0:00 You had drivers, you had helpers in your house, and you had a huge business at this point. My dad has been like the second richest in the city. Before he died, his partner in business, they sell everything. We use pallet to make our bed. We totally dropped very, very down. Your mom alone had to raise seven kids, and then she said, you know what, I have to do something. And so they made a business, and I bet that taught you at a young age a lot about finances, a lot about business. Yes, all the finances I have to take care to make sure all the business running, so basically. My children went to school. They were locked in the school, and they cannot go out. They have riot in my country. It's well known as a Muslim country.
0:50 They're the target Christian or Chinese. After that happened, I talked with my husband and said, I don't think this country is the best place for us to raise our kids. The first house we have in America, we rent a mobile home. My son and then my nephews live in one bedroom. My two daughters, the other bedroom, and me and my husband, the other bedroom. So this was the first house you had. I don't like the victim's mentality. I against that in my life. God will not bless you if you're just lazy, doing nothing. And expect your boss to promote you. Once you said you cannot do it, you will not be able to do it. Mrs. Fong, you've had an amazing life experience coming from another country and living here in the United States.
1:46 And it has changed, I think, my life to watch how you operate your life. And it has changed my understanding of not only America, but also other countries in general. And I think having your experience. And understanding your story would be pinnacle for everyone to change their life as well. If we could start, I'd like you to start back at the beginning. And tell a little bit about your amazing story coming from an area in Indonesia that was, you were hired at a very well-off place. And you came and went through quite a rollercoaster of a ride. To get over here where you are now, where you've raised children who are very successful as well. Can you tell us a little bit about that, starting from the very beginning? Actually, I have a good job.
2:48 And my country, my husband have a good job too. But 1998, they have riot in my country. And in Indonesia, it's well known as a Muslim country. So, yeah. Every time they have something not happy about the country, the target people that they will go, it's Christian or Chinese. And then, us being Christian and Chinese, we are very, very targeted item for them. So, when the riot happened in 1998, 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. 1998. So, it's like a mile or two from the president's house. So, every time, the president of the country.
3:46 So, every time they have demonstration, they were locked in the school and they cannot go out. Oh, my. There is one day, their school closed. And then, I think the kids did not allow to go anywhere. And then, usually, if people say to me, well, there's going to have demonstration, I usually ignore that. I feel like, well, it's happened. And then, you know, my kids, it's going to be okay. Not sure for that day. They are already on the way, probably halfway to the school. When I hear there's going to be a big demonstration, I just call. And I just called the driver. I said, hey, bring them back. They are not going to school today. But there are people that already dropped their kids. Their kids did not go home the whole night.
4:40 So, they have to stay in the school. So, after that happened, I talked with my husband and said, I don't think this country is the best place for us to raise our kids. Especially with the situation like this. Happened almost all the time. And he said, so, where do you plan to go? I said, well, there is several options. One option is the very closest one, because we live in West Indonesia. One option is go to East Indonesia. The other option, we have to go out of Indonesia. The reason East Indonesia, they have a lot Christian compared to Muslim. And then Christian and Muslim, they are very good friends.
5:32 Yes. So, there is... It's less likely they are going to attack Christian in the East. But West, majority is Muslim. And they are not have good relationship with the Christian. So, my husband said, okay, why don't you go? So, why don't you quit work? And then try to see what we can do. My husband was a merchandiser for a huge company. They have about a hundred stores, a hundred department stores in their country. They call Ramayana. Was it like a Dillard's? It's like Kohl's. Kohl's, okay. It's like Kohl's or GC Pen here. So, he worked for the corporate office. Yeah, he worked for the corporate office. Kind of buying things for the store. Buying things and then, you know, and then make sure it's put in the counter properly so people can see nicely, buy stuff.
6:33 And then, you know, that's basically all his... So, it was a good job. It was making well money. Yeah, it's a good job. It's a good job. And I was the director of finance and accounting for a chemical company. We have, I work for the corporate and then we have like eight branches under us. So, I was taking care of all their finances. It's a good job. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And I basically there, my job, it's just take a look on the report and then sign the approved the payment or everything or the import, export, everything. And then, people just basically execute everything for that. It's very nice. So, you both had really good jobs. Really good job. And working at high-end companies. What would you say is the similar company in the U.S. that people can relate to?
7:35 That you were working at? Was it an oil company? It was a, you said it was a- No, chemical company. Chemical company. Chemical company. I'm company. I'm not very familiar chemical company in this country. Okay. But in our country, it's a chemical company that dealing with textile. Okay. So, we are branch of German. Mm-hmm. We carry German. We carry German branch. And then, you know, they, we sell coloring. So, you know, like you use your dress, the coloring of the material, it's usually people bought from our company. Mm-hmm. But since I work for the corporate, they have about eight middle-sized sub or, you know, branch basically from the big company, from the corporate basically, which I was in charge the corporate, and I was in charge of monitoring all the finance and accounting for all the branch.
8:44 How well off were you over there in Indonesia at that time? I think we are, we are very good. Very good. I have, I have, I have drivers, I have helpers in my house. I have two helpers in my house. So, it's, it's, for me, it's very good. Very, very good. I can say. Yeah. So, you had, you had two helpers. You had people that would drive your, your children. Your children were how old at that time? I have a driver that drive the children. My husband drive his own car, and then I drive my own car. Mm-hmm. And, and over there in Indonesia, I've been over there a couple times. They don't have, they don't have, a lot of people don't have their own vehicles. They have maybe a motorcycle. Yes. Yes. A lot of them, they have motorcycles or they use bus. Mm-hmm. But, you know, God's blessing.
9:35 God bless us, and we have, we have all of them, basically. I want people to realize how big of a deal it was that you had to uproot because of the conflict in the country at that time, and you had to go somewhere else, and it was important that you had to survive as your family, no matter what your financial status was. Since I was small, my dad has, my dad has been like the second richest in the city. Before he got sick, he married my mom. And my mom basically just finished third year school. I'm not trying to undermine my mom, but I want people to see how God can use third grade person to basically raise seven children. We are seven.
10:28 And then my dad passed away when I was six. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. My dad have, before he died, his friends, very close friends, basically his partner in business, making him sign a lot of paper that he did not realize they sell everything. Mm-hmm. They sell everything. So from this level, we basically go very, very bottom. Mm-hmm. And so you had nothing. It's hard for my mom. My mom. It's really hard. I know she's trying to commit suicide two times, but it's not happen. Finally, she gave up. She gave up and she said, Lord, if my job to raise these seven kids, and I will do it only if you help me. That's what she raised you? Yes. Okay. It's a lot.
11:32 It's a lot. You know? You will think how a third grade school raised seven children. It's almost impossible. But it's so, for me, it's like God sending people to her and then ask her, hey, do you need anything? Mm-hmm. Can we help you? Mm-hmm. So there is one person came and said to my mom, why don't you open a store? In this house, actually, it's not a house. It used to be my dad's crude oil factory, but we make it work as a place to live. So basically, we just, we use pallet to make as our bed, that kind of stuff. Wow. My mom make her own mattress for us and everything. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. We totally drop very, very down.
