Tim Foster

Author's posts

Winter 2021

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

Deaf high-schoolers in Nigeria, preparing for WAEC exams

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

A much-appreciated truck in Chad, thanks to Mission Projects Fellowship

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.

Roof construction in Baraka, DR Congo

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

October, 2021

Dear Friends,

Construction in N’Djamena (Chad) and Baraka (DR Congo) is moving along at a brisk pace. While the administrative buildings are completed in Chad, the two-story multi-function building still has a ways to go.

First floor structure is mostly complete in Chad

Basic construction of flooring and walls for the first floor is mostly complete, and the second floor is now underway. If we’re able to keep up this pace, I think we should have the building completed in three more months.

Director Shukuru Hertier with two prospective kindergarten students

In Baraka, we’ve got the main foundation in place and are ready to lay bricks for the walls. Shindano, the assistant to our regional director, will be making a trip there next week to inspect the progress. Pray for a safe journey (the roads between their cities are so bad that the trip has to be made by boat).

Thank you so much for your support on these construction projects. They help us educate the deaf, and in so doing, reach more people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Pray for us regarding a kindergarten option in Baraka. We have several parents who don’t know what to do with their deaf preschoolers. At this time, we don’t have the budget to have a kindergarten class, but we hate to see these children languish socially and academically. Pray for wisdom to handle this situation.

In Him,

Tim Foster

September, 2021

Dear Friends,

Director Yves Beosso reports excellence attendance at their 5th National Deaf Church Leaders’ conference in Chad. The

Deacons in training in Chad

topic of the week was Biblical church leadership, with a focus on the qualifications and duties of deacons. We thank God for an excellent turnout and participation from several cities across the southern region of Chad. We look forward to next year’s conference where we hope to build on the same theme and use the training to strengthen the deaf churches.

Construction for the new school in Baraka (DR Congo) is definitely picking up. The bricks have been fired, and the preliminary foundation work has been completed. Next stage is to pour concrete, and then start the brick work for the walls. In the meantime, we have had to find another school to rent because our landlord has decided to sell the building we were renting. The cost to rent the new school is a bit higher, but we’re able to make it work.

Construction picking up speed in Baraka (DRC)

Indeed, your prayers are greatly coveted!

Tim Foster
Director

August, 2021

We have great news to report about our construction progress in Ibadan, Nigeria. Mission Projects Fellowship

Continued construction in Nigeria

(www.missionprojects.org) had informed us earlier this year that we were the recipients of a $9,800 construction grant, and those funds were delivered this month. Praise God! Progress over the past few years has been stop-and-go as funds allow, so we’re excited to see this project take a huge leap forward. When completed, the 39-acre campus will be feature K-12 classes for 400 students, a chapel, auditorium, boarding rooms and a small parcel of farming as well. Pray with us that God will continue to bless our progress.

A few weeks ago, Director Shukuru Heriter and his wife Mpasa welcomed their first child into the world.

Mpasa and their new daughter

The delivery ran into some complications resulting in a week-long hospital stay, but we thank God that both mother and baby are now back home and recuperating. Shukuru and Mpasa, grew up as students in our deaf schools in Uvira and Bukavu and were married last year. Mpasa moved from Goma to Baraka to help her new husband at our school in Baraka. Pray with us that they will raise their new daughter in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.

Indeed, your prayers are greatly coveted!

Tim Foster
Director

July, 2021

Director Shukuru and his new bike

God’s blessings come in various shapes and sizes. In the remote city of Baraka (DR Congo), Director Shukuru has not had much by way of transportation, as walking is the primary means of transportation between home and school. This month, they were able to purchase a new bicycle. To western sensibilities, this might not seem like much, but it’s actually going to be a great help now that Shukuru has to travel out to the new school construction site every afternoon to check on progress.

In Chad, we’ve completed a series of administrative buildings for our center in N’Djamena, the country’s capital. Our two-story multi-purpose building is still under construction. We’re thankful that it’s moving at a brisk pace, and we’re praying it will be completed before school starts in a couple months.

Indeed, your prayers are greatly coveted!

Dedication of a completed administrative building in Chad

Tim Foster
Director

June, 2021

Dear Friends,

Making bricks in Baraka, DR Congo

After many months of planning and revising plans, we’ve finally broken ground on building a new school for the deaf in Baraka (DR Congo). The process begins by making mud bricks and drying them in the sun. Then the bricks are stack like an oven, and kept over a smoldering flame for about 5 days. The end result is a durable, low-cost brick, suitable for a construction project that will last 20-30 years. It’s significantly cheaper than concrete, and due to the low cost of labor, is the preferred choice for single-story construction projects in this part of Africa. In the photos on the right, director Shukuru Ramizani’s staff has prepared about 1,800 bricks. They estimate they’ll need about 40,000 to complete the classrooms, administrative offices, staff buildings and perimeter wall. We expect to start construction at our Uvira school in a few weeks.

In Bukavu (DR Congo), we could use your prayers for our efforts with devising a good training program for our new teachers. Things are moving a little slowly these days since Luimbo Nanza, our director, was in a motorcycle accident and injured his leg. His Meshake and Fabien are filling the gap for now, but things will be better when Nanza is back in full swing.

Director Nanza recuperating from a motorcycle accident in Bukavu, DR Congo

Since Covid-based travel restrictions are still cumbersome in the Congo, Burundi and Rwanda, we’ve decided that holding a Congo Bible Camp in 2021 will not be feasible. Pray for the ~20 deaf churches in the region that will miss another opportunity for Biblical and pastoral training.

Indeed, your prayers are greatly coveted!

