The recent events that have taken place are nothing short of appalling, for anyone who knew Angela I think we can all testify that she was one of the sweetest, nicest, and most encouraging people.

Let me tell you who I am and how I came to know, love and respect Angela. My name is Julianna, I’m 19 and have been a missionary all my life. I was born and raised in this group and I would never trade any of my experiences as a missionary’s daughter for anything. I grew up most of my life in Thailand with my mother, sister, and brothers. My dad wasn’t living with us and yet throughout all my life I never once doubted that he loved and cared for us kids.

As a child and throughout my teen years I have attended and in some cases even helped to organize different charitable events for all sorts of occasions ranging from poor schools (and by this I mean really poor), to old folks centers, detention institutes, handicapped centers, and hospitals. I have seen what it is to be totally stripped of hope, to be poor, desperate, and lonely. I have listened to others who needed someone to encourage them and let them know that life is worth living for. I knew that I was the privileged one in all of these cases and that even as hard as my life may get at times it was better then a lot of others.

As a teen I went through your typical rebellious streak when my mom got married to another guy and during this time I found out that my dad had a girlfriend as well. My dad hadn’t seen us kids for awhile and so he decided to take us (my sister, older brother and I) on a three-week trip to China. He would be coming with his girlfriend, Angela.

If I was nervous about meeting Angela it was gone the minute I met her. She was so warm, sweet, understanding, kind, and loving—basically she put me right at ease. During our three-week trip she was more or less the one making sure that we were all well fed, comfortable, and had time talking with our dad. Even through she was never a mother she had the heart of one, and could put a smile back on my face quicker then most people. She came into my life at a time when I needed someone to reassure me that I could make it, that I was called to be a missionary and that no matter what she had faith in me.

So Angela, I owe a lot of what I am today to you. Even through you and dad didn’t stay together, you were always a friend to me. In fact, I still have that bracelet you sent me to let me know that you loved me, and would always be praying for me. I don’t understand how someone who knew you could do such a thing to you, but I know that you’re in a better place now, the pain is gone forever. I just wish there was a better way to express my feeling about what happened to you, but I pray that even through you’re gone your memory won’t be soiled by those that never knew you. You were the best in so many ways and I’ll miss you. I know you’ve gone to a better place and I’m happy for you.

To all those who never knew Angela, I just wish you could have met her. She was everything you could have hoped for in a friend, and I’m proud to have known her. What I can’t understand is why some people would say that the victim was the one to blame. If you knew her you would have known that she was just trying to be friendly, kind, helpful, and loving—the price of which was her death at the hands of a “friend.” She lived her life with a passion for others which I pray I’ll have with time, in order to be and do what I can for others as she once did for me.

Angela you’ll always be remembered by those of us who knew you.