Hmong Ghost Stories

[Republic]

This thread is really long and I have not read all the stories but I have one to share.  Parts of it sound funny and made up but it's all true.  This story is a little long, but I write well so it should make things more bearable. 

It's been about 13 years since this happened.  But I can still remember it because it was the most paranormal thing that I ever experienced personally.  In 1998, I went away to school.  It was a big city where I did not know anyone.  So I spent a lot of time online when I wasn't studying.  In those days, Hmongonline.co m was the big Hmong site.  I met a girl there.  She was from North Carolina.  We hit it off pretty quickly and spent a lot of time chatting.  Soon, online chats turned into phone calls.  Finally, a long weekend came up and we decided to meet. 

The plan was for me to drive down to NC and stay at her place.  She was in school too and she lived alone.  Her parents rented a one bedroom home for her.  As the big weekend drew near, our conversations began turning towards the paranormal.  Looking back, I think she was gauging how open-minded I was about that sort of thing.  She told me that her family had many experiences with the paranormal as they were still a traditional family when it came to religious beliefs.  She told me that she personally had many experiences with the paranormal, including one particular ghostly entity that had watched over her since she was a child.  This ghost still came to her in dreams and in times when she was sad or lonely.  Then she told me that the small home she currently lived in was haunted.  I was open-minded but slightly cynical.  When she told me all of these things, I honestly thought she was just testing to see how badly I wanted to get laid.  I laughed it all off and told her I was still going to visit her if she would have me.

The big weekend came.  I drove down on a Friday night and arrived at her house around 10pm.  We had spent a lot of time together online and on the telephone but when we finally got together, it was awkward silence for awhile.  If you've ever met someone online in person you will probably understand.  After awhile though, we both warmed up and our conversation felt natural again.  After a couple of hours, we began to kiss and make out.  I was half expecting she would invite me to sleep in her bed.  But her sense of propriety got the better of her and she made a bed for me on her couch.  I got myself ready for bed (a little disappointed) and I laid down on her couch.  I had forgotten all about her house supposedly being haunted as I closed my eyes.  Then when that conversation replayed in my head, I opened my eyes.  In the dark, I looked around.  Nothing.  I chuckled to myself then fell asleep.

Morning came without incident.  We spent the morning together, then she took me out for lunch and to show me the local sites.  She told me she wanted me to meet her siblings and her younger sister and a younger brother might join us for dinner at her oldest brother's restaurant.  Around 4pm, we returned to her home and her sister and brother were already there waiting for us.  Her sister was younger and cuter and perfectly normal.  But her brother - how can I put this - her brother was freaking crazy!  She told me after I met him that he lives in a psych ward for the mentally insane.  But he got better to the point where they are allowed to pick him up and take him out for short periods of time.  I thought to myself, "WTF would you disclose this the first time you meet someone you like?  Shouldn't this be like a 12th date disclosure?"  Anyways, I kept my mouth shut.  I just showered and got ready for dinner.  Once I was ready, it was another hour while my girl got herself ready.  I chit chatted with her sister and tried not to get creeped out by their brother.  When my girl was finally ready, her strange brother decided he no longer wanted to go.  He said he wanted to stay home and chat online.  The girls just shrugged and said, "OK." 

So it was just me and the girls going to dinner at their oldest brother's restaurant.  I was hoping to be alone with my girl.  But I actually had a good time meeting most of her siblings.  We had a nice dinner at her oldest brother's restaurant.  Afterwards we met another brother and his white girlfriend in a parking lot and hung out there for about an hour, which I thought was a little weird.  After the parking lot festivities, we went home.  Pay attention because this is where all the crazy shit happens and it's all true.

When we got home, the house was dark.  We thought maybe their brother had gone to bed early.  It was only about 10pm.  We open the front door and walk in.  My girl turns the lights on and EFF ME!  Their brother is curled up in the corner in the fetal position.  He is sweating like a pig.  He is huffing and puffing like he's been doing aerobics and muttering something to himself.  I'm totally creeped out.  The girls just treat it like it's normal.  They tell him to get up and quit messing around.  Immediately, the girls go into the bedroom.  The brother comes over and sits on one end of the couch.  Reluctantly, I sit on the other end.  "Dude, you ok?" I asked.  "Yeah," he chuckled.  "I just see lots of ghosts."  He said he was online chatting and surfing then he started seeing ghosts going back and forth in front of the bedroom door.  They came in and scared him so he ran out and curled up trying to make them go away.  I sit there with a perfect pokerface, "Uhmmm ok."  After 15 minutes, the cute younger sister comes and tells the brother to get ready because they are leaving.  My girl and I say good night to them.  I even shake the brother's hand.  He gives me a dead fish handshake and chuckles like a creepy movie villain.  I immediately go to the bathroom and wash my hands after they leave.

