What an Amazing, Blessed Week-end!

I have written two previous posts about our church's adventure in sponsoring a Cambodian family and giving them a chance at a new life. If you haven't read about it before, you can go
HERE and HERE.

This past week-end, the entire original family, plus the wife and baby of one of the twins, flew here to reconnect with us. We started this reconnection process about six months ago. To think that they were all willing and able to work their schedules and spend the time and money to make this trip has been unbelievable to us.

When the Yims arrived from Cambodia by way of Thailand and the Philippines, on April 28, 1982, the girls were 10, 9, and 2 and the twin boys were 6 months old. To see them all as adults, very accomplished adults, was such a joy. To spend such quality time with them and learn things about their past before they came here was eye-opening. DC put it well when he wrote me an e-mail message yesterday from work.

"I've been emotional all morning for some reason. I'm sure it has to do with the "big" week-end. It was tiring but very memorable. It is a mystery how one can become so attached to folks you haven't seen for years; but, having been with the Yim family all week-end, I almost feel like they are part of our own family."

Their plane was two hours late leaving LA, so they didn't get to their motel rooms until around 1:00 am. They slept in a bit and arrived at my house around 10:30 on Saturday morning.

I have to admit, I shed a few tears when they came up my front steps and each gave me a hug. It was a dream come true, as I always envisioned them driving up into my driveway.

Shannon, who was Chana (emphasis on the second syllable) when she was here, did all of the arrangements. She had rented two cars, since a van was so cost prohibitive. When they went to pick them up, the rental agent looked at them and decided they needed a van - and gave them a brand new one for the same cost as the two cars - a $300 savings. They were crowded, but that was nothing new for them!




We only had a few minutes to visit before all of us girls headed off to church for a Mother's Day luncheon - Unfortunately, I forgot my camera at home after I took a couple of pictures here.




They brought us all gifts, as if their presence wasn't gift enough! We had a great time opening the packages. My grandgirls fell in love with Tristan, who is just a bit younger than his dad and uncle were when they left us to move to California. He looks so much like the twins did when they were babies. I had made them each a packet with copies of all the pictures I had, plus copies of the letters I had received from Chhien as we worked through the process of getting them here.




After the luncheon, we talked awhile longer, then decided it was time to take a trip down memory lane. First we headed over to the apartment complex where they lived. I reminded them of how we thought giving them a four bedroom apartment to live in would be such a blessing. We didn't realize that it was probably overwhelming and intimidating to them to have so much room. They were used to living in very close quarters in Thailand and the Philippines in the refugee camps. I soon discovered that they had moved all of their mattresses into one bedroom and were happily camping out in there - feeling more secure, I'm sure.

We were chatting on the front grass of Building 550, Apt. 1, oblivious to the fact that the people living in the apartment were probably wondering what in the world was going on out in front of their place. I finally realized I should knock on the door and let them in on what we were up to, and ask if they minded!





We got Chhien a bicycle to enable him to get to work and back and I had to laugh when he walked over to the bike rack in front of the apartment and said, "Here's where I parked my bike."


There have been a lot of improvements in this complex in the years since we've been there - the girls posed with Shannon on one of the nice benches.



Chhien rode his bike 4-5 miles one way to the job he was able to get at the Rocky Mountain Pottery Factory. I had worked there when I was between college graduation and first year teaching to put a down payment on my first car. The factory is no longer in existence, and the building is now a very large antique store. I have such a strong memory of Chhien riding his bike in the rain, wearing a poncho (must have been a spring like we're having this year). Kevin remembers going out there to see him at work, and I think it was when I couldn't stand the thought of him riding home in the rain after a hard day of work, so would go out and pick him up, putting his bike in my trunk. His kids were pretty impressed when we drove out there and they realized how far he rode twice a day, and how up hill much of the road was.



We went in and enjoyed looking at the antiques. Shannon purchased a beautiful early 1900s necklace - wow, why didn't I take a picture of it?? They had one shelf full of the pottery that used to be made there. I spent the summer in the basement of this building, putting pine scent on the bottom of the pieces that look like wood grain that you can see in this picture. Chienn spent his hours pouring the clay into the molds, he reminded me.




