10 August 1933

Die Welt-Post, Thursday, 10 August 1933

Page 2, "From Russia"

Walla Walla, Washington--Mr. J. D. Frank received an interesting letter from his former schoolteacher, who for the last 26 years, worked in Kautz. Mr. Frank sends his greetings to all his friends as well as all village comrades and Welt-Post readers.

Dönhof, 19 May 1933

Dear friend and brother David Frank and family: 
     May the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the Communion of the Holy Spirit be with you and with us all, Amen. 
     Dear brother I received your letter from the 21st of February of this year with great joy and from it I can see how things stand and how they are going with you. Yet much, much greater became our joy when we heard that you had sent 10 dollars for us from Joh. Adam Schreiner and 2 other brethren. Say to the brethren they can't imagine and we cannot describe how great our joy was over it. 
     We also received the credit voucher for $10 and for it got food, meal and a little sugar at the Torgin in Saratov. The dollar was exchanged by me at the rate of 1 ruble 65 kopeks and I hear that today its only 1 ruble 59 kopeks. Without this assistance we could not have been able to go on much longer. 
     From Laurel, Montana I received 5 dollars from Philipp Frank (little Philipp Frank, Georg Peter's son) at the bank. I also sent him an answer yesterday and asked for further assistance. 
     Things went like this: When I got the vouchers I couldn't buy the products because the thaw had made the roads impassable and for a while the vouchers were not being accepted by the Torgin. Because there was nothing to live on I borrowed food in order to continue living. One can borrow from previous foreign aid already received by us, and thus it went until the beginning of May; then I got my products. The cost was very high and I had to pay out over half of it, however, I must send to all of you my deeply heartfelt and warmest thanks--and to God--for without the assistance for me, we would have died of starvation. How things will turn out in the future, God only knows. 
     I must tell you that I do not have the $5 from Laurel yet in my hands, it probably has been lost here. The supplies we have on hand, with careful saving, will probably last 14 days but the new harvest is sill so far away. On this account dear brother, I ask you to take further steps and nudge the brothers and sisters from Kautz and collect a little something for me. If each of them gives only a little, it will help considerably and with it I could yet endure until the new harvest, if God wishes. You could ask cousin Johann Adam Schneider's other sons and daughters, and your brothers, etc. If you could tell them of the situation I am in they would certainly help. 
     Give my heartfelt thanks to Joh. Adam Schreiner, my former neighbor, about whom I have heard only good reports, also thank the 2 unknown sisters in faith, may the Lord richly reward them on earth and in heaven. They have in the truest sense of the words, fed the hungry, and the reward at the end of time will not be forgotten for our Lord said: What you have done for these the least of my brethren, etc. 
     I carry you and the donors of the gifts in my grateful heart each day that I live. The same is true of you, dear brother, who has worked so hard for me. Also do these further steps for God's sake, it will not go unrewarded. I would not trouble you with such requests if I had any other recourse but the great emergency has driven me to do it. 
     If you can and wish to render further help to me then send the instructions to the Torgin which is open in Balzer and is only 15 versts distance from us. 
     I further relate to you that our Konstantin, 16-years-old, after a kidney ailment which lasted four months, has passed out of this time and into eternity. In the flesh we are very disturbed over his leaving but in spirit we rejoice that the Lord has released him from his pain and suffering and taken him from this misery and vale of tears, as we certainly hope, unto Himself in His Kingdom Eternal. For him it can now be said: He will no longer hunger or thirst, etc. 
     Here presently many people are dying. Up to 102 by count in one week. From January 1st up to now, already 800 people have died. 
     In closing, be heartily greeted and kissed in spirit, with a warm handshake first for you, for your wife and children, then the donors of the gifts which provided relief for us. Then your old mother, to her the Lord's promise may prove to be true: I will care for you until you become old and gray, etc. Then you brothers and cousin Joh. Adam's other sons and their families and his daughters Anna Elisabeth and Katherine and all Kautzers and all other brothers and sisters in the Lord. 
     Be right heartily greeted from all of my family, even the smallest who was very much pleased about the help. 
     The Lord be with you and bless you all. 
     Written in haste. 
               With greetings and heartfelt thanks and "God Repays."  
                       J. Rusch and Family