Amazing+Grace

By: Kennedy B.
Big waves came along the deck of a boat full of slaves. The big waves were coming because of a storm from the coast of Newfoundland. As the boat was moving from side to side the waves flung everyone into the ocean. The captain shouted to everyone "Keep swimming." All of the slaves were trying to empty the boat and keep them from sinking with the boat. Lots of iron anklets and bracelets were clanging together on the lower deck because no African slaves were attached to them. The captain of the boat had already sold all the kids, men, and women by the time they got back to Jamaica. The captain had traded them all for goods like coffee beans for drinking, cotton for clothing and some sugar for flavor. The captain took the goods back to were he was from in England. A crew member, named John Newton, had been sailing since the age of eleven. The reason he had been sailing at such a young age was because he left home to sail with his father that traded goods with other people for a job. John was soaking wet because of the heavy storm that had came through the ocean. Him and other crew members were all having a hard time getting out of the ocean. All John could think about was his mother reading him the bible. Thinking back at his childhood he became calm and started to pray. After the broken ship stopped all of the crew members and John Newton stepped on land in Ireland were the ship would have docked. They were all thankful they made it onto land and were safe. John was sitting there and remembered his memories from the past. The time he was out having fun with friends and a few British Royal Navy officers took him away. They made him join the Navy and fight in the war against the French. He tried to escape so many times and got into a lot of trouble. A few days later his navy captain traded him and he was sent back on the slave boat as a sailor. While looking at the broken boat, he remembered the story on the slave boat. When he first stepped foot on the slave boat he saw that the people on the top of the boat were slaves getting ready to be sold in America. Below those slaves were some more that were crammed and sometimes did not make it through the whole journey. The good times was when John and the rest of the crew would teach the slaves how to do a dance called the jig. As he continued to sit on the log, he began thinking of how close he came to drowning. He believed praying saved his life and wanted to show his grace to everyone. The people wanted him to be the new captain to sail back and forth from Africa to America. He was proud that he could give the people in the bottom of the boat more space to travel. He would pray every Sunday morning before he helped his slaves start a new day. Over time, John Newton got tired of seeing the men, women, boy, and girls suffering every day trying to survive. He was so mad at himself because he felt like he did not do anything to help the slaves be safe. He decided to turn the boat around and sail back to Africa to free the slaves. After he returned from Africa, he headed back to England and began to fight for slaves to be freed. In 1764, John became a minister for a church called Church of England. He created a song about his journey that says bad stuff my happen to good people but your life can be turned around with prayer and grace. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now, I see. 'Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear, And Grace, my fears relieved; How precious did that Grace appear, The hour I first believed! Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; 'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead us home. When we've been here ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We've no less days to sing God's praise, Than when we've first begun.