Nancy Update

To pack or not pack my rooster?

2012-01-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I am already gearing up for my trip in March to a very large country in SE Asia with the most Muslims of any country in the world. I am not free to mention the name of it. Anyway we are linking with a large network there and will be doing 4 trainings. Three will be 3 days long and one will be 1-2 days of sharing vision with country children's ministry leaders. After each we will have a travel day(usually flying) to the next place and gear up to do it all over again. We expect 260 students- mostly teachers with some trainers of teachers mixed in. The 1-2 day vision sharing will be in the capital and geared for network leaders from around the country. So 4 places, and I think 4 flights within the country, as well as limits on what to bring. We are only allowed one suitcase, so I am trying to be strategic about what I am bringing. Clothing and teaching supplies, my rubber rooster, etc. It all has to be carefully considered. We have split up the lessons so I will bring what I need to teach the ones that I will be teaching. I have been to this country before, but not to most of these areas. Some of it will be very rustic. You can use your imagination to think of what that means. Let's just say, our off road camping in the summer helps me feel better equipped!

I am traveling with Kimberle again who is a dear friend and mentor. I have learned by her example and she is helping me become a first class trainer. I have never trained 100 people at a time before, and that is definitely something I need to see and participate in. The most I have done at once is 40. We already have Partners International contacts in this same country who want to schedule for Kidzana 1 for 50 training next March, and one of those groups has 100. So hopefully I will be going back and will know how to train that many at once.

We just got Adjua back from Ghana on Monday night and she is gradually getting over jet lag. She had a wonderful time with her family and friends, and is not excited about the cold and being here in time for our first actual snowfall of the winter. We actually have several inches currently, but missed the snow that fell west of us in Seattle and east of us in Coeur d'Alene, ID. I think it is the first time plows have been out all winter. Greg has the snow blower out and is taking it down to the townhouses tonight.

We have encouraging news. After 5 months lacking regular renters in 3 of our 6 townhouses, we now have 6 guys in one for the semester and 2 girls in another. The third one is still set up as a guest house with a few longer-term guests. So it is better than it was and we are thankful. We would love for you to pray for 4 more girls to join the 2 who are alone for now, and for a regular stream of guests in the guest house. The other 3 units have 6 girls each in them.

Our family Christmas picture 2011

Allison is having her 2nd snow day in Seattle- due to the snow and ice there. She recently found out that her fiance, Tyler Gibson, is coming home from Madrid early... next Thursday instead of the end of March! She is very happy! We are making wedding invitations and plans are coming together for her April 29th wedding in the Seattle area.

Laura is now back in Bradford England until mid-April. She is still working with Greg from there and is back into outreach to internationals. Jesse continues to learn language in Monterey, CA until July when he hopes to graduate. Jenni is settled in in Pittsburg at her engineering job and will be going on a work field trip to visit an air craft carrier in Feb. last we heard.

We got off of Cobra insurance and are starting plans this month. Greg on one and me on another. We hope to save some money although a few of my prescriptions run in the $100's. I am going to look into CanadaPharmacy.com and see if that will help. Anyone tried that? My health insurance broker told us about that idea to save money.

I went to a week of training recently in Seattle for the latest in Kidzana curriculum. It was excellent, but one of my favorite parts of the week was a new friend I made named JoAnn. We talked about the issue of forgiveness and it was deep and very helpful to me. I will try to pass on the gist of that next time.

Would you like to go with me to SE Asia in March?

I have to raise $3500 for this trip in March. If any of you are interested in giving toward this amazing training of 260+ SE Asian Children's leaders who lead many hundreds or 1000's of children, let me know! It would be like you are actually there with me, and be a share holder in what God does. You would be making an impact for eternity! Please consider yourself invited, and let me know if you want to come in prayer &/or with finances. Your giving is tax deductible. It is a Kingdom investment that will send ripples out in growing God's Kingdom! I can't go without a team behind me. Maybe you are supposed to be on the team...hmmmm... Let's see what God does!

To Make a Donation: http://www.allegrosolutions.org Our account is: US-Frz.GNF

Gregand Nancy Fritz, Allegro Organizational Solutions
5535 Memorial Dr., Ste. F-811
Houston, TX 77007 USA
+1 (713) 874-1519

Home: 805 E. Huron Dr., Spokane, WA 99208

gregoryfritz116@gmail.com nancyfritz@aol.com

Greg:509.990.8479 Nancy: 509.990.8465

Greg’s blog:http://gregfritz.wordpress.com

Email Greg to receive our electronicletters

Blessings to you!
Nancy

Part 2 of my trip report- Finally!

2011-12-23T14:47:00.002-07:00

Dear friends,

Here is part two of my trip report about Beijing and surroundings. I have been asked by several to get this posted. Sorry for the delay. I have had major responsibilities at our regional missions conference, a dear friend from our growth group went to be with the Lord (her memorial service is today), a visit from my brother Paul's family, a trip to Denver and Christmas and events surrounding that. So, I have been busy.

I received an all clear for now from my oncologist. I almost had surgery this Wed. to fix the position of my bladder's neuro stimulator. It got dislodged from the correct location on the back of my right side when I fell down steps in the summer. The insurance clearance didn't come in time, which is sad since my whole deductible was met and it would have been 100% covered. I will have to wait and see if we can afford it sometime next year.

Some of our 16 at the Fritz's on Thanksgiving ( ;

All our kids were home last weekend and Allison is now in Madrid with Tyler and his family for Christmas. Jenni leaves on Monday so she can be at work on Tuesday, and Laura plans to leave on the 30th for Baltimore and then Bradford, England until the end of March. She will continue working with Greg from there. Jesse leaves on the 1st. We are enjoying our time together very much!

Here are more touring pictures of my time in China and also some of our training.

One day we got to visit the Cultural Park in Beijing. As the picture at the entrance implies, all of the 56 people groups of China are show cased. They have sample houses and performances by the various 20 somethings from these people groups wearing their ethnic clothing. We enjoyed getting our picture taken with several of them.

This was one of the sign posts in the park. At one point some Chinese girls came up and asked to have their picture taken with ME! I guess I was a rarity there!

After a Dai dance program, they demonstrated a water festival. They took smaller containers and dipped them to fill them with water, and then flung the water at each other. It was to signify pouring blessings on each other. Pretty neat!

Try to imagine these figures down in a lower courtyard that isn't open yet. They are made out of metal and are life sized. I could only show you a few here. There were many more. These are women riders playing polo!

These jade carvings are tiny and done in the sides of a 8-10 foot high solid piece of jade. They are only an inch high. Even the chain above to the left is carved out of the solid piece! Amazing.

Here I am teaching. I can't show you pictures of our students. I can tell you that the 28 students at this training in the country was fantastic! We had 3 days with them and taught 8 to 5 and in the evenings. Kimberle and I took turns teaching for about an hour at a time. We covered about 25 topics, some for 2 hours. We gave them time to apply what they were learning by writing their own materials for the programs they are doing. These were 3 network leaders and the rest were Sunday school teachers. They were from 6 different areas.

We taught approximately 25 topics over 3 days. Kimberle and I switched off with each other. We taught from 8 to 5 and again in the evenings. One thing we have them do is to draw their community. This gives us an idea of how their area is layed out and what things influence the lives of the children. This one shows a Buddhist shrine near the river that the kids go by every day. They set a goal of at least one new way to reach out to the children in their community.

Here I am teaching about discipleship. I love teaching this lesson. I came up with these pictures to help explain the process.

Another thing I enjoy doing is teaching about object lessons- how to do them and demonstrating some. If you don't have visual aids, you ARE the visual aid!

Here is my lesson on how to write a Bible lesson. You didn't know I could write in Chinese, did you? ( ; Again, we have them take what we have given them and actually write a Bible lesson they can/will use. Then it is practical training that they have learned and are already using. They absolutely LOVED being taught how to do this! And we loved teaching them!

This is the 4 hats Gospel presentation. First weare born with a veil of sin which separates us from God. Then Jesus came andgave His life for us and provided a way to a restored relationship with God- acrown of thorns. If we accept what Jesus offers, we trade in our veil ofdarkness for a helmet of salvation. When Christ comes back or we die, we arewearing one of these 2 hats. Either the veil which means forever separationfrom God, to helmet which gets turned in for the crown of life- eternal life withGod in heaven. Which hat are you wearing?

This Gospel presentation is the 5 Shirts. First you have green. The girl on the left was the only one with green on. She represents creation and has her arms up like a tree, signifying man one with God in relationship before sin entered the picture. Then we had someone with a black shirt come up to show how sin put up a barrier between man and God. Then a red shirt to show how Christ's sacrifice provided a way for man to be back in relationship with God. The white shirt shows how through prayer our hearts can be cleansed and we can be restored to a personal relationship with God. Lastly, someone with a gold or yellow shirt comes up to depict heaven, and our eternal home there if we have done the prayer shown in white. Each of these is shared with scriptures. It is easy, costs nothing and you have participation. You can use it anywhere in the world no matter what your budget! (The blue shirted guy was our translator.)

These are some samples of our training. I hope you get a feel for what I do when I go train overseas. I am gearing up for a big trip at the end of Feb into early March and am beginning the fundraising process. I would be honored to have you join my team financially and consider supporting me. I have to raise about $5000 to go. Just write me an email at nancyfritz@aol.com and let me know. I will get you the information you need. You will get a tax deductible receipt.

God bless you and Merry Christmas!

Nancy Fritz
509-990-8465

East Asia Trip Report- Land of Hard Sleepers and Soft Hearts: Part 1

2011-10-28T01:51:00.001-06:00

Dear friends,

Finally a chance to give you a more complete report about my trip! I was in East Asia for 20 days. My first week had an absolutely amazing opportunity to do "discipleship tourism." Wade, Greg's cousin, his son, Josh, (pictured here with me on the "B" section of the Great Wall) and I made up the tour group, and got to see sights in and around Beijing and hear their history from a Christian perspective. It was fantastic to hear what had happened at these places. I was grateful that there was a bathroom at the top of this climb at Tower #5! I was praying for a miracle and there it was! This really was as steep as it looks. My broken toes seemed to handle it OK.

Me and Josh at the "G" section of the Wall.

A welcome sight (at least the bottom part). The English wording on signs is often interesting.

Notice the bricks the wall is made of. We learned that families living in the villages near the construction of the Great Wall were required to make a quotient of bricks out of clay, ash for the Wall. When their bricks were brought, the overseer shot an arrow at them from a certain distance away. If the arrow penetrated the brick more than an acceptable amount, the entire family was killed. I had heard that many had lost their lives making the Wall, but I didn't know this was how! Can you imagine? Also, our guide told us that the Wall was never actually used for defence. None of it, ever! One time there as a battle at the foot of it, but it had no part in defense.

Here is a close up of some of those bricks.

Here is one of about 30 such meals I had while in China. I hardly ever saw the same food twice. Sometimes we had 4 entrees, and one time 14! I seriously could live on Chinese food! It is amazing as long as it isn't spicy. I don't do spicy well!

We went to see the Celestial Temple. This is a place emperors were required to go to say prayers to "The God of Heaven," the "Imperial God," and to give sacrifices in order for the harvest to be blessed. Read the sign below...

This walkway through the grounds of the Celestial Temple grounds was divided by these white lines to mark where everyone should walk. Only the Eternal God himself was allowed in the middle. The emperor walked on one side and the officials walked on the other side. This was to help remind the emperor that even he was subservient to a greater power.

Flower displays like this are placed all over the city.

We stayed in a chain hotel that whole week and 1/2. The beds are pretty hard and we finally figured out that they were just box springs! If you want a soft bed, you have to stay at a 4 or 5 star hotel. I remembered this from last year and brought a down throw that rolled us very small and brought it with me. I used the covers for padding and then used my blanket on top. At least it was a little softer! It was hot outside and I only wore my sweater a few times in Beijing, and wished for more summer clothes.

Our friends made sure we got to see the Olympic Park. Last year I was 1 mile away from the Bird's Nest and couldn't even see it because of the smog. It was clear when we went this time and it was impressive inside and out!

We got to go in and "feel" the inside of the place. It was really an experience imagining the Olympics in there. I had seen the opening exercises and to see it filled me with awe.

We got to go in and "feel" the inside of the place. It was really an experience imagining the Olympics in there. I had seen the opening exercises and to see it filled me with awe.

There was a video playing that showed the opening exercises of the Olympics with the sounds of applause, etc. 100,000 people can sit in there at a time. And all the seats are good seats!

Josh and I are in front of the water cube where the Olympic pools are. Behind you see an interestingly shaped building. It is built to look like the fire on the Olympic torch.

Right next to the Bird's Nest is the Olympic Torch.

As we walked along the Olympic Park, there are beautiful displays of flowers and pieces of art that have been donated by various countries. Along the way are fun signs to enjoy like these. Below see the art that was donated by the USA.

The subway station at the end of the Olympic Park looks like the theme of the Bird's Nest. Very cool!

This is all for now. I will enter another post later with details about a few other touring things and then the training! I hope you enjoyed the report so far! God Bless You! Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com 509-990-8465

Back from the Far East!

2011-10-15T23:48:00.000-06:00

Dear friends,

Wade, Josh and I after we had climbed to the top tower you see behind us.

I am officially part of the Great Wall!

The Bird's Nest was really amazing to see!

I arrived home from my trip this morning and it was absolutely fantastic! All of our prayers were answered and I will have lots to share very soon. We had all 3 trainings, although the 2nd one ended up to be more of a consultation for 3 days. We had no security problems and our health was good the whole time. We were given delicious food to eat, and got to try lots of variety. I didn't loose any weight while I was gone!

We had 62 students and all greatly appreciated the training. We were asked to come back next year. Our style is very interactive and practical and Kimberle and I do very well together. We compliment each other and enjoy each other. Our students were precious. We connected very well with them and some we knew from last year. Several of them came back bringing others, and one invited us to her network for the 3rd training. They want us back next year also.

I still can hardly express how rewarding it is to do this training which is so much what I enjoy and have talent for, and also is a blessing the Kingdom- ultimately helping teachers to lead children to Christ. I am so blessed! Thank you for all who went with me in your prayers and through your giving. I will give a more complete report with pictures in the next few days.

Blessings-
Nancy

2011-09-20T17:46:00.001-06:00

Dear friends, September 20, 2011
In less than a week I should be in East Asia for a 3 week trip. My schedule will be packed and exciting. I am finishing up my preparation for approximately 50 1 hour lessons (some repeats and some team-taught) I will be teaching to full-time pastors, youth leaders, children's workers, and many parents who want to learn how to disciple their children. We expect to have 85-100 students all together during three, 3 day trainings. The first training has people coming from 9-10 different locations all over the country.

So... I have been working through our situation of not having enough support to live on (see my last blog entry). Not a whole lot has changed logistically. We have a few new supporters and I was given two sacrificial cash gifts to take with me in case I need anything on the trip. Someone offered to buy me the suitcase I need, when I asked to borrow hers. The ladies at my church are going to be praying for my trip. You are invited to join my prayer team as well if you are so inclined!

My co-teacher, Kimberle- mom of 6!

An interview using a ladle microphone? Typical when you use local resources! That is the way we teach them to do it. They leave encouraged and empowered!

A city map explaining the lives of children there drawn at our last training by those

reaching them. It includes a polluted river, Internet cafe, playground, a fellowship, etc. After doing this, they planned ways to reach the children with their fresh perspective. Here is another one...

Please Pray for Nancy Fritz’s Trip to East Asia

Sunday Monday Tues. Wed. Thurs. Friday Saturday

25 Leave Spokane 2 p.m. thru Seattle	26 Arrive in BJ at 10 p.m. (22 hrs)	27 Disciple- ship tourism co-hosting	28 Touring BJ & hearing Christian history	29 First time this is ever being done.	30 Pray I would be a blessing to those I encounter.	1 Pray for those experiencing this trip to be impacted.
2 Teach SS at a house church in BJ –Ballet Kimberle arrives	3 Prepare & meet w/ hosts to plan	4 Train 30 BJ church youth and adult children’s workers	5 These 3 days we are training 9-5	6 Pray for those attending to successfully “get” & be able to apply all they learn	7 Day off to rest, go shopping and get ready for next training	8 Vision and skills training for 15 full-time Christian workers from several churches
9 Pray for training for youth leaders	10 Pray for unity while writing vision & mission statements	11 Day to travel to another province for last training & set-up	12 30 from 3 churches in rural area.	13 These are receiving their first training	14 Pray we would be able to finish strong	15 Leave for home at 9 a.m. Arrive home at 10:00 a.m. the same day!

Oct. 4-6 We will do a 2^nd training with some of the teachers we taught last year- 25-40. They want to learn more on the topics of classroom skills, discipleship, and teaching families how to be involved in the discipleship of their children. We will also review “1 for 50” for them. The host of this training just told me over skype that her son is in the hospital for a severe asthma attack. Please pray for him.

Oct. 8-10 We will be meeting with 15 pastors and youth leaders for 3 days. We will be sharing 1 for 50 vision for one day, helping them to develop a church vision statement for each of their churches and giving them tools for youth ministry.

Oct. 12-14 We will do a first level of training with a more rural group of 30 outside of the city. This will include a typical first level 1 for 50 training. All three of these trainings will be through translation. Pray for those doing the written translation.

Please pray for our stamina. Pray that we will stay healthy. Pray for us to work well together as a team. Pray that we will give our best to teach well. Pray that we will be able to rest well at night in hotels. Pray for security & protection from the Lord. Trainings have been shut down before.

Making Lemonade...
You know the old saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Laura is here for this season. We aren't sure how long, but do know that both from her side and ours, it is totally the Lord who brought her home. She and Greg work very well together and are beginning this new ministry together. She helped us turn one of our rentals into a guest house. It is furnished and looking wonderful and we have had our first guest. The empty units (lemons) will hopefully bring in some income this way (lemonade!)

Yesterday I was able to go with a friend for her second mammogram due to something suspicious (lemon). Everything turned out well. No cancer! We were able to have a great time encouraging each other (lemonade).

We really don't have enough coming in to pay the bills with $10,000 in taxes and other occasional bills due soon (lemons), but so far the Lord is providing what is absolutely due each day (lemonade!). We continue to trust that our ministry team will grow so that we will be able to take advantage of the ministry opportunities coming up as well as being able to pay our bills. Greg and I are on Cobra health insurance until the end of the year and that alone is $1250 a month. So the situation is tight... lean...skinny...no frills (lemon), but we have the opportunity to depend on Almighty God (lemonade)! It is a great place to be even though I don't like being here. I am growing in faith and worrying less. We are commanded not to worry anyway, right? It does no good, and God isn't going to answer my prayers any differently if I am depressed and crying as He would if I am optimistically trusting Him. I can change in mood, but my Heavenly Father is consistent no matter what! He doesn't change. He is good, faithful, trustworthy, loving, and a hundred other amazing things. Laura and I watched Soul Surfer the other night and it was a great encouragement. We recommend it. By the way, if you would like to join our financial team, either for a one-time gift or as a monthly member of our team? We would love to talk to you about this. Or you can click here to donate online by check or credit card. If you'd prefer, you can send a check to:
Allegro Organizational Solutions
5535 Memorial Dr., Ste. F-811
Houston, TX 77007 USA
Either way, our account is: US-Frz.GNF

It is an amazing time to be alive. I have been invited to India and another SE Asian country from mid-February through the first week or 2 of March. I am also supposed to go to Thailand in May for an international children's ministry conference. It is one of my Kidzana consultant responsibilities. I don't have the money to go (lemon), but I will if it is the Lord's will (lemonade)!

May the Lord bring me to meet those English speakers He puts into my path during my trip. During the first week I will be around other tourists. I will try to send an update while I am gone, but in case I can't, I will send one when I get back! nancyfritz@aol.com 509-990-8465 God bless you! Nancy Fritz

No hazy, lazy summer days here!

2011-08-10T17:28:00.004-06:00

Dear friends,

Tubing down the Little Spokane River by our neighborhood.

Tina, enjoying life...She tends to do that ALL the time!

You think this shadow is scary? You should have seen the real thing! "Black girl hair" is something we have learned a LOT about in the last two years! It is a LOT of work!

Greg and Adjua enjoying a respite during our hike around Brown's Lake in WA.

Into August already! I 've seen very little rain for weeks and the weather is perfect here in Spokane. We have taken Adjua and her two friends both tubing and camping and have had a lot of fun doing it. It was Tina's first "real" camping trip! And Greg gave swimming lessons to them when we were tubing. Tina is from Maloui and Miriam is from Kenya. We enjoyed hearing their stories, hiking, seeing a bear from the car, making som'ors and playing cards. In general- making great memories!

Laura is back in the States since her time in Israel came to a close. She is with Jenni right now and will be here at the end of next week. We haven't seen her since Christmas, so we are excited! She has lots of stories to tell and decisions to make.

Jenni is in her new home and has the house full- people-wise. Late last week her roommate was found. She is from Portland and just graduated from a Christian college. She is a perfect fit for Jenni and they are excited. It was miraculous how the Lord brought them together. Jenni has been fixing plumbing and getting settled while she waits for her job to start. She needs to start work soon as she has gone through almost all of her savings. She applied at Starbucks last week.

Jesse is learing scuba diving and is really enjoying it. He is almost done getting certified and remarked that it was nice to do something that he could pass the test on without so much difficulty! That's my boy!

Allison is still working hard at her nanny job. The boys are very sweet and the 19 month old can work and iPhone and is recognizing words when she reads to him.

My Reunion

Last month I went to my 35th high school reunion. It was a neat time and my thanks to Mitch and all who took part in planning the whole thing. I enjoyed re-meeting many old (not old!) classmates and their spouses and seeing several friends from my growing up years. How fun! Here are Nancy and Joyce.

One unfortunate thing that happened is that I fell and broke some toes- 3 breaks. The good news is no concussion and no foot cast. Gradually my foot is healing, but I think I re-injured it several times while camping with Greg last week. One bend the wrong way on a root or rock and ouch! Here it is a few days after I hurt it. The swelling was way down by then. I need it to get better before I go to Asia in late Sept. because I will be doing lots of walking and standing! I broke my other little toe last year before my trip to Asia. I don't want to make this a habbit!

I also got to see my mom and brother in Bath, NY for several days. It was good to be there. We got a chance to catch up and visit and talk about the future... And go to the ER to get me checked out. My cousin just happened to be working that day, so it was nice to see her! Thanks Mom and Scott. And the S's for loaning me a great car!

Greg and Me in ID last week

Greg hadn't taken a break for months, so last week we took 4 days and headed for the mountains. It was a fun time to off road camp together. We enjoyed the quiet, nature and swimming in rivers. We also saw 2 moose in one day- in separate places! Here they are, a grown female and a baby. We also saw a mother and twin fawns in a stream. Ahhh.

Here is one of our camping spots, and right beyond it is this 6' deep swimming hole in the river, which we had all to ourselves. It was cold but refreshing! No rangers, fees or neighbors!

While hiking on this path, I heard a huge crashing sound behind us. When we went back the other way, we found this huge tree that had fallen across the trail seconds after we had walked by there. We really sensed the Lord's protection! Someone told us we should go buy a lottery ticket! (We didn't.)

What is happening with our ministry situation?

Well, we are still waiting for our provision miracle from God. We still believe He loves us and has a plan. No one said it would be easy in this life. So we are riding out the surf of this unexpected wave.

We only have a fraction of what we need to pay our bills, let alone, do ministry. Opportunities are coming our way and we are turning them down for the time-being. My Asia ticket is already purchased, so that will happen, by God's grace. But opportunities after that are on hold. We only have 35-40% of our support pledged between now and the end of the year. We got no paycheck in July and will only get 40% in August and the remaining months of the year unless others join our ministry team, or we have some other miracle.

I feel like I am married to George Bailey- the best guy in town, but although everyone loves and respects him, they don't realize he(we) are in trouble. We still have 1/2 of our townhouses to fill up before school starts at Moody in 2 weeks. The leadership there believe we will filll them, but Wow! This time of trusting is really stretching us.

We have never defaulted on any payments, so this is a very strange place for us to be. Our fridge is broken so we are using a borrowed one out in the garage. I stopped taking vitamins and am only doing limited chiropratic and other medical things. We just did not anticipate being in this spot. (See last blog entry.) Prayers and creative ideas would be greatly appreciated. It is obvious that in this economy raising support is extremely difficult. Even after almost 3 decades of living within this model, we are struggling. We feel that we have a lot to contribute, but without our salary in place, we are like a sailboat with no wind. Pray that the wind of the Holy Spirit would fill our sails both spiritually and practically. We want to learn what the Lord has to teach us during this time.

Unlike George Bailey from It's a Wonderful Life, Greg's spirits are high. He is taking 2 hours a day to spend with the Lord and is optomistic and confident. I know in my head and need to trust with my heart. God is faithful. I am being very honest here. Bear with me as I pass through this time. I am looking forward to looking back and seeing what happened with all of this. I will testify! I already have much to testify about, so consider me a grateful daughter of the King.

We would love to be praying for you too. Let us know how you are!

P.S. When Greg and I were walking tonight, he reminded me that as we pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world, why would we think we deserve so much more as a standard than they do? Then we talked about living in a tent somewhere. There are worse things. If I would loose my joy in the Lord in this situation, shame on me! Putting it into perspective, makes it easier to be less stressed. Thanks for your prayers. It really is so small compared to what other friends are going through.

God bless- Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com Email me if you'd like to receive our newsletters.

Could things have turned out more different than we expected?

2011-07-14T01:14:00.000-06:00

Dear friends,
     Thanks for taking time to keep up with our story. It is turning out to be an interesting story to follow! All went as planned and we had a wonderful time camping with our friends and family. Then we celebrated Father's Day with Greg before Allison, Jenni and I headed for Seattle. I wondered how many times we would be traveling that road in the process of moving to Seattle in the next few months.

Kidzana
The girls dropped me off where I met up with the others going to the Kidzana training on Whidbey Island for the week. We ferried across and stayed at the amazing and beautiful home of a lady who shares it with groups like Kidzana for retreats like ours. We worked hard all week. We "tested" 24 curriculum lessons by reviewing and teaching the lessons to each other. We were looking at content, transitions, how well we could imagine them working overseas, etc. We also had wonderful fellowship and enjoyed some walks on the beach of Useless Bay. When the tide is out it the bay empties.

I am very excited about the opportunity I have with Kidzana. What a great fit for me! One thing that came out during our planning times, is that Sylvia (the founder and president to Kidzana) feels that my gift of networking is something unique I can bring to the ministry. She asked me to pray about going to a conference in Singapore in September focused on the 4/14 Window.

4 and 14 are the ages between which children are the most open to accepting the Gospel. Reaching them during those years is an opportunity to take advantage of. There are ministries from all over the world gathering at this conference for training, strategy and sharing vision about reaching the children of the world for Christ. I would be going to meet and network there, since personal relationships are often ultimately what brings ministries together to cooperate and get the job done. My connections with Partners International's partner ministries in the 10/40 Window, opens doors for relationships, training opportunities and reaching and discipling children. I am already planning to go to Asia in October for 2 weeks of training. Then in January-February for Greg and me to go 2 other countries in East Asia to do other training.

Wedding plans!
Allison and I spent the weekend working on wedding plans. We found a venue (the Rose Hill Community Center in Mulkeltio), bride's maids dresses, decorations and figured out invitations. We were busy! On Monday I went with Allison to her nanny job. She does an amazing job! The boys, 18 and 3 months, are adorable. I had fun helping out but understand why she is tired at night! Greg and I went from there to our time with visionSynergy.

A job...or maybe not
Greg and I met with the visionSynergy staff on the 28th as planned. We loved connecting with the staff, sharing ideas and exploring the possibility of Greg joining them. That evening Greg received an invitation to come on staff. We were all very excited. He stayed for 2 more days of meetings while I came home. We even found a house we were interested in. On Friday Greg was told that due to a reference that had come the day before, they wanted to rethink the job offer. He was told they would let him know in a week.

