By Ms. S.L. - A Tai Dam Christian lady
March 12, 2005 Des Moines Register article

I am here in Iowa today because 30 years ago, I was given a chance to live, to learn and to grow. I'll start my story on a late April day in 1975, when I was 9 years old. It was the day my parents decided that my family was moving to Nongpenh, a small village in another part of Laos where my maternal grandparents lived. The village is close to the Mekong River, the only route to cross from Laos to Thailand.

I was told later that my mother, my four sisters and I moved to Nongpenh for about three weeks before my father came after us. This was planned so that no one would suspect my parents' plan to flee Laos. When I asked my father why we had to leave our home and our country, he told me how difficult life had been while growing up under communist rule in Vietnam during the 1950s. He did not want his children to experience that. He left because he wanted to give us the chance of having a better future. To us, that means having the freedom to speak and to choose to become whatever you want to become.

On May 11, my family escaped from Laos by boat to Nongkhai, Thailand, during daylight. At that point, we did not have to sneak out in the middle of the night, risking being shot, as my relatives did when they left Laos a few years later. When we arrived in Nongkhai, the Thai people had set up housing made out of hay on the grounds of a Buddhist temple surrounded by tall tombstones. I recall my family's living area being located in front of a group of the tombstones, and the kids used the area as a playground. Playing there did not bother me then because I had the security of having my family nearby. Now, it gives me chills. I was living among the dead. I also remember my parents standing in long lines to receive donated water, rice and other food.

We lived in the refugee camp until Oct. 6, when we were accepted to come to the United States. I've since learned about some of the key individuals who were responsible for bringing me and thousands of others to Iowa. They include Gov. Robert Ray, Ambassador Kenneth Quinn and professor Art Crisfield. They spoke for me when I had no voice. They reached out and helped me when things seemed hopeless. I've since learned that Crisfield wrote more than 30 letters to governors across the United States, seeking help for the refugees. The only governor who responded and was willing to take us in was Governor Ray. His accomplishments are many, but the one that personally impacted me is the leadership he set for Iowans to accept refugees and immigrants. I appreciate his ability to envision the richness that diversity could bring to the people of Iowa.

On Oct. 29, my family and more than 300 Southeast Asian refugees arrived at the Des Moines airport. We were greeted by sponsors, mostly people from churches throughout Iowa. Our sponsors helped us with enrolling in school, job searches, grocery shopping, looking for housing and taking us to dental and medical appointments. They made the transition easier with their warm greetings, smiles, their belief in us and the laughs they shared with us when mistakes or misunderstandings occurred.

My greatest challenge in life was to finish college and pass the state nursing exam. During college, I thought about quitting, but I could not disappoint or hurt my parents. I remembered my dad walking a few miles each way to and from work in the rain and snow, or to Roosevelt High School for an ESL night class. I thought about all the sacrifices he made to come to this country so that I might have a better future. Those memories gave me the strength and courage to finish school.

Thirty years ago, Iowans gave younger generations like mine opportunities to go after our dreams. On behalf of all the young refugees who grew up here, I thank this state's residents for giving us a place called "Iowa" that we can now call home.

S. L. of West Des Moines is a nurse at Monroe Elementary in Des Moines.

• As you pray for the Tai Dam of SE Asia, please remember to pray also for the Tai Dam living in the United States. Ask God to draw and prepare from the Tai Dam people, some who will become apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11).