We decide to watch a movie - Titanic.  Titanic was still all the rage at the time and no one is a better wingman than Leo DiCaprio dying for true love to get a woman in the mood.  Am I right fellas?  About 15 minutes into the movie, we hear dishes clink from the kitchen like someone is putting dishes into the dish rack.  She's like, "Go check it out."  Like the brave man, I respond, "No.  It's your house, you go."  The noises stop so we just go back to watching the movie.  Then, right around when the ship is sinking and Kate Winslett is refusing to move her fatass over so Leo can climb on the floating piece of the ship, we started to make out.  This time, it's getting pretty intense.  She whispers that she wants me to stay in her room tonight.  JACKPOT!  By this time, I had completely forgotten about her haunted house, the dish noises, and even her creepy little brother.  I hit the bathroom first then I'm in her bed waiting.  She goes to the bathroom and is in there forever of course.  When she comes back, I remember clearly watching her.  She looked pretty and clean.  Because I watched her carefully, I KNOW that she closed the bedroom door behind her.  She climbed into bed with me and we start to kiss.  After a few minutes, I look up.  FOOK ME!  The door is open by about a foot.  I break our kiss and said, "Didn't you close the door?"  She looks up and goes to the door.  She closes it and locks it this time.  Then she turned off the lights.

Now the room is dark.  She returns to me.  And this time we are really going at it.  It's about 20 minutes later.  I just happen to look up like a dumbass.  And FOOK ME!  That door is open again!  It's dark.  But there is enough light for me to tell that the door is completely open.  It scared me but we continued to make out a bit longer.  Eventually, I was too scared then too tired to continue.  We both fell asleep around 4am having not done as much as we hoped to.  The next morning, I went home.

When I got home that night, I called her.  She said she had a dream during a nap.  She said her ghost protector guy came to her in a dream and told her that the thing that opened up the door and came in the room was an old woman who died in that house.  She didn't mean any harm.  She was just curious.  After careful consideration, I broke up with her the following week.

[Republic]

This is the other really weird story that happened to me personally.  To this day, I don't know if it's paranormal or not.  I just know it was STRANGE.

It was the summer of 2000.  I had just finished up my second year of law school and had driven to St. Paul, MN, for HLUB 2000.  Where all my CMA peeps at?!!  Nevermind.  Anyways, I wasn't going to go, but then I decided to go at the last minute.  I knew I would have a place to stay since two of my cousins were there and I could just crash with them.  The whole youth group ended up staying in the Baymount Inn in Minneapolis going towards Brooklyn Center.  All of you MN people know the area I'm sure.  HLUB was a really big deal that year because it was going to roll right into the 50 Years Celebration of Christianity to the Hmong.  The CMA had rented out the Target Center for a huge event set to take place at the end of the week after HLUB.  I know it was a church event, but at the time, it felt like a party atmosphere.  All of the young people were just happy to be together.  And that year, the Baymount Inn was the party hotel.  Over a half a dozen hotels had been booked by Hmong churches from all over the country.  However, the Baymount was the place that most of the older HLUB attendees came to to hang out.

Everything seemed completely normal, except for ONE night.  HLUB is a week-long event.  During the middle of the week, something strange happened.  I had gone out to dinner with a girl from our youth group.  I had my car there so we took off and met a bunch of friends from other churches and had a nice dinner at TGI Friday's.  When dinner was done, I took her to her hotel.  She was staying with my sister at another hotel.  My sister had official duties so the district put her and the other officers in a different hotel.  The girl who was with me was one of my sister's best friends so she decided to stay with her.  After I dropped her off, I drove back to the Baymount Inn.  When I arrived, it was 11pm but it was still hopping!