12:40 But my mom's committed to raise seven of us. And then before my dad passed away, he told my mom, he said that even though, even though you just feed rice and salt, please don't distribute our kids to other people. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. have to keep her promise to my dad and then i know it's it's not easy raising seven of kids but like i said people come and then offer her and then there's one christian people um came and said well why don't you make ice candy and my mom said i don't have refrigerator i don't have place to put the ice candy and i don't even know how to make ice candy and he's he's a guy and he came he said i'll teach you how so he teach my mom and then he bring all the the things that need needed for um making the business and then he said whenever you have money you can pay small small amount to me back so my mom start that and then in front of it's it's like in front of our road there is water company when they hear that the factory become a place of living for somebody the person came to see my mom and said auntie why don't you open a restaurant here and i'll send all my employee to eat here and then every month when they get their salary you tell me how much they owe you and i'll i'll take that money from them and then pay you so my mom my mom did that and then there is um and they have a lot of employee that housing beside that and then they said you know this family needs to leave why don't you open a store here and then somebody came and said hey you can come and then take whatever um needed to be in the store and then pay us small amount every time until you pay off so that's that's how my mom started everything wow so you went from your your your parents went from very wealthy the second most wealthy in the nation in the city in the city and then went down to complete poverty because your your mom alone had to raise seven kids and your beds were pallets and then and then she said you know what through i have to do something and so they they made a business basically a food business and started raising things back up and i bet that taught you at a young age a lot about finances a lot about business yes yes and even i uh you had mentioned in a previous conversation your sister yeah my second my second we are seven so my second sister as soon as my mom have all of this my second sister it's basically managing the money she's about 17 years old at that time no 16 probably so one day somebody came when she finished school high school somebody came to my mom and said you know we like to hire her would you let her come but we have to go to another city basically they have to fly like two hours to another city and my mom said it's it's okay if my my girl like uh want to do that so my sister went there and then i think my sister passed to me all the finance thing at the age probably 12 or 13 12 or 13 yes wow i already have to manage um the money and then um there is another another place that there is another uh crude oil company beside uh on the other side of the road that have um
17:09 four technicians working for them so this young technician their job is to make sure the machine and everything works well but you know so they they come and eat it with us so basically they came and they came and they came and they came and they came and they came and they came and they ate their food from my mom so my mom said okay my mom know my mom my mom it's very good cook and then she just cook and everything and then again all the finances i have to take care to make sure that all our family fit and then all the business running so basically yeah so i learned that from when i was little so basically leave from my country get out of my country so finally we decide it's not go to the other side of indonesia to the east indonesia but we decide to go to philippines after all that so you you you had you had drivers you had uh helpers in your house and you had a huge business at this point and this is after you have grown up you're not 12 anymore you're you're in your maybe 20s no i'm about we left about when i was about 40 i think 40 yeah so you're in your 40 you were um and so you would raise kids for about 20 years in indonesia or i'm guessing from no i think about 15 15 years in indonesia yeah and so roughly it was about the late 90s when you left correct 1999 1999 yeah because the it's 1998 so it takes about a year for me to do research where we are going to go what we are going to do um but finally we decide to move to philippines knowing that we we might not get job there yeah but that's that's one way for us one step to go out uh from my country to the other country for the say the safety of my kids and did you know the language when you got to the philippines i know english very little uh my husband too but we make it work yeah very difficult to go all the way over there and so not only did you have to leave a very comfortable job and and to make you leave a very comfortable job with a very comfortable home it must have been difficult for you to leave a very comfortable job with a very comfortable home you must have seen some pretty pretty significant riots over there you must have seen some pretty pretty terrible stuff on the news and around to say we got to get out of here so and so to leave and not only leave but go to a country you don't really know and you don't know the language of to to to restart i think a lot of people a lot even my family they they really worry about me going out of the country because basically no one my sister my brother they never go out of the country so they basically they worry about me but did i not worry of course i worry because i have to bring three kids my husband and me and my nephew my nephew came later but at least five of us it's not easy but i just don't know at that time i have that much drive to be out of the country yeah if you ask me now will i do the same thing if that happened now probably no no that's not and then just to cover up my worry pretend not to be worried in front of my family i pretend not to be worried i pretend that i'm very strong person but i'm i'm worried inside my heart i bring four people with me yeah if something happened just to me i have no not much worry as i have to have four people with me you your husband and three kids yeah me my husband and three kids how did you plan on on providing for everybody did you have a little bit of did you sell everything here and and have a little cash that you would be able to survive on yes you know luckily at that time
21:58 when the riot happened like the riot it's 1998 1998 that's happened may i think in 1997 for some reason all the house and then not not not big big house it's more small house that i buy and rent i buy and rent it and then sell it you know i have about four houses so at that time in that time in in my country uh i rely on this how to sell this house but at that time i cannot sell all of them at the same time because the price it's with the riot in the country the price housing market did the housing market it's just so we have to sell one by one but i don't know and then people ask there is one people that's very close to my husband it's a supplier because my husband it's a purchaser and uh in a huge she came to me and she said to me fong what i can i do to help you and i don't know for some reason i just said well please pray for me for us she came the second time and i know because she's kind of a little bit close with me she understands and my personality that I don't like bright. And she wants to say thank you to my husband knowing that we are going to move out of the country and we are going to leave our job and that kind of stuff.
23:49 So she come again the second time and said, Fong, I want to know if you need something. I said, yeah, I just need your prayer. So finally she said, you know, Fong, third time she came, I know that your husband never take bribe. And then I know working in that company, if you did not take bribe, your salary just enough. So tell me a little bit about that before you go into the further story. His story was that he could take a bribe and so was he traveling around and meeting different people that would give him bribes? No, the people will come to him. And then he just say, hey, can you buy my product? Oh, I see. And then his purchasing amount, it's huge. And then it's a little bit common thing.
24:48 A lot of people in his department like to take bribes. So for him to take your stuff, if you bribe him, he will take your stuff compared to other people's stuff. And that's a lot happened in his place. You sell my products, I'll give you a personal asset on the side. And that way I make money, you make money. Exactly. I give like, oh, everything's total that you purchase, I'll give you 2%, 3%. Oh, I see. And that's all the negotiation that's always happened. But I thank God because I know my husband is going to be in that place. And I know that place, it's not easy if you are not really strong in character.
25:44 So I told my husband when he took that job, I said, one thing that you have to remember, never ever take bribe. I'm married with you. I do everything I can to help you. Raise our family well. But I will not accept any bribe from, you know, because for me that's like illegal money. That's how I view it. And then I don't want to raise my kids with illegal money. I feel like illegal money have no blessing. Sure. So I tell my husband not to accept any bribes.
26:35 Yes. So basically. So they wanted to give you money. They wanted to give us money the latest before we leave. But they tried to approach me because they don't want me to hate them by doing that. So finally he said, please phone. We are, this is just a thank you. Can we give something to you? I said, no, I don't need it. I just need your prayer. That's all I'm asking. I'm asking this person. So finally he said, what are you going to sell that I can buy? I said, well, I might sell my car because we don't need car when we, we don't need car anymore, our car in my country. So he said, she said, how much you are going to sell? I said, okay, the market price, it's about some amount. And she, she told me, she said, okay, I'll give you this check for the amount of the car.
27:32 We will take the car at the airport before you leave. So we have car until the minute we have to fly. So I think that's, that's a huge blessing. And there is, we have a villa that I used to bring my kids every Friday night to spend Friday night, Saturday, Sunday in the area that have very good, very fresh air. So another person said, how much you are going to sell for that? I know he didn't need that, but he just want to buy because he knows that we need to move out. He basically, they want to make our life happy. Our life, it's not happy. It's like easier. And my husband's all, all his vendor, basically queue one to each other to entertain us the last minute before we leave. So I keep telling people a huge blessing, three weeks.
28:34 So I have already packed everything and three weeks, I never cook. I have breakfast, I have lunch, I have dinner. I have breakfast, I have lunch, I have dinner. So his, his vendor entertain us. But we take it because for us, it's a way to say thank, they want to say thank you to us and we want to say goodbye with them. Yeah. And so your, your business, did you have any residual income coming in from anything you were doing in the, in the, in the, in the, in the business? In Indonesia, going to the Philippines, or did you just sell everything? Did you give anything away to your, your helpers, your driver? I have, I have driver and then a salesperson. And he continued that. And then I was monitoring from Philippines, but I think it's not last long. It's just a year. A year, he was able to do that job.
29:30 And then after that, I just have to give. Give him to, to the, to the supplier that, that selling that stuff to us. I said, I give up this business. I give it free for you, but you have to take my employee. I just have one employee and I believe you need him. So they, they took him. They took my driver as a driver and salesperson. So, yeah. Wow. Wow. So you, you really went all the way. All the way to the Philippines and not, not really having very much. Yeah. And, and then, and then what happened after that? Yeah. So after that, it's, I think it's kind of got worked in that way.
30:19 That's one year I finished my school in Philippines. What were you taking? Oh, I take master in business. Okay. So I finished my school and then again, I'm, it's like me. I finished my school and, uh, I went to, uh, the elementary school to pick up my daughter's grade report and then someone talked to me and said, Hey, I heard from my daughter that you graduate from master. And I said, Oh yeah. And he's, uh, she said, what's your plan? I said, I don't know. I'm still, I'm still thinking what to do. Because Philippines, where we live, it's a little bit far from downtown Manila.
31:12 So it takes about 45, uh, 40, it's about 30 miles. The problem when drive there, 30 miles can hit two to three hours because of the traffic because of the heavy traffic. So I said, I'm kind of calculating if I have to do that job there. And he, she said, um, I said, go back three hours, come back three hours, six hours, working eight hours. I came home. I'm going to be totally exhausted and I have to take care of these three kids and my husband. And your kids in school at this time? Yeah. All my kids in school, my husband in school too. But roughly how old were your kids? Um, Krista was 12. Krista 14. Daisha. Daisha was 11 and Mario, it's four years, five years old.
32:10 Wow. Right range. Yeah. So I said, I need to look for a job, but I don't know how. And she said to me, she said, I don't think it's a good idea for you to work in field in Manila. I said, yeah, but if that's the only choice I have to do it, you know, because we have, we have to leave. And she said, oh, okay. I did not know the next Saturday I went to, I went to church. Somebody came and said, are you Ms. Fall? And I said, yes. And he said, this is my name card. This is a name card. You go and then call on Monday and then see this person.
33:03 And I said, oh, okay. Thank you. They didn't tell you who, who you were calling or how did you, who you were calling? No, he introduced himself as the treasurer of Southern Asia Pacific Division of Adventists, Seventh-day Adventists. I said, oh, okay. And he said, you go and meet my associate and then talk to him. I said, oh, okay. I went there on Monday. Okay. And then I met with him and he said, we talked, chat here and there. Finally, he said, well, Fong, because I came after lunch. He said to me, I already offered the job to somebody else before lunch. So I said, well, it's, it's okay. You know, it's happened.
33:57 You, you, you, you make a choice and then that's okay. So I did not get the first interview job. And I think about a month later. I get a letter from that same office telling me that, hey, uh, we have temporary job for six weeks. Uh, would, would you like to take it? And I said, okay. So I went there, do the job. I think I get the job done in two and a half weeks. Hmm. So I told, uh, the mastermind. I said, hey, this job done, if nothing to do tomorrow and I'm, I'm not coming because why should I come when I have nothing to do?
