Category: Uncategorized

This is the story of a remarkable woman — a dear friend named Lan.

Lan

Lan was born in Hà Nội, North Vietnam. She is now 75 years old. When she was five, her family fled south to escape the grip of communism — a decision that would shape the entire course of her life.

Her husband was already serving in the army when they married. By the time North Vietnam invaded the South, the couple had two daughters. Her husband was captured and taken to what the communist regime called a re-education camp — though in truth, it was a concentration camp in every meaningful sense. Families were told the detainment would last eight days. He would not be released for six years.

During that time, South Vietnamese soldiers held in these camps were subjected to indoctrination — forced to sing songs of worship and tribute to Hồ Chí Minh.

Visits were not open. They were scheduled. Lan’s husband would write to inform her when she was permitted to make the journey.

The Visits

To reach her husband, Lan and a group of other wives would board a bus and travel eighteen hours to the edge of a jungle. There, they hired motorcyclists to carry them deeper into the forest. At a certain point, even those guides would go no further — the fear of communist soldiers was too great. From there, Lan and the other wives carried their supplies the rest of the way themselves.

By the time she finally reached her husband, a day and a half had passed since she left home.

The Meeting

The visiting room held a long table — perhaps eight feet across. When her husband was brought out, the distance between them allowed only the reaching of hands. A communist guard stood watch over the entire conversation. After fifteen minutes, the visit was over.

As desperately as Lan wanted to cry, she had been warned against it. If any of the wives wept, the men would be punished with more intense labor. So she held it in.

Homecoming

There was no announcement. No formal notice. One day, after six years in the re-education camp, her husband simply came home. He was required to report to the local police once a week.

The Exodus

Leaving a communist country required an underground network — secrecy, risk, and the willingness to pay dearly for the chance at freedom. In Lan’s case, the currency was gold — specifically, gold leaves, a form of payment used in that time and place. The price was three gold leaves per person.

By then, Lan and her husband had welcomed a third child — a son, still a newborn. They paid the price and they prayed. Then they waited. A full year passed before word came that their passage out of Vietnam was available.

Lan’s daughters were eight and six years old when the family departed. But their newborn son could not come. The journey was too dangerous — those who fled communist Vietnam became known as “the boat people,” and the passage carried enormous risk. The fear was real and specific: an infant’s cry could betray them all. The baby stayed behind, left in the care of Lan’s parents.

The Boat

They boarded a bus and were transported to the shore. There, a tiny fishing boat — loaded with fifty people — set out onto the dark waters of the South China Sea.

It was not long before a devastating discovery was made: the compass was broken. With no instruments to guide them, they turned to the night sky, navigating by the North Star.

By the fifth day, the boat was sinking. The men worked through the night, bailing water with everything they had — but it was not enough. By seven o’clock in the morning, they were exhausted, their strength spent. There was nothing left to give.

And so, together — Catholics and Buddhists alike — they prayed. They prayed for their souls. They prepared to die.

Then, a young man on the boat spotted something — a small speck against the sky. An airplane. Desperate, they tried to start a fire to signal it, but everything on the boat was soaked. It seemed the last chance was slipping away — until the captain’s wife remembered she had a mirror. They caught the light and flashed it toward the sky.

Two soldiers reached the sinking boat by dinghy and asked if they needed help. They were rescued — women and children first, then the men.

From Sea to Shore

The USS Bainbridge transported them to a refugee camp in Singapore. What followed was neither quick nor simple. To gain approval for residency in the United States, Lan and her family were scrutinized before a Singaporean judge. Under penalty of perjury, they were required to swear that every piece of information they had provided was true — a grueling process in every sense of the word. They were also interviewed by U.S. officers and were ultimately sponsored by a Catholic organization and the UNHCR — the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — an organization that has spent more than seventy years working to protect and advocate for people forced to flee war, persecution, and violence.

Lan and her family remained in Singapore for three months, preparing for the life ahead. The next five months were spent in the Philippines, where a series of orientation programs helped them acclimate to what life in the United States would require of them.

The Payback

Lan and her family signed loan documents to cover the cost of their airline tickets to the United States — a debt they fully intended to repay.

As legal refugees, they received assistance through a government program: a stipend of five hundred dollars a month, plus food stamps, for a maximum of eighteen months. Lan’s family was out of the program in thirteen — because her husband found employment. He took the graveyard shift so he could send money back home, working steadily toward the goal of bringing their son to the United States.

Though Lan had three years of law school and an accounting degree, the language barrier closed every door she tried to open. Unable to find work in her trained field, she took out a loan and became a cosmetologist. She worked in that profession for three years — and then felt something stronger pulling at her. A calling to social services. For twenty-three years, she served the Social Services Agency of Orange County, giving back to people in need.

Lan and her husband paid back every penny of those airline tickets. Five years after their arrival, she and her family became American citizens.

