Preservings $20 Issue No. 26, 2006 - Home at Plett Foundation

three automobiles. By night time we had gone
as far as Conatlan, where we spent the night.
The next morning we travelled north, coming
to a big valley with lots of plain level land. We
drove alongside a lake, and the further north we
travelled, the better the land was. Now and then
we saw a river, some with good water. Close
to the lake, there was lots of grass and the soil
was lighter. Overall there was good grass, big
gardens with fruit trees, lots of horses, cattle,
mules, donkeys, sheep and goats. We were
always heartily welcomed while we viewed
the land. We thought this was good enough
for us, and Mr. Bronof wanted to buy it for
us. Actually, Mr. Bronof thought of asking
the ranchers, whether thy would like to sell.
However, we decided not to buy just yet, and
wanted to look at more land first. We thought
of our congregation at home and wondered
what they would say about our visit with the
President and about the rules regarding the
freedom in our schools. When we travelled
back, we saw more good land, just as suitable
as what we had seen yesterday.
March 4, 1921. We awoke in good health,
having stayed overnight in Conatlan and saw
ranches and good land, mentioned earlier,
southeast of town. We saw a big field of winter
wheat, just as good as the best wheat back
home. We also saw gardens with many kinds
of fruit, except bananas. One of the ranches
we saw had 75,000 acres, and 73,690 was with
good irrigation.
From here we travelled to another ranch.
They also had good land which lay on the
west side of the railroad. We went back again
to Durango, arriving at 5:00 p.m. We had left
our luggage with the hotel owner and all was
in good order. We had a restful night and once
again the next day we all went to see more land.
The first land we looked at was at Poonos. From
there we walked two miles to a ranch, and from
there we rode on a wagon and two horses. Our
driver only had small mules, who could only go
three-quarters of a mile on a very sandy road.
It seemed impossible to continue. We agreed
to go back. Back at the ranch, we had dinner
and then went back to town.
At the ranch we saw very good soil, trees,
grass and a big fruit garden. This ranch has
approximately 65,000 acres, and the owner
told us the ranch had started in 1731, and had
many people living on it. Out on the field we
saw many teams of horses and mules plowing
with a share plow. I went over to one team and
asked the man whether I could try my hand at
plowing. He stepped aside, and I tried my best
to hold the plow, but I couldn’t plow the way the
Mexican could. The wells were ten feet deep
and all the land was under irrigation. We arrived
back in the city but had to wait for the train.
We sat down in the post office, which was
only a little mud brick house, with no window.
The only light that came in, came through the
door. It was warm in this house. I told myself
if I ever moved to Mexico, I would live in a
wooden house, because I did not like the smell
of the one we were in.
Arriving back in Durango, we went back to
where we had stayed earlier. In the evening, we
went to the city governor and told him that we
had seen good land in the province of Durango.
We told him how we had talked to the Mexican
President about our freedom of living, schools,
Waisanamt, etc., and that these freedoms had
been granted to us. He explained that these
freedoms would also be upheld here, but the
Waisanamt (orphan organization) they would
leave up to us, except they requested the names
of the leaders, just in case someone else showed
up and claimed to be a leader. We thanked
them again wholeheartedly for welcoming us,
and Mr. Julius Loewen again extended our appreciation.
The governor would have liked to
talk to us some more, but he had no more time.
He also mentioned that he was sorry that we
were seeing the remains of a rebellion in the
country. Train cars had been burned, and here
and there were huge piles of debris. Before
we left Durango, we received our papers of
freedom, sent by Mr. Bronof. One set of papers
for each: for Manitoba, Swift Current, and our
congregation at home.
On March 6 at 9:00 o’clock in the morning,
we left the city of Durango in good health.
Uncle John Wiebe accompanied us to El Paso.
We arrived in Torreon at 7:30 in the evening
three and a half hours late due to delays. We had
to wait in that city until two o’clock at night,
before we could board the train that came from
Mexico City.
