People&Events 7-02

St. Catharines, Ont.—Randy Dueck was installed as assistant pastor at St. Catharines United Mennonite Church on December 15. Ben Wiebe, lead pastor, and Andy Brubacher Kaethler, conference youth minister, officiated at the installation. Dueck’s responsibilities include youth and young adult programs, and preaching. He has worked with youth since 1981 and served as associate pastor for youth and family ministries at Port Rowan Mennonite Brethren Church for five years. He studied at Canadian Bible College in Regina. He and his wife, Cheri, have two young adult children.

—Congregational release

Winnipeg, Man.—Before Rattaya Nantasean left Thailand for Canada, her mother told her she had an uncle in this country somewhere. Nantasean came here last August as an exchange visitor with Mennonite Central Committee and works with new immigrants at the Calgary Mennonite Centre for Newcomers. She told some Burmese immigrants about her uncle and one of them knew a man from her region in Thailand. It was her uncle and he lived in Calgary! She is enjoying her new relationship with her relatives and has taken several trips with them.

Winnipeg, Man.—Mennonite Central Committee Canada has hired Mary Friesen to coordinate its program for Low German Mennonites. Friesen, who was born in Menno Colony, Paraguay, has been an instructor at the University of Winnipeg and spent 12 years as a teacher and vice-principal at Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute here. She recently completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at St. Stephen’s College in Edmonton. Friesen, a member of River East Mennonite Brethren Church, recently helped develop a “hemispheric vision” for MCC’s Low German program that streamlines services at regional, provincial, national and international levels. Her duties include the program in Mexico and promoting educational materials, as well as working with the Mennonitische Post newspaper.