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Dec 2011 and Jan 2012 - a mixture of celebrations and farewells both physical and spiritual

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Robert Livingstone Foster, 1924-2012

Robert Livingstone Foster, 1924-2012

 Our father, known to so many as Dr. Bob, went home to Glory on January 8,  in Lubango, Angola, Africa at the age of 87. He had increasing loss of control of his muscles over several years, but was aware to the end. In his last days, the family members in Angola (including 4 children and 5 grandchildren) took turns sitting by his bed.

He leaves his wife of 63 years, Belva Foster, who is in poor health, their 7 children, 17 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren, his sister, Rhoda Lane, 4 hospitals in rural Africa, countless churches, many missionaries called into service by God through his counsel, and many, many others who knew him as a preacher or as a doctor.

The funeral will be in Lubango this week. 

Dad was born in what is now Zambia, grew up in Canada and, after medical school, served as a missionary in Zambia and Angola and as a mission leader based in the US and in England.

God gave him amazing energy—at 83 he spent six weeks camping in the Angolan bush to help build a clinic!

God gave him amazing courage and initiative—he and Mom went in their mid-40's to an Angola at war to learn a new language and start a new outreach, when they could have stayed where they were fruitful and secure.

God made him an amazing Dad—an example, a challenge, a comfort, a great teller of stories and giver of gifts and hugs.

Many will want to share words of memory and appreciation and will not be able to get to the funeral. 

Please send to: sjffive@gmail.com

drbobfoster.blogspot.com

Memorial gifts can be sent to: 

 

Advancing the Gospel in Angola (AGA)

25 Maple St. Addison, NY, USA 14801

• Angola Medical Outreach (AMO)
• 18 Wynford Drive, Suite 710 , Toronto, ON, M3C 3S2, Canada
• 
  

We are deeply grateful to God for Dad's life. Pray for us and with us as we praise his Lord.

Stephen, Sharon, Sheila, Stacey, Stuart, Stirling and Shelley (his children)

stephen@fosterangola.ca

Dupantis Update, Jan 8, 2012

Dear Faithful Friends,

We had  wonderful Christmas and New Year's celebrations with many friends and family around us.  Dad and Mom participated to the extent of their abilities through the holidays themselves, but during the night of the 31st Dad started slipping downhill physically and was very weak on the 1st and by the morning of the 2nd could no longer get out of bed.  During the night of the 2nd I was called to his bedside because his breathing was very rapid and labored.  I assisted him to a better position but he found no relief.  I then awoke Steve, and had him come to see Dad as well.  We felt the end was imminent and thus called Sheila to come from across town and Stirling who had come in to town from the farm due to Dad's rapid decline and we spent the rest of the night at his side - praying and reading scripture fairly certain that he would be called Home any minute.  Somehow, he is still here physically though he is less and less responsive as the days have gone by, has taken nothing to eat since Monday and not even ice chips since yesterday morning.  We(Steve & Peg, Stir & Donna, Sheila and Peter and I), have all spent the week here in Lubango never far from his side - turning him hourly and trying ice chips, putting in eye drops and massaging with lotion, reading and praying and sometimes just sitting at his side.  Everyday we are "sure" he can't physically make another day, but so far he is still here, giving me a more real understanding of the "cords of death" and "the anguish of the grave" from Psalm 116:3 - Dad's favorite Psalm.  Later in the same Psalm the writer says, "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" and we know this to be true, we just keep praying that the Lord will take him soon to His Rest where Dad will be "freed from his chains" Psalm 116:15-16.

It has been a week of lots of tears and hugs and precious time together as siblings as we have continued mourning the slow loss of our beloved Dad.  We know so many of you love him too and are praying for us all at this time and we cannot thank you enough.  We will send out another update as soon as we can when Dad goes Home.  Pray for Mom too,especially.  She can't express her grief per se, but seems to understand that things are not "right" as she has been more frustrated and frustrating in the last couple of days.  Pray too, for all the details of the funeral when it does actually happen, the safe travel of many who will come to the funeral, the rest of our plans and lives that are currently "on hold" and that God's Glory would SHINE in everything!

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Peter and Shelley Duplantis

Advancing the Gospel in Angola, Inc

 

Field Address:
C.P. 33 Lubango, Angola via Portugal

 

Home Office Address and Donations:
25 Maple St.,  Addison, NY 14801 USA
Acct:  01002