Dedication of the Fogle Pavilion, March 11, 2015

We who are members of the family of Lester and Martha Fogle want to thank you who have come today to be a part of a dedication honoring our parents, but especially honoring the great God of our parents.  Lester and Martha Fogle were deeply dedicated missionaries, serving under Baptist Mid-Missions---committed to reaching lost souls for Jesus, no matter the cost.  Two weeks after their no-frills wedding at a Rescue Mission in South Bend, Indiana, they boarded a freighter ship headed into the unknown jungles of primitive Africa.

The week before they left for Africa, they had seen a cartoon in the newspaper showing a group of near-naked Africans with large rings in their ears and spears in their hands, sitting around a large clay pot of steaming water over a fire on the ground and praying, "Lord, send us a missionary!"  However, though Lester and Martha felt called to BE those missionaries, there were some real misgivings in the hearts of friends and family they were leaving.  The prediction was that Lester would bury Martha there in Africa during their first term.  In fact, a doctor had told Dad that he should NOT take her anywhere where she would not have immediate access to medical care because of her health history.  Most of you know that she outlived Dad by 18 years!!!  AND, they had very little promised support--less than $25 a month promised!  But in those days the attitude was, "If you have the money to get to the field, well, God bless you and goodbye!!"

So off they went, and not only did God supply their needs, but He BLESSED them!  When they arrived in Tchad, Africa, their first words of greeting from pioneer missionary Paul Metzler were, "You are the only missionaries who ever had money waiting for them when they arrived!"  A church had sent $25 for them!

Talk about primitive--it was PRIMITIVE!!  One morning after eating oatmeal for breakfast, Lester was asked if he wanted some more,  Dad answered, "No thank you, but that was the best oatmeal I've ever eaten!"  Just then another missionary looked into the oatmeal bowl and exclaimed, "Oh NO!  This oatmeal if FULL of weevils!"  (Free protein!)  And of course there were worse things than that--snakes, leopards, elephants, and malaria, and of course the heat.  And Mom often commented on the long rides to villages in a "push-push" -- a chair mounted on one wheel of a motorcycle which had a native pusher in back and one in front!

But for 40 years, Lester and Martha faithfully served their Lord and Savior in the Tchad and Central African Republic, no matter what the hardship.  They raised seven children there on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert--for many years with the Sara Kaba tribe with its disc-lipped women--, and were a shining example of Jesus Christ to us.

They prayed fervently for each child, and all the way through boarding schools and college, Mom faithfully wrote letters to each of us weekly, though sometimes they didn't arrive until weeks later!  As a tribute to their prayers, all seven children are walking with the Lord and serving Him in one capacity or another.  There will be MANY Africans walking the street of gold in Heaven because of Lester and Martha Fogle.  And do you know what Lester and Martha would say?  "All glory to Jesus for what HE has done!!"  They would give Him all the glory!

They retired in 1978 and moved to Maranatha Village in 1985, choosing to retread their tires for more service for their Lord.  They attended and served in two struggling mission churches in the area, one being Bethany Baptist Church where they became members.  They never stopped serving the Lord until He called them Home--Dad in 1994 and Mom in 2012 at the age of 95!  Their headstones in the cemetery just south of us are a testimony to their spiritual character.  Dad's reads "A faithful servant of God" and Mother's reads "An exceptional woman of God".

They were super parents, super missionaries, and super people!  We as their children and grandchildren are so very pleased that this honor has been given in their names!  Eighteen of their descendants and a couple of other personal friends have given to make this wonderful pavilion possible.  We want to thank Carl Barton and Wes Halstead for thinking of our parents for this honor.  We thank Fred McNeil and his crew for all their hours of hard work to make this such a well-built, sturdy pavilion.  And thank you to those of you who prayed that this might be accomplished!  Most of all, we want to thank our wonderful Lord and Savior for the privilege of knowing and loving people like our parents, Lester and Martha Fogle--or "Yoo-Hoo" and "Hey Girl" as we often heard!  May God be praised, honored, glorified, and exalted for years to come as this pavilion is used for His glory!!  Thank you!  Merci mingui!! 

- presented by Lois Wilson at the dedication service, on behalf of the family.