6.12.25 Texas and immigration enforcement, Washington state’s mandatory reporting of abuse, and tiny houses for the homeless

Summary

The World and Everything In It
Episode: June 12, 2025
Release Date: June 12, 2025
Host: WORLD Radio

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Texas Immigration Enforcement

In this segment, Mary Reichardt and Myrna Brown delve into the implications of a new Texas law that intensifies local police involvement in immigration enforcement. The legislation mandates that county sheriffs collaborate with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain individuals who are both criminally charged and unlawfully present in the United States.

Key Points:

• Senate Bill 8 requires local law enforcement to enter into Section 287 agreements with ICE, enabling sheriffs to rearrest and hold illegal immigrants pending ICE pickup.
• Lawrence Benenson from the National Immigration Forum explains that the current system often releases individuals before ICE can act, and the new law seeks to streamline this process.
• Jessica Vaughn, Policy Director at the Center for Immigration Studies, counters that the program predominantly targets those with minor offenses, not dangerous criminals.
• Concerns include potential erosion of trust between communities and local police, as residents may fear reporting crimes or cooperating with law enforcement.
• Supporters argue that the law will enhance public safety by removing individuals with criminal backgrounds from communities.

Notable Quotes:

• Lawrence Benenson (10:03): “With a deputized officer in the jail who can then say, I’m going to take custody of you on behalf of ICE.”
• Myrna Brown (10:42): “Supporters say it’s about protecting public safety, but others warn it will damage trust between local police and the communities they serve.”

Washington State’s Mandatory Reporting for Clergy

Mary Reichardt and Myrna Brown explore a controversial new law in Washington state that requires all clergy, including Catholic priests, to report suspected child abuse, even if such information is revealed during the sacrament of confession. This law has sparked significant debate within religious communities about the sanctity of confession and legal obligations.

Key Points:

• The law mandates that clergy report any suspected child abuse, potentially overriding the traditional priest-penitent privilege.
• A group of Catholic priests is suing the state, arguing that the law violates their religious duty to keep confessions confidential.
• David DeWolf, a law professor, emphasizes that the law does not affect attorney-client privilege, recognizing the unique nature of confessions.
• Victor Vieth, a Lutheran and director at the Zero Abuse Project, supports the law, citing the biblical imperative to protect individuals from abuse.
• Opponents fear that mandatory reporting could deter individuals from seeking the sacrament of confession, thereby hindering their spiritual and emotional well-being.

Notable Quotes:

• Victor Vieth (12:59): “Even if child abuse is not reported to local authorities, we are accountable to a greater authority.”
• Josh Mercer (15:37): “Taking away the complete privacy of confession will deter people from coming.”

Tiny Houses for the Homeless: Alina Williams’ Initiative

In an inspiring narrative, Myrna Brown introduces Alina Williams, a 51-year-old woman from Alabama, who has taken proactive steps to address the affordable housing crisis by building tiny homes for the homeless. This segment highlights Williams’ journey from isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic to becoming a community builder.

Key Points:

• Alina Williams transitioned from teaching and attempted real estate investments to addressing homelessness after witnessing the struggles of elderly and veteran neighbors.
• Partnering with Raphael Stanley, a professional home builder, Williams learned construction skills essential for building tiny homes.
• By 2024, Williams had constructed two tiny homes and aimed to expand her project to provide eight homes, equipped with necessary amenities like heating, air, and plumbing.
• Challenges include locating suitable land and overcoming community resistance to her initial rural placements.
• Williams’ Motivation: Driven by faith and a desire to serve, Williams emphasizes that her efforts are about fulfilling a purpose rather than expanding her own influence.

Notable Quotes:

• Alina Williams (20:35): “Maybe I need to work on doing construction for these people.”
• Raphael Stanley (24:11): “I see the vision and I done seen her put a lot of stuff together and it works. So I believe in what she’s doing.”

