Time

When I am on a tour like this, time gets away from me. But then again, our schedule is busy and most of our time is spent on the busses and touring Seoul. I was in a group last night and it was crazy to think we had only been here two days...wow, seems like we've been here longer.

Yesterday was file reading day. I've read my files, but the Holt office set up another reading for me. Nothing new from last time, just clarified the translations of the description of me as a child from the orphanage: Selfish, healthy, cheerful, and often crying...weird combinations. With no new information, I will be placing an add in the Korean newspaper with my picture and my circumstances of where I was as a baby and the orphanage I was in for 3 1/2 years. We will see if anything comes of this method. The other method of a search is going on tv. I may have to make another trip just to do that.

I don't have any expectations, however of finding any birth family members. It's like finding a needle in a haystack. But if I don't try, there would be that sense of, 'what if' and I don't live like that. I am doing this search to give peace to my birth family, because being a mother myself, I would always be wondering too. God will be by my side guiding me thru all of this, as he has led me thru everything else in my life and he will give peace to my birth family somehow even if I never connect with them. I will always pray for them.

We also had the opportunity to meet Kora's foster mother. I had met her in my previous travels so she recognized me immediately. To my surprise, Kora's foster father also came along. What a sweet and caring man. He was so happy to see Kora in person. I had left pictures from my previous trip so they could see pictures of Kora growing up and our entire family. The foster mother was carrying a baby boy, six months old, yes, another foster child. This foster family has been fostering children for 16 years. What wonderful and loving people to do this type of work to open their hearts and homes to give love and care to children during the hardest months of a baby's life.

It was fun being able to talk to them, thru a translator of course. The translator was a very young Korean lady, she was very soft spoken. Kora's foster parents gave her gifts and we gave them more pictures of Kora along with some candies. It was so sweet hearing them talk about how happy and smiley Kora appeared and told us how happy they were knowing Kora was in a happy, good family. They talked about how Kora was a very happy baby when they took care of her. What a blessing to us for these foster parents that loved our Kora so much during her first four months of her life. Skip and I are forever grateful to them and we hope to keep in touch with them to keep them updated on Kora.

I can't imagine being in their shoes, taking care of babies, giving love to them and then having to let them go. I asked them how that was for them. They said it breaks their heart each time, but are also happy to know the babies are going to a family. Amazing people to me. Holt Korea has 400 foster families. It's incredible to see all the foster parents bringing in their children to the Holt office for check ups and such. Each baby I see, they are so happy. God is good, when we have people like our foster families.

I will continue later, guess I have to get ready for the day...love to everyone!