Hmong youth were EVERYWHERE!  The parking lot was a party.  I walked into the lobby and it was a party.  Someone called my name and I turned around.  It was another cousin and her boyfriend.  We chit-chatted for a little bit then I told them I was going to go up to bed.  When I got up to my cousins' room.  There was a party going on in there too!  One of my cousins had brought some girls from Pennsylvania back to the room to hang out.  Another friend from back home was in there too.  My cousin and our friend were playing truth or dare with these girls.  I thought it was pretty gay and decided to shower and get ready for bed.  I came out of the shower as they were getting ready to leave.  My cousin was going to walk the girls over to their hotel (Super which was on the other side of the parking lot.  Our buddy had left already.  My cousin's brother was already in bed but not asleep yet. 

My cousin and the girls left.  I went back to the sink to brush my teeth.  Then the door knocked.  I thought my cousin forgot something.  So without checking, I opened the door.  There before me was a white girl.  She was really cute.  She stood about 5'2" with long brownish blonde hair.  She was wearing a white tank top, purple gym shorts, and she was only wearing socks.  She had no make-up on and a few cute freckles.  She looked at me and had a really troubled look on her face.  I was startled and didn't say anything.  She piped up and asked me, "Do you have a dollar?  Please, I need a dollar to buy some candy or my mom will be really mad at me."  It was only a second or two but it seemed like I was in a daze for hours.  Finally, I stammered, "What?  Uhmm, no.  I don't have a dollar."  Which, I actually didn't have a dollar.  She had a really sad look on her face and left.  I closed the door and went back to the sink.  My cousin who was in bed said, "Man, what the heck was that all about?"  "I dunno.  It was weird though," I replied.  Seconds later, there is a knock on the door again.  I go back to the door and this time I look outside.  That cute little blonde girl is back!  She's nervously looking around and shifting her weight from one leg to another like she had to pee.  I almost opened the door, then decided against it.  She knocked again.  I just stood there and ignore it.  I back off, then look out again and she's gone.  After I brushed my teeth, I open the door and poked my head out.  Nothing.  I look down and it was weird.  There was some change in front of our door - 78 cents.

About an hour later, my other cousin came back.  He had his door key so the door opens and he walks in.  His brother and I were still awake just chatting.  When my cousin walked in, I told him about the blonde girl.  He said he saw her too.  He said she asked him for a dollar so he gave her the change in his pocket - 78 cents!  The next morning as we left for the next worship event, I stopped at the front desk.  I had to ask about that blonde girl.  The front desk girl told me the entire Baymount Inn was booked by Hmong people.  As far as he knew, no non-Hmong people were guests at the hotel that week.  I asked around after that and a few of the adults who were chaperons said they heard that girl knock on their doors too that night but ignored it.  One hmong lady insisted that she was a dab.

[Republic]

Here's a funeral story for ya'll:

I had an aunt and uncle whom I loved very much.  But the circumstances that arose after their deaths still give the entire family chills when we think about it.  Many years ago, my aunt and uncle were driving on a back country road.  It was getting dark and my uncle may have had a drink or two prior to driving.  He swore he did not but we think otherwise.  Anyways, he said a white car was following close to his tail.  He paid more attention to the car than the road and as a result, he ran a 3-way stop sign.  His truck plowed into a hill.  He survived with a broken leg but my aunt died instantly.  During her funeral, a man came to pay his respects.  When he arrived, as he was walking up the driveway, he had just made it to the garage when he suffered a massive stroke and died on the spot. 

Fast-forward about a decade.  My uncle died of cancer.  Prior to his death, he had all kinds of strange dreams and visions and experiences.  He asked us to muab nws lawb dab, which we did.  But his heart was not in it.  He only asked us to do it out of fear.  And as a result, his faith was not geniune.  The poor man vacillated back and forth in his faith for about a year then he got really sick.  In the hospital, he spent his days asleep.  But at night, it was a very different story.  He would go into hysterics hollaring about how little black demons were crawling on him.  This happened for the first few nights until they upped his medication and kept him knocked out even at night.  After a week, we slipped into coma and never came out. 

We gave him a traditional Hmong funeral.  The Saturday of the funeral, the pig was brought into the funeral home.  I believe it was the npaus hais xim.  That's when all the crazy stuff started. 

