In this time of sadness and loss, we pray that you may know the comfort and strength of the Lord's presence, and the joy and hope that He gives.
We attach here a tribute from the Lord's people in Mandritsara, and a personal appreciation from Jane and myself.
With love in our Saviour, who has for ever triumphed over sin and death, Satan and hell and the grave.
Hallelujah!
The team of missionaries in Mandritsara, the Bible Baptist Church in Mandritsara and the workers of the Good News Hospital Mandritsara wish to thank God from the bottom of our hearts for the life and ministry of Bob Foster. The Lord gave to him a vision for a work in the northern part of Madagascar – and what is here today is the fruit of that vision. May Belva and all Bob’s family be given strength, confidence, hope and joy from the Lord at this time, and may the Lord enable us all to follow dear Bob’s example of a life lived to the full and to the end for God’s glory.
David Mann, on behalf of all the Lord’s people in Mandritsara. 11 January 2012
Bob Foster – a personal appreciation by David and Jane Mann.
Among those of God’s servants who have had an effect on our lives, only two or three others have had as much effect as Bob Foster.
In 1974, sensing the call of God to full-time missionary work, we approached a number of missionary societies, from a list of evangelical missions that had medical missionary work, seeking to know the Lord’s way forward for our lives. As it “happened”. The first society (alphabetically) on the list was “Africa Evangelical Fellowship” and the first country mentioned was “Angola”! We did not want to push ourselves forward, lest our own enthusiasm would overtake God’s leading, and so, although all 7 societies we approached gave us useful and encouraging information, we did not feel we had yet found the way to go.
Some 6 months later, with no obvious leading, we began to feel that perhaps it was right for us to stay in the UK. In November 1974, I came home to tell Jane that I had secured a training post in Anaesthesia in another part of the UK. Jane’s reply was “Read this”. A letter had arrived that same day from the Africa Evangelical Fellowship office in Wimbledon quoting a letter they had received from Dr Bob Foster in Angola. “What happened to the Manns?” he asked. “Are they still interested? Are they still available?” The answer of course was yes to both questions. We met the UK leader of AEF, and wrote to Bob, asking further questions. His reply arrived about 2 months later (no email in those days!) – a hand-written aerogramme – actually two aerogrammes as he could not fit all he wanted to say onto one! He outlined the work in Cavango, the hospital, the church, the evangelistic opportunities and so forth. We took the letters to our pastor and showed him. “Well” he said, “if it was me that had received the letters, I would have to go. It is so clear!” We felt the same. It was the Lord’s voice – a truly Macedonian call. That was early in 1975.
However, difficult times were ahead for Angola, and for Bob Foster. AEF asked me to go to Bible school, which I did in 1976. During that time, independence came to Angola, the civil war, complete destruction of the hospital in Cavango, and Bob had to flee the country. It was a very difficult time, but Bob found time to write to us and encourage us.
After several months, Bob and other missionaries started to return to Angola, but things there remained very uncertain. What were we to do? Eventually AEF felt it was not right to send a new couple with two small children into what was still a war situation, and asked us to go instead to Mseleni in South Africa. It would not have been our choice, but we felt clearly the Lord had led us there. Bob, though disappointed in one sense, fully supported and encouraged us.
Seven years later, we heard that Bob had been instrumental in securing a new opening for AEF in Gabon. We were happily settled at Mseleni, but something began to tug at our hearts. Was it possible that God was calling us there? Bob was visiting South Africa and we went to see him to discuss it. By 1986 we were in Gabon! Bob’s vision and advice helped us through many challenges.
But sadly, due to political pressures on the church leadership, the work in Gabon was not able to continue, and in 1990 we returned home. Before that, in 1988, Bob, always looking to the “Regions beyond” had already been busy following the Lord’s leading for a work in Madagascar. In December 1988 he formulated a plan, and signed an agreement, with the leaders of the Association of Bible Baptist Churches of Madagascar, for a Medical, Evangelistic and Church-planting ministry in north-west Madagascar. We were approached – would we relocate to Madagascar to be involved in this new work. It was exactly the kind of project that we felt Medical Missionary work should be. But there were other voices suggesting other ways forward. We talked to Bob. His advice was very clear. “There are others who can do these other things, but you are the ones to go to Madagascar!”
We praise the Lord for 18 happy years in Madagascar. In the early days Bob was our constant adviser and encourager. On his last visit to Mandritsara we asked him to give us some wise words for the future. He gave us 4 things. We have not forgotten them:
- Open a maternity unit. The lack of a maternity unit is the single most important thing missing at present. We are thankful that the maternity unit finally began to function in 2011.
- Keep the hospital and grounds clean. Places are always clean at the start – but maintaining cleanliness is the great challenge.
- Make sure you keep good relationships between the leaders in the project. The devil will always attack at this level. When differences arise, settle them through prayer, forgiveness and love.
- Keep evangelism at the forefront of all you do. Many mission medical works start well, but later become merely good works rather than gospel works. Never let the proclamation of the Good news of Jesus be anything but primary.
By God’s grace we have maintained these four things – and can hear Bob’s voice as we think of them.
Thank you, Lord, for your servant Bob Foster. Thank you for the privilege of knowing him and learning from him.
Here is a verse that reminds us of Bob – may it be true for us too:
“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24 AV)
David and Jane Mann, Mandritsara, 11 January 2012
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