At the end of the week the decision was made to discontinue the idea of Greg working for them. They discovered that they are looking for someone with a different skill set from Greg's. We believe in vS's ministry and are very grateful that they discerned that Greg was not the person for the job BEFORE we uprooted and moved across the state. We are actually excited that if the Lord shut that door, He wll open another. How clear He was in communicating that He has a different plan for us. We need to move back to a total support based model immediately and we have set up a ministry account with Allegro Solutions in TX. The Lord is good and will take care of us. We are in a position of complete trust financially and as we discern just what our next steps are to be. We thought the job issue was all figured out. We were 100% sure! But it wasn't. Isn't this exciting??!! What a ride this life of faith is!

Stay tuned as we figure out next steps. We have 26 empty spots in the town houses we own for Moody Bible Institute students. 10 are filled. School starts in a month. Financial ruin lurks around the corner, but do you know what? GOD IS BIG AND HE LOVES US! He has never let us down before, and we have no choice but to trust Him. Let's see what He does.

Mom and High School
I leave in the morning for northern NJ and then upstate NY. First my 35th high school reunion. I have never been to one before. A real adventure. I was planning to go to my 30th, but had chemo instead. Then to see my mom for the week. Greg and Adjua will hold down the fort without me this week. Thank you to Adjua who let me use her computer since mine is in the repair shop for 14 days so far!

I hope you can enjoy the ride with us! Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com gregoryfritz116@gmail.com 509-990-8465.

P.S. Let us know if you'd like to join our ministy as a financial and/or prayer partner!

Thinking a lot about Seattle!

2011-06-16T01:38:00.001-06:00

Dear friends,
Jenni, Allison and I had a fantastic time with Jesse in Monterey over Memorial Day weekend. He took excellent care of us. We saw Cannery Row in Monterey, the downtown and beach at Carmel- the town that is the most dog friendly town in the USA and probably the world. Very interesting and pretty place. Here are my road trip buddies. They did most of the driving. Early in the morning we found ourselves in the middle of the redwood forest. Here are my "tree hugging" girls!

We were excited to see Jesse at his house which he shares with several others. He is only 2 houses from the Taylor St. gate to the Presidio, and so is able to walk to work.

We were joined on Saturday day by Heng Hua- our dear friend from Taiwan we met in Denver 6 years ago, and have maintained contact with. She lives in San Jose now and Jenni and I stayed with her on our way home.

Jesse took us to Big Sur on Sunday after church at Shoreline. Big Sur was gorgeous! The only wildlife we saw on the beach was a skunk! Big Sur was so amazing there is no way to capture it in a few pictures, but here are a couple to give you an idea.

After our day at the beach, we headed back to Jesse's. Here is a statement our our times...All of us with our laptops- including me! Since I got home, Jenni, Greg and I all got i phones for $20! Now I am learning how to work mine. Fortunately Jenni, Greg and Adjua are all good at teaching me how to use it.

Jesse had a huge Arabic exam after we were there and didn't do well on it. He couldn't be studying any harder- at school all day and evenings and most weekends as well. We have been asking the Lord to help him with his Arabic studies and keep him in the course if it is where He wants him. As long as Jesse is putting his all into it, he and we have confidence that the Lord is in this. He has been assigned a personal tutor for the next 3 months. If he does poorly again they will decide what it next- another language (French?), or something else. He said he will be there for a while longer- 6 months or so- regardless. We would love for you to pray for Jesse. He is already an interigator.

After sending Allison back to Seattle on a flight, Jenni and I went to LA. When staying with Karen, we got to see a humming bird nest outside her window. Here is a picture. Notice the size of the pencil next to it! They have since hatched.

Jenni visited with her friends where she worked in Huntington Beach last swummer, and I visited with friends/supporters in the LA area. I really enjoyed seeing so many friends. I also had lunch with Greg's potential new boss who offices out of Pasadena. The actual office is in Seattle.

I realized that it has been too long since I have seen these special friends. We got to meet a new supporter on the way home in San Francisco and visited another family before Jenni and I drove all night to get home. We decided to make a memory and drove through a redwood tree!

Our Transition Update

It seems at this point that the Lord is steering us toward visionSynergy in Seattle. This is almost a finished decision. We will be making a final decision in the next 2 weeks. The Lord closed the door on the TX ministry, and the decision was clear. Thanks for praying. We are excited about the fit for Greg at visionSynergy and are having an interview on the 28th at the office in Seattle. They want Greg in the office without commuting, so we will have to be creative in handling this move. While there for the meetings, we will look at houses. The office is in Edmonds. We have to sell our house in Spokane. So we would appreciate prayer as we work on all this. We also have to find a new family for Adjua to live with. Pray for packing, selling, finding a house we can afford which is also big enough for ministry & hospitality, good-bye's, hello's, etc. Transition is just HARD. But God is BIG! I will have to depend on Him completely. We also know now that we need to find a place for Allison's wedding in Seattle most likely!

Next Week at a Kidzana Training Conference on Whitby Island

After camping this weekend with Jenni, Adjua, Allison and our friends at Priest Lake, Jenni, Allison and I will head to Seattle. They will drop me off to go to a training for the week. We are going to be trained on the updated curriculum. I will be training in Asia in Oct., Lord willing, and early next year in Indonesia and India. I hope I can absorb all that I need to learn. My training mentor for Oct. will also be there as well as friends from Denver. I will hang out with Allison until Greg comes to Seattle for the house hunting and meetings. So I am packing for 2 weeks currently.

Going to My 35th Reunion

I am putting together flying miles, a visit to my mom and my 35th high school reunion. I am looking forward to my first HS reunion ever. I have started making connections with some I will be seeing. That will be July 14-22. And this in the middle of moving, etc. What am I thinking??!! But that is when this came together.

My right knee is the one that has the spur and is hurting. I will get the shots at the end of June. We will be going on Cobra for at least 3 months. That will enable me to continue on with my same plan for this transition time. We are still trying to fill 30 spaces in our MoodyBible Institute housing townhouses here in Spokane. Pray that we would get them full since we really need to have them full to make our finances work.

Well, I need to get to bed and then packing for these trips tomorrow. God bless!

Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com

Transition update and California here we come!

2011-05-26T02:37:00.000-06:00

Dear friends,
(My Mother's Day Flowers from my kids!)
Job Update
Greg went to Houston today to meet with one of the ministries he is very interested in. He needs to see them face to face to figure out if this is a match or not. We have been asked by another ministry if we would be willing to move to Seattle. And there is another one we heard from as well today. I think by next week we might have more of an answer regarding what the next step will be. We are grateful for these options that are exciting and strategic. Moving isn't that appealing, but we could if we had to. These opportunities cover a gammet of fully supported to paid to mixed. Please join us in praying for discernment as we make this huge decision. We are officially done at Partners June 30th.
California Trip Thursday- Tomorrow
Tomorrow Jenni and I go meet Allison at the end of work at 4:30 and head for Monterey to see Jesse for the weekend. He has 4 days off and we are all excited to get to have time with him. On Monday morning we will take Allison to the airport to fly back to Seattle, and Jenni and I will leave on Tuesday morning for Los Angeles. Jenni will visit the friends she lived and churched with last summer during her internship, and I will visit supporters. Then we plan to drive back to Spokane the following Monday (June 6th) for 2 days. We would appreciate prayers for safety in travel and to be able to make connections with family and friends along the way. The oil in our Toyota Yaris is changed and new windshield wipers are in place. We are looking forward to this adventure.

Health Update
     I have lots of news here... My sore left knee is hurting because of a bone spur on my knee cap. I will get injections at the end of June-beginning of July in both knees. Not steroids, but a material that pads the joint. That helped for 6 months last year and should relieve the problem at least until after China. My oncologist urged me to do what I need to to keep myself moving and not let bad knees stop me from exercizing. My knee is popping, but not all the time.
     I saw my surgical oncologist last week. She went over my PET scan, followed up with an ultrasound and everything is clear! I had my annual appointment with my oncologist this Monday and she explained that the right side of my chest is getting smaller because the chest wall is pulling tighter due to the radiation there. The actual TRAM flaps which are primarily fat tissue from my stomach, are basically immune to the radiation. There is nothing to do about the assymetry. So she prescribed a small form I can put into one side of my bra which makes me even. My clothes fit much better now, and I am very grateful! What great doctors!
     My neuro stimulator for my bladder is working fantastically. No problems at all. Another praise. I am so grateful to the Lord for providing relief for this problem. I really don't even notice it working much at all. I tried turning it up and turned it back down after I was feeling it too much. All went well at the airport. I went in the scanner where your hands are over your head. That is the safe one for devices like pacemakers.
A Travel 'God Moment'
    Greg and I traveled to Jenni's graduation. As we were getting on the plane in Spokane, I heard someone say, "Nancy!" I turned around to find Karol Evans, one of our supporters and a dear friend, getting onto the same plane traveling back home from Spokane where she was visiting family. After the plane took off, she and Greg switched seats and we talked a mile a minute the whole way to our layover in Denver. We were thanking the Lord for this divine appointment. To be on the same airline, same plane and at the same time. What are the odds outside of God doing it? Amazing!
Jenni Graduated!

Jenni is now an official mecanical engineer! It was an outdoor ceremony and rained. Indoors would have been very hot in the gym and Laura Bush spoke, so the crowd was huge. Here is Laura Bush.

Anyway, it was a special time. We helped Jenni move out of her dorm and had a picnic under a pavilion with Jenni's France friends and their families. (France girls below) Greg and I had a nice visit with Dr. Linda Christie, who is a Grove City prof of Laura's who has become a dear friend of ours over the years.

     Jenni passed her certification test, and graduated caum laude. She is waiting for her security clearance to get done so she can work at Bettis Atomic Laboratories in Pittsburgh, PA. She hopes to start at the end of June.
      Greg thought it would be smart to check out the housing market and see if she could invest in a house rather than renting. The short story is that she is in the process of buying a small house in Forest Hills! It is skinny and tall and includes a separate apartment which she will be able to rent easily since she is close to 2 universities. She will also get a roommate to share the rest of the house with her. The Lord seems to be opening this door for her. We are shaking our heads amazed at the amazing deal and how all has gone smoothly so far. We hope it all works out with inspections, etc. She is excited to set up her own home.
     Laura is doing well. She put on a conference in England for Musahala recently. It went well and 150 people attended from all over the world. She is back in Israel now.We are still trying to figure out where Allison should get married since we don't know where we will be next April.
     So there is the update. Email me if you have any questions that I didn't answer with this. I am going to sleep and finish packing. We had our first humming bird yesterday! God bless you. Nancy Fritz 509-990-8465 nancyfritz@aol.com

Transition continues...

2011-05-02T15:47:00.001-06:00

Greetings-
I left you with a cliffhanger the last time so I will fill you in....

Neuro inplant went great!
Greg and I arrived at the hospital at 10:00 as we were told to a week ago on 4/22. Well, I hadn't had anything to eat or drink since midnight, so as time kept passing, I felt more and more wilted. I think I finally went in at noon or so to get prepped. Surgery had gone slower than planned that morning, so that was the tie up. Anyway, once the IV went in I felt better and everyone was wonderful. We had been hoping and praying for an anesthesiologist who would understand Dr. R's need for me to be somewhat awake so she would have the added assurance that the "lead" or wire was placed correctly by getting my input about what I was feeling. The doc. doing the annesthesia was fantastic. She understood completely and all went perfectly. I had no pain and remember flicking in and out to give them the answers they needed. So all went very smoothly.

As I expected, I was very sore for a few days and moved slowly. The bladder "pacemaker" is about 1 1/2" to 2" below the surface in my right hip. I can feel the constant background hum of it working but don't notice it without thinking about it. I was taught how to use the remote, which has a few different programs on it. I go in to have it checked over on Thursday this week. I think it needs to be turned up more, so we will do that then. As far as healing, it is still a little tender on the spot where the device was put, but not much. So thank you for praying for this. I have an official card that I am to carry all the time, and have to stay away from the screening machines at the airpirt from now on. I will test how that goes next week when Greg and I fly to Jenni's graduation at Grove City. I think I may need to have a med alert bracelet made.

Since we won't be at Partners much longer, that means health insurance will falll completely on us to pay for. That will be a huge expense. I have a few more doctors to see before that happens to make sure all bases are covered. I see my oncologist and breast surgeon later this month. I don't know why but the right side of my chest is getting smaller or the left bigger so that now it is about a 1 to 2 ratio. That is new and if nothing else, it is getting harder and harder to get clothes to fit. I also have a sore left knee after falling on it a few times this winter- on the ice.

Transitions

This weekend, Allison came home to visit. It is her birthday today and yesterday was her fiance's (Tyler). She did a work project with Greg on Saturday morning and we had a nice birthday dinner Sat. night. Yesterday Greg and Allison ran in the famous Bloomsday race in Spokane. I helped at the Running Water booth at the race helping to raise awareness and donations for some clean water projects for Africa and Indonesia.

So here is the situation... We don't know where we will be living in a year when she will be getting married. If we are here, we have lots figured out. But if we need to move, things get really complicated. She has ordered her dress online and it should be here at the end of the month. It is beautiful and we can recommend some inexpensive websites if you are in the market! Jenni will be here then before she goes back to Pittsburgh for her engineering job in late June.( Jenni asked for prayer that her security clearance will go through smoothly. If it doesn't, it could cost her her job.) Anyway, one transition is to figure out where we will be living, and where to plan the wedding.

But before that happens, we need to figure out what the Lord is calling us to do next. A Christian leader and friend visited us last Monday and gave us some very good input on questions to ask ourselves to help us in our search and decision making. PLEASE PRAY for us as we do this. We are very touched that a friend and co-worker at Partners told us he is doing a 40 day fast to ask God to guide us to the next thing. He is also praying for Partners. We received word on Saturday that a $585,000 gift has come in which will help the ministry out of the truely critical financial situation we were in. We are so grateful to the Lord for showing His desire to have PI survive.

Greg is working very hard these days, listening to the Lord and talking to people. Pray for him to be discerning and for me to be quiet when I need to be. We don't have the luxury of time to figure things out. Our support base is at approximately 50% of what it was, and we will be dependant on that to pay the bills including our insurance premiums. God is big and has always taken care of us, so I know I can trust Him. But I am feeling vulnerable. It takes time to raise support. We do have the best team in all of history though!

If you know me, you know that I really have peace deep down inside, and sometimes just have to feel how I feel. And I process things out loud. I don't hold much in. So know that, and don't worry about me- just pray for me to rest in the Lord. I feel sorry for the weeds I just pulled out of the yard before I wrote this! The Lord and I were communicating as I wrestled with them. It was healthy.

Well, I need to get the guestroom ready for Pastor Noah from Timbuktu who Jesse worked with 2 years ago in Mali. We get to have him overnight. Our friend who is fasting told me that he thinks one of the most significant things the Lord did during our 4 years here is the relationships He has established with our international partners and with the staff. I agree with him. When asking the Lord if we should come here, He told me He was offering me a gift- that it would be like receiving a platter of my favorite desserts. Well, those desserts clearly represent the amazing brothers and sisters He introduced me to during this time. Noah is one of those. I am so very rich for the these experiences and relationships.

I will let you go for now. Thank you for praying and caring. God bless you! Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com

Transitions...and surgery today

2011-04-20T03:39:00.000-06:00

It is the 20th of April and Easter is coming on Sunday. Our church does a great job helping us prepare our hearts and think about all that Easter- the first one- means to us. Wow! Did God do a cool thing coming to earth as a human after already being a resident of heaven. He gave all that up for us. And then He lived a human life witnessing pain, hunger, disease, unfairness, injustice. He also experienced relationships, love, joy, laughter, sharing meals with friends and generosity. All of it- all of life.

And then He experienced the accusations of crimes of which He was innocent. He paid the price for all of those felonies, lies, and wrongs- all ever committed by mankind born before and after Himself. Wow. That is love. At Bible study yesterday we talked about compassion and how we can learn to express it to those in our lives. Jesus was the amazing example. I do hope He gives me chances to express His love to others.

Transitions...
Greg's job at Partners International is coming to an end at the end of June. We need to figure out what the Lord has for us next. Last week as we had our annual meetings with our international regional directors, other leaders and staff gather for meetings, it was bittersweet for me. I already knew that Greg had been told that we are on our way out of PI. He was asked not to say anything about that during the week, so as I listened to reports and caught up with friends and made plans for a few Kidzana training trips, I was sad to know that I will soon be saying good-bye to this ministry.

At the time when our departure was announced, Greg spoke some and I can just tell you that I am married to an amazing man. He is full of integrity and humility and is an example to me. There were many tears and some sobbing as we hugged and processed this news with friends afterward. I was spent. I am grateful for the amazing brothers and sisters we have had the honor to know during these 4 years. When we moved to Spokane, the Lord gave me a promise that this time would be like a gift for me, and He has fulfilled that promise.

Surgery today
At 11:30 I am scheduled to have the neurostimulator installed to aid my bladder in working properly. I wrote about this in an entry a few times ago. The temporary one worked perfectly, so we scheduled this procedure to put in the permanent one. My doctor needs the aid of a special x-ray machine to get the lead placed exactly where she wants it. I may be sort of awake during the surgery so I can tell her what I am feeling, but it depends on the anesthesiologist assigned to her OR. If they don't understand what she is trying to communicate, they will probably just put me to sleep. She said it takes a special skill to keep me awake and pain free too. The device will be implanted a few inches deep in one of my hips. Then there will be a remote that will operate it which Greg and I will be taught about after the surgery. I have a feeling I will be sore for a few days.

My carpal tunnel surgery several weeks ago went great. I am still sore, but gradually it is doing better. I have been having low back pain and one of my doctors sent me for a PET scan. I haven't seen the doctor about it yet, but I got the report and it was clear. Arthritis showed up in my back. I will take that instead of cancer any day! It really is a relief to have a clean scan. It is like getting a "cancer-free for a year or so at least" card!

Well I have an early meeting about our regional missions conference in November. I am in charge of workshops and tracks and I have a lot to do still. If any of you have ideas of what Greg and I might do next in our lives, we are open to suggestions.

God bless you! Nancy Fritz 509-990-8465 nancyfritz@aol.com

The Holland Tunnel and Carpal Tunnel

2011-03-25T01:52:00.000-06:00

Greetings!

We are back from our east coast trip and are grateful for how well everything went. Our time at Grace Church was wonderful. A little girl in Sunday school asked where I grew up, and after a quick moment of thought I told her, "Right here!" That was pretty neat. Greg preached and I shared about China and Ghana with the kids in Sunday school. The group is deciding on dates and who will go. What a treat to be with so many who have known me/us for so long and who have been so faithful in their support of our ministry.

We had a nice time with Greg's family in PA and got caught up with them before heading to Lancaster and Mt. Joy for Calvary Bible Church's mission conference there. We really enjoyed meeting the folks there. What a neat church! I think they were able to grasp the concept of partnering with indiginous ministries very well. Greg did a great job with his presentations and they asked great questions. They are obviously a church that has a heart for outreach and missions. We were blessed! On our way back to Laguardia Airport, we went through the Holland Tunnel. : )

In the morning Greg is taking me for my second carpal tunnel surgery. The other one was done last year and has worked wonderfully. It doesn't take long to do. So I will be taking it easy after that. Late in the afternoon we have a couple from Delhi, India coming to stay with us for the weekend. They have a lot of ministry going on with both Hindus and Muslims. We will get to learn more about what they are doing this weekend. There is a luncheon for mission committee leaders on Saturday hosted by Partners at our office. Others are doing the set up and Greg will lead the meeting.

Well, off to bed. Thanks to all of you who prayed for our trip. I really was a great trip.
God bless! Nancy 509-990-8465

Flying east and God is good!

2011-03-10T16:51:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

      I am packing my suitcase yet again for our trip to NJ and PA from the 11th-21st. We will be meeting with a team from my home church who are planning a short term trip to Ghana this summer. When a group travels with Partners International, they serve and help the receiving ministry in ways our indiginous leaders have identified. Like the team from our church here in Spokane that went to Ghana and helped open the issue of the women accused of witchcraft for the leaders there to deal with head on. I am looking forward to hearing about the plans that are coming together for the team from Grace Church in Ridgewood. They got to meet the ministry leader from Ghana last month when he was in the States for other things.

After our time at Grace Church, we will head to PA. We will have some time with family and then we will see some supporters before heading to the Lancaster area to participate in a missions conference at that church on behalf of Partners International. We will make our way back to NYC to fly out on the 21st. We would appreciate your prayers for safety in travel and that we would be used be the Lord to be a blessing and also good listeners.

I had the neuro-stimulation test done last week on my bladder and IT WORKED!!! It was amazing! My bladder performed perfectly for the 3 days the wire stimulated the nerve going to my bladder. The next step is to go to the hospital to have the permanent one put in which includes a wire with tines to keep it placed, and also a small unit to control it placed under the skin in my low back. The slight electrical pulse I felt was almost unnoticable and was so very worth the relief of a predictable bladder. This will probably be done in April.

On March 25th I am planning to have my left wrist fixed for carpal tunnel. The symptoms are back after the 2nd shot and it only lasted 2 months this time. The shots cannot be done this frequently and my doctor feels that for me the best way to avoid permanent nerve damage is to do the surgery. I had it done on my right wrist and it worked fantastically. And the proceedure only took about 10 minutes. So that is the plan.

The Kidzana Institute last week was wonderful. 13 people participated and all were blessed and encouraged. Many attended less than the whole time, but all felt that the training was practical and were very glad they had come. And Greg and I got to have a few days with Sylvia, the director of Kidzana and her friend staying with us. Sylvia is an amazing person and she and Greg can talk the big global missions picture for hours.She has become a dear friend. Another benefit of the training was developing deeper relationships with other Spokane childrens workers.

Well, I need to finish filling my suitcase. If any of you are in the Ridgewood area, Greg will be preaching this Sunday morning. God bless you!   Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com

Off to AZ in the morning, and on from there!

2011-02-09T04:13:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
COMINGS AND GOINGS
     These have been busy days. Allison has moved to Seattle- 2 weeks ago- and I helped to get her ready to go. She is in an apartment in the University district near Green Lake. I need to visit her and see what it all looks like. She got a nanny job today with a family she really is excited about. They have a 15 month old son and another due next month. Her boyfriend, Tyler, is living south of the city until he leaves for Spain in March to do mission work in Madrid.
     Last week Allison's 3 friends from FL and Alabama flew in for 5 days of vacation with her. Tyler was here too and also a friend of theirs who is here in Spokane attending Moody Bible Institute. So it was pretty exciting at our house!
     After they all left on Sunday, I remade the bed for Vasantaraj and Mano from India. They work with an amazing ministry in Carola (sp?) on the east coast in Tamilnadu. Mano shared stories this morning in chapel at the office and will be traveling tomorrow to Arizona...and so will Greg and I.
     Tomorrow morning many staff members are heading to Scottsdale to get ready for the President's Forum. Our guests will arrive on Thursday when the program will begin. Ken Medema will be our musical guest, Ted Dekker will be speaking and the highlight is hearing from several of our amazing partners. Emmanual is here from Ghana, our house guests from India, and Afeef is coming from North Africa. Their stories of changed lives and communities are amazing. For instance 44 churches were planted in muslim/animistic northern Ghana in 2010! 44! This is hard rocky soil and yet the Gospel is spreading by the grace of God. I will tell you more of their stories after we get back.
     We will be returning to Spokane on Sunday. Then next Friday I head to Denver until Tuesday to do a program on China for the 175+ kids in the Bible Blast class that supports us at Cherry Hills Community Church. Then, March 3-5 I am bringing a Kidzana Institute to Spokane. I am recruiting currently, and our goal is to have 20 people take the training. This is the training I did in east Asia in Oct., and it is simply amazing. Having seen it so spot on effective in Oct., I am hoping many will take advantage of doing it here next month.
     A little later in March, Greg and I will head to NJ and PA for training and meetings with churches that are connected to Partners. Greg has a new job at Partners International called Church Resources, and is in the midst of figuring out what all that will entail. That trip will last almost 2 weeks. I think I get to be home for a while until we go to Jenni's graduation from Grove City in early May.

Exhale...
HEALTH UPDATE
     A few have asked about my health. My bladder is still acting up and muscular control is sluggish at best. We have tried every idea my doctor has (and she is amazing), and we have decided to try one more idea that works well for some people. There is a procedure where a wire which is connected to a device is inserted close to the nerve that goes to the bladder. Like a pacemaker, the device sends impulses to the bladder nerve urging it to contract. First we do a trail, and if that works, a permanent wire is inserted that has tines on it and a small version of the device is placed under the skin. The test run will be on February 28th, and if it works, the permanent one will be put in by the end of March. My insurance has approved trying this- but their permission is only until the end of March.
     I am doing a health coach program through my doctor's office to help me learn how to eat more healthy and heal my intestines. A test that we did last year showed that I have a leaky gut, my food doesn't digest well at all, and there is a great deal of inflammation. Now with a glycemic (sp?)index diet, I am eating healthy food every 2- 3 hours during the day and am taking extra protein that absorbs right into my system also. I am accountable for what I am eating and for exercise. Anyway, I go see her every 2 weeks and she gives me feedback on how I am doing and answers my questions. The goal is to change habits forever. With my cancer history, this is going to give me much more of a fighting chance.
     My right knee got pulled when I was working out at the gym, but I am sure that will be feeling better soon. I finished my physical therapy with Barb who was helping me get rid of the scar tissue I had from radiation on my left side. I learned how to do massage myself too. I also got another shot in my left wrist which was having lots of carpal tunnel problems again. There is a small chance the shot this time will work longer than the 2 1/2 months the last shot worked. If it comes back, I will probably get it fixed. That worked well on my right wrist. A ten minute surgery and great results.
     So, I hope that is enough of an update to give you an idea. I am approaching my 12th and 5th anniversaries of my breast cancers, and continue to be grateful for every day the Lord gives me! I talked to our friend in East Asia and they want us to come back this fall and do phase 2 of the Kidzana training. (Greg thinks he should come with me!) I need to check out this possibility after I get back from AZ.
     Well, I am going to sign off and go eat a salad!
God bless you- Nancy

Thanks for praying

2011-01-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

Hello there!
Yesterday I went to the doctor and learned that the pain in my left lung area was bruised muscles between my ribs from all the coughing. My lungs are clear and what I have is viral. I also got a cough medicine for night time which enabled great sleep last night after many nights of coughing. This is going around and I will be fine. The fever is gone and I am feeling a little better today. Thank you for praying.
God Bless,
Nancy

Would appreciate prayers

2011-01-16T23:23:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
Last Tues. morning I had bout of acid reflux which seemed to burn my throat. The next day I started a dry cough. I didn't do all my cold remedies since I thought it was just because my throat was raw. It is now Sunday eve and I have a horrible cough and my right chest is hurting and I have a 101 fever. I missed church today and slept the whole day away. I will call the doctor tomorrow and see what he says. Greg is teaching Perspectives tomorrow night and I am supposed to help with the World View Demo. Pray we would get me on the mend and I would be able to sleep in between all the coughing.
I will let you know...
Blessings-
Nancy

Out with the old, in with the new...car, washer & dryer...

2011-01-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
     A family Christmas picture and one of Charlie- the dog we dogsat for Jesse's Army buddy. And comparing who is the fattest after a big holiday dinner!
A NEW CAR
     Jenni got in on time and the next day she and Jesse helped us buy a new car to replace our 2001 Mazda MPV we had named Seabiscuit- small but lots of umph. By 8 p.m. on the 23rd we ended up with a 4 door, red, 2008, Toyota Yaris. It is in excellent condition and handles in the snow like it has 4 wheel drive. It has all weather tires and is certified, so that means we have the warranty to 100,000 miles or 5 years. The family felt that a smaller car was better for me since most of the time I don't need the small van. This one gets 40 mpg. It has a big trunk for my stuff, and it seems to be growing on me. Of course everyone wants to drive it!
ALLISON IN THE ER
     Allison's car is in the shop, so she is taking mine tomorrow when she goes again to Seattle for another nanny interview. Jenni is going with her. The night before last, Allison broke out in hives and Jenni and I ended up taking her to the ER, concerned that she would stop breathing. The swollen spot on her elbow where it started looked to us like it might be a spider bite, so we didn't want to take any chances. We got there at 10:15p.m. and left at 1:15. The doctor took one look at her and said she was allergic to the antibiotic she had finished 24 hours earlier for a dental issue. We need to confirm which type she had been on, but suspect she is allergic to the pennicilyn type. She is on benedryl and steroids for now and is having fresh hives still breaking out today. The swelling on her eyes looks better today and she knows not to itch. Please pray for her reaction to end and for her interview tomorrow. She needs to find a place to live in Seattle with roommates also. All the jobs are there and none are in Spokane. We are grateful that at least she will be only 5 hours away.
THE DRYER
     About the time we were thinking about taking Allison to the ER, our neighbor who is an appliance repairman, was here checking our dryer. He told us it was tentative. Well, yesterday it kicked the bucket. Last night Jenni and I went to a few places and ended up at Sears buying a washer/dryer set- the energy star kind. We will use the old washer in a rentals eventually. So when it rains it pours, huh?