50th Anniversary of Operation Babylift

Cal Thomas provides a poignant reflection on the 50th anniversary of Operation Babylift, a mission that evacuated thousands of orphans from war-torn Vietnam during the fall of Saigon. This segment commemorates the lives transformed by this humanitarian effort and underscores the enduring impact of such missions.

Key Points:

• Operation Babylift was an urgent mission to rescue children from South Vietnam amidst the impending collapse of Saigon.
• Pastor Nguyen Zhuan Hai led the effort to transport 85 children and staff to safety, facing violent opposition and extreme challenges during their escape.
• Ralph Neighbor, a missionary and church planner in Singapore, played a crucial role in securing their passage to the United States.
• Survivors’ Stories:
  • Sam Schrade reflects on how being of mixed race afforded him better opportunities in the U.S. compared to what he might have faced in Vietnam.
  • Kelly St. Germain expresses gratitude for the chance to develop a strong faith and a stable career in America.
  • Thomas Ho, the oldest orphan, credits the mission with saving his life and enabling his success as an engineer.
• Cal Thomas (27:02) emphasizes the profound personal transformations and blessings resulting from the mission, highlighting the enduring bonds formed among survivors and rescuers.

Notable Quotes:

• Thomas Ho (27:25): “There are few greater blessings than to have had a role in changing these lives for the better.”
• Cal Thomas (27:02): “Now, life here is very difficult. A lot of the food is not very healthy. Reuniting with these adults, many of whom I met when they were children, is a reminder that there are things far greater than politics, celebrities and the petty jealousies that are the focus of too many of us.”

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Conclusion

This episode of The World and Everything In It offers a comprehensive exploration of pressing social issues, from immigration enforcement and religious freedoms to innovative solutions for homelessness and historical reflections on humanitarian missions. Through in-depth reporting and personal stories, WORLD Radio continues to deliver insightful and biblically grounded journalism that informs, educates, and inspires its listeners.

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For more detailed coverage, including visuals and companion pieces, visit WORLD Radio’s website.

Transcript

[Myrna Brown]

Hey, it's Myrna. We've launched World's June giving drive. And thanks to a 130,000 challenge gift from longtime supporters, we're starting with Momentum. Their message is simple. No one gives a loan. Let's do this together. Add your vote of confidence for biblically Grounded [e-mail] JuneLivingDrive thanks for supporting us.

[Mary Reichardt]

Good morning. A new law in Texas brings local police into the immigration fight. It's focused on the people who are already getting arrested and who are also in the country illegally.

[Myrna Brown]

Also, a new law in Washington puts Catholic priests in a bind by tightening mandatory reporting guidelines. And a determined woman in Alabama sees a housing crisis and takes action.

[Cal Thomas]

Well, I was just confused why there was no afford.

[Myrna Brown]

And world commentator Cal Thomas remembers the rescue of orphans from war torn Vietnam in 1975, a mission that soft called a miracle.

[Mary Reichardt]

It's Thursday, June 12th. This is the world and everything in it from listeners supported World Radio. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Erna Brown. Good morning.

[Mary Reichardt]

Time now for the news with Kent Covington.

[Kent Covington]

Progress in trade talks with China after high level negotiations in London. The Trump administration says Beijing will make it easier for American industry to get much needed magnets and rare earth minerals. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant.

[Scott Besant]

I have just returned the middle of.

[Jamison Greer]

Last night from successful negotiations in London.

[Scott Besant]

With a Chinese delegation. That will not only stabilize the economic relationship between our two economies, but make it more balanced.

[Kent Covington]

President Trump says in addition to great access to magnets and minerals, as part of the new agreed upon framework, the US Will maintain existing tariffs on Chinese goods, which Trump has described as totaling 55% across various categories. That clears the way for talks to continue between the world's two biggest economies. U.S. trade Representative Jamison Greer.

[Scott Besant]

We know that they're motivated. Our president is motivated.

