Condolences
Dear Ruth, Janet, John, Mark and families, so sorry to hear of the passing of Don. He was a warm and loving man who provided leadership and friendship to all. Like many other youth at Bethany Baptist Church when Don was pastor, I will not forget his welcoming ways, his ability to connect during a conversation, and his smile...a true warm spirit. May your memories of him help comfort you during this difficult time.
Love,
Paul Marsh
Remembering Don...
1. First encounters: it was in early 1962 in Cochabamba, Bolivia where we met...as missionaries in an inter-mission language school to study Spanish. The lg. school under the direction of the Pickerings was an atmosphere of levity & freedom. The staff included several Bolivians who made the learning of Spanish a very positive experience as we all prepared for ministry in a foreign land.
2. Separate ways: Don (& Ruth) stepped into the traditional roles of Baptist missionaries relating to church & seminary environments while I (& Ila) pursued an assignment in lg. analysis & culture study of the native Quechua-speaking people.
3. Nationalism: as the years progressed, we all became more & more aware of Bolivian national leadership. Talented and perceptive nationals indicated a strong desire & involvement in ministry...questioning the traditional function of foreign leadership in the Bolivian church, and related para-church activities. We supported the assumption that perhaps the missionary participation in church-related functions was gradually becoming obsolete. (The Bolivian Baptist pastor Jaime Goytia became a personal friend who demonstrated a strong belief in national leadership)...and we concurred.
4. Ex-missionaries: after extended periods of active involvement in the Bolivian scene, we all retired to our respective countries of origin...in a lengthy retirement & on-going friendship.
With love & respect, Hank & Ila Spenst
We remember Donald Fraser as an encouraging senior staff member while we served in Bolivia with Canadian Baptist Ministries (1966-1971). One of our memories shows that Donald was also fearless in difficult circumstances, when in July 1967 he, Gunter and Victor Tococari (a Bolivian layman) travelled in three vehicles from Cochabamba to Santa Cruz to introduce visiting Canadian young people to the Bolivian Ministry. After a planned intermediary stop, as Donald and Gunter resumed their travel, and before Victor could follow them, they missed a crossfire exchange by seconds between the forces of Che Guevara and the Bolivian army. That occurred in the same general area in which Che died in October of that year. Over the years we admired Donald for his Christian commitment and treasured him as a friend.
Gunter and Reinhilde Rochow
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