Allison just finished college!

Dear friends,
It is Thursday night and it was nice and sunny today. I spent the day working on Dalit curriculum for a ministry in Denver the focuses on them. I have talked about this before, and now the rubber is meeting the road and ideas are actually getting down on paper. A friend is coming over tomorrow morning to help me for a few hours on this. I got fabric tonight on which to make a map of India for them with directions so any individual or church could make their own. The question is how much information to include on the map. Do we put words or keep it marked only with country shapes, to give the idea of where India is in relation to other countries? If there are no words, it can be used to teach geography and I can make up some activities to help that happen. Please be praying about this. I want to get it done soon, and the Dalit Freedom Network would like it done to give to churches who are focused on the Dalits or outcasts of India.

I have encouraging medical news. My neck still hurts, but I am going to a chiropractor who is really helping me. He has my neck moving much better. He also feels certain about what is causing the pain in my right rib area. He checked the muscles where the pain is, and said they are full of nodules from the muscles being stressed. When he realized that I have such extensive scar tissue on the left corresponding side from radiation, he linked the two immediately. He said the scar tissue is tightening the muscles on the left more and more, and as it does, the muscles going from there to the right side are then pulling the muscles on the right. That is what has been causing the increasing pain on my right side. It made sense that we do tests to rule out bone cancer in my right ribs, because this kind of pain is typical of that. But now we know what is going on, and Dr. Williams is working on fixing it. He is doing deep tissue massage on the scar tissue and on those right side muscles. It REALLY hurts, but it is helping and he said they are slowly getting smaller. I have been to him 3 times, and he works on me for about 30-45 minutes. He is very good and has given me hope. He told me that my fatigue makes perfect sense with all that is going on in my neck, ribs, etc. He also is working on the right side of my jaw that has been hurting for a long time- almost 2 years. He is doing deep tissue massage there too, and although it hurts at the time, my face has less pain.

A very nice thing happened to me today. I got word through Greg that someone was asking at Partners if there were any women who would like to use leftover tickets to the Women of Faith conference in Spokane this weekend. I heard about this conference last fall and dismissed it as out of my price range. We had the situation with our renters being very behind on their rent, and although I wanted to go, I just couldn't. So I called to inquire this afternoon and the tickets were still available. And they aren't just tickets, they are seats in a "suite" at the convention center. We have private parking and fantastic seats. I called one of the other VP's wives at Partners who just moved here in January. She is coming with me and also wanted to go, but with their move just couldn't afford it. So tomorrow night and Saturday, Blythe and I plan to be there to listen the what the Lord wants to teach us and to network with the ladies in our "suite."

I mentioned in my last entry that I was going to meet with the children's ministry team (some staff and some volunteers) to talk about integrating missions. The skit last Sunday morning was very funny and well received. I found 2 actors who really hammed it up, and the kids got the message. I have already done 2 lessons on the Uzbeks of Central Asia with the Wed. Night Kids' Club at church and have 4 more lessons to go: 2 on the Riffi Berbers of Morocco, one on the Turks of Turkey, and one about the Olympics and how to pray for them. We will also have our own mini Olympics. The Uzbeks, Turks and Riffi's are all curriculum I helped develop at Caleb Project as part of the Kids Around the World series. They are still available online I think if you looked up Caleb Project you would find the web site. Anyway, I have been going gangbusters and and going to slow down after this run. This group doesn't meet in the summer since so many are gone at their lake houses on the weekends.

Allison called me yesterday to tell me that she had just come from her"pinning ceremony." I think that is the equivilent of getting "hooded" for advanced degrees. So she is officially done with college and walks on the 26th. Tomorrow she goes to say good-bye to her 1st grade class and thinks she will probably cry. We plan to go next Friday and come back the next Tuesday morning. Our girl finished college! Yahoo! She has a phone interview with AT&T on Monday morning regarding doing the same kind of job Laura has. Her thinking is to try starting with them in Sept. and work to pay off her loans ASAP so she can afford to do what the Lord gives her as a job- teaching? working overseas with children? She just isn't sure yet. She and Jenni did find an apartment to house sit this summer for someone who will be gone for June and July rent free. They will take care of a dog while the owner is in India.

Allison is still looking for a car. Hers is getting worse and a college friend's family has offered to let her borrow one while the hunt for a replacement continues. Please pray with us that this would all work out. These same friends might have a few connections that could find something and they are keeping their eye out for us.

Jesse is officially planning to graduate early- End of Jan of '09. Then he plans to head overseas until June or so. We are pursuing leads for him to be able to do a serious "job shadow" with a friend doing relief/community development work. Please pray with us about the details of his plans. I think that could be a very defining time in his life if he ends up in the right place. He has a friend who wants to do it with him who is graduating this year. I guess our kids are growing up!

I think I have made this long enough, so I will end here. Feel free to email me at nancyfritz@aol.com or call me at 509-990-8465- especially if I haven't talked to you for a while.
God bless you! Nancy