[Jamison Greer]

We're moving as quickly as we can.

[Scott Besant]

So, you know, we would very much like to find an agreement that makes.

[Myrna Brown]

Sense for both countries.

[Kent Covington]

Trump said that in return for China's concessions, the US Will stop efforts to revoke the visas of Chinese nationals on US College campuses. But beyond that, the president did not detail what concessions the US Is making. Anti ICE protests continued in LA Wednesday for a sixth day. President Trump again said it was absolutely the right call to bring in the National Guard and Even hundreds of U.S. marines for the purpose of guarding federal agents.

[Jamison Greer]

If we weren't there, if we didn't bring in the National Guard and the Marines, you would probably have a city that was burning to the ground just like it was a number of months ago with the housing, you would have had a big problem there.

[Kent Covington]

But Democrats continue to insist President Trump is to blame for the unrest. Some, including LA Mayor Karen Bass, say the president needlessly escalated tensions by calling in the guard.

[Myrna Brown]

This was provoked by the White House. The reason why? We don't know. I posit that maybe we are part of a national experiment to determine how far the federal government can go.

[Kent Covington]

Bass and other Democrats also blame Trump over ICE immigration raids that sparked the protests and are calling on him to end those raids. The White House, though, says no way and that the Trump administration will continue to enforce immigration law. US Inflation came in lower than expected in May. Consumer prices rose just 1/10 of 1% from April, slowing from 0.2% the month before. So called core inflation, which strips out the volatile food and energy sectors, was also tame just 1/10 of 1% for the month. The cost of groceries, toys, games and large appliances rose, which could reflect the impact of tariffs. But the price of new and used cars, clothes, airfares and hotel rooms all dropped from April to May, offsetting the increases. Elon Musk now says he regrets some of the things he has said about President Trump recently. In a post on X he acknowledged that he quote went too far with his recent criticisms. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt the President acknowledged the statement that Elon put.

[Myrna Brown]

Out this morning and he is appreciative.

[Kent Covington]

Of it and we are continuing to.

[Victor Vieth]

Focus on the business of the American people.

[Kent Covington]

The former head of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency broke with Trump over a massive GOP reconciliation bill backed by the President. That disagreement escalated into an all out feud. Musk did not point to specific examples of social media posts he regrets. But among other things, Musk recently suggested that Trump's name could be hidden in the so called Epstein files, referring to the now deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Canadian authorities have extradited a 20 year old Pakistani man to face charges in the US related to an alleged terror plot. World's Benjamin Eicher has more.

[Scott Besant]

Prosecutors say Mohammad Shazeb Khan plotted to carry out an ISIS inspired mass shooting last year at a Jewish center in Brooklyn. The plan was timed to mark the anniversary of the October 7th terrorist attack against Israel. Canadian authorities intercepted him as he was traveling to the U.S. canada border last September and arrested him. Khan now faces charges in a Manhattan federal court. He's accused of providing material support to ISIS and attempting to commit terrorism across national borders. Officials say an undercover FBI operation exposed the plot and they allege he worked with a US based co conspirator. If convicted, Khan could face decades behind bars. For World I'm Benjamin Eicher.

[Kent Covington]

Brian Wilson, one of the founding members of the Beach Boys, has died, with Wilson writing songs and playing bass guitar. The group rose to fame in the 1960s 60s, landed 30 singles on the top 40 charts including California Girls, Surfin USA and Good Vibrations. The group sold more than 100 million records. The eldest and last surviving of three musical brothers, Olson was a Grammy winning musician and an honoree in the Songwriters hall of fame. He was 82 years old. I'm Kent Covington. And straight ahead, immigration enforcement in Texas. Plus small houses and big dreams. This is the World and Everything in it.

