Dawn Sahr and Asma Jama

One night, in October 2015, Asma Jama went out for dinner with her family at an Applebee’s restaurant in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. Asma, who is Somali American and Muslim, was wearing a hijab, as she always does.

While Asma was talking with her cousin in Swahili, a woman named Jodie Bruchard-Risch, who was seated nearby, told her to speak English or go back to her country. When Asma responded to say that she was a U.S. citizen, the woman smashed a beer mug across Asma’s face. She was rushed to the hospital and required 17 stitches in her face, hands and chest.

Bruchard-Risch pleaded guilty to felony assault charges and served time in jail for the crime. After the trial, her sister, Dawn Sahr, contacted Asma online and they struck up a correspondence.

At StoryCorps, Dawn and Asma met in person for the first time.

Originally aired July 21, 2017, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Ed Roy and Mary Johnson-Roy

When Mary Johnson’s teenage son was killed, she never thought she’d end up living next door to his murderer. We heard about that journey in an interview from 2011 between Mary and Oshea Israel, the man who murdered her son.

Mary went on to found From Death To Life, a support group for mothers who have lost their children to violence, and to speak publicly about her loss in local churches. That’s where she met another man with whom she would develop a deep bond: her husband, Ed Roy.

When they met, Ed was still suffering from the loss of his only son, Mandel Roy, who had also been murdered. At StoryCorps, Mary and Ed talked about sharing in each other’s pain and going on with life after a tragedy.

Mary and Ed were married on January 3, 2015, with Oshea Israel serving as one of their groomsmen.

Originally broadcast January 27, 2017, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Bottom photo: Mary and Ed’s first dance at their wedding.

Photos courtesy of Brian Mogren.

John Marboe and Charlie Marboe

John Marboe is known to many as Reverend Doctor Garbage Man. He’s a Lutheran pastor, a professor, and a garbage hauler.

Growing up in Alexandria, Minnesota, he admired his local garbage man. In fact, he was friends with that man’s son and regularly played on the edge of the city landfill, marveling at the treasures people would discard.

After finishing his graduate degree in 2011, times were lean for John’s family. So he took a job hauling trash and before long, he discovered some surprising connections between his work on his garbage route and his work as a pastor.

At StoryCorps, John spoke with his 13-year-old daughter, Charlie.

You can learn more about John on his blog, Rev. Dr. Garbage Man.

Originally broadcast January 20, 2017, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Photo: John Marboe on his garbage route. Courtesy of John Marboe.

This StoryCorps interview was recorded as part of The American Pilgrimage Project, a partnership based out of Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs that is devoted to gathering stories of religious faith. Author and Berkley Center senior research fellow Paul Elie is the project director and Adelina Lancianese is the project assistant.

Hector Matascastillo and Trista Matascastillo

In 1998, Trista Matascastillo was in the Navy, when she was sexually assaulted by someone she had served with.

Trista told no one about the attack. She had a son as a result and raised him by herself.

Five years later, she met her husband, Army 1st Sergeant Hector Matascastillo. They recently talked about what Trista lived through.

Originally aired November 1, 2014, on NPR’s Weekend Edition.

Photo courtesy of Trista Matascastillo.

Paul Braun and “Philip”

In 2009, Army Sergeant Paul Braun (right) was serving near Basra, Iraq with the 34th Military Police Company of the Minnesota National Guard. They were assigned an interpreter the American soldiers named “Philip” (left).

During the next nine months, Paul and Philip grew close—so close that upon returning to the U.S., Paul sponsored Philip’s visa. They now live together in Minnesota.

Philip’s wife and children were forced to stay behind in Iraq, and in October 2014, Philip returned to his home country to try to reach his family and bring them back to the U.S.

Before leaving, Philip and Paul sat down for a conversation at StoryCorps.

Originally aired October 18, 2014, on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday.

George Robinson and his daughter Katie

George Robinson’s parents never married, and growing up, he never knew his biological father. But he always wondered what his dad was like – especially when he went to the doctor for his yearly physical.

“On the form, they would always ask you information about the illnesses that your parents had,” George says. “But I could never tell anything about my father, and I used to make stuff up.”

It took more than 40 years for George to find his father, eventually tracking him down on the internet. Turns out, his father never knew he had a son. At StoryCorps, George told his daughter Katie about finally meeting his dad.

Mary Johnson and Oshea Israel

In 1993, Oshea Israel was a teenager in Minneapolis, Minnesota. One night at a party Oshea got into a fight, which ended when he shot and killed a teenager named Laramiun Byrd. Laranium was the only child of Mary Johnson.

A dozen years later, Mary went to the penitentiary to visit the man who murdered her son.

After serving 15 years, Oshea was released from prison. Soon after, Mary brought him to StoryCorps to talk about their friendship.

Mary Johnson founded From Death to Life, an organization that supports mothers who have lost children to homicide, and encourages forgiveness between families of murderers and victims.

Originally aired May 20, 2011, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Photos courtesy of Brian Mogren.

Tyondra Newton and Sally Nixon

Youth counselor Sally Nixon (left) talks with Tyondra Newton about her life, whether she wants to have kids, and her hopes for the future.

Originally aired on October 14, 2005, on NPR’s Morning Edition.