A niece who is much older than I am is a shaman.  On that Saturday, she watched at the pig was brought into the funeral home.  What she saw scared the crap out of her.  She said that in a long procession behind the pig was a group of black demons.  She called them menyuam dub.  They came in right behind the pig and climbed all over everything.  They were on top of the casket and pulling and tossing the funeral flowers placed on top of the casket.  She was so frightened she left and went back to my uncle's house where the cooking was being done.  When she arrived she got a bad feeling.  There was a spot on the driveway that she would not go near.  She said that spot was ice cold to her and just scared her worse than the black demons did.  She got so scared that she found her husband and they drove back home to St. Paul that moment. 

That night, we closed the funeral home at 11pm due to costs.  Many friends and family still wanted to stay up and zom hmo.  So my mom and several other women returned to my uncle's house to cook some pho.  The ladies had just started prepping the ingredients.  My younger brother arrived to pick up some people to go sleep at his house.  Shortly after, a woman arrived.  She was there to pay her respects.  She exited her car and walked towards the garage.  When she got the the exact spot that gave my niece the chills earlier in the day, she suffered a massive stroke.  The women around her screamed.  My brother heard the commotion and ran out to the driveway.  He pulled his cellphone and called 911.  They instructed him to press on her chest.  He did so but he could see she was not responding.  He said when he saw the pee around her bottom he knew she was dead. 

The ambulance came to take her away.  Needless to say, everyone was petrified, including my mom and my brother.  They are both strong Christians though and after some time in prayer my brother was ok.  He took some family back to his house.  My mom was ok too but too shaken up to drive.  My sister and sister-in-law came and picked her up.  They called me and I went to the hospital to help comfort the family of the poor woman who just died.  After all of this, no one felt like eating anymore.  Some of the women went to the backyard to clean up.  This was where the food was being cooked.  Many women reported hearing a woman crying coming from the darkness.  They hurriedly cleaned and went to bed.  The next day, tons of people left the funeral out of fear.  By the time the burial came, it was just close family. 

Two side notes to this story:

First, on the night of that woman's death:  I have another aunt.  She claims to have shaman abilities too.  But is a learned shaman (dab kawm) not a chosen shaman (dab thawj).  So most of the times when she goes into a trance, she absolutely is nuts!  Well on the night that woman died, my uncle brought a couple of distant cousins back to his house to sleep.  They are hardcore OGs who are heavily into Hmong tradition so they get along great with my uncle.  That night, around 3 AM, my crazy aunt woke up and started to ua neeb, jingling her bells and banging her drums and all kinds of crazy crap.  She flipped out saying the house was full of little black demons (menyuam dub) and she needed to get rid of them.  It got so bad she wouldn't stop.  The two cousins even got scared.  They ended up calling my dad who went and picked them up at 3 AM.  They usually would never stay at my dad's house because he is a Christian.  But on this night they were relieved to be able to go there to sleep.

Finally, before my uncle died.  A hmong woman who lived in town came to the hospital to stay with the family as we watched over my uncle.  She also is a learned shaman.  While she was there, she got up to use the bathroom.  When she came back, her face changed.  She said she could see little black demons everywhere.  She said there were so many in my uncle's room.  But she said there was one that was bigger and stronger than all of them.  She said she was scared and needed to leave.  A few nights later, she became possessed.  It was so bad all of her kids moved out.  Even her crazy husband who encouraged her to become a shaman got so scared he tried to move in with their Christian daughter.  She said no by the way.  The woman would go into a trance and talk in strange voices like the voice of her brother who drowned 20 years ago.  The husband took her up St. Paul and they went from one shaman to another then from one church to another trying to get her some help.  Eventually, her possession subsided enough that they came home.  But they immediately put their house up for sale because whatever happened, it unleashed something in their house.  The kids won't live there anymore and even the couple moved out and are now living in an apartment. 

[Republic]

Random Funeral Home Stories:

I had an uncle pass away years ago in Eau Claire, WI.  One night during his funeral, people were lingering outside of the funeral home like what you usually see at a Hmong funeral.  On this night, some men noticed three figures on top of a van.  When they pointed them out the figures fled.  One jumped away into the darkness and disappeared.  Another one dove under the van and disappeared.  The third figure jumped ninja style onto the parking lot ground then leaped up to the roof of the funeral home and vanished.  The funny part is my cousin was asleep in that van!

