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

auy Ajjeas ddg seejs ji UONSaNnb 0} uebeq ajdoed ‘iauuag “y Seuueyor jo Buiysesid ay) sapup Lol 402.) puv uvy y uaanjag :puv]-s upp-on 1] FINAL TREKS OF 1881 With the Epp faction of the Mennonites floundering in indeci- sion on the Bukharan border, the last contingent of the brethren were completing plans to journey to Turkestan from European Russia. These new wagon trains would undergo many hardships before they reached their destination. By the end of 1880, after three parties of emigrants had safely reached the Tashkent area and were trying to acclimatize to their strange new environment, two more widely separated groups had made the decision to migrate eastward to meet Christ. Although not all the participants were natives of the Trakt region, both of these millennialist parties departed from there. Even receiving letters recounting the dire hardships and theologi- cal dissension in Turkestan did not deter these people from the task they believed was the Lord’s will for their lives. This task, although dangerous and gaining new critics almost daily, was necessary in order to follow God’s Word. After all, Christ would meet them at the place of refuge and give them eternal glory. How could they not respond to this holy mission? Inspired by such convictions, a fourth wagon train left the Trakt sometime in August 1881. It included a strange mixture of people. In this small band, there were three families from Molotschna who had planned to leave earlier with Abraham Peters and six families from the Kuban region of the Caucasus. The Kuban Mennonite Brethren formed a close-knit group and fervently believed in the im- minent second coming of Christ. Jacob Funk, one of the number, was chosen as the wagon master.' These Mennonite Brethren, believ- Final Treks of 1881 129 ing themselves more pious due to their strict adherence to God's Word, had earlier left the Kirchliche Mennonites because, in their way of thinking, they were not following the entire Bible. The dif- ference in background between these Kubans and their Trakt brethren presented no problem because of their total commitment to mil- lennialism. In fact, they were so enthusiastic they decided to leave the Trakt, where they had gathered, before a larger train to be led by Epp himself was prepared to depart, and they could not be dis- suaded. Even the death of a small child in their party just prior to their departure failed to discourage them. New Wagon Trains Eastward The members of the Mennonite Brethren Church on this wagon train knew they would be a minority faction when they reached Tashkent. But to them, belief in millennialism was far more signif- icant than provincal or even denominational background. To be sure, Molotschna and Trakt Kirchliche Mennonites would outnumber them in Tashkent but this minority of Mennonite Brethren would later wield power and influence disproportionate to their numbers. Fourth Wagon Tra