Then we backtracked to the school where Chana and Sokoma spent their time. The memories were really starting to return to them as we went to these places.



We spent the evening eating at our favorite Chinese restaurant. We had such a wonderful time of fellowship. We ordered about 5 different entrees and spun the Lazy Susan around, trying each one. I stayed as close to "legal" as I possibly could!



Sunday morning, they were all up and at it and to church in time for coffee and donuts at 9:30. They all looked so beautiful and handsome. We had a great Mother's Day service, then we had lunch in our church's gym - not enough room at my house! I had put ribs and chicken breasts with bbq sauce in the oven in the church kitchen. I have to admit, they turned out perfectly - 325 degrees for 3 hours. My mom brought a good pasta salad, my sister brought chips, my SIL brought a fruit slush, and a friend brought 4 yummy pies. This time I had my camera, but didn't take the time to shoot any pics. Suffice it to say, it was another great time of fellowship.

I wish I had thought early enough to call the newspaper and ask them if they'd like to do a human interest story - I think it would have made a great one. But we took some pictures that I hope to use in some way to get the story told. I don't know if they'll let me write something up and turn it in to them, or if I can do an interview to go along with the pictures.

Chhien and Noral with some of the original committee members



The whole original family (plus Tristan) with the committee members

Then we headed up to Estes Park for the afternoon. It was a beautiful day (thank you, Lord!). As you may know, nice days have been at a premium this spring. We went up the "back way" to arrive at this panoramic view of Long's and Meeker Peaks.











We were all pretty sleepy and groggy by the time we got back down the hill, and we ended the day with dinner all together at Applebee's, again with more learning about each others' lives in the ensuing 27 years.

The most incredible thing to me was that we could come together like this after so many years and feel so comfortable. Their lives have been very busy in these years of growing up, going to elementary school, junior high, high school, all 5 to college, working, growing families. I believe it was providential that Shannon found that small photograph in a dictionary - what are the chances of that happening?? It had our last name on it, which Chhien had forgotten. They hadn't really spent much time thinking about the time here in Colorado until they uncovered this clue.

The two older girls had some memories - they remembered our kids' names and even the dog's name. But they didn't know any of the ins and outs of how they got here. And of course Sarah, Thomas, and Richard were too young to have any memories at all. Thomas' wife found my blog and read my original post about them. They were very moved by it. I am so glad I wrote it, never realizing that any of them would ever read it.

It was a time for them of putting a puzzle together that they didn't even know was missing some pieces. I found out things about their journey out of Cambodia and their family history that I didn't know. They are a wonderfully close and loving family. They've come through a lot, and do not take their blessings for granted.

I have used the words amazing and incredible so often in describing this past week-end. But those words are inadequate. We have been to California quite a few times in those years, not knowing where they were. We will definitely be getting together again, here and there. This is a story that is not over yet.

Yim Family Part II

Several months ago I did a post on the Cambodian family our church sponsored back in the 1980s . They had family members here in town already, being sponsored by my in-laws' church, and we were asked to bring the brother and his family. We agreed and our much smaller (at that time) church took on this challenge and privilege. I was the coordinator of the "project."

When we agreed to bring the Yim family, there were 3 daughters. By the time everything was arranged and they got out of the refugee camp in Thailand, they had added twin boys to the family. I could tell you many stories. I'll never forget the trip to the airport to get them, seeing them arrive with one huge box on Chhien's shoulder, serving them a dinner of food they'd never seen before and probably didn't like.










We moved them into a 4-bedroom apartment which we got through city housing. They were overwhelmed with the size and often we'd find that they'd moved their mattresses all into one bedroom - they were used to being together 24/7.









That was in April, and for 5 months we had a wonderful time getting acquainted and doing what needed to be done for them - and with them. But as fall came and winter loomed, they became very fearful of winter in Colorado. Noral, the mom, had a brother in California and Chhien's sisters had left Colorado and also gone to California, so they began to ask if they could leave, too. We took them to the bus station, sadly, but with 30+ boxes of belongings.

