2024 Newsletter 1

Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim His salvation day after day.

Psalm 96:2

As we go about our day-to-day tasks and interact with the people God sends our way, we are constantly reminded of the power that music has to lift our eyes from the events and cares of this world and focus our thoughts on our great God. It is amazing to see how He uses music to spread His message of salvation and it is such a joy to be able to be a part of it.         

Looking Back…

Amid all the regular tasks of writing, translating, editing picture books, preaching, singing at live events and so much more, a large part of our time was taken up with the trip to Bolivia in February. It was such a blessing to be there again, and to see how the Lord’s work is progressing. We spent approximately two weeks travelling and singing in various colonies. This time our team consisted of Diedrich, Nettie, Andrew and Jason, and we were warmly welcomed everywhere we went. One of the highlights of this trip for us was the many people who came up to us and shared how previous visits and concerts, our devotional books or our songs playing over the radio had impacted them and their families. Many shared how it was through a song, a devotional or something said at a concert that had helped them find their way to surrendering to Christ. These stories are such an encouragement to us since we don’t always see the fruits of our labors right away. We consider ourselves a “seed planting” ministry, as we go from place-to-place spreading God’s message of love through song and sermon. It is so good to know that some of the seed is falling on fertile soil and that it is being watered and cared for by the missionaries who spend their lives serving the people. We spent time in established churches hoping to encourage the Christians there. We also spent time at the rehab center, singing and praying with the participants. And another highlight was singing at the brand-new outreach at Amanecer. We are excited to see how God will continue to work through the missionaries and bring many more souls to faith in Him.

Back home, we’ve been busy with a new, and kind of a surprise venture. When the Mennonitische Post decided to close their doors, we were given the opportunity to take over their leftover stock. So, after some prayer and discussion with our team and advisory board, we took a leap and took it on. We now have quite a lot of books and CDs from various artists, both Plautdietsch and English, and even some in High German. It has all been sorted and displayed on shelves in our basement and ready to be sold. In the next few weeks, we’ll be putting notices and ads out on social media and hopefully those sales will raise some funds for continued ministry.

Looking Ahead…

As we look ahead to the spring and summer, we’re busy practicing, developing and recording songs, as time allows. It’s shaping up to be a busy summer season again, and we’re looking forward to getting the “bus” ready and heading out on the road to various festivals and events. Several of our publishing projects are almost ready for the printing press and the hope is to have some new items on our product tables this summer. We also continue to help with the Low German church that meets weekly in the basement of the Winkler EMMC church.

One of the least enjoyable parts of the ministry is keeping our financial support up to workable levels. But without it we would not be able to do this work, so with that in mind, we are planning several fundraisers through the spring and summer. We really appreciate your prayers for these events and for the funding in general. We know that God is faithful, and we trust Him to provide all that is needed.

            Thank you to all of you for your part in this work. When we work together, there is so much more that can be accomplished.  We continue to enjoy the blessing of working with our family and growing in the grace and knowledge of God, and we pray that you are also enjoying the goodness of God and growing in your walk with him. As always, we welcome your feedback, questions or comments. 

These past few months have seen a few changes in my involvement in this ministry. I have continued with the picture editing for children’s activity books and my part in several of the projects is nearing completion. Lately, I have also been spending part of my time helping with song leading and power point in the new Low German church and taking part in the music evenings they are running for their youth and adults. It’s been a good and growing experience being directly involved in the people’s lives and not just working from an office or on the stage. As always, I am deeply grateful for the support I receive and the opportunity I have to serve the Lord in this way.

What a refreshing past few months! Instead of being overly busy, my role has been more calm and even-paced. This allowed me to work on projects that I wouldn’t normally have time for. Along with my usual admin duties, while the Friesens were in Bolivia, I had the opportunity to work with a youth mission team from my church to prepare them for outreach in Mexico. This included creating and teaching the team a skit that presents the Gospel without the use of words, but through acting to music. I also got to participate in a few online conferences, put together activities for the next Sunday School book, and put together a social media “countdown” for Easter. I really enjoyed the variety that these last few months have brought, and look forward to what the rest of this year will bring.

The major event for me these past three months was the trip to Bolivia, which I was so glad to be a part of! Besides that, I have spent a lot of time on the notated Low German songbook, and all 200 songs have a draft version of the notation complete! From there, I will be contacting printing presses, going over the small details, and formatting the songs for the final printing size. I have also been preparing for several upcoming events as well as working on my Low German album. Thank you again and I would love to hear from you all!

Praise God For:

• The blessings received on the trip to Bolivia, the seeds that were sown, and the responses from the people
• Safety in all the travels
• New opportunities, invitations and open doors
• God’s continuing provision through the financial gifts of faithful supporters
• The encouragement and support we receive from friends and family

Please Pray For:

• Continued joy, enthusiasm and energy for the work
• Sufficient financial support for the projects as well as living expenses
• Wisdom in prioritizing which opportunities and invitations to accept
• On-going health challenges for some of our team members
• Our own personal walk with the Lord, that we could live in true integrity and honor the Lord in all we say and do.