Original Document

I wish to tell something in praise of my true Savior and good helper of what He has done for me, His poor and wretched one through the course of my life.

I was born on January 19, 1722 in Wittenberg in a small district town Vaihingen on the Entz.... I was carefully raised by my dear parents and strictly made to attend school and church and to read the Bible. In my childhood years I felt a love to my Creator and Savior. In my thirteenth year I was catechized and when questions came up about the Savior and His death and passion so it made an impression on me and I thought to give myself up to Him and to live as His property only, and this I promised him at the confirmation before the first communion but also with trembling, and I looked forward to the enjoyment of Holy Communion, at which I had a blessed feeling and I felt good inside....

When I was in my twenty-second year there arose an awakening in my town among and my eldest brother was one of those involved... my brother came to our house....He showed me the way to the Savior and that I as a sinner would seek grace and forgiveness of my sins from Him and would also find it, and also that already in this life my salvation in Him could be guaranteed. I was happy to hear that and turned to the dear Savior as a sinner. He gave me trust in him and I went to the meetings of the awakened people. It was a blessing to me. I was concerned about getting a reconciled heart and becoming acquainted with the Savior. He soon made Himself known to me in grace... I felt good inside. This bond of grace and peace which He has made with my soul then remains unremoved forever, but how deeply ashamed I feel when I think how often He has been hurt on my account...

On February 13, 1746 my father left this life blessedly as a sinner full of grace - it was given to him on his sickbed. Then, that same spring at Easter I went to visit Herrnhaag. I liked it. I also felt the demand in my heart that I should stay here and give myself up to Him completely... In 1747 I went again, took bedding and clothes and thought to stay in Herrnhaag. But when I got there I did not receive permission. That pained me...

After a year... I went to Georg Schlosser in Pfortzheim in the Durlach... to help with the household (he had two children to care for.) He had a mind to come to the Congregation... I wrote to the Sister's Laboress. She wrote to me and said that because I was already with this man, I could go with him to Pennsylvania...

In 1751 we arrived in Holland just at the time when the Congregation was ready to sail and was waiting only for a number of brothers and sisters...Towards the end of September we arrived in New York. There I received permission from Br. Nathaniel (Seidel) to go with Br. and Sr. Graff and Br. and Sr. Busse to Bethlehem. We arrived there safely on October 6 and I received permission from the dear Savior to live there. On November 3 I moved into the choir house of the Single Sisters with a feeling of shame and was happy to have found a little place, for after so much fluttering around my foot could now rest. On July 11, 1752 I was received into the Congregation. I felt touched anew by the dear Savior in my heart and was especially content and happy for some time....

My worldly business was whatever turned up in the Economy and latterly I was a cook for the sisters for two years in the Sisters' House. In 1758 it was put to me that I should change my state and I gave myself up to the will of the dear Savior and on July 29 I was joined in holy matrimony to the single brother Peter Worbass...

In December we came to live in Gnadenthal where the dear Savior gave me a little son with the name of Joseph. In 1760 we returned to Bethlehem to the newly built inn, to start the business. From there we came to the inn across the Lecha. We were there for only four months then in 1762 we came to live in the Bethlehem mill. There the dear Savior gave me my second son, named Werther...

In 1769 we came to the Jerseys, now named Hope to be in charge of the business. It was a little hard for me there in the business, which I was not used to, but the dear Savior made everything bearable and easy for me through his frequent unexpected visitations of grace and His dear nearness. In 1771 we were called away from there and were told to move up to Nazareth and to live for ourselves up there. I became downcast, cried and held myself to the Savior in shame. He let me know that it was His will and I was comforted by Him. He accompanied me here to Nazareth on July 27, 1771 with His dear nearness...

Credit: Moravian Archives, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania