Meet Dr. William P Foster MD.

Dr. William P Foster, MD

After 20 years of private medical practice in Fort Collins, Colorado, Dr. William P. Foster, MD, pursued his desire to serve in medical missions. In 1995 he accepted a call to serve in Toulepleu, Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), West Africa, as medical missionary through the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) World Mission. He was there for over six years.

The attempted coup d'état of September 19, 2002 killed thousands of people in Ivory Coast. Weeks later rebels broke into Foster's house, robbed him at gunpoint, destroyed his clinic and home, and held him captive for four weeks. He was released from captivity at the end of December 2002. This was after many prayers for his safety and the efforts of his father, the LCMS, and the US government. Four of the local Red Cross workers with whom he stayed during captivity were ultimately murdered.

While in Ivory Coast Dr. Foster learned he needed to teach healthcare workers in Christian healthcare delivery rather than trying to see 100 or more patients per day with a translator. So he generated manuals on healthcare and medications. Then he taught healthcare workers while still seeing patients. Some 120 healthcare workers graduated from his training program in only six years. About one-third of these workers are still seeing patients.

Foster arrived back in the U. S. on January 5, 2003. Since then, Dr. Foster has traveled 32,000 miles to speak in Lutheran congregations, LWML Zone Rallies, LLL Zone Rallies, and multiple mission festivals. He served as Orphan Grain Train's medical consultant and director of Christian Medical Endeavor from June 2003 until it was discontinued in April 2007.

Dr. Foster in Russia, April 2004

Foster currently works as an advisor with Orphan Grain Train volunteers at the Norfolk, Nebraska warehouse as they pack medical goods for shipment.

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Orphan Grain Train International Office
PO Box 1466
Norfolk, NE 68702
(402) 371-7393
FAX (402) 371-7350
email@ogt.org