Dear Friends,                                                                                                                       27 March 2009

This is a very difficult letter to write and I never dreamed a month ago that I (Joanne) would be writing to you. Tom has always been the writer of the family. He is very good with words, weighing each and every word and phrase. I will try my best to describe our situation now.

In the middle of February, Tom started having some back pain and abdominal pain. He had a hard time with food, especially digesting solids. He went to a local clinic in Arusha but after some antibiotics, he still was suffering. He wasn't getting much sleep and still in pain; he knew we needed to go to Nairobi to get better treatment.

We arrived in Kenya Sunday evening leaving after the morning service in Arusha. Monday morning our doctor saw Tom and scheduled a colonoscopy for Wednesday.  After the colonoscopy on Wednesday, we thought we would stay over Thursday and finish some personal business in Nairobi. Thursday night Tom experienced extreme pain and we ended up in the emergency room. They did a CT scan and we received the results that afternoon. To our shock, the doctor told us that Tom had stage 4 pancreatic cancer and spots on his liver as well. The doctor sent us to the oncologist that afternoon and he verified the diagnosis. We were in shock but a peace fell over us that only could be from the good Lord.

After talking with our sending pastor, we decided that we would return to TZ and then fly out to the US for a second opinion and for necessary treatment. We arrived in TZ Saturday afternoon and our dear friends and teammates met us at our home in Arusha. After many tears and hugs from them, Vernon and Tom decided what would be done in the church service on Sunday. We all agreed that the Lord needed to be glorified and that we all had a deep peace about the situation. God truly was with the church service that morning as many tears were shed but we believe God was truly glorified in all.

We left Arusha on Tuesday after a flurry of activity to get ready for the long trip. Our teammates, Vernon and Mary Smith, along with Dave and Bonnie Jones, who flew in to help us, loved us and were there for us. After many goodbyes, hugs, and tears we flew to the states.

Tom was only on Tylenol but the Lord gave him the strength and the grace needed. Two hard days of travel and without much sleep, we arrived in Springfield, MO. Megan, Nathan, and a West Division Street Baptist Church staff member with a church van greeted us and transported us to Springfield, MO. Before 48 hours in the US, we saw the oncologist and she ordered several tests to verify Kenya's diagnosis. Before two weeks were up, Tom had all the necessary tests done and the diagnosis was confirmed: pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, and lymphoma (areas of the chest and stomach). We know God was aware of this and prepared the grace needed for us. Peace and trust in the Great Physician has given us calmness and strength during this time. We claim 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

We will stay here in Springfield, MO and continue treatment. He has had one chemo treatment and is very weak. Pray for the Lord's will in our lives. We want to glorify the Lord in all that we do and say. We know that the Lord is in control. Pray that we can impact people who we meet with the gospel: doctors, nurses, patients in the clinic, patients in the hospital, and with anyone the Lord brings across our path. I have had several times to share the gospel, prayer, and encouragement while Tom was in the hospital for five days last week.

The work is still continuing in Tanzania in our absence. Please pray that God will call more laborers to the "field" to labor for Him: Tanzanian men and full time missionaries.

In His Service
Mrs. Joanne Foltz

For updates see our blog:  tomandjoannefoltz.blogspot.com  Or,
call the Mission's Office 417-862-5001