The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites to Central Asia, 1880-1884, Fred Richard Belk, 1976

ittee charged that the Nebraska group was interested only in helping the Khivan refugees because of their numerous relatives in the group. The Kansans went on record as opposed to helping only the Lausan settlers and stubbornly de- clared that they desired to aid all Mennonites in Central Asia who wanted to come to America.’ With this charge, Goerz was sent back to Nebraska to try to work out some coordinated plan with Jan- sen.® Meanwhile, the Lausantes were busily preparing to leave. From both Kansas and Nebraska they had received much encouragement and assurances of continued support, and 23 families resolved to un- 180 The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites dertake the long journey to America® This was indeed a difficult time for the America-bound group because the majority party with diametrically opposed convictions were anticipating a much shorter move to Ak Metchet and were trying continually to convince those tottering on the brink of indecision to come with them to a “new” refuge. Journey from Lausan, April 1884 On Easter Sunday, 1884, the America-bound Mennonites, having received Russian permission to cross their territory, held their final communion service in Khiva. Although the decision had been made after much controversy and turmoil, it was still difficult to leave their homes again after less than two years’ residence. But the newly con- structed mud-brick houses and barns were sold to the natives, and the cossack watchmen were paid in full. A week later, on April 17, a day after their dissident brethren departed for Ak Metchet, 23 stalwart families left for America, over 12,000 miles away. As the small wagon train, composed of 130 people, 17 wagons, and 30 horses, left the village of Lausan, they could see their Turkoman neighbors fighting over the belongings they had been forced to leave behind. "° Having sent most of the women, children, the infirm, and the baggage ahead by riverboat, the men and a few women drove west- ward on a road which led through thick reeds and underbrush. The primitive road and even worse bridges caused repeated delay for the cumbersome wagons. Having covered less than ten miles the first day, they camped in a circle, as they had on many other occasions, slept amid the reeds under a clear sky, and posted six men to stand guard. Few slept that first night, however, since they feared at any moment an onslaught of vengeful Turkomans. But that onslaught never came. Arriving a week later at Kungrad, near the mouth of the Amu Darya, they met the boats that had arrived earlier. Although this place was but a dirty little town with simple mud-brick houses and trash conspicuous on its streets, they found a lively marketplace where they rented camels to carry their household goods across another for- midable desert.!' At Kungrad, they received two telegrams that had been forwarded from Kansas and Nebraska. This renewed the cour- age of the group to push