Cindy Foster

    Cindy Foster got her teaching degree in health and physical education from East Stroudsburg University, but when asked about her occupation, she says, "I pray. My job is to pray for my kids." In reality, she holds a leadership position in a ministry called Moms in Touch International (MITI). As the area coordinator for Beaufort and Jasper counties, Cindy provides guidance for moms in our area who want to pray for their children and schools.
    The ministry of MITI is simple. Mothers meet once a week for an hour to pray. They do nothing else. There are no distractions. No one brings snacks. No one teaches or preaches. "It's about praying God's word back to Him and trusting Him to keep His promises," Cindy explained. She and her husband, Dick, have children ranging in age from 9 to 23, which has kept her involved in MITI for over 17 years. "I got in it for my children, but Moms in Touch has changed me. I will never stop praying for my kids," Cindy said.
    Back in 1992, when Cindy's older two children were young, she admittedly did not have a great prayer life. "My faith was anemic and my prayers were shallow," she said. But one day, Cindy's tennis partners did not show up on time, and Cindy decided to wait in her car. For the next thirty minutes, she listened to Dr. James Dobson interview Moms in Touch founder, Fern Nichols. She had what she now calls a "parking lot moment."
    After listening to Nichols speak about Moms in Touch, Cindy knew immediately she needed to get involved. She sent for the booklet per the instructions on the radio show, but nothing significant happened until about a year later when Cindy and her neighbor were waiting at the school bus stop and the subject of prayer came up.
    Cindy had decided that parenting was not as easy as her mother made it look. She was convinced she wasn't going to get through motherhood without a committed prayer life. Coincidentally, Cindy's neighbor had listened to the same radio interview a year earlier and had similar feelings. That is when Cindy and her friend, Elise, started a group, and Cindy hasn't been without a Moms in Touch group since.
    Cindy is hooked on Moms in Touch prayer groups, because she knows she's giving each one of her four children the precious gift of a legacy of prayer. "God has been faithful in answering countless prayers over the years-not in magical ways," Cindy said, "but in meaningful ways." For example, Cindy is confident God preserved her relationship with her oldest daughter, helping them both get through the tumultuous teen years.
    "Now that I am a mother," Bethany said, "I realize my mom's persistence in prayer comes from her deep love for me. She has inspired me to become a praying mom for my beautiful daughter, Leighton."
    The goal of the international ministry is to have a group for every school. Cindy's job is to develop a group for every school in Beaufort and Jasper Counties. Currently, there are four groups meeting for approximately 50 schools in these counties, which means Cindy would be more than happy to talk with concerned moms. She has gone from being a worrying mom to a praying mom because her focus shifted from herself to God. "And that shift," she says, "changes the world, one prayer at a time."

Up Close

Moved here from: Montclair, NJ, in 2006 Family: husband, Dick; children Bethany, 23, James 21, Christiana, 12, Allison, 9 Fondest memory growing up: Riding bikes and playing outdoors Vanity plate: MTHW633 (Matthew 6:33) Favorite thing about Hilton Head: Riding bikes on the beach To learn more about area prayer groups, call Cindy at (201) 306-2334, or visit momsintouch.org for more information.