The Fosters

Ranette and I are very privileged to serve in the unique ministry of language development and Bible translation. It’s an amazing life and we get to share it with a lot of amazing people. Every day, we are reminded how much we depend on others and that support comes from a very large team of people both here on the field as well as back in Canada and the US. There are 13 churches across Canada as well as friends and family in Canada and the US who back us with prayer, finances, and encouragement.

Today, however, we are saying farewell to one of those great encouragers. On Sunday, I received word that Ruth Verhulst, Missions Coordinator and Chairperson from Church in the Village (located at Shepherd Lodge in Toronto) passed away. Ruth was our liaison with the Church in the Village and she kept us informed about the goings on at the church, and likewise, kept the church informed about us. It’s a tremendous blessing to have someone like Ruth advocating for you.

Three weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be in the Toronto area for a meeting with Ruth and Pastor Winston Osmond. I arrived at ‘the Village’ but quickly found myself lost trying to find the church office! Ruth saw me wandering around and came over to rescue me. Even though I hadn’t seen her in over a year, she greeted me like we had just had coffee the day before. That was Ruth. She was so used to the comings and goings of people and she just took it all in stride. She took me over to the church office where we began our meeting to talk about our long term plans. Within just a few moments, our meeting lost its formality and it turned into an hour-long visit with friends! Ruth has become so passionate about Bible translation work over the years and she has spread that passion to the church. She takes missions work very seriously but what I appreciate deeply about her is how seriously she takes the missions worker. She always ‘grilled’ me about how Ranette, Josiah, and Isaac were doing! I know that this concern was borne out of her own experience as a missionary in Africa. I left our ‘meeting’ feeling encouraged, blessed, and empowered. What I didn’t know when I left is that it would be the last time to see Ruth. Looking back, I am so grateful for that hour and I will cherish it for as long as I can.

Ruth was more than just a church liaison; she was a fellow missionary, a co-labourer, and a friend. We will miss her dearly. Our prayers are with her husband Carl and daughters Joy and Cindy as well as with all of those whose lives were touched by her. Sorry we cannot attend the funeral today but we will be there in spirit. We rejoice in the fact that she has gone home to be with her Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ whom she served so faithfully with her whole life.

I’ve made the trip from Mbeya to Dar es Salaam too many times to count but last Thursday it was like I did it for the first time ever. This time I did it on my motorcycle! What an incredible experience. The purpose of the trip was even more exciting though… to attend the dedication of Jonah, Ruth, Mark, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon for the Sangu language community.

The Sangu have a special place in my heart for a few reasons; first it was the language project out of which the Mbeya-Iringa Cluster Project was born; second, my friend Mwasembe who accompanied me to Canada for three months in 2009 is from the Sangu tribe; and third, the Sangu have had a long struggle to get to this point - perhaps more so than others.

The celebration on Saturday in Utengule village on the edge of the Sangu plains was truly a party - and it was a party well deserved. It was attended by just about everyone from villagers to church leaders to government officials. It was a day that will only be overshadowed when the entire New Testament is dedicated!