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Plow
Creek Mennonite Church
Friesens
Recent
News: Richard died of complications of pneumonia on Wednesday, August
11. We are keeping Ruth Anne and Richard's family in our
prayers. Richard is deeply missed.Richard and Ruth Anne Friesen are Plow Creek members now doing long term missionary work in Argentina, primarily working on Bible translation with the Toba people. For a brief summary of their mission, see their prayer card. The Friesens have posted a short photo album of the Chaco mission. Here is their Mennonite Mission Network page.
You may read their public 2005 and 2006 Letters from Argentina.
For years, Ruth Anne and Richard Friesen have taught during the school year and helped manage Plow Creek Farm's Pick your own operations during the summer.
Here is their letter explaining their sense of calling.
- WHY ARGENTINA? WHY US?
Ruth Anne and Richard Friesen August 6, 2004
Why
did
we
start
thinking
seriously about Argentina? As
most of you know by now, the two of us had felt increasingly that we
should not return another year to work at DePue School. But all of the
exciting options were off somewhere in Indiana or Pennsylvania and we
felt we should reject them because they were too far from the people we
were committed to here at Plow Creek.
At the same time, through the fall and winter we kept noticing reports in the Mennonite media of the work of Willis and Byrdalene Horst and of Keith and Gretchen Kingsley amongst the native American peoples of the Chaco in northern Argentina. The two of us wanted to be in touch with them. We felt a certain similarity to the work we had been doing in Guatemala. It would have been great to be able to visit them, but that seemed out of the question. At the very least, we wanted to be prayer partners with them and receive their newsletters. After talking about it through the winter, we finally contacted them by email in mid-May. Richard mentioned his love of languages and interest in the progress of translation into the Cotzal Ixil we had heard in Guatemala. We also mentioned how their work of visiting was similar to the visitation we had loved to do in Central America as well as the Bible teaching we did. Richard said he would love to visit Argentina to see the work personally and to renew some acquaintances from the 70s. But all of that seemed like a very remote possibility.
Keith was the first to respond, saying that both he and Gretchen immediately wondered if there was something more than prayer partnering here. “Your age and maturity, your experience in Guatemala, your facility in Spanish and interest in other languages, your low-profile personalities, to say nothing of your commitment to God’s kingdom, all these things might make you persons who could make a contribution to the ministry here — if indeed God were prompting such a direction.” He mentioned that the team was looking for someone to coordinate a new translation of the New Testament into Toba. He said he was responding to an inner nudge in raising the possibility.
When the two of us received Keith’s email, our hearts immediately leapt in response. Sure, this was farther even than Pennsylvania and it would take us even farther away from our community at Plow Creek, but somehow this felt like exactly the thing the Lord had in store for us after DePue School!
At the same time, through the fall and winter we kept noticing reports in the Mennonite media of the work of Willis and Byrdalene Horst and of Keith and Gretchen Kingsley amongst the native American peoples of the Chaco in northern Argentina. The two of us wanted to be in touch with them. We felt a certain similarity to the work we had been doing in Guatemala. It would have been great to be able to visit them, but that seemed out of the question. At the very least, we wanted to be prayer partners with them and receive their newsletters. After talking about it through the winter, we finally contacted them by email in mid-May. Richard mentioned his love of languages and interest in the progress of translation into the Cotzal Ixil we had heard in Guatemala. We also mentioned how their work of visiting was similar to the visitation we had loved to do in Central America as well as the Bible teaching we did. Richard said he would love to visit Argentina to see the work personally and to renew some acquaintances from the 70s. But all of that seemed like a very remote possibility.
Keith was the first to respond, saying that both he and Gretchen immediately wondered if there was something more than prayer partnering here. “Your age and maturity, your experience in Guatemala, your facility in Spanish and interest in other languages, your low-profile personalities, to say nothing of your commitment to God’s kingdom, all these things might make you persons who could make a contribution to the ministry here — if indeed God were prompting such a direction.” He mentioned that the team was looking for someone to coordinate a new translation of the New Testament into Toba. He said he was responding to an inner nudge in raising the possibility.
