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

ennonite newspaper. Jacob Janzen, the leader of the Aulie Ata settlements, subsequently credited this change in the weather and financial aid from America as those critical factors which gave them a completely new outlook on life.?” Spring Improves Situation That spring saw gradual economic improvement, a majority of the inhabitants could now eke out a meager living at least. The breeding of swine and horses coupled with all types of grain production prom- ised a subsistence income for many. As the population grew, the need for more dairy cattle increased. Milk and cheese soon became an im- portant source of income, and some of the farmers became so in- volved in this activity that they moved with their cows into the moun- tain pastures every summer like their Kirghiz neighbors. Camels were purchased to carry food, supplies, and mail periodically from the four villages to the “cowboys” in the mountains; they would then return loaded with milk and cheese.” New Hope at Aulie Ata 143 Help from Abroad But the poorer members of the community, with their life savings spent long ago and no cow to depend on, had to rely on friends who had extra food or on relatives in America. Janzen and Peter Pauls, a settlement social worker, were responsible for seeing that the gifts from neighbors and America were equitably distributed. Older people and families with children were given preference, but if any family received a designated gift from relatives, they saw to it that the proper family received the money. For example, on July 16, 1883, Janzen received $310.00 from American brethren. Soon the whole community knew about the money donation, and one after another of the needy came to the Pauls’ home for aid. He carefully instructed them to be frugal with the money, because he did not know when any more would arrive. By noon the money was gone, and the late arrivers left with empty hands and “‘empty hearts.’ The following day, Janzen and Pauls were stopped repeatedly on the street and asked when more funds were coming. They found that many of the very poor were at the end of their resources, but Janzen could only counsel them to continue to look upward to God and eat the mixture of flour, water, and salt they were grow- ing accustomed to. One man informed Janzen that he could not con- tinue much longer because his children were waking up at night and screaming that they were hungry.” With pleas such as this ringing in his ears, Janzen explained to American friends the dark future of his colony. Some, he said, could expect a small harvest of hay, oats (sufficient for a short time), and a meager crop of wheat and barley. But others had plowed too deeply in the extremely heavy soil, and their seed did not sprout.” Other leaders were equally concerned about their plight. In a letter from Koppental to the Trakt, Jacob Funk mirrored Janzen’s anx- iety. After recounting the dismal prospects for the crop and th