Tuesday, February 25, 2014

A VERY PERSONAL POST....




Last night in my Public Speaking class we were told to pair up with another student that we felt would be a good speech buddy, someone we felt we could help and vice versa. I approached a young man named Joseph. A reserved young man with a thick Korean accent, very smart and interesting. I was drawn to Joseph from listening to him speak in class and respected his demeanor in class. I chose Joseph.

He shared an outline of his speech  on his personal experience of poverty in North Korea. My ears perked up and I wanted to know know of his life in North Korea. I tip toed around certain questions about North Korea unsure of how much he wanted to share. Surprisingly, he was  grateful that I was interested. It was one of those moments that puts life into perspective..... 

I asked if he came to the US with his family and he just gave me a look, a look that struck my heart. He told me that if I want to hear his story I can see his speech on Ted Talk.

I was floored…. the classmate I chose in class that I thought I would be able to help has a speech that has been viewed over 1 million times.  I couldn't get home fast enough to  watch his video…. Joseph's speech moved me and brought me to tears. I am blessed to be able to study along with Joseph.

I highly suggest you watch this in its entirety. He talks about hope, and how hope helped him to survive. You never know who is fighting what battle in life, it’s one of those reminders sometimes we all need.






Joseph, thank you for sharing your story. It's a reminder that it is a blessing to those who don't need to worry about the next meal or have to worry whether or not their  family is safe. I pray that you are reunited with your family, and I thank you for courageous life. You are an inspiration to many. God Bless.


I will be posting on the charity that helped Joseph as information comes to me. In the meantime, please if you are interested in helping click here. 

xo
Marlena

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