Front Page Archives

our part of His plan. Usually this results in the congregation examining their missions giving and adjust their levels as God speaks to their hearts. Sometimes the vision and ministry of our missionary guests motivate some in the congregation to become involved directly in missions through the Assemblies of God MAPS (Mobilization and Placement Service) program, usually in the form of short term building projects, or the AIM (Ambassadors In Missions) program of youth service evangelizing through short term projects in foreign lands.

In this particular instance, Jerry and April Foster hosted a dinner in their home where missionary Richard Dunn of International Media Ministries (IMM) shared a meal and his ministry up close and personal with about 40 members of our congregation. As an outcome of their time with Richard, Jerry and April caught the vision of IMM and felt a call to short terms missions as Missionary Associates. Jerry would suspend his position as a Math and Science teacher at First Assembly Christian School (FACS) and uprooting their family of three girls, Jerry and April would move to Brussels for 2 years, trusting God to meet their financial need while they worked with IMM marketing the ministry and evangelism tools available, traveling as Jerry trained ministers how to use these media presentations to reach, teach and disciple people into the kingdom.

Jerry and April traveled with a MAPS team from 1st Assembly to Brussels in April 2001 to participate in a project, but mostly to do some orientation and preparation with Richard for their assignment beginning that summer. And God began changing their plans to coincide with His.
On arrival, Jerry learned there was to be a change in his ministry focus. A missionary who was acting as Business Manager for the ministry was suddenly called back to the States due to a family health crisis, and Jerry, who holds a business degree, was called on the fill the vacant position. Having the degree and good business sense, but no experience in business operations in a foreign country, Jerry plunged in while April settled the girls and began her duties teaching in a local international school. While Jerry learned the ropes and the family coped with the intricacies of learning to live in foreign land, change was coming to Belgium and the ministries located there.

A new government minister of Labor bringing his religious world view to office decided there was no room in Belgium for any Christian ministry and any foreigners working in ministries not holding specific work permits would be deported and those ministries could effectively be shut down. While the impact on IMM was not direct, several missionaries families, including the Fosters. Several young women working in a school were determined to be there without proper papers and were deported, the school was closed putting April out of a job and the children out of class. Since the expense of international schools in Brussels is high, and now part of their income gone, April began to home school the girls as Jerry continued his work. They were documented and would be able to remain in country. In the meanwhile, the Assemblies of God began negotiations with the Belgium government to resolve this situation and there seemed to be little progress so that in 2002 the decision was made to move the ministries to Madrid, Spain. This would mean not only the ministry itself, but the missionary families would move and incur additional expense not factored in their budgets. But God wasn't finished.

Members of the Belgium Parliament, seeing the situation decided something needed to be done and set about changing the laws, a process which ultimately resulted in Pentecostals, who had been viewed a members of a cult in Belgium, now being recognized as a legitimate state approved church. This would have many benefits for the church as they reached out to those needing Christ. But even with this change, the Assemblies of God decided to proceed with relocating IMM to Madrid. Several years earlier the process had begun, then was suspended at the request to the Brussels government at that time, but is seemed appropriate now to go ahead.
Now Jerry had to prepare the ministry as well as his family, for the move.

But God had different plans for the Foster family. Located in Brussels is a large international church, Christian Center, pastored by Missionaries Terry and Ruth Ann Hoggard. God has blessed their ministry both previously in Italy and now in Brussels as they ministered to both local residents and a large, mobile community of foreign nationals working in and traveling through Belgium. An international financial and political center, Brussels is home to many large multi-national corporate offices as well as NATO and the European Union. There are 10's of thousands traveling here to conduct business, or escape trouble, terror and persecution in their homelands.

Christian Center is a beacon of hope to many for whom the excitement, power and glamour of business and politics has failed to provide fulfillment, a safe refuge for those who seek peace and freedom to follow their dreams and worship as they please unhindered by a regime who would prevent them from doing otherwise.

Christian Center ministers to some 30 language groups having a translation booth reportedly exceeded in scope by few organizations. They provide ministry opportunities to people of a variety of language groups not only in the main sanctuary, but also through satellite churches started across Belgium. There is also ministry to the "throw-aways" of society. Those who, having escaped trouble elsewhere, struggle to find a new life in Belgium but many times end in the despair of the fringes, trafficking in and finding themselves overwhelmed in drugs, black-marketing, and prostitution. Christian Center seeks these societal castaways, and offers them a way of escape and hope, ministering to their physical and spiritual needs.