34:45 So they say, oh yeah, Fong, we just have meeting and then we have another project for six weeks. Would you like to take it? I said, okay. Okay. I'll do it. And I think I get that job done in three weeks. Yeah. So basically my first six weeks. Uh, job, uh, time it's not done and I already get that, uh, done for two. So I still have half week and I said, okay, I'm done, you know, anything I want to do. So the third time they came to me and they said, uh, would you like to work for us? And I said, of course. Sure. Of course. I like it. So they give me a project.
35:35 Project. First, first thing they say, can you do this reconciliation? It's like a year behind. So it's accounting. Accounting. And I was doing that and then I was doing that and then I think half day I get everything done. Uh, but I mess up when I save, I save the wrong thing and then I lost all the file. I lost all the file. So that afternoon I redo. I do everything and I get done in the afternoon and I say, Hey guys, this is, this is, this is the job that you give it to me this morning. Anything else you want me to do? So finally they give like more permanent job. So, and then it's so funny before they give me that job, they asked me, they said, Hey, you have been working, uh, six weeks.
36:33 Did you ever? Did you ever get paid? And I said, no. Oh, and they said, why didn't you ask? And I said, do I really need to ask? I don't know. And then the treasurer told, uh, the associate treasurer told me at that time, Phuong, you did not go home until you come and pick up the check from me. I said, okay. Okay. So I thought I get the check and I know. They, they, in that contract, I think they plan to pay me certain amount. So when I get my check, I think 150%. 150%. Yeah. So extra. Extra. Oh, wonderful. I, I, I just say thanks. What else can I say? Yeah. So, and then they give me the job, the permanent job. I was dealing with.
37:33 Reconciliation with all the division, all the union under the Southern Asia Pacific division. So I was doing that. And then my daughter, almost my daughter graduate from high school. So she told me, she had mommy, where, where are we going? I said, well, I have been waiting. I'm thinking after three years to go back to my country. But since, uh, uh, it's already three years and I did not see the, the political. Yeah. Uprising. Yeah. Uh, getting stable, everything. So I said, I don't know where to go, but let me start thinking about that. So I talk with my husband and while I was studying in Philippines, I, there is one teacher that's.
38:33 Very close to me. I think it's close in terms of, he knows that I have to go to school. I have to raise my kids and I have to work. Yeah. No. So he's very nice. And then when I was chatting with him, uh, he said, why don't you go to America? I said, what am I going to do there? That, well, you can, you can study. And then. Some of my. My Korean friends, they said, Phuong, don't go back to Indonesia, go to America. And I say, for what? They said, yeah, I think your kids, their English, it's very good now. Your English, it's good too. I think you will be okay in America. I said, well, I don't know, but let me see. So I was doing all research and everything.
39:26 And then finally we came to Texas. We decided to come to Texas. I said, I have to go. I said, I have to go study again. And my kids, my kids go to study. So when you got there, you had to do some additional education. Is that because in order to get your, to show that you had your degree in, in America, to get a job in America, you had to do extra education? No. Uh, I think, yeah, probably yes. I'm not really sure, but the reason I have to come to study, because that's the only way I can bring my family. That's the only way I can bring my family with me. That's the only thing. So either me or my husband have to study. Oh, I see. To get the visa. To get the visa. To bring all the family come here. So we come here, I study, and then, um, my kids go to school.
40:23 And your husband was with you? Yes. My husband with me. Did he go to school also? Uh, the first time he's not. The first semester he's not. But the second semester. He has to go to school because if no, his medical insurance that I have to cover, it's, it's like 5,000 to 6,000 a year. Oh, wow. And I feel like if I spent insurance 6,000 a year, I rather pay school bill 10,000 a semester, and he can work legally. Mm-hmm. And then, you know, that means. Something better for him and for us. So the second semester, he start, he start go to, he start studying. So you both, both you and your husband are studying. I can't imagine you have a lot of money if you're, if you're, if you're going to school.
41:19 How did you pay for, and where did you live? How did you do that? Seems like you've gone from, from Indonesia, working very nice jobs, having a very nice house, having butlers, maids, or whatever it is. Helpers. Helpers over there, drivers, to now you're, it seems almost in poverty inside, you were in Texas, is that right? Yeah, yeah. In Texas. Tell me about how you lived over there. Explain how that happened. So first time we came to Texas, okay, before we go to America, before we come to America, I talk with my daughter, and I said, we can go to America, but I don't have much money, but I don't have much money to pay your school bill. Are you willing to help working? And she said, well, definitely, mommy, I can work. And how old was she? She's six, 16. Okay. She's 16, and she graduate from high school. And she said, yes, definitely, I can do that, mommy.
42:28 I said, okay. And my husband said, what we are going to do? I said, you know what? The first thing, you cannot work because your visa will not be valid. It will not allow you to work. But he took jobs, any kind of job. People asked to pick up the grass, that kind of stuff. He will just do it because he wants to do something to help. So we came here. And then another thing, the teacher that taught me in Philippines moved to Texas. Texas. Uh-huh. So he's the one that helping me process all my paperwork and then preparing for me coming. Before we come, we were, you know, applying for visa and anything.
43:26 And I talked to him. I said, hey, as a family of five, at that time, my nephew already joined me. So six of us. So you took an additional child with you, which was your nephew, and he came over, which was? In Philippines. In the Philippines. Oh, I see. So when we have to come here, he wants to join us. So you have two, both parents, you and your husband are in school, and you had to provide for five mouths to feed and house them too. Yeah. How did you do that? Yeah. So, yeah, we arrived in Texas. First, the teacher that know me from Philippines, he picked me up. And then before I came, he already approached the dean of the school. The cafeteria to give me free food for two weeks.
44:15 Oh, wow. And free lodging for two weeks. In the meantime, he already have the list of all houses that I can rent. So when I arrive here, I have place to stay. I have food to eat. And then now I have to concentrate to find place to stay. So he said, okay, let me drive you around. Get a house for you to live. I said, okay. After that, he said, okay, next thing you need to find a car. I said, okay, go and find a car. And he bring me everywhere. And then we rent, the first time we rent a mobile home, three bedroom. Three bedroom. So my son and then my nephews live in one bedroom.
45:07 My two daughter, the other bedroom. And me and my husband, the other. So this was the first house you had? The first house we have in America. So it was, was it a house? Was it a trailer? Was it a how many? Mobile home. A mobile home. Mobile home. Okay. Mobile home. And then. A two bedroom mobile home. Three bedroom. Three bedroom mobile home. And then we rented for that. And then, well, everything it's, it's. Before I moved to the house, I have a list of all people that give me from bed. To linen, to utensils, to everything, everything. And then there's one person even give me money, said, hey, I'm going for vacation. I know I cannot see you, but please pass this to her through my teacher.
46:02 Please pass this to her. I said, oh, okay. Thank you so much. I never think that American will be that way. And that's very touching for me. It's very touching. Okay. So, okay. After we get a house, try to manage everything in the house. We have to start. I have to start looking for a job. Yeah. I look for a job and then based on my experience, I can look for a job in the accounting finance. Of course, it's not easy because in the school, they already have certain employee doing their job. So I, I start to go and visit them and they say, oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. So finally, I applied in what? Cafeteria. Cafeteria. Cafeteria will always open for people to work.
46:57 So I worked there. The first day, they told me, okay. And I came, they said, you have to clean the toilet. Oh. I never cleaned the toilet in my life. Never. Never. Because remember, I have helper. Yeah. And helpers, yeah. Even in Philippines, I think I have a part-time helper that come three hours a day. So I was cleaning the toilet and my tears just came out. Oh, yeah. I, and then I look at the mirror and I said to myself, Phuong, why you cry? You determine that you're going to come here. You know all this consequences.
47:45 Why you cry? I just take a toilet paper. I just take a tissue and wipe and clean everything. And that's the only day they asked me to clean the toilet. Oh, wow. After that, they never asked me to clean the toilet. So I work in the cafeteria for a couple months. And then somebody from cashier's office, it's looking for employee. So they reach out the cafeteria. And they said, can we talk with Phuong? And I said, yes. And I said, yes, how can I help you? And they said, oh, we want to interview for the job in cashier. Would you like to try?
48:34 And I said, yeah, definitely. And I sent my resume that afternoon. I have interviewed. And then they said, okay, you can start working. I said, wait, wait. I have to talk with my people in cafeteria. And then he said to me, how much they pay you? I'll pay you more. Oh, wow. And then I said, and then after that, he realized, probably he said, well, well, well, but it's up to you. And I said, well, it's not, I'm picky about the job. But the job in the cashier office, it's more aligned to my major. And he said, oh, okay, I understand. So I work in the cashier office for a year and a half, a year, I think, a year while I take my master role again. So, yeah. So you were still in, you were still living in the three-bedroom trailer.
49:30 Okay, we live in the three-bedroom trailer for a year, a year and a little bit more. Okay. And then after that, I was walking in the afternoon. Was it a rental or was it? Rental. Rental, okay. Yeah, I was walking in the afternoon and then my husband said, hey, there's a small house for sale. And I said, well, let's check how much the price. I don't have money. I don't have money. And he said, we look at the house, oh, it's $47,500. You know, that's back 2000. In 2006, I think. 2006.
50:20 So after that, I said, well, he don't have that money. Yeah. But I think I can borrow money because I will, I will graduate. I think I will graduate. I already graduate, I think. And I'm going, I'm going to start looking for a job. I said, let's look for that. Let's look for the house and then see what we can do. And then we look for the house and then we pray everything. And then I said, you know what? I don't have that much money. Why don't we talk with the realtor and tell them how much I can pay? And so I talked with the realtor and said, hey, would this person sell for $30,000? And they said, oh, no.
