19 July 1923

Die Welt-Post, Thursday, 19 July 1923

Page 3, "Letters from Russia"

Norka
15 April 
To: George Lebsack Havelock, Nebraska

    "Nevertheless, God is a comfort to Israel, to those who are pure of heart." Peace and grace be with you dear son-in-law and dear daughter and your children, from me, your father and from your sister-in-law Annamargreta, widow of your brother Heinrich Aschenbrenner.

Dear George and Christina:
      We are wonderfully healthy, which we also wish for you because health is one of the most valuable and treasured  of God's gifts. We are anxious and uncertain because we have not received a letter from you for some time. In spite of all the trouble and emergency we are still faithful to Jesus. Very often we have had to proclaim as David, "If the Lord had not comforted us we would have perished in our misery," Ps. 119. But we learned that our dear Lord allows troubles to come upon us but always takes pit on those who follow His ways and commandments. "Let us fear therefore, lest any of us come short of the promise to enter unto His rest." Heb. 4.1.
       Now I inform you, dear children, that I safely received the food that you sent us in 1922 with great joy. Ach, we have much cause to thank you. So many gaps were filled by your aid and so much hunger was quieted that it is impossible to write it all down. We cannot repay you, but the dear Lord can and will repay you in time and eternity. Work industriously in His service and we will also. Whatever you further wish to do for us, do it all in the name of the Lord.

       And now a greeting to my brother Konrad Aschenbrenner in Lincoln.

My dear brother Konrad:
       I inform you that I, your eldest brother am alive but am very troubled in my old age. I have lost my strength and I can no longer work. It would be very loving of you if you could support us with a brotherly donation. But I leave that all up to you.

       To: Georg and Elizabeth Hoffmann in Hastings, Nebraska--"Those who trust in the Lord will not fall, but stand like Mount Zion," Ps. 125.--- Dearest children:
       We saw in your last letter to us that you were still well and we were pleased. We are also well for now. You are due a thousand thanks for not forgetting us. You also write that you sent us 2 Packets of clothes in January and also 5 Dollars. We have not yet received these gifts from you. We are hopeful of receiving them soon because, as yet, nothing that you have sent us has gone astray. If the dear Lord had not miraculously sent us bread from across the sea through you, then none of us would now be alive. For this we will thank Him and you until the end of our lives. Things are now a little better for us because we were able to harvest somewhat. With the clothes you sent we will also be able to cover our greatest need. Now you ask what remains to be addressed in the emergency --- there is much that we could list but we do not wish to burden you. However, if you still want to help, then send us bedclothes because everything here is torn and in rags.
       Later: After I wrote the above letter and it lay for some days before we sent it on, we received notification that we should pick up 2 orders in Beideck. But it brought us little joy because we are required to pay 1 billion, 200 million ruble in fees to redeem them, which for us is impossible. We hope yet to get them because we also received a notice about the $5.00, with which we think we can get them released. If you again send something, send it through the A.R.A., then we need not have to pay anything. (The A.R.A. has as good as brought their work to an end and nothing more can be sent through them---editor).
       In the hope that we hear from you again soon, we will come to a close and greet you a thousand times. Thus I remain in expectation of better things, your father who loves you,

                                                 Heinrich Aschenbrenner