[Myrna Brown]

It's Thursday, the 12th of Good Afternoon. Glad to have you along for today's edition of the World and Everything in It. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichardt]

And I'm Mary Reichard. First up, a new law in Texas pulls local police deeper into immigration enforcement. The legislation requires local sheriffs to assist federal immigration agents to detain illegal immigrants. Supporters say it's about protecting public safety, but others warn it will damage trust between local police and the communities they serve.

[Myrna Brown]

World reporter Josh Schumacher has the story.

[Scott Besant]

When an illegal immigrant is arrested for a criminal offense in Texas, that person is not automatically booked for deportation. They're in the jail, they're set to be released, and ICE wants to take custody of them. Lawrence Benenson is with the National Immigration Forum. Right now, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials don't have the manpower to arrest every illegal immigrant in the state. And when local cops arrest illegal immigrants for driving under the influence, trespassing or committing other misdemeanor offenses, they often have to release them before ICE agents can come take them off their hands. Somebody serves their time, it's their release date, they get released. There's no authority to hold them. But Texas lawmakers want to change that. Senate Bill 8 would require county jails and sheriff's departments to enter into what's called Section 287 agreements with ICE. Under those agreements, local sheriffs will be able to rearrest illegal immigrants who are about to be released and hold them until ICE comes to pick them up. Benson explains, because you have a deputized officer in the jail who can then say, I'm gonna take custody of you on behalf of ice. Now, because I'm serving under ice, I can have you and then get you into the removal process. Right now, the program is voluntary, but if Texas Governor Greg Abbott signs the bill into law, every county sheriff with a jail in their jurisdiction would be required to hand illegal immigrants their custody over to ice. And Texas isn't the first state working on this. In recent years, Florida and Georgia have passed similar laws. And the governors of Virginia and Louisiana have also ordered local police to help the federal government counter illegal immigration. While supporters say Section 287 agreements provide officials with an easy way to get criminals off the streets, Benson says it doesn't generally catch the really dangerous criminals. The program more often catches those charged with low level offenses, such as traffic infractions. The program isn't like scooping up like people who commit violent crimes who otherwise aren't being turned over. Those people still can be transferred to ICE custody, just not through the 287 program. And Benenson says the fact that local police could turn anyone into federal immigration authorities means that many community members may refuse to report crimes or work with local police, and that could jeopardize public safety. This isn't just like the unauthorized or undocumented community. This, this could be family members or people who, who have a close relationship with someone who's undocumented, even if they themselves aren't at risk. Additionally, it could burden local law enforcement with extra duties that make it harder to fulfill the responsibilities they already have. Particularly if you're a small law enforcement agency, a small jurisdiction, you have 20 officers, you have four deputized to do this work. Those are for officers who are now going to be focusing federal immigration enforcement and not doing breaking and entering or patrol or other things in the community. But supporters say the bill could actually have the opposite effect by getting criminals off the streets for good. This effort is aimed at removing that small fraction of the illegal population who have been arrested for crimes already. Jessica Vaughn is policy director at the center for Immigration Studies. She says while there are fears of wider ramifications, Section 287 agreements can only be used against that small fraction.

[Mary Reichardt]

People should be reassured that this is.

[Scott Besant]

Not a program that's going to have local cops going around arresting illegal alien school children or anything like that.

[Mary Reichardt]

It's focused on the people who are.

[Scott Besant]

Already getting arrested and who are also in the country illegally. With the Trump administration putting a higher priority on detaining and deporting criminal illegal immigrants, Vaughn says sheriffs have a greater incentive to join forces with ice. And so that's why we're seeing much more interest in this program now, because they know that there's actually going to be follow through by ICE at the federal level. Reporting for World I'm Josh Schumacher.

[Mary Reichardt]

Coming up Next, a new law in Washington state puts the privacy of the Catholic confessional to the test.

[Myrna Brown]

The law will soon require all clergy to report suspected child abuse, including what they learn in the confessional. A group of Catholic priests is suing, arguing the law violates their religious duty to keep confessions secret. But some Christians don't think confessions should be off limits. World's Juliana Chan Erickson has the story.