Another family member passed in St. Paul.  His funeral was held at the Metro Funeral Home in Maplewood.  I think it's called Legacy now.  I had another cousin come out to sleep in his car.  While asleep he dreamed that all these people were in the parking lot.  The people were Hmong and they were wearing traditional Hmong clothes.  Every so often when one walked by, he or she would knock on his car window.  It scared him enough to wake up but he kept his eyes closed.  He said that while he was still awake, someone really did knock on his car window but he was too afraid to look.  So he kept his eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.  The knocked continued for awhile then stopped.  At some point he fell asleep again and when he woke it was daylight out.

I heard this story awhile ago.  There was a Hmong christian church.  I think it was in Pennsylvania.  The Hmong there used to hold the actual funerals inside of the church.  One time, they held a funeral for an old Hmong woman.  Afterwards they began seeing the woman's ghost in the church.  It got so bad that no one wanted to be at the church alone.  One day a new pastor joined the church.  He did not believe the stories so he and some of the men (cov txiv tsev) decided to stay in the church overnight.  All night long they heard and saw things to change the pastor's mind.  So the pastor and the congregation prayed for the old woman's spirit.  I was told that the hauntings stopped after that. 

[Republic]

I have a cousin who used to own a home.  It was supposedly haunted by his father-in-law.  When my nieces were little, my aunt (his mom) would come over to babysit.  One day, while my aunt was napping on the couch, she felts hands on her touching her.  It scared the crap out of her and she took the kids back to her house just down the street.  She refused to babysit them there again.  My aunt thinks it was the father-in-law mistaking her for his wife (the mother-in-law of my cousin) who would also come over to help babysit the kids every once in awhile.

Another time, my cousin's younger brother came over to drop off some veggies they picked up from the garden.  They pulled up to the driveway.  My cousin (the younger brother) got out to knock on the door.  No answer.  I looked to his right and saw an old Hmong man poke his head around the corner.  My cousin said hello but got no answer.  The old man pulled his head back and walked away.  My cousin ran to that corner and saw his back as he quickly walked down along the side of the house.  He followed the man.  The man disappeared around another corner at the end of the side of the house into the backyard.  When my cousin got to the backyard, there was no one there.  This happened in broad daylight.  His wife was in the van and she saw the old man poke his head around the corner too.  The just left the veggies on the porch and qickly left.

One weekend, a family member died and my wife and I came to town for the funeral.  My wife was pregnant at the time with our first child.  We stayed at my cousin's house several times before but knew nothing of these weird events.  So my plan was for use to stay at his house for the weekend.  He didn't mind.  Me and him were tight and our wives go along.  Since my wife was pregnant, she only made a token appearance at the funeral home then she left with my cousin's wife to rest.  I was going to stay at the funeral home until after midnight then meet up with her to sleep.  It was about 2 AM when my cousin and I got back to his house.  When we arrived, she was sleeping downstairs in the finished basement.  It was a nice basement.  I felt uncomfortable or anything at all down there.  When I went down to the basement, my wife said, "Hi Honey!"  It scared the crap out of me because I expected her to be asleep.  I asked her why she was still awake and she just said she wanted to wait up for me.  I changed then went to lay down with her.  I was holding her as we were talking and giggling about something.  She got really quiet.  Then at some point, we both fell asleep.  The next morning, she told we had to go home because she didn't feel well.  So we went to the funeral home and I said goodbye to the family.  On our way home, she told me that she saw the old man's ghost!  I was like, "WTF when?!!"  She said that when I got home that night and joined her on the floor at first things were fine.  We were talking and she felt fine.  But then she looked up and in the basement window, she could see there was an old man with his face pressed against the glass.  I gave her my pokerface.  We never slept at my cousin's house again.

[Republic]

I had forgotten about this one. 

When Laos fell, my father was a military officer.  He knew he needed to leave Laos quickly.  So right after General Vang Pao left, my father went to find my mother.  Together they left for Thailand.  My mother was REALLY pregnant at the time with me.  Suffice it to say, travel was difficult.  But somehow, they made it to Thailand.  They entered Nong Khai and a few days later, I was born.  Slowly, my father was able to get messages to other family members and most of my father's side ended up in Nong Khai with us.  It was more difficult to communicate with my mother's family though.  Then one day, about ten months after I was born, people from my mother's village arrived.  They broke the really sad news to my parents that her father had died recently.  I was his first grandchild and he never got to meet me. 

