This Story is about my good friend Lan.

Lan

Lan was born in Ha Noi, North Vietnam; she is now 75-years-old. When she was five years old, her family moved to South Vietnam to escape communism.

Her husband was in the army when they married. They had two daughters when North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam. Her husband was captured and taken to a concentration camp but it was referred to as a re-education camp. They were told that he would remain there for eight days, but he would not be released until six years later.

The South Vietnamese soldiers were indoctrinated to sing worship songs to honor Ho Chi Minh.

There was only a scheduled time to visit so Lan’s husband would write her to  inform her when she could travel for the appointment.

The Visits

To prepare for the visit with her husband, Lan and a group of other wives  had to take a bus and travel 18 hours. Once they reached the edge of the forest they had to hire motor cyclists to transport them deeper into the jungle. From there came another group of people to help them carry the supplies they brought for the visit. Those helpers could only travel so far because they were afraid of getting caught by the communist soldiers. So the rest of the way they carried their supplies. By the time she reached her husband it was a day in and half later.

The Meeting 

The room was furnished with a long table, maybe eight feet. When her husband came out, they could only reach to touch each other’s hands. A watchful communist guard listened to their entire conversation. After 15 minutes the visit was over. As much as Lan wanted to cry she was warned against it. If any of the women cried the men would be punished by more intense labor.

Homecoming

There was no announcement of the release of her husband; but one day, after six years in the “re-education” camp, he was home. He had to report to the local police once a week.

The Exodus

To leave a communist country an underground network had to take place. In Lan’s case they used gold leafs (a form of currency) to pay for their freedom. By this time Lan and her husband had given birth to another child, a son. The asking price per person was three gold leafs. They paid the price and prayed, but they had to wait a full year before  they were notified that their passage out of Vietnam was available. Lan’s daughters were eight and six years old when they departed. They could not bring their newborn son because it was too dangerous. They could not risk him crying and getting caught. He remained with Lan’s parents.

The Boat

They took a bus and were transported to the shore. Their tiny fishing boat, loaded with 50 people, embarked on the dark waters of the China Sea.                      .

By the time they reached the ocean they realized that the compass on the boat was broken. So they used the North Star for navigation. By the fifth day the boat was sinking; the men worked feverishly all night to get the water out, but to no avail. By 7:00 a.m. the men were worn out from all the work and did not have the strength to continue bailing the water from the sinking boat.  So together the Catholics and Buddhists prayed for their souls and prepared to die.  Suddenly a young man on the boat saw a small speck in the sky. It was an airplane. They tried to start a fire but could not because everything on the boat was wet. The captain’s wife had a mirror,  so they used it to signal the plane.

The plane circled over them and dropped a large bag with some type of beacon device to locate the boat. Three hours later a huge ship appeared, the USS Bainbridge. Two soldiers reached them by dinghy to ask if they needed help. They were rescued! First the women and the children then the men.

The USS Bainbridge took them to  a refugee camp in  Singapore. After approval to reside in the U.S., they were scrutinized by a Singapore judge. Under penalty of perjury they had to swear that all the information they were claiming was true; this was a grueling process. They were interviewed by U.S. officers and were sponsored by a Catholic organization and UNHCR (United Nations High Commission of Refugees). The UNHCR organization has been in existence for over 70 years working  to protect and advocate for people forced to flee war-torn countries. Lan and her family stayed in Singapore for three months to prepare for their new life.  The next five months were spent in the Philippines, where they were taught a series of  orientations to acclimate them to their new life in the United States.

The Payback

Lan and her family signed loan documents for their airline tickets to the United States. While in the states another program was required; because they were legal refugees they received a stipend of  500 dollars a month plus food stamps. This was a government program; the assistance was for a maximum of 18 months. Lan’s family got out of that program in 13 months because her husband found employment. He also took a graveyard shift so he could send money back home to bring their son to the United States.

Though Lan had three years of law school and an accounting degree, because she could not speak English she could not find work. So she applied for a loan to become a cosmetologist. She worked at this job for three years. She felt a strong calling to social services. For twenty-three years she worked for the Social Services Agency of Orange County to give back to people in need.

