JOURNEYS Mennonite Stories of Faith and Survival in Stalins Russia, John B. Toews, 1998

st winter, some twenty or more cows died because they could not endure the climate. It was a great loss, but since my dear parents were born again children of God, they continued to trust in the Lord .... During my life, I had to dispense with many of my hearts desires. This was to make me sad in later years. I had the ability and interest to learn. Often a day away from school brought bit¬ ter tears. Unfortunately my parents were able to persuade teach¬ ers to come to our remote settlement for only two years. After that they could find no one. Two of my brothers were sent to Leninpol to attend school. A second school opened where Rus¬ sian was taught and I was able to attend for several months. My hope was to become a kindergarten teacher or a nurse, so I needed to learn Russian. I loved studying and everything seemed so easy. Things changed, however, when my father came to visit. Rela¬ tives of ours had succeeded in persuading him to grant permission for me to live in their home and care for their children. My father relented when the head of the household promised that he would tutor me so that I would not fall behind the other students in school. He regretted the decision later when his relative reneged on the promise. Tearfully I submitted to my fathers decision and two months before my fourteenth birthday, I left school to begin working. I cannot describe in words how difficult it was for me to leave school. Only twice did I receive the promised tutoring. As both parents were doctors, I was frequently alone looking after the children. My duties included baking bread, doing the wash, milking the cows, cooking the meals and keeping the house clean. I often cried .... At the age of sixteen, I became ill with malaria for a period of seven months. During this time I lost the ability to walk and had to be supported like a little child. I was taken to Leninpol for a change in climate. This proved to be God’s guidance. A mission¬ ary couple, Rudolf and Pauline Wohl, offered to look after me REMINISCENCES 25 during my illness yet my heart rebelled against this situation. Since they were missionaries I was afraid they might ask me if I was a Christian and then try to convert me. I nevertheless gave in to the inevitable because I was not in the habit of disobeying my parents’ wishes. One evening as I had feared, Mrs. Wohl came in and sitting down next to me, lovingly asked me about my relationship to Jesus. I could no longer resist and repented. I exposed my entire life before God and this dear lady. As we knelt in prayer I asked God for His forgiveness. The peace of God flowed into my heart. How thankful I was for this period of recuperation. I wanted to do some kind of work for the Lord, but I re¬ mained with the Wohls for the next three years until they returned to Germany. I then moved in with my parents who were now living in Leninpol. They had been driven out of Kazakhstan by the Cossacks.