Ambassador to his People

the long version

This book had to be written. At a time of diminishing respect for basic human values, C.F. Klassen embodied selflessness and integrity of character that should be an inspiration and model for many young people today. In telling the story of CF, the authors are also telling the story of his time and conditions in Russia, the great depression in Canada, the spiritual vitality, or lack of it, in the Mennonite church. CF can only be understood if we understand the world in which he lived and acted. All who knew him, knew that he loved his people, the Mennonites. Only those who knew him intimately also discovered how much he loved the Russian people. One reason why he was never bitter about them, in spite of the treatment Mennonites generally and he personally received at their hands, was because he understood their own sad history of suffering under the Czars and the communist dictators. They had never known freedom. They had never been allowed to stand up tall and straight. From being submissive serfs for centuries, they were finally cajoled or flogged into utter submission, voiceless and powerless to determine their own or their country's destiny. Knowing this helped him not only to accept them but also to respect them (especially for their patient suffering), grieve for them, and love them. To me personally he was a wonderful colleague in the work of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a dear brother in the Lord, and my beloved brother-in-law. ~Peter J. Dyck (from the Foreword)