From earliest consciousness loving care has kept me. Of course ones mother has the most to do with a child's early comfort. To have a mother whose faith in Christ the Lord Jesus shines forth in words and deeds ccontinuously, is ungainsaying proof of the reality of the power of Jesus the Christ in our lives. Amen or realey: early my mother took me to church and I soon began to understand some of the things the minister was saying. My father at the time was a hail good fellow. In those times working men would get together, mostly in saloons where the treat system was the fashion. When everyone had treated, sometimes there would be another round of treats. So they would become hilarious fellows with of course quarreling and fighting. And so maybe home, where sometimes they would take the grouch out on the wife and children. When sobered up, remorse would set in and the wife would have a chance to remind him that he spent the food, clothing and housing money for treats with his cronies. So it went round after round on payday. At that time, I had a look at Christianity at work. Prayer was mother's chief asset. Her prayer was for the conversion of father for many years. At last it came, it was a miracle; a complete turn about. It was to give up old habits, and string drink. It was unbelievable. I was afraid it couldn't last, but it did. There after, he was a strong worker in the church. Our fortunes began to improve too. I was about 10 or 11 years of age. This I saw about Christianity. Father would now go to church regularly too. I remember the impressive sermons of the minister as i looked at Christianly; especially at the commemoration of the Lord as requested at the last supper with his deciples. How the people did partake of the tokens of communication with him; while the minister would talk about jesus being the crist who should come: about his nature and work: proving from the scripture, old and new, that this is the Christ. It used to make Christ very near, even to a non-participant as I was then. Of course it was very taxing on the minister to preach three sermons every Sunday. It was afterwards changed to prayer meetings Sunday evening. Being at that time 4-5-6-10-11-12 years old making confession at that time would have been premature. Even confession at 12 or 13 years of age would cause some to look with distrust at such a presumptuous idea. At that time my father took me to some meeting in the local methodist church, where a group of workers called Crusaders were having nightly meetings. Some of the workers, my father also urged me to make my stand for Christ and give myself to Him. But by that time, I had begun to think that i was not good enough yet, but they finally convinced me to do it then and there. That was something to be happy about, making a decision. My heart was much lighter. Soon after i made confession in the Reformed Church.
I have been looking at Christianity since that time period. The way to see it, is to see how it works. I have observed that those people who have the best training in the scriptures as taught in the bible are also most reliable in their business transactions, and less so as they depart farther from it. We have observed the aggressor defeated in World War No. 1 and again in No. 2 and we are glad that decency had not entirely departed from the earth. We observe that Christianity has been like a heaven in the heathen countries, so that some of their eval practices have been discontinued. Hospitals have been established, people have been educated in sanitation; so no they can say we don't need you now, for we can go on our own. We still pray Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. How it will come we do not see now; but the lord is wanting us to pray for it, implicated that it would be granted. Then the people will break forth into singing. When there is peace in the land.
p.s. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce Masen and family:
Dear folks: So we are expecting you here about Thanksgiving Day: Everything is getting to be quite ready here. We will be waiting to see you. I have put in writing what i have seen of Christianity and what it means to me; so you may have a record of it. Now I will remain, Yours Ever Truly,
John Herlein and family