51:13 They said. Look, they can, owner's financing. And I said, no, no, I don't, I don't like that. I just about to look for a job and then I don't have money, but I don't like that. So again, I was, and he talk and then it's happened. This house has been in the market for months. The owner died. The daughter of the owner is old enough. Basically, she just want to get rid of the house. So finally they said, okay, we will give you. And I said, oh, okay. $30,000. I look at my bank account. I think I only have $10,000. $10,000. Yeah. Just $10,000.
52:05 Just make sure that, you know, if something happened. Yeah. So I call my sister and I said, hey. Can you. Borrow me $20,000, if I'm not wrong. Your sister's still in the. Yeah, in my country. And then as soon as work, I will pay you back. And she said, okay, okay, okay. Don't worry about that. So she just sent me the money. So I bought that house cash. And we moved to that house. So basically we did not pay rent now. Because in my brain. I pay rent. $10 a month. A year, how much? $6,000, right? I bought this house, $30,000. In five years, I get free housing, basically.
52:57 Plus a little, you know. Luckily, I did not pay interest. So basically, I don't have to spend money for rent. And so this is, I think, a key point. I know we just glossed over it real quick. But I think it's such an important point. I want to stop you right there and talk about it a bit. Because I don't think many, many in America, including myself, when I grew up, really think about debt. We really think about the understanding of how much is it that I'm putting in towards something. And when do I actually make money off of it? Because for you, it was a transaction. You had learned through your business and through understanding, even from your upbringing from a long time ago, that there are swings in life. From poor to rich, to poor to rich.
53:47 And we have to make sure we know what we're doing with our money in order to continue our life correctly. And so you were thinking along the lines of accounting and saying, okay, this is a $30,000 house. And by today's standard, that's really cheap. But I've been in that house and it was small. It was just enough for you guys to live in maybe two bedrooms. Is that right? It's two bedrooms. And we changed. It's basically the laundry room. We turned into bedroom, including laundry room. So we make that a bedroom. So it's basically three bedrooms. Three bedrooms. And from my real estate background, I'm thinking, does it have a closet? And you couldn't permit it that way because it had to have all that other stuff.
54:36 But at least you could live in three different bedrooms and have your kids in three different bedrooms because they were growing up. They are growing up, but we have a big yard. Mm-hmm. It's like half acre. Mm-hmm. So they can run here and there. And so that's really inexpensive for a house. But it was still, I mean, as you were coming to America, the exchange rate from Indonesia to America is pretty significant. Probably hits you pretty hard. Yeah. And so you became from wealthy to poor almost overnight coming and realizing I have only this much and I need just a little bit more to buy this house and then we can survive. You can survive after 10 years, correct? After six years. Six years. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, no, after five years because 500 a month, 6,000 a year, 30,000 divided by 6,000, it's five years. It's payback. Mm-hmm. I learned that payback in our school.
55:34 But besides that, you know, yes, it's a payback period. So after that, we leave rent free. Mm-hmm. And then with rent free, I will be able to collect that money and pay back to my sister. You know, instead of paying the landlord, I pay my sister back. Yes. And so you're able to pay that back and live rent free from then on. I think in America, we get the idea that mortgage is mortgage. You get a mortgage for the rest of your life until you die. And you don't have to be that way. No, we don't have to be. And then I heard, somebody told me, somebody told me, well, mortgage interest, it's tax deductible.
56:29 Mm-hmm. Yes, tax deductible, I agree. But how much you pay and how much the deductible. Mm-hmm. So basically, you have to pay more. Mm-hmm. And then if you watch American advertising, it's always like, take now, pay later. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. But every convenient costs money. Yeah. Because they put all the interest in you and then take the money for them. And they, probably I'm sarcasm, but they sit there earning the money that you work really hard to make that money. Absolutely. So, and I try not to be that way. There is one funny things happen when I was paying my kid's school bill. Okay. So, I already work, and I have about $5,000 in my bank account.
57:27 And then I have to go to the school to pay my daughter's school bill. Mm-hmm. And then I said, how much do I need to pay her for this semester? Because we have to pay up fund, right? And she said, well, I said, I don't have much money. And she said, well, we need $5,000 for the whole semester. And I look at the advisor, and I said, if I pay cash now, what will be the discount? Mm-hmm. And she said, oh, we give 5% discount. And I said, well, okay, I pay that $5,000. And she look at me like, really weird. She said, you told me. You didn't have money.
58:20 And now you want to pay $5,000 cash. And I said, here's the thing. I only have $5,000. Either I pay you installment and missing the $250, because for me, every single penny make up. Or I give up my $5,000 using that $250 for my grocery for two weeks. Yeah. Until I get pay, my next paycheck. And she said, Phuong, I don't understand you. And I said, well. I completely understand. As an American growing up in America, completely oblivious to how money works, because I don't think we really, really take advantage of it. We don't take advantage of how this works, because we think this is how society works. You buy a car with finance.
59:13 You buy a house with finance. You buy all this stuff. Everything finance. And you have it. And you look very wealthy, but everything is debt. And so you, on the other hand, were saying, hey, look, this is how much I have. I am poor, but I don't want to use debt in order to make myself more wealthy. And so when you were saying, hey, you know what? You've got to help me. Is there anything you can do? 5%? Yes, I'll take it. I'll take 5%. People think, well, this person is very wealthy because they have all this cash. But really, that's all. That's all you have. That's all I have. And that's why she looks at me like totally weird. I don't understand you. I said, well, that's how I live my life. But yeah, that's, for me, every single thing makes the difference.
1:00:07 And I think the lesson learned, and we're not done. I want to hear the rest of your story, but I think this is a pinnacle point. The lesson learned here is live within your means. I mean, if you are making, if you're working at a, Starbucks as a barista, or if you're working at, you know, a small restaurant, you can't go out and buy a $400,000 house. You can't, because even though you probably can't afford it up to a point, you're not going to be able to make ends meet. And I resonate with that. You know, I want to share one thing with you. I work, first work, first job I have in America, it's working for a hotel as an accountant and controller. So I have my boss, and then it's funny thing. I look at my boss, he struggle, every single thing, every single month struggle to pay which one first, electric, water, or, you know, a car, and that kind of stuff.
1:01:12 And I know for sure, he make twice as much as me. Mm-hmm. Because I do all the payroll. Mm-hmm. Definitely, I know how busy I am. Yeah. Yeah. So, and then, one day, and I hope people not take me wrong, but I watch him every single day. He will go to the vending machine, and then get Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, whatever call in the vending machine. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And one day, I said, hey, why you take that? We have Diet Coke in the cafeteria where employee can take it for free. Said, oh, that's not nice. I like this one. Convenience. Convenience. And he said, it's just $1. I said, it's, yes, it's $1. You have three every day, $3. In a month, you spend $100.
1:02:14 Wow. Which you can get that free. Yeah. Yeah. Besides, I feel like so much sugar in that. That's not talk about health. But you spend something that you can get something for free. And it's not illegal to take that for free. No, it's prepared for the employee. So, but he struggled to pay his bill. Mm-hmm. He struggled. And he make twice as much as me, and he didn't have family. He just have two dogs with him. Wow. And I have to feed six people in the house. Wow. So, wealth is not how much you make. It's how much you save. No. It's not how much you make. It's how you manage. How you manage it. Yeah, how you manage. Because I can share you one story in Hawaii.
1:03:11 My husband work with someone in the... Assisted living or convalescent, something like that. So, they work. And then this guy makes so much money. I think combine my husband's salary and my salary, he earn probably more than both of us. Wow. He earn more than both of us. And every single day, it's not every single... Yeah. Almost every single day or week, he will borrow money from my husband. For me, it's weird. Wow. And then I said, why? And my husband said, I don't know.
1:04:03 Up to the time, he wants to borrow money. And I feel like if we keep let him borrow money from us, it's not teaching him how to do good finances. Right. Because he has like IRS debt. And we already help him. Okay, we pay. So, IRS will not interest you, but you pay us back in 6 or 12 time installment. We already did. And every week still. So, finally, I told my husband, no, you are not going to borrow anything to him. And he said, but he get mad with me if I did not do it. And I said, if that's... That's the case. And then you quit that job, look for another job. Because he's big. Yeah. My husband is small. I think he just punch one time, my husband will be out.
1:05:00 So, I don't want that to happen. And then one day, my husband told me, this is what he did. Because he cannot get money from my husband, he borrow from the... What? Pound shop. Oh, pound shop? Pound shop. Pound shop. And I said, how he borrow that money? He said, he borrow $300 and he has to pay at the end of the week, $350. Okay? That pound shop, you said it's $50, but that pound shop make $50 out of $300 in a week. Wow. 16% in a week. And then I said, well... What do you think if the pound shop become us? I'm just joking with my husband. So, and then I said, okay.
1:05:58 Well, what do you think if you tell him we pay this and he never go back? No. What he did, he borrow $300, the end of the week pay $350, and then borrow another $300. Oh, wow. So, pay another $350. So, one month, you already pay $200 just interest. It's a bad deal. It's a bad deal. But he did that. Yeah. And I told my husband, that's why I said, if he's not going to educate himself, all our help to him will be a waste. Absolutely. And I like to help people if they are willing to learn to improve themselves. Yes. If not, no. Yes. Yes. Yes. So, you were at a crossroads. You were at a time in your life where you had this $30,000 house and you still had to put the kids through college and you were educating yourself at the college, right?
