THE MENNONITE BROTHERHOOD IN RUSSIA (1789 - 1910), P. M. Friesen, 1911

er that the brethren and sisters had peace, except for “scorn, disdain and ridicule.” Thus the circle of believers in these villages expanded. At the end of 1884, 14 members of the M.B. Church lived in Burwalde, 14 in Kronstal; 9 had moved away, as had a few in Neu-Osterwick and Rosengart. The report is signed: Burwalde, Johann Hildebrandt. 6) Nepliuievo (a small group of Mennonite leasehold villages, 283 founded by families from the Chortitza District. This affiliated group was later included with Friedensfeld because it was closer to that center than to the Einlage Church). We quote freely from the report of Br. Gerhard Siemens, the present leading minister of Naumenko (Petrovka-Vassil- ievka), an affiliate of the Einlage Church in the Province of Kharkov. Br. Siemens was the first one in this area to be rescued from the bondage of sin. “This happened in June, 1877. Instrumental in my conversion was my brother, Johann S. (minister in Andreasfeld). Praise be to God I Immediately thereafter I became convinced about baptism and was promptly received into the fellowship at Einlage. Prompted by love, I at once sought to proclaim the salvation of Christ in my neighborhood. In my naivete I immediately went to the minister and believed that as soon as I would tell them the great secret, they would grasp it, as my wife had. How wrong I was! Even if many of our friends wept with us upon first hearing it, because they saw that by God’s grace a great change had really occurred in me, a hatred toward me and the witness of Christ soon developed. But it pleased the Lord soon to add others. Namely there was a woman in our village who stated that her prayer had now been answered, for she had just prayed that the Lord would bring someone out of darkness, through whom she might perhaps find the light of life. She asked her husband whether they might fellowship with us, which they did. During the winter we were also visited by two brethren from our church [M.B. Church] Johann Siemens and Jakob Wiens. We requested the minister’s permission to conduct a service in the school house. He referred me to the village mayor.” The c) New M3. Church in Rueckenan 488 THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH d) M3. Church in Velikokniashesk (“Wohldemfueret”), Kuban. f) Baptism at the M.B. Church in Rueckenau. The M.B. Church 1873-1885 489 mayor gave permission. The service took place, and thereby the hatred was increased. In the evening there was an attempt to disperse the brethren who were assembled, and all the doors of the house where they were, were opened, but no one dared to cause a disturbance during the time of edification. “The following day the brethren [Siemens and Wiens] visited the mini ster, but they were thrown out by several neighbors.” But this hatred only strengthened the determination of the awakened believers. In September, 1878, the couple mentioned above was baptized. The awakening also spre