Der Yang Kong grew up during the war. She dreamed of marrying someone who believes in Christ. She did not want to marry a man who practices Hmong traditional beliefs. She met her husband, who was baptized, while on a military combat tour to her village. While stationed there his company was attacked multiple times. He survived the attacks. In 1968, they married and returned to Long Cheng. She was also devastated by the war casualties. On May 14, 1975 Long Cheng fell into communist control. Der, her husband, and children immediately fled into Thailand to seek safety.  Soon, they immigrated to the U.S. to begin a new chapter.