1:07:04 For your visa. No. No. I think when I have that house, I already done with my colleagues. So, I already start earning money. Gotcha. Not to pay rent. That's one thing. I already have free rent. And then whatever I earn, I save some so I can pay my sister. I think I pay my sister back in less, it's about two years, I think. In two years. Yeah. So, you're climbing out of the, and you're teaching your kids at the same time because they are just like you were at a young age, very poor. And they were very poor at a young age, too. So, they are learning that money is not something that's just free. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. To actually put work in for. You have to earn. And manage correctly. You have to earn. And then there is one thing that I feel like, you know, the way I watch a lot of my friends' things happen and that there is a difference between earning and blessing.
1:08:10 Mm-hmm. Earning, you can plan, oh, I'm going to take that job so I get paid $100,000 a year. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Blessing, it's different. Something that you don't know. Mm-hmm. Because you can earn $100,000 a year and then you went to the hospital and you finish up the $100,000. Mm-hmm. And that's where the blessing comes. Absolutely. So I feel as we live, I'm not saying I already know everything about the Bible, but if we live God's way, Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. When he will bless us, like your car did not break for no reason. Mm-hmm. That kind of stuff. You know, you did not end up in the hospital for no reason or something.
1:09:07 So, and that's why I think, yes, I go along, but I feel like I am blessed. I'm the most blessed person. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Whether you choose to be rich or to be blessed, and I will choose to be blessed. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Because when you, a lot of my friends, they are rich, but I don't see that they live peacefully. Right. And I feel like when you are blessed, you live peacefully. Mm-hmm. Saying that in life we never make mistakes, of course we make a lot of mistakes, but as long as we live peacefully, we live peacefully. Mm-hmm. Because every time you make mistake, you go back and say, sorry, God, I make mistakes, please guide me.
1:10:02 Mm-hmm. And then I think we will back in the track. Absolutely. Absolutely. Okay. So right now, you're at a point where you're doing okay. You have a house paid off, you have kids that are in school, and you have a job, right? Things progressed out of this. And have become much better throughout life. Tell me what happened after that. And tell me not only this, but I also want to know about, if you're willing, tell me a little bit about some of the jobs you worked at and getting them out of financial difficulty as well. Oh, yeah. I haven't graduate yet. I supposed to graduate in August. And then in July, my friends went for interview in Fort Worth. And then after interview, she called me, she said, Fong, would you like to interview in that place?
1:10:56 I said, why? They offer me the job, but I think it's too far from my house. And this was a hotel? Yeah. Okay. In a hotel. So I said, well, I haven't graduate, but I can go for interview. So I went for interview. And then after interview, they said, well, you can start working. And I said, okay. I still have the job in the school and at the school at that time. So I said, well, I will come on this date. So I talked to my supervisor in the cashier office. I said, hey, I get a job. And they want me to start this date. And he said, oh, okay. So before I leave, my boss said, what do you think if I hire your daughter? And my daughter said, well, I can, you can check.
1:11:55 I can ask my daughter to come. Which one? Which one? Was it first daughter or second daughter? Krista. Okay. Krista. First daughter. Yeah. And then it's funny thing. Krista, before Krista, after Krista graduate, Krista get the job. And then before she left, they asked if they can hire a day here. So that's how that job, it's like, you know, from me. And this is graduating college? College. College. College. Yeah. So I took the job. They offer me. So I start. When I start, they told me my salary will be $10 an hour. And then, of course, I have no clue what's the price range. Sure. I have no understanding that we can Google. I have nothing of that. Where $10, it's okay. $10, I can work for $10. I can bring food to my kids. So I will start working, working, and I think after three days, we have a meeting and there is a problem, and then we were talking, and then my supervisor said, well, there's no way we can solve this problem.
1:13:12 And I think God gave me kind of knowledge, and I say to them, well, I think we can do it. We can solve this problem in three days. And then they said, sure, you can do it? I said, yes, sure, I can do it. What was the problem? I think there is a problem. Oh, I forget. I think it's accounts payable problem or something that we have to rekey in all the stuff and this kind of stuff. And I said, well, we can do it. And then I just do it. And then after that, my boss came to me and he said, well, Fong, I'm going to pay you $12.50 instead of $10.
1:14:04 I haven't got my first paycheck, though. And I said, oh, okay, thank you. So and then something happened, too. They have another problem. And I was telling my boss, I said, I think I can solve this problem. And he said, the owner said. I said, well, I think it's too hard. I said, no, I think it's not hard. It's just okay. You can get it done probably. Probably it takes about a week. He said, okay. So I get it done in a week. And then he came back to me. He's the one that came back to me and said, you know, Fong, I think I'm going to pay you salary. And then that salary convert to $14.50 an hour. Basically. And what year was this, roughly? 2006.
1:14:59 Okay. Yeah, 2006, I think. And I said, oh, okay, thank you. So I have, I get three increase without even asking. I think that's a blessing for me. So my daughter, one by one, start finish the school. And then Krista. Yeah. So probably you. You were wondering how I pay all their school bill. Yeah. So when Krista in college, as she promised me, she's going to work. So the first year, remember we have a house. So I cook breakfast, lunch, dinner for my kids. I, if I have to wait, go to work seven o'clock or seven. Yeah. Seven o'clock. I wake up like five o'clock and cook for breakfast, eat breakfast with the kids.
1:15:59 The kids go to school and I go to work. I prepare food for lunch so they can eat lunch. And then come back home. I cook for their dinner. So we don't have, basically Krista don't have to pay food in the, in the school. Just pay the tuition. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So pay the tuition. I think the first year. The first semester, which, the first year, I think I pay $2,000 or $3,000 for her school bill. Wow. Because she paid off everything with her work. Mm-hmm. She work as a teacher's assistant. Mm-hmm. And she works in the cashier office. Mm-hmm. And then in the night, if she has extra hours.
1:16:53 Mm-hmm. She will say, Mommy, I will babysit somebody's kid. Wow. So she works there. And then I think after sophomore, she choose, she apply to be a student association treasurer. And then she get that job. And she came with me and said, Mommy, I need a cell phone. I said, for what? Mm-hmm. And she said, I get a job as student association treasurer. And they are going to call me. We are going to have meeting. And I said to her, how much you make for student association treasurer job? She said, $200 a month. I said, okay. And then how much the cell phone cost for you a month?
1:17:45 It's $35. Mm-hmm. And I said, go ahead and then take it and then do it. Mm-hmm. So she get the... Cell phone to cover her job, basically. And I think the second year, the third year, I pay less and less because she was able to earn her own money. Cool. Yeah. Well, yeah, that's... She's done now. I have a little saving, basically, for them go to college. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So before Krista go to college, I have like... And this was saved before you moved to Indonesia? Before you moved to Indonesia or after? Before I moved to Indonesia. Sure. Before I moved from Indonesia. Remember I told Krista that I will not be able to pay all. Yeah. Because I only have like $15,000, $30,000.
1:18:40 Yeah. So I said, okay, this $30,000, it's going to pay the school bill for two years. Mm-hmm. And then you have to work to make sure. So that's the savings of $30,000 is what you came to the United States? Is that what I'm understanding? Uh, no, that money is still in my country. Oh, okay. But I have that money. Gotcha. I have in the deposit or something like that. Just in case. Yeah, just in case. So when we moved to America, I bring that money with me, but for kids to go to school. Mm-hmm. So I never touch that except for tuition. Even for buying a house? Mm-hmm. No. Okay. Because it's very purposefully. I know a lot of Americans that would say, you know, we have nothing. And I think that we should dip into our savings account for our children.
1:19:34 I have friends that have had that happen, and their parents let them know later on. I'm really, really sad when that happens, but I'm amazed you guys didn't do that. And I'm even so poor, you focused on saying the kids need this money. And so we're not going to, even though we have reached. We've reached our bottom in Texas here. We're not going to catch that money for the kids. No. I never. So I'm very purposeful. Besides that, you know, before I come, when I am in America, my sister sent $50,000. Mm-hmm. Because she's afraid that I'm going to get poor and then live with nothing. Is this the same one that gave $20,000? No. Okay. This is different one. This is the oldest one. Different sister. Yeah. Yeah. But I... Put that money in the... I think I put in saving or anything like that.
1:20:29 When we arrive here, until I get job. When I get job, I can guarantee to my sister everything is okay. So I return her money. So you never used it? Never use it. Never use it. So may I ask you a question? I think that everyone's going to have questions on. It seems that since all your sisters and your siblings, your seven... You said your mother and father had seven, not kids. They were all raised during a time that had a very, very traumatic finances. So they probably learned finances pretty, at least most of your children, or most of your siblings. Is it safe to say that most, if not all, of your other sisters and brothers are also doing well? It seems that if they're able to send $30,000 from $50,000...
