Low German Ministries
1Gloowen
1Gloowen (1Faith) is a network that exists to help churches and organizations to expand the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Low German speaking people around the world. Missionaries that are part of the Network: David & Sieglinde Toews, Diedrich & Nettie Friesen, Andrew & Deanna Friesen, Jason Friesen, Mark Friesen, Jacob Giesbrecht, Koby Wiebe, Rudy & Wilma Toews, Trudy Buhler, Gerhard & Susan Fehr, and PadioPlaut.
Church at Little Belize
A brand new church plant has been established in an Old Mennonite Colony in Belize. Ten families have come to know Christ in a real way and have broken free from the bondage of legalism and empty tradition. MMF is helping establish a ministry site and building program for this new movement which will include a church, school, library, and missionary residence. The current focus is on training church leaders and establishing ministry outreach.
Diedrich & Nettie Friesen
The first missionary couple we would like to introduce are the Friesens’. Previously missionaries in Belize, the Friesen family now live in Manitoba and minister to the low German speaking people primarily through music. While in North America, they raise money for valuable resources and then travel to South America and provide to the Mennonite colonies while ministering to them through music and preaching. They help translate devotionals, children’s curriculum, and other much needed resources for the church.
Andrew & Deanna Friesen
Living in LaCrete, Alberta, Andrew and Deanna have a heart for Low German Speaking People all over the world. Like their parents, they use music as their medium to minister. Andrew and Deanna have travelled to Paraguay, Bolivia, Mexico, and Belize to share the Gospel with Mennonites. Along with their music, they translate Christian resources into Low German so that the people have access to devotionals and Sunday School material in their own language.
Jason Friesen
The third missionary we would like to present is Jason Friesen. Jason grew up on the mission field where his parents ministered to Low German Mennonites. While currently living in Manitoba, Canada, with his wife, Teya, and daughter, Soren, Jason has travelled across North and South America to bring the Gospel message to others through music. Together with his parents, Diedrich and Nettie Friesen, of D’Friesens Music and More, he creates, records, and performs music, translates materials, and provides other Gospel and music related resources to the Low German speaking people in their own language. Another of his roles is to provide computer tech support and graphic design for this ministry.
Mark Friesen
Mark is part of the Friesen family and helps with their extensive ministry to the Low German-speaking communities globally. He assists in the music ministry, translation work, children’s material, website maintenance, fundraising efforts, and many other behind the scene activities that are needed. Mark is a missionary in training and is a valuable part of MMF’s outreach to the Low German communities.
Nikki Friesen
Nikki married into the Friesen family and joined them in ministry shortly after. Although she doesn’t speak Low German (yet), Nikki takes on the supporting role as their administrator. She takes care of invoices and expenses, keeps track of inventory for the products they produce, and keeps people up to date on their social media platforms of events and updates. At events you can find her joining in on stage for any English songs, or running around taking pictures for updates and newsletters. For music projects, she takes part in recording on English albums, getting copyrights and uploading albums to Apple Music and Spotify.
David & Sieglinde Toews
The fifth missionary couple are David & Sieglinde Toews. The Toews family produces Low German Music and Low German radio broadcasting that reach people in Bolivia and all over the world. They support and educate worship leaders and partner with local churches in reaching youth and children through outreach programs and camps. Through their songs on radio broadcasting, the Toews reach people who are a part of very closed and restrictive Mennonite communities.
Rudy & Wilema Toews
Rudy and Wilma have an extensive ministry in Bolivia working with the Low German Mennonites. They visit the colonies, distributing Bibles and sharing the Gospel. They do street ministry in Santa Cruz and discipleship ministry at Guia de Paz Rehab center for men and woman. The Toews also help in the local Church with singing, prayer groups, teaching Sunday school and youth leadership development. They work with the Mission board and help build houses for people that need to get out of the old colony.
Gerhard & Susan Fehr
Gerhard and Susana Fehr, along with their family, are missionaries in Bolivia, South America. The Fehr’s have been working in Bolivia for years and have planted several churches in the indigenous communities. They have dedicated themselves to the work among Old Colony Mennonites, as well as preached in different churches. Gerhard is part of a Low German Bible translation project that translates the Bible into Plautdietsch, which is the native language of the Old Colony Mennonites. The first printing batch of the translated New Testament will be 10,000 copies. Gerhard and Susana have also started a Christian radio station in their town which is currently broadcasting locally and through the web.
Johann Fehr
Johann Fehr, Gerhard and Susana’s son, continues to lead the church of Cerro Grande, where a church room and a few extra rooms have already been built. He continues to work with children and is a worship leader of a local ministry. Johann also goes to other churches to serve through worship and has the gift of preaching the word of God within a large congregation.
Maria Caseiro
Maria Caseiro works as a missionary in the local church of the “16 de Julio” community in the Cerro Grande area, and married a young man from the same worship ministry. Together, the both of them continue to serve in the worship team, and the Church. In addition to teaching and blessing people by example and through the word, they also travel to other places to preach the word of God.
Jacob & Natalia Giesbrecht
Jacob is a Pastor and Evangelist. His vision is to help lead the church in Winkler, Manitoba, and base from there in order to travel around Canada and other countries in the ministry of preaching, teaching, and evangelizing. Jacob has preached in the Philippines, Guyana, Trinidad, Liberia and Sierra Lion. He also has a great burden for the Mennonite people.
Koby Wiebe
Koby and his wife are involved in a retreat deliverance ministry called Men’s Encounter. They are currently taking place in AB, MB, ON, Texas, Mexico, Belize, and will start in Bolivia in 2020. The retreat is an event where 100 men or women attend for a weekend in order to hear the gospel and learn that Jesus is our only way to deliverance and living a free life. This ministry is an amazing tool that has helped set free many Old colony Mennonite people from bondage and legalism and to put them on the right track.
Sofie & Reiner Neufeld
Radio Voz del Campo Cerro Grande
The Gerhard family has started a broadcast radio station in the region of Cerro Grande, Guarayos, Bolivia in Southern America. They have been broadcasting the word of God for seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. The Gerhard’s have been broadcasting for several months in three languages: Spanish, Low German and Quechua (an official language of Bolivia), which can be accessible across the globe. Locally, they reach about 15 local communities and several other Mennonite colonies. It is their passion to preach the gospel through this medium. Since then, they have heard numerous testimonies from traditional Mennonites who have turned to Christ by hearing the word of God through the broadcast radio.