Tim Foster
Director

May, 2021

Dear Friends,

Volcano lighting up the night sky in Goma, DRC

Students and teachers from one of our old schools in Goma (DR Congo) had quite the scare last month. A nearby volcano in the Virunga National Park erupted on May 26th, causing 30,000 residents of Goma to flee their homes. At last count, 31 people died in the disaster. A number of our deaf friends in the city also had to leave the city until the lava cooled and the earthquakes ceased. One of them, a young evangelist named Temo, sent me several photos of the volcano and ensuing damage done by the volcano. Pray that their lives will be quickly restored.

We’re happy to report that Director Yves Beosso is nearing completion of the new administration buildings on their property in N’Djamena (Chad). We have about another $500 worth of construction to go and the buildings will be complete. Meanwhile, the 2-story multi-purpose building is moving at a much slower pace, so pray with us that both sets of buildings will be completed soon.

Administrative buildings nearing completion in N’Djamena, Chad

In Nigeria, construction of our new school continues to move forward. Praise God with us that Mission Projects Fellowship has awarded our Nigeria center a $9,800 grant! This is a huge blessing, and I’m excited to see how the project leaps forward.

Indeed, your prayers are greatly coveted!

Tim Foster
Director

April, 2021

Dear Friends,

We’re pleased to report that we have completed the purchase of two parcels of land in the Kivu province of the DR Congo. One is near our Uvira school, and the other is near our Baraka school, and we’re excited to begin construction. Pray that the designs will be satisfactory for our needs, and that funds will be prepared so we can begin construction soon.

In order to address some of the challenges at our school in Bukavu (DR Congo), Pililo Amani, our regional director, was able to have a lengthy meeting with our Bukavu director and missionaries Kathy Lindquist and Renee Lindquist. The main challenges facing our Bukavu school frequently stems from a lack of training. Pray with us that we’ll be able to arrange the training needed so that the school can flourish.

By the grace of God, Covid fatalities are not a major challenge in the DR Congo, and fewer than 100 Congolese have succumbed to the pandemic. The fear of Covid, however, has made a large impact on the country. Schools were the first to close, and students are now foregoing their summer vacation to make up for lost school time. As a result, it’s looking like we won’t be able to have our usual Congo Bible Camp this year. I’m hoping we might be able to have a small training event in Goma (DR Congo), but it remains to be seen how many people will be able to participate. If the numbers are sufficient, we’ll plan to go forward and meet.

Indeed, your prayers are coveted.

Tim Foster
Director

March, 2021

Dear Friends,

We’re excited to see so much progress with the construction of new buildings at our N’Djamena (Chad) school. The sizable gifts we’ve received over the past few months have been depleted, and construction is now slowing down. The rain season will be here soon, and if the work is not completed by then, we’ll have to move at a much slower pace. Pray with us that we’ll be able to continue construction and complete the new multi-purpose building soon.

In Bukavu (DR Congo), we’ve added new staff members for our growing school, but we also need to get them trained ASAP. Their lack of strong sign language skills is a hindrance that needs quick resolution. Pray that we’ll be able to get them trained quickly.

To the northwest of Bukavu, in the city of Kavumu, a school for the deaf has been struggling for several years. It was founded by a group of local parents concerned for their deaf children, and they’ve had a tumultuous time with less-than-honest people vying for leadership. Despite this, the school has grown to over 70 deaf students. They have asked us for financial and academic assistance, but at this time, we’re not able to commit resources to their effort. Fabien, one of our deaf teachers from Bukavu, has been spending a lot of evening hours working to help them stabilize and get competent leadership in place. He’s brought in a former classmate from his high school in Goma, and both men are working there at their own expense. Pray that God will give us wisdom about whether and how we might assist the Kavumu school.

In these uncertain Covid times, we’re exploring an opportunity to go to Goma in July and host a Bible camp. Pray for wisdom about making these arrangements.

In Him,

Tim Foster
Director

January, 2021

Dear Friends

January has been a busy month for us in the Congo. We’ve completed the purchase of two parcels of land. One is in the city of Baraka, and the other is in the city of Uvira. After all the legal paperwork is completed, we’ll need to finish the plans for construction and then proceed with building the classrooms. Finalizing the blueprints for construction has proved to be a bit of a challenge in Baraka. We have limited access to construction expertise, and the people willing to do the work are very keen to try and make a tremendous profit off our project. Pray that we can get these buildings underway and completed within the next few months.

We have recently promoted Pililo Amani from director of our Uvira school to regional director for the Eastern Congo. In this position, he will have oversight over our Bukavu and Baraka schools. We are confident that his years of faithfulness in developing the Uvira school will be invaluable as we also try to grow the Bukavu and Baraka schools over the next few years. Pray that his transition into that role will be smooth. Also pray for him as he will travel quite a bit more than he has in the past. The roads in his part of the Congo are not always safe, and the road to Baraka is almost useless. The two-hour boat ride across Lake Tanganyika is almost three times faster than a bus or motorcycle ride on the dysfunctional roads.

In Chad, we’re excited to announce the purchase of a good used truck! Thanks to Mission Project Fellowship, we’ve received a grant for the purchase of a much-needed vehicle. https://missionprojects.org/project/679 Director Yves and his staff have been praying for this for quite some time, so we’re excited and looking forward to what God will do through this special blessing.,

John Foster
1963 – 2021

We have some very sad news here at the home office in Texas. John Foster, my 2nd oldest brother, suffered a heart attack on January 19th and is now with the Lord. He worked in the CMD office from 1988 till July 2019 and was a consistent and faithful servant with his various duties, even while his health was in decline the past few years. After many years of bouts with diabetes, pneumonia, bronchitis, high blood pressure, kidney failure, dialysis and Covid, his body succumbed to a heart attack. He had no spouse or children. We will miss him dearly.

Thanks for your prayers.

Tim Foster
Director