1:21:19 Yes. Yes. They are doing well. Actually, if you think, and I used to joke with my friends, probably I am the poorest in my family. I'm the poorest in my family, but I don't feel that. I don't feel that. I feel like I'm very blessed. I feel that I'm very blessed. Is that, are you saying that at this point in your life, you're still the poorest, or at that time in Texas, you were still the poorest? Even now. Even now. Even now. Yeah. Even now. Even now. Even now. Even now. I'm probably the poorest of them. Can you briefly say just a couple things of what your family does over there? Just for, don't give the whole story, but... My oldest sister, she now retired, but she has a travel agent company that my oldest sister...
1:22:12 What is a travel agent, you said? Travel agency. Oh, travel agency. Yeah. So basically, but her travel agency, it's for... Trade fair. It's not for vacation. She added a little bit, just, you know, okay, if you go for work to attend a trade fair in somewhere, and you want to have an extra, an extra, it's vacation, it's okay. But her major, her major business, it's the trade fair. Trade fair. And she, she retired, I think, a couple years ago, two, three years ago, if I'm not wrong. That's very good. Yeah. Good. My other sister have a sauce, salt, sausage?
1:23:11 Oh, food. Yeah. Food company. So she makes like... Hot sauce. Tomato sauce. Okay. Pepper. Salt. In that small, small things, all of that thing. She has like three, three middle-sized factory, if I'm not wrong now. And she's in, in the process of building another huge factory. So she's becoming her own little Debbie. Yeah. And then her food, it's not just selling in Indonesia. Even the last time I heard that a person, a person from Arab Saudi come and sign contract, that's the point. Wow. Yeah. So it sounds like all your family, if not some of them, or siblings, really got really smart on how to do business through that age of growing up.
1:24:07 They really understood the money. I, yes, I can say yes. And then I'm not sure if I say this wrong or not, but I even feel like that's already in our blood. Yeah, sure. That's already in our blood. Because if you can imagine... I never teach Desha to, to do business at the age of 11. Yeah. One day she talked to me, Mommy, are you going to go to the market tomorrow? Oh no. First she said, Mommy, can I borrow a hundred pesos from you? And I say, for what? No, you don't need to ask for what. I'll just borrow. I'll pay you back. Trust me, Mommy. I'll pay you back. I said, oh, okay. Okay. And then... So I have to go. Give a hundred pesos. Cannot ask anything.
1:24:59 The next Sunday, before Sunday, like Saturday night, she said, Mommy, are you going to the market tomorrow? I said, yes. Can I join with you? I said, yeah, yeah. What you're going to do there? Don't ask what am I going to do. Just, just let me go with you. I said, okay. But, Mommy, I'm going to go with Daddy and you just go shop alone. Daddy will go with me. I said, okay. So I let them do it. And then after I go buying groceries, everything, I come to the car, have a lot of candies. Candies, bubble gum, everything. How much can a hundred pesos buy? I think it's, it's quite a lot, though. It's, it's quite a lot. How much is pesos in, in, in American? US dollar, I think one fee, one, one dollar fifty peso at that time.
1:25:55 One dollar fifty pesos. So it was, so it was probably for two dollars, but inflation and all that stuff, it was probably more like ten dollars back then. Yeah. Okay. So she said to, and as I look at the candy, she knows my reaction will be, I'm not, I don't like it because I told them not to eat candy a lot, you know, and then say, Mom, don't get mad. Okay. Okay. Okay, Mom, just calm down. Don't say anything. Okay. Okay. Okay. So we arrived home. I was thinking, what she's going to do with the candy? And then finally, when we arrived home, she start to go in the kitchen and try to look for a jar, you know, and she put all the candy in the jar. And I said, oh, okay. And then she take us our table, our small table. And she put everything in there, all the jars. I said, what she's going to do? She said, I'm going to sell, Mommy. And I said, how is she going to sell?
1:27:09 She bring an aluminum bowl outside. It's like, it's like break time for the school. She bring the aluminum bowl outside. And then she starts spanking with spoon. Spank, spank, spank, spank. And everybody said, Disha, what happened? Disha, what happened? And she said, no, I have a store. I have a small store inside my apartment. And then she sit there and then start selling all this candy. She start selling all the candies. But, you know, from that, from that small business that she has with 100 pesos, I think after probably a year, she was able to make 3,000 pesos a month.
1:28:06 Three, a month? A month. 3,000 pesos a month. So people got around that she had this store going. She was able to take it and buy more candies and more candies and more candies. And then it's not just candy. After candy, she start to buy toys. Mm-hmm. And then. And then one day she was playing toys and I said, Disha, you haven't sell. And then you use it. You know how you're going to make money. And then she said to me, mommy, if I did not use it, how people knows how to play this toy? Yeah. And I think, hmm, that makes sense. Probably I just didn't have the marketing, marketing sense. She has better marketing sense than me. So she start playing and she sell a lot. So every, every break time, she came home, take food, eating food while selling stuff.
1:29:05 That's what she did. And then back in my country, we like to eat out like once a week, you know. And then when we go to Philippine, we stop because, you know, we don't have much money. Mm-hmm. And she said, mommy, starting now, we are going to eat. Eat out every Sunday. I'm going to pay for that. And I feel like, whoa. But, but what you say, see all the stuff, see, see, make the rule and everything. Okay, mommy, just follow. Yeah, but that's what happened. She found a need. Was the kids, she knew the kids need, wanted candy. Okay, yeah. And she fulfilled it and made a business out of it. Yeah. At such a young age. Yeah. And that's the one thing I, I honor.
1:29:55 I honestly thank God. I'm just a mother that probably did not know how to teach them, but God give them wisdom to understand the need of the family and everything. And I never asked them to help me raise, you know, raising fund or that kind of stuff. But they, they did that. Yeah. They did that. Yeah. And which is what she went into marketing, right? Marketing in college. Yeah. That's what she did. She went to, she wants to go for entrepreneur. And I told her, I said, you know what? I don't think that's good for, it's not, I'm not saying it's not good for her, but it's already in your blood. Why you have to go to college for that? Look for something else that will giving additional point to your life. Yeah. So she took finance and marketing. I said, because when you took finances, when you have your own business, nobody can cheat your, your accounting.
1:30:55 Nobody can steal money from you without you knowing that because you have the knowledge. Yes. And then marketing, just why you learn marketing, because this is different from our country. So you have to understand how to market in America better than, you know, better basically. Very good. Very good. So take me, take me down the road. You, you're, you're still in Texas at this point. And you. We don't have to go into everything up until this point, but I want to give an overview of, of your successes and how you've also helped other businesses as well. Okay. Like I said, when I, when I took the job in Texas, they, they owe vendors, they owe electric company, and this is a hotel. So my boss always care if he get a call, especially look at a call.
1:31:54 The number it's from electric company, he won't pick up the call. But I told him, I said, we cannot do that because I have one, probably it's basic on all things that I'm doing. I always keep golden rule. Do to others what you want others do to you. That's golden rule. So if I call you and you never pick up your phone and you owe me money, I'm going to get mad, right? So he never. He never pick up and he said, no, no, no, no, no. You're going to come and cut off the electric. And then, you know, what happened this water? I said, yeah, but you have to talk to them. No, no, no, no. We don't have money to pay. So don't pick up the phone. But okay. One day he's not there. I pick up the phone. So I pick up the phone and then I said, Hey, how can I help you?
1:32:49 And he said, well, you know, you owe five months electric bill. Never. Hey, my, my, my. And I said, okay, I, I see that. And I said, Hey, let me tell you something. I am new in here, but I admit that's company debt. Yeah. Okay. But I'm new here. So I'm still learning and all this kind of process. Can we make a deal? And he said, what kind of deal? I said, here, you come, you cut off my electric, electric hotel cannot run without electric. You know that. So hotel debt, you debt, because I will not be able to pay the bill.
1:33:40 And he said, yeah. And then what? Why don't you froze that number? I think base basic 2006, it's 250,000. We owe them five months electric bill. 250,000. I said, you froze that number. Quarter million dollars in electric. I'm going to keep paying every month. Never owe you anything. I'm going to pay every time I get the bill, I will pay you. Whenever I have extra cash flow, I'm going to start paying off the 250,000. And he said, Hey, Fong, I think that's a good deal. Okay. Don't ever call me again. Okay. To cut off my electric. Like I said, yeah, yeah, yeah. I will never do that. So that's happened. And I pay off the bill in 15 months.
1:34:33 Oh, wow. After 15 months, I was able to manage the cash flow and everything. So I pay off that. I stopped paying off, I think, month four or month five, and then pay off in month 15. So they have other vendor that they did not pay. And then the debt collector start calling me. And I said, okay. He said, oh, you have this much debt. I said, okay, I'm new. What can I do? And I said, can we bargain one to 50? Meaning to say, if I owe them $1,000, I pay 500 and they will write off the rest. And he said, there are some company agree, some not. But they said, yes. But you have to overnight the check. And I said, overnight the check?
1:35:30 It's $15 at that time, if I'm not wrong. I'm not going to spend $15. No, that's not necessity. And I said, this is the check number. I'm not going to overnight because overnight, it's cost me a lot. I'm going to pay 25 cent USPS first mail. First, they don't like it. I said, you don't like it? It's okay, no deal. And so finally, I think they lose threatening me. That's the thing that I would say, they lose threatening me. I was able to pay off all their debt for, I think, yeah, 14, 15 months I worked there. They pay off. So then in the hotel, we have a lot of contract and we start have to have a new contract after a new contract.