BREAST CANCER
     With a heading like that I will start by saying that I am OK and don't have any cancer in my body that I know of. I had a cystoscopy procedure right before Christmas to check my bladder and there were no leasions there. My bladder lining actually looks less raw than last year. There is now scar tissue in there- probably from extending it last year with 500 or so ml of saline to stimulate healing. I still have my intersticial cystitis symptoms. I am achy since I stopped taking naproxin for muscular and joint pain from other meds. It was causing me to gain weight. Since I stopped taking it, my weight is coming back down. I am also on an accountability program with my doctor for diet and exercize which I began yesterday.
     I got a call last weekend from Lois from my church. She had listened to my talk about the 10 blessings of breast cancer in October right after I got back from Ch!na. She said it touched her deeply and she went home and checked herself. And she found something. It was cancer and she had a lumpectomy on Wednesday this week and wanted to thank me that what I had shared had given her peace about her own situaition. I am honored and humbled that what I shared made a difference for someone in such a personal way. I thought it would be good to share my basic outline for you all here. Of course there are details left out, but I think this will give you the idea. I have a strong urge to share this with you today. I have a lot to do, but needed to do this first.

     I will sign off here. I do wish you an amazing year, full of an awareness of God's hand on your life in the little and big moments.   God bless you!    Nancy Fritz      nancyfritz@aol.com    509-990-8465

The 10 Blessings of Breast Cancer
By Nancy Fritz © 10/2010

1. Save on shampoo and TIME!

2. Fun Times! (Picking out wigs, etc.)

3. Gaining a deeper appreciation for the days I am given by the Lord. (It isn’t pancreatic cancer and can be
    removed!)
Ephesians 5:15
Be very careful then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

4. Learning that the right question to ask is not, “Why me?” but, “Why NOT me?”
As a believer in Almighty God, I have the resourses of my relationship with Him to help me through- an advantage and blessing that those without Him face these hard times without. I know where I am going when I die, so even the worst case senarieo doesn't scare me. I am looking forward to it!

Matt 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, for I have overcome the world.

Phil. 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

2 Corinthians 1:5-6
For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if you are comforted it is for your comfort which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.

5. Earning my membership in a sisterhood that was not sought, but is an amazing privilege!

6. I learned how to be on the receiving end of ministry by the Body of Christ.

7. I got to be a witness to all the professionals and other patients I encountered. Oncologist, nurses, radiation oncologist, pharmacists, blood draw people, other patients, surgeons, radiation technicians, etc…

8. I learned how to give back later and become a blessing to others by sharing my experiences.
Life went/goes on! www.nancyupdate.blogspot.com

9. Learned firsthand about God’s Grace Bank...
       A relationship with Him gives you an account.
       He has unlimited resources of grace there.
       He knows your circumstances intimately.
       He will give you grace
       It is given when you need it- never early.
              Minute by minute, second by second, and day by day.
              How much you need- never any extra.
              Like manna, it isn’t meant to be stored.
              He is totally worthy of trust and is faithful with His love and grace.
2 Corinthians 12:9
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

10. I learned what to do (and not to do) to minister to someone with breast cancer.
        You never know what to say when someone says, “So, you’re cured!?”
A counselor asked me, “It is like there is a murderer in your back yard and he could come inside at any time. How are you handling that?” The only way to know that your breast cancer isn’t going to come back and kill you is if you die of something else first. It is a process. Some days I think about it, some days I don’t.
        So ask how she’s doing or if she’s had any recent test results. (5 years clear means little. My recurrance was at 7 years and I have heard stories like mine often. 5 years of survival is something to celebrate- 5 years and you are still alive! It just doesn't mean you are guaranteed no further cancer.)
       Ask, “How often are you seeing your doctor these days?”
       Let her share about how she feels without trying to fix her. Give her a chance to be honest. I know some people wouldn't understand the ongoing vigilence, so I don't go into details with them. Every time I have a test, the possibility of bad news is very real. Most people who know me don't have a clue about those times.

If in treatment, ask what you can do to help…
        Meals if there is a family to feed.
        Rides to treatments. (Chemo might take most of a day)
        Care for children if this is a need.
        Listen to children share their heart in a safe place.
        Coupons for restaurants
        Coupons to health food grocers to get supplements
        Finances if insurance isn’t enough
        Go to Dr. apts. to listen w/ extra ears
        Fun things she might not get to do normally, like movie coupons for a date night if she is married…

Almost Christmas

2010-12-22T23:04:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
     It is getting close to Christmas and the family is making their way home. Jesse got home last Friday. On Saturday Charlie came. Charlie is the dog of Jesse's friend. He is a wonderful and well behaved dog. His owners have gone to visit their dad/husband who is stationed on the western side of the state and is not allowed to leave. Charlie is here for 10 days and our kids are calling him a Christmas miracle for our family.
     Allison bega her journey to Spokane from Ft. Lauderdale on Thurday with Tyler. Tyler is her boyfriend. They drove to Durango, CO, stayed for a while with friends there, and then drove here. They arrived about 11 p.m. on Sunday night. Smooth sailing the whole way. We are enjoying getting to know Tyler- and he is getting to know us!
     Allison and Tyler went to Seattle yesterday and stayed with his extended family. She had a job interview today at 2:00 with a high end nanny placement company, and she went to meet a family for a possible nanny job right after that. I haven't heard yet how that went. They will come back here tomorrow.
     Laura got home on Tuesday late afternoon after 25 hours of travel from Bradford, England. She traveled from Bradford through Amsterdam, to Detroit, to Batimore, to Salt Lake City, to Spokane. And she arrived only one hour late. Airports closed and opened all around her arrivals and departures, but her flights were on time. She is getting over jet lag, but has managed to stay awake until 8 tonight. She and I did errands today and noticed something wrong with the car. We were able to get to the garage to get it fixed and caght a ride home with Greg. I leave in a few minutes to get Jenni.
     So with Charlie, Tyler and Adjua added to our 6, we have a happy 9 for Christmas. My brother Paul, Madelyn, Alex and Kim are coming Monday for a few days too. They leave on Thursday and Thursday night Heng Hua, our friend from Taiwan who is living in San Jose, will come for a few days. Laura leaves on the 31st from here to Baltimore, and then from Baltimore to Bethlehem, Israel for the 1st half of the year.

More later... Jesse and I are off to the airport for Jenni. Sorry for the gap between postings. Angel tree and other responsibilities were running rampant across my path! Blessings- Nancy

My trip to East Asia

2010-10-26T12:36:00.004-06:00

Dear friends,
I will share with you about my trip, and how your prayers have been answered. It was an amazing trip in every way. So I will pick up where I left off at the San Francisco Airport...

FRIDAY
My flight to my destination was fine. I got up and walked a lot during the flight to avoid blood clots in my legs. When I got there I was met by M. who took me to my hotel to drop off my luggage, and then to eat an early dinner. She was delightful. That week was a week long national holiday similar to the 4th of July. She was amazed at the few people walking on the street. Almost everyone gets the week off and goes out to the country. It turns out that the people from this city were traveling to another location and those coming here hadn't arrived yet.
I started to learn about ordering Chinese food and didn't try a thing I didn't like. She kept me awake until 7 and I went to bed early so I could get over jet lag.

SATURDAY
Kimberle arrived in the early morning and was up for b-fast at 7:30 looking like a model! We ate and then went out exploring. We walked to the subway and had an adventure. A girl from England named Laura helped us learn how to get tickets, etc.
At 2:00 we met with our 2 training hosts. We shared our schedule and materials and made specific plans for starting times and extra topics to integrate. We all clicked well and then we had a time of prayer. We had this meeting in our hotel room so that we would not be overheard.

SUNDAY
We were free until 4:00 and were asked not to go to church that morning. We didn't want to get on anyone's radar. So we took a taxi and went to the Summer Palace. It was at 10:00 that morning that we figured out that everyone heading to our city for holiday had arrived- and they were ALL at the Summer Palace! We enjoyed seeing the beautiful buildings, but the people-watching was even better. So many pampered children! And we didn't see even one pregnant woman! M. told us later that they are extremely careful when pregnant and don't go out much. Doing some sight seeing was a good idea so we could be noticed doing it.
We went to a restaurant and met our students. We ate in a large back room with the doors closed. The 25 of them came from 6 areas of the country, some having traveled for 14 hours by train, and almost half of them were from our city. This was a meal to remember! Meat balls, pepper beef, egg plant, 9 other amazing dishes and then my favorite, sesame balls! They were soooo good! And all of it with chop sticks! The lazy susan went round and round slowly while we ate off the various plates. They each introduced themselves and Kimberle and I did the same. They shared what they hoped to get out of the training and I took notes. We went back to our hotel and reviewed our plan for the next morning.

MONDAY
Our training was being held at a small hotel that was mostly filled with the students from our training. Kimberle and I were staying at a different hotel where foreigners were allowed. There are only some hotels that are designated that way. We learned that we would probably be fine if we stayed in the back of the hotel and didn't draw attention to ourselves. We were in the training room or in one of the hotel bedrooms all day for those 3 days. If someone had complained about us, the manager would have had to call the police. So as long as we kept a low profile, we were OK. We had a plan of which page to open to if anyone came in to question us. There were just educational principals and nothing about the Bible on that page.

This is where the rubber met the road. Kimberle and I took turns presenting. We covered topics like "essentials for effective ministry to children," "the ministry of a teacher", "What children need in order to learn best", "motivating children to learn" and "techniques of teaching a memory verse". We had them out of their seats frequently as we taught them and they then practiced what they had learned. They played Bible memory verse games and got the idea that we have to teach the LIVING Word of God, not kill it by teaching it badly or in a boring way. We left them to present Bible memory verses to each other using the techniques we taught them. We heard the next morning that they laughed until they cried, it was all so funny and fun. They did a great job.
Kimberle and I went back to our hotel and worked together until 10:00p.m. getting ready for the next day. Then I was up until midnight going over lessons I had never taught before. I was excited at what the Lord showed me in those hours of preparation. I had prepared at home, but had a much better understanding once I had watched Kimberle teach, of how to make my lessons better.

TUESDAY
Kimberle and I taxied over to the other hotel and were ready to start at 8:00. I taught about children in the Bible and what God says about them. At the end of that we were looking at each other humbled and with tears in our eyes, some crying, as the impact of the Word soaked in. It was a powerful Holy Spirit moment. Then we prayed- our translator repeated it for us. What touching prayers asking for forgiveness for how we haven't loved the children who are difficult, but have seen them as problems. They asked the Lord to see them as He sees them, as valuable and precious in His sight. I know the Lord worked in my heart, too.
Kimberle and I did a demo Bible lesson for them, and then described the parts of an effective Bible lesson. Then we had THEM write their own! They worked in the groups from their same ministries and got very creative. Each group came up and presented and again it was translated for us. They did an amazing job! I taught my lesson on using object lessons and felt like I hadn't done the best job because it seemed a little confusing in places. Then we sent them off to make one up in 5 minutes and they came back with the best ones ever! Kimberle pointed out to me that the goal is them learning, not us presenting perfectly. And by the ones they demonstrated, they absolutely got the concept. So again, to God be the glory!
We also had them get together in their groups and do a community assessment. This is a picture of the life of children touched by their ministries. These were excellent! They shared them with each other and I took pictures of them. They showed the things that are tempting or harmful in their community and what they were doing to provide help for the children. Kimberle and I went back again to our hotel to prepare for the next and last day. We were told to bring our luggage with us in the morning since it was time to switch hotels. The PI director there didn't want us staying too long in one spot.

WEDNESDAY
Kimberle talked about communication including some very convincing drama by yours truly, Kimberle and some of our students... They got a session on networking that Kimberle had never taught before. They have already been working on their network since the training! We taught them how to involve children practically in the Bible story (again with some fun drama), and how to do Gospel presentations with children- maybe a dozen ways.
One of my favorites was Kimberle having one of our students who is an artist draw a picture on a while paper bag. It was beautiful. Then she filled it with candy and we went in the courtyard and had a pinata. Blindfold, candy and everything. They were allowed to hit it 3 times each. After it was done and the candy flew, they picked up the candy and immediately began to offer it to each other! Kimberle held up the torn bag that had been so perfect, and compared it to Christ who was beaten for our sins. Wow. It was a powerful way to share the Gospel.
Then Kimberle talked about counseling a child for salvation and I taught on discipleship- another new topic for me. I had stayed up late once again the night before fine tuning my lesson. Kimberle said I did an excellent job- the best she has ever seen, and she has done these trainings overseas over 30 times! So there is another example of God coming through BIG TIME! Then we blitzed them with many classroom activities and drama ideas for getting kids involved in the lesson. We gave them a one year lesson guide and ended with testimonies.
The entire 3 days we had been giving them objects to place in a plastic bag to remind them of the principals we were teaching them. Glow in the dark stars to remind them that the Lord will shine His light through them to their students, a cotton ball to remind them that God even looks for the one lost sheep, and MANY others ended up in their zip lock bag, which itself also represented ministry to a child.
Kimberle lit a re-lightable candle for the testimony time and used it to communicate that even when we feel burned out, the Holy Spirit is there to re-light the flame of passion for teaching kids well. They gasped! They had never seen such a thing! We laughed later because the package said, "Made in China."
Their testimonies were so encouraging. Over and over again, they said they learned that God's love for children is the thing that needs to underlie their teaching. They loved using what they learned right away, so they would know how to do it when they got home. They were excited to know how to write their own Bible Lesson curriculum and want to share what they come up with with each other. Their questions were all answered. They were amazed the Kimberle and I worked together so well since we had never worked together before.
The PI director was outside the room listening to the testimonies at the end. K. and I sat and had translation for that part. What a privilege to be there and to see the Lord move in such a huge way! There is more material to teach them, but we will have to wait and see what they do with what they have learned. So far we have heard that they ARE using it and have been teaching others- and networking. Yahoo! I tentatively asked Kimberle if she would ever consider doing this with me again and she said, "In a nano!" (Nano-second) I almost cried, that made me so happy! Maybe we will get to go again and do phase 2 with these folks and do phase 1 in a different region of the country. Kimberle and I are both game!
So this was the teachng part of my trip. Wednesday night Greg arrived back in the city from Indonesia and we moved to the hotel with the round beds. I will write about that next time. I am currently unable to put pictures on this blog, but I have posted some on facebook that are accessable by anyone. I will post the address as soon as I can put my finger on it. I will be adding more pictures to it anyway.
Blessings- Nancy Fritz

On my way!

2010-09-30T10:30:00.002-06:00

I am sitting in San Francisco Airport waiting for my flight to the other side of the world. I am tired! Very tired. My lessons are ready, our pet fish and Adjua are staying with friends while we are gone.I think I will take a nap!
God Bess,
Nancy

The world here and going there!

2010-09-16T12:33:00.006-06:00

Dear friends,

Full Guest Rooms...
It has been over a month since I have written. So very much has happened! We finished the new guest room where Jesse used to be and so far 2 missionaries from Ch!na, Jesse, Allison's friend Tyler, and Steve J. from Partners have all stayed up there. I am resetting the two X-tra long Twins into a King size bed for Rene and Faustine from Senegal (Jesse's African parents from last year) who will be up there later in the week. Downstairs the guest room has had several occupants as well...Jenni came home from CA for 5 days before returning to school for her sr. year. Then Allison and her friend Dominique stayed there and this week Susie from Partners was in there. Next comes Pastor Matt from the Gambia, and then Donna and Karen from CO.

Pastor Matt will be traveling and speaking around the US, but is starting here. It is his first time in the US and we get to host him! I am very excited. We just might have to take him to Cabella's to see a moose and to Coeur d'Alene on Sunday after church. He will be speaking at an event here in Spokane on Sept 30th, but Greg and I will be in Ch_ _ a by then and will miss that. He is one of the favorite partners of everyone who meets him. He was a Muslim and became a Christian. He has a very effective ministry of sharing Christ with Muslims in the Gambia. Jesse said Pastor Matt is one of the most amazing people he has ever met. He has huge respect for him. Jesse worked with him last year while on his West Africa experience for 5 1/2 months.

After he leaves, Donna and Karen are arriving to stay in the bonus room and Faustene who is here to learn English for a month will move downstairs to Pastor Matt's room. I get to have her for 1 1/2 weeks and hope to bless her and help her practice her English. She will move to another place in town when I leave for Ch_ _ a on Sept. 30th.

Mission ConneXion Inland Northwest NEXT WEEK!
We have been planning this conference for over 2 years. 75 workshops, 15 tracks, special music and plenary sessions, plenary speakers, fantastic workshop presenters, a missions bookstore, and attendees- hopefully a LOT of them! Tonight our steering committee will be stuffing 2500 folders for those who come. Since the conference is free, we have no pre-registration and have no idea how many will show up. We have done every kind of promotion and publicity we can think of and now we just have to see what God does and let Him bring those He wants to be there. We would love for you to join us in prayer for this conference to help Spokane to become more a part of the Great Commission both here in this region and to the ends of the earth.

I will be guiding a 3 hour pre-conference intensive for Children's Workers. My hope is to have many children's directors come together and establish an unofficial fellowship association. We would like to create a way for us to share ideas and resources between ourselves. Again, if no one shows up, this will not work very well. Please pray for folks to come. I also am teaching one workshop and am overseeing the Teaching Missions to Children track. I planned 6 other tracks also and have a few more details to work out on a few more workshops. Please pray for the details to come together. The intensive begins at 1:00, and the conference begins at 5:30 on Friday the 24th and ends at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday the 25th. Greg leaves for Ch_ _a on the 25th early in the morning. Then I leave for East Asia on the 30th early in the morning.

Three of My Kids Were Home
We totally enjoyed our time with Jenni before she left for her last year at Grove City. She learned a great deal and received great feedback from her summer internship and hopes to find a job during this school year. She could see herself going back to CA if God opens the door. She has a ready made family at the church she became part of this summer. She will be picking up Laura's car soon to use while Laura is overseas. (More on her a little further on.)

The next weekend, Labor Day, Jesse came home for 2 1/2 days. We had such a nice time visiting with him. He saw friends, ate good food, went to church and visited with us quite a bit. It seemed like enough time even though it was short. He doesn't know yet, but will probably be recycled on his last cycle of training- have to redo the last month. The instructors are civilian interrogators and are being recruited to go to Afghnstn to actually do their job there instead of training new soldiers in this skill. The idea is that doing this may end the war there more quickly. 120 of these trainers were layed off in the last 2 months and Jesse's instructor knows he will be layed off soon. He decided to take his vacation time while he still could. Soooo...he has been missing from the classroom more days than not during Jesse's month of training. He has had to teach himself mostly without the benefit of input from an instructor. Technically he didn't pass, but knows what he was supposed to learn. The last test will show if he actually did learn the information. They may decide he could go on, but he doesn't know yet. He will probably know soon. If he gets recycled he will finish in AZ in mid-November. If they pass him, he goes to Monterrey, CA at the end of Sept. to begin his Arabic training. We would appreciate prayers for him. People die at this AZ base too sometimes. One of his friends was stung 6 times by a swarm of killer bees and that almost killed him since he already had another health issue happening. And it is HOT there and they are still using live ammo for training and accidents happen. Thanks!

So, in the meantime let's switch to Allison in FL. She is nannying and just moved in to live with her best friend's family. Allison and Dominique decided to visit a friend, Tyler, in Seattle Labor Day weekend. They ended up coming to Spokane after a concert at The Gorge. They arrived late and surprised Jesse. They slept and we all had a big breakfast. Allison's friend from FL, Derrick, is attending Moody Bible Institute here in town, and he also came for breakfast. We visited until noon and then they returned to Seattle. So nice to be with all of them for even just a little while.

To the Regions Beyond...
Greg is scheduled to leave for East Asia on Sept. 25th and will be attending Partners leadership meetings there. He will then go to other locations in SE Asia for several days and when he gets back to Be!j_ing, I will be just finishing up with a Children's Ministry training. He and I will visit several Partners Intl. ministry partners in that region of that country. We come home on Oct. 13th.

I am very excited to have the opportunity to do some training with our brothers and sisters in that area. There will be about 40 of them. The church is started, but the work with children is now gearing up and there is a desire to make it better. They have tweeked a curriculum they were given by someone 4 times and don't know how to adjust it again. We will teach them how to develop their own curriculum. Story telling, verse memory, discipleship, object lessons, etc... We will have 4 days together. The "we" is another more experienced trainer and me. I look forward to learning from her. She has literally done this all over the world. Please pray that we would be excellent listeners and effective teachers of teachers. This training can freely be used and passed on to others, so it is strategic. Pray that we can connect effectively with each participant and for them to connect with each other. We have already sent the parts of the training that have previously been translated into their language. We will be sharing 'student centered' teaching rather than the 'teacher centered' teaching they are used to. Pray as I finish preparing for the sessions I will be teaching.

I am expected to raise the money for my plane ticket to and from East Asia. It is about $2000 and if you would be interested in helping with that, please email me at nancyfritz@aol.com and let me know. I have an account for this at Partners International and can explain how to give tax-free if you write.

Medical Update...
I went to the surgical oncologist and had an ultrasound of some areas with scar tissue that are constantly changing. The ultrasound showed only scar tissue since there was no blood supply to the enlarged lumps. If there is cancer growing, there will be blood flow, I was told my Dr. Moline. So praise God for that!

My wrist received a shot of cortizone and is now fine. The nerve test said I was shy of carpal tunnel by one tenth of one decimal point, so my hand doc decided on this treatment. I haven't had one incident of numb hand since the shot. He said it would probably work for 6-18months and may actually cure the problem in my wrist permanently. I am so grateful for this too, since it was really bothering me a lot, and it will be easier to travel without a numb hand.

My scar tissue gets to be more and more of an issue as the years go by since radiation. It has been 4 years and my left side is so very tight that muscles attaching to my arm, back and neck are all restricted and causing trouble. Dr. Moline sent me to a physical therapist who is specially trained in radiation scar tissue treatment. I met Barb on Monday and we started working on my left armpit area. I learned some gentle movements and massage techniques that I am attempting to do every half hour during the day for 1 minute each. I am setting the kitchen timer today to remind me to do it. I am already noticing a loosening of the tightness. I will see her one more time before I leave. After years of this I am excited to find someone to help me with it. She said in 2 weeks I will have noticed a huge difference.

Barb suggested that it seems that I have callogen issues in my body in general- knees, hernias, shoulders, bladder, etc. I will talk to my other doctors about that when I see them, but I think they have a clue from the other testing I did earlier in the year. I will deal with these issues more when I get back from my trip.

Laura!!
Guess what? My oldest daughter left on Monday to be a missionary! This has been her ultimate goal for her whole life. It is why she has chosen what she has studied and done with her life since I can remember. As a 3 year old she told me she needed to tell people about God's love through Jesus Christ. She is currently in Bradford, England for the fall. She is learning by doing how to share Christ with Muslims. She plans to come home for Christmas and after New Years, to fly to Israel to work with one of our partner ministries there for all of next year. She is going out under Partners International and has a ministry account. She has only a fraction of her support so far, and you can let me know if you are interested in being part of her team as well (nancyfritz@aol.com). I will get you the information you need. She is living on savings for the time being. She will be in the Carltons' home for the fall since they will be traveling quite a bit. Greg and I are so proud of our daughter and are excited that she has found her niche in reconciliation ministry.

I am unable to put pictures into my blog currently. There is something technically wrong and I am not smart enough to fix it. I am on facebook where I have been putting pictures if you want to look there. Back to lesson preparation and conference packet stuffing... God bless you! Nancy Fritz

Summer stuff

2010-08-16T13:02:00.004-06:00

Dear friends,
Summer is moving by at a fast pace. We were done with the townhouse cleaning and prepping for our Moody BI girls and decided to take the opportunity and go camping this past weekend. We left Adjua home (as per her preference!) and took off for Huckleberry Mtn in Idaho. We ended up near there and found a secluded spot to turn into home for 2 nights. Off road camping is our favorite way to camp. No fees, rangers, or noisy neighbors. You just bring who you want to be with and put up as many tents as you want and park as many cars as you want. If you want to go with us some time, just come on!
Our friends joined us Friday eve and spent Sat. with us. Hiking and huckleberry picking filled our day, although with 4 people picking, we sure didn't find too many. It just isn't the best year for them. Greg and I saw my 5th moose on the way there, but the highlight was star gazing both nights. On Friday we layed down on the ground to watch all the stars uninterrupted by any city lights, with the excitement of a shooting star shower. On Saturday night is was so nice out that we took the top cover off the tent and had only screen between us and the galaxy. It was such a treat!

Jenni comes home on Friday
Jenni is finishing up her internship with Stellar Solutions in Huntington Beach this week. She has learned a great deal, and so totally plugged in with her church there that they have already had 2 going away events for her! She has been living in the RV of a Calvary Chapel pastor and his wife, and has been attending their church. She has been on the worship team and I think has been at church more nights than not all summer. She is totally connected to that part of God's family. Isn't it amazing that a Christian can feel at home so quickly and have an instant family like that?
We will have her for 5 days before she goes to Laura in Baltimore. Laura is house sitting this month and is still living off her savings. I think the latest is that she is making arrangements to go work with one of our partners in Israel for a year doing reconciliation ministry. Reconciliation is something she is good at naturally and believes that the Lord has unfolded this discovery to her through her job at AT&T and her travels earlier this year. I know she would appreciate your prayer. I think she will need to raise support for this also- something else to pray about. Anyway, Jenni will be with Laura for a few days before flying up to Pittsburgh and her senior year of college at Grove City.

Doctors
Next week I will see one of my oncology doctors to get a check up to make sure everything is clear. I am also getting my left wrist checked for carpal tunnel. It has progressively gotten worse and I have already met my deductible for the year. My right one is so much better since being repaired last year. My knees are doing pretty well. I think the shots did help. I wish it was easy to go swimming for exercise. The Y is pretty expensive and we have no pools connected to where we live. I miss that about Colorado. Oh well...

Mission Connexion Inland NorthWest conference
On Sept. 24 and 25th we will open the doors on our first ever regional missions conference. I have been on the steering committee for 2 years and it is finally happening. Yahoo! This is the push for publicity time. I especially am trying to connect with Children's workers from churches in our region. I want to help start a network of these folks that will benefit all. This first meeting will focus on missions education, but the sky is the limit. I am excited. I am also overseeing 7 tracks at the conference out of the 15 we have. We are finalizing all that currently. Then just lots and lots of details!

My guest rooms
The mom of an MK from Ch!na will most likely be staying with us later this week. Her story was so amazing. Her daughter wanted to come to MBI, Spokane, but Jenny, her mom was not comfortable with her coming to a place where they know no one. Then she got on line and saw Berea housing- our townhouses for 36 girls close to campus. Better, but still, they didn't know anyone here. THEN she shared about all this with their team in Ch!na and her team leaders said they knew someone in Spokane. And guess whose names the team leader said? Yes, he was the best man in our wedding! That broke the dam and the tears of relief and answered prayer broke loose. God is so good. So we probably will have 3 Jenny's in our house this week (Adjua's name is also Jennifer).
After Jenni, Pastor Matt from the Gambia and Faustine and Rene from Senegal will be here with Faustine staying until I go to Ch!na at the end of Sept. Karen and Donna are coming in September from Denver to speak at our conference and will stay with us. AND, Jesse is coming home for Labor Day weekend- arriving from AZ on Friday at noon and leaving early on Monday morning. Then he will have only one more month at Ft. Houchuca before going to Arabic school in Monterrey. This month he is learning top secret stuff and next month he will practice interrogating people in a pretend village up on a mountain on the base in AZ.