Lan and her husband paid back every penny for the airline tickets. After five years she and her family became American citizens.

It took eight years for her son to get sponsored into the United States. Lan remembers crying and having nightmares because she could not be with him. He is now grown, an engineer with a family of his own. Her oldest daughter works for the government and her younger daughter is a pharmacist.

The Patriot

Despite great duress and persecution, Lan and her family entered this country legally. They never took advantage of our system.  She is a true patriot who loves her country.

I believe in free protest but burning the American flag, destroying property, looting businesses is not helping the matter. We are a free country, but if you are going to wave any flag other than U.S. flag, you do not belong here. You’ve got to be living under a rock not to understand that the protesters who are breaking the law are fueled by Antifa communist propaganda. When you mix in the peaceful protesters with them, it’s hard to make a distinction. Yes, we need immigration reform laws. This is my idea:

If you have been living here for more than 20 years, you should be vetted, and if proven law abiding then they should allow you citizenship. We should start with those who have been here the longest, and move on from there. I know plenty of illegal immigrants who are scared, who can blame them.

I am not happy with how ICE is apprehending people. But we do need to address the elephant in the room, 20 million people is too much for our country to take on. Our state, in particular is suffering, having to foot the bill of over 2 billion dollars for their healthcare? Does that sound fair? I want to help but not with my pocket book. Immigration laws need to be reformed.

One more thing, please do not sing our National Anthem in any other language than English.

Lan and I met at daily Mass, so our love for God and country rings the same, plus we both teach First Holy Communion classes. We pray for our families and for peace to reign on this hollowed ground.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I pray for Lan and all that she had to endure to become a United States citizen. Every sacrifice was done through much prayer and her faith in You kept her focused. She wanted to live in a land free of communism, and, through much prayer, she continues to thank You, Lord, for bringing her and her family here. Amen.

This past Thursday Will graduated from high school.

The Early Birth

The invitations were sent out for Will’s baby shower. We were all eagerly waiting for the birth of our first grandson. But God had other plans.  After a routine checkup with her OB-GYN, Jenny’s water broke on her way to the elevator. Will was due in early March but on February 13, 2007, he was born via a C-section at St. Joseph Hospital.  Thank God Jenny’s sister Amy was in town for the shower because she would be Jenny’s rock during this trial.

Mikos and I were both at the hospital as we watched a nurse treat baby Will like a normal birth. We could see from the window that something was not normal with Will’s breathing. At four pounds 11 ounces, his tiny lungs needed special attention. I told Mikos, “Something is not right!” As the father, his instincts were heightened; he knew that his baby was struggling to breathe. Mikos knocked hard on the window to get the attending nurse’s attention but she ignored his plea. Finally  he’d had it with this horrible nurse and called a doctor in to help us with Will. As strange as it may sound, we could hear the doctor yelling at the nurse for her incompetence. By this time Mike had arrived to see our baby Will fighting for his life. Will was immediately transported to Children’s Hospital of Orange where he remained in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for  two weeks. Because Jenny, had undergone a C-section and was still under anesthesia, she had no idea the trauma Will was experiencing.

Every day without fail, Jenny was at her baby boy’s side, watching over him until Mikos showed up to relieve her. The two formed a bond of love around Will, so by the time he reached his proper birth weight he was finally released into the loving arms of his family. In the meantime Maddie was in the loving care of her aunt Amy and me. We took turns babysitting so Jenny could be with Will.

Fighting To Live

When life starts with a battle, it can only indicate that God has a special plan for you. Will is a fighter who has had to prove his physical agility many times. God gave him the gift to excel in many sports. He played soccer, baseball, surfing, snowboarding and  basketball. He excelled at every sport but basketball  became his passion. He sacrificed weekends to become a wonderful basketball player. For years he was part of a Club Team. In his sophomore year in high school he was voted captain of the Junior Varsity team.

Sports and Politics

A coach can make you or break you. Shaquille O’Neal’s high school coach cut him from the team because he was too slow and clumsy, but a coach at Louisiana State University gave him the proper mentoring to help develop his basketball skills. We all know the outcome of that story.

