Tragedy and Hope

Nancy and her husband, David, have faced the deaths of two of their three children, a daughter, Hope, in 1999, and a son, Gabriel, in 2001, both of whom were born with a rare genetic disorder called Zellweger Syndrome.Nancy offered many of the lessons she learned from this sorrowful experience in her 2002 book, Holding On to Hope: A Pathway of Suffering to the Heart of God. She regularly hears from readers who have been touched by the book from all around the world as the book has been translated into German, Danish, Norwegian, Korean, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese.Nancy continues to write books that reflect her compassion for hurting people and her passion for applying God's Word to real life. Her desire to grow in her understanding of God's Word has prompted her to begin graduate work in theological studies at Covenant Theological Seminary. She speaks regularly at women's retreats and evangelistic events nationally and internationally, and is a regular contributor to The Gospel Coalition.Nancy and her husband, David, and son, Matt, make their home in Nashville, Tennessee where, according to Nancy, life is less about professional pursuits than about the ordinary aspects of being a wife, mother, friend, and follower of Jesus, with clothes to wash, e-mails to answer, and a friend to listen to.David is an executive in church music publishing, and Nancy teaches a weekly Bible class along with operating a media relations business serving the Christian publishing industry.

Jerry Sittser is Professor and Chair of Theology at Whitworth University. He holds a master of divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and a doctorate in the history of Christianity from the University of Chicago. He is the author of several books, including A Grace Disguised and The Will of God as a Way of Life. Married to Patricia, he is the father of three children and two step-children, all grown.