Well, I have some more www.MCINW.org posters to deliver to some churches up here on the north side of town. Then my own workshop to prepare and then my lessons for my trip to Ch!na in Oct. Not many dull moments in my life! Please pray for stamina. I seem to run out of gas and need to rest after spirts of business.
Blessings-
Nancy Fritz

JESSE PASSED HIS TEST!

2010-07-28T03:00:00.003-06:00

Dear friends,

Jesse called tonight to tell us that he passed his test! There are 223 in his company and 11 made the same mistake he did on his first test. He basically made a typo- left out a heading on his preparation documentation last week.

Yesterday they did the preparation for the second go into the booth to interigate, and today was to be the interigation itself. It was his second chance to pass before being "recycled" to repeat the 2 1/2 months of training- or being sent to the infantry! So these 12 were pulled aside this morning and told that they passed and didn't have to redo the interigation. They had passed the part that they missed last week.

He said that about 1/3 of the 223 had passed as of this morning, and the rest would find out after dinner tonight. His battle buddy (best friend) was finding out tonight. He sleeps in the bunk above Jesse, was in the same company at basic training and is also from Jesse's unit here in WA. I haven't heard yet about him, but Jesse really wants him to pass so they can stick together.

MAKEOVERS AT THE FRITZ'S?
On Friday afternoon Mike and Linda Fish arrived in Spokane after driving for 2 days from Denver. Their goal was to visit us, see the office and our rentals and our chuch, and to help us out with projects and be a blessing to us. So guess what?! Linda and Mike and I worked on making over Jesse's room- the 13 x 26 foot bonus room above the garage, into a very cool guest room. It isn't totally finished, but it is almost ready to go. I still have to get 2 XL single beds that can either be separate for singles, or put together to make a king for couples. I hope to post pictures on facebook soon.

Also, Mike helped Greg get done with the hardest part of building out his office in the basement. Our house came framed only in the basement. Greg and Mike put in a door to the room and one to the future closet. Mike also helped Greg install the needed electrical outlets since there weren't enough. Mike helped Greg finish our basement and other projects in Denver, so they already knew they were good work buddies.

We have had a lovely time together. Lots of laughter and conversation. Linda talked for 2 1/2 hours while picking raspberries at my friends' farm on Saturday morning. We picked enough to cover about 8 cookie sheets for flash freezing. Mike and Linda also helped Greg do some last touches on getting the town houses ready for the 36 girls who will begin arriving next week. All in all, it has been a very special visit and so appreciated to have friends come and share their strengths with us. I am so much better doing a project with a friend, and Linda is my special work buddy! And as well as we know each other after living in community together in Pasadena at Marengo House, we learned new things about each other. Thank you Lord for Mike and Linda, and thank you Fishes for coming to share your vacation with us!

To the rest of you...Come in over! We'll leave the light on for you! Blessings- Nancy

Jesse is retesting Mon. and Tuesday

2010-07-27T10:25:00.005-06:00

Dear friends,

Jesse told us yesterday that he was unable to get in to see the commander yesterday- Monday to appeal. He went ahead and began taking the test again. Yesterday was prep and today is the booth. Last night he felt like he was passing so far. Your prayers would be appreciated so much today. He will get the results after dinner tonight. Only 40% pass this phase of training and it will seriously hurt his career if he doesn't pass this time. I will let you know when I know!

Blessings-
Nancy

Jesse's Test

2010-07-23T22:47:00.003-06:00

Here is an update on Jesse's test I told you about last night...

Jesse just called to let us know how the test went. He says "Well I got just about as close to a perfect score as you can get... but I
forgot to put the title on a requirement that needed the number and title...
hundreds of hours of work down the drain. And yes, retest is on monday, then
recycle."

Recycle means repeating 2 1/2 months of training. It also would mean that he is no longer in the top 10%. Loosing that distinction is very costly in opportunities later. Also, he is sure they would recycle him if he failed again, but technically they could put him in the infantry and send him to Afghanistan or wherever they want. All contracts are off at that point. No Arabic school, no college...He is going to talk to his commander on Monday and ask him to reverse the decision to fail him because of that one little technicality. He is afraid that he might do something else wrong and fail the test again. The mistake didn't influence his interigation results in any way, and the Army surely doesn't want to waste resources making him do it all again. Maybe his "soldier of the cycle" will help him out.

So please pray for the commander and for Jesse if he does have to retake the test on Monday and Tuesday. Two guys tried to commit suicide this week. One the night before the test and one the night in the middle of the test. They were discovered and taken to the hospital. The pressure is very high. Thanks for praying if you are so inclined!
Blessings- Nancy P.S. Mike and Linda arrived safely today. Yahoo!

VBS, Mama Hannah and thoughts of mortality...

2010-07-23T01:25:00.010-06:00

Dear friends,

I wrote this entry for over an hour and it just deleted itself! THAT is FRUSTRATING. My friend David says that the second time it will be faster since you already practiced...

VBS ended tonight. We did 4 mornings and ended tonight. There was a huge croud tonight of parents, church family and 275 kids. I did the missions focus on Ghana. We had a different giving project every day. Seeds, Christmas party of kids in our adopted village in northern Ghana, a sewing machine to be a small business for someone and finally a group of 4 animals- cow, pig, sheep and goat. They met each giving goal and tonight topped it off and brought in $565 more to get the animals. The family pastor got slimed with gooey stuff and the kids loved it!

I go by Mama Hannah from Ghana during VBS. I wear Ghanaian clothes and act goofy and love on the kids. I set up the Ghana Hut on the church lawn. There are instruments to play which we brought back from there last summer. I teach them about the culture and give them activities to do each day. I already wrote extensively about this and just can't do it again. I really love the connection I have with the kids. I guess I am kind of "famous" in a VBS kind of way, and they are all feeling special when I interact with them. I love that they are learning about cultures and people living in different places.

Jesse
He is being tested tomorrow for this phase of his training. He said that only 40% pass this time. If he weren't to pass, he would ahve to redo 2 1/2 months of training. He interigates one of his instructors and then has to write a report on what he learned. Mistakes can be easily made. Jesse said that on Monday he passed his practice test- finally. That is encouraging. I am praying hard and am eager to hear what happens tomorrow! I am sure he would appreciate any prayers you would like to send his way.

Our friend Lance and his tumor...
While we were in CO, Lance discovered that he has a brain tumor. He has had two surgeries and the lastest is that he has a year at the outside and his cancer is very agressive. He finally got to come home I think yesterday. As Lance and his wife and college aged daughter process his prognosis and treatment plan, those of us in our/his growth group are also processing our steps of help and encouragement. We all have different gifts and are doing different things. This is new for all of us, so we are all kind of in shock. We are praying for him and welcome your prayers for him too. Besides Lance, another friend of mine just found out she has a breast cancer recurrance. And my neighbor 2 doors down has metastasis all over and has been fighting cancer for years. I don't think she is doing well. I need to go see her.

Here is where I am thinking aobut mortality...It might sound self-centered, but as these things happen to those around me, the thought pops up in my consciousness that it could likely happen to me also. It already has twice- 11 years ago and 4 years ago. I check for new lumps and try to discern if they are new, or are they just the same old or new scar tissue? This could happen to me at any time, but really I have plenty to do in my life right now. I can dwell on these thoughts, or try to stuff them neatly back into the back of my mind, where they don't overwhelm me. I have to make a choice frequently about what to do with this reality. I told Lance before I knew his pathology was so bad, to not borrow trouble from tomorrow. His tomorrow is now here and it is time for him to deal with it. My today is OK, so that is where I have to choose to keep my focus. This probably sounds like rambling, but I know this is true for so many cancer survivors. This struggle with the what if's. It is in some ways both harder and easier to know what would happen if it did come back. You know the treatments and side effects and there is comfort in the familiar. But there is also knowing what is coming, and not wanting to experience it again. But then comes 2 Corinthians 1 where we can empathize and comfort because of our past experience. I think that is the way I would rather focus. My help for these friends can be practical since I know what it is like.

Friends arriving
Tomorrow Mike and Linda are arriving for a visit. We are excited about this! The guest room is ready and plans are on the burner. We enjoy company and we have known these guys for over a quarter century! So that is what I am going to focus on for now. And picking raspberries and strawberries and tomatoes in the back yard.

I am going to post this before it deletes again. I hope you are having a great summer! Blessings, Mama Hannah

2010-07-23T01:20:00.001-06:00

2500 miles down the road and home!

2010-07-09T14:33:00.003-06:00

Dear friends,

We are back from our trip to Colorado. Adjua, Greg and I left as scheduled on Tuesday, June 22nd. We drove to Buffalo, WY the first day and drove up into the National Forest to put up our tent for the night. It was dark when we got there. I saw something white on the ground, thinking it was a paper towel or something left by other campers. It was snow! Well, we woke up to beautiful mountain pasture views and a buck with a big rack. We also realized that Adjua's mattress had gone flat and she had been cold all night. It didn't make her a fan of camping to put it mildly!

We arrived in Highlands Ranch on Wed. at about 5:00. We enjoyed dinner with Janet and Sean Willcox, our hosts. Lots of laughter and instantly feeling at home with these dear friends. We settled in.

The next day Greg began his 3 day participation in the OMF board meeting. While he did that, Adjua took advantage of shadowing our former family doctor in Littleton- Rich Valenciano. She really enjoyed her two days there. She has to log over a 100 hours shadowing many different kinds of doctors as a prerequisite for med school.

While they were busy, I connected with friends. It was such a blessing to spend quality time with these supporters and friends. I attended a few OMF board dinners with Greg and on Saturday evening, we hosted a dinner party get together with friends and family at the Willcox's. We had fun catching up as well as seeing many of them connecting to each other for the first time...The Body of Christ at work.

Sunday we went to Cherry Hills Community Church and hugged many friends, had lunch with our old support group and relaxed for the evening. Monday morning we headed for Rocky Mountain National Park with Julie, Hannah and Andrew as well as Adjua. We knew our other friends were already camping there and planned to surprise them. It was a gorgeous day. We invaded their campsite and waited about a half hour for them to return from their morning outing. They worried when they noticed someone in their campsite. When they realized it was us, they were ecstatic. We climbed boulders by a waterfall, had lunch and dinner together, went to see the elk up close, and had Adjua'a first campfire and some'ores. We drove home watching the stars and recounting all the day's fun memories.

Tuesday we caught up with everything and went to dinner with Gene Kissenger. It was excellent to catch up on things at CHCC and at Partners. Gene is a gift to us from the Lord. We might be able to connect in Asia when we will all be there in October. At 2:20 a.m. Jenni arrived at DIA from Huntington Beach with me waiting to bring her home.

Wednesday and Thursday Greg lead 2 days of Partners meetings in Highlands Ranch. I picked up snacks for them and caught up with Jenni. She and Adjua and I hung out. Jenni caught up with her best friends after we went to Castle Rock to meet Greg's sister, mom and cousin for several hours.

Friday morning we left for DIA to get both Allison and Jesse who were flying in for the weekend. Jesse had a 4 day pass for the first time. Allison also had those days off and had a free ticket from being bumped on another trip. We had a great time greeting them both and hearing about Jesse's interrogation training. He has bulked up and is excited about what he is learning. We went to Idaho Springs since the freeway was too congested to get to Breckenridge for the day. We watched Ghana play Uraguy in the World Cup at BeauJoes. That was exciting since we had a Ghanaian with us. Then we went to Evergreen and paddled around the lake there. It was our 27th anniversary that day!

Saturday morning we took off for Shelby's (Greg's sister's) for our nephew's wedding. They got married with Pike's Peak in the background in their front lawn. It was a beautiful wedding. We talked a mile a minute and caught up with family that evening and the next morning. The cousins and friends made a movie that night and had a great time.

Sunday night we arrived back in Highlands Ranch for dinner and fireworks with friends. It poured, so no fireworks. But lots of fun was had as we remembered old stories and made new ones. The kids went to the airport in the morning- me taking Allison at 4:30. We packed and left about 9:30 to head home. We camped in the same area and this time woke up in a cloud! Adjua slept in the car that time!

We arrived home at 5:15 with 1135.7 miles from this leg on the odometer! God is so good! It was all we had dreamed and hoped for our trip to be. Thank you so much for praying for our trip if you did.

I am off for the chiropractor now so I need to get going! God bless you- Nancy

Driving to Denver- the Adventure Begins

2010-06-21T02:32:00.003-06:00

Dear friends,

On Tuesday morning at 7:45 a.m., Greg, Adjua and I are planning, Lord willing, to leave in our Mazda MPV for Denver. Mapquest has this trip coming in at 1119 miles- each way. We plan to stay in the national forest in WY on Tuesday night. Adjua has never stayed in a tent before in her life, and she hasn't been out of Spokane since she got here last August. This should be an experience packed trip for her!

We wrote a letter recently that we would be happy to send to you upon request. (Just email Gregf@partnersintl.org and ask.) It will give you our schedule. Basically, travel for 2 days. Greg will attend a board meeting on Thursday- Sat. noon for OMF. Adjua will shadow a family practice doctor in Littleton for Thursday and Friday. We hope to visit with supporters on Saturday evening and see other friends on Sunday as well as visit Cherry Hills Community Church. We are really looking forward to that!

Monday-Tuesday next week we hope to go to Estes Park and show Adjua the elk and beautiful mountains. We might stay over if we can figure out the camping arrangements and weather permitting. Tuesday night at midnight, Jenni will fly in from Huntington Beach, CA where she is doing an engineering internship for the summer. Greg has Partners meetings in Denver on Wednesday and Thursday while the 3 of us girls visit friends and maybe teach Adjua how to swim. On Friday morning Jesse is scheduled to fly into DIA at about 9:30. There is a slight chance Allison might be able to come Friday morning also with a free ticket she got from being bumped recently.

Family time on Friday and Saturday we go up to Woodland Park for our nephew's wedding. We'll stay there overnight and have some time with Greg's sister's family and his mom. On Sunday we plan to head back to Highlands Ranch for the fireworks with long time (like more than 20 years!) family friends. Monday morning we drop Jesse and Jenni (and maybe Allison) off at the airport and head back to Spokane on the 5th and 6th.

You might be wondering where Laura is...Currently she is in England visiting former Caleb Project co-workers. They have known Laura since she was 8 years old and she is 25 now. They are doing ministry with Muslims as well as mobilization ministry with imigrants from all over the 10/40 Window. Laura is looking at what is going on there in light of her own future in missions. She flies back to the States on the 3rd of July.

Phew! Oh yeah! On the 1st of July, my breast cancer support group is meeting and I am hoping to be there for that. I sure miss those ladies! There is nothing like that in Spokane...yet.

Did I mention that the reason we have to leave at 7:45 on Tuesday is because I am scheduled forthe last of 3 shots in my right knee? I have to be downtown for that at 8:30. Those have gone pretty well and so far seem to be helping. I will share more of the medical updates later since it is so late. I am noturious for trying to get way too many things done when I have a trip coming up. I need to get some sleep so I can help with the driving and be rested, so I will sign off now.

Please pray for safe travel for all of us. Pray for Jesse who has a tough 2 weeks of training before he gets leave on the 2nd (our 27th anniversary). This is a crucial stage. He has to do well or he may have to leave to do some other training. He really likes it and wants to stay. Pray for Laura as she makes life decisions. Pray for Adjua to enjoy her vacation. She works and/or studies all the time, so this should be memorable for her.

God bless you,
Nancy

Jesse Graduated from Basic Training with Honors!

2010-05-20T22:55:00.023-06:00

Dear friends,

I am back from an 8 day trip to South Carolina and Baltimore. Jesse told us a few months ago that he understood if we couldn't come to his graduation from boot camp. He said there was one other guy from his platoon of 50 who didn't have family coming either. So Greg and I decided that one of us should be there. Greg had to teach at Moody Bible Institute, Spokane the day of the graduation, so we decided that I should go. We used points to pay for my ticket.

At the end of April Jesse phoned and told us he had been interviewed because he was being considered as "soldier of the cycle." In a call a few days later he told us that out of the 250 soldiers in his company, he was chosen as the soldier of the cycle. That meant that he was the top overall soldier. They counted points for physical fitness, marksmanship skills, leadership and military knowledge. Others were honored in the first 3 of those categories, but Jesse received the overall recognition. This was a huge honor, so we started to think and pray about Greg going. He still had to teach, but a week before, the president of Moody asked Greg if he would go if someone could cover his class. Greg was able to find a flight with miles at exactly the time he would need to get there. That was a miracle!

So I flew to Laura in Baltimore, and as a mother's day gift, she drove herself and me to Columbia, SC where we stayed with Bill and Debby Jones. Bill is the president of Columbia International University and gave Laura and me a personal tour of the campus. Greg was delayed and arrived the next morning at 8:40 after flying all night. Laura dropped me off and then went to get Greg at the airport. Thursday was family day and the soldiers had to stay on base that day.

So let me tell you about how Family Day started... I was in the stands sitting in VIP seating since Jesse was an honor grad. There was a man who sang patriotic songs like, "Born to Be An American," for about a half hour. Then, the sound went out for about 10 minutes. After a few speakers, Greg and Laura arrived. The man sang one more patriotic song. While he sang, there were firework sounding explosions in the woods and smoke billowed. Then out of the smoke emerged first flags and then 3 companies of 200-250 soldiers each. (See photos)

Then they were in formation in front of us and we were told they had to stay in formation until we went down on the field to get them. We split up and I found him first. He picked me up and hugged me and spun me around and we both had tears. He was very exited to see Greg and then Laura as well as me. We toured the base on a bus, and Laura and I went off base and got him a Starbucks drink while he hung out with Greg. We talked and let him tell us stories and he answered our questions and introduced us to his battle buddies. We went to a dinner on base with some of Jesse's buddies and their families. We saw his sleep bay and met a couple of his drill sergeants.

On Friday morning we were back in VIP seating again at 9:00 for the graduation ceremony. The soldiers marched over in formation with the color guard leading the honor grads. They announced Jesse's name and he was right in the front center. The honor grads went under a tent afterwards and the family members lined up behind each one. We are so grateful that we were there to stand behind him! Then the officers shook hands with each of them and as they did, they placed a coin in their hands. These coins/metals are a huge honor. You can see them in the picture.

We hung out with Jesse all day and drove to Charleston since he was allowed off base. We had a wonderful day. We left him Friday night and he flew to AZ for his next stage of training. He flew there with about 150 from Ft. Jackson. Out of all of those, he is the only one who has begun the interrogation training. The rest are waiting for several weeks waiting for a spot. Jesse's test today went well. He now is allowed to use his phone in the evenings. We were struck by how serious Jesse is about this job with the Army. He is very mature. And he says, "Sir" and "Mam" when he speaks. He had lots of stories.

Greg had a hard time getting home. He tried to fly out on Saturday morning and had to wait until Sunday morning to start and got home at midnight on Sunday night. He has a cough and laryngitis right now...I drove to Delaware with Laura on Saturday so she could catch up with her Bible study friends for a beach retreat. I was with them and headed back to Baltimore on Sunday evening. After spending 2 days with her, I flew back to Spokane on Wednesday.

Well, there is my soldier story. We are proud of Jesse and how he is taking hold of his future. I am going to sign off and get to bed. Blessings to all of you! Nancy

2010-05-06T23:49:00.002-06:00

Dear friends,

I have been busy since I last wrote! Last Thursday, after my second left knee shot, I headed to the airport and hopped my way across the country to Pittsburgh.

A while ago, we got a letter from Grove City College saying that Jenni was going to receive an award during Parents' Weekend and be invited to join the college version of the National Honor Society. GPA, leadership and service were the measuring standards. They had planned a breakfast for the students, and as a surprise, the parents were invited to attend and watch the award ceremony. Afterward there was a convocation for academic awards which I got to attend also.

I asked Jenni's godparents if they could attend on our behalf for Jenni, and they instead offered to give me a plane ticket to attend myself! Greg was unable to go because of teaching. I had a wonderful time with Jenni and got to meet her friends and be there for the first time during college. There was a luncheon for the New Grace, the singing group ministry she is in. That was a real highlight. They are amazing to hear!

While there I got a call from Jesse. He had some news. Of all the soldiers in this boot camp basic training cycle, Jesse has been named the top soldier out of 250. He will be presented with a metal on the 14th at his graduation. I am planning to be there and he said he will be sitting on the platform so I will be able to see him. He had to read materials, 50 pages or so, tell them his biographical information and answer questions during a two hour interview. At the beginning they told him they thought he was a smart alleck. The instructors and drill sergeants began to realize that he had leadership skills. While most of the others had one word or sentence comments from them, Jesse had a paragraph from each one. Jesse didn't think they even knew his name!

I met with the nutritionist at the oncology office on Tuesday afternoon for 3 1/2 hours. She was amazing. I am going to write details next time, becasue there is so much great stuff. In short, she gave me a lot of very practical help about diet and understanding the link between all the things going on with my bladder, leaky gut, adrenals and pancreas, etc. Where to start and lots of hope for healing. She is a treasure and blessing to me- a provision from the Lord. I really will share more about that later. Lots of great stuff. Blessings and good night- Nancy

Medical tests done and results are in...

2010-04-17T17:55:00.003-06:00

Dear friends,
I promised a medical update after I heard about the tests, so here goes...
My liver function tests have gone up above normal some, not much, but enough for my oncologist to order a CT scan which I did on Thursday. This was also because I have had some pain in my right upper abdominal area and some acid reflux. I haven't gotten the results yet, but since they didn't call right away, that is usually a good sign.
I'll tell you about my digestive track first. My intestines have some streptococcus bacteria growing in them which we are going to work on getting out. I am doing a three week digestive cleanse then I will be doing probiotics also. I have "leaky gut syndrome." This means the lining of my intestines is thin due probably to, most of my life, eating dairy products which I was allergic to. I only discovered this allergy 7 or so years ago and my life has totally changed since. If you wonder what the symptoms are, look for diarea, sinus drainage, acne, gas, abdominal bloating and sometimes stomach cramps. This test I just did also showed that I am allergic to dairy and that I don't have a gluten problem. My intestine is inflamed also.
The doctor on Monday agreed that I probably have a hypo-thyroid problem and agreed on my taking the meds for it for several weeks to see how I react to it. I just went to a full pill yesterday, so I don't know yet. Hypo-thyroid can explain my tiredness and being cold a lot (in between hot flashes).
"Stage 3 (out of 4) adrenal fatigue," is the next one. Cortisol is a chemical/hormone produced by the body. When working properly it is key in producing a chain of lots of other things that are essential. My body has apparently come under the impression that it is constantly stressed- like it would be if I had to run from a fire or lift a car off my child. The cortisol is in response dealing with that stress instead of doing it's usual thing of getting that chain reaction started and continuing. The result for me is that my body isn't making as much progesterone as I need and I am overloaded and imbalanced with an overload of estrogen. My cancer had receptors for both estrogen and progesterone. As far as I know, a balance of the two, keeps them both in check. I need to do some more research on this to make sure. SO, we are going to try and get the cortisol problem fixed so that my adrenal gland can get restrengthened. It being out of whack makes my body more prone to infections or things like not being able to fight cancer as well. I am on a med for this, and we are checking into whether I should take DHEA or not. This has possible implications for the receptors I mentioned above, and none of us wants to inspire cancer to grow again.
My total Antioxidant function is deficient, so I've added some supplements for that. My pancreas isn't producing enough enzymes- another supplement. I am also going to do a diet low on the glycemic index. That means I need to eat things that take longer to turn into sugar in my system. This makes me feel full longer and I should be able to loose some weight. I meet with the dietisian at the oncology office soon and she will give me some more guidelines to follow.
This Thursday I will have my 1st of 3 knee injections of Euflexxa. They say that this either works or doesn't for knee pain. My knee is very sore and can't be fixed, so this is the plan. I hope I am one of those it works on. My friend, Deb's, worked for five years! We can pray, right?
So that about sums it up. If anything bad shows up on that CT scan, I will let you know.

PARTNERS ANNUAL MEETINGS
We are in the middle of our busiest week of the year at Partners. We have several dozen visiting from out of state and out of country. I love to hear the reports from the field of what our partners are doing, and this year is no exception. What amazing things are happening. I will be able to share more when we get the safe version of the reports. That way I won't jeopardize any of the ministries. Greg's team is having dinner catered by me on Monday night. Since there will be over 20, my friend has offered to host the meal at her house. I will try to remember to take some pictures. We are talking about a Kidzana training in Asia this fall which I am very excited about. More about that later.

THE KIDS
Laura is in Baltimore continuing to seek the Lord's direction for her. Allison just bought a car in FL where she is interviewing for many nanny jobs and is working part time also. She needs a good fit that will also pay enough. Jenni is finishing her jr. year at Grove City and is still looking for an internship for the summer. Jesse is at Army Boot Camp and graduates on May 14th. On the 15th, he is supposed to fly to AZ for the next phase of his training.

Well, I need to feed Greg dinner before he dies of hunger. We have enjoyed the afternoon off and having the sun shine too. Blessings to you. Nancy

My Laura is 25 today!

2010-04-10T14:36:00.003-06:00

Dear friends-
LAURA
A sunny Saturday before some more rain arrives tomorrow. I want to reflect shortly on Laura turning 25 today. She is my oldest and tallest daughter, and my most beautiful curly headed daughter. She was born at home with a mid-wife (as were all our kids) and she was beautiful from the get-go. Laura had a tender heart and an awareness of the Lord and His truth even at a young age. At the age of three, I recorded a conversation she had with me about telling people about Jesus so they could know God's love and go to heaven instead of living in eternal darkness. She continues to grow and mature in her faith and is one of my resources for spiritual counsel. May the Lord give her direction as she seeks next steps in her life.

TEST RESULTS COMING IN
The last blog I wrote listed some tests that I had done a few weeks ago. I got some of the results back on Thursday. Low in D and some of the B's, a little high on liver, and possibility of hypothyroid happening. I have begun a med that will help us figure that out one way or the other in the next 2-4 weeks. If that isn't helping, I may go see a rheumatologist (sp?) to rule out anything in that realm. On Monday I see my other doc for the rest of the results for 2 other big tests I had. I will tell you what I find out. Blessings- Nancy

Doing better

2010-03-31T00:58:00.003-06:00

Dear friends,

Hey thanks for praying for me if you did. I suspect that the last time I wrote, that I had somehow missed the med I mentioned last time (Effexor), the night before I wrote. It was sitting there, and I thought I took it, and didn't want to risk taking double. But after I wrote my last blog and took my meds that night, I started to feel better- at least the crying and dizzy part.

I saw my internist last Monday. Some of the labs were done and so far I know that my liver numbers are a little elevated and my D is a little low. My white count is up to 4 which is the highest it has been since chemo 4 years ago. 4 is a normal level. Mine has just been low and they told me that is common for some after chemo and radiation. Last week I also collected stool and saliva viles for my integrated medicine doctor and mailed them off. There are so many things they are checking for. I'll have to let you know what they figure out. I will be having appointments to get the results after they are all back in a week or two.

We are gearing up for the Partners International leaders from around the world to come to Spokane on April 13th for a week. We will have 2 ladies staying with us, and I am switching Jesse's room some to make it more user friendly and less teenage boy. Speaking of Jesse, we have gotten some letters with good stories. He writes one story to Greg and me and sends other stories to other family members and has us share them so he only has to write them once. He is working hard. Soon he will be shifting into the "white phase" and at that point will be allowed to use his phone. So we are hoping to hear from him soon. I included his address in my last post. He is asking for any mail anyone wants to send him.

So I am going to sign off now and head to bed. This is Holy Week for us Christians. Our church is having special services each day at noon. Thinking about Christ being made sin for us in our place- was the focus today. Wow. He paid such a high price for us. It is simple and deep at the same time. He knows us all intimately. He even knows my "secret heart" (Psalm 51). I don't even want to admit to myself what is in my secret heart, but He already knows and loves me anyway.