1:36:24 And then I start to negotiate the contract. And then something I found, it's funny, because in the hotel, you have all your employees that work as a cleaning service, they have to use uniform. All in the kitchen have to use uniform. And I can write the contract with somebody. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. The price, less than five years ago, the first contract that they have, like their first contract, assuming like $1,000, I get with $900 for the same quality, the same everything. It's just managing the money correctly. Managing the money correctly. Daily looking at the budget, daily looking at what's coming and going out and saying, do you need this? Yeah. It's always... It's my philosophy of spending. It's spend for something that you need, not what you want.
1:37:34 Yeah. Because here's what I feel. The Bible said that we have to live content. Mm-hmm. And I'm not sure people understand probably better than me, but I will phrase things like this. God promised to fulfill your needs. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. But God never promised to fulfill your wants. Mm-hmm. Why? Because the more you have, the more you want. Mm-hmm. And then that's why I said even God cannot fulfill your wants. God can do everything, but cannot, not because God cannot, but because you keep wanting more and more and more. Yeah. And then that's, you know, people ask, because I know accounting and finance. Oh, Fong, what is the formula?
1:38:30 I said, my formula, it's very easy. It's just spend what you need and not what you want. Oh, if that the case, and you never spend, you never enjoy your life. Of course I enjoy my life. You remember back 2008? Yeah. Right? When the economics start falling down. I was working as the treasurer of a school at that time, business manager of the school. And then a parent came. She came to me and said, hey, Fong, so what you cut? I said, what do you mean? You know, this economic, it's going down. What you cut in your household? I said, no. And she looks at me. She said, you didn't cut anything? And she mentioned to me, she said, I cut my dine out.
1:39:19 Usually three times a week. Now it's one time a week. Her din? What is it? Dine out. Oh, dining out? Dining out. Yeah. And I said, well, I did not dine out until I have extra money. So I don't have to cut anything. Because if you ask me to cut, and I will starve. That's all right. Because I only buy what I need. And then people said, oh, I need Mercedes Benz. I need this Cadillac. I need this. No, we need transport. I remember. I remember there's another company that I worked. And then we were discussing. And then one person insisted to have internet.
1:40:11 That huge man. Because his kids playing games in the night. Okay. He didn't tell anybody. But at that time, the entity cover everything, including internet in the house. And I told him, no. And he said, oh, well, we need for the school. I said, no. And I said, hey, if you need transportation, Corolla, it's okay. We don't need Mercedes Benz. And then they insisted. So they talked to the president. Oh. And then I think the president misunderstand. And he approved. Oh. He approved that. So one day his wife came to me and said, hey, Fong, I need. $2,000 to fix somebody's house.
1:41:04 And he said, why you ask me? And she said, yes, because you are the CFO of this entity. I said, your husband spent something without my approval. Why should you ask me? It's so funny. See, I didn't know. She called her husband after get out of my office. She called her husband. And then 15 minutes later, her husband called me. Hey, Fong, what's the problem? I said. What's the problem? No problem. He said, yeah, but my wife said blah, blah, blah. And I said, well, true, right? You approve to spend very high megabytes of internet. And then you disagree with me. He said, no. They told me without that they can operate.
1:41:53 I said, no, that's not true. So he said, okay, wait 15 minutes. I'll call you back. In that. 15 minutes. He meet with all of them by phone. And he said, I cancel what I decide. Because we need only Toyota Corolla. And we didn't need Mercedes-Benz. I just laugh. But yeah, that's a lot of things. I work for another school. They are in bad shape. And then as soon as I take over the job. And then the. But it's almost graduation time. And then I see in that table, they order Tesla. What overnight shipping.
1:42:47 I look at that and I said, graduation, it's two weeks from now. But they order overnight shipping. So I go to them and I said, next time, no overnight shipping. Well, Phuong, we need that. You can plan ahead and plan ahead. I'm not going to pay overnight shipping. If you order overnight shipping, you pay for overnight shipping. I'm not going to pay. And then probably people feel like I'm so. Stingy. Stingy. But I'm not because $15 here, $30 here, $20 here a month. It's a lot. It's a lot of money. So that's beside that they have contracts. They have maintenance contract with another company and we have maintenance guy there.
1:43:43 And then look at the contract. It's like $5,500 per quarter, if I'm not wrong. Yeah. $5,500. That's back 2007. So it's a lot. So I call the maintenance guy. I said. I don't think. We need this contract. And he said, of course we need. I said, okay, how many times in a day you need their help? How many times in a week you need their help? How many times in a month and how many times in a year? Oh, probably we need about two, three times a year. And why you have contract? 22,000 a year. Wow. He said, well, it's just easier. Their answer is always like that. It's. It's easier.
1:44:32 I said, it's easier, but it's cost the school 22,000. Right. Do you know that? And he said, well, for. It's okay. I said, okay. So I called the company. This is a contract. So we cannot break the contract. Right. I called them and I said, Hey, I want to cancel the contract. They said, of course you cannot because the contract you cannot cancel. I said, well, it's up to you. You have two choice. We cancel the contract and we keep, we have business with you. Every time I need you, I call and you come and give me the code for the price. And I pay you or you keep the contract and I will never pay you. So you have two choice. And finally he said, okay, I, I choose the, I cancel the contract and we have keep business with you.
1:45:27 Wow. I said, okay. So at least we save 22,000. And it's just one small thing, which there is a lot of people did not pay attention. Right. One day in the, in the company, every time I receive a bill, I did not just pay the bill. What this bill for, what service they give to us. So one day I have a, I receive a bill from a copy machine. You may remember in this, in this country, people renting the copy machine, lease, what they call lease. Because people say, oh, you just pay 750 a month and you have a good machine. Yeah. Right. One day I received this and I was looking for the copier that they use. The copier it's in the dungeon stuck with old paper.
1:46:31 They never use, but we keep paying $300 a month. What's, what's sense behind that? Right. There's no sense. There's no, you don't need to spend that money. Right. So I called the, I called the copier machine and I said, pick up your machine. I'm not going to pay. Let's, let's cancel the contract. And then one thing that you have to remember too, and this is probably, it's more professional things. Yes. When you have profession and you deal with contract, make sure to read very carefully termination. Clause. Clause. Because termination clause, it's always tie you. The reason why I said that, because every, several entity that I work, they have contract that this, this is how it says.
1:47:28 Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And oftentimes they only have like a month to cancel it. And then they will say, if you did not call or email us two months before. Yes. Always have something that you have to put in brain. Yes. But nowadays, Google, it's so easy. You put in the calendar. They will remind you. My daytime, I don't have Google. But I put in note. Okay, this date, my copy machine will, I have to remind them. This date, I have to, all things, it's in the termination clause. I always have to put in the note.
1:48:25 So to kind of, because that machine that I said they pay 300? Not because they decide to renew, but the company renew automatically because the contract said so. So after that, I said, no, it will be. First, they renew automatically. You have to avoid that. Secondly, they renew the contract automatically yearly. So you stuck in a year. If they said they, if you happen, feel like, well, I just let do automatically. But you have to make sure it's monthly. So you can cut off any month. So the first choice, no automatic. The second choice, if you have to, you don't have choice. And then make sure renew automatically monthly.
1:49:25 And then that's the thing that a lot of people did not. Did not pay attention on that. Don't just accept the contracts. Read them. Read them carefully. Read them carefully. I have another school that I, an entity that I manage. They have five, they have six or seven different buildings. So they, in five buildings, they have five copier machine. No, they have each in that different building. So they have five copier machine. So when I buy the copier machine, I did not go through the copier company. I pay cash. Here's the reason why. Copier machine, they come to you. Oh, you just sign a list with me.
1:50:21 You have five copier machine. Each machine only 350 a month only. Okay. But when you realize in the machine price, they already up, first thing. The second thing, the every month you pay 350 times five, 1,750. If assuming you save 1,250, you still have 500 for buying ink, buying every time. And if there is broken, you can fix it with the 500 dollar. But a lot. So people did not think that way. I even, somebody even told my president, I think that's the worst decision she ever made as a CFO. Because I bought the machine cash. And here's the, here's what make him mad.
1:51:18 They used to buy machine leasing. So every time call, people come. That time the machine just arrived. I forget what's the brand of the machine. The machine just arrived. I think the person that bring the machine or they plug wrongly and the machine did not work. So when they call the machine company, machine said, well, since you didn't have contract with us, so we cannot come and fix. So they came to me and I call the machine company. I said, are you telling me that you sell me 10,000 copier machine for junk? $10,000 copier machine. $10,000 copier machine. And then just one day, no even work. And you said you cannot come and fix it. Are you selling me a junk? This is okay. Okay. We will send technician to fix it.
1:52:17 I said, you better sell a good thing. And they come, no, even an hour. They just do. And then it's fixed. And then that person already report to my president. That I'm probably the stupid CFO ever. Well, whatever. I don't care. I see you're saving money and that's, that's the goal is to save the company. Yeah, because 10,000, if you rent with them, like sometimes 350 to 750, how much is, use five years, 750 times 12, $9,000, $10,000, you get cash. Yeah. And by, so, so you're at the. At this point where you have, you, you, you've helped not only your family out of poverty and you have also helped other companies out as well. How are your kids doing?