We heard from them a couple of times after they left. But it had been a long time since we'd heard anything. I tried everything to find them over the years. I had this dream that one day they'd drive into my driveway to visit.

Imagine my amazement when, 27 years later, I got a phone call from the secretary at church that there was a young woman from California with the last name of Yim who was trying to reach me. I knew immediately that this was the call I'd been wanting for years. I could not believe that they had found us instead of us finding them. Shannon told me that they had found a picture with our last name on the back. They remembered all of our first names, since we'd spent quite a bit of time with them, even remembering our dog's name. But they couldn't remember the last name until they found this picture hiding in a dictionary. She and her co-worker found us and the church on the internet. What a wonderful surprise!

I have talked to Shannon (who was Chauna when she was here) several times now and we're keeping in touch by Facebook. I've also connected with Sarah, who was the two year old when they came. The whole family went together and sent our family a wonderful, generous Christmas gift. And the best surprise ever - as many of them as possible are coming to visit us in March! I can hardly wait.

The children have all done very well in school and have careers and families, as I knew they would. Here is a picture of the two I've been in contact with. They are so beautiful.

Tuesday Topics

It has been quite a week. The girlies were with us from Wednesday night until I got them to school yesterday morning. The big girls were very glad to go home after school. We decided to keep the littles one more night, since I have them on Tuesdays normally. They were very good, but I am tired.

Sometimes the words just jump off my keyboard onto the page. Such is not the case today. I know what I want to talk about, but I'm having a hard time getting it said. I'll keep trying!

Friday was a sad day in our church - but also a joyous one. How is that possible? When you are in the same church for almost 40 years, and it is not a large church, you become very close to the people in that church family. When you lose someone to death, it is hard.

This is Phyllis - she came to our church just two months after my dad became the pastor of this church. When my mom and dad left our town several years later, they kept in touch with Phyllis' family. Phyllis became a widow in the 1980s. Five years ago my folks moved back here in their retirement and Mom and Phyllis were best of friends.

Phyllis had a hard life - farming with her husband, losing two infants, being a widow for a long time. But she was a very positive, joyful person. She was a prayer warrior and we will miss that part the most. I missed her white haired self sitting in the row right in front of my parents last Sunday.

I think it would be very neat if saints of God would be able to see their funeral and hear the wonderful things people say about them - wouldn't it be better if we said them while they're alive? One thing several people said - I am sure it will be said at my funeral - "she loved to talk!" And she did - she could out-talk me, believe it or not.

I was privileged to play the organ for her service. She had everything planned and her children honored all of her requests. I played joyful songs that I knew she would have loved to sing. We will definitely miss Phyllis, but I am picturing her enjoyment of her new home!

Several months ago I did a post on the Cambodian family our church sponsored back in the 1980s (click here if you'd like to read it). They had family members here in town already, being sponsored by my in-laws' church, and we were asked to bring the brother and his family. We agreed and our much smaller (at that time) church took on this challenge and privilege. I was the coordinator of the "project."

When we agreed to bring the Yim family, there were 3 daughters. By the time everything was arranged and they got out of the refugee camp in Thailand, they had added twin boys to the family. I could tell you many stories. I'll never forget the trip to the airport to get them, seeing them arrive with one huge box on Chhien's shoulder, serving them a dinner of food they'd never seen before and probably didn't like.










We moved them into a 4-bedroom apartment which we got through city housing. They were overwhelmed with the size and often we'd find that they'd moved their mattresses all into one bedroom - they were used to being together 24/7.









That was in April, and for 5 months we had a wonderful time getting acquainted and doing what needed to be done for them - and with them. But as fall came and winter loomed, they became very fearful of winter in Colorado. Noral, the mom, had a brother in California and Chhien's sisters had left Colorado and also gone to California, so they began to ask if they could leave, too. We took them to the bus station, sadly, but with 30+ boxes of belongings.

We heard from them a couple of times after they left. But it had been a long time since we'd heard anything. I tried everything to find them over the years. I had this dream that one day they'd drive into my driveway to visit.