Blessings-
Nancy

Not so great today...

2010-03-18T20:41:00.006-06:00

Hey there,

First of all, please pray for my boy at Army Boot Camp. And if you want to write to him, he would LOVE to hear from you:

PFC Fritz, Jesse
C Co 3-60th INF, Regt (1st PLT)
Fort Jackson, SC 29207

He is doing OK he writes. He left here with a lingering cold and said that he is still dealing with that. He has written a few times. He is 2 1/2 weeks done with his 9 weeks.

It has been a long day. I went to see my integrated medical doctor yesterday. He was top of his med school class at Harvard and has a practice that integrates traditional medicine with alternative medicine. He listened and thought and put pieces together and ordered a LOT of blood work. I just do not feel well at all. Today I went and had the blood drawn for the tests. It took 3 tries even though the ladies in the lab are the best. My veins were just not cooperating. We got done in about an hour and I was suggesting that I should start paying rent! 7 tubes are being processed. For example, he wants to make sure I didn't pick up some parasite in Africa last summer.

I have been crying on and off all day. Whatever else is going on, I am feeling very emotional. I feel like I do when I forget to take one of my meds (effexor). Ringing in my head. Dizzy and light headed. Feeling like I will pass out and very emotional. I have been crying on and off all day today. The difference is that I didn't forget to take my meds. I think my body is just imbalanced in some way. I will see my internist on Monday about my abdomen soreness, and by then hopefully at least some of the blood work will be back. Meantime, Greg is taking good care of me, and I am laying low.

I visited with a breast cancer survivor friend yesterday, and I told her about how I have layed off most of my supplements for several months. I think I was just burned out. She shared how she feels that way about part of her treatment too. Sometimes you just do all this stuff all the time and you just feel like you can't do it all anymore. You ask yourself what difference it makes anyway. So many doctors have told me they don't put any stock in supplements. Anyway, Dr. Corell is helping me set the "restart" button on my body and I hope to be feeling back on track soon. I would appreciate your prayers for that.

My hand doctor told me last Thursday that there is arthritis in the middle of my right hand that surprised him. It didn't show up in my x-rays in Sept, but it is definitely there now. The only treatment would be a radiologist putting in a shot of cortizone with ultrasound because of where it is. It would be tricky to get in there without bothering any nerves or veins, etc. We decided that we will hope that it just gradually gets better. I put some topical cream on it that I use on my knee, and it really helped....My gyno/urology doctor and I talked about bladder treatments, and if I got the implant that helps deal with the side effects of my interstitial cystitis, it would make any future MRI's for diagnosis impossible. I don't think it's worth it.

Our neighbor had a heart attack yesterday. Greg went to see him tonight. We'd appreciate prayer for Brian. He and Katie have 4 children and he is in his 30's.

Helen from the Gambia spoke in FL on the 17th and Greg told me tonight that the event was amazing. So many were there that the police had to come in and have some move their cars. The police ended up staying for the meeting too. Her story touched so many hearts. I will write more about her later.

Please pray for this country of ours. We are on a precipice. My heart is heavy. But God is in control and nothing can happen outside of His will. He tells us to pray for our leaders. Our growth group prayed for our nation last night. It was good to give our concerns over to the Lord.

God bless-Nancy

He's in the Army now!

2010-03-09T20:48:00.003-07:00

Dear friends,

Well, my boy is now officially in the army now. He left us at 6:00 a.m. when he when into the courthouse downtown to start his enlistment. They gave him another physical, interviewed him to get information regarding his government security clearance, & planned his transportation to boot camp at Ft. Jackson, etc. Tuesday they flew him to Ft. Jackson, SC.

He called Greg for 3 minutes on Friday and told us that on Tues. he arrived at midnight. They processed them until 4:00 a.m. and sent them to bed- UNTIL 4:15! Then they got up and stood on lines until 10:00 that night! He sent me a postcard that said,"Hello! I'm good. Got my hair cut and didn't sleep. Gotta go! Jesse." His hair was very short when he left, so he must not have any now! Greg told him to remember the big picture and Jesse agreed that is what he is trying to do. He is also trying to stay unnoticed. Where he is, getting noticed means teasing and extra push-ups or some other "bad" thing. His birthday was yesterday and since we don't have his address yet, couldn't send him any greetings. He actually begged us not to. But we did think of him and thanked God for him. Adjua's 19th birthday is on Thursday this week.

We currently are enjoying a visit from Helen, one of our partners from The Gambia. As we met last evening and were getting to know each other, we realized that she had met Jesse when he was there last year. She remembered him. I get to have the fun of introducing her to America some before she heads to a big womens' event in FL next week. She has just begun telling me about her ministry. So far I know that she and her husband head up Inter-Varsity in their country and she is doing many facets of education and ministry related to HIV with women in the Gambia. What a privilege!

Friends are asking me to share about my health, so I will give an update. My right wrist has been hurting quite a bit lately. It is the one I had carpal tunnel fixed in last fall. I saw the hand doctor after I got home from Denver and learned that it is very unusual to be experiencing any pain this many months out. The carpal tunnel symptoms are gone, but I have some swelling and other tenderness in my palm and wrist. Sometimes it hurts a lot. He had me go for an MRI last week and I see him Thursday to go over the results. The nurse said that the report showed a bunch of things, so it isn't a simple PT solution.

My knee is hurting again. The shot has worn off. My knee doctor talked about trying that new kind of shot in my knee that isn't steroids. My friend Deb said it worked for her knee for several years. I will be going to see him sometime in the near future.

I have a sore place in my abdomen. I am fairly certain that it is a result of scar tissue from my TRAM flap surgery 10 years ago. I will talk to my oncologist about it when I see her next month. I see my gyno-urologist next week. I tried taking a very difficult medication to help grow a lining in my bladder. It was hard on my body and had to be taken on a completely empty stomach, which meant 3 hours between eating 3 times a day. After 2 months I decided that it was taking over my life, and giving me extra headaches. My doctor has another treatment she wants to talk to me about. I will let you know more after I find out about it.

One conclusion I have come to lately is that all these little things that are going goofy in my body are mostly (if not entirely) due to the side effects of having chemo twice and radiation once (like the scar tissue from my TRAM flap surgery). One of my doctors told me that not that many women have lived for 11 years after cancer, so even the medical community is learning what the side effects are long-term from these treatments. So the bad news is that there are lots of medical issues to deal with now, but the good news is that I am alive to experience them! I am approaching my 11th anniversary of discovering my cancer the first time, and almost 4 years since the 2nd time. That is pretty cool! And I am pretty grateful!

Thanks for hanging in there and reading all this. I know that there are at least some of you who read this and let me know when it has been a while.

Helen just got home, so I need to sign off and learn more about the Gambia. Blessings- Nancy

2010-02-19T19:49:00.008-07:00

Dear friends,

My Time In Denver

I just returned from Denver Sunday night. I got to be in my old stomping grounds for a week and was able to meet with lots of friends and family. I enjoyed a little snow and beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains. It was fun to back where I knew where to find what I needed and even ran into friends and former co-workers here and there. Such gracious friends gave me places to stay and helped me pick up cars to use. It was wonderful to attend our church in Denver. Seeing familiar faces and hugging old friends was a blessing. I heard stories of friends' struggles to find jobs, of others going to be with the Lord, and hearing what every one's kids are up to. (Here I am with Greg's sister and two Bible Blasters having fun last Sunday.)

I had lots of meetings and also did a program on the 14th for the Bible Blast kids about Ghana. That was the main reason for my visit. I wrote a lesson on the north part of the country where the Muslims live, and where our Partners International Ghanaian partner is doing church planting. The kids got to practice carrying things on their heads and babies on their backs, doing the Ghana handshake, playing a talking drum and other instruments, and praying for children there who have hard lives. They also go to stamp cards and fabric with Adrinkra symbols that I carved into stamps. They got to see pictures and learn about Fu Fu and learned their "day names." They also heard stories of witch camps and two fettish priests (witch doctors and 45 women accused of witchcraft come to Christ as their Lord and Savior. All these things were done both hours with a total of about 120 kids.

At the end of the second hour I was shocked when I was presented with a very large check from the offering of the Bible Blast kids. It was given with expressions of love and appreciation for our ministry and the blessing we have been to them. It made me cry! Wow, Bible Blasters! You have certainly been a blessing to us and our ministry all these years too!

What Happened Yesterday

Besides Greg having a birthday, we got a message from a friend from the mid-eighties Caleb Project days. We haven't communicated for a long time. She lives in TX with her family. She wrote:

"Hi Greg and Nancy,

I hope you're all doing well. I just want to send a quick note because I had a very vivid dream last night about your family. I woke up at 1:30 and took it as a signal from the Lord to pray for you. I went back to sleep and this time I dreamed that I randomly ran into you at an airport. I told you I had a dream about you and asked you how I could pray. There was an extra girl named Jennifer...I noticed in your pictures this morning (after having the dream) that your family has an exchange student named Jennifer. I am just going to go ahead and assume God wants me to pray for her as well... Beth"

It gave us chills to read this from Beth. Yesterday at 5:30 p.m., I was listening to the news and there was a report that they uncovered a plot to poison the food at Ft. Jackson. Jesse will be there in a week and a half for basic training! Did they uncover this yesterday- right after the Lord had Beth pray? And Allison, who moved to FL last week, is having a very difficult time with her new nanny job. She is making a decision about what she should do right now regarding staying or not. She cried on the phone on Wed with us for an hour. Laura is traveling over in N. Africa and Jenni has many tests and is in charge of a campus worship event tonight since the leader got very sick. Adjua (our other Jennifer) is working and studying very hard. Anyway, we are thanking God for this specific and very encouraging word from Him through our friend Beth. I hope and pray that I would be sensitive to hear God's voice that clearly!

Blessings to each of you- Nancy Fritz

2010-01-26T01:04:00.006-07:00

Dear friends,

Things have been busy here...I went to Portland a few weekends ago to attend the Mission -Connexion Northwest Conference with 7 others from our Spokane steering committee. We are planning the first Mission Connexion Inland Northwest Conference for this September 24-25. We have been assisted generously by those who do the conference in Portland and we went to experience their conference to give us ideas for ours. I rode with a group and got to stay with my brother Paul and his family. We haven't seen each other for a long time. At least we got started on catching up, and I think we will get to do more of that perhaps this summer.

After Portland I road tripped with Greg to southern Washington where he taught a Perspectives class (Lesson 2). We got back very late and he taught the next night here in Spokane. I got to do the World View demo which was fun. Marti Smith updated it and it was great to give them the script while I was there so they can go and mobilize their churches too.

Laura is in Dubai in the Middle East for a few weeks and then will be in several other places checking out ministry opportunities for herself. She made some good contacts at Urbana and felt that a good next step was to do some visiting of teams she knows herself as well.

Jenni is back at Grove City. I do miss having her here playing the piano and singing a lot. We had good discussions too. Jesse leaves for boot camp on March 1st. It will sure be quiet here without him goofing around with Allison and Adjua. He is finishing up at Starbucks in a few weeks. Allison is going to Fort Lauderdale, FL to interview for a few jobs next Sunday-Tues. She might leave quickly after that if she gets one of the jobs. She would appreciate prayer for that.

BLADDER MATTERS
I learned last month that I have a bladder condition called interstitial cystitis. Basically it means that my bladder doesn't have a lining anymore. So the urine is right up against the vessels in the wall of my bladder. There is supposed to be a gel like lining that keeps the acidic urine away from the vessels, but that is missing in mine. A year ago I didn't have this problem. During the year I have experienced more and more trouble with incontinence and frequency. It turns out that my bladder is acting as though it has a bladder infection all the time. Other than the actual presence of an infection. So there is inflammation, irritation and cramping that causes the other problems I have been having. Random pains can happen at different places around the abdominal area in varying amounts and for different amounts of time. So, this is rather a good thing. The pains I have been having have a cause that isn't cancer. There is medication I am trying. It is like Heparin, so I am not excited about it at all. It must be taken on an empty stomach (3 hour window) and doesn't work for 6 months. It is called Elmiron. I think that is the 7th prescription I am on. It is a chore to deal with this, but like I said, it isn't cancer.

My knee is gradually getting more sore, but is still at least 50% less painful than before the cortisone shot. My chiropractor is working on scar tissue in my neck from radiation. I am sore a lot but am able to keep up with a pretty busy schedule. When I don't have to be somewhere, I often sleep in.

I am currently planning a trip to Denver in February. I am planning a program on Ghana for the 100+ kids in Bible Blast on the 14th. I am excited about it. When I am done, Partners International will also be able to share the curriculum with churches we are connected with. I am going for a week so I have time to touch base with family and friends. I am going Feb 6th and returning Feb 14th in the evening (to see my valentine). Please be in touch with me about getting together if this applies to you. nancyfritz@aol.com or 509-990-8465

Well, that is all for now. It is time to get to bed. Blessings- Nancy

Update and Priorities

2009-12-24T15:42:00.002-07:00

Dear Friends,

It is Christmas Eve day and it is momentarily quiet here. Laura is hanging out at Starbucks where Jesse is working, Jenni is doing errands with Greg, Allison is working at the mall, and Adjua is in her room hanging out. I am typing on a new computer my guys managed to get me on black Friday. That is a whole story in itself. They worked very hard with Jesse beginning at Best buy at 4:00 a.m. and by the time I got up at 9:30 they were home with a computer for me and one for Laura. Anyhow, this is where the "prioritizing part of the title of this entry comes in...

In setting up my new computer not all, but most, of the files transferred through he external hard drive. The "all" that didn't transfer were my address lists. So that has literally and functionally caused headaches. I tried, but have not succeeded in getting all of my Christmas cards sent. Some of you will get them late. So when do you switch gears and admit that you can't get that part done? I find it hard to admit defeat, but today I began by saying, "UNCLE!" So the stress level has decreased and you probably won't realize our card is late until you receive it late. Sorry. I think I should start next year's in the summer! And I am pretty sure you won't disown us or take us off your list of friends. We did send it out electronically, so let us know by emailing Greg if you would like to receive the Yahoo version.

All the kids are home. Allison is home from Korea and we have totally enjoyed having the last 3 months with her. She wants to go back to school for a nursing degree, but after consulting with her financial advisor (Laura), she has decided to work for a year and make some money first, rather than adding to her college debt. She is looking for a well-paying nanny job. She is thinking other places than here. She may move to do that at the end of January, but has to figure out a car first. Her old Toyota bit the dust and is gone. We are down to Jesse, Allison, Adjua, and me sharing the van. Starbucks and college for Jesse, a different university for Adjua, Allison working at the mall, and me doing all the rest of my stuff and driving everyone everywhere. Boy is that time consuming! That is another reason why it is time to give in and prioritize what must be done, rather than what I really want to get done.

Laura is going to URBANA on Sunday morning - a missions conference in St. Louis hosted by Inter-Varsity. She will have a very busy time there attending sessions and meeting with mission agency personnel. Her church from Maryland will have a group there also.

Jenni got home on Tuesday morning from France. She loved her semester there with Grove City. She got to travel to many European destinations on weekends and breaks. She heads back to school in mid-January. It is so wonderful to have her singing around the house and playing the piano. Our family just enjoys being together and laughing. Settlers of Catan is a favorite game these days. The other night we had Adjua tell us stories about Christmas in Ghana and it was very entertaining. We will have one Ghanaian guest (Joyce) for our Christmas turkey dinner, and a bunch of others coming over after that for games and fun.

So, are you picking up on what I need to prioritize? My mind just goes in way too many directions! The sun just came out! We have seen way too little of that lately. Jenni calls it "The Grey Darkness."

I have enjoyed many weeks of no knee pain since my cortisone shot and I have decided it was totally worth it! I think it is beginning to war off, but I am praying and hoping it lasts as long as possible. I have a few tests at the end of the month to make sure scar tissue is scar tissue and not something else. The rule of thumb is to assume that it isn't because it usually isn't. Plus, I know the Lord of the universe personally, and know that He really loves me no matter what. He is good and put aside all of the privileges of heavenly royalty to live a humble life among us humans, just to provide access to Himself through the sacrifice of His own life. There is only one way to God-through a personal relationship with Christ -- submitting to His lordship. Tough but fair. He provided the opportunity for that. Amazing!

I am so grateful for an amazing husband, family, great friends, God's provision and so many other things. I had another call from northern Ghana last week, and Jacob said that because God has provided a motorcycle for him. he is able to plant churches in several more villages. One is starting tomorrow -- on Christmas with a big meeting/celebration. As Adjua would say - WOW! I love the way she does that!

I wish you a wonderful holiday and heartfelt blessings from me and us here in sunny (right now) Spokane, WA! God bless, Nancy Yahoo

To give or not to give- to missionaries

2009-11-25T11:38:00.006-07:00

Hi friends,

I am checking my shopping list and cupboard to see what we still need for tomorrow. I still don't know if we will have any guests, but I am sure that will work out. I am turning 52 tomorrow and am happy for the almost 11 years out from my first beast cancer. So much to be grateful for- a wonderful family, an incredible ministry, a nice home and food on the table, etc. But I am feeling sad.

I feel like my sharing what it going through my heart right now, so that it may help any of you who are making decisions about missionary support at your church or personally. So that you can consider the implications of that simple line through a budget line item to real people. I have just had to do this with the missions commission at our church here in Spokane, because the church budgets, like everyone else's, are taking a hit. And unfortunately sometimes that hit goes extra hard to the missions budget.

Missionsries are people you don't see everyday, or week, or month. They, by definition, are busy people who have several "worlds" to care for: Their own immediate family, their focus of ministry, their extended family back home, their sending agency, and of course their support base- their prayer and financial life-line to enable them to do their ministry. They usually burn the candle at 3 ends to keep up with all of this. If they weren't committeed and called to this hard work, do you think they would be sacrificing a 'normal' life to do it? But if the financial part dips, it can all come to a halt, as they scramble to find a way to stay in ministry while finding replacement money somewhere else. Imagine doing this from the Middle East or Asia.

Greg and I have always highly valued our support team. These folks bless us and the nations through us, but they also get the reward of participating in exciting global Kingdom of God things through our ministry. It blesses the nations and it blesses them to be playing a vital role in what God is doing on the front lines. Symbiotic- mutually beneficial. We love these friends and churches and thank God for them regularly. (We hope we communicate that adequately to any of you reading this.)

On Monday we learned that one of our main supporting churches decided to discontinue our support at the beginning of this last year. We should have picked up on this sooner, but didn't due to staff shortages and less than optimum dilegence on my part. I have to go looking for information currently- it isn't just given to me. Greg leaves this part to me and I enjoy doing it. Anyway, a string of zeros across the page recently caught my attention. We investigated and discovered this decision.

This has implications in several ways. Since we didn't know, we didn't get to be part of the discussion. It seems like after almost 2 decades of a close connection, including us in the process would have been obvious. There are 100's and 100's of relationships between us and that church. They cared for us in the most excellent ways when I went through my cancer. We cried together and prayed together. They brought us meals and some went with me to chemo. I was active in a breast cancer support group there for 7 years. I helped start the children's missions program there. I wrote several years of month-long missions curriculum for the Sunday School. I did a monthly missions club for for kids for several years. I took a large role in helping to plan mission conferences. I taught children's leaders how to teach missions. We lead support groups, took leadership roles in the missions committee, Greg on the exec. team, and lead a short term mission trip to Central America with 28 people.

When our ministry with Caleb Project came to a close, this church also cared for us most excellently. So many ways caring was expressed as we grieved and made decisions for what to do next. So practical and so loving and caring and generous.

So now...this discovery of a severed connection. A line through a name- our name- on a list when it was time to make the tightening budget work. When you have to make these decisions, can I beg you to not only think about your personal connection to that missionary, but to the connection they have to the church? The relationships. Their history. Their involvement. Their commitment to you as a church. Their dependence and value of you being on their team. The deeper these are, the more necessary it is to communicate with them about these decisions. Please let them be part of the process.

Did you commission them and send them out from your body? By severing ties, isn't this the equalivilant of walking out of a covenant relationship without warning? Like 'dumping' someone when you are a teenager?

We never got to say a proper thank you. That is really sad. For a church to have blessed missionaries like we were blessed and cared for by this church, we would like the opportunity to properly thank them for all they have meant to us. Instead I am left feeling sad that I didn't get to express gratitude. To be fair I was told that "in every way but financially you are still considered missionaries of the church." We are still being prayed for by the leadership team. I think we have been adopted by a large Sunday School class and I am supposed to do a presentation there in Feb. Do we still invest effort and time in visiting and fullfilling our part of the missionary role with that church? How can we afford to? We now also have to figure out how to replace the gap in funds. I could have been working on this all year if I had been more careful and obvservant.

Any funds that don't come into our account to pay Greg's salary come out of the minstry's general budget and are literally not able to go to our partners overseas for their amazing and strategic ministries. We have an agreement with Partners to cover at least 2/3's of Greg's salary. We are around $10,000 short. I feel like it is my fault for not paying closer attention. Greg is telling me that God will provide, and my Bible is doing the same, and I know that is true. But I have to tell you that my connections to my newly found brothers and sisters in our partner ministries in the 10/40 Window is making this very gut-wrenching for me. I believe in what they are doing with my whole heart. I feel like I am letting them down.

The physical therapy to disabled children being lead by Ubaldo in Morrocco, the children being rescued out of human trafficing by Anita in India, the outreach and over 140 new Achenese believers in Indonesia through my sister there, food for the women in the witches' camp in northern Ghana who have just come to Christ- who I personally got to hug this summer... I could go on and on and on. There is so much to help them do. Well, I need to dry up my tears and get ready for Thanksgiving. There is much that is happening through our partners that I can be thankful for. Sorry for dumping. Just give when you can to the things on your heart everyone else had decreased giving to, and don't forget those you don't see every day.

Learning trust and understaning in all of this- Nancy Fritz

P.S. If you want to give to Partners International you can at our website, but I am NOT intending to guilt anyone. I mean that. http://www.partnersintl.org/

The east coast, carpal tunnel and snow

2009-11-14T14:03:00.002-07:00

Dear friends,
My Trip to the East Coast
I am back from my trip. I had a wonderful time on the east coast. I had a wonderful time sharing about the ministry of Partners International. I was able to share about many of our partners working throughout the 10/40 Window. A few times meetings lasted for over 3 hours! I shared in 3 churches, visited with 4 and got to visit friends and family, including many on our support team. It was wonderful to catch up with many friends. There is nothing that takes the place of personally connecting. Thanks to all of you who took the time for a visit with me!
Together with Greg's parents, I got to see a family of 5 bob cats right outside the back of their house. Two adults and 3 kits. Wow. I think that is pretty rare. This isn't the clearest picture, but I think you can tell that it is a bobcat.
I will say that the use of Partners' Garmin made the trip so much easier for me as I drove alone. That GPS is a true feat of engineering! It guided me through Baltimore, around central and eastern PA, upstate NY, northern NJ and then across NJ back to Baltimore. And God provided a significant discount toward my car rental fee through a brother in Christ. That was a direct answer to prayer. Thank you, friend!
Carpal Tunnel
It has been a week since I had my carpal tunnel release surgery. I am doing well. I thought you might like to hear how it went. I was preped like other surgeries, but obviously not with as much detail. My nurse is my now friend, Shirley. She has just finished her breast cancer treatment. We connected quickly as we shared stories. Our hearts connected deeply on issues we both understood about adjusting from being a patient to being a survivor. She also knew how to start an IV on my right hand without giving me lymphodema problems.
My friend Sue came back for a few minutes and then went to the waiting room. I met with the surgeon who explained what he was going to do in more detail and assured me it would take less than 10 minutes. He was going to make a small incision near the bottom of my palm, where the nerves to the hand pass through the carpal tunnel. My tunnel had become inflamed and was pinching the nerve. Eventually, this kind of nerve constriction would kill the nerve to the hand. He would insert a tool into that incision that would tunnel down a ways toward my wrist and "release" (cut apart) the tendon or ligament that crosses over the top of the tunnel. This makes the passageway for the nerve to the hand 40% bigger and releases the pressure. There are no adverse affects to doing this, and it solves a very big problem.
The anesthesiologist met with me also and explained that he was going to give me Versed while the nerve block was being put into my right wrist, then they would turn off the Versed and by the time I woke up, they would be done.
So, before I knew it, it was all done. I was able to leave in an hour. I was very awake and comfortable. My hand was wrapped and was numb until late afternoon. My hand was very sore that night and the next morning, but by evening the second day, it felt much better. The next day I took off the wrapping and took a shower and put a band aid on my little incision.
I have been doing gentle exercises of opening and closing my hand all week and get my stitches out on Monday. Even as soon as Saturday, I could tell that the carpal tunnel symptoms were gone. No tingling, numbness or that kind of pain up my arm or in my hand. I was able to knit some by Monday. If I had a desk job, I would have been able to resume work in a few days.
I know a lot of friends who have problems with carpal tunnel and who try and avoid the things that cause the problem to flair. This procedure was pretty simple to solve the problem without having all the discomfort and pain. They used to do this in a much more complicated way, but now it is fairly simple. So there you have my experience. I did make my hand hurt on Tuesday when putting a sheet on the bed, but it is doing well again. The procedure was called "Carpal Tunnel Release."
SNOW
Yesterday we got a very small amount of snow. Adjua, our international student from Ghana, who is living with us while she attends Whitworth, is marveling at the phenomenon. It took her weeks to get used to wearing sweaters and light jackets. The idea of wearing a bulky jacket does not compute, and so far, even at 38 degrees she won't wear one. She feels like it makes her look too fat. I never thought before how different it is to be somewhere cold when you have grown up at the equator. She has the coats, hats, scarves, boots and gloves to wear, but we will have to see how long it takes her to get used to the idea of wearing them.
FAMILY
Greg is back from the mountains without anything to fill the freezer, but so glad for his time by himself with the Lord. He cherishes these times every year. Partners is again this month seeing low numbers as he expressed in our recent Yahoo update. (If you want to be on that list, email him at gregf@partnersintl.org) Please pray for God's wisdom for him and the other leaders.
Laura was just offered a severance package by AT&T, and feels that since she was praying to get laid off, that she should go ahead and do it. Although college is paid off, she was hoping for some more time to build up her savings so she would be able to investigate other possibilities for ministry. That luxury is now not possible. She would love to go to URBANA, but can't because of the cost. It would cost close to $700 for her to go, and she just doesn't have the money.
Allison is with us at least until Christmas. After much prayer, she has settled on the decision to go back to school for a 15-16 month nursing degree. She gave teaching a fair chance and feels like her gifting would be better used in nursing. She might end up teaching nursing someday since she already has an education degree. She would also see her training in Elementary Ed. being very helpful in pediatric nursing. She is sending an application to John's Hopkins today and will also be applying other places. Currently she has a part time job at the mall to pay for college loans.
Jenni is still studying in France and is enjoying her experience very much. She has been able to do a lot of traveling on the weekends to places all over Europe. She comes home Dec. 21st.
Jesse is in community college currently, and this weekend is serving with his national guard unit doing training- in the snow. His old, old car has totally kicked the bucket. Allison was given that car by a ministry in Denver called God's Cars in '05, and it had over 200,000 miles then! It served her for student teaching in college and since, until it has become the vehicle he and Allison are using to get to work and school. You might realize that this means that the car I use, has become the Fritz family shuttle. We would love for you to join us in praying for God's provision for a vehicle for Allison. Whichever way she goes, she will have to have a car. God has been faithful in the past, and He is Jehova Jira. Jesse won't need a car after March 1st, since that is when he goes to bootcamp.
I (Nancy) am doing some projects for church for Angel Tree, driving our kids all over the city, including Adjua to college as well, I taught two college classes for Greg while he was gone. I taught on "Ministering to Children Cross-Culturally." I am meeting with those planning our regional missions conference that is scheduled for next fall. I will be helping to lead the children's track and miscellaneous other tasks. I am leading a group of women at church for a Beth Moore Bible study, and will be helping with a church kids Christmas program. I am serving on the missions commission at our church, and on Wednesday this week I honestly woke up at 5:04 p.m., and then slept all that night as well. So, in between my various projects, resting happens. I am doing felting of wool items and knitting as my hobby of choice in my spare time currently.
So, thank you for your interest and for any prayers you offer up for Partners and our family
Blessings, Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com 509-990-8465

Going east in a few hours!

