God who is completely trustworthy. It is He who calls all men everywhere to worship Him in spirit and truth, and we are thankful to continue in that calling.

This past spring, God has blessed us by adding Clifford Bodiford, a deaf Texan, to our board of directors.

Sherri & Cliff Bodiford
Cliff is CMD’s newest board member

Although he was raised with an intellectual awareness of Christ, it wasn’t until he was in his 30s that Cliff came to realize the true depth of his sin and his need for Christ to save him from the consequences of his sin. Since then, Cliff has been faithfully serving at New Life Deaf Fellowship, in Fort Worth, Texas, for the past 21 years, and now serves as an elder. We’re thrilled to have a man with his passion for deaf ministry on our board. Pray for him and his wife, Sherrie, as they’ll both be traveling with us to Africa for the first time in July.

Lord willing, in just a few weeks, our 17-year old son Daniel will also be making his first trip with us to Africa. Due to school schedules and family finances, he has not been able to accompany us on past trips. He’s looking forward to getting a fresh and exciting perspective for the work of God in a radically different cultural context.

Nigeria
Thank you for your continued prayers for John Linus, the young Nigerian pastor-in-training who is currently studying in Texas. The adjustment to life in Texas was more difficult than he expected, and there were a number of times that he wanted to quit and go home. But by the grace of God, he was able to endure the first semester and is now eager to continue his education. Pray that his time in the US will continue to be fruitful, and that he will not fall to the many temptations that are readily available in the US.

Democratic Republic of Congo
We’re pleased to announce the formal adoption of a new school in Baraka, in the eastern province of Fizi.

New fence for a new school in Baraka

The school was started three years ago by Shukuru Hertier, a personal friend of mine and a graduate from our Uvira school. Up until 2018, we had been collaborating with him on non-monetary projects, and monitoring his patient faithfulness as he worked to build up the school and pastor the new deaf believers. It’s not uncommon for us to encounter young deaf men with a great initial zeal for starting a deaf school, but rarely do we find someone with both good doctrine and endurance. Unlike several other deaf young men we’ve interacted with over the past decade, Shukuru did not abandon the school or run to foreign donors when he lacked resources. Instead, he turned to prayer and dependence on God, accepting his difficult circumstances, while committing himself to God’s hands to do as He wills. God provided by touching the hearts of a few parents, both in the USA and in Fizi, to contribute to his pauper’s budget. It wasn’t until a week ago, several months after we formally adopted his school, that Shukuru quietly informed me that his first three years were extremely difficult, and how his family members frequently provided food and housing so he could live. I was impressed with his love for God and the deaf. Now that we have formally adopted his school, he’s brought on 2 additional staff members, and with his increased, albeit modest, salary he’s able to live on his own. Pray that God will continue to bless him for his faithfulness to Him. Pray also for his fiance, Riziki Charline, as they plan their dowry, wedding and ministry life together.

Our Bukavu school is now completing its second year of operation. Due to space concerns at our former location, Director Nanza had to relocate the school to a Baptist church just outside of the city. While Bukavu has a large deaf population, many of them have a very low education, and few are interested in coming to our school. Some of them have indicated a resistance to the director because he is older and hearing. Most deaf schools in Africa have a hearing director and staff, so the resentment is peculiar. Pray with us for wisdom as we look to add deaf teachers who are more knowledgeable about deaf life in Bukavu, and able to more effectively minister to the deaf there.

Chad
Construction has resumed at the new Toukoura property just outside of N’Djamena, the country’s capital. The property is now able to house a family, and one of the staff families is moving there this month and starting a small farm. We’ve sent some funds so they can install a well pump this month.

Director Beosso’s motorcycle has long outlived its usefulness. Praise God with us that we’ve been able to assist him with the purchase of a new motorcycle this month.

In Him,

Tim Foster

Christ the Savior is born in the flesh, the propitiation for our sins.  This salvation from the just penalty of our sins is a free gift: given by grace, received by faith, lived with zeal. Too often it’s easy to reduce Christianity to a zealous list of dos and don’ts, especially when working with limited language skills. But our Savior compels us to zealously transform not only our actions, our thought processes and even our minds. Our entire worldview should be zealously transformed as part of our sanctification.  These are a few of the thoughts that occupy my mind this Christmas season.

