He Still Calls Me ‘Ma’!

I have recently returned from a trip to the UK and Germany during which so many amazing and rewarding experiences happened. One such experience was the opportunity to visit with Dan, whom I first met and helped back in 1987! Dan was a young, Vietnamese refugee living in one of Hong Kong’s many camps at the time, and I was running the Job Placement Unit of the Hong Kong Christian Aid for the Refugees (Christian Action’s former name)!

I caught up with Dan in the seaside town of Weymouth, in Dorset, UK, where he now lives and runs his own business. Siman Luong Thu Dan, or simply ‘Dan’, has a special place in my heart. He endured a barrage of challenges from a young age, but he was a fighter and never gave up. On one occasion for example, I placed him in a new job where he was addressed as “Yuet Lam Chai” - a derogatory (albeit mild) slur meaning `Vietnamese boy’, with no future in Hong Kong. At one point while living in the camp circumstances drove him to knock on my door and asked Marlon and me if he could live with us. We immediately welcomed him and he ended up staying for six months, during which we mentored and guided him, albeit imperfectly.

While he was with us Dan worked in Marlon’s company as an Administrative Assistant. Dan flourished with computer skills learnt in the project I led through Apple Computer volunteers, Matt Strain and Doug Nelson in 1987. Finally, he beat all odds to emigrate to the UK where I helped him get a scholarship, something I had forgotten which Dan gratefully reminded me.

When I last met Dan he was the owner and operator of a travel business in Leicester. Shortly afterwards the UK bank crisis destroyed his business. Dan the fighter once again reinvented himself, this time as the owner and operator of a souvenirs shop, selling oriental gifts. He now owns his house and business premises and he makes a comfortable living. While Marlon and I visited his tourist town, Dan, who still calls me 'Ma', treated us to delicious meals every evening!

Seeing his success, Marlon and I are in awe of Dan’s resiliency and ability to start from scratch so many times. We are so very happy for him and so thankful to God that we have been able to open the our door to our home and hearts to others and to see how God never abandons those he loves!

Blessings,
Siew Mei

You can read about Dan's story here: Dan’s Story