Imagine my amazement when, 27 years later, I got a phone call from the secretary at church that there was a young woman from California with the last name of Yim who was trying to reach me. I knew immediately that this was the call I'd been wanting for years. I could not believe that they had found us instead of us finding them. Shannon told me that they had found a picture with our last name on the back. They remembered all of our first names, since we'd spent quite a bit of time with them, even remembering our dog's name. But they couldn't remember the last name until they found this picture hiding in a dictionary. She and her co-worker found us and the church on the internet. What a wonderful surprise!

I have talked to Shannon (who was Chauna when she was here) several times now and we're keeping in touch by Facebook. I've also connected with Sarah, who was the two year old when they came. The whole family went together and sent our family a wonderful, generous Christmas gift. And the best surprise ever - as many of them as possible are coming to visit us in March! I can hardly wait.

The children have all done very well in school and have careers and families, as I knew they would. Here is a picture of the two I've been in contact with. They are so beautiful.

Last, but not least - the weight loss journey. I weighed last Saturday morning and the result is below. But in Saturday's lesson, we learned that we are not to weigh for 4 more weeks. That will be hard, but also exciting. So - I'll let you know in a month how it went! Here's my favorite verse from the last week of this journey: Romans 5:3-5 - Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseveance; perseverance character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us (NIV).

By the way, if you missed the last very short post, please go below and read the news.

Freedom Isn't Free

It was the early 1980s. There were many Cambodian and Vietnamese citizens who desperately wanted to find a way to get to America, and to freedom. They were languishing in horrible conditions in refugee camps around the world. They were waiting and hoping and praying for someone to sponsor them for a new chance at life.

The story I am going to tell you reminds me of this parable, which I am sure you have heard or read:

An old man had a habit of early morning walks along the beach.

One day as he looked down the shore he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. As he came closer he saw that it was a young woman and she was not dancing but was reaching down to the sand, picking up starfish and very gently throwing them into the ocean.

“Young lady, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”

“The sun is up and the tide is going out, and if I do not throw them in they will die.”

“But young lady, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it? You cannot possibly make a difference.”

The young woman listened politely, paused and then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it in the sea, past the breaking waves, saying …“It made a difference for that one!” (Source Unknown)

DC's parents attended another church in our town, and they had sponsored two widowed Cambodian sisters and their children. They were eager for their brother to be able to come to America as well. Our church was approached with the idea of sponsoring this family. We were very small at the time, and I remember all of the discussion that took place before we stepped out on faith to bring the Yim family over.

At the time we contracted to sponsor them, there were 5 members of the family - Chhien, Noral, Chana, Sokoma, and Sarah (all pronounced with the accent on the last syllable). By the time everything had been processed and approved, they had twin boys - Richard and Thomas - also with pronunciation on the second syllable. That came as a bit of a shock!

I had been persuaded to be the coordinator of this project. It was quite an adventure. The first step was to find people who would pledge enough monthly funding to pay the bills - apartment, insurance, food, clothes, you know - the basics. We were blessed to find and qualify for a four-bedroom low income apartment. People brought furnishings, clothes, kitchen supplies. On April 28, 1982, we went to the airport with the church van to pick them up.

Chhien had a wonderful smile, and was very industrious. We were able to get him a bicycle to ride to the job we helped him get at the pottery factory out in the canyon. The family had become Christians in one of the camps, where someone held church services and children's Bible clubs. They arrived with one large box of possessions on his shoulder.

Noral spoke hardly any English, while the rest of the family had learned it quite well in the camps. (They had also learned some familiar old Sunday School songs while they were in the Philippines).

Chana and Sokoma were maybe 8 and 10 years old. Their English was very good, and they were very bright, sweet little girls, who were very helpful to their mother. The twins were about six months old, if I recall correctly.

Sarah was two, and just adorable. She and the twins were born in refugee camps, thus the American names. Their pronunciations were their own.

We thought they would be so thrilled with all of the room in the apartment, but we soon found that they were all sleeping in the same room, bringing mattresses from the various beds. We provided a bit of spending money, and we found out that Chhien had gone to the nearby drugstore and bought a very pricey bottle of perfume, which they splashed on their bodies generously after a cold bath or shower. We realized, after hearing the horror stories of their escape from Cambodia, that they needed the feeling of security which came from being all together. They were used to being crowded into one room.