[Scott Besant]

I confess to Almighty God and to.

[Kent Covington]

You, brother, that I have sinned.

[Scott Besant]

When was your last confession?

[Kent Covington]

I can't remember.

[Scott Besant]

Can you remember? Approximately.

[Victor Vieth]

In the 1953 Alfred Hitchcock film I Confess, a murderer confesses to a Catholic priest named Father Logan.

[Kent Covington]

I have killed Mr. Villette.

[Victor Vieth]

But when an investigator approaches Logan, he faces a dilemma.

[Scott Besant]

Now, if you will just give me.

[Myrna Brown]

The name and the address of the person I can.

[Kent Covington]

Father, don't you want to help me?

[Myrna Brown]

I've done my best, but you refuse.

[Scott Besant]

To answer my questions.

[Victor Vieth]

Here's the problem. The Catholic Church, both the real one and the one depicted in the Hitchcock movie, forbids priests from sharing anything they've heard during the sacrament of confession. So if Father Logan tells the cops, he will be excommunicated from the Catholic Church. If he doesn't, a man gets away with murder. Now, Catholic priests in Washington state may face a similar dilemma. A new state law requires them to report child abuse or neglect, even if they learn about it in the confessional. If a priest breaks the seal of confession to tell the cops, the Catholic Church will excommunicate him. But if he doesn't, he might go to jail.

[Kent Covington]

You know, for me, I'm aware of my upbringing as Catholic and having an.

[Cal Thomas]

Uncle who's a Jesuit.

[Kent Covington]

But for me, this is very clear, very clear legislation and important legislation.

[Victor Vieth]

Last month, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed the bill into law. The law applies to clergy from all religions, but Ferguson pointed out that as a Catholic, he sees no issue with the legislation. But not all Catholics agree. David De Wolf is a visiting Law professor at St. Thomas University.

[Jamison Greer]

Child abusers don't come to the confessional to confess that. And to that extent, it's more a way of taking sides in a state versus church issue, which goes back a long, long way.

[Victor Vieth]

DeWolf says the law still shields lawyers from revealing child abuse mentioned in confidential conversations with their clients. He says that ensures clients get a fair trial, and it should apply for truly repentant child abusers who want to make right with God.

[Jamison Greer]

But the theory of both the attorney client privilege and of the priest penitent privilege is that society benefits in the long run. From maintaining this avenue for people to come in out of the cold and find someone who will listen to their story.

[Victor Vieth]

Last month, the U.S. department of justice announced it was opening a civil rights investigation into the law, saying it may run afoul of the First Amendment's free exercise of religion. And on May 29, a group of Catholic priests announced they were suing the state. A bishop in Spokane issued a statement saying he would rather go to jail than obey.

[Jamison Greer]

Catholics know right now they can go.

[Scott Besant]

To a priest and they can say anything.

[Victor Vieth]

Josh Mercer, vice president of the advocacy group Catholic Vote, says taking away the complete privacy of confession will deter people from coming.

[Jamison Greer]

If that priest had to turn around.

[Myrna Brown]

And said, oh, by the way, I'm.

[Scott Besant]

Going to go tell the sheriff you.

[Kent Covington]

Just did that, then, well, why would.

[Jamison Greer]

You confess those sins?

[Scott Besant]

You would keep tight lipped Catholics believe.

[Victor Vieth]

That the sacrament of reconciliation through a priest's absolution is one way for them to receive God's forgiveness. If they can't confess grave sins, they might not be able to get total forgiveness from God. And that, Mercer says, could have eternal consequences for a man's soul. But some Christians argue that confession doesn't need to be shrouded in absolute secrecy.

[Scott Besant]

If the Bible is holy and inspired, then we have to ask ourselves, why did God inspire the writers to record in some detail the rape of Tamar, the rape of Dinah, the sexual exploitation of Bathsheba, and so on and so forth?

