Feeding the Hungry, P. C. Hiebert, 1929

rated themselves from the Mennonite people for the sake of wealth. They had lived isolated in Russian villages and often had lost most of their spiritual heritage, therefore their lot was now doubly sad. But the most pitiable among all the refugees were found among the families that had fled from Siberia, and had after indescribable suffering and long wanderings reached the colonies of the Mennonites in South Russia. Those who had before been wealthy usually found shelter with some friends or relatives, those of the diaspora, somehow managed to make their way, but many of these from Siberia seemed unable to find any point of contact for support or shelter, and hence consti- tuted a continuous danger for the colonists, who had all they could do with themselves. If the American Relief had not set in effectively when it did, it is likely that most of these refugees would have sadly perished. Those who had established at least a temporary abode in one or the other of the villages were now included in the regular quota of said villages, and daily supplied with one meal. In Alexandrowsk, we had a special kitchen established for the refugees, as well as lodging places. No doubt, the latter were rather primi- tive in equipment, frequently bed and tables were missing, 360 FEEDING THE HUNGRY but chests and boxes served fairly well as temporary makeshifts for furniture. Even though this equipment stood in sad comparison to what they had before, nevertheless most of them took it philosophically. One of those in the poorest situation once laconically remarked, “To be satisfied with what the good Lord in His grace gives to us, constitutes the only real joy that is found in this world.” The following item from my diary illustrates quite well what we have said above. “A family, Unruh, Refu- gees from Siberia reached Alexandrowsk after much priva- tion, sickness, and suffering only to find the once beautiful, wealthy village of Schoenwiese itself destitute and in want. Soon after their arrival, the father fell sick from the over- exertions and privations of the long journey. He was now unable to work and thus earn the daily bread; while the supply in their larder was only sufficient for two scanty meals. Through the liberality of our brethren at home, we were enabled to bring them food, which was indeed a blessed privilege, for you should have seen the joy, even though our help was necessarily in a very limited measure.” Such notes appear frequently in my diary, but I shall call attention to only one more to illustrate how suffering will sometimes reveal the true gold of faith. It was the case of a believing, God-fearing father: “The supply of food in his larder was visibly decreasing daily. On ac- count of insufficient rations the faces of his dear children were growing thinner and more haggard from day to day, while the worried face of his faithful mate haunted him day and night. It went from bad to w