A childhood ailment leads to a bright future for a college graduate

By Susan Cavendish

We adopted Mindy through Holt from South Korea in 1987.  It was discovered shortly after that Mindy had a huge hole in her eardrum. Over the next months, her eardrum deteriorated until there was no eardrum in her left ear. She suffered frequent ear infections and febrile seizures, as well as had major speech delays.

We moved from Nebraska to New York and began seeing a new Ear Nose and Throat Doctor who Mindy adored. He told us about a surgery that Mindy would be able to have when she was 8 years old. Meanwhile, she would have to undergo surgeries to remove the cysts that formed deep in her ear canal. Mindy lived with pain in her ear most of the time, and we constantly prayed that something could be done.

A few months after our first visit to the doctor, Mindy had an appointment to schedule surgery to remove a painful cyst. That night Mindy awoke screaming in pain. I carried her downstairs where I was watching the movie “The Greatest Story Ever Told”.

Mindy asked, “Mommy, can Jesus still make people all better like He did in the movie?” I really didn’t know, and I said so. Mindy folded her hands and bowed her little head. She prayed out loud: “God and Jesus please fix my ear and make it better. I love you. Amen.”

The next morning, we went to see Dr. Rodriguez for the pre-surgery visit. He looked in one ear, then the other shook his head and said, “There is a brand new baby eardrum in there!” Well, the nurse had to look. Then the doctor had to look again! Pretty soon, people were coming in and out, looking in Mindy’s ear. Dr. Rodriguez said, “I just don’t know how this happened. Two days ago, there was no eardrum in here.”

Mindy said, “I asked Jesus to fix my ear, and He did!”

I almost fell off of my chair! Mindy smiled sweetly and told the doctor her ears didn’t hurt anymore. Read the rest of this entry »

Foster mothers from South Korea visit Holt Headquarters

Two foster mothers from Seoul, South Korea, made the long journey to Holt’s headquarters in Eugene, Oregon in November for a very special day that would reunite them with the children they had said goodbye to so long ago.

Mrs. Jang, Woo-kyung and Mrs. Lee, Chung-sun have dedicated their lives to orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children for over 15 years, each selflessly taking care of 40 and 38 children, respectively, some of whom have special needs.

On that same day, seven adoptive families, some from as far as the Midwest, also traveled to Holt’s headquarters to reunite their children with the foster mothers and show their appreciation to the women who had cared for their children and prepared them for a lifetime of love with their new families.

“When we arrived at Holt’s headquarters, Mrs. Lee turned and saw Trent. In a voice that was part sigh of relief, but completely joyous, she said, “Hyo-sung!” said Dawn Reed, mother of Trent, one of Mrs. Lee’s foster children. “Hyo-sung was Trent’s Korean name, and Mrs. Lee knew him. This woman, who had only mothered my son for two months, recognized him 6 years later. She told us that she knew his eyes.”

When children come into care at Holt Korea, it’s the foster mothers, like Mrs. Jang and Mrs. Lee, who wrap them up and give them comfort and warmth for most likely the first time in their lives. They love the children as if they were their own and provide for them until they go home to loving families.

During the emotional visit to Eugene, the foster mothers and adoptive families got the chance to visit Harry and Bertha Holt’s home in Creswell, and spent some time in the place where the legacy of love and caring began over 50 years ago. The children were allowed to play on the property and bond once again with the first mothers they had ever known. Read the rest of this entry »

Susan Cox, Holt International’s Vice President of Public Policy and External Affairs, will be a guest speaker on the Creating a Family radio show with Dawn Davenport on Wednesday, November 11th. The topic will be “Adopting from South Korea” and will discuss the future of adoption in South Korea, as well as information on the process of adopting a child from this country.  The radio segment will air at 9:00 a.m.

You can listen to the program live Here

Or listen to the segment after it airs Here

Other guests will include: Nancy Fox, Executive Director of Americans for International Aid and Adoption, and Duk Kyung Um, Korean Program Director for Dillon International.

Click here to learn more about Creating a Family

Learn more about Holt’s Korea adoption process

A 13-year-old boy leaves the loving care of Ilsan

by Jake Krob

Parents who adopt have heard it time and time again. “You are so special!” people say.

“Your child is so lucky,” others remark.

It’s pretty clear after six months with Sonny that he’s the special one…that we’re the lucky ones.

It’s true that how Sonny came into our lives is a bit uncommon. As far as Holt has records, he’s the oldest child with special needs to be adopted.

“You know, you had quite a bit going against you,” our social worker said.

We didn’t take this adoption – and all the “issues” – lightly. But our motives, if that’s what you call them, were grounded in the same reasons most everyone adopts: Every child is a miracle. Every child deserves a loving family.

That’s what led us to Holt in 2003. Eli, now 5 1/2, arrived in Eastern Iowa from Seoul, South Korea, as a six-month-old blessing. We were blessed by birth with the arrival of Ella, now three, in 2006.