When the two of us received Keith’s email, our hearts immediately leapt in response. Sure, this was farther even than Pennsylvania and it would take us even farther away from our community at Plow Creek, but somehow this felt like exactly the thing the Lord had in store for us after DePue School!
Further signposts along
the way
Keith mentioned that
they were in fact looking for another couple to join them in the work,
especially given Willie and Bertie Horst's planned retirement in about
a year. But our being 60-ish was no impediment. In fact, amongst the
native groups, a 60-year-old could be much more respected and useful
than a 25-year-old, and having no children with us would also be a
plus, allowing us both to be deeply involved in the work. It was
suggested that we go ahead and apply to the Mennonite Mission Network
and get the ball rolling. Over the ensuing months, scriptures have stood out for us in our devotion times, which seem to encourage us in this direction: Romans 12:1, 6-1 2— “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept . . . God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to ________, [serve others well, do a good job . . . generously . . . seriously . . . gladly.] Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful.” The parable of the talents also spoke to Richard (Mt. 25:14-30). This is an assignment that would use the skills I have and enjoy using more than any other work opportunities that have appeared on my horizon—maybe ever, it includes language, theological training, translation, linguistics, relating to other cultures, simple living, peace and reconciliation, empathy for other points of view, and respecting what others are thinking. Psalm 57:2—”I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.”
On July 24 we had an interview with Linda Shelly of Mennonite Mission Network (MMN) and Willie and Bertie Horst from the mission team in Argentina, home on leave. In that meeting and a the previous meeting over supper with the Horsts, we felt very affirmed as being the right couple at the right time. They all felt like our gifts were a good fit for the opening they were looking to fill. Even if the translation project did not go ahead for 2005, they wanted us to come. Ruth Anne would work with Gretchen doing church visitation, attending women's Bible study groups, and also writing down oral histories of various congregations. Willie extended an invitation to us on behalf of the team in Argentina. Lord willing, we would be leaving this fall for two 3-year terms. If the translation were to happen, it could start in January 2005.
What gives us pause?
Leaving the country is
hard with Dad Friesen at this stage of his life, not being able to
support him with visits and perhaps not seeing him again. But his
immediate reaction was to affirm our going if we were called. Some of
the relationships here at Plow Creek already tug at our heartstrings at
the thought of change—Boo, Justin and Jim Harnish, for example. Then
who would write and mail the farm newsletter or fill other shoes we
wear? We realize also that PCF will miss our incomes, and on top of
that we would be looking for some financial help from Plow Creek for
our support. There will also be some additional expenses incurred with
medical, eye and dental exams, work on our teeth, airfare for Ruth Anne
to a conference on oral histories, possible acquisition of a laptop,
etc. Perhaps some of that could be paid for with money we raised
elsewhere. We have figured out ways to maintain our health, blood
pressure, cholesterol, joints, etc. without formal medications here. It
remains to be seen what we would do in a society that eats differently
and where some supplements may not be readily available, where it is
often hot and there are a lot of mosquitoes. We would have to get rid
of a lot of accumulation of “stuff,” but in whose attic or basement or
commercial storage would we store our keepers? Next steps
Our applications are in and most, if not all, of our personal reference forms have been received. It is important that you in our church give us your prayerful advice. With your support and affirmation, we could move ahead to an interview with Human Resources at MMN and there figure out what kind of finances would be necessary. An estimate at this point is between $25,000 and $35,000 per year. Before leaving this fall, we would need to work with MMN to gamer a promise of the majority of that support from a support network of friends, relatives and churches. Normally a home congregation is the core of that network, but that may not work in our case. An aunt of Richard has offered a one-time gift of $12,000. We are working through a list of 10 to 12 books we were recommended to read to understand better the situation in Argentina, the situation, the world views and theology of native American peoples. The future. We would covet an on-going relationship with Plow Creek Church and the Fellowship during our time in Argentina. Probably MMN would take care of distributing the newsletter, but the church would likely be on our direct email list for updates, and we would covet your prayer support. In Guatemala, we had a portion of our income go directly to Reba Place Fellowship. We may work out some similar sort of arrangement with Plow Creek. And where would we come back to after six years? At present, it would seem the answer would be Plow Creek, but if Julius and Peggy Belser requested assistance at that point, we might consider moving back to Reba Place to help them.