2009-10-20T03:53:00.003-06:00

Dear friends-
I leave at 8:20 a.m. for the office and then the airport. I actually just got home from the airport a few hours ago and have a total of 10 of them at home! I just came from Partners International's President's Forum in Laguna Beach and the meetings were fantastic. The people I met were also amazing.

I am going to Baltimore, Lascaster, Harrisburg, Benton, PA, Bath, NY, Ridgewood, NJ and back to Baltimore with some visits on the way to these various places. I would appreciate your prayers for good health and safety on the road. I fly home on Nov. 2nd and teach Greg's class the next day.

Thank you and blessings-
Nancy

Travels, Daughters, Wrists and Berries

2009-10-05T00:04:00.005-06:00

Hello all!

It is officially fall now. Cooler and windy today. We are still picking raspberries from Greg's garden and I picked 6 quarts of blackberries on Friday afternoon up on Green Bluff. There were millions I didn't have time to pick, but the ones I did pick, I made into freezer jam, blackberry syrup and I froze the rest whole. Some were actually over 1" long- sooo good!

(Me, Greg, Jennifer and Jesse at Whitworth orientation.)

Someone gave us apples which I have been cutting up for pies. Greg invited his college class students over for dinner this Friday night and promised them apple pie. He has asked Jesse, Allison and Adjua to share about cross cultural communication with them while they are here.

ADJUSTING TO AMERICA

Jennifer (Adjua) our exchange daughter from near the equator in Ghana, told us tonight when we invited her to go walking with us, that if she went, her blood would freeze and she would become static! You have to love that! And it is only in the 50's! She keeps asking if it is going to keep getting colder. Snow will be new for her. It sleeted on Friday and she was excited about that.

Tonight she and Greg and I talked for quite a while about adjusting to a different culture. She has trouble getting people to understand her because of her accent, so she holds back in communicating sometimes. Things like asking a question in class or trying to buy food at the cafeteria at school make her nervous. Greg is going to have her share her experience with his class in cross-cultural ministry on Thursday.

She spent most of the weekend teaching herself how to do graphs on excell for her lab write-ups for school. A high learning curve, but will pay off later. Ironically, most of the American students made their graphs by hand last week after she had spent hours!

CARPAL TUNNEL
I had the test done by the neurologist on Wednesday and my right wrist has carpal tunnel. When he did two of the electric zaps toward my thumb, I yelped. That is where there is a swollen place on the right side of my wrist. The other zaps were just sensations that were not painful. The left one only has a little carpal tunnel. The hand orthopedic doctor should be calling this week to let me know the next step in solving the problem. I know that most things are making it hurt or numb these days- driving, cooking, sewing, typing, sweeping, sleeping...

I have a check up with my oncologist on the 14th- right before I leave town for a few weeks. This is routine. As usual, I have new aches and pains we will talk about. Scar tissue is a big factor for me these days. I will let you know what they think after my visit. I will also see my gyno in Nov. as I think there are problems with my cystocele repair from last year. Things are feeling sore and out of sorts with that part of my body. I am still walking with Greg most evenings.

FRIENDS AND CANCER

I have two friends going through cancer right now. One I met through our realtor. Leslie lives on the South Hill and her son goes to Grove City as is a sophomore. We got together before school started this fall so Jenni could meet Joel and a girl going to Grove City as a freshman.

Well, Leslie and I also have the recurring breast cancer thing in common. She is on her 2nd time and tomorrow is scheduled for a double mastectomy. We got together last week and I loaned her my scarves and hats for her time in the hospital and recovery. I shared my experience with her so she would know more of what to expect. She won't be having reconstruction for a while, but plans to have a TRAM flap like I did. Her hair is beginning to grow back.

We went together with her mother to the store where they sell items for ladies with our special cancer needs. While we were there a woman came in who had just found out she had cancer and needed to buy a wig. She was crying and we just felt for her. Leslie got the coolest cotton camisole with pockets for light weight breast forms and a place to put drains, etc. That is new since '99 when Deb and I were inventing "Beanie Boobies!" And it is covered by her insurance. It just keeps getting better and better for those experiencing breast cancer! We agreed that if you have to have cancer, to have it there is a blessing. It is on the outside and can be removed- unlike pancreatic or liver, etc.

Leslie brought up the idea of maybe it being time to start a Christian breast cancer support group in our city. To our knowledge there isn't one, and I really miss my Friends For Life support group in Denver. We might just start the Spokane branch! I have quite a network of contacts now. I think I need to find someone who still has an intact memory to help with the leading. My memory has been affected by 'chemo brain' and remembering names is difficult for me. Anyway, Leslie and I have a desire to do this and we would appreciate your prayer that we can work out the details in the next several months. I think it will be after the holidays at least.

My other friend with cancer is Mary. She is working remotely for Partners, coming from Seattle to our office every few weeks or so to work on accounting. She got horrible vertigo about two months ago and then began having weakness all over her body. One of her doctors researched for a whole weekend and had her scanned for a malignancy on the next Monday. It was one of the possible causes for her symptoms he came across in his research. It ended up being caused by ovarian cancer. She had surgery and is very slooooowly getting back the ability to speak and hopefully the rest of her abilities through physical therapy. It is going to take time but we are all so very thankful that the cause was discovered early. They don't believe it spread outside her ovary. The neurological symptoms allerted them to this often deadly cancer in its early stages. She has very strong faith is her loving Heavenly Father and is counting her blessings.

MY TRIP EAST

I have my plane ticket and am putting together my schedule for a trip east. I plan to visit my mother, visit 2 or 3 supporting churches and many supporters. I plan to rent a car in Baltimore where Laura lives and drive to New Jersey and Pennsylvania to visit supporters and churches and also go to see my mom in Bath, NY. I fly out of here on Oct. 20th and fly back on Nov. 2nd. If anyone has an idea about an inexpensive rental, let me know. Currently my options are coming out at about $400 for the 2 weeks. Ouch!

Allison gets home on Tuesday night from South Korea, via Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Florida. We haven't seen her since Christmas. (We haven't seen Laura since then either, but since it was so far it seems longer and I get to see Laura on the 20th.) Adjua is looking forward to meeting Allison. I think the two of them will be peas in a pod.

On the 14th of October, Greg and I will be in Laguna Beach for a Partners International event for 5 days. That will be an exciting time of sharing the ministry with people coming from around the US. Since I have seen the ministry up close overseas and have had partners stay in our home, I feel like I have stories to tell. I just want to be available and a help. The day after we get home I leave for the east coast, so basically, I will be gone for 2 1/2 weeks. While I am east, Greg will be doing some hunting in between working and teaching.

Well, my knees are throbbing, so I think I will hit the sack. Drop me and email if you get the chance at nancyfritz@aol.com or call: 509-990-8465.

Fall is here and Jesse is a soldier!

2009-09-23T00:54:00.004-06:00

Dear friends,

The leaves are turning colors, and the air is gradually getting colder. I don't think I miss the snow Denver is experiencing. It is supposed to be in the 70's tomorrow here in Spokane, Washington. Genifer- our Ghanaian Whitworth student- actually wore closed toed shoes yesterday. She isn't looking forward to the colder weather!

I am beginning a study on the book of Esther by Beth Moore with our church's women's group. I ended up becoming a small group leader for that group. So far it is very good. I am looking forward to the discipline of doing a study with others. Discipline isn't my strong suit!

I saw the doctor yesterday about pain in my wrist and arm. He thinks that it is carpal tunnel rather than a cyst. The lump appears to be swelling from the constriction. He took x-rays and did some tests and is sending me for a neurological evaluation next Wed. to figure it out for sure. Then he'll call me to let me know. I have been experiencing so much pain and numbness, that I would like to figure out what is going on and find a solution. My research last night about carpal tunnel listed all my symptoms, so we'll see. My deductible is paid for my health insurance for '09, so at least I don't have to pay extra to get this checked. Any input from any of you about what worked for you in fixing this problem would be appreciated. (nancyfritz@aol.com).

I continue to have lots of problems with scar tissue from the radiation treatments I had at the end of '06. The dose that went to the nodes on the left side at the base of my neck, really is causing problems. The scar tissue pushes on the muscles in my neck causing my neck to get messed up pretty easily. I go to the chiropractor about once a week and he works on the scar tissue there and in my abdomen and the side of my chest wall. My knee is hurting as much as ever from whatever is wrong there. So I am sore and achy, but able to function OK. A few of my meds can cause muscle and joint aches, so that could explain how I feel.

I am planning a trip to the east coast for the second half of October. There are lots of details connected to that, and I am helping to lead chapel at Partners International this morning about Kidzana. I also need to prepare to teach 2 of Greg's Whitworth classes at the beginning of Nov. The class is Cross Cultural Ministry, and I will be talking about ministering to children cross-culturally. That should be fun.

So I am off to chapel... Have a wonderful day and God bless you! Nancy Fritz
Jenni is in France for her fall semester with Grove City College, Laura is days away from paying off her student loans as she continues to work for AT&T. Allison gets home in 2 weeks from her year in South Korea teaching English. And our international student, Genifer, or Adjua, is adjusting well to America. We took her to the fair and she wasn't sure about the rodeo and wondered why Americans enjoy bull riding and mutton bustin!'

And Jesse...He has enlisted in the National Guard. He is in community college this fall, going for one weekend a month and taking an ROTC class. He goes to boot camp March 1st for 9 or 10 weeks. Then he goes to Arizona for interrogation training, and then he goes to Monterrey, CA for a year of Arabic school. That could be worth two years of college. All together it takes 90 weeks. He gets to come home for Christmas next year.

After he's done he will probably be deployed for a tour. Then back for college and then more training and another deployment. Then he will be on the one weekend a month schedule. At that point he should be able to get a very good job. His National Guard counter intelligence job would not be front line, but questioning back from the front lines or interpreting tapes or documents. He got a bonus and a 'kicker,' will be paid while he does all this, school will be paid for and he should end up with money in the bank. I think the whole thing should take 8 years including the 2 years of college. So we are parents of a soldier!

I am helping to lead chapel today at Partners International about Kidzana, so I need to get moving! Have a wonderful day! Blessings- Nancy

Two girls came, one is gone & soldier's mother?

2009-09-04T00:36:00.003-06:00

I can hardly believe that I haven't written for 2 1/2 weeks! So much has happened!

JENNI AND CAMPING
Jenni came home and we went camping in the Blue Mountains. They were beautiful in a different way than any we have seen anywhere else. We found a place for Greg and Jesse to hunt- lots of animals and places to set up camp.

We camped under tall pine trees on top of a mountain and all around us were smaller pine trees and multitudes of huckleberry bushes fully loaded! There was also warm fresh evidence of bears near the berries, but we didn't see any. I picked by myself for 6 hours and got 1 gallon. Right at the end of our time (and my sore back from bending over), I found another whole area where the berries were waist high and large and there were so many! I just couldn't pick anymore. And there were a lot of mosquitoes in there.

When we got home, I made huckleberry freezer jam and got 10 8 oz. jars. Counting the time, mosquito bites and scratches, those jars are worth a fortune to me! I am so very thankful for the jar a friend gave me last year!

JENN ARRIVED FROM GHANA

Here is another thing that defies reality...Jenn has only been here for 13 days! She arrived at midnight two weeks ago tomorrow. She is a total delight. She loves to laugh and she thinks I am funny. (Imagine that!) She had fun with Jenni and Jesse and instead of Jenni teaching her how to keep Jesse in line, they both taught her how to tease me! Actually, she laughs when I get teased and doesn't tease me herself. She is 5'8" and is beautiful. We got her some warm clothes to prepare her for the fall. When it is 85 degrees or higher, she tells me that the weather is very nice. I don't think there are too many very nice days left until next summer!

In Ghana, everyone has a "day" name based on the day of the week they were born. Jenn's day name is Adjua, so that is what we usually call her. It solved the two Jenni problem. That is what her parents call her, so it makes her feel at home. We got her the fixings for Jolof rice last night so she can do some cooking. She discovered the ice cream in the freezer tonight and told me if she had known it was there, it would be empty already! She is having international student orientation today and tomorrow and freshman orientation on Sat- Tuesday. School starts for her and Greg on Wednesday. He is teaching a class this fall at Whitworth on Tues. and Thursday mornings.

ME- A SOLDIER'S MOTHER???
Our son is planning to enlist tomorrow for Army ROTC National Guard with the counter intelligence unit specializing in Arabic. He registered for the fall at Spokane Falls Community College today, and would go to basic training/boot camp in Jan. After 9 weeks of that he would go to Southern CA for Arabic school for a total of 90-ish weeks. Then he would come back here for 1 1/2 years more of CC, and then 2 years at a state school- basically paid for and he would also have a nice amount in the bank. He could be deployed 1 time during his stint in CC, and after finishing college would serve for 4 years. We figure it will probably add up to 11 years. With the Arabic counter intelligence training, he wouldn't be on the front line but would have other jobs- he tells me. He would come out with training that would prepare him for employment afterwards and have no debt and be paid while he does it. All of these things are attractive to him.

If the contract doesn't include what we are expecting, he won't sign. Please pray for us to be sharp on details to make sure they are putting in writing what he expects them to. He goes at 5:45 a.m. and will call us when they are ready for our part. I am supposed to bring the camera and I just might also need tissues! Pray that if for any reason he shouldn't be doing this, the Lord will close the door. We don't have any huge red flags and he seems to have thought this through carefully. There are signing bonuses that he would get by doing this now rather than waiting and would go in with an E3 since he did 2 years of Jr. ROTC in high school and a few other factors. So anyway, please pray. We have heard more stories than we can count about people enlisting and ending up in situations very different than what they were expecting. I don't want that to happen to my boy who is really God's boy!

Jesse's African father and mother, Rene and Faustine Mbongo were here on Monday for lunch and Jesse talked to them in French a mile a minute. I guess he really did learn it while he was there! We are so grateful for the impact they had on his life!

MY KNEE
I saw the doctor about me left knee last Thursday. It has been very sore and a little swollen. The Baker's cyst hasn't gotten any smaller since it showed up last October. My surgeon who tried to fix it in the spring, is disappointed that it isn't doing any better. He said it is possible to take out the cyst, but since I had a blood clot in that leg last summer, and because there are so many nerves going through there, he doesn't think it is a good idea.

I got a brace for it that is black and very snug yesterday. Last night my knee didn't hurt at all during the night for the first time in weeks. I wore it today and it gave good support and I think it pushes on the Baker's cyst and that feels good too.

The joint in my left pinkie is swollen and very sore. He looked at that and another cyst thing on my right wrist that is sending pain through my right hand. He said that these things might all be related to RA and asked me to go to my internist to see. I have an appointment on Tuesday. My low back is sore too and my chiropractor thinks it is connected to scar tissue in my abdomen. So ice on my back and knee when I can. I am feeling OLD these days, but am still grateful to be alive and able to get around. I have a kids' curriculum on Ghana started and have lots of ideas of how to finish it now that I have been there.

GHANA FOLLOW-UP REPORT
I got a call from Jacob, by new friend and the missionary to the village we spent the most time in while we were in Ghana. He said that many of the accused witches have become Christians and that the church has grown to 100 people! Before we were there, it had 20. Aslan is on the move in Nabuli, Northern Ghana!

Blessings-
Nancy Fritz

Jenni is coming home and Jenn is coming too!

2009-08-17T12:15:00.002-06:00

Dear friends,

What a crazy few weeks. I got back from Ghana and Greg and I have been grabbing the weekends to experience some of the beautiful northwest. We went to a bluegrass festival, camped in the national forest, camped with our church and worked on cleaning our townhouses. I have been cooking for my "boys" and getting ready for my girls!

Jenni gets home in a few hours. She spent the summer working at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab and lived with Laura near Baltimore. She spent several days in Denver visiting friends, and flies here today. We get her for a few weeks until she leaves for France for the fall semester with Grove City. They will study French and do engineering with their profs in PA online. She knows some French and Jesse is excited to get to use his African French with her.

So, since I knew Jesse would be lonely when she leaves, I got him another sister named Jennifer in Ghana who is going to come live with us while she goes to Whitworth. I met her while I was there. We are agreeing to pay for her food and housing. I have a bedroom ready for her and we are emailing so she will know what to bring. Since I was there, I know the cold will be a challenge for her. But we have girls so we will know how to take care of her. We will can her Jenn and she asked if she could start calling me Mum. I figure I am her Ameri-Mum. She will be studying pre-med. She arrives late on Friday night.

Now for my boy...Jesse has been thinking about his next steps since he got home from Africa. Lately he has been meeting with military recruiters and considering that route. He was thing very hard about signing a congract next Monday. He has decided to go to community college this fall and revisit this idea in January. I am happy for this decision because I felt like he was pursuing this because of boredom and restlessness. Africa was very exciting, and here life is just ordinary. By January he will be able to be more objective. He challenged my patriotism, but I really didn't have peace that he was deciding for the right reasons. If he decides to do this after thinking and praying longer, I will salute and cry and be very proud. So keep him in your prayers about his life plans if you would.

Jenni, Jesse, Greg and I are going to go camping in the SE part of the state to look for a new hunting spot. No elk have been seen during hunting season where they have been hunting the last two years, so it is time for a change. We hear the Blue Mountains are beautiful. Fun time together will be great.

My left knee is very sore. I bent it too far a few weeks ago and it is swollen a little. I have a check back with the knee surgeon on Thursday, so we will see what he thinks. I did well with my self-regulated therapy until Ghana, but haven't been very faithful since I got home. I am done with PT for the year, so that isn't an option. We'll see. Greg and I walk together almost every night, so I am at least doing that. Otherwise my health is OK. Sore and achy but just normal stuff. I don't see the oncologist until Oct.

Our Moody townhouses are filling up. We still need two more girls to be full. We have 34 out of 36. I think 9 have arrived. We would appreciate prayer that the last 2 spots get filled. The income is much needed to make this all work.

Well, I am off to the chiropractor and then to the airport! God bless you! Nancy Fritz 509-990-8465 nancyfritz@aol.com

The Witches' Camp, Northern Ghana

2009-07-15T16:48:00.009-06:00

Dear friends,

I am home from Africa and have stories to tell. Here is my first installment. I will tell you about the Witches' Camp we visited at Nabuli Village in Northern Ghana. It was the highlight of our time in Ghana.

The first photo is of some of the accused witches with a poster saying they were going to remember us and pray for us. We told them we would remember them always. The second photo is of me with some of the Nabuli children. They love, love, love to have their picture taken! They try not to smile in pictures, but laugh and get excited when they see themselves on the digital camera screen afterwards. A girl from the village took this picture. In the 3rd picture is COF missionary Elisha on the left, and Jacob on the right. The third picture is of my teammate Robert, Elisha the missionary next to him in the white shirt, the guy in the hat is the fettish priest (witch doctor), the man in green is the chief's interpreter (linguist), the man in print fabric and hat is the immam of the village (leader of the mosque), the man in white pants and man to the right are assistants to the chief, and the last man on the right is the village chief. Last are our pesticide treated mosquito nets purchased from a nearby hospital for $2 each. The picture below is of some of the accused witches we met and hugged. This is a long story, but I had to tell it all.

4th of July Eve
On Friday evening, the 3rd of July, we had gotten settled into a small cement house owned my World Vision. It had a small fridge and sink in a kitchen, but otherwise that room was empty. The house had a bathing room, cement with a door, little drain on the floor, and not the cleanest place to think about getting clean in. That room had a bucket and dipper for bucket baths. The next little stall with a door was the toilet room. Their were a lot of bugs in there when we arrived, but our hosts got rid of them for us. There was a drying rack and 2 bedrooms with 2 beds each that had mattresses on them, and a sort of sheet (where the 4 of our team women slept). There was also a generic room on the front of the house with slatted windows all around and a torn screen door, and a solid door. We had ceiling fans and electricity.

We had our dinner of spaghetti noodles and tuna and sardines, mangos and a sauce to put over the noodles if we wanted. It tasted great. It was prepared by “fully pregnant” Ernestina, the wife of one of the two Ghanaian missionaries we spent those days with. She is due in a month and it was so hot! She worked very hard to cook for us with 2 village girls. She rode up on a motor bike, which was quite a sight!

As we talked about the next day at the village with Elisha, Ernestina’s husband and one of the missionaries, we flexed on our plans and prepared to act out the Good Samaritan as he suggested.

After dinner we saw clouds roll in. The wind blew so hard, the curtains in our living room were flying horizontally across the room. It reminded us of the tornado taking Dorothy’s house in the Wizard of Oz. Our electricity went off and we thought of the mud huts with thatch roofs in the village and wondered how they could hold up to this weather, and if the countless village children we had seen were scared.

Then the lightening and thunder began and intensified. We had been singing patriotic songs earlier to celebrate 4th of July Eve, and next came the fireworks! The sky lit up with beautiful, God-created lightening patterns that went from one end of the horizon to the other. I don’t think any of us will forget that night. We stopped a few times and prayed for safety and wondered about what was coming the next day as we visited the “witches’ camp” in a nearby village. We climbed into our mosquito netted beds, which for the guys were dirty mattresses on the living room floor.

Nabuli Village on the 4th of July
The next morning we had breakfast, including Ernestina's delicious rolls from her bakery. Elisha came with us in the van and we stopped 40 minutes and 4000 pot holes later to pick up Jacob, the missionary to Nabuli. We traveled another half hour or so and came to the village. Several people were standing around and we mingled with them and talked to them through interpreters. We learned some words and greetings. We realized later that we were chatting with the Muslim leader, the fettish priest (witch doctor), the teacher, and the chief -among others.

We walked a ways over to a large tree next to the school building where lots of people were gathered. I looked around an older sibling on the way to see the little brother or sister she was carrying on her back. The one year old screamed when seeing my white face, undoubtedly because I was the first white person he or she had ever seen! I scurried away fast!

After exchanging greetings with the entire village population with Elisha and Jacob translating, and singing and dancing some, we performed our Good Samaritan skit. Jacob translated the story for them afterwards, and then they talked about what they thought about the parable from the Bible. This village is mostly animistic and Muslim, with a few Christians. One Muslim man said that he had heard the story before, but seeing it acted out made it come alive for him. Someone else said a while later that it reminded them of how the accused witches in their village were treated- ignored and passed by, and that it was wrong. And with that began a discussion of this extensive problem which is prevalant at least in the rural parts of Ghana. It was known by the villagers that we were coming all the way from America to help them deal with this issue. We were surprised that they brought it up so quickly and openly.

Many took turns describing the problem for us…When something goes wrong, a sickness, or death, or accident, someONE must be blamed. They always attach what happened to a person. In their culture, a man only needs to say that he saw a certain woman in a dream, and she is then accused of being a witch and causing the incident. She is usually around 50, but not always- sometimes she is younger. The men admitted that some reasons for her accusation might be one man getting revenge on another who had previously accused his wife of the same thing. Or a husband might be a polygamist and wants one less wife to feed. He gets a friend to accuse his wife and he can go get a younger one who isn’t as wrinkled. That's what he said! We asked how many of the women gathered there were afraid that they might be accused of being a witch at some point in their lives. Every single woman raised her hand! Young and old.

We told them we would be back the next day to deal with the issue some more and drove the hour and a quarter or so, and dodged 6000 more pot holes, returning to our World Vision temporary home. Our host was Emmanual Dabson, the Director of Christian Outreach Fellowship (COF). COF is our Partners International connection in Ghana. When you give to Partners, this is one of the ministries that we we partner with. He is Elisha and Jacob’s mission director and has a special burden of his own about the witches’ camps because his mother was sent to one based on an accusation by her own brother. She later died at that camp.

We debriefed with these men who were very pleased at how the day had gone. We talked about the next day when we would be going back there, and then enjoyed our specially prepared 4th of July feast of goat soup with ‘meat balls’ in it. The problem was that the meat balls were things like bound and tied entrails, the goat’s tongue, a hoof with some hair on it…You get the idea. For them it is a delicacy and is very special, and a lot of work to prepare. We gave the 'meat balls' to our driver, Kwame, who really enjoyed them. Our hard working cooks figured out that Americans only like to eat the muscle part of the meat. Who knew?! The next time someone is fixing me goat soup, I will be sure to mention that!

Nabuli Village on Sunday July 5th
We drove again to Nabuli the next day, picked up Jacob again on the way, dodged and went into potholes again. We got to the village and met with everyone packed inside a room in the school since it began raining just as we pulled up. We split up into groups with the children, the women and the men separately. Our 16 year old team mate, Rob, took 150 kids in another room and kept them busy for almost an hour.

It stopped raining and the men went outside to meet. Wendi, Mardi and I were with the women, with Megan in the back videoing our discussion. We asked the 45 accused witches to describe their accusations and being “tested” to see if they were indeed witches by the fettish priests. Many told stories of being beaten until they confessed to being a witch. The alternative was to be beaten to death. One woman told us she was beaten by something, but Jacob didn’t know how to translate it. Soon they brought a bicycle to the door and pointed to the chain. She had obvious scarring and the bitterness and unforgiveness was evident on her face. Could you blame her?

Others described a ceremony they went through with the fettish priest of having to throw a dead chicken. Its throat was slit while the accused woman held it and then she had to throw it. If it landed stomach side down, she wasn’t a witch, and if it landed on its back with its feet in the air, she was a witch. From what we could figure out, 19 out of 20 times the chicken landed with its feet up. Some women were sent to the city to be cleansed of witch craft for several months by a fettish priest- sometimes sexually abused. Once found to be a witch, they were sent away from their village to a witches’ camp near another village several hours from their own village. There they were treated like outcasts, or like leapers, not to be touched by anyone, and expected to fend for themselves to provide for their own needs. If one became sick, she was sent back to her home village where she was stuck somewhere and ignored until she died. I have written this in the past tense, but what I am describing is still going on today.

They said that one of their greatest sadnesses is being taken away from their children and grandchildren right when they are finally at the age of enjoying them. They have worked HARD their whole lives, and just when they should be able to be taken care of and enjoy their family, they are accused of witchcraft and taken away. They also expressed thanks to the leaders of this particular village, because they built them huts when they came and let them do some farming to earn money. It wasn't much but they were grateful for it.

One of these women said that she felt the only solution to the problem was to become a Christian. And they wanted to know how to become Christians. Wendi and Mardi and I talked about forgiveness, bitterness and God’s unconditional love and that there was no guarantee that this practice would stop. But God would be with them in the midst of their circumstances and He promises forgiveness and eternal life if they confess their sins (which we ALL have no matter how big or small) and ask Him to be the Lord of their lives. We explained that it isn’t a magic process. I got the idea from the Holy Spirit to share the footprints in the sand story. I changed it to fit their setting. I told them that Christ came alongside a woman to walk on a journey. Then they came to a hard part and had to walk through a very difficult valley. When she got to the other side and looked back she only saw one set of footprints. She asked Jesus why He left her during that difficult part. Jesus told her that there was only one set of footprints because He had carried her. It seemed to hit home for some of them. I just knew I had to tell that story.

Then as we stood there, I asked Jacob if they would like to take some time to confess their sins and then we could lead them in a prayer of salvation. He said, “Oh no. We need to pray together right now. Out loud.” Mardi and Wendi told me to go ahead, so I prayed in English, he translated into their language, they repeated the prayer, and I said the next part of the prayer and so on. Again, it was a powerful time. The Lord was there. They all prayed. We told them Jacob was there to answer any of their questions after we were gone. Jacob told me later that he thinks some of them actually meant what they were praying, but regardless, he could follow up and build on what we talked about later. The three of us Obruni’s (white people) sang Amazing Grace for them in harmony before we left. It was a powerful time. The Holy Spirit was there. This was about 2-3 p.m. on the 4th of July there, 7 hours earlier Spokane time (8-9 a.m.).

