Through It All

Chapter 1

Mann Family, Bavaria (Germany)- 1675

Explosive giggling from outdoors broke the silence in Frau Ada Mamann's day. She headed for the door to observe her children's antics. Emma, Lana, and "Little Man" Albert were playing Tag. Emma and Lana plunged themselves full speed ahead as Albert scurried after his sisters. Lana squealed delightedly as Albert lunged too late to grasp hold on one of her curls. She reached base at the enormous oak tree. Although the oak tree had been much smaller when it served as base years ago, Frau Mann chuckled in remembrance of the same delight in fleeing from her brothers.

Ada's two brothers had died from a terrible plague many years ago. Then after sharing the same home for seven short years, Ada's parents had left for paradise with the Lord a few years back. In the meantime she was left with numerous blessings here on this plot of land just south of Herrenberg, Germany.

The Mann's home was a barnhouse, modest and typical for the time period. The center of the main room held the elongated, hefty, wooden table with benches. Gathered around the stone hearth were several simple chairs and a rocking chair. To the right of the hearth resided Mama and Papa's bed and Adalee's mat with a chest of linens in the corner. To the left of the hearth was the ladder that led to the children's sleeping quarters in the loft. A sheet hung in the center, separating the boys' and girls' areas. Each side lay a large sheet, covering bales of straw with folded quilts at the bottom. Next to each sleeping area hung hooks on the wall for their few extra garments. (On the other side of the 10 foot wall was the hay loft with the farm animals below in the other half of the barnhouse. The animals remained inside this area all winter, but otherwise were let out during the day. The entrance to the living quarters was through the barn.) Upon leaving the sleeping quarters, the opposite side of the room from the hearth was the window and a narrow food prep table with shelves on either side of the window for dishes.

Gazing out the door further south, Ada was often mesmerized by the stunning beauty of green rolling hills, with patches of their community of believers' fields side by side, and dotted with the whites, yellows and occasional blues of wildflowers. To the southwest, off in the horizon, one might catch a glimpse of the Black Forest. Several largely wooded plots approached and adjoined their Anabaptist (so called by outsiders) community, secluding it somewhat from nearby villages. A cool breeze reminded her that the harvest was fast approaching, which could very well mean great joy in the Lord's bounty.

The shout of her oldest son -14 year old Ernest- in racing 10 year old Emma to the barn, brought her back to the present. Her husband, Herr Heinrich Mann, beamed her direction, whistling on his way to the barn. Herr Heinrich's and Ernest's return from the wheat and barley fields meant that it was time for her to begin supper.

As she headed for the garden in search of vegetables, Ada wondered what the future held. She was most concerned about her son, Ernest. There were many boys around his age that were choosing the ways of the world. (There were the temptations of laziness at any possible opportunity, to secretly indulge in liquor, or even to simply avoid any spiritual commitments.) Knowing she could only trust the Lord and pray for his salvation, she breathed a prayer as was often her habit. "Dear Lord, I know your promise in the book of John, chapter 16 says,'Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you . . . ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.' I pray for my children, but especially my oldest son, Ernest. Lord, you know Ernest more than I ever will.

Psalm 139 says:

'O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. . . thou understandest my thought afar off. . . and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.'