Vaneta "Nita" Inez Martindale died in her home in Wheaton, IL, attended by her husband, Wayne, and daughter, Heather, on January 24, 2017, after a nearly two-year journey with cancer.  She resolved from the beginning, in the words of John Piper, "Don't Waste Your Cancer." In the midst of many physical challenges, she was joyful, grateful and purposeful, encouraging those with hope and helping those who needed to find it. The day before she got her cancer diagnosis, the Lord spoke to her through her Bible reading in Isaiah and Haggai, and she wrote the following in her "Hope Book" journal:

Preparation – "for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard."

Presence – Haggai 2:4-5: "Be strong … be strong, My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not."

Peace – "And in this place I will give peace." Haggai 2:9.

Nita's note: "God gave me this verse even before I knew what place I would need peace for."

She continued to live the following two years not only with cancer, but with a sure sense of God's peace and presence.

Nita was born in Albuqueque, New Mexico, and moved a few years later with her family to Strawberry Point, CA, in order for her Dad to attend seminary.  Her Dad, Roy Vandor Littlejohn, was a Pastor and her Mom, Sybil Inez Littlejohn, was a school teacher.  When she was only 16 years old, Nita lost her Mom to breast cancer. Growing up in California, she lived in Bakersfield, Monterey, Fresno, and Riverside.  It was in Riverside that she attended California Baptist College (now CBU) and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree as an English Major.  This is also where Nita met, and later married, Wayne Martindale. Nita was certified as a California state elementary school teacher, teaching every grade from K-6 ^th in both private and public schools, including elementary school music.  Once she had her daughter, Heather, Nita left the school setting and became a private piano teacher so she could stay home.

In the summer of 1981, the Martindales moved from California to Wheaton, Illinois, in order for Wayne to become a professor of English at Wheaton College.  From the beginning, it was a shared vision of ministry to college students. In addition to having large groups of students in their home on a regular basis, Nita, felt called to reach out to international students.  Thus, she restarted, through Wheaton College Women's Club, the outreach called International Friendship, which served grad students and their families, meeting needs like English education, transportation, household goods, and the friendship of a host family.

Through Nita's work with internationals, the Martindales became host family to a visiting Chinese scientist at Argonne National Lab, which changed the Martindale's life course and resulted in a passion for China and multiple teaching trips, several taking Wheaton College students. While in China, Nita not only taught formal English classes at the University, but worked with migrant children (the poorest of the poor) and took her college students with her to translate and to model outreach to them.  For over a decade, Nita taught English as a Second Language for World Relief in Wheaton, followed by years of volunteering in the classroom.

Never liking coffee, Nita's love for tea deepened through summers spent on the Wheaton-in-England trips with Wayne, and through the years spent in China.  Typical for her, she turned this love into an outreach, inviting special groups of young ladies attending Wheaton College over for conversation and tea.  These informal times of mentoring were an intentional part of how Nita loved and guided other women through the questions and challenges life can bring.

Bible Study has been a consistent part of Nita's life. Whether at Bible Study Fellowship in California, playing piano for the large group meeting, or Women's Bible Study at College Church where she was one of the teaching leaders, followed by years as a small group leader.  In addition to her passion for Bible Study, she was deeply committed to prayer. For the past several years she was a member of Intercessors, a group that met on Thursdays to pray for the needs of Wheaton College.

The main things she organized her life around were international students, Bible Study, mentoring young women, prayer; and her family, including her dearly loved grandchildren, Joshua, Claire, Jonathan and Jackson Elsen. She loved deeply, broadly, and inclusively.  At core of this love for others was the abounding love of God in Christ that defined who she was and is.  To God be the glory.

A visitation will be held on Friday, February 3, 2017 from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N Main St., in Wheaton, IL. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, February 5, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at College Church , 332 E. Seminary Ave, in Wheaton, IL. Interment will be private at Wheaton Cemetery in Wheaton, IL.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to World Relief DuPage Aurora , 1825 College Ave, Suite 230, Wheaton, I'll 60187.