Travelling very slowly, with many delays,
we finally arrived at noon in El Paso on March
8, after 24 hours. We let someone take us to the
border, but were unable to cross because our
passports had not been stamped by the American
Consul in that city. We had to wait quite
a while before he came to his office. When he
finally arrived it took him quite some time to
decide what he wanted to do. But there was
another, in a similar position, who seemed to
come to our aid. The problem seemed to be the
state, or that particular part, did not want to let
Mennonites in. But we only wanted to travel
through. He asked if we had travel cards. Yes,
we said, and showed them to him. Then it was
different. He charged $10.00 from each of us,
completed our papers and let us go.
So we came to the border and could cross
shortly. They examined our baggage thoroughly
and took some out. I had bought two canes of
sugarcane to take home, but they would not let
me do so. These were minor hindrances and we
could cross the border safely. We left El Paso at
10 minutes to 9 o’clock in the evening.
Some letters from home reached us in El
Paso, and were eagerly read with longing and
yearning. There was one letter, though, we
were sorry to receive and gave us no joy. We
had to see that once again the enemy in our
congregation was not at rest, and some time
later took the opportunity to, unforgettably,
make a tear in our members.
Yes, we were now sitting in a different train
than in Mexico. Even though they had given us
good transportation overall, and we had gotten
used to the Mexican ways among the people;
it is, nevertheless, completely different over
the borders in the States. Man feels as though
in Canada.
We travelled even farther north on the Rock
Island Railway. At Santeroca there was some
snow, but the trees were green. The trees are
called evergreen. By noon the snow was gone,
and the winter wheat was a nice green. It looked
like the land was light soil. By evening, we
were in Kansas.
All of a sudden, a father with his daughter
came into our car; a Mr. Heinrich Reimer.
They were on their way to see a doctor, for
the daughter, in another city. They were of the
Kleine Gemeinde, as they were called. This
meeting was so sudden - a meeting of such old
fashioned Mennonites. Also, their speech was
very much like ours. They were very sorry they
had not known when we would be returning,
or they would have invited us to stop over in
Meade. They were very interested to know
how we had made out in Mexico and with what
results. The loving God knows how to preserve
His own; even in the United States.
On the 10 th at 7:15, we arrived in the big
world city of Kansas City. It rained all the way
from Kansas City to St. Paul; much water and
green fields.
In Des Moines, also a large city, we had to
wait several hours. We ate supper. On the 11 th
we all got up, healthy and arrived at 7:00 in
the morning, with an overcast sky. The river
was not yet frozen.
With the street rail “Street Car”, we drove
to Minneapolis. It took about 30 minutes.
These two great cities are side by side with
no space in between. Then we ate our noon
meal. In the evening only three of us travelled
on; Mr. David Rempel, Benjamin Goertzen,
and myself. The others left from St. Paul to
Gretna, Manitoba.
In Emerson it was quite cold. With God’s
help, we arrived in Winnipeg at 8:30 in the
morning. It was quite cold.
Mr. David Rempel left at 3:45 in the afternoon
for his home; and we had to wait until 10
o’clock in the evening. The next day, the 13 th
of March, at 2:45 in the afternoon, we arrived
in Saskatoon. From there we went, by train, to
Warman. It was Sunday and Mr. Isbrandt Friesen
met me at the station and took me home.
At home, they were all healthy. The Lord be
thanked many times.
And so, we had made this important and
significant journey. Even though we sometimes
had to wait for long periods of time, we really
had nothing to complain about; always being
in quite good health, “except at the beginning,
the likeable director”, and good news from
home always arrived. Our loving families
were in good health and this always gave me
new strength and courage so that we were not
so unduly weary. Great homesickness we all
had to endure, especially in the evening when
we were so alone and thought over our day.
We were so far from home, surrounded by a
strange people, that oftentimes watched us in
astonishment when we were working together,
but they did us no harm. It is something special
that we experienced.
44 - Preservings No. 26, 2006