[Victor Vieth]

Victor Vieth is a Lutheran and director of the center for Faith and Child Protection at the Zero Abuse Project. Catholics and Protestants may interpret the Bible differently, but Veith believes Scripture is pretty clear about the need to protect people from abuse.

[Scott Besant]

Obviously, God must have wanted us to learn something from these stories of trauma and to learn what can happen if we don't respond appropriately.

[Victor Vieth]

Even if child abuse is not reported to local authorities, VIIth says all Christians are accountable to a greater authority.

[Scott Besant]

Ultimately, though, each Christian has to ask, how will I defend myself before Jesus one day if I truly did take a confession from somebody who's a pedophile, a Jerry Santesky sort of person? And we have reason to believe they're going to continue to molest, even though they may promise otherwise and we fail to make a report? How does that conversation go with Jesus one day?

[Victor Vieth]

Reporting for world I'm Juliana Chan Erickson.

[Kent Covington]

Additional support comes from Ambassadors Impact Network Unlocking the power of faith based financing for your startup. [e-mail] from Dort University equipping future teachers to create classrooms where all students can thrive more at Dort Eduardo and from water's edge, Kingdom Investments, personal investments that build churches. 5.05% APY on a three month term. Watersedge.com investor.

[Mary Reichardt]

What do Donald Trump, Dolly Parton and the Pope have in common? Well, they've all had the honor of being sculpted in salad at the Lambeth country show in London. The real attraction isn't the livestock, it's the veggie art fairgoer, Maddie Luxon.

[Jamison Greer]

Yeah, this is what we get so.

[Myrna Brown]

Excited about is the vegetable sculptures. It's just so unique and just so witty and we love the political ones.

[Mary Reichardt]

This year's big hit, a miniature papal corn clave made entirely of maize, cabbage and red peppers. Also turning heads, Collie Parton in a movie inspired piece titled Nine to Chive.

[Myrna Brown]

Hey, a competition stalk full of creativity, right?

[Mary Reichardt]

Fans just couldn't leaf it alone. Oh my goodness. It's the world and everything in it.

[Myrna Brown]

Today is Thursday, June 12th. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning, I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichardt]

And I'm Mary Reichard. Coming next on the World and everything in it, a woman, a tool belt and a heart for the needy. Housing experts say we have an affordable housing deficit and national statistics back that up. For every 100 extremely low income renters in the US only 35 affordable rental homes are available.

[Myrna Brown]

Mary I met a woman around our age doing her part to close that gap. Standing in red dirt under a canopy of tall trees, Alina Williams steadies her hands and tightens her grip. That's how the petite 51 year old is able to cut through pieces of wood with a circular saw. It's also how she drives nails into that wood with a framing gun. But there's one aspect of home building she's still getting used to.

[Cal Thomas]

I used to wear a tool belt. It was aggravating. I was like, I don't want nothing on my hips. Finally this year, I want to to the flea market and bought this.

[Myrna Brown]

William's secondhand tool belt is black with at least a dozen pouches and pockets. So how does a middle aged woman with no construction experience end up in this line of work? When the Ohio native relocated to Alabama, she never imagined she'd be carrying around carpentry tools at all. She moved to teach at a local college and invest in real estate on the side. She still remembers the day she arrived back in April 2020.

[Cal Thomas]

Covid it was the ghost town here. Everybody was in the house, hiding.

[Myrna Brown]

Covid shuttered the college and stalled her dreams of flipping houses. After weeks of isolation, Williams ventured out and started working as an Uber driver.

[Cal Thomas]

So that's how I got out and about to meet people and felt like I wasn't so alone in a place where I knew no one.

[Myrna Brown]

She enjoyed meeting her neighbors, but she found their circumstances troubling.

[Cal Thomas]

The majority were 60s and 70s that were asking me to pick them up from a motel because their first of the month check had ran out and they could no longer afford the weekly rate for the rent at the motel.