A few nights later, a distant uncle was on night patrol duties.  He was finishing up and he was going home.  All of a sudden, he saw a baby giggling and playing in the road.  He quickly went to the baby and picked it up.  The baby was me.  Everyone knew me because I was the first baby born in the camp.  He brought me home to my parents. 

Everyone was confused.  No one could figure out how I got out of my bed much less crawled out into the middle of the road.  My grandfather (my dad's father) decided to saib.  He said it was my maternal grandfather coming to meet me.  He said that when those Hmong people from the village arrived in Nong Khai, my Yawm Txiv was able to find my mom and me.  He did not mean any harm, he was just there to say hello and play with his new grandson.

[yajmafia]

Snaps dude.

I was only 16 in 2000.  I remember attending the 50yr celebration at the target center.

You got some creepy stories.

[SuperFly]

I'm surprise that I have not heard of this story as I do know a few people from GB.   But the story of funeral that I heard was that there was two guys left in the mutuary..when it was late and the coffin was rolling up and down

This particular funeral home is no longer rented off to Hmong people, because the owners refuse to rent it out to them due to many more creepy encounters within the funeral home.  And they are not the only Meka people to refuse renting to Hmong.

[saki saki]

Republic,
Nice stories and well prep.

Dam that's some creepy stuff, Are you a church guy? Even church ppl see strange stuff, But be cuz of their faith, they won't admit, you on the other hand admit that there are stuff that you nor I can explain.

[Republic]

Republic,
Nice stories and well prep.

Dam that's some creepy stuff, Are you a church guy? Even church ppl see strange stuff, But be cuz of their faith, they won't admit, you on the other hand admit that there are stuff that you nor I can explain.

Yes, I am a Christian.  A lot of Christians deny seeing ghosts and spirits because they think that is what they are supposed to say.  But the truth is, there is a very clear example of a ghost in the Bible.  In the Old Testament, after the prophet Samuel had died, King Saul found a witch.  He asked the witch to summon Samuel's ghost so Saul could consult Samuel.  The witch did.  The Bible doesn't explain it.  The Bible just says that the witch called Samuel and he appeared. 

We are Hmong.  Whether we are Christians or still traditional shamanists, the vast majority of us don't need to be convinced that there are ghosts and demons and evil spirits in the world. 

[population1]

@republic, first story is cheesy but inquisitive. I've never seen titanic, completely thru, that is; and will not plan on it ever. but, I know it's a quirky love, mildly suggestive intimate movie with some drama. the only part I've seen is the 'i am free!" scene or something like that. I usually stick to Asian dramas/movies when it comes to love and intimate stuff. anyway, it sounds too much of a planned-out thing to easily see how you'd try for a girl during the movie, during that part of the movie, to 'make your move'; it's so white boyish. which reminds of a time when I met a hmong girl from north carolina, we were chatting for a while, casually at a party of some relatives of relatives, so on; then comes time to sleep, a hmong dude tried to get in her pants while everyone was sleeping, but failed; he also didn't have a pillow or blanket so he tried to steal mine when I was snoozing off. I gave him a good kick to send him off sleeping alone and cold. the ducker deserved it, and the girl can thank me for that.

[Republic]

My parents love to hunt together.  My mom used to hate it.  But now whenever deer season rolls around, she is just as excited as my dad.  A couple of years ago, they went on an overnight deer hunting trip with my uncle and aunt.  The season was late fall so it was cold, especially at night and there were lots of fallen leaves strewn about.

My parents drove my dad's truck and my uncle and aunt took their minivan.  The plan was to camp and sleep in tents if it wasn't too cold.  If it was too cold, they would each sleep in their respective vehicles.  As it turns out, it was too cold so after dinner, my aunt and uncle went to their minivan and my parents set up my dad's truck for the night.  My dad's truck has a cab cover so all my parents needed to do was lay out some padding in the back and it would actually be really comfortable. 

Everyone turned in for the night.  At some point just after midnight, my mom woke up.  She could hear dried leaves shuffling around the truck as if someone were out there walking around.  She listened to it for awhile.  She said it sounded like a person just walking around checking out the outside of the truck.  She hoped it was just my aunt or uncle having to go out to pee.  But after several minutes she knew it couldn't have been them. 

