Hallo List:     The following article is translated to the best of my ability.                                                             ------------------------   Page 3, Die Welt-Post, Thursday, March 20, 1924   Letters from Russia   Beideck, Volga Region, 13 February Worthy compatriots in America:   Because I am requested again and again by many people to write, I will do so. And thus I will be able to be heard in the Welt-Post.   Some days ago I was in Schilling with the Geier brothers. The first thing that they said to me was, "We have received a letter from our brother-in-law and sister Lust." David and Georg have separated and the parents are with the youngest son David. Otherwise everything in Schilling is still in order.   Our former Pastor, Pastor Guenther, has moved to Warenburg and we temporarily have no Pastor. Pastor Wacker from Norka serves us from time to time.   Since that time when Church and State were separated it has been led differently than it was earlier. Whoever wants to contribute to support the Pastor can do so, whoever does not want to do so, need not. Indeed, it must be ones own initiative to contribute for God's things. In each village there is a Church Council of 3 or 4 Church elders and depending on the size of the village there can be from 10 to 20 members on the Council and these must be in charge of everything. If they want to hold a prayer meeting with the congregation they must go before the authorities with a request and seek permission by indicating all the questions that are supposed to be discussed during the meeting.   If one gets written permission, then the paper must be signed, not only individually, but it must also carry official stamps and this costs money. The Church Council has the right to meet more often but only with the members concerned and everything must be done according to protocol. The Church and Village Councils are completely separate and the Village Council does not even provide a bell rope to the Church Council, it is not allowed to do so. The Church Council cannot impose punishment on anyone nor can it give anyone orders. Now it is the case that many leave empty and do nothing for the Church.   Now I want to bring up something with our former village comrades. Since the war caused so much damage and God's Acre (the churchyard) was devastated by the military, we have sought assistance for repairs from the authorities but were refused. Since then I have been troubled by thoughts of how to attack the problem of getting a fence for the cemetery. I discussed the thing with Mr. Jacob Volz and he promised me he would put the affair before the hearts of the Beideckers in America. Then I also turned by mail to a friend, Lukas Dreith, in  Lincoln, Nebraska, and received the promise that they were willing to help to better conditions around the place where our ancestors rest, so that livestock do not have free run over the graves, breaking off the crosses that are still there. This concerns both the old and new churchyards. We might be able to repair the old one ourselves, or at least partly.   Now sadly, I must complain that already letters have arrived from America which assume that I want the money for my own personal use. Though I have not as yet written one word saying that you should send your money to me, on the contrary, I have many times named men from whom you could select the one in which you have the most confidence in and send the money to him. And should it come to me again that I am making a personal request for assistance and not protecting the safety of the Churchyard, then I refer you to this text. And to those of you who are not disposed to trust me, why do you not write to me:?   Johann Dietz in Denver, for his information, his father and father-in-law have still not received a letter from him; and yet I have information from Mr. Dreith that the letters that were set aside for you were sent off to you long ago.   Balthasar Ostermiller in Newark, New Jersey, for his information. I received his letter and also written him. Your mother-in-law is still in good health.   We have a lot of snow, a good sign for a good harvest in the summer. God has surely given this to us because we have it in all the necessary nooks and crannies.   Brother Volz, you are again at home and we are still here and also will not come to America.   Greetings to everyone, and also to Mr. Lorenz from the Welt-Post, from me,                                                    Konrad Wuertz, house 447                                                               ----------------------------   Hugh Lichtenwald, from the farm in Monetta, Sc VC, Wiesenmueller