A Sacred Family Story

My 10th great grandmother was Penelope Van Princis. As a young girl in the 1600's she left Europe with her new husband and a group of people heading for Gravesend Long Island, which was called The New Amsterdam and now called Brooklyn New York. They were joining a small group who had already settled in the area, peacefully. The ship (Kath) they were on had been on the ocean for several months sailing when it steered off course. The ship ran aground in a natural undeveloped wilderness area which is now known as the Atlantic Highlands New Jersey. The Native American people  who settled the area over 10,000 years prior called this Turtle Island. The ship was wrecked and Penelope and her husband were unable to settle on Turtle Island for they were considered invaders. Little did they know there had been much unrest in the area due to the fur trade and the Kieft war. There was an attack with great violence and husband did not survive. She was severely cut and mangled, crawled into the hollow of a tree. Penelope was wounded, abandoned and all alone in a new world unbeknownst to her. She had to find strength In order to feel safe and survive the trauma she had experienced. She learned to go within and tap into her inner resources through faith hope and prayer.