She reached for my dad's hand to wake him but he was already awake.  "Thaub, muaj leejtwb nyob rau" (Translation:  Honey, there's someone outside).  It turns out my dad was already awake and he heard the footsteps too.  When hunting my dad keeps his guns close by.  His shotgun was at his side and he was already thumbing the safety. 

The footsteps continued, then stopped at the tailgate.  Then as my mom tells it, they felt a weight press on the rear bumper like someone placing a foot on it.  Suddenly, the cab cover lever started to turn.  Slowly, the lever creeked from the six o'clock position up to twelve o'clock.  My parents held their breath not quite believing what they were seeing.  It was dark, but the moonlight was bright enough to see through the tinted windows.  There was no shadow, no silhouette, nothing.  As soon as my dad got over the shock of seeing the lever turn by itself, he said up and pointed his shotgun at the rear entry.  A large gust of wind hit the truck followed by silence.  My dad quickly opened the cab over and jumped out the back with his shotgun.  He held his breath and listened.  Nothing.  There was no wind.  There was no animal noises.  There were no sound of crunching leaves (which you might expect to hear if someone were running away). 

My mom was really scared but my dad said a prayer for them and they eventually fell back asleep.  The rest of the night was uneventful.  The next morning they hunted then went home.  When they were back safe and sound, my dad let my mom tell my aunt and uncle what had happened.  My aunt is a big chicken and my dad didn't want her scared witless following my uncle around with a loaded shotgun.  They still hunt at that location.  But I think that was the last time they did an overnight trip there.

[SuperFly]

My parents live in a small town in Oklahoma where the Hmong community is small and everyone knows each other.  There was a Hmong lady who passed away and my dad attended her funeral.  My mom didn't want to go because when my dad decided that they'd go, it was already 11pm at night.  So my dad went without my mom.  The funeral was a good 40-minute drive away.  My dad came home after 1am.  The dogs on the farm were barking as usual and my dad was on his 24-hour business cell phone with his people.  He went in to the computer room where he found my mom watching Thai drama's on Youtube.  She was supposed to be asleep with my youngest brother at this time because he had school in the morning.  Well, my dad wasn't surprised and watched it with her anyways.  Soon enough, my baby brother (5-year-old) started crying and my mom rushed by his side as though she was there the whole time.  He kept crying and saying, "Mommy, where are you?  Mommy?  You're not here!"  As soon as he fell asleep, my mom was getting sleepy herself so she went in to the computer room and told my dad to go to bed, but then ended up watching more Thai drama with my dad.  My baby brother started crying really hard again and my mom decided that it was time to really go to bed.  This time she had a hard time getting him to quiet down.  He was crying so hard as though something was hurting him.  He cried himself to sleep even with my mom there.

The next day after my baby brother returned from school, he asked my mom, “Mommy?  Do you want to know why I was crying so much yesterday?”  My mom asked him, “Why, my baby?”  He pulled her towards him and whispered to her, “I saw a lady that had short hair like you sitting on top of the dresser.  She kept staring at me and I know that she wasn’t you.”  My mom freaked, backed up and said to him, “Don’t say things like that.  You are only going to scare yourself!”  My baby brother said, “No mommy, really.  It was really dark, but I saw a lady sitting there.  Right there (pointing to towards the dresser).”

Later that day, my mom confronted my dad about going out late and coming back so late.  She told him what my baby brother said to her and he said that my baby brother was probably dreaming.  And then he remembered that the lady who passed away did have short hair like my mother’s.  Then he also remembered that he didn’t put his hands over the burning stove to ward off any wandering spirits.  Too bad the dogs were all chained up, otherwise they would have scared off that ghost.

[SuperFly]

Republic, my cousins are strict Christians and yes, they are taught to "not be afraid of ghosts, because ghosts do not exist.  They are just an imagination."
One time my cousin did see a faint, shadowy figure of an old man standing at the top of the stairs looking down at her and then disappearing before her eyes.  She told her parents and they said to her that the old white man was an angel brought by heaven to protect her.  He was just her guardian angel.

Fast forward a couple of years later; she gets married to a young man who is a Shaman.  He practiced his ritual every weekend and she learned every aspect of what a Shaman sees on the other side.

[saki saki]

Republic,
I use to be in youth church in the past, i never went to one of those youth camp in different states, did you ever gone to one, and had weird stuff happen to you or know of any. I know that ppl tells stories over the camp fire?