This past Thursday, Will graduated from high school.

The Early Birth

The invitations had been sent. 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 came into the world via C-section at St. Joseph Hospital. Thank God Jenny’s sister Amy was already in town for the baby shower — she would become Jenny’s rock through everything that followed.

Mikos and I stood at the window watching as a nurse treated baby Will like a routine birth. But something was wrong. At four pounds, eleven ounces, his tiny lungs needed far more than routine care. Turning to Mikos, the words came quietly but surely: “Something is not right.” As the father, his instincts were on fire — he could see his baby struggling to breathe. He knocked hard on the window to get the nurse’s attention, but she ignored him. Finally, he had had enough and called a doctor in. We could actually hear the doctor reprimanding the nurse for her negligence. By then, Mike had arrived — and we all stood there watching little Will fight for his life.

Will was immediately transported to Children’s Hospital of Orange County, where he spent two weeks in the NICU. Because Jenny had undergone a C-section and was still under anesthesia, she had no idea of the trauma her son was enduring.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” — Jeremiah 1:5 (NABRE)

The Love of a Mother

Every single day, Jenny was at her baby boy’s side — watching over him, staying until Mikos arrived to take his turn. The two of them formed a circle of love around Will, and by the time he reached his proper birth weight, he was finally released into the arms of his family. In the meantime, little Maddie was in the loving care of her Aunt Amy and me. We took turns so Jenny could be where she needed to be — with Will.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” — Jeremiah 1:5 (NABRE)

Fighting to Live

When life begins with a battle, it can only mean one thing — God has a special plan for you.

Will has always been a fighter, and he has had to prove it more than once. From the very beginning, God gifted him with an athletic spirit and the physical ability to match. He played soccer, baseball, and basketball, and picked up surfing and snowboarding along the way. He excelled at every one of them — but basketball became his true passion.

He didn’t just show up and play. He sacrificed weekends, put in the hours, and gave everything to his craft. For years he committed to a club team, competing at a level that demanded real dedication. By his sophomore year of high school, his teammates recognized what everyone around him already knew — they voted him captain of the Junior Varsity team.

Sports and Politics

A coach can make you or break you.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school varsity team as a sophomore — not good enough, his coach decided. It took persistence, a growth spurt, and a junior varsity season that turned heads before the world discovered what was really there. We all know how that story ended.

Will’s high school was serious about sports, and that meant winning came first — sometimes at any cost. Suddenly, six-foot nineteen-year-olds began showing up on the varsity roster. These are what people call “holdbacks” — kids whose parents chose to give them an extra year to grow, develop, and gain a competitive edge, both athletically and academically. They’re often bigger, stronger, and sometimes two full years older than the boys they’re competing against. Will could read the room. He knew the odds had shifted, and rather than fight a battle that wasn’t his to win, he made a smart, graceful pivot — to golf.

He never missed a beat. Because that’s who Will is. A fighter doesn’t quit — he adapts. And he has never lacked for people in his corner. He golfs regularly with his grandfather Mike now, and true to form, he’s excelling at that too.

“I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel with my eye upon you.” — Psalm 32:8 (NABRE)

Work Ethic

Will once said something that stopped me in my tracks: “You’re not always going to be the best, and you’re not always going to get picked to play.” For a young man still in high school, that kind of self-awareness is rare — and telling. It’s the kind of lesson that can only be learned from the inside out.

His parents have worked hard to pass something even more valuable than athletic talent down to Will and his sister Maddie — a genuine work ethic. Following in Maddie’s footsteps, Will started working at Porky’s Pizza at sixteen. For two years he was the dough boy, putting in the unglamorous hours that no one sees. Now that he’s eighteen, he’s out delivering pizzas — showing up, being reliable, doing what needs to be done.

Maddie, for her part, is carrying a full-time internship and still finds time to deliver pizzas too. These two didn’t fall into that by accident. They were raised that way.

So to all the Porky’s Pizza customers in Yorba Linda and Anaheim Hills — please be kind, and please tip generously. You just might be opening your door to two of the finest young people around.

The Grandma’s

A Family Celebration

Jenny’s family made the long trip from Minnesota to be there — all seven of them. That kind of love doesn’t need explanation. You pack a bag, you buy a ticket, and you show up. And show up they did, filling the room with the particular warmth that only family can bring. Our entire family was there as well, gathered around this young man who has given us so much to celebrate.

My Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please watch over Will. Protect him — guard his heart and his mind, and lead him always toward what is right in Your eyes.

Lord, I pray not just for Will but for all who are graduating — for every young man and woman stepping into a world that will pull them in a thousand directions. Direct their paths toward holiness. Do not let them be swept away by every wind of doctrine, but anchor them to You — the King of Kings, the One who knew them before they were formed in the womb.

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