And then we met Lee Soo-Hoon (Sonny), through the pages of Holt International magazine. It arrived midday. I’d had a long evening of work as editor of the newspaper we own. Niki, Eli and Ella were in bed when I came home. On the kitchen counter was Hi Families, opened to the Waiting Children pages. Niki stuck a Post-It next to his picture.

“Our new son?” she inquired in writing.

“Yes.” I replied, for her to discover the next morning.

Our faith told us, deep in our souls, that this was right for us. But we knew it wasn’t for us that we were deciding. We spent hours contemplating what would become the first of many decisions we made for our son: Was this the right thing to do for Lee Soo-hoon?

He’d been in the care of Holt since birth. He clearly loved his housemothers. He loved his family at Ilsan. He reveled in activities – from a choir that toured the country, and beyond, to TaeKwon-Do and wrestling.

We knew that if for whatever reason the adoption didn’t work out, he would have a fine life in Korea. After all, he was in the care of Holt. There’s always that shred of doubt with faith, and we won’t deny that here, but miracles along the way cemented our decision for Sonny. It was the right decision to bring him home. Read the rest of this entry »

A 25-year friendship has brought perspective on life

By Kim Fenneman

Life takes unexpected twists and turns over the years, but when you’re 7 years old it’s still a simple, extraordinary world of wonder and possibilities. But as you grow older you understand the important things in life…health, happiness, family and friends.

Friends. How simple yet life-changing they can be. Let me start from the beginning….

I always knew I was adopted and it never bothered me. I didn’t always know exactly what it meant; I just thought I was special, and since no one in my family or community treated me any differently than anyone else, I had no reason to feel awkward or self-conscious. I was just a young Korean child running around and exploring the broad countryside of a small, dairy farm in north central Iowa. What’s so unusual about that? I value the time I had on the farm, but that all changed on July 18, 1983. It was a day that drastically changed my life and the lives of my family. It was around 7:30 a.m. when my older brother screamed, “The house is on fire!”

A few months before that tragic day, I wrote Holt to request a pen pal. They published the request in an issue of their magazine. I received over fifteen letters from girls all over the country and was shocked and excited that so many people had responded. I wish I could have kept in contact with all of them, but I kept a few and let my friends write to the others. As the months went by some had stopped writing, but one continued to write. Ironically, her letter was the very first one I had received. Read the rest of this entry »

Power and love flow from the adoption community

by Amy Ostertag

I remember clicking on the Holt International website at the beginning of our adoption journey, and finding the Holt forum. They were a huge comfort and guided us as we navigated the piles of paperwork and felt the anticipation and worry.

This group of adoption community friends rejoiced with us as we shared the joy of finding Joo-sung on the list of children in the Waiting Child program. His face and story seemed to call to us—telling us that we were meant to be together. We had a sense of quiet reassurance that he was the fourth son who was meant to complete our family…and he has!

On the flight to Korea to receive Ben, we met another family who was also on the message boards, and we bonded immediately. We traveled together, met our children on the same day, and flew them home together. We have had play dates in the years that have followed and feel a love and bond that will last a lifetime.

Then, our world changed forever. We stood in the ER hallway and heard the words “large brain mass,” “tumor,” and “emergency ventriculostomy“. In the days that followed the news worsened. Our son had a very aggressive form of brain cancer. Life moved at warp speed as he was rushed to the ICU and embarked on many months of in-patient care and a brutal protocol of chemotherapies.

We received so many messages on Ben’s care page from all the friends we had made through the years on Holt’s website. We received notes, gifts and cards that buoyed our spirit. Our close friends, who had traveled with us to Korea, now traveled up to UCLA hospital to sit with us and reassure us that we were not alone. But nothing could prepare us for the most amazing gift of all. Read the rest of this entry »

A return to Korea, with the Holt Heritage tour, brings understanding and an unexpected connection

by Courtney Rader, Holt Adult Adoptee Outreach Director

Is this your first time back to Korea? I don’t know how many times I was asked this question. Technically, the answer is no. I was in the airport for a layover to Hong Kong once, but that doesn’t count. I was adopted in 1980, and this was my first time back to Korea.

I tried not to have high expectations. I wanted to share this experience with my husband and the 45 people on the two-week tour. For many this was the first time back to Korea. Smiles and laughter seemed to be a constant theme, however, I saw and experienced many tears. In a country so foreign to me, I felt this connection as if I had never left. I saw myself in so many faces, including the children, but at the same time, I realized that we didn’t have much in common besides being Korean. It felt so weird to see people who look like me everywhere, but to feel so disconnected to them at the same time. Yet, I felt a close connection with the other adoptees on the Tour.

The Heritage Tour took us to Incheon, Seoul, Gyeongju, and Busan. We visited the Korean Folk Village, Changdeok Palace and were invited to a special dinner hosted by the district mayor of the Jongno District. We did our best at making kimbop at the Kyoungbuk University Korean Cultural Program, visited the Jeonju Babies’ Home, the Daejeon Maternity Shelter, and Holt Ilsan Center. We were honored in the Mapo District with a ceremony that granted us honorary citizenship commemorating our visit and reestablished our roots and ties to Korea

My most memorable experience was the host family stay. Where we were guests for one night. You would think the language barrier would be an issue, but it was not. The youngest daughter translated very well and at times I could tell she was nervous and rubbed her face in embarrassment as I complemented her English. Her pronunciation was perfect. Later in the week, we met them for an evening, and in a touching moment our host mother gave me a hug and said in English that she was my “Korean mom”.

There is no way to clearly describe my experience back to Korea. Just like the nod many adoptees give each other, there is a common understanding among those who have experienced their first trip back. It’s a journey I have opened my heart to and have no expectations as to where it may lead. I do know, however, that I have gained a better understanding of my birth country and knowledge of Holt’s services. I have seen how beautiful and proud the Korean people are. I know I will return to Korea and look forward to growing my relationship with a country I once called home.

For information about next summer’s China and Korea Heritage tours, contact Lisle Veach at lislev@holtinternational.org (China tour) or Paul Kim at paulk@holtinternational.org (Korea tour)

Amy Weinkauf and her family share in the experiences of Holt-Korea adoptees traveling to Korea for the first time

By Amy Weinkauf

It is the end of day seven, and I understand that I have an interesting position on this Holt Heritage Tour. I don’t have any adoptees to immerse in Korean culture, or to go over files with at the Holt office in Seoul, or to rejoice with in meeting a foster mother for the first time, or to prepare to reunite with a birth family. Yet, in my own life, the mission of Holt has profoundly impacted me.

I have a beautiful sister-in-law, Emily, who was adopted from Korea when she was a toddler. She is the younger sister I never had. She is smart, talented, funny, and wise. She is a great mother, sister, wife, and friend. My life would not be the same without her.

I also have a dear friend, whom I call my “sistah.” Kim and I are on our third trip with Holt. We first met not quite three years ago on a gift team trip to Korea. Our husbands traveled with us then, and we had an instant bond. We quickly discovered that we have the same quirky sense of humor. At a deeper level we found that we share a desire to see the story and legacy of Holt carried to the next generation. This has bonded us for a lifetime. It has made us a family in a way only made possible through adoption.

I am here again in Korea Read the rest of this entry »

Holt Board Member, Kim Hanson, serves as an airport greeter—volunteering to help adoptive families meet their children for the first time

By: Kim A. Hanson

The countdown to the airplane landing is like watching the ball drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, but instead of watching the ball, everyone watches the monitor for updates.

I can see the panic in the parent’s eyes, as I assure them their babies are on the plane. They get confirmation from other passengers, as well, who let them know their “babies are here!” As the Holt greeter, I am also crowd control and make sure that we don’t block the entire exit ramp, as we wait and wait for the babies and their escorts. In Korea, the escorts are told to be the last ones off the plane, which makes the wait even more excruciating.

I finally see the escorts with the babies in front carriers, and my heart beats faster when I announce: “Here they are!” The parents start to cry, and I can see the relief in their eyes and the immense love they have for their babies. With tears in my own eyes, I lead the escorts to the new parents. Cameras are in high gear as flashes go off to capture every special moment.

I am a Holt-Korean adoptee and have three children, one adopted from Korea. I volunteered as a greeter for families in Omaha as a way to give back to Holt. My experience is a gift I never expected. Witnessing families receiving their babies and seeing those babies held by their new mothers and fathers is a truly heart-warming experience, and one that never gets old. I’ve been on the receiving end and know the feelings of uncertainty, panic, anticipation, and joy. As the greeter, I do the thinking for the new parents and hopefully calm them at the same time. Read the rest of this entry »

Kim Brown joins Ilsan Center residents and staff in seeing a longtime resident go to his adoptive family

By: CEO, Kim Brown

My recent trip to Korea coincided with what would have been Grandma Holt’s 105th birthday. We planned to spend the day with Molly Holt (Harry and Bertha’s daughter) at Holt’s Ilsan Center.*

We visited Bertha’s and Harry’s graves–a very moving and emotional time, just as I knew it would be. Ilsan residents, staff from Holt’s Seoul office and some guests participated in a small program at the gravesite, remembeing ‘Grandma’ and how she had so profoundly touched all our lives.

“This is a special day here at Ilsan for another reason besides my mom’s birthday,” said Molly, as we walked back down the 59 steps from the gravesite to her house. “Soo-hoon, a 13-year-old boy who lives here, is going home tomorrow to his adoptive family, and we are having a farewell party for him this afternoon.”

A few minutes later I met Soo-hoon, a handsome, lively young man who smiled his million-dollar smile when he shook my hand. Soo-hoon is something of a celebrity at Ilsan. He is part of the Ilsan choir and ‘conducts’ along with the choir director during performances. He even directs the choir himself during some of the numbers, and is a true star in the eyes of his friends and fans that have watched him over the years.

Soo-hoon was about to join his own family. I thought about the amazing turn his life was about to take in a few short hours. Read the rest of this entry »