When we went outside and I went up to one of the accused witches and hugged her good old American-style. She pulled back and told me she wouldn’t hurt me. I got Jacob who translated what she was saying and I told her that the thought she would hurt me had not even entered my thinking. She was amazed by that and I hugged her and some of the others. You could tell they weren’t used to being touched, but that it was very appreciated. I told them God had created each of them, He loved them and that they are beautiful in His sight. Mardi and Wendi talked to others. There were children everywhere as well.

The whole group gathered when the men were done, and the chief said that he thinks the only solution to this problem is that the whole village become Christians. He wanted to get the surrounding tribal chiefs together to talk about stopping this practice of accusing witches. Emmanuel, Jacob and Elisha were very excited to follow up on this in the near future and felt our visit had made a huge impact. Our team agreed to keep posted on how things are going and to pray for them. We also will try to see what we can do to help from our side of the ocean.

We waited for the accused witches to walk back to their witches’ camp while the men on our team went over to the chief’s compound to give him gifts and receive a guinea foul from him as a gift to our team. (We later gave it to Ernestina.) Several men (maybe a dozen?) had come to the village that day who were related to the accused witches in that camp. The word had gone out that we were coming and wanted to talk to them. They had talked to the men while we talked to the women. They also went over to the witches’ camp. Emmanuel spoke powerfully to them about how evil this practice is and how it must stop. He asked them to take their women back to their families and let them back into their lives. One man in particular agreed over and over. Emmanuel spoke with power.

Our team presented the witches’ camp with 2 large sacks of maze (corn meal). We learned that it could feed the 45 of them for about 2 weeks. As we left, Robert took pictures of each accused witch with her family member if one was there. I also started hugging them again. I got to hug 5 or so and they seemed to be lining up to do that. I will never forget feeling them in my arms, so skinny and pulling back humbly since they weren’t used to touch, but also wanting to be hugged. We thought we would have more time with them and really wanted to wash their feet, but we had to go. Maybe next time…

Well, that was the first intallment. There will be more coming in the days ahead. Blessings and thank you for all your prayers! Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com 509-990-8465

Ghana in 3 hours for 2 weeks!

2009-06-28T05:20:00.003-06:00

Dear friends,
Here is the itinerary for our trip. We would love for you to join us in prayer. This could change, but it is our best idea of what we will be doing. Pray that we will be flexible and have servant hearts.
6/28-29 USA, Accra Air travel
6/30 Accra Visit Compassion International project area(?); stay Accra
7/1 Accra to Wenchi Visit COF projects en route; stay Wenchi
7/2 Wenchi to Tamale Visit COF projects en route; stay Tamale
7/3 Gusheigu Ministry with Elisha and Ernestina
7/4-5 Gusheigu witch camp Ministry with Elisha and Ernestina
7/6 Next village community We are prepared to do a VBS type of activity with
the 2-300 children in the villages.
7/7-8 Tamale Kidzana training I will be overseeing this
training. Please pray that we will be a blessing to these
dear Ghanaian workers.
7/9 Next village community Visit school started by COF worker(?) Possibly
another children's program.
7/10 Tamale to Atebubu Ministry
7/11 Atebubu to Accra Stay Accra; shop
7/12,13 Accra, USA Church services; air travel We may be speaking.

We plan to visit a village of outcastes who are women who are accused of being witches. Please pray that we will be good listeners and that we could bless them.

I will write again when I get back. If you want to get email updates from us, please email Greg at gregf@partnersintl.org and he can tell you how to sign up for it. We don't know if we will be able to give updates during our trip as internet connections are hard to come by.
Thank you so much! God bless- Nancy Fritz

At some point we will be visiting a village of women who are outcasts and accused of being witches. Ask the Lord to bless that time in a special way and help us to be good listeners.

2009-06-22T23:40:00.004-06:00

Dear friends,

A Moose Loose?
Did I tell you we had a moose loose in our neighborhood two weeks ago Saturday? It was in the principal's back yard when I spotted it during dinner. This picture was taken from out back door. Greg couldn't figure out for a minute what I was screaming about! He wondered if it was something he said! I got a few pictures and a video of it during the 1 1/2 hour show. At one point, we watched it from our front porch! It was a bull with little antlers beginning to grow. It was very tall and very skinny. It covered a lot of neighborhood streets. The fish and wildlife guys were trying to steer it away from the freeway and back into the woods. That was a once in a lifetime experience. I can die happy now!

Ghana or Bust!
Well, it is 6 days and counting until I go to Ghana. At last count, 75% of my funds have come in, and the team is almost fully funded. We fly on Sunday morning at about 8:30 to Seattle and from there at 12:30 to Amsterdam and then to Accra, Ghana. Then we will travel to the north. I am mostly done packing and have many small details to finish up before I go. First of all, I have to tell you that...

MY BOY IS HOME!

Jesse got home on Friday morning after almost 5 months in West Africa. I can already see changes in him. He is sharing about the things he learned and telling amazing stories. He wants to get them all rewritten since they were in his journal which was stolen. He is helping around the house without me even asking, and if I ask, he helps immediately. It looks a lot like him, and sounds like him, so rather than thinking, "Who are you and where did you put my son?," I am thinking that he has come home with a much larger degree of maturity and appreciation for his family and home, and the way God has blessed his life.

After they were robbed (see last entry), they received emergency passports in ONE DAY! That was an answer to prayer. They didn't get more money to replace the stolen $1200 for another week or two, and lived on $1.25 a day each for 3 weeks. They had one bar of soap for the month, and no shampoo, so to get clean, they went and swam in the ocean to rince off. That was a five minute walk from where they were staying. That taste of poverty made an impression. He isn't complaining about it, and didn't tell us this was happening. It was just part of what God was doing in their lives. They had seem so many, sacrifice so much, that it didn't seem like a big deal.
They ended up with exactly enough money to finish their trip with none left over.

I did go to graduation after all, since I figured someone from our family should! Jesse's name was in the program, and I made note of when he would have walked across the stage. He and I visited his principal (who lives behind us) a few days ago. We invited him to Jesse's welcome home and graduation party this Friday night, and asked him to formally present Jesse with his diploma. He is going to do that at the beginning of the party. I will borrow a cap and gown and will get the forth in the series of, "Fritz kids graduating from high school" pictures for my collection. Jesse went to school today to get his diploma, so it is all official. He got his job back at Starbucks with a raise and almost full time hours. He plans to take at least a French class this fall, and save up for college next year. He has some ideas of business and cultural studies. It is so good to hug him and see him! He has been asked to speak at Partners International chapel, and in two or three venues at church as well.

My New Oncologist

I met my new doctor last week. She is great and I think we are a good match. She cleared me for the next 4 months, so until then I will only go if I notice something I want her to check. Getting a pain or cough for 2 weeks that doesn't get better, but worse, means I should get in there to see her. I am grateful for life and the opportunity to be involved with the people and ministry I get to do. A dear friend from my breast cancer support group in CO just learned that her cancer has spread.

My knee is still pretty sore, but I am walking and/or exercizing at the gym almost every day. Exercizing makes it hurt less. I still have some muscle to rebuild since my surgery at the end of Feb. I have an isle seat on the plane so I can get up and walk to avoid getting clots in my legs again, and will wear my compression stockings. Please pray for me to have clear thinking this week as I complete my preparation for the trip. When I get tired I slow down and don't think clearly. And I need to think clearly to get it all done. That makes this week a bit of a challenge because of the exciting fact that...

Greg's Mom and Sister Are Visiting!
Today Greg's mom and sister arrived for a 10 day visit. We had a nice dinner, a hearty walk in the neighborhood admiring all the gardens, and then got to have Jesse tell us about his trip to Africa, via the things he brought home with him. How interesting to hear the stories of where he got things and what they are used for, etc. He obviously enjoyed doing that for us. He told us stories of miracles and people and experiences he had. Anyway, my goal has been to be done packing so I can spend time with Greg's mom and Shelby until I leave. I am almost there! I am excited to have them visit us for the first time! Tomorrow morning is Manito- botanical gardens, a picnic lunch and then a tour of Spokane. Greg will take some time off to do stuff with us the rest of the week too.

Allison
Allison is living in South Korea in Ulson until the end of August. Please pray that she would be safe as far as relations between North and South Korea go. Her city is near an American AF base in Bouson. Greg talked to her for a little while on Sunday via facebook, but we haven't skyped with her for a long time. Thanks for praying.

I need to go get some receipts gathered for reimbursement so I will sign off. I will write before I go to give you details of our trip before I go.
God bless you! Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com 509-990-8465

Jesse's THEFT experience and 'is' vs. 'was'

2009-06-05T14:07:00.003-06:00

Dear friends,

Here is an email we got on Wed. from Jesse in Senegal. Considering this is his first major problem, we are grateful it wasn't worse. I am sure the Lord will take care of them and pray with us that their passports are replaced in time for them to come home on time on June 18th. Here is his story...

From Jesse
Hello! I am writing to tell you that someone has stolen a lot of Taylor's and my stuff. We were working at the bookshop and we had just recieved the money transfer- it was in my bag, which was at Taylor's feet behind the employee counter. I went to make tea in the back and Taylor was at the front, reading a book. When Taylor lowered my book a little he noticed a man was in the store in front of the desk. He was startled, he never heard the man come in, and in Africa, you always say hello to everyone when you walk into a room. He went over to the CD/tape section and asked me if we had any Van Dam. Taylor walked over and told him we didn't have any movies, the CD/tape section was strictly CD/tapes. Then he asked Taylor to check for him (They were both standing in front of the case, he could see just as well as Taylor could) because 'he was the store person, he knew the things.' Then he left, and was really awkward about leaving.

Taylor sat back down, then later he went to the back where I was making tea. He got a cup of tea and asked me who Van Dam was, then went back to the front, where there was no bag! Taylor and I told the guard and split up and went down the street in search. No luck.
We filed a police report. The contents of the bag are as follows; ipod (which i decided to bring to charge THAT DAY ONLY!), computer, our passports which we had used to register at the Embassy recently, and $1200. I know...that stinks...

Thankfully we had registered at the Embassy. We don't even know why we registered there in the first place. It just so happened that we were walking by the embassy one day and decided to go in the next day to see what it was like- no other reason. This was good, because now they know we are American citizens and we don't have to jump through another hoop to get new passports. However, it takes around 2 weeks to get new passports and it is exactly two weeks one day untill we leave...so we might not come home on time...

This just happened within the last 5 hours, so we haven't figured out everything yet. But I will keep you posted about what's going on as we figure it out. We filed a police report and Pastor Matt and Rene are helping us out a lot. So we are in good hands.

Other than that, everything is going really well. It is very lovely weather and we are enjoyng our time.-- Jesse Fritz

"IS" vs. "WAS"
There are two reasons this is on my mind. One is that I just finished reading The Last Lecture book by Randy Pausch. I heard the lecture, but the book expanded on it and I thought it was excellent. I recommend it for anyone. It deals with a 47 year old husband and father of young children who was dying of pancreatic cancer. He was a professor by profession and very much a goal setter and thinker. Read it if you get a chance. I think there are lots of things in there for those facing life threatening diseases, as well as for anyone who wants to live well. And who doesn't want to do that?

The other reason "IS" and "WAS" are on my mind is because earlier this week I went on the internet to check on my physical therapist's wife. She has been battling cancer, and Marc, my PT, was telling me about their processing of her life and how they were dealing with issues related to their 1, 2 1/2 and 4 year olds, her sadness at leaving Marc to raise the children without a mother, dealing with her pain and loss of vision due to brain tumors, etc. Also about their perspective on God's loving hand in all of this.

In a flash, a jolt came to my heart when I read on their Caring Bridge website (which I had been meaning to check for weeks) that she had died last Tuesday and I had missed her funeral on Saturday!, Just like that, "Katie is," became "Katie was." Those are small words, but they are so powerful. What a shift in paradyms. To go from, "She is fighting cancer," to "She faught cancer and is now with the Lord." Wow. Now she is with the Lord and is no longer in pain. Now he is a widower with 3 small children. Now these sweet kids don't have a mom. I am grateful that I am doing fine right now and that I got to mother my children all the way to adulthood. God knows why one gets to go to heaven sooner, and another is given more days here in this world.

Yesterday I saw the counselor at the Cancer Care Northwest office. I wondered how Tess would be able to help me, but yesterday I came away with a major revelation about myself. She asked me what goals I have. I told her among other things that I have a goal to clean up my paper clutter boxes before I die. We talked about that and she helped me realize that I am never going to be an organized person with paper. I am not now and will never be. I am creative. When I need to relax, I crochet or sew, or write curriculum or brouse at the thrift shop looking for deals or for kids missions supplies. I don't deal with paper work!

I see the creative side of me as a positive thing, but I have always judged myself about not being successful in getting my storage room clean and miscellaneous paper junk boxes dealt with. Tess said to not expect that of myself, and that that is OK. I am still a great person and not a failure. When I came home and talked about this with Greg, I started crying. These are things he has tried to tell me for 26 years. He loves me, doesn't judge me, and is wise enough to have figured this out a long time ago. For some reason, the way Tess said it, it sunk in- finally. Whew!

So there is less pressure for me to measure up to my own image of the perfect Nancy. I think the idol I was trying to measure up to- a creative AND totally organized version of me- just became clear to me for the first time. I think the evil one loved to keep that idolic image in front of me. It kept me sad deep down inside that I could never get there. I knew parts of it, but it all connected for me yesterday. So, knowing that I don't have to become someone before I die who God didn't design me to be, takes a lot of pressure off me. I will still continue to deal with my paper issues, but Tess said to stop thinking of that as a weakness. It is just part of me. It isn't good or bad, it is just me. Greg is happy with me for this breakthrough. Dealing with paper seems less daunting now too. Since I am not striving for non-existant perfection, I can work on it without failing.

So who Nancy IS today, and what I do with each day the Lord gives me in my life, will hopefully be less stressed than before. Maybe by the time I eventually become a WAS, I will have learned the secret of loving myself as God does. Have I totally confused you?

Graduation without a graduate?
When Jesse went to Africa I wasn't thinking about today very much. I knew missing the last half of his senior year would be kind of sad for the mother of the graduate, and now as the senior events roll by, I am missing the opportunity to get some closure on Jesse's childhood. Tonight is graduation and I might go. I will take a picture of him wearing a borrowed cap and gown when he gets back. The principal happens to live behind us and I am sure he would be willing to help! Any of you parents in our situation with early graduates have probably been through this. I know it is worth it for all he is learning in Africa. I will have to use my creativity and make my own closure! God bless you! Nancy 509-990-8465 nancyfritz@aol.com

Ghana Here I Come!

2009-05-21T11:55:00.003-06:00

Dear friends,

A No Cancer Update
I will start by saying that I had a great check up with my surgeon and they see no cancer. So I am good to go. I am very grateful for this news! I may switch oncologists to one more like the one I had in Denver. I am a question asker and appreciate a doctor who is comfortable with that.

I also talked with a person in her office about the concern I have that I sometimes feel like a hypochondriac. I don't want to be one, but most medical issues can lead me to be wondering if I have cancer again. She assured me that it is normal to feel this way and she calls it, "normal appropriate hypochondria." She explained that having had cancer is like knowing that there is a murderer living in your backyard. You choose what to do with that knowledge. Vigilance is appropriate and will continue to be something I have to deal with. The oncologists don't think of me as a hypochondriac. I feel that as a Christian who has an intimate relationship with Christ, I have the ability to relax and know that the Lord is lovingly over this situation. Cancer can't do anything to me that God doesn't allow, and what better place to be? Still it is a bit like walking a tight rope to deal with medical issues knowing that it could be that each time. This all may sound silly to you, but I thought I would share it in case any of you have been through the same feelings, or know a cancer survivor who might have also experienced this.

I was given a prescription by the surgeon for my first fitted undergarment since my mastectomies 10 years ago. Everything in the intervening years has had too short straps or didn't fit my new shape, or hurt, or didn't look right under my clothes, or made me look uneven. I am excited for something comfortable and well fitting that is covered by insurance. That is the Lord's provision and I am feeling like a new woman!

Restless Leg Syndrome
This has been an issue for 10 years- ever since my first chemo treatments. I have been unable to sleep at night without prescribed medication all these years. If I stopped taking it, I would be up most of the night thrashing around the bed, tightening the muscles in my leg over and over, getting up and walking around...even if I was exhausted.

This happened every time I stopped taking the medicine. I thought I was having symptoms of withdrawal. My doctor assured me that I was on so low of a dose, that there would be no withdrawal symptoms. Two weeks ago we talked about this when I had had 4 sleepless nights after stopping one of my meds, and was feeling desperate for some help to know what to do. He asked questions and figured out that the other medicine was actually treating restless leg syndrome, and when I stopped taking it, I experienced the symptoms of RLS.

I went to my integrated medicine doctor who does lots of alternative treatments the next day. It turns out that I already take all the supplements that could help RLS, so he prescribed a medicine that is designed for Parkinson's patients, but which at a lower dose, controls RLS. I am currently titrating up to the level that will work best for me. I am actually sleeping through the night! After years and years, it is such a relief! He thinks chemo probably started the problem. It has to do with nerve synopses in a certain spot in the brain. It is very likely that this all started in 1999 when I went through pretty tough chemotherapy. So the mystery is solved. I have since met others with RLS who are also on this Parkinson's medicine, and it works well for them.

GHANA
At the end of June I am scheduled to leave for Ghana with 5 other adults and one youth from my church. One large component of our trip is to train national missionaries in children's ministry skills. I am leading up this part of our time there. 2o missionaries from 20 areas in northern Ghana will come to Tamale to learn how to do excellent children's ministry and discipleship with the resources they already have. We will be going to Partners International missionaries, so this is connected to our ministry at PI as well as to our church which has adopted this area in northern Ghana.

While in Seattle for a consultation on global children's ministry in April, a friend helped me with the curriculum for our two days of training in Ghana. Thank you Karen! Three of our team members have been trained in Kidzana (www.kidzana.org), so we will be working together. This is my first time doing this training overseas, so it will be exciting. Many of our Partners International leaders around the world in the 10/40 Window are watching how this training goes in Ghana so they can have us come and train their people if it is effective. That is just a LITTLE pressure, don't you think? I am confident that in our weakness, His power will be revealed as perfect.

I need to raise about $2200 for the trip. If you would like to get one of my letters with details of how to be part of my finance and/or prayer team, email me at nancyfritz@aol.com and I will send you one.

The Fritz Kids
Jenni has been home for 1 1/2 weeks between college and going to Baltimore to work at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab this summer doing an internship. She will live with Laura and has a college friend who will be working at the same place. Jenni goes to France this fall semester with Grove City. This week she switched her license to Washington, went to the dentist, got a haircut, got some work clothes, caught up on her sleep and went for walks with Mumzy and Pops.
Allison is still in Korea. She is finishing the school year soon and then will be involved in some English camps. She gets done at the end of August. She may do some traveling on her way home and plans to be with us for a month as she decides what to do. Washington just laid off 800 teachers, so that won't be an option around here. She would eventually love to be involved with African children at risk somehow.
Laura is working hard for AT&T. She almost has her school debt paid off and is happy about that. And of course she is excited to have her sister there for the summer.
Jesse just got to the Gambia. He describes this location as the nicest one so far. He is supposed to be there for a month and then comes home on June 18th. They were teaching computer classes and fixing computers during their last stay in Thais, Senegal. We are waiting to hear more details of their ministry in Gambia. He has internet there after all, but didn't think he would. You can read his blog at http://www.whereistimbuktu.com/. There are some pictures and good stories there.

Seattle for the Weekend
Tomorrow Greg and Jenni and I are going to Seattle for 2 nights. One of our Partners staff is getting married on Saturday night. She works under Greg's leadership and is a sweetheart. And then Sunday morning we are dropping Jenni off at the airport before heading back to Spokane. We will try to find something fun to do in Seattle on Friday night and Saturday with Jenni.

I hope that catches you up on what is happening here with us. Partners is still facing financial hardships, but the board meeting went well last weekend. We had a meeting with the president yesterday which was a very good update.

Dr. Winter
We got word that Dr. Ralph Winter died during the night. I worked for him when I was on staff at the USCWM from 1980-83. I enjoyed closed friendships with his daughters and family and was often in their home. Dr. Winter's contribution to the world of missions can't be measured. He was a brilliant man. He followed hard after God. Our prayers are with his family and the USCWM community.

God bless you- Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com 509-990-8465

An overall update...

2009-04-30T01:54:00.003-06:00

Dear friends,
It is almost the end of April! Time is moving faster and faster it seems. I remember watching the clock in 4th grade and it taking FOREVER for the hand to move five minutes to the 12 and the bell for recess. Now the hours of the days fly by much too fast.

Since Easter I got done coordinating an outreach day for our church. We had 15 teams fan out all over the city of Spokane to spend Sat. morning painting, gardening, clearing trails at a camp, mending fences, washing windows, organizing closets...at ministries all over the city. It was a fun day. And now I can move on to my next project. Probably sending out a letter.

I had my last insurance paid Physical Therapy session yesterday for my knee. It still has a way to go, so I am trying to get it back to par. Marc, my PT, told me I only have a few month window to regain movement and strength in my knee, so I have been working hard on my exercises. My surgeon and PT said my quad isn't strong enough yet, so they suggested biking at a gym. I researched and found the least expensive one. Tomorrow I will meet with a trainer and learn the machines my PT wants me to use. I go almost every day to at least bike and I think it is helping.

My recent medical discovery was that my PT thinks scar tissue is pulling on the right side of my diaphragm and that is what causes the pain I get on my right side by my ribs. So the bad news is that scar tissue is causing that intermittent pain, and the good news is that cancer isn't causing it! That is always a plus for me. This scar tissue could be from my tram flap breast reconstruction. I see my breast cancer surgeon tomorrow for a check up and will ask her about it. She will be checking my ever growing scar tissue to make sure she thinks I am still clear of cancer. She is a very wonderful doctor. I have a scan on Friday for her too.

I am on a very strict diet to kill an overgrowth of candida in my intestines. I am also not eating gluten for a few months. There has to be a lot of creativity to figure out what I can eat. Greg is doing this with me since it is just the 2 of us.

I got my shots for Africa and am still alive. I went to Seattle for a Kidzana sponsored consultation with 18 others regarding the job of reaching all of the world's children with the Gospel. These consultations will be held internationally as well to get input from the 2/3's world. It was amazing to be there with this key set of leaders.

Jenni turned 20 on the 29th. Allison turns 23 on May 2nd. I am feeling very old and achy these days. They said on the news tonight, that they think someone in town has the swine flu. I hope all of you will be careful, and I will try to be also.

I will let you know how my visit with Dr. Moline goes tomorrow. Blessings- Nancy Fritz

Easter and India!

2009-04-13T01:27:00.004-06:00

Dear friends,

It is Easter and I wondered how the weather was in Denver where our church traditionally has an outdoor Easter service.

Thursday night's service included communion and foot washing, and on Friday night Greg and I watched The Passion of the Christ together here at home. Remembering the price He paid for us to have the ability to be in relationship with Him for eternity, is a healthy thing.

It was cloudy here today and rained in the afternoon, so no croquet this Easter. Fellowship at church this morning was excellent. The music, the message, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ... what a privilege to worship freely in this country! We had a wonderful dinner with our small group (16 of us) and watched the little ones hunt for eggs.

I left my phone at their house which I discovered after getting home. I went back to get it just in time to receive a call from the president of Partners International's wife, Anita. She wanted to know if I could come over (they live close by) and explain Kidzana to two Indian leaders who are staying with them. One is someone I have wanted to meet for a long time, Moses Swamidas, and with him is Rev. Promoth. Moses has connections to our church in Denver, and is also one of PI's partner ministries. He is a leader in the Dalit Freedom Network based in Denver who I have worked with on curriculum as well. Rev. Promoth was married a year ago and they are expecting their 1st child in 5 months. He also told us that he hosted 4000 people at his wedding! That is a serious wedding!

Anita also took the Kidzana training like I did, and she and I are praying for an opportunities to help provide this training to our partner ministries in the 10/40 Window. These men are working primarily with the Dalits of India and shared about the 200 churches planted and the 3000 children in their Sunday Schools and Christian Bible Clubs. They have a desire to do an excellent job discipling these children while they are young so they will grow up with Christ and have a firm foundation in His love and the truth of the Gospel before fatalistic Hindu thinking has taken hold in their hearts.

Well, by the time our discussion was done, we were trying to figure out the best time for Anita and me to go there to train about 200 of their children's leaders. We have been formally invited. We would plan to teach those who would in turn teach other leaders of children. And then they would train others and the training would spread among the 200 churches and other church plants Lord willing, keep spreading and more and more children would get excellent Christian education and discipleship. So maybe in January Anita and I will go. Feel free to pray with us!

I am currently working on my preparation for Ghana this summer. I need to raise some of the money to cover my 2 week trip. The plan is for us to go to a city in northern Ghana and do a Kidzana training of leaders from all over the north. They will come in for the training for 2 days. After that we will go to 3 different villages and spend 2 days in each, do a children's program Kidzana-style so the workers there can use what they have learned with our assistance. We will also focus on women and men's ministry looking for long-term connections for our church. We are adopting this region and hope to find practical things we can do to help them with their ministry.

So, again, my heart is on the other side of the world dreaming of millions of children who will get to learn about Christ's love and be discipled and established in a solid walk with Christ. It would be a privilege to be involved with this. Let's see what God does! I have made some interesting medical discoveries this week that make a lot of sense in light of the medical issues I have been facing. I will tell you about that next time.

I hope you had an excellent Easter with those you love, and got to reconnect with the One who loves you most! Blessings- Nancy Fritz 509-990-8465 nancyfritz@aol.com

My 10th anniversary since breast cancer!

2009-04-03T03:01:00.000-06:00

Dear friends,

A year. 365 days strung together. Each has a name, a tag that makes it special. Some of them become very memorable- your birthday, your wedding day, the day each of your children were born, and the days that you receive news that shakes your world. Sometimes great news, and sometimes hard news.

When April 1st rolls around every year, it brings with it an avalanche of memories for me. That was the day I began my cancer journey 10 years ago. April 1st, 1999, I went to the doctor so he could tell me the lump I was feeling was really nothing to worry about. A few days later I received a call from him. I was mystified as to why in the world he would be calling me. My mind started catching on when he mentioned my mammogram results, a 2 cm cancer tumor, and telling me to go see a surgeon in the next few days. I was in shock. I was afraid of the unknown and mostly wondered what this meant for our family. I still had our kids to raise. They needed me and Greg needed me. I didn’t have time for cancer!

Well, here I am still alive 10 years later. I have learned a lot- not just about cancer. I have learned that God is deeply in love with me. -That if I have to go through hard stuff, He is right there with me in the center of it. He is real and trustworthy. I have put my life into His hands and given Him the freedom to be the author of my days. He will decide how many I will have and how the journey will progress as I live them. He has done miracles for me.

I should have known better, but during the 7th year a biopsy of what seemed to be nothing, again resulted in phone calls from doctors. By then I had learned to clue in more quickly when the doctor calls me. That time it was chemo and radiation. Another 8-9 months of dealing with all that came along with that diagnosis. I didn’t have time for cancer that time either.

I haven’t physically bounced back from that year of treatment as well as I did the first time. I have less strength and other medical problems to deal with, but I can still enjoy the ministry the Lord is giving me to teach missions to kids. Greg and I have just entered the empty nest years (or at least months, until Jenni and Jesse come home for the summer). I am looking forward to a mission trip to Ghana this summer with our church to help train children’s workers in the north part of the country in how to do effective ministry and discipleship with the kids in their spheres of influence. It’s like shooting the Missions and Christian Ed balls into the corner pocket and winning the game. It is a God thing!

So after 10 years of living with death as a possibility from cancer, I have tried to live my life so that I make my days count. I am grateful for them and don’t take them for granted. That should be true if all of us, but there is some extra dose of reality about it when the questions of whether it will come back and when, etc., frequently lurk in the back of your mind. I for one, want to say “YAHOO! and Hallelujah!” to the Lord for these10 amazing years. I have friends who are already with the Lord, perfectly healed from cancer. For now I have things to contribute this side of heaven and I pray I will be faithful to do them well. In my weakness His strength is made perfect. What an amazing God. If you don’t know Him, it is probably hard to understand my perception of Him and think of Him as loving. I have learned not to ask, “Why me?” but rather, “Why not me?” David Jerimiah’s book, A Bend In the Road put into words what my heart has learned over the years. He also has had cancer a few times.