We had committees for each area of need: someone to take them grocery shopping, someone for medical needs, someone as school liaison, someone to get them to church, and others I cannot remember at the moment. They also received WIC provisions, which helped greatly with the little ones. However, their digestive systems could not handle dairy products, so they wanted to give the milk away to us when we came to visit. They always insisted we stay for a snack when we came to visit. They also received garden produce which was brought to the residents of this complex. They always shared it with visitors as well. (I was called daily for some crisis or another, so I was often the recipient of their generosity).Noral was an excellent cook, and she used mostly vegetables, spices, rice, and a bit of meat. One day my sister, the grocery store coordinator, took Noral shopping. She kept asking for a cigar. My sis was quite puzzled, quite sure they didn't smoke - and if they did, CIGARS? She finally figured out, through much walking up and down of aisles, that she was trying to say SUGAR.

We soon learned that Noral had a large tumor on her thyroid. She needed surgery. They wanted no more children - so we were discussing tubal ligation with her. (Of course, Chhien was not eager to do the V word!) She was so very fearful. Her brother, who was in California, talked to her on the phone and convinced her that the surgery would kill her - she was convinced that the cutting open of her throat would be reminiscent of what Pol Pot did to her citizens back home in the time of war. We had to locate a Cambodian doctor (who could not practice in America) that she was willing to listen to. We loaded everybody into my car and headed to Denver, to a very large colony of their countrymen. We spent the afternoon listening to this former doctor convince her that the surgery would be good for her health, not kill her.

One day the school called me to come and talk to the nurse. It seems that the girls had been sick and the cultural way their parents handled sickness was to scrape the backbone with a spoon, hoping to release the germs. Somehow this was discovered by the school nurse and she thought they were being abused. We had to find an interpreter who could meet with us to inform them that they were in danger of losing their children to social services unless they stopped doing something they did in their own culture to care for their children - this in the land of the free and home of the brave!

Chhien was very eager to see snow, so one summer day we all piled into the car again and headed for the mountains, where there was still a remnant of winter. I'll never forget it - Sokoma got carsick and was about to lose her lunch - Chhien put his hands under her mouth and caught it, making sure none spilled in our car. We pulled over as quickly as possible and he carefully carried it down to the river and cleaned his hands off. I was impressed!

The Fourth of July came and we were so anxious to show them an American celebration. We joined our church friends for our annual tradition of watching the fireworks together on the parsonage lawn. It didn't turn out as we expected, though. The explosion of the fireworks sounded too much like war to them, and brought back horrible memories of the Pol Pot regime. They became very agitated. We took them home quickly.

After her surgery, Noral wanted very badly to join her brother in Long Beach, where there was a huge Cambodian population. She was going to the pay phone and calling him daily. They finally were able to get it across to me that they wanted to move to California to be with family. They were getting more and more fearful of the coming winter. We were just getting ready to try to round up coats, boots, gloves, mittens, caps for their large family when they packed everything up and left on the bus. They came with the one box, and left with 32.

I thought of them so often (and still do), and was so happy one night late when I was awakened by a phone call from Chhien. The girls were in high school and excelling in their grades, Noral still didn't speak good English (not necessary when you live in a totally Cambodian community), but was "fat" according to her husband. I immediately realized she did not understand our directions to her that she had to take the medicine for her removed thyroid for the rest of her life. I was able to find out the name of her doctor and make a call to him, letting him know about her history. I haven't heard since, and wonder how she is doing physically.

When they left, Chhien told me that someday he and the family would come back to visit - I kept hoping that someday they'd come driving in to my driveway. It hasn't happened yet. I would love to know what has happened to them.

We couldn't save the masses of people trapped into refugee camps, but we could rescue one family. It was a privilege and an honor. So while we're celebrating our country's birthday and our independence today, we'll be thinking of this family that we as a church family were able to help achieve their dream of independence in this great country.

Happy Fourth of July!