Nigeria

Tim and John Linus, headed to SWCID

John Linus is a promising young pastor and an excellent candidate for further education. His education options in Nigeria are quite limited, but with the assistance of the Andrew Foster Memorial Scholarship Fund, he will finally be able to begin his college training at  SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf in Big Spring, Texas. The Andrew Foster Memorial Scholarship fund was 

started by Jim Walterhouse and Danny Campbell, faculty members at SWCID, and Linus is their first benefactor. After his studies at SWCID, Linus will begin studying at a Bible college, and then return to Nigeria to help serve the deaf churches. There were a number of delays in getting his paperwork completed and his visa approved, but by the grace of God, that has now been completed, and Linus is set to arrive in the USA in January. We thank God for this wonderful scholarship and pray that God will use Brother Linus to serve Him well. For more information about the fund, please visit http://afmsf.cmdeaf.org.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Three years ago we re-opened our Bukavu school with Boro Nanza as the director. Due to space limitations, Nanza has had to relocate the school to a property just outside the city limits. The new facility is owned by a Baptist church, and the rent is extremely reasonable.

Nanza’s current assistant is very limited in his knowledge of sign language. We were hoping to hire a young church leader from Rutshuru, but those plans fell through. Pray that we’ll be able to find another well-qualified assistant. By rough estimates, we believe there are several thousand deaf people in the Bukavu area, but almost none of them have access to an education, and the few that have received an education through our old school are spread far and wide. There is a lot of work to be done, and we covet your prayers.

Chad

Director Yves Beosso reports that construction at the Toukera property remains at a standstill. We lack the funds to complete the construction of the two school rooms. Another important feature to add in Toukera is a water well. This would enable us to encourage nearby residents to keep an eye on the property and herd off squatters. The laws in Chad make it easy for squatters to be an expensive source of frustration to property owners who cannot quickly develop their lands. We’ve had a few run-ins with squatters in the past, and hope to be able to prevent their return. In addition to the work at Toukera, the main campus in N’Djamena is in dire need of upgrades. Over the past few years, the center has been hit with severe storm damage. Due to time and finances, construction work was hasty, using mud brick. The mud brick needs to be replaced with concrete in order to provide safe, long-lasting buildings to meed the education needs of the deaf. Pray that God will provide the funds for these projects.

Yves’ oldest son recently graduated from secondary school. He is now at our center in Ibadan, Nigeria, studying English and preparing for January entrance exams to Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary. Lord willing, after his seminary training, he will be headed to the University of Ibadan for medical studies, and then back to Chad to work with the deaf. The school expense is more than the Beossos can afford, so they are trusting our Lord to provide.

Home

Our oldest daughter, Micah, has ended her job as a UN refugee case worker, and now teaches third grade at a Classical Christian school in Austin. Our middle child, Noelle, has also moved down south to the San Antonio area to pursue her career interest in criminal justice. Daniel has taken on a renewed interest in life, art, music and literature, so this has been an extremely interesting 11^th grade for him.

Mother Berta is doing as well as can be expected, grateful for each day the Lord gives her.

In Him,

Tim Foster

Democratic Republic of Congo

Our annual Congo Bible Camp was a great success, with over 100 people from 15 different deaf churches coming to Bukavu. Three people who were very interested in our conference came in from as far away as Kisangani, a 2-day trip. Due to the low literacy rates among the deaf Congolese, most churches focus on Bible stories at the expense of doctrine. Our camps work to fill the gap, emphasizing sound doctrine as a basis for our faith and works. This year, we taught through the book of Ephesians. While the content of chapters 5 and 6 were familiar territory for many of them, the first 4 chapters were new. So far, we’ve had excellent feedback from many of the attendees. Perhaps the most bittersweet comment was from Joceyln, a lady from Kigali, Rwanda. She said that she was sad that the week was over because she was learning so much, and felt frustrated because her church doesn’t teach doctrine like this. Unfortunately, comments like hers are not unusual. Pray with us that our teaching will be greatly used by God to equip them for the good works they have been ordained to do (Eph 2:10). 

