Uncommon Providence

Rich in the social upheaval of the communist revolution in Eastern Europe, Uncommon Providence is a first hand, journaled account of a young minister and his wife who dare to continue serving their community. Removed from their home in Southern Ukraine, the young minister is exiled to work in forced labor. His wife follows to live nearer him. After a year in hard labor, a harrowing escape from Stalin's grip initiates an odyssey of survival under extreme circumstances. Taken from the handwritten and just recently translated journal of Jacob Duck, Uncommon Providence chronicles the incredible journey of a young couple's escape in 1931 from Soviet Russia. With little more than an unwavering faith in God's providence, Jacob, his wife Anna, and daughter make a dangerous border crossing into China. Walking hundreds of miles through the harshest and remotest of terrain, their trek across desert and mountain ranges, including the formidable Himalaya Mountains, finally ushers freedom for them in India. Uncommon Providence is a story of unquestioning love and devotion to faith and family. Despite all the odds...despite all the obstacles before them, social, political, and geographical, wondrously Jacob and Anna find a purposeful life of ministry in India. Uncommon Providence is a vivid narration from Jacob's handwritten journals, letters, and audiotapes of an epic journey. The bold escape is a powerful, true account matched with unusual courage and providential care. Born of missionary parents, Harold Dueck spent his childhood years in India. After graduating from Kodaikanal High School, he attended Tabor College in Kansas. Following graduation he and his new bride taught at an international school in Cali, Colombia. After completing graduate studies at Oregon State University, his young family settled in Los Gatos, California. Harold Dueck taught mathematics and computer science over a period of forty years. He and his wife presently reside in Auburn, California.