Giving Family a New Place to Call Home

Here's a story I wrote for my company that's semi-inspiring. If you can look past the marketing spin. Let me know if you hear of any great stories!

Ell Pha spent the first eight years of her life in a Thai refugee camp. She was born in the camp – only one month after her family settled there to escape ethnic persecution in their homeland of Laos. After eight years in the refugee camp, Pha’s family moved to the U.S. They were eager to begin a new life, but sad to leave a lifetime of friends and family.

Pha and her family settled in Minnesota and she currently works at as a compliance analyst. Since she’s been able to work, Pha has made a point to send money to support her cousins, uncles and aunts that remain in Thailand and Laos. “My family members back home do not have the opportunity I have here,” said Pha. “Many are subsistence farmers, meaning they farm to feed their families and generate little extra income. So we send what we can to help them with school tuition, medical needs or important community celebrations.”

Prior to beginning at (company name) two years ago, Pha used official checks to send money overseas. The checks were mailed to Thailand, and often took months to end up at her relatives’ doorsteps. When Pha discovered (company name), sending money became much more convenient – and free. “Now I use money transfer to send money,” said Pha. “I don’t even have to leave home to make a transaction. Plus, being reimbursed for transfers has been a big help and enabled me to send more to my family.”

“My relatives have been so grateful for our support,” continued Pha. “In the U.S., we are complaining about the fall of the dollar, but we don’t realize how much value it still has in many countries. The little money we’ve sent overseas has had a tremendous impact. “I’m amazed how much the simple ability to send money overseas has impacted the lives of those who depend on our support and (company name)'s service.”

Recently, Pha and her family’s support turned the lives of one family upside down. Last year on a trip to visit family in Thailand, Pha’s brother-in-law made a remarkable discovery. “My husband had a cousin that had been missing for more than 20 years, and no one even knew she was alive,” explained Pha. “My brother-in-law did some investigating during his visit and found out that she was alive! Her, her husband and four children were living in the mountains. They were very poor, living on a subsistence farm. Their house was falling apart, and they had no means to generate more income.”

So Pha and her husband’s family pooled their resources and sent over enough money for the family to build a brand-new house. “They now have a home that’s safe for their children, and far nicer than others in the area,” said Pha. “And the most amazing fact is it only cost $950, for many of us, that’s not even one mortgage payment. A little amount for some can be life-changing for others.” Pha’s family also sent the cousin money to buy modern farm tools, which has since enabled them to generate income from their farm.

“I’m not sharing this story to boast about what I have done,” explained Pha. “But I wanted to use it to show people how of a difference such a small sacrifice can make. I also wanted to encourage those that are making sacrifices for others, whether through time or money. No matter how small they think their sacrifice is, they are making a difference!”

Pha’s generous spirit is exceptionally amazing in light of her recent struggles. A few months ago, a fire ravaged her home destroying everything. Pha’s husband wasn’t home at the time, and she and her three children escaped unharmed, but her father-in-law was killed in the fire, and her mother-in-law died a few weeks ago from its complications.

“I have been through a lot lately,” admits Pha. “But I am still alive and believe I was put on earth for a reason. That reason was to do whatever I can to help others – and I’m not going to let these struggles keep me from my calling. I hope that I’m able to continue to give to my family, and encourage others around me to those in need as well.”

A New Blog Era, The First Story

Even in its heyday (however that's spelled), I can't say my blog had a super-high readership. Now that it's been a few months since my last post, I'm pretty sure readership is down to zero. Never-the-less I am trying to bring back the confused twentysomething, and bring it back in a new and improved format.

Yes, the Confused TwentySomething is entering a new era. I've decided to use it not to write about my life, but to post really cool stories that I hear. There are so many inspiring and interesting stories out there, and I want to bring them all together! Alas, in my blog, they've found a place to belong. So this first story I heard last week at church from a man named Tony Campolo. I had never heard it prior to Mr. Campolo's telling, and it's definitely one that deserves to be heard.

How Bulgaria Saved its Jews

Not a single Jew died in Bulgaria during WWII, despite the fact it was a fascist and Nazi-allied country. There were a few reasons for this, but the following story represents the spirit behind them all.

One night during the war, SS officers corraled-up the Jews of Sophia, Bulgaria to ship them off to Aushwitz. Upon hearing of the action, an Orthodox Bishop, Metropolitan Kiril, and 300 members of his church showed up at the station where the jews were being held. They surrounded the barbed-wire enclosure.

Metropolitan Kiril pushed through the SS officers guarding the enclosure, and made his way to the Jews inside. As he reached the Jews he shouts one verse from the book of Ruth, that changed the destiny of the people and a nation: "Wheresoever you go, I will go!" shouted the Bishop, "And where you lodge, I will lodge. And your people will be my people. And your God will be my God!"

The Jews and Christians at the station cheered, and their cries reached throughout the city. The crowd surrounding the enclosure grew to thousands - all protesting the captivity of the Jews. Overwhelmed, the SS troops left without the Jews and never came back.

Bishop Kiril walked the walk - took Christ's words as truth and put them in action. Imagine what would happen if we all lived that same way.