A hearing couple, Miriam and Bartholomew Toto, came to our 

The Toto family – Local faith-based workers with the deaf

camp to see what we were doing and to learn more about us. As it turns out, they were missionaries with YWAM in Uganda for seven years, and during that time had to raise their own support from local believers. Now that they’ve returned to the Congo, their aim is to work with the deaf in Bukavu, teaching Biblical living, while modeling a Biblically-based work ethic. Truly, this is a great need, particularly among the deaf leadership. It’s not uncommon for deaf evangelists in the Congo to believe that they have to sit and wait for a foreign benefactor to sponsor their evangelism work. For these evangelists, Paul’s teaching on finances in 1 Cor 9 (“worker is worthy of his wages”, tent-making, etc) is counter-cultural, and the Totos are making an impact both in their teaching and in their living example. Pray that God will continue to bless them and provide for their daily needs. 

Ramazani Hertier, one of the graduates from our Uvira school, is now the director of his own school for the deaf in Fizi, in the Baraka Province. His school is now starting its 3^rd year with over 50 deaf students enrolled. In a recent exploration trip through villages in the province, Ramazani was able to find another 15 students. Since most of the parents do not have the funds to support their children’s education, the growth in enrollment creates an additional financial burden. Although Ramazani’s spiritual training is not extensive, he’s the de-facto pastor for the deaf in Fizi. We’re excited that the Lord is using his ambition for his fellow deaf Congolese, and praying for ways to improve and strengthen their faith. We’d like to get several of these men into the Timothy School at the Kigobe Mission Station in Burundi (Some of you may know Jesse and Joy Johnson in Burundi. The Timothy School operates out of their facility).

Ramazani recruiting new students in Fizi province

Pray for us as we look to God for solutions to these unique challenges.

Chad

Director Yves Besso reports that repairs from the recent storm damage in N’Djamena have been completed. We thank God for your willingness to financially support this need. Yves’ son has recently passed Secondary school exams, and we’re looking at sponsorship options to send him to Bible college in Nigeria. His Biblical education will further quip him to be a great asset in his work with the deaf in Chad.

Due to a lack of funds, construction at the new property in Toukera has come to a standstill. Some poachers are encroaching on the property, so additional legal measures need to be taken in order to remove them. Pray for wisdom and provision.

In the city of Mondou, two deaf ladies have passed away after battling a lengthy illness. Pray for their families and church as they cope with the loss.

Nigeria

The Andrew Jackson Foster Scholarship Memorial Fund has raised funds to bring a promising candidate, John Linus, to Texas to further his formal and spiritual education. Unfortunately he has run into difficulties with obtaining a student visa, and will not be able to enroll this fall at the Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf. Pray that he will be able to receive his visa soon and begin his college education.

Home

After our July conference in the Congo, Aaron Kuglin (a seminary student from Fort Worth who helped teach at the conference), Yves Beosso and I accompanied PhD candidate Joel Runnels to visit my father’s gravesite and attempt to find the site of his 1987 plane crash.

Crash site for Andrew Foster’s plane

Joel has worked with various secular NGOs in East Africa for 20 years, and everywhere he went, he kept hearing stories about a deaf man named Andrew Foster, and all the amazing things he had done. After being unable to find much printed information about him, Joel decided to do his dissertation on my father’s life and work among the deaf in Africa. Pray with us that Joel’s research into my father’s earthly good works will not be an occasion to celebrate the accomplishments of a man, but rather, be a call to glorify our Father in heaven. (Matt 5:16)

Please keep Mother Berta in your prayers. She’s usually in good spirits, but her mobility continues to decline.

In Him,

Tim Foster
Director

As Christmas draws near, our hearts and minds are turned once again to reflect on the Son whom God has sent into the world to be born of a virgin. We celebrate not only the gift of His Son, but the gift of abundant and eternal life received by those who believe in His Son to save us from our sins. This is the Good News of the Gospel for which we labor among the deaf in Africa.