[Myrna Brown]

And the requests became even more disturbing.

[Cal Thomas]

So they would say, drop me off at an abandoned building, and I'm going to stay here until my check comes in a week or so, and then I'm gonna go back to the motel and repeat this cycle.

[Myrna Brown]

Williams couldn't get that cycle out of her head.

[Cal Thomas]

Well, I was just confused why there was no affordable housing here. I started networking with people, talking to, you know, the Council on Aging and the Housing Authority, and they confirmed we don't have enough units to support that.

[Myrna Brown]

Eventually, the college reopened, and Williams started her teaching job. But her plans to flip houses, those car conversations, had changed all of that.

[Cal Thomas]

So in my mind, I was like, okay, Lord, this has to be a sign. Maybe I need to work on doing construction for these people.

[Myrna Brown]

Williams decided to provide affordable rental space for the elderly and veterans in need in her community. She bought land in the next county over, found an old camper, relocated it to her property, and refurbished it for her first occupant.

[Cal Thomas]

The first person was Richard, a veteran. So he said he could afford $400 a month. He had not learned how to cope with life, and so he was using, you know, substances. But what I learned from him was that I needed wraparound services, because it's not just a house that they need.

[Myrna Brown]

Wraparound services, Things like counseling and financial planning. She started collaborating with college students in those fields. But Williams also wanted to learn how to help people with her own two hands.

[Cal Thomas]

So I learned that I had to network and get some advocates and people to help me with my guests when they come.

[Myrna Brown]

Williams found one of those advocates after putting out an SOS on a dating app.

[Cal Thomas]

And I said, hey, I'm here from Ohio. I'm not here for dating. I'm here to find somebody who can teach me construction. If this is you, please reach out. So needless to say, several guys was like, oh, it's me. But they really just didn't care. But Raphael really showed me this. The backside, it's gonna fall. So you don't need nothing back there.

[Jamison Greer]

All your overhang is up here.

[Myrna Brown]

That's Raphael Stanley, a professional home builder. It was his idea to start building tiny houses.

[Cal Thomas]

I see the vision and I done seen her put a lot of stuff together and it works. So I believe in what she doing.

[Myrna Brown]

A partnership was born, but he taught.

[Cal Thomas]

Me drywall and he taught me carpentry. How to have the confidence. I had no confidence to work those saws. I was scared to death. And he taught me roofing. He taught me some plumbing and how to do flooring and baseboards and trim, install doors.

[Myrna Brown]

With all those skills under her belt, Williams and Stanley built their first tiny home in 2023.

[Cal Thomas]

I really stayed in shock, I think for at least a year and a half that I could do this. I just couldn't believe it. I really just couldn't believe it.

[Myrna Brown]

They built a second home in 2024. This summer she'll have a third 8 by 12 foot tiny house, complete with heat, air and plumbing.

[Cal Thomas]

We're putting a support in so the rafters are sturdy so when we put the wooden roof on, it won't collapse. That's the goal today.

[Myrna Brown]

So far, Williams has helped put roofs over the heads of eight people, men and women. She wants to do more, but she has some problems to address. One of them location.

[Cal Thomas]

A lot of them don't want to come to Stockton. They say you in the sticks or they say you in the woods, girl.

[Myrna Brown]

So she plans to buy land and build tiny homes in more populated areas so she can help more people. But she says as a woman of color, faith. Her goal isn't to draw attention to herself or build another housing empire.

[Cal Thomas]

Everybody has a purpose and is connected to helping others.

[Myrna Brown]

Reporting for World I'm Myrna Brown in Stockton, Alabama.

[Mary Reichardt]

Myrna produced a companion piece on Alina Williams and her tiny homes for World Watch, our video news program for students. We've posted a link to that story in our transcript.

