Into the Past...

On a trip to the Eastern part of our state, we meet a couple at a local church who'd lived in Paraguay for ten years. Upon noting where they lived, we realized how close they resided on the lake. Sunday evening, some of my family members visited, traveling by boat to their lakeshore home. As the conversation flowed the sunset proceeded steadily setting a limit to the interaction; thus, the delightful couple invited us to return on Tuesday evening.

Hence, tuesday evening, our family loaded into the boat and sailed across the lake mooring at their floating deck. This is their story:


Both were young children living in Communist Russia before WWII. She recalls the brainwashing recieved at school concerning the Communist regime. They could not think for themselves she said, "they thought for us." "It was terrible," she commented, noting the number of Russians who fled the country before the government sealed the borders. "our forefathers" were taken to Siberia, and forced into harsh labor, while the women folk stayed at home with their children working hard as well. Since they both lived in a German colony within Russia the Germans "saved" them during the war: "We say the Lord saved us, but He used the Germans to save us," Mrs.---- added. Due to their German heritage, the invading force took them back into Poland and then Germany where they lived until 1945 when "Germany was defeated."

In 1948, these German families were offered a new life in Paraguay. Apparently a Mennonite church in Canada arranged the voyage and paid the fare. The debt would be repaid once the refugees made a living in their new home. Thus the families traveled on three different boats, each getting smaller until the last was a barge. The barge carried the travelers to a certain spot and from there horses bore them to their new home. These German Mennonites were to create a living out of the bush, yes the jungle of Paraguay. Here the local Indians remained in their tribes living as the famous "Auca" Indians from the Jim Elliot story. The couple met on the ship carrying them across the Atlantic and were married shortly after arriving. "It was nice" she smiled, because all believed the same faith and were of the same culture. Thus their families built a farm from the bush, and when the couple were married, they founded their own. For ten years the couple lived in Paraguay within the German Mennonite community. Apparently the Mennonites had worked greatly amongst these people bringing the Gospel and it's ensuing reforms. Mr.----- learned some Spanish and could communicate with the Natives; however, the locals mixed the German and Spanish languages.
After ten years, the couple with their family managed to migrate to Canada. Their family raised money along with their neighbors to sponsor the immigration. Upon arriving in Canada they established themselves and their family of six.

The couple speak both Russian and German in addition to English. They are a lovely Christian couple with an incredible story to tell.