Well, I need to get some sleep, but wanted to let you celebrate with Greg and me on this special 10 year anniversary!
Blessings- Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com 509-990-8465

The world was in our home last week!

2009-03-19T15:48:00.003-06:00

Dear friends,

It is hard to know where to start. I want to tell you about our time last week at our Partners International leadership planning meetings. We had leaders come in from each of PI's 10 areas of the most difficult and least reached areas of the world. These area and international leaders came with reports and met to set plans for the year. Greg and I were privileged to host in our home a man who planted the church among the Dani tribal group in Papua New Guinea many years ago, our international leader for disaster relief, and a city leader of Oasis India who leads a team that rescues minor girls from human trafficing- age 5-17.

Can you imagine the conversations around our dinner table several evenings as we asked questions, listened to them discussing issues with each other and hearing story after story from their personal experiences? Wow. Can I just say that those of you on our support team OWN A HUGE PIECE of what is happening. If you are involved in our ministry, you are evangelizing the church in China, Indonesia, West Africa, Central Asia, India, etc. You are making a tangible difference in the lives of the extremely poor. You are giving clean water to those who did not have access to it. You are training pastors, women and children. You are on the front lines with those being persecuted for their faith. That is what this ministry is about.

A brother in the Middle East disappeared last week during our meetings, and several days later we got word that he had been taken to prison, persecuted for his faith and was later released. Yesterday we got word that he is now experiencing internal emotional struggles when faced with going back to the same area. What did they do to him? How is his family and the church he belongs to doing in the aftermath of one of their own having this happen to him. Please pray for him and those like him who face these issues regularly. One leader shared that 6 of his top leaders (he was showing us a picture of 2 of them) are now gone- martyred for their faith within the last year. Wow.

We also heard story after story of very exciting church growth and of many coming to Christ. I was able to share with these leaders about the training provided globally by Kidzana to equip leaders in children's ministry. They asked great questions and I think Kidzana will end up becoming a blessing to our partners. Connecting them with this valuable resource and explaining how the training works made me feel like I had thrown a 3 pointer at the buzzer in the last quarter of the professional basketball playoffs! What a privilege to meet and encourage these brothers and sisters!

Anita, from Oasis India, has never been in the US before. She is a wife and mother of 2 girls. She goes on brothal raides to rescue and rehabilitate girls. She is beautiful and articulate. She says to see Slumdog Millionaire. It is acurate and deals with some of the issues. There are layers and layers of issues, which it didn't go into, but is totally true. Greg and I took her to see an amimal display at Cabella's (moose, elk, grizzlies, etc.), Lake Cour d'Alaine in ID, Spokane Falls and WALMART! She told me she got a second wind and jetlag fled when her gaze traveled around the inside of our Super Wal-Mart! That was so cute! She has become a treasured friend. Anyone want to go with me to Bangalore and visit Oasis there? We are invited!

I could go on all day, but I will have pity on your schedule. Our son, Jesse, is in Timbuktu right now. It is very hot there and the church is small. There are many Muslims with less than a percent of Christians. Jesse and Taylor met the country leader and traveled together 1000 kilometers across the country of Mali toTimbuktu. They will be there for 17 days. Please pray that they are able to bless the church there. They want to be servants, not tourists.

My knee is healing. It has been almost 3 weeks since surgery and I did steps last night with no pain. I start PT tomorrow. On Friday I went to the doctor and had it checked to make sure it wasn't a blood clot because of it hurting in the same place and way it did last summer when I had a clot there in my upper calf. There was no clot. I still have the bakers cyst behind my left knee, and it has enlarged and moved into the top of my calf also. That hurts, but isn't it all relative when you think about Saheed being persecuted last week? Or the girls being kidnapped into the sex trade?

Thank you for your love and prayers. And thank you for reading this and for anything you are doing to help those less fortunate. Greg and I hope to raise our support back up to 100% to lessen the amount given to Greg in salary to supplement our support. We desire to see more go to these partners I have told you about. If you want to know more about how to become part of our personal ministry and support team, please send me or Greg an email: nancyfritz@aol.com or gregf@partnersintl.org. May the Lord bless your day! Nancy Fritz (509)990-8465

Knee Mending

2009-03-07T18:02:00.002-07:00

Dear friends,

It has been 8 days since I had my left knee surgery. Thank you for praying if you did! So how did it go? Here is what I can tell you... Dr. VanderWilde apologized on the video he was making of my knee that he couldn't see a clear cause for the Baker's cyst on the back of my knee. There was a tear in my meniscus, a partial medial tear, but since it was in the middle of the meniscus and not on the edge, he couldn't trim it away or repair it. There was plica under my patella, which I think is the knee cap, that he cleaned out. I think that is arthritic debris.

So this was done on the 27th about 1:30 as scheduled. The nurses getting me ready found out I have had breast cancer, and all of them came over to talk to me. One of their co-workers was having a port put in that day to begin her chemo treatment for the exact kind of breast cancer I had- lobular. I actually had lobular and ductal cancer. Anyway, I was able to give them some tips to pass along to her and answer some questions they had. It was a very special time that I felt strongly the Lord was in the middle of. What were the chances of all those factors coming together like that at the same time? I even wrote a square for a quilt one of them was making for her!

Everything went fine with the surgery and we were home by 4:00. I didn't get nauseous and honestly that day my low right back hurt so much it overshadowed my knee completely. The pain meds helped my knee to not hurt at all and my back less, so it was all good. A friend brought over 2 meals so we had dinner that evening with lots of resting thrown in. My knee was great on Saturday, but my back was bad. They told me at pre-op that they would be putting clean fluid in my knee during surgery that might make it feel really good for a day.

Sunday we went to church and oh the knee pain! I didn't notice my back hurting any more. That day my knee swelled up big and I understood the need for the pain meds. This week I haven't driven, but I think I will be able to on Monday. I haven't done any pain meds today, and it is doing OK. It is still swollen, but less so every day. If I do too much it swells, if too little, it gets stiff. So I am doing my exercises and icing 3 times a day and have my post-op appointment next Friday. Then I expect to do PT for a month, and I'll be ready to roll!

We wonder at my string of physical problems and really think it is due to do chemo 2 times and then radiation. It just wore my body out and made my more susceptible. I don't want people to think of me as "the one who always has medical problems." But first of all I hope they see the Lord in me.

Jesse turns 18 tomorrow in Dakar, Senegal, and the father of the family he is living near and who is the Partners International boss he is reporting to, Rene Nbongo, is in Spokane and will be speaking at our church tomorrow morning. That is exciting! March Madness has begun and Eng Hoe arrived here from Malaysia yesterday evening. We had a great visit with him last night.

One last blessing I will tell you about...Greg had to go to Denver Wed. morning until yesterday, and I didn't think being at home alone was a good idea since I couldn't drive. So I invited Sarah M. from Partners to stay with me for those 3 days. She is 21 and volunteers at the ministry since she was layed off in January. She took such careful and good care of me while Greg was gone. We had a lot of fun and talked and talked. Oh, and we went to the grocery store and I drove around in one of electric carts! First time for everything I guess! I didn't run anyone over, but stopped so fast I almost went over the handlebars! Anyhow, God used her to bless me- big time! Thanks Sarah!

Well, I will sign off and try to connect with Jesse. Our family is going through the book of Proverbs this month, each writing something about what we have read and commenting on what the others have said. Since we are so spread out, it has been wonderful. Thanks for starting that Greg! Blessings to you today and don't forget to turn your clock forward!
Blessings- Nancy Fritz 509-990-8465 nancyfritz@aol.com

Knee Surgery Tomorrow- Friday

2009-02-27T00:05:00.002-07:00

Dear friends,

Surgery tomorrow

It is another surgery eve. I think these evenings, like those before upcoming trips, get me feeling like there are a lot of things I need to get done that just can't wait. I scramble to get as much done as I can. This time I am getting the house ready for our Partners Intl. guests- Eng Hoe, John Decker and Anita. I have gotten groceries and some meals planed for when they come on March 6th. I have done my dentist, eye doctor, nephrologist, chiropractor and gyno. appointments this week. The bedrooms are ready and the towels washed. Thanks to Barb Moody, I learned how to do hospitality when we lived together at Marengo House back in Pasadena.

Since I won't be able to do steps much for a week or two, I have to do all the things that involve the basement and steps before we leave at 11:00 for the surgery center. So, since after midnight tonight I am not allowed anything to eat or drink until I get there, I have a tradition to stay up until midnight and drink a lot of water and eat a little meal just before midnight to be ready for the next 12 hours. Of course I feel very thirsty at 12:15 already! It is human nature to want what you can't have, right?

Here is my prayer request for tomorrow's knee surgery...

Dr. VanderWilde told me clearly that there is a very good chance that this surgery will fix the problem in my knee. There is also a smaller chance that it won't work. I think that if we all pray, the Lord, in His goodness, will hear our prayers and answer them, and the surgery will work. I was told at pre-op that I might be able to tell right away. I described the cyst problem I have going on in my last entry, so I won't do it here. This week has been like the last stages of pregnancy in comparison to my knee. You are so ready to be done being pregnant, that you are willing to go through the birth process partly just to not be pregnant anymore! My knee has been so sore this week, that surgery couldn't come soon enough. I am so grateful for this chance to have it repaired since the alternative is living with it the way it is, for the rest of my life.

*So pray that Dr. V. and his team will be able to get in there and see all that they need to see, and will be able to make the corrections that need to be made. He expects it to take about 35 minutes. I will be out. Pray that he sees everything he needs to see as he will be working with a scope in a small area. I think he will video it for me. I will let you know how it goes as soon as I can. I will be up and walking some every day and have exercizes to do. I had to get surgical compression stockings to wear to prevent clots in my legs, but I didn't have to do the Lovenox shots in my stomach like I did last summer. I am so very grateful! I also picked up my pain meds today. He told me I would really need them. Well, I am ready and may the Lord go before me.

The Kidney Doctor...

Basically he said that as long as there is not protein in my urine, he isn't concerned about the blood in my urine, since it is not that severe. He asked for an additional urinalisis to look more carefully for a few things, and told me he would call me if he saw anything wrong. He hasn't called in 2 days, so I am in the clear on the kidney issue. That means I can pursue the trip to Ghana with our church this summer to do some awesome Christian education training for the leaders there. I prayed that the Lord would open or shut the doors according to His will, and so far it looks like going is His plan for me!

Allison and Jesse

We got to skype with these 2 separately on Sunday afternoon for over an hour each. I can't go into a lot of detail now, but they are both doing fine. Jesse is about to turn 18 on March 8th and is homesick for American food. He had escargo and rice the day before we talked. Allison laughed and said she also has had that recently. I will tell you more about that later. I need to get to bed and finish up my list of "must do's" in the morning before we leave.

Thank you for your prayers for me and for us and for our family and Partners. We treasure that in a huge way!
Blessings- Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com (509)990-8465

Back in Spokane and interesting health issues

2009-02-21T13:43:00.004-07:00

Dear friends,

Last Weekend in Denver
Home and relaxed on a Saturday, catching up with email and my blog, breakfast with our adopted exchange daughter Lindsay and her friend Annie, Greg putting in a water softener in the basement. I am very happy about how my weekend in Denver went. I saw Shelby (Greg's sister) and Paul, I visited with several friends and had a few missions meetings with folks. We had about 80 or so kids the first hour at church, and about 50ish the second hour. The lesson on Saint Patrick was very fun, but I also tried to connect it with their own lives now. I tried to help them know how to listen for God's voice, and to learn to pray for children at risk because of poverty, AIDS, natural disasters, war, slavery, etc. I used some of my Kidzana training. I will be doing this program again on March 4th at our church here in Spokane, and then we are going to have a Saint Patrick's Day lunch at the office and have fun with the curriculum then also. Thank you for praying for my trip! My one big sadness is not seeing more friends. Since I taught both hours of the main service, I missed getting to church myself to connect with friends.

Amazing Chiropractor in South Denver
Now my two doctor appointments in Denver... I saw Dr. Craig Lewis (County Line Chiropractic) by Broadway and County Line where Albertsons used to be. He is a very gifted guy. He is humble but has several degrees- bio chemistry, acupuncture, anatomy, chiropractic, physical therapy, and just did training in how to help chemotherapy and radiation patients, etc. He is very informed on supplements and wants to get a Naturapathy degree also. He has saved lives by recognizing symptoms- sometimes life-threatening, like an abdominal aortic aneurysm in a woman recently. She had no idea it could have exploded and killed her at any moment. He also realized that another patient was actually having a stroke but didn't know it. Anyway, Craig is a sharp guy. He adjusted me and checked out the 2"diameter sore spot on my right hip next to my back bone. It feels black and blue all the time and I have to sit with a pillow if sitting for long. My Spokane doctors can feel a muscle bunch there, and we did the bone scan and earlier a CT scan of my right kidney and bladder to check for cancer. No cancer is in my bladder which we have checked with a camera. We have tried massage, adjusting, the bone scan (which came back clear for bone cancer metastasis last Friday- Praise GOD! I am so grateful for this news!), and nothing helps it stop hurting. By the way, Craig said he will see anyone from my CHCC Breast Cancer Support Group- Friends for Life- free the first time. And anyone who says I sent them, he will only charge $25 for appointments.

So Craig (Dr. Lewis) carefully checked out all the angles and did some diagnostic things, and feels pretty confident that there is something inside that is inflamed (kidney or something like that) and that the pain I have is radiating out from there. He did one slight twisting move on me that especially hurt and made me yelp. He told me later that there is no way that should have hurt, and doesn't on any of his other patients. The only cause he knows is something inflamed internally. Well, I am set to go to a nephrologist (kidney doctor) on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 this week already because of the blood in my urine. It would be a relief if that would be the answer to these symptoms along with the occasional huge pain I get just under my right ribs when I twist a certain way. We checked my ribs for bone cancer last year because of that pain. I know nothing about kidneys and probably should check out Kidneys for Dummies at the library.

Bio Meridian Feedback
From Craig I went to see Connie Wright at Dr. Susanna Choi's office- www.integratedobgyn.com. Connie did a session of Biomeridian Feedback on me. Men and women go to her for this testing. She uses a computer that has a large library of frequencies on it for all sorts of things- body systems, supplements, prescriptions, foods, etc. Everything has it's own measurement in frequency- like a fingerprint. I hold a copper cylindar with a little wet cloth in my left hand. She systematically uses a little sensor to touch places on my right hand and foot to check my body systems. Each time a little marker travels across the computer screen and lands in "stressed (red)," "healthy (green)," or "weakened (yellow)." Guess what showed up red/stressed? My liver, joints (knee messed up, and it knew!), my stomach, and kidneys (we shall see this week). My small intestine was yellow. It showed that I am not absorbing nutrition through my intestine and Connie said it indicated "leaky gut syndrome." My pancreas is good but it is not processing protein or fat- especially protein. So Connie checked all my supplements. She also does this with the same computer. It showed which ones work for me, and which ones don't, and dosing, etc. It is fascinating. And all of it is talor made for my body. We aren't just guessing, we know. We changed many that I have been taking to new ones, changed doses and added a protein powder I am now doing 2 times a day. It absorbs quickly and will help my intestine heal.

She also thinks that I may have a sensitivity to gluten. I already know I am allergic to the protein in dairy products and even ffound in many non-dairy products- casein. She said the molecules for casein, soy and gluten are almost identical. So after my knee surgery and a few weeks of recovery, when I can get around again, I will begin a diet that eleminates all three of these things- soy, casein and gluten. It will be hard work, but she gave me some great tools. Many people are on diets like this so there are lots of resources. Maybe after my intestines recover, she thinks from the damage caused by chemo two times, I can go back to gluten. Soy feeds the type of cancer I had, so I try not to do that anyway. She thinks these things can affect my joints, weight and make me feel tired all the time. I slept two days this week until after noon and slept the whole nights after also.

I got a look at my bone scan at my knee surgery pre-op on Thursday. What DID show up was antritis on my 6th neck vertebra on the left, my hands, my knees, some in my ankles and in my hips near the siatic nerves. That was interesting to see. And no cancer! Yipee!!

Knee Surgery 2/27 at 1:00 p.m. for 35 minutes
As far as surgery next Friday, Dr. VanderWilde will be shaving the edge off the arthritis on the back of my knee cap (which looks like hair rather than a smooth and slippery surface currently) checking the whole joint for any other problems, and trimming my torn meniscus to remove the flap which is letting fluid out into the Baker's cyst on the back of my knee. The flap prevents the fluid from being able to go back into my knee and the cyst can never go away without this repair. Dr. V said there isn't a guarantee that this will work. Sometimes it doesn't, but there is a very good chance that it will. Without trying this, I can expect a whole life of the pain and achyness I have had for the last 5 months. With the surgery I can probably go back to just the arthritis- which is livable. I can expect 2 weeks of a lot of pain, and then with a month of PT, I will be back to my normal in 6 weeks from surgery. I could run 7 miles a day if that was normal for me- which it isn't! But it does mean I could handle Ghana this summer if the Lord opens it up for me to go with our Spokane church. We have to purchase tickets soon, so I still need the answer to the kidney question before committing. Please pray that I get some answers soon from the kidney doctor. I will let you know after I see him what he thinks.

March Madness Week Approaching at Partners
I hope you are having a nice day. It is actually sunny today and the 80 inches of snow we had is slowly melting. There are places you can see the ground and others with several feet still. About 2 weeks from today, after surgery, our international leader friends are arriving from 10 regions around the 10/40 Window. We call that "March Madness Week." The North Africa area director and the man who spearheads our natural disaster response and preparedness ministry will be staying with us. After one of them leaves, we have an Indian lady coming who does work in Bangalore (I think) to free young women from sex slavery abductions. Wow! I am very blessed to have these folks in our home. I will cook meals ahead of time so that when I can't walk much, we can still get by. I know from last time that I have to have WHITE rice for them! Brown rice just doesn't cut it!

Our Family
Jesse is doing well in Senegal. He is learning French, teaching English, helping the Partners ministry there in any way asked of him. He and Taylor are helping to teach computers and are learning to play the djembe drum from a guy named Parfait. Jesse is very glad that he is there longer term so he has a chance to make and build relationships. He LOVES it there! Thank you for praying for him. He is working on thank you's to those who are supporting his trip. He didn't receive the list of names before he left, so he is working on it from there. You should be hearing from him sometime soon.

The girls are fine. Laura is at work in Baltimore, Jenni at Grove City and Allison in South Korea. Greg just turned the water back on after installing the water softener, and so far so good! He is a very talented guy! He had to do electricty, plumbing and installation. He isn't sure I appreciate just how valuable and talented he is! (I do!) He was asked to be an adjunct professor in the fall at Whitworth University teaching "Inter-Cultural Communication and Ministry." He is excited and has already been working on his curriculum. He just had his 51st birthday this week. And he is still the cutest guy ever! It is time to finish this so you and I can both get to the other things we have to do today. Blessings to you all! Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com and 509-990-8465

Teaching hearts here and St. Patrick in Denver

2009-02-11T02:02:00.003-07:00

Dear friends,

I am scheduled to go to Denver on Thursday afternoon and return on Monday morning. The main reason for the trip is to teach 200ish children a missions lesson about the life of St. Patrick and what that has to do with them. I will be networking with several friends regarding missions issues, 2 doctors who are so unique no one in Spokane can do what they do, and maybe seeing some family if there is some time.

Before I go, tomorrow will be a full day. I have a bone scan injection at 9:30, have some x-rays taken of my low back where there is a spot we need to check. Then I hope to go to Partners for Chapel and then back for the bone scan. Tomorrow night I am doing my monthly lesson at our church with the K-5th graders on the topic of Having a Heart for missions. They investigate ways they can be involved in missions. It is a fun time and hopefully will get them thinking proactively about their future.

I saw the oncologist Monday who ordered the bone scan, and my doctors are talking to each other about whether I should go to a nephrologist (spelling?) to see if there is anything that needs to be checked to find the reason for the blood in my urine. My internist called me yesterday to let me know that the problem hasn't gone away. I also learned that I may need to do Lovenox shots after my knee surgery to prevent new clots. Those are the stomach shots I had to last summer- not my favorite!

We are doing well. besides my health issues, we are continuing to work on organizing the basement. Partners is falling further behind financially and Greg is very concerned. Greg and I hope to increase our ministry team support to unburden the ministry from having to supplement our support. It is just so painful to decide which partner's budget to cut when they are doing such phenominal ministry. May the Lord help the economy to bounce back soon- in His perfect timing, and may He meet the needs of those who really do depend on Him for sustenance and basic ministry supplies.

I am thinking about what I have to get done before my knee surgery happens on the 27th. There are a lot of ducks to line up in a row. I would very much appreciate your prayers for that, for healing so they don't have to fix my knee at all if He wills it, and that the day after day achy pain would go far, far away one way or the other.

I need to get to bed. I would love prayer for my weekend in Denver and Greg's here. For Jenni trying to apply for summer internships while also trying to keep up with her studies. For Jesse teaching English in Senegal. For Allison teaching English in South Korea, and for Laura working in Baltimore. She is very burdened for a friend who is struggling hard in his new faith in Christ. God continues to be so very, very good.

Blessings to you all-
Nancy Fritz

A Torn What?!

2009-02-05T22:34:00.002-07:00

Dear friends,

I saw the surgeon today who fixed my shoulder shortly after we moved here. He is a very excellent surgeon, and takes time to explain things well. This time the issue was my left knee. I bent my leg to sit down on it on a soft, cushy, low chair at the townhouses at the end of September. My leg exploded with pain when I came down on it and hasn't been the same since. Lots of pain on the back of my knee. Eventually I saw a physician's assistant at my orthopedic surgeon's office last November with the suspicion that I had ruptured my plantaris muscle in the back of my knee.

She ordered an MRI and the conclusion from that was that I had a small Baker's cyst on the back of my knee and arthritis begining under my knee caps. None of that made much sense to me. She sent me to the physical therapist who had done my shoulder. He is also excellent. After 6 PT sessions with Marc, the slight progress in my knee leveled out. He sent me back to Dr. VanderWilde- the wonderful surgeon. I saw him today.

He looked at my MRI and showed me a pretty large Baker's cyst and also the probable cause of that cyst and my knee pain. There is a torn miniscus on the right side of my left knee. (Not mentioned in the MRI report.) Fluid is leaking out of my knee "sac" there, and is unable to flow back in because of torn miniscus tissue flapping around and working as a one-way valve. The fluid gets out and stays out. The water in the leaking fluid absorbs into my body and the thicker parts of the fluid gather into a sack of jello-like material. The pressure of the cyst on the back of my knee is causing inflamation and pain. The torn miniscus is also sore. He looked at the MRI, came over to me and pushed right on that spot on the right side of my knee and said, "I bet this hurts." It did. That is where his years of experience could see things on the MRI that the others hadn't.

So the solution is to repair it with arthroscopic surgery. I am scheduled for February 27th at 1:00. It takes about 35 minutes. He said 2 weeks of a lot of pain, and then a month of PT. In 3 months I will probably be back to just the arthritis issues and will be able to handle Ghana as far as my knee goes. So the good news is that it can be repaired, the bad news is that it has to get worse before it will get better. I will continue my knee excercizes at home in the meantime.

I turned in a urine sample today to see if there is still blood showing up there. If there is, I am supposed to see a kidney doctor. I am trying to get to the bottom of these issues so I can move forward in planning our Ghana trip. I would be leading part of the training, so if I am not going we would need to adjust our goals or get another leader to go who knows how to do what I was going to do.

Jesse has put a little on www.whereistimbuktu.com since he got the Senegal. He is also putting pictures on facebook if that is a venue you are used to.

I will let you know how it goes with the oncologist on Monday. Tests or not? I guess I learned about the inside of the knee today! I really don't want to be known as the person with all of the medical problems all of the time. It takes so much time. But today I got to talk to Dr. V's nurse who will be in the north of Ghana the same time we will be there. It is all about connections for me I think sometimes. God sets it up and I pay attention.

Tomorrow morning my basement cleaning friend is coming early to help me, so I need to get to bed. Blessings! Nancy Fritz

Our boy is in Africa and I'm coming up for air!

2009-02-03T02:11:00.006-07:00

Dear friends,

Have you ever dived into a pool and tried to swim as far as you could under water while holding your breath? I feel like I made that dive in mid-November and just came up for air. Gasp! and Whew! I made it to the end of the pool, and now I can get out for a rest.

Of course this is a figurative illustration. My pool has been a series of things: a 3 week trip to the east coast in late November and early December. I had a cystocele surgery a week before Christmas which included not being able to drive for several weeks and one week until all the family was home for Christmas. The snow started the day I had surgery and continued for weeks. We ended up with 72 inches here- I think just until the end of December and then we had more adding up to 80 inches. This meant shoveling tons of snow both at our home and at the townhouses including a 10 car parking lot. No snowblowers were left to buy in the whole region!

Our girls all came home and we had a very nice Christmas. We had 16 here for Christmas dinner. Then I helped promote the Kidzana conference that was set to be held at our church here. While doing that I was helping Jesse get all the things he needed together for his trip and to finish high school which he did on the 23rd of January. Jenni was here until mid January and I helped her search for an engineering internship this summer. I did 6 sessions of PT on my left knee and all the accompanying home exercizes. A friend has come over several times to help me sort and set up our basement- a BIG job! Then last week the Kidzana training took place at our church with 19 participants, which I hosted logistically. We enjoyed hosting the speaker in our home. She is a kindred spirit! Jesse left with the speaker Saturday at 5:45 p.m. for the drive to the Seattle airport. Friday night I made some gifts for him to take to the leaders in Africa he will be staying with. On Sunday, I went to church and then SLEPT! That was the breath catching day!

Greg and I are now really, truely, empty nesters- at least for the next 5 1/2 months. I am planning a trip to Denver Feb. 13th-15th, returning early on the 16th. I will be with Cherry Hills Community Church doing a program for about 170 kids about missions. Leadership meetings of all Partners International's international regional staff will be held here in Spokane the second week of March, and I have been working on setting up one of our guys to speak at Whitworth University while he is here. He is from Malaysia and his topics include poverty and community development. I am also on a committee that is preparing for a regional "Inland Northwest Mission Connection Conference" to take place in about 20 months. (I am feeling tired just reading what I have written here- Yikes!)

And a big prayer request is that I can discern whether or not I should go to Ghana this summer with a team from our Spokane church for 2 weeks to train Ghanaian children's workers in how to do effective Christian education- i.e., training the trainers and disciplers of children. My main concern is that I need to be healthy enough to go. My knee hurts and I see my orthopedic surgeon on Thursday to discuss what to expect from my knees in the next several months. Now that the PT is done, what next? Just time? If particularly my left knee gets worse, I don't know if I should go. There is still the issue of blood in my urine that we have figured out must originate in my kidneys. My bladder has been carefully checked. So the kidney specialist is the next step with that. There is a very sore place in my low back which my chiropractor is working on. When I see the oncologist, should I bring up the idea of having a bone scan? or a PET scan? It has been 3 years since my last cancer. I'm not worried, just wary. I just want to commit to the trip with as much confidence as possible that I will be able to do it. I very much want to go and have myself and two others from my church trained last week do this training. I think the 3 of us would be an amazing team. So pray for the Lord to show me clearly what to do about Ghana. Thanks!

I need to get some other things done today, but wanted to be in touch with you all. Jesse is in Dakar. I haven't heard much more but expect he will be putting an entry on his blog you can check if you want: http://www.whereistimbuktu.com/ Greg still has his job at Partners. Several were laid off last week and hours cut for some others. There will be no more layoffs at least until the end of June. We are $3000 behind on our support for last year. Thank you for praying for us. If you are interested in being on our ministry team, get in touch with me and I will let you know how to do that. Have a great day! Blessings- Nancy Fritz nancyfritz@aol.com 509-990-8465