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Maryanne Frisken "Mother of us all" Photo taken in 2006

An Ordinary, Extraordinary Woman Maryanne Frisken M.Ed Stud, Dip Teach (Early Childhood) TEACHER and EDUCATIONAL PIONEER 10-5-1938 - 3-12-2008 A TRIBUTE

Rev Bob Frisken AM

Maryanne Frisken passed into the presence of our Lord at 1.30 am on Wednesday 3rd December 2008, at the Bankstown Aged Care Facility aged 70. Her husband, Rev Bob Frisken AM, the President of New Hope International had been by her side for the past two months of hospitalisation and palliative care. Maryanne had been diagnosed with lung cancer and secondary cancer of the back in March 2008. She had chemotherapy, a back operation and radiation therapy which brought the cancer in her lung and back into remission but by September 2008 the cancer had spread to her brain and she was admitted to Bankstown Hospital. She had surgery to remove most of the tumour but the cancer quickly grew again and she died peacefully in her sleep and without pain on December 3rd.

Maryanne was born on 10th May 1938 in Dubbo NSW. She was the eldest daughter of Tom and Mary Stroud of Dubbo. She was married to Bob for more than 49 years and their love and marriage was a testimony to God's grace and love in this couple's life. Maryanne was the much loved mother of three sons, John, Steven and Grant and their wives, grandmother to ten grandchildren, and one great grandson. She had welcomed into her heart and family dozens of people over the years and had provided loving care and generous hospitality for them, There were many young men and women in many other countries who regarded her as "Australian Mum".

Her funeral was conducted by Rev Peter Hester at Regents Park Community Church 59 Regent Street Regents Park on Monday 8th December at 1.30 pm and was followed by internment at the independent section of Rookwood Cemetery at 3.30 pm. The burial was conducted by the Senior Pastor of Regents Park Community Church in an amazing downpour of rain.

Maryanne was an extraordinary, ordinary woman, a pioneer of the formation of Cobar Baptist Church, Junior Sunday School Superintendent and organist of Wentworthville Baptist Church, Pastor's wife and Founding Director of the Adventure Centre at St Mary's Baptist Church, first Curriculum Officer for Christian Community Schools Limited, First Director of the ABC Kindergarten in Auburn, Infants teacher at Ryde Baptist Christian Community School (now Northcross Christian School ), teacher and Infants Coordinator at Toongabbie Baptist Christian Community School (now Toongabbie Christian School) and from its beginning in 2002 until she resigned because of the cancer in October 2008, Executive Secretary of New Hope International a Christian charity that links together Christian schools in Australia and New Zealand for the purpose of assisting the development of people in developing countries through community development, assisting Christian schooling and leadership training. Maryanne had taught in conferences in Australia and the UK and also in Tonga, Solomon Islands and Uganda but visited and maintained close personal contacts with Christian educators in many other countries. Maryanne was loved by thousands of people across Australia and New Zealand and in many developing countries in the Pacific in Asia and India and Africa but most of all by her husband, three sons and their wives and ten grandchildren and one great grandson and the members and friends of Regents Park Community Church and the staff of Toongabbie Christian School where she had taught for 14 years and served as Infants Coordinator. Some of the many tributes that flooded into their home are recorded below
Tributes to Maryanne

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14: 1-3

FUNERAL SERVICE -Celebrating the life of Maryanne
The Funeral Service started with the playing of the Hymn "O love that will not let me Go" A hymn that was of great significance to both Maryanne and her husband Bob. Rev David Deal the Pastor of Regents Park Community Church where Maryanne and Bob had been members for over 30 years, welcomed the hundreds of people who had come to the Hall of Christian Community High School and opened the service in prayer

The Regents Park Community Church worship team lead the singing of two songs
How deep the Father's Love
Blessed be your Name
Both hymns spoke of some of the deep experiences Bob and Maryanne had gone through together as Maryanne battled the cancer that finally killed her. The song Blessed be your Name by Matt Redman and the last verses in particular had been very significant to Bob and Maryanne as they sang it hand in hand in church several times in the year when they knew Maryanne was dying

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing you pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord Blessed be your name

Annette Frisken, married to eldest son John read from the Bible in Romans 8:28-39 which had been a favourite passage for Maryanne since the Lord used it to bring her to a deep and personal experience of himself as a young teenager.

Bob and Maryanne cutting a cake to celebrate 49 years of marriage at the Effective Teachers Training Conference in January 2008.

BOB’S TRIBUTE
Maryanne’s husband, Rev Bob Frisken AM President of New Hope International spoke briefly to introduce a pictorial presentation of Maryanne’s life
He met Maryanne in 1956 when she as a 17 year old Trainee teacher came to Cobar where Bob had been just appointed. He explained the first words he heard from her lips was in a song she sang as a duet, “Through the love of Christ our Saviour all will be well.” This song became their theme song and during Maryanne’s illness Bob often sang it to her. The last verse had special significance
We expect a bright tomorrow;
All will be well;
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
All, all is well:
On our Father's love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
Then in living or in dying
All must be well.