This growing ministry has needs too, and God was beginning to open the doors to opportunities unforeseen by the Hoggards. The change in government policy opened new areas of ministry. The government, seeing a "cultural vacuum", offered to Christian Center state recognition which would bring with it funding for expansion of facilities and staff, without the interference often associated with such "assistance" in the US. Additionally, air time was offered on TV for the ministry to broadcast nationwide, bringing the message to the Gospel in ways that were previously impossible, under the justification of filling a cultural need. All of this was going to need strong leadership, not only in the areas of ministry, but in the operation of the business of the church as well.

Terry's vision was to duplicate the ministries of Christian Center in other target locations around the globe, but ministries of this scope need not only spiritual vision and evangelistic drive, but to fully realize their potential, missionaries and ministers need training in good business practices, tailored to the locale. Needed was a staff member not only well aquatinted with ministry business operations, but someone who already had immediate knowledge of government relations and well developed contacts within the Belgium government. Someone who could catch the vision of reaching the lost utilizing this vast opportunity God has given, and prepared to travel to other nations teaching others the special skills needed to initiate and operate similar ministries. Someone like, Jerry Foster.

Terry approached the Fosters with his vision and God burned in them the excitement, zeal and vision to play this very practical part in spreading the Gospel message. Thus what man meant for harm, God used to bring about the expansion of His kingdom. And now Jerry and April will be extending their term as MA's for one more year after which they will return to the US, gain appointment as full time missionaries and after a period of itinerating to raise support, return to Brussels to work with the Hoggards and Christian Center.
But wait, the story isn't completely over. The reason Jerry returned to Florida on a Saturday night in April was to handle a difficulty in their personal finances. When they left for Brussels the

Fosters rented their home in Ocala and in recent months, the renters failed to fulfil their obligations and had to be removed. Since the Fosters were dependent on this income for their ministry, there was concern not only for the property, but also for their finances this final year. The home had not been cared for and there was much work to be done. So while Jerry considered his options, rent from overseas, hire a management company or sell, several of us set about to repair some of the damage and perform much needed maintenance. Within a few days Jerry made his decision, sell.

I supported his decision as what seemed the best all around. I also recognized this would not be an easy sale. While it was a large home in a good suburban area and there were many good features to the home, there were also what seemed to me to be strong deficiencies. The greatest being the need for a complete update inside and despite three days work outside, there remained a huge amount of work to make the home turnkey. In this market, with the abundance of new homes going up, I thought this to be essential for a quick sale. And God smiled.

Jerry's decision to sell was made on Tuesday, an ad was placed online that evening. The following two days found Jerry in Lakeland making contacts necessary to their decision to become full time missionaries. Friday, in a conversation had by one of the other folks helping Jerry interest was stirred. Saturday the interested parties made an offer and by the following Monday a sales contract was agreed to. Jerry returned to Brussels Tuesday, his heart lighter in the knowledge of God's sovereignty and grace in their lives and ministry, and I stood in awe at how God again showed Himself to be our provider, Jehovah Jireh.

So what does all this mean for the rest of us? It is simply an illustration of the words of Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. Those things that were meant for evil towards the children of God were turned around and used by God to move others to advance His kingdom. Even if those people did not understand and made their decisions from a secular viewpoint, God still used it for His purposes.

Secondly, those decisions made by a child of God are not made in a vacuum. While God purposed for Jerry and April to make the decision to become MA's, what they thought to be an end of itself God knew to be only a beginning of a beautiful symphony where He would reveal the harmony, the various movements and melodies at the proper times. That orchestration being a work in progress that began long before the Fosters even knew of the missionary associate program, International Media Ministries or Christian Center.

Then there is the situation with their home. While ownership and rental of it met their need for a time, when that purpose was accomplished, God had all things prepared and ready to move forward. Jerry and April had a greater vision of God's plan and purpose that they would no longer need the home to return to. They had experienced His plan and provision as He guided them through the preparations in Belgium so they knew Him to be trustworthy. At the same time God was preparing another couple whose goals and dreams would include such a home as the Fosters so that they were not only prepared but were looking forward to and hungry to begin the work necessary when purchasing the Foster home. Then God brought them all together in perfect timing.

The final point is this, if there are situations and circumstances in your life you don't understand. The plans you made seem to be changing and taking you unplanned directions. Don't despair if you are a child of God. He knows your future and His plan for you far clearer than you. Simply trust and draw close to Him. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11