1:53:11 My oldest daughter right now, they have right now she has, she has like three rental housing and I know for sure she paid off at least two. My son helped one rental. My son helped one rental. My son helped one rental. My son helped one rental. And she, he did not pay off because at that time he signed the interest rate like 3.6. But she has another house that she live right now. It's almost pay off. He planned to pay off in two years. So what, and I, I know Dacia helped. I know Dacia helped one house, probably two house pay off if I'm not wrong, yeah, two house pay off and on top of that, I want to make sure to you that's all God's blessing.
1:54:18 Absolutely. Beside, beside the way I live, because I don't think I'm a mother that talk too much with the kids. I'm, I don't think I'm a mother that talk too much with the kids. I'm, I don't think I'm a mother that talk too much with the kids. I very rarely talk, but I know God know my weaknesses and he fill into my weaknesses to make my kids know what the right thing to do. Not only has God blessed, but he's also allowed you to teach your children and for the whole family to learn and how to understand how to manage money. Because the biggest thing I see here in America, and maybe this isn't just an American problem, but it's a, it's a human problem. But there are a lot of people that, that feel that they just have had a portion of their life that, that isn't going as well as they, they think it should. And so that's the reason why they can't just get ahead in this world when maybe it's choices.
1:55:19 It's choices. It's choices. And yeah, I think it's choices. And I was, I was told there are several, there are several website or there are several tools. Um, out there that teaching you how to live financially good. And then when I know, when I see that, I usually like to know how I like to learn. But the bottom line that I learned all the, all the things, it's go back to your self-discipline. Yes. Um, because there is one that said, oh, uh, you can do this. You can do that. And I said, uh, what if they cannot do this? And they said, oh, you will stay in that, in lower level, blah, blah, blah. And I said, tell me, so your program basically requires self-discipline.
1:56:20 And they said, yes. But probably saying self-discipline, it's a little bit hard for Americans to chew it. It's broad. Yeah. It's too broad. Um, and that's why they have to do. They have to do it step by step. But me, for me, I'm, I'm a kind of person that I just like to grab the idea and then do it. And that's why I said for me, it's like spend what you need and not what you want. And you will, you will have enough every time you need anything, you will have enough. You will even have more for you to enjoy life without, uh, without that. I personally don't like that. Yeah. Because I think it's not, I think that's biblical too. When you become, you become a slave of the land, land.
1:57:22 Yes. Landor. Right. I was the business manager of a school. One day I present the financial statement. And then my bank account have only $2,000. And then my boss said, phone, are you crazy? I said, what do you mean? I'm not. And he said, how can your bank account only have $2,500 and you manage this school probably with, uh, I think it's about two, three million a year. I think two, three million, if I'm not wrong. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But I don't owe anybody. So what's wrong with that? And he said, well, but you have to have a lot of money.
1:58:18 You have to show more money in the bank. I said, no, but I don't have any debt. You can check all my, my file. I have no invoice that I haven't paid. The other thing that I am. This is for the businesses. Business. My account. Okay. Yeah. and then i said a lot of people say this oh i'm sorry i cannot pay it's that common in america people say that all the time we all the time my wife and i have rentals and i remember some of us some of the rentals people coming to us and saying well i can't pay this month i said this is you need to have a house over your a roof over your head this is the primary thing you need to have not extra things you don't need an rv you don't need a four-wheeler you don't need any of these toys you need to be able to have a roof over your family's head and so i've had people come up come up to me to say you know i can't pay this month i said you can't stay here anymore then yeah yeah for me it's not i always say i can pay but what what things that i cannot i cannot buy because once you buy you have to pay there is no excuse you cannot pay so , no no word in my life i cannot pay but if i said i cannot buy that's a lot of time i cannot buy and then if you discipline yourself come to the point that you really don't realize you don't need a lot of things except what it's necessity yes yeah people probably and then people did not i have a friends move from from illinois to michigan it takes one week for them to sort out their stuff and i make fun of him i said you have too much stuff because of that people have to come help him yeah but when you realize all the stuff that he has he doesn't need no and then when you don't need stuff you it's hard for you to sort it out yeah because okay can i throw this oh i want that can i throw this oh no i want that it's not what you need but you you want that in america i move already probably seven six seven times and then people always say how hard moving for you i said no hard at all and then people always say how hard moving for you i said no hard at all two luggage whatever it's not filled in that two luggage you have three choices give it away throw it away or sell it yeah so if you have if whatever not be put in the two suitcases that's all your choice so that's always it's very easy for me and my husband we move everywhere yeah yeah don't have stuff that's gonna weigh you down you don't need to buy it it'll take you away from your budget and takes away from your budget takes your time to handle that yeah sometimes you did not realize that i remember the first time we got married my husband christmas bring the whole christmas tree of course we like christmas tree i like christmas tree but i work so busy i don't want to take care so after the first year it's i give it away he's not happy but i said if you want to bring it here you take care of that no leave it for me to take care because i told you i don't need that oh but we like to see christmas light let's go to the supermarket they have christmas light huge even bigger than us that's all that's easy lots of things yeah lots lots of things yeah people just sometimes people become slave of what they don't need they did not realize that they did not realize you have one car in the house oh i want the other one once you have the
2:02:50 other one you have to clean you have to you have to wipe the the the mirror you have to wipe everything you have to make looks good and you didn't use it yeah i have everything in my house what i need and i didn't have anything that i don't need i think there's why council that says that it is towards the end of time that we need we'll need to economize we will need to reduce what we have so that we can prepare for a time no buying and selling prepare for a time where we have a lot less and so economize is a is a very good thing to do and that's what you're talking about economizing very good well it sounds like i mean it's quite a roller coaster going from from growing up with the second wealthiest man in in the city going down to poverty learning about finances coming back up having having uh help having drivers having uh maids to help raise the kids going back down to living in a trailer with three other kids and your husband and then coming back up and owning multiple houses you've had quite a journey and i think that it's a testament to to not only um an understanding of how god has blessed you but also an understanding of how money works and how how um this country and other countries can provide that if you have a good diligent understanding of money and work well and had good work ethic too wouldn't you say that's true yes yes i i agree with you dad and i feel like god has been blessed me but beside that as a person i have to do my part god will not bless you if you're just lazy doing nothing and expect your boss to promote you yeah because one thing when you become the boss will you promote your lazy people no right yeah so the same thing back to golden rule and i think we have been blessed so for me besides i keep golden rule i have to say that do whatever you can and then god will bless you god will fill in the gap what you are lacking absolutely there is a lot like i said like my mom can see she she just can give up and then get rid of seven kids but she's she's not she said okay god if you give these seven kids you have to help me and i will commit to raise them and then she did the other thing that i hope i'm not wrong and i'm not judgmental but there is a lot of things in this country that i feel like people feel they are victims and i don't like the victims mentality i i i against that in my life i'm not saying i'm not a victim but i'm not against that in my life i'm not saying that i'm not against that in my life i'm not saying i'm not against that in my life i'm not people cannot do that it's their choice but for me i'm not a victim we always have to say you know we can do it the other mentality that i said because i sit in the board member and there are times that they will say to me well fong we cannot do that you know all things have to be you know government have to supply i said once you said you cannot do it you will not be able to do it right because you in your mental you already said i cannot do it of course you cannot do it because i was trying to teach it's not to teach i was trying to guide all the entity that i was handling to be self-supporting yeah self-supporting and then there is a lot of them against that against me by saying no government have to come and help blah blah blah blah blah and i said no once you already said we cannot we will not be able to the like i i think i shared with you that i work in the in the entity that's like very financial
2:07:33 struggle and this is christian entity so when i first time came there there is a department that have a meeting and then the head department talked to me she said hey fong they want you to come in the meeting i said for what that they he said she said i don't know that okay so i came there sitting in their meeting and after that they said well fong it's here do you have any question and i said um well we wait a minute i said i'm not sure what your question looks like but i will tell you guys my sense saying that your question it's going to be are we going to survive in this company or not because they have been one time not get paid for six months because the entity it's so hard in my but i said i think that might be your question okay let me explain to you guys i come here as your cfo i come here just write it down all you guys think in a book i'm not the one that's determined whether this institution is going to survive or not you will determine whether this institution will survive or not yes i said because if you just work lazily you know how can you expect this institution it's going to survive and then one person stand and she said yeah but this is christian institution isn't that christian institution have to be nice i said definitely you're right but as a christian people we have to work like we work for the lord not waiting for the supervisor to come and check your work no so we don't need the supervisor because you guys do your job good and then after that i just see it and i and then the head department said okay guys do you have any question for phone nobody asked me question so i just leave yeah yeah but yeah that's that's life that's life that's life for me mentality is is what we we focus and that's that's helps us actually continue to do what god asks us to do which is yeah and then that gives you give you the opportunity to give yeah you because you were blessed you you give it back you know so yeah i just hope that this country will live between your means golden rule spend what you want no spend what you need not what you understand sorry sorry spend what you need not what you want and i think they will live peacefully not worry about bill it's going to come not worry about the debt collector is going to call you no absolutely because i believe you know if you live 10, based on the Bible, God promised we'll supply our needs.
2:11:21 I'm not sure what is in the Bible, but I know it's in the Bible. It's a good place to end. Can you have a blessing or a prayer for us? Father, we thank you so much for this opportunity to share about you and how much you love us and you want us to live feeling. But most of the time, the trouble that creates us, that creates, it's because of our choice. Help us to do your will in our life, Father. Guide each one of us that we will be ready for your second coming. Thank you for loving us and thank you for forgiving our sins. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen.