On the Eve of a Homecoming

Julie and I spent all day walking the city with a Holt Agency volunteer, Ou Mingyeoung.  She was a recent college grad, a double major in English and Chinese literature, currently looking for work in the hospitality industry in Singapore.  It was quite helpful to have a translator on hand today, and we spent most of the time exploring the National Palace.  It was constructed in the 13th Century and rebuilt in the mid 1960's after it had been damaged during the Japanese occupation.

On the grounds of the Palace is a museum of Korean history.  It was very interesting to walk the timeline of national history, and to also get more familiar with many of the customs and rites of passage for the Korean people.  In some ways it was sad for us to realize that Grace will not experience some of her culture and the richness of her history.  Of course we will do our small part to keep her connected to it and curious about it.  I'm sure that we'll have a chance to return with her at some point when these questions arise but with each day it's obvious that this is a strong culture.

Our focus these next few days is going to be on getting to know each other.  While we are excited to welcome her as our daughter, and we are realizing again, especially while we're here that it's going to take time for her to learn that we are Mom & Dad.  Please pray that our hearts will begin to bond and that we'll have patience for each other.  Our meeting is scheduled for tomorrow at 130pm.  We do expect that it will only last an hour or two, and that we'll stay close to the hotel when we return.  We'll try to load some photos tomorrow so that you all can see her.

Some new good ideas from Seoul:
1) Use of underground tunnels to cross the street.  Atlanta needs to send an envoy over to take notes.  Partly because traffic doesn't stop for anyone, and in part because there's a premium for commercial retail space, these underground tunnels are the only way to cross the main streets...so if you're frequently lost you feel like a gopher...continuously submerging to cross and coming up to get your bearings...it adds to the adventure.
2) A steering wheel knob.  Attached to the left side of taxi cabs steering wheels is a knob that you hold to make fast or wide turns...both of which happen often and with great conviction.  This helps eliminate the rug burn version of wheel rash that might occur for these drivers...only slightly kidding.
3) A doorbell for your waiter.  If you've ever been bothered by the over-eager waiter that can't wait for you to order before returning to your table half a dozen times, or conversely flirts uncontrollably with the kitchen staff and can't ever be found, this is your answer.  When we stopped for lunch, Mingyeoung looked over our menus, answered some questions, talked a bit and then pushed a button that rang the doorbell in the kitchen.  Our waiter bounded up, took our order, and wasn't seen again until we rang the bell again.  It was fantastic.

It was so nice to talk to Reed and Annie tonight.  It sounds like you are having a great time with Boompa and Gigi.  We pray for you guys each day and can't wait to bring home your new sister.

We are off to watch the soccer match tonight with the other hundreds of thousands of 'Red Devils' (the nickname for Korean soccer fans) on the main lawn at City Hall.  It will be exciting if they can win or tie with Argentina.  We'll try to get some pictures up soon.  Remember us tomorrow evening, as we'll be on the verge of meeting Grace.  While all of these little adventures are fun and exciting, she is the real reason we've come and as you can imagine, we are anxious to meet her.

We have thought a lot about Grace today.  We bought a picture with her Korean name printed on the edge, thinking we would hang it in her room.  When asked which picture we wanted, the shopkeeper explained that one was for 'Good Sense' and the other symbolized a 'Strong Will'.  As a parent, we were tempted to select a constant reminder of good sense, but in thinking about her and her life so far we both knew that a strong willed emblem would be more appropriate.  She has already shown herself to be strong willed, in surviving a premature birth and living this first year as an orphan.  Tomorrow that will change.

I am reminded tonight of what Paul writes in 1 John 4 about love.  When we are bound or crippled by a fear of the unknown or we worry about things out of our control, it is comforting to remember that we are not called to do anything outside of ourselves that hasn't been done for us already. I don't have to save Grace from growing up without a strong sense of her Korean heritage.  I just have to love her.

In verse 9 Paul writes, "We love because he first loved us".  And here we are.