Dear Foster family,
My first knowledge of Bob's call home was while I was on the phone to Jane Graham. Jane actually thought that I was calling to inform her about the death but she ended up being the informer. In the next few hours we got the word by email from 3 other sources. I'm sure that the large circle of Bob's friends would have gotten the news within hours of his passing.
First of all, I would like to commend your family on the outstanding way you have handled the needs of your aging parents. The family decision during your reunion in South Africa to ensure that your parents would always have a family member living with them to drive for them and look after them was a huge commitment on your part. The fact that Bob and Belva totally accepted the limitations asked of them was exemplary.
I have told our kids several times that when you think that it is time for us to move to a place where we could get more care that we will follow the Foster example and obey you completely. We did get to visit your folks a number of times during that time and especially appreciated the sacrificial care that Sheila gave for such a long period. I'm sure that the rest of you appreciated that she was in a position to take on that responsibility.
When I heard that the next move was to Angola, my first (and only) response was, "That is bang on". Of course that is the right place. Our thanks went out to Stirling and Donna for taking on the primary responsibility. Thanks also to you two for hosting our grandson, Col, for several months. He has great memories of your kindness and instruction and he treasures the hours he got to talk to "Uncle Bob."
Both Martha and I owe a huge debt to Bob and Belva. While on my honeymoon with Marilynn, we stopped by to see several friends at Campus-in-the Woods. I had been quite certain that I would be serving in Africa with the Methodist Board of Missions. I had been accepted by the Board and they paid all of my expenses through medical school. When I was led otherwise, I had to pay back the Methodist and then we were in limbo. During the few hours that we were on the island, our friends introduced us to Bob and Belva and, after a two hour conversation with them, both Marilynn and I felt completely sure that Mukinge Hospital was the place for us to serve. That was a wonderful gift of the Lord to us and we never doubted that leading.
A number of years later, almost the same thing happened to Martha. She attended the same church where Belva had grown up and Belva's Mother had challenged Martha a number of times to consider nursing in Zambia. During a furlough, Bob was preaching at the church and while he was greeting people exiting after the service he said to Martha, "Why don't you come and join us?" That was Bob's voice, but it was also the Lord's and Martha in her heart said ,"Yes" to what became her call.
For Marilynn and I to get to spend our first 3 months at Mukinge in the Foster home was immensely important for the rest of our missionary career. The long conversations that Belva had with Marilynn were full of sage advise. That advice saved her from many a mistake later on and gave her a very positive view of the life of a missionary wife. I tagged along with Bob and tried to absorb everything he said and did since it was obvious that he was highly successful in his role as medical director of the hospital and the spiritual leader for the staff.
Of course, I didn't have the charisma of BaKahaya. Before giving a painful injection of IM vitamin C he would look the patient in the eye and with his booming voice assured them that this shot would cure them. The "cure" was instantaneous. We were still in a serious contest with the local nangas and Bob scored important points whenever a tubal insufflation allowed a childless woman to get pregnant. The most important success story there was with the senior wife of paramount chief Kasempa. The word spread like wildfire that she had been "cured" by Bob and the infertility clinic crowded out our out patient facilities as the women came even from across the border in Congo. Publicly displaying huge ovarian cysts during visiting hours also gave the hospital some more points over the nangas.
This is getting far too long. But one final story that gave me a significant insight into who this Bob Foster was.
The setting was a wounded leopard in a large clump of high grass. Bob, Dave Fields and I were joined by the hospital lorry driver as we surrounded the high grass. We were all armed and had our fingers on the trigger since we expected the leopard to shoot out of his insecure hideout any second. Trial number one was shooting into the grass. No movement. After quite a long wait, Bob ran out of patience and said in a commanding voice "alright men, when I count 3 we are going in!" In preparation for coming to Zambia I had read lots of safari stories . Some of them were about the clients poor shot at a leopard and the duty of the white hunter to crawl into the thicket to finish the suffering beast off. He first wrapped his heavy woolen sweater around his neck to lessen the likelihood that the fangs would reach his carotids and he tightened his jacket around his waist so that the back claws would not be as likely to eviscerate him.
It only took me a second to say, "Count me out. I'm not going in there." Later on, Dave thanked me for backing out since he had no intention of going in either. Without question, Bob would have gone in. I took some credit in possibly saving Bob's life by disobeying his command. The Zambian driver then took over since he thought that the grass might just be dry enough to burn. It did and the leopard came straight out for the Zambian who dropped it at his feet.
I have often quoted Franklin Graham in his evaluation that Bob Foster was the most outstanding missionary who was still alive.
I thank God for every memory of Robert Livingstone Foster.
Love to you all,
Uncle Jim and Martha
Jim Foulkes
No comments:
Post a Comment