Maryanne was appointed to Cobar in 1957 when she was 18 years old and the two of them fell in love and a month later decided to marry. Bob recalled how Maryanne had written to her mother telling her she had become unofficially engaged to Bob whom her Mum had never met. She wrote back telling Maryanne to “get herself officially unengaged”. This was probably the only time in her life when she did not obey her mother.
Bob and Maryanne had married in 1959 and spent the next seven years pioneering a Baptist Church in that town.
Bob told the mourners that Maryanne had changed his life and became the one person above all others who helped him turn his dreams to realities.
He concluded his remarks by telling her many friends that the last job Maryanne finished before she was disabled by the brain tumour was to complete the first edit of the revised training textbook “Introduction to Christian Teaching”. The night Maryanne passed away Bob sent the final draft of this away to be printed in time for the 2009 conference. Though grief stricken by her death Bob promised that he would carry on the work that God had called him and his wife to do while he had the strength.

Bob and Maryanne cut the cake at their wedding January, 10th 1959

EULOGY
Dr Ted Boyce, Principal of Pacific Hills Christian School, and for many years close friend to Bob and Maryanne gave a fitting appraisal of the life of Maryanne Frisken from Kindergarten teacher to wife of Bob and mother, of John Thomas Frisken, Steven James Frisken and Grant Andrew Frisken , mother-in-law to Annette, Gina and Jane, Grandmother to Daniel, Belinda, Matthew and David, Alexander, Kiara and Isabelle, and Luke, Thomas and Lauren and Greatgrandmother to Will the step-son of Belinda and son of her husband Jai.
Ted spoke of her work as a pastor's wife at St Marys Baptist Church where Maryanne was the founding director of the Adventure Centre and pioneer of the Family Day care ministry of that Church. He told of how she became the first trained Director of the ABC Kindergarten at Auburn Baptist Church and then the Curriculum Officer of Christian Community Schools limited in which position she endeared herself to hundreds of teachers. She followed that up with teaching at Ryde Christian school and from 1988 until 2001 as Infants' Coordinator at Toongabbie Christian school. In 2001 she felt called by God to resign her teaching role and become the Executive Secretary of New Hope International. In this position which she commenced in 2002 she was once again able to help bring to pass the dreams of her husband Bob with the formation of a ministry which quickly had world-wide significance. In her role as Executive Secretary Maryanne became personally known to hundreds of people in many countries round the world.

Maryanne with her brother and sisters and cousin at her 70th Birthday Party

TRIBUTES
Student Tribute
Gary Ng, a 16 year old second year student at University, spoke of how Maryanne had been his kindergarten teacher at Toongabbie Christian School and had recognised his giftedness and had fought to give him a chance to be where he was that day. Without her help he said “I would be still in year 10”. He then gave a sensitive musical tribute of “October from the seasons” by Tchaikovsky
Family Tribute
Rev Betty Stroud, Uniting Church Minister at Singleton and younger sister of Maryanne spoke on behalf of her self, her brother Jim and her younger sisters, Colleen Lovell and Christine Omerod and their families.

The whole Frisken family

SONS' TRIBUTE
John the eldest son spoke on behalf of his two brothers Steven and Grant.
We have but 3 score years and ten and with that time we need to learn to live, to love, and to leave this world a better place. The legacy Mum leaves the world in many ways is us. Through us and our children she continues to live and will do so for many, many years to come.

My journey with my Mum started in Dubbo base hospital. Dubbo even today has special memories for me and I still can smell the red earth and gardens. I retuned to Dubbo as a young man to find emotional healing that only those special memories could bring. Even today when I need strength it is these memories that bring me healing … the memories of the town where my Mum grew up and gave birth to me.

We grew up in Cobar. I still remember the tricycle and monkey bars and my first dog Simba. Steven and I still remember the little red cars we used to shuttle around on in Cobar. A few years later sickness again returned to strike me down. As a young boy in hospital and frightened it was my mother who brought comfort and care.

We grew up and I and my brothers started high school. It was Mum who worked to give us the opportunity of attending private schools. It is hard running a house and holding down a job. We didn’t know where the money came from to pay the bills. And even today we are still amazed at the life Mum and Dad were able to provide for us.

Mum welcomed into the family each son’s choice of wife and became a mum for each of Annette, Gina and Jane and loved them and in turn was loved in a way that the term “mother in law” doesn’t do justice. She was devoted to her grandchildren and we felt lucky to be part of a large extended family with so much trust respect and devotion to each other.

