Channy Chhi Laux was just thirteen years old when the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia and she and her family were forced to leave their home and re-locate to Poipet, a border town to Thailand. From that point forward, Channy lived a live dictated by fear. From the first six months of starvation to the agonizing moments when the Khmer Rouge separated her from her parents, Channy found friendship despite dire circumstances, learned to rely on her animal instincts, endured emotional pain and found the courage to look past her misery and persevere for the sake of her mother.
In 1979, Channy immigrated to the United States as a refugee. Without knowing a word of English, she and her family settled in Lincoln, Nebraska. They were sponsored by First Lutheran Church and with the help and support of church members and many others she attended Lincoln High School and earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Channy and her husband, Kent, visited First Lutheran Church on Sunday, October 14, and was the featured speaker at the Adult Forum. She gave an emotional account of the devastating years of the Cambodian genocide and what has happened in her life in America since she arrived in 1979. Through it all, Channy reminds all of us that it is possible to survive unforgiving conditions through faith in God, a fierce determination and unwavering inner strength.
This video features Channy’s full presentation at the Adult Forum.
