The Gift from God

by Do Yoon and Vivian Kim

Westlake Village, California  
(Adopted Through Holt Children's Services)

 

Do Yoon and Vivian, holding Emrys, with her foster mother in Korea

My Early Thoughts on Adoption
It was on our third date when I asked my wife-to-be what she thought of adoption.  I had been toying with the idea for several years.  After I finished college, I went back home to find a job and get involved with the local church that my parents attended.  For five years, I served as a youth leader, providing sermons, talks, ski trips, camping trips and organizing all kinds of activities that would broaden young peoples experience socially, emotionally, and most of all spiritually.  One thing I learned from this experience was that no body has a greater impact on children than the parents.  The parents have so much opportunity to spend quantity and quality time with their children, that it is inevitable that they provide the greatest influence.  I thought perhaps, instead of trying to provide a little help to many people, that I should try to provide a lot of help to a few people.  That’s when I started to think about adoption.  I made no plans, except to keep an open mind.

Common Goals and Outlooks in Life
By our third date, I really wanted to know what kind of a person Vivian was.  So as a kind of test question, I asked her about adoption.  To my surprise she told me that she too had been considering adoption for several years.  In fact, she had told her mother that if she was not married by the age of 30 that she would be adopting a child. I quickly realized that we both had common goals and outlooks in life.  We were married 8 months later. 

The Beginning - Asking the Same Questions
It wasn’t that either of us couldn’t have children.  We were both tested by several doctors and every time they would tell us.  “everything looks okay, its just a matter of time.”  We were hoping to have our biological child first before we would adopt.  But seeing that it was taking time, we decided to go ahead and start the adoption process.  The initial phase was tedious, endless paperwork, everything seemed so foreign and distant.  It wasn’t until we were assigned a baby that we felt that this was for real.  It so happened that my brother had his third son right about the same time.  I was a bit surprised that all though I was adopting and he wasn’t, we had most of the same concerns.  Will they be healthy, will they grow up to be rebellious, will they be “normal”, and most of all will they grow up to be God fearing.  Many of the same worries and concerns because life makes no guarantees. 

Emrys and her Daddy in the airplane ride home

First Meeting of Our Daughter Emrys
When I saw Emrys for the first time in Korea, I was expecting a surge of emotions to overwhelm me.  However, I still didn’t feel like she was ours until we brought her home.  After spending several full days with her, I learned to bond with her more and more.  I feel that I love her more and more each day.  I am so enamored by her smile and googly sounds that I yearn to get home right away after work to be with her.

Proud Grandparents
When we first told our parents about our interest in adopting, they all expressed some concerns.  They never objected or discouraged us, but tried to warn us about all the potential problems we would be facing.  Once they fully accepted the idea, they have been so supportive.  They like to show off our Emrys to their friends and they are so willing to baby sit for us.  It shows in their eyes, they are proud to be her grand parents.

My Message to Korean Christians
Ephesians 1:5 of the Bible tells us that when we become Christians, we are adopted as sons of Jesus Christ into the family of God.  When we adopt, we are sharing in the love that God has shown us.  It is unfortunate that there are so many Christians in Korea and yet there is such a strong negative attitude towards adoption.  I know that Koreans value their genetic heritage.  But when we have the opportunity to provide a home for a child, why can’t we broaden our hearts and be more accepting.  I am not trying to say that adoption is for everyone.  But for those that have the capacity to adopt, I hope social pressures will not stop a child from finding a home.

The Gift From God
Her English name is Emrys, meaning: gift from God.  Her Korean name is Aejin, meaning: true love.  We find both her names so fitting.  More than helping a child in need of a family, Emrys is truly a blessing to us from God.

 

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