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

Jantzen was invited to a Muslim banquet with the village elder. In order not to offend his host, he hid bits of food he found unpalatable in his boot.'? The brethren were also invited to hold their Sunday worship services in the local mosque, since the Muslims used it only on Friday and Saturday. This was gratefully accepted by the Menno- nites. In this mosque both children of the Widow Wiebe, Anna and Bernard, were married. Anna’s marriage was to Heinrich Toews, the son of Jacob Toews. The elder Toews, asked to perform the service, used as a marriage text John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ Bernard Wiebe was similarly united in marriage, and the young Mennonites began married life in a strange land and the alien atmosphere of a “heathen” mosque.”° 124 The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites Smallpox Epidemic In this unfamiliar but hospitable environment, the two great curses of the Mennonite emigrants — epidemic disease and theological disputation — returned to ravage their community. Smallpox broke out late in the winter and claimed the lives of several Mennonite and native children and even a few adults. The epidemic subsided as quickly as it came, and many who had been seriously ill miracu- lously recovered.*! Beginning in January 1882, the epidemic was replaced as the chief concern of the brethren by still another split in theology. Some, strongly believing Bukhara to be the place of refuge, argued that they should all return to Ebenezer. Others, who were equally convinced that they were following the Word of God, felt that going to Bukhara in the first place was the biggest mistake they had ever made. This faction urged that their initial error not be repeated.” Discord and J. K. Penner The proximate occasion for the new split, however, was a ser- mon preached by J. K. Penner in the mosque. Emphatically he had reminded his hearers that no man can know the time or place of the return of Christ. He based his homily on Acts 1:6 and 7. “They asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” This rousing message caused many to question Epp’s conten- tion teaching that he knew when Christ was coming and where He would appear.”° Furthermore, they agreed with Penner’s anti-Bukhar- an stand that had developed over a period of several months. The family of Benjamin Dirks, as well as others, were in- fluenced greatly by Penner’s forcefulness and sincerity. They began questioning other teachings of Epp concerning the coming of Christ. Dirks and two other men even left Serabulak for three days to pray in the wilderness. When they returned they announced that they could no longer remain with the group in good consci