Nigeria

Nigerian dorms nearing completion

Some months ago, United Parcel Service gave a generous $24,000 USD donation towards our new school construction just outside of Ibadan, Nigeria. Under the leadership of director Emmanuel Ilabor, the women’s dorm is now 70% complete, with about $15,000 USD remaining to finish the doors, windows, plumbing, electrical, plaster and paint. Pray with us that the 500-student facility will be finished quickly so that we can move our school out of our over-crowded facility into this spacious 39-acre property.

At the main center in Ibadan, our ~200 deaf students continue to experience healthy interactions with various schools. It’s eye opening for hearing students on a field trip to the center to see so many active deaf students.  And a number of our recent graduates have been accepted at the University of Ibadan and the Federal College of Special Education. We’re excited for the graduates and praying for a smooth transition as they prepare for adult life.

Two of our churches in Nigeria have undergone extensive expansions this past year. In the city of Yola (in the eastern state of Adamwa), God has led some German friends to assist with the construction of a beautiful chapel and elementary school for the deaf. Mrs. Ruth Ulea, a graduate of our CMD schools, is heading up the facility. Pray for wisdom and safekeeping, as the region is just south of hostile Boko-Haram territory. The second deaf church planted in Lagos in the ‘70s is now nearing completion on a 2-story expansion. We’re grateful to the local deaf association for their tireless work in raising the funds for the completion, and look forward to the grand opening in February.

Pray that the Lord will continue to guide the deaf in Nigeria through these many transitions. Pray also that they will be protected from the travesty of “prosperity Gospel”, a twisted version of the Good News which is particularly rampant in Nigeria, and rapidly being exported from Nigeria to other African nations.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Since his inauguration in 2001, D.R. Congo’s President Joseph Kabila has exerted what some would call a near-dictatorial rule over this resource-rich but economically impoverished country. Protests and riots were sparked in September when he announced he would not step down after his term limits expire on December 19^th. Pray for our students and faculty in Bukavu, Fizi, Likasi and Uvira during this election season.  Cities like Bukavu and Uvira have very weak (and corrupt) governments, and our teachers and staff there are bracing for rampant violence after the elections.

Praise God with us that our school in Uvira has seen rapid growth over the past year. Under Director Pililo Amani’s guidance, enrollment has jumped up to 75 students and 12 faculty members. A tailoring class has been in the works for several years now, and has finally gotten off the ground after a new classroom was completed. A few years ago, we expanded the school so as to offer secondary classes. We’re now seeing those efforts bear fruit: Lord willing, our first crop of secondary students will be graduating this spring! Pray for these students as they continue to prepare for state exams in June.

Pray in particular for the deaf church that collaborates with our Uvira school. They are in dire need of help with the leadership. The lone pastoral leader, Adolphe, has his hands full dividing time between the church in Uvira and his ill grandmother in Goma, some 15 hours north.

Chad

Temporary repairs at our Chad school

Director Yves Beosso reports that their property has sustained quite a bit of damage this past rain season. One of the administrative buildings had some extensive damage, and the temporary repairs have degraded to a point to where the building is no longer safe for daily use. They have a dire need for about $900 USD to make permanent repairs to the building.

You may recall that brother Beosso’s wife, Agnes, suffered a stroke in 2009, the same year that my mother, Berta Foster, also suffered a stroke. Although Agnes’ stroke was not as severe, her health has now deteriorated to the point that she is in dire need of a wheelchair. Unfortunately, the cheapest wheelchair we’ve been able to find is still over $280 – three month’s wages! Pray with us that we’ll be able to quickly raise this money and help alleviate the hardships of this godly woman.

Home

Excellent news: Faith’s daughter, Alessandra, recently gave birth to Lila, Berta’s first great-grandchild. She’s definitely a cutie, and her parents could not be more proud! 

Lord willing, our 16-year old son Daniel will be making his first trip with us to Africa in July, 2017. Due to school and finances, he has not been able to accompany us on past trips. He’s heard us tell wild stories of Gospel work in Africa, but now will get to experience life in the Congo first hand. Pray that our plans will go smoothly, and that he’ll gain a fresh and exciting vision for the work of God in a radically different cultural context.

In Him,

Tim Foster