It all started with a single question in a Belize church: “What did we just sing?”
Dietrich and Nettie Friesen had just led a congregation through a hymn in High German when an older man spoke up, puzzled. He could pronounce the words but had no idea what they meant.
“That moment just hit us,” says Dietrich. “Right there is where we knew there was a huge need. People could say the words, but it wasn’t in their heart language. We had to do something about this.”
That moment turned a family music night hobby into a global ministry and now a growing local congregation in Gnadenthal. This Friday, the community will have a chance to help D’Friesens take their next step with a fish fry fundraiser at the Pembina Threshermen’s Museum.
From the colonies to the countryside of Manitoba
Dietrich and Nettie’s ministry began in the early 2000s when they were asked to serve in Shipyard, a Mennonite colony in Belize where a church had just been planted.
“We were asked to help in the school and in the church with music,” Nettie remembers. “Together with our boys, we just started helping, and the rest is history.”
That first trip was transformative. “We just tried to serve where we were and where we could with what we had,” Dietrich explains. “Invitations kept coming, and it just kept growing. We’ve just been blown away with what God has done.”
Today, D’Friesens write and translate songs, children’s devotionals, and Sunday school materials into Plautdietsch for churches all over the world, as well as for the growing Low German-speaking population here in southern Manitoba.
Meeting a local need
Even with a busy international schedule, the couple could not ignore what they saw at home. “We travel to these countries and help people in their language, but when they come here looking for a new start there’s nothing in Plautdietsch,” Dietrich says.
That is why purchasing an unused church property in Gnadenthal felt like an answer to prayer.
“It was a church that closed down and they offered it to us at an insanely good price,” he says. “After praying about it, it just seems that God is giving this to us, but we have to do our part and work with it.”
The building has become a place where people can worship, ask questions, and connect in the language they know best. “Some of these people are just starting their faith journey,” Nettie says. “They need a place where they can learn, where they can grow, and where they can ask hard questions without fear.”
A meal with meaning
Friday’s fundraiser will help D’Friesens move closer to fully purchasing the building and securing a permanent home for their ministry.
“Lord willing, Friday we’re having a fish fry,” says Dietrich. “Lunch will be pre-orders only, but supper is open to anyone. Pick up, dine in, however you want.”
Lunch runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (pre-order by calling Dietrich at 204-312-0041), and supper is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. or until the food runs out.
For Nettie, the event is about more than fundraising. “We have a lot of Low German people in the community, and they contribute so much to the life that is here,” she says. “They’re searching for a community to connect with, some of them brand new from the southern countries. Others have been here a while and still are searching for somebody of their own to connect with.”
Why it matters
Dietrich sees Friday as a chance to do more than just raise money. It is an opportunity to build relationships and strengthen the community.
Attending the fish fry is a way to enjoy a great meal while supporting a project that will make a lasting impact for newcomers and longtime residents alike. By coming together over a shared table, the Pembina Valley can help ensure the D’Friesens’ ministry continues to grow and thrive in Gnadenthal.
If you go
Where: Pembina Threshermen’s Museum
When: Friday, September 12th
Lunch: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (pre-order required)
Supper: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (or while supplies last)
Pre-Order: Call Dietrich at 204-312-0041
Enjoy crispy fried fish, connect with neighbors, and support D’Friesens’ work to create a permanent home for their growing congregation.