The Barun Family Ken Barun is the chief of staff for the Billy Graham Evangelical Association. He and his wife, Sethea, live in Charlotte, North Carolina, and have been married for nearly fifteen years. They have traveled all over the world, and met and befriended many well-known and influential people. Ken’s experiences include working for the White House and becoming an executive with Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Ken and Sethea have shared many adventures together, and they desire to preserve their stories, faith, and values for their children and future grandchildren. With the help of our Professional Services teams, they launched their family storytelling venture in December 2014 during their Christmas gathering. Capturing the Moments Our Professional Services team included several professional photographers and videographers who filmed on two separate occasions. On Christmas Eve, they captured photos and videos of the family eating appetizers, making dinner, and enjoying each other’s company. It was the first time all six kids had been together in a while, and they were grateful for the opportunity to reconnect.

The photographer took a variety of shots with the family, and the film crew caught candid moments, as well as interviews with each family member. They asked the kids to share some stories about Ken and Sethea and describe what they appreciate about them. Some of the stories were heartwarming and sweet, while others were random and silly. Overall, their family had a great time reminiscing together.

Telling the Story

The whole experience brought a new element to their Christmas get-together. Not only was it full of laughter and touching moments, but bringing up stories from the past changed the tone of their gathering in many ways. It also gave the Barun siblings a longevity of perspective as they thought about the videos and captured memories being around for generations to come . . . even if those generations are still far-off thoughts. Once the film and photography process was finished, the crew returned home to edit and archive the the photos and video clips. In addition, our team of biographers interviewed Ken and Sethea and wrote more than fifty stories about their lives to add to their archive. Each story was paired with family photos and organized along an interactive timeline.

Building a Lasting Legacy

This experience is one of many the family will look forward to sharing again, and they’ve only just begun to scratch the surface. They expressed that it would be valuable to reconvene for another video session in a year to eighteen months, so the documentation can continue to grow with their family. For Ken, the experience was the push he needed to start telling his life’s stories—something he had been wanting to do for some time. Sethea said it helped her kids begin to catch the vision for why she and Ken want to tell their family’s story. The lights, cameras, and crew showed them that this project isn’t just for Ken and Sethea; it’s for them and their kids to cherish many years into the future.