Grace and Mercy Brought Us Through is loosely based on the life of my great-grandfather Rev. Aaron Davis. Rev. Davis was born into slavery and grew up during the Civil War. He received freedom with the Emancipation Proclamation and became a circuit riding minister with the Methodist Church in Mississippi. His life as a preacher is well documented , but little was known about his personal life. My Mother wrote a short story about her grandfather and she stated that his Mother was named Tena and his Father was named Indian Charlie. From this information I filled in the blanks and found a fascinating story that took me from Senegal West Africa, through the Middle Passage, through plantation life in Mississippi, through the life of Native Americans in Mississippi and the Black Seminoles in Florida and on to the life of a Black circuit riding preacher. With every word I wrote I realized that God's Grace and Mercy really did bring us through and made us strong people.