Hmong youth program helps bridge spiritual gap
At just 15 years old, Ma Lee Xiong knows more about being a mother than being a kid. When not in school, the St. Paul teenager helps clean her family’s house and cook for her nine siblings, ages 1 to 13. Her mom works full-time during the day. Her dad left the family years ago.
“It’s hard being oldest – nonstop responsibility,” Xiong admitted. “I’ve had to step up. My brothers and sisters basically consider me their second mom.”
That’s a lot of pressure for a high school freshman. And if not for The Salvation Army and Xiong’s faith in Jesus Christ, she might have buckled by now.
“I was just talking to my mom about that – I’d probably be doing drugs or something,” she said.
Several years ago, Xiong began heading down the wrong path. Life without a father was giving her serious trouble.
“I felt an empty void, so I started going out and having boyfriends,” she recalled. “I needed someone in my life – a fatherly figure. But I didn’t feel fulfilled. I asked God, ‘Why doesn’t my life feel good?’”
She’d been attending church and youth programs (pictured) at the West 7th Salvation Army in St. Paul since age 8, but the message of Jesus Christ wasn’t quite sinking in. She looked like a Christian on the outside, she said, but didn’t feel like one on the inside. She didn’t understand the spiritual topics discussed at church.
That changed about two years ago.
“One day, it clicked inside me,” she said. “Spiritually, I changed. I understood what the pastor was saying.
“My dad didn’t love me, but God loves me. He’s my father.”
These days, Xiong spends what little free time she has at the West 7th Salvation Army. Twice a week she attends the Hmong Outreach Program, where she can relax, have fun, recharge spiritually, and connect with friends.
“Coming to this group has really helped me,” said Xiong, whose three best friends also attend. “You can get really personal with the staff, and learn more about Jesus. There have been times when I didn’t believe in anything, but they helped me back up.”
About Hmong Outreach
Salvation Army youth worker Pao Vang (pictured) started the Hmong Outreach Program in spring 2008. Today the program serves about 60 kids in grades K through 12, providing after-school activities and all-day programming during summer. The kids attend Bible study, play sports and so much more.
Minneapolis and St. Paul are home to the nation’s largest population of Hmong immigrants – about 64,000.
“Less than 10 percent of those families are going to church,” said Vang, 39, a Hmong immigrant who moved to the U.S. from Laos at age 3. He became a Christian at age 13.
“Many of these families still believe in the old way of shamanism,” he continued. “We know that some of the younger kids are stuck in between Christianity and shamanism, so we want to reach out to them. We want to help them understand Christianity and experience the love of God.”
The Salvation Army operates free or affordable youth programs across Minnesota and North Dakota. Learn more by contacting your nearest Salvation Army. To find a location, enter your ZIP code at the top of this page.