i!
Of course my father heard- of this and he told. me, if I ahrays
wanted. to follow my oryn head., things could. go hard. for me.
To pu11 ne out of lt all, uy father, after bhree years of
Real- School, ord.ered. that I go tc Ratenor,r for more ed.ucationr.
I{y father was born at Ra.tenoiv and. still 
had- a married. sister
living there. This suited. me very vie1l as I thought to be free
from u5, fatherss l-ectu::es, also to see clif ferent places and.
d-if f erent v;ays.
f l.ras d-ischarged. from Eeal School v,'ith a rrritten Certificate
of First CIass Ilonours.
f then went on my trip to B.atenolir, lvhere I a.rrived. on my
fourth day, r'ras lteartily vielcomed" by me dear Uncle and still
more d.ea.rer Auntie, and- r.ras askecl to malie ny home with then.
llhen more settlcd I vr:s befriended. by e.family nearby l.rho
belonged to the Diaspora iioravia.ns.
In this fanily, vihom I often visited., and. t^ril,h r,vhom I later
on i,rent to live w ith, there lras a fascinating alr in bhe house,
plenty of d-oings viith little 
noise" Evcry clay started. with
Bible reading and- prayers. On a Sunday there r:as resting, with
Church in the morning. In the afternoon, the father r,roulcl give
entertaining lectures to all the fauily, of r^rhictr f vias allovred-
to partake. idow and- again r.ihen alor:e with tLre father, he would-
te}I ne of his experiences in his life, 
Ilor.r irappy a hurs.an being
is, if he recognizes the nearness of God. ancl his l,iatching over
lrs s even in the harclest of times (tre had. been in the l^rar at
Frankfurt).
He tol-d- me storie
vrho ir.ias a I{issionary i
lrithout rea1Lzlng God!
t:Such people were stil
f letters he received. from his brother,
frica, and. of the r'ray people there lived-,
ove a.nd. he1p, but he l.ioulcl always ad.d-:
n the Christian llorld. of todaytr.
e house l^rtre not
t to my heart r so
terirards a
er frou Gnad.or*
n the house uiith
IJA
s1
1i
Lts. I,ihl1e he d-id. not counsel r,rith me, his ways and. sayings rvent
to my heart. Although I vras not converted- a.t this time, I can
say that from then otrr God-?s i'rill on Ey heart has ruorked. and.
helped- and. a school started- as I never had. thought of before
nyself.
Although these sayings of the father of th
to counsel or convert uittr me - his sayings tr,en
that my thinking of the future vras altered.. Af
Brother !rSchreiverrr by name and_ a Diaspora ilork
came on a visit, 
and. whl1e on his stay, lived i
As my siay at Ratenow rras nearing its end., I received. a
letter from rny father to stay until Spring t-8!6. After that I
lras of age for mllitary seririce, and tc apply in ny home town.
-5-
!l

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