[Myrna Brown]

Today is Thursday, June 12th. Good morning. This is the World and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichardt]

And I'm Mary Reichard. 50 years ago, with the fall of Saigon imminent, the US launched Operation Babylift, an urgent effort to evacuate thousands of children out of South Vietnam. But not every child made it onto those planes.

[Myrna Brown]

Along the coast, a Christian orphanage raced against time to save children in its care. Children left out of the airlift. World commentator Cal Thomas had a hand in that rescue, and he's never forgotten what he saw.

[Jamison Greer]

Fifty years ago, the director of the Kamran Christian Orphanage decided It was time to act. Pastor Nguyen Zhuan Hai, known to everyone here as Mr. Hai, put 85 children and staff on two buses and headed for Saigon. From there, he hoped they could flee to safety. One of the buses was shot at by a North Vietnamese soldier and the buses separated. Somehow, they reunited in Saigon. After renting a boat and getting some distance from shore, the engine quit. For five days they drifted before a Thailand tanker approached. At first the captain refused to help, but later he changed his mind, turned around and towed them for a while. After cutting the tow line, a group of fishermen stepped in and towed them towards Singapore. Soldiers there refused to let them ashore. Mr. Hai wrote a name on a piece of paper and asked a soldier if he could locate a missionary and church planner named Ralph Neighbor to help. Neighbor was relatively new to Singapore, an island nation of more than 2 million people at the time. The soldier miraculously found him. Neighbor is now 96 years old, but still remembers clearly what happened next. He wrote this to me in a recent email. Quote, Singapore government kept them out on St. John's Island. Our missionary team took clothes and food out. USA Embassy contacted Swiss United Nations Refugee Center. Special flight arrived. Children whisked through Singapore on bus with windows covered. Government feared losing neutrality during war. No official record they were ever there. I knew Dr. Neighbor from when he was a pastor in Houston. I worked at a local TV station at the time. He called me and asked if I could help get the orphans and staff to the US and find temporary housing for them. I contacted some Washington officials. I knew they got permission for the orphans to enter the country. When they arrived in Houston, a church couple with a large ranch offered them shelter and food. Buckner Children and Family Services in Dallas assisted with processing and adoptions. This past week, I've been in Vietnam to mark the 50th anniversary of the orphans escape. I had the opportunity to interview many who made the commemorative trip. Sam Schrade was a baby when he was rescued from the streets of Saigon. He's now 51 and owns a successful media business in Houston. How would his life have been different had he stayed in Vietnam? He says the fact that he is of mixed race, that is American, Asian, would make it doubly hard because the Vietnamese looked down upon such people. I have been told by many people, he said, I would not have had a good life here because of the race issue and a government that didn't want me. Kelly St. Germain, now 56, thinks she might have been growing coffee beans and doing hard labor had she not come to America. She also believed she would not have developed a strong faith because of the state's antipathy toward religion. She became a teacher for 30 years. Thomas Ho, the oldest orphan, is now 76. He was 25 when he left Vietnam. He helped organize the evacuation and prepared small amounts of food for the children. In America. He became a chef and then studied to become an engineer. He says if he had stayed in Vietnam, I might not have survived, especially at my age. Now, life here is very difficult. A lot of the food is not very healthy. Reuniting with these adults, many of whom I met when they were children, is a reminder that there are things far greater than politics, celebrities and the petty jealousies that are the focus of too many of us. There are few greater blessings than to have had a role in changing these lives for the better. These former orphans are blessed, and so am I. In Cam Ranh, Vietnam, I'm Cal Thomas.

[Mary Reichardt]

Tomorrow, John Stonestreet will be with us once again for Culture Friday. Also, world reviewer Joseph Holmes on the live action remake of how to Train youn Dragon. And George Grant considers our proclivity to make mistakes on wordplay. That and more Tomorrow, I'm Mary Reichardt.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. The world and everything in it comes to you from World Radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires. The Bible says, but we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. Verse 39 of Hebrews, chapter 10 Go now in grace and peace.