In later years she would again stand by Dad's side in building New Hope International into a ministry that would touch so many different countries across the world. This has been some wonderful years where Mum and Dad had done some of the things they wanted to do earlier but could not. During these years they have travelled to many countries and done things that many people could only dream of. As kids we have watched and smiled during these years of happiness where Mum has touched so many people.

But what are some of the special things we will remember her for:

1. She mixed up our names with each other and even the dogs;
2. She worried about us and growing up you would know Mum would still be awake until the last of her kids came in the door;
3. She didn't like conflict. She would go to great lengths to save the peace and find a solution. We never experienced our parents fighting and even a raised voice to each other was rare over all the years
4. She welcomed many to stay in her home over the years and countless boarders have come to know and love mum – When I left home it seemed our bedrooms were constantly filled with someone from the country or overseas needing a place to stay
5. She loved our Dad and loved each of us in her own way. She had a heart for others that you will rarely find.

Mum we don't know why this end befell you as someone who lived their life so much for others. We wish you were still with us to see our kids and grandchildren grow, but we know you will be watching over them. As you do you should know you have left a bit of you in each of them which will go on blessing the world. And then when it is our turn to pass to the other side into eternity we know we will see you again too.

Good bye Mum ... And thank you for living the life you did.

Maryanne and Bob with Belinda and Jai at their wedding

GRANDCHILDREN’S TRIBUTE
The eldest Granddaughter Belinda Rowell wrote and read this poem for her Grandma
Grandma
Your story is one of love,
Love that is strong
Love that never grew weary,
Love that never saw wrong.
You were the pillar of strength in our family
You taught us to stand tall
You were the mast to which we set our sails
Your encouragement, the wind that made us soar.
Throughout your life you changed hundreds of lives,
And touched thousands more
You cared, you cried, you helped and you toiled
Being the mother of us all.
We will always remember the love that you showed
We will always strive to meet the measure
Of the woman that you are
All the memories that we have, we will always treasure.
So it is with a saddened heart that I say goodbye,
Goodbye to my Grandma, Goodbye to my friend
I will miss you, but I will see you again.

Maryanne and Bob when they first moved to Regents Park

FRIENDS' TRIBUTE
A number of close friends then paid tribute to the life and ministry of Maryanne Frisken
Sue Skuthorpe, Chair of New Hope International Limited spoke of the tremendous contribution Maryanne had made to New hope International. She remarked that the huge number of tributes that had poured into the NHI office was an indication of the love and respect people around the world had for Maryanne.
Mrs Val Pade, one of Maryanne's closest friends and a long time member of Regents Park Community Church spoke of the warmth and affection that so many people in the Church had for Maryanne. She had gathered tributes from many members of the Church including Merrilyn Allen whom Maryanne had also known for many years and with whom she shared a passion for the Mums and Bubs ministry.

Genevieve Brummell, Primary Head at Toongabbie Christian School and a long time associate of Maryanne recalled the blessing Maryanne had been to staff, parents and students alike over the thirteen years she had taught there. She remarked that seven years later the school was still using ideas and material developed by Maryanne.

PRAYER

Kylie Mirmohamodi, niece of Maryanne and Bob prayed a special prayer she had written.

Lord and God of all,
We thank You for the life of your servant, Maryanne: a wife who loved, a mother who nurtured, a grandmother who doted, a teacher who gave the gift of knowledge, and a woman of God whose compass and strength was her Lord. Great are Your mercies and blessings, and great indeed have they been to those whose lives she touched. We thank You for her warmth, her humour, her dedication to family and friends, her optimism, her directness, her love of learning and of music. We have been enriched by all these things; and they will never be lost to us.
Draw close to the husband she loved for many years, to the sons she guided into manhood, their wives, and the grandchildren she so proudly watched; and comfort them in their grief.
We remember our friend with sadness and yet with hope; looking to the day in which we, with Maryanne and all Your saints, will share in the joy of Your eternal Kingdom.
We ask these things through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Maryanne loved children. She is shown here with children at Watoto Child Care Ministry in Uganda.

MESSAGE AND BENEDICTION
Peter Hester co-founder with Bob Frisken of Christian Community High School and Pastor now of Gloucester Baptist Church gave a brief and challenging message centred on the hymn referred to earlier by Bob, "Through the love of Christ our Saviour all will be well". He pointed out that the love of Christ had been the centre of Maryanne's life with Bob and her dearest wish was that she would spend eternity with her Lord and with Bob and her family who she loved so dearly and with her many friends around the world
The service concluded with the benediction and the Cortège with Pallbearers: John Frisken, Steven Frisken, Grant Frisken, Daniel Frisken, Alexander Frisken and Luke Frisken, left the hall to a recessional, "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's 9th Symphony one of Maryanne's favour pieces of classical music.