Better times and a gradual improvement did return, as noted in a report to the Mennonite community in North America. Private farming and ownership continued until 1925. A new spirit among the settlers was evident, and buildings were in progress, and improvements and repairs were noticeable everywhere. By 1926, the Neumanns had begun to make an economic recovery, of sorts. Heinrich Neumann’s farming ambitions had grown, as had his family, and he had rebuilt his animal stock. In addition, he was engaged in a modest commercial enterprise, supplying his village and neighbouring villages with groceries and an assortment of dry goods. In 1926, the next-door village of Gruenfeld, started collective farming, however, Stalin’s radical collectivization only began in 1928, two years after the Neumann family had emigrated.

     When the invitation arrived in the spring of 1926, for interested people to apply to emigrate to Canada, Heinrich’s reply was “No, we will not go”.  The destination of choice had been Mexico, until somewhat later, when people were being told that Canada was a better choice. In 1926, Canadian Pacific Railway’s medical inspector, Dr. Drury, made hurried visits to Slavgorod, Omsk, and Orenburg, in addition to visits to Ukraine. Unknown to the Mennonite communities at that time, Dr. Drury’s stamp on the medical certificate meant life.

     Families interested in emigrating were to present themselves at the nearby village to have their photos taken. The Neumann children were sent to school instead, much to their disappointment, although it’s questionable if they appreciated the significance of this opportunity.   Then, as David Neumann puts it in his memoirs, the first of three miracles happened. “Suddenly, brother Jake came to school in full gallop on the old brown mare, telling us kids to come home quickly to go and have our pictures taken. Dad had changed his mind and was now ready to seek an opportunity to emigrate.”

     The second miracle referred to in his memoirs relates to the medical examination by Dr. Drury. The examinations took place at the nearby village of Alexandrovka; he examined prospective emigrants by village, and unknown to all applicants, once the quota of prospective emigrants was reached, he was to cut off all further examinations.

     Heinrich Neumann had requested an exception for his family—that they be examined immediately – due to his responsibilities at home in his store. It was a government-owned cooperative store, and Heinrich did not have permission to close it. His request was granted. As it turned out, before the village of Rosenwald’s turn came, Dr. Drury had reached his quota, and consequently, apart from the Neumann family, no Rosenwald family was to join that group of fortunate emigrants. Very few Asiatic Mennonites managed to leave the Soviet Union after this opportunity, and in fact, Heinrich was the only one of 11 siblings who managed to leave at this time (one sister later managed to make her way to Paraguay).

     The third miracle, at that same medical examination, occurred when little John, in his mother’s arms, kept grabbing for the doctor’s eye-glasses, thus distracting him from examining two-year old Maria very thoroughly. Had he done so, he would have discovered a very ill girl, and surely denied the Neumann family the opportunity to emigrate, at least at that time. Maria died before the Neumann family left for Canada.

     It wasn’t until after harvesting that year that the passports arrived; they had been waiting since seeding time in the spring. In the meantime, Heinrich Neumann had sold his farm and his livestock to Dietrich Friesen (who eventually found his way to Greendale, British Columbia), resulting in a lot of second-guessing about whether he had made the right decision. The passports arrived on October 15^th, after which, Heinrich joined a group of men who travelled to the station to build bunks inside of 16 train cars assigned to their group of 200 families totalling 450 emigrants.

     Their departure from Rosenwald was met with a negative response from some. Henry’s friend told him that it was “… more luck than brains in you being able to go”.  Even Heinrich’s own brother appeared to be jealous, if not resentful, according to David Neumann. It was a courageous thing to do, as it was for all emigrants, to leave family, friends, familiar surroundings and one’s country with a large family and with little or no money, for an unknown country where many adjustments would have to be made.