Over the past three years, I have been deeply honored to serve orphans in Guatemala and El Salvador. I have held abandoned babies, played with fatherless boys and danced the night away with orphaned teenage girls. I have experienced the heart of God in an indescribable way through orphan ministry. But today I held an orphaned girl who has been chosen by God and placed into our family. How can I express the honor, privilege, joy and relief that I experienced? Here is my attempt...
As we sat anxiously in the Social Welfare Services office waiting to meet our social worker, it finally hit me. This was real. After so many heartbreaks and disappointments in the adoption offices in El Salvador, we were actually approved, recognized, welcomed and just minutes away from meeting Hailey. The thought took my breathe away.
I immensely enjoyed speaking with our social worker, Hyejin, as we drove to the foster family's home. Hyejin told us that adoption is slowly becoming more accepted in the Korean culture. She explained that most Koreans at this time are adopting girls, so it is very difficult for girls to be available for international adoption. Our family is her only current female adoption case. These words were yet another reminder of God's supernatural hand over our adoption journey.
As we exited our van and approached Hailey's foster family's building, my heart began to pound and I felt like I was in a dream.
Suddenly Hailey appeared in the arms of her foster mom. And it felt so right. She was even more beautiful in person than in her photos. She reminds me so much of Jordan. She is pensive, cautious, and calculated. As you watch her curious, probing eyes, you know that one million thoughts are passing through her mind. Hailey is very shy, and she was a bit overwhelmed by our family, the gifts, sounds, etc. The foster mom also explained that she missed her nap, and was extra tired. We knew exactly how she felt!
We were presented with a delicious meal, and Hailey's foster mother insisted on sending it home with us. We had prepared the boys to honor her gift of food and eat whatever was presented. They did a great job trying everything and we were so proud of them! We sat on the floor of her contemporary and simple home talking, laughing, eating and sharing together. I did my best to express our deep gratitude for her love, care and selfless investment into Hailey's life. We recognized that we all shared a common faith, and no words were needed to communicate that bond. We discovered that Hailey's foster family has cared for fifteen children over the past eight years. They are truly our heroes.
It took a while for Hailey to warm up to us, and she shed many tears (and snuggled for safety in her foster mom's arms many times). However, as we were preparing to leave, I was finally able to hold her. She stared into my eyes with intense curiosity and then Aidan started to tickle her arm. For the first time since our arrival, we heard Hailey's adorable, little laugh and it was priceless. Way to go, Aidan! We caught a few of her smiles on film and ended our meeting with laughter and relief.
It was difficult to say good bye, but we knew it was the right thing for all of us. Hailey needed to rest and we were grateful for such a memorable introduction. Tomorrow afternoon we will meet with Hailey and her foster mother in the adoption offices, where we will laugh and play together once more. Our family will officially take guardianship of Hailey on Friday morning. We plan to stay in our guest house all day Friday to continue to build a sense of safety and trust for Hailey. The social worker suggested that we visit a park together on Saturday for our first venture out into the city together. We look forward to every moment that we will share together in Seoul before our flight departs on Sunday afternoon.
Please pray for Hailey as we prepare for this major transition. We are concerned about Hailey's shyness, especially since she will be encountering so many new faces and situations in the next few weeks. But we have no doubt in our hearts that she is a Ramsey. In no time she will be smiling at strangers and welcoming daily adventures into her little heart and mind. Sweet dreams, Hailey Jane! After laying our eyes on you, I know that our dreams will be sweeter than honey!
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