Will’s high school is big on sports – that meant winning  was their only priority. Suddenly six-foot, 19-year-olds (holdbacks) were recruited to the varsity team. Will knew the odds were against him, so he moved on to golf. He never missed a beat because he is a fighter and has a supportive family who has his back at every turn. By the way, he golfs with his grandfather Mike on a regular basis and is excelling in this sport too.  Holdbacks are kids whose parents want to give them another year to develop their sports skills; they are usually bigger and sometimes two years older. Parents believe this gives their kids a competitive advantage  in both academic and sports scholarships.

Will said that he learned a great lesson during his high school basketball seasons. “You’re not always going to be the best, and you’re not always going to get picked to play.”

Work Ethic

Will’s parents have instilled in him and his sister Maddie the importance of having a work ethic. Following in his sister’s footsteps, Will started working for Porky’s Pizza at age 16. For two years he was the dough boy; now that he is 18 he is delivering pizzas. Maddie has a full-time internship but makes time to deliver pizzas as well. Yorba Linda and Anaheim Hills customers, please be kind and generous to these two grandchildren of ours.

Utes

Will graduated with a 4.2 grade point average and was accepted by the University of Utah. There he can snowboard during the winter and golf in the spring. We are so proud of this young man; one, that he kept up his good grades and two, because he works part time. In one week he will start an internship with Harbor Distributing as a merchandiser.

The Celebration

Jenny’s Minnesota family made the long trip to celebrate Will’s graduation. A total of seven Minnesotans came to celebrate Will’s milestone. Our entire family was there as well.

My Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, please watch over Will. Protect him and guard his heart and mind to always do what is right in Your eyes. Lord, I pray for those who have graduated; direct a path of holiness in their lives. Do not let them fall into any wind of doctrine, but to follow You, the King of Kings. Amen.

Happy Birthday to our Church!

Pentecost Sunday

Fifty days after Easter Sunday and ten days after the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, we celebrate this feast. Before Jesus’ Ascension He gave His apostles instructions to stay in Jerusalem.

When Jesus had spoken to his apostles about the Holy Spirit their minds and hearts were not spiritually prepared to take in all this holiness.

²⁶ The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you.

This is exactly what the Holy Spirit does with me. When ministering to others I am reminded of Scriptures or certain stories in the Bible that relate to the subject matter.

The Ascension

In great amazement, Jesus’ disciples watched as He ascended into heaven. But now the apostles had to replace Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus. There had to be twelve apostles. The number twelve represents the twelve Tribes of Israel; it’s also the number of Divine Government and apostolic fullness (Gen 49:28; Ex 15:27; Mt 19:28). Matthias became the twelfth apostle. Now they could continue with their mission.

They were gathered in the Upper Room and for nine straight days: the apostles, Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the other women prayed in one accord. “Praying in one accord” meant that they were seeking God and waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit. Our Catholic novenas derive from this holy feast.  The Novena to the Holy Spirit is prayed during the period between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday.

The Upper Room

The Upper Room In Jerusalem is entered through the Zion Gate. As you walk past the Jerusalem stone walls you are met by street vendors selling goods made of sesame, honey bars, and other products indigenous to the Holy Land. When the path splits into two, the walk continues toward the left until you reach a statue of David. The Jews frown upon this statue because they believe that it is an offense; Jewish culture does not venerate idols and considers this a graven image. Of the many times that I have visited, poor David has suffered amputated toes from the hands of Jews and, on several occasions, his nose has been broken

This area of the Upper Room is considered the Jewish section of the Old City. The Muslims consider this to be a mosque, but the Israelis believe the lower level of the old structure is the Tomb of David. As Christians we remain neutral; we visit the Tomb of David but spend most of our time in the Upper Room. This is one of my five favorites sites to visit in the Holy Land.

The Upper Room, also referred to as the Cenacle, is located in the southern part of the Old City of Jerusalem. In this room many historic occurrences took place that changed the course of Christianity: Jesus washed the feet of His disciples,  the Last Supper, the Resurrection of Christ, the post-Resurrection, Pentecost, and the descent of the Holy Spirit.

In all the times I have traveled to Jerusalem, our team would never miss the opportunity to visit the Upper Room. You can still feel the anointing in that room. Our team spent a lot of time in prayer there.

The Holy Spirit