06/16/2024
On one evening close to Christmas of 1969, a couple sat down on a kitchen table and asked one another a question. "What gift can we give to God this coming Christmas?".
They prayerfully considered this question and decided to adopt another boy from Korea. They already had two daughthers and a son by birth, and adopted an Amerasian boy from Korea. They had four children, and they didn't need another child.
They looked over the latest issue of the newletter from Holt and saw many children that were waiting to be adopted. In that newsletter, a 13 years-old boy stood out and captured my father's attention. My father then pointed the boy to my mother, suggesting they adopt him. But when she looked at him, she was against the boy as she was concerned that the boy was too old and may bring trouble later. So she pointed to another boy of 9 years old. However, my father resisted and kept looking at my picture and said, "I think this is the boy." My mother then pointed another boy a little older, but my father insisted on my picture. This went on a couple of times, but my father did not relent and told her that he was convinced that the 13 years-old boy was his son.
She got worried, and went to see Jim, the Amerasian boy who grew up with me at the Holt Il-San Center, and asked him what he thought of the 13 years-old boy that Dad kept insisting on. Jim looked at my picture and said, "Get him!"
At that my mother gave up and the decision was made to adopt me. Interesting thing was that my mother usually got her ways in most of the decisions being discussed with my father. But that night, my father looked at my picture and knew in his heart that I belonged to him. And he had to be firm in his decision. I really believe that God spoke in his heart that night. By the time the adoption process was done, I came home as a 14 years-old boy. The rest is history.
Thank you Dad for choosing me, a boy who you never knew how I would turn out. But you chose me out of your faith and trust. For that I am always grateful.
Happy Fathers Day!
