Nancy Tuttle takes life one challenge at a time
Nancy Tuttle has been a believer in Jesus Christ since she was a little girl. Her faith has been nurtured since then by a variety of individuals and incidents.
“My grandmother was a big influence on my spiritual life. She would ask me questions about what I had learned in Sunday school to be sure I understood,” Nancy recalled.
“I understood Salvation then in its simplest form but I
continued to grow and felt privileged to be a believer.”
Nancy, who is Life Spring’s Elementary Director, grew up in Hayward, California.
Her future husband, Ray Tuttle, Life Spring’s Elder, Grow Minister, and occasional band member, lived around the corner from her.
“Our families were friends - his sister and I were friends.”
After Ray and Nancy were married, they continued to live in Northern California with their children, Brian and Amy, until a job offer for Ray brought them to Southern California. Nancy, who is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist, applied her passion and skills at the Pleasant Valley School District.
“I’ve always been interested in teaching - I’ve been teaching young students in some form since I was a teenager.
Ray and Nancy have lived in Camarillo for 23 years. They considered moving to Moorpark, but for now, they intend to stay there.
“We looked at some places in Moorpark - we even had it mapped out - how long it would take us to get from home to church,” Nancy said. “With the move, we found out we would save about three minutes.”
Before making Life Spring their home church, Nancy and Ray attended churches in Camarillo and Ventura.
The decision to move to Life Spring was the result of a lot of prayers and strong friendship.
“When the Ventura church closed, we asked God, “what do we do next?’” Nancy said. “We met with different people, seeking counsel. We’ve known Sylvia and Tony (Amatangelo) for a long time.
Coming to Life Spring seemed to be God’s plan for us.
On Palm Sunday this year, Nancy was getting ready to leave for church when she
suffered a freak accident in her hallway.
“Ray was already at church, rehearsing with the band. I’m headed down the hallway and just tripped over my own two feet. I put out both my hands to break my fall.”
Luckily Brian lives close by and was able to help his mom because her injuries were
serious enough to require
surgery and had both her arms in a sling. The accident may have knocked her down, but not out. With the help of Ray and others in the church, she was able to keep the Elementary school program on track.
“It’s very frustrating when you’re not able to use your hands,” she said. There’s a feeling of helplessness.”
Amy’s recovery from cancer is another instance where prayer and seeking tangible ways to help has made Nancy stronger.
“You have to get over the shock first,” Nancy said. “Then you go about getting things done one thing at a time. It’s made us stronger.”
