<Begin Segment 16>

SP: Now, you'd said this thing earlier that I was kind of interested in. After your family was leaving Minidoka, you talked about how you didn't have anywhere to go, and there was a sense of homelessness for you, and that you, in some way, it felt really relevant to your work now and what you're doing. Can you talk a little bit about that?

KA: Uh-huh. You know, earlier on, we took in four foster children.

SP: You and your husband Art.

KA: Uh-huh. That was in 1961 and 1962. And they were at the Youth Service Center, and they were Eurasian, Japanese father and Caucasian mother, and they were teenagers. And at first, it was, we were attending the Methodist Church at that time, they put out a request for anyone who would be willing to take in four children. They didn't want to separate them, they were fifteen, fourteen, thirteen and ten years old. And they said, "Oh, it'd be only for a couple months." And we had just built our house, new house. And our children were small, Carolyn was five, Michael was three, Janet was two, Norman wasn't born yet. And I told Art, "Maybe we could put them up if it's just for a couple months." Because we had neighbors with children that age, and they were real nice kids, they were Chinese. And I thought, "My heart goes out to them." And I was shocked when Art said, "Yeah, okay." [Laughs] I didn't think that he would say yes. We had three of our own. And so we called the Youth Service Center and they brought them. And I was so surprised because they were all taller than me. And to this day, we keep in touch. But anyway, in the process, they really tested our patience. [Laughs] Sometimes they would strike, you know, refuse to eat because we wouldn't let them do something. They were full of energy, three girls and one boy. And they enrolled in school and everything. But came to the point where -- oh, they tested both of us. I remember John, he would throw walnuts against our stone fireplace and break the nuts that way. They did a lot of things to test us, but anyway...

TI: Well, how long did they end up living with you?

KA: Year and half, close to two years.

SP: More than a few months. [Laughs]

KA: Yes, yes. Oh, yes. It was after Norman was born. But anyway, I had come to the end of the -- I have the date written down, March the 16th, 1961, I came to the end of myself, "I give up." And the oldest girl, she was full of energy, she was just dancing around with a vacuum tube, and she poked that -- Janet was standing behind her, she wasn't aware. But she poked that right into her face, and (we) had to take her to the hospital to have stitches, seven stitches on her, like a harelip. I thought, "Oh, I can't take it." I was like a mother bear. And I thought, "I give up." But I struggled in bed that night, and I said, "God, I thought I was a Christian. What's the matter with me? I can't take this anymore." And I told Art, "I can't put up with this." And so that night, I sensed the presence of God. And it was like a cattle being branded, you know, it was a warmth right over my heart like a branding. And I sensed the love of God, Agape love. And he filled me with so much love for those kids. And when they got up in the morning, I said, "You could continue to live with us." I said, "God has done something for me, He's given me love. And I'm sorry that, you know, I was short in my love for you." And I'm telling you, I just couldn't get over... 'cause I was trying to do it on my own strength, and with my, you know, trying to please them in every way. And I just wore myself out, I think. And, but He gave me His love. And that's what's happened with the homeless, He's given me His love. It isn't my love. Sometimes they test me, too.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.