Trip 1 Day 6: A Day in Central Seoul

After our day of rest yesterday, we were ready for another big adventure.  Reese slept until 10am!!!! So we got off to a slower start than I had anticipated... but, no big deal.  We started the day with a small breakfast in a café located within the same building as the agency, orphanage, and our guest house. 

One of the many things we love about the Korean agency that we are going through is that they are not completely focused on shuffling kids around.  They have a wide ranged ministry helping people with special needs and educating single mothers who have chosen to parent their child rather than choosing adoption or abortion.  The café that we went to this morning is part of that support that the agency provides to these women.  The women can work at the café for extra money and the proceeds go toward educating the women so that they can parent well and obtain higher paying jobs to support them and their child.

Seoul Tower
After breakfast we maneuvered the subway system to central Seoul (we are in the southwest part of Seoul) in order to see North Seoul Tower and then go to the Namdaemun Market.  North Seoul Tower is on top of Namsam Mountain and is the geographical center of Seoul. 

The Seoul tower is known as the tower of "love".  Many people from all over the world come to put their "lock of love" at the tower.  I don't fully understand the tradition, but - hey - we're here, so we might as well join in.

Tree made out of "locks of love"

Our lock...

Reese standing on the exact center of Seoul

Carter - this one's for you, Buddy!  Grampy Whiskers climbed to the top with us!

The rest of the "guys" that climbed to the top with us.

Reese snapped this picture... I don't know how long these woman stood like this, but they were standing like this when we got there, and they were there when we left.  It was a looooong time.

Namdaemun Market

After a few hours, we walked to Namdaemun Market, which is basically like an outdoor flea market with anything you can think of.  It was so fascinating - it is a fast paced market with a lot of bargaining - though I hate to admit it, Ron and I just paid full price for everything.  Bargaining in Hangul is not a skill I posses at this point, and, honestly, it was already reasonably priced.  We were able to pick up a few gifts, souvenirs for ourselves (including a beautiful tea set that I was hoping to get while I was here!), and a few fun things for Reese's class.

 Subway

Because we had walked to Namdaemun from Seoul Tower, we decided to take a different subway line back to our guest house since it was closer than the line we went on originally.  Well... hmm... speaking more Korean would have been helpful at this point!  We kept looking at the map, walking in circles, thinking the station had to be close!  Well, it was - It was seriously right next to us for about 30 minutes.  We've lost our marbles!  The hustle and bustle of the subway system on the way back a little crazy, so we were thankful to make it back to the guest house a little after 7pm.

Tomorrow we are back to focusing on the real reason we are here... we get to spend part of the day with Hyun.  Will you all pray with me about our time together with him and his foster mom?  I feel like I could gleam so much information from her, but our translator we had last time really struggled.  She had to look several things up on her phone to try and translate properly.  It was just a little painful for all involved.  I of course have a lot of questions for her about Hyun but am hesitant to ask because I'm not sure that it's coming across right, and it's taking up a lot of the time that we have with Hyun. 

Many families are staying at the guest house with us now, so it has been nice to connect with several other families who have gone through the same process as us.  We were also able to meet an adult adoptee who is here to adopt now that she is married.

My brain is so full of amazing memories.  Thanks for sharing in all of this with us.  We really appreciate all the comments, love and support.

Trip 1 Day 4 - Worship in Suwon

Today is actually day 5, but it's been relatively uneventful (we needed a day of rest!) and I missed my post on Day 4 - which was full of excitement.  Yesterday will definitely go down as one of the most unique Mother's Day I have had and probably ever will experience. 

We spent the day with Esther and Peter again.  Their church had a special event planned for today - Sports Day.  So rather than meeting at the church, we met at a local gym with 600-700 other members of their congregation.  We started with a worship service, had lunch and then participated in Sports Day.  Ended the day with a visit to the Hwasang Fortress (built almost 1000 years ago!), another wonderful meal, and then we headed back to the Suwon Station for travel back to Seoul on train and subway.  We arrived back at our guest room around 10pm.

Worshipping with our Christian family in Korea was so moving.  Several songs were familiar to us - though they were of course sung in Hangul. 

Peter preached a sermon that I will hold onto (Esther was translating for me) - he used the Psalms to discuss and teach about praising God in difficult times.  He used analogies of the Koreans having victory and freedom from the Japanese.  They sang a song that was written as a result of their victory, and then Peter changed the words of the song to sing about the victory we have in Christ versus Satan.

While singing the song, he played a traditional Korean small gong "Kkwaenggwari".  At the end of the day, Peter gave us his kkwaenggwari as a gift.  I can't tell you how much this means to us.  It will probably be our most treasured take away from this trip (with the exception of our son of course).



Gong given to us by Peter

During church, Peter introduced our family and shared a little of our adoption story.  The people of the congregation were so kind to us and honored us in so many ways.

Sports Day was an absolute blast.  Every age group participated in this event.  I am so impressed with how healthy and agile the elderly are in this society.  The congregation was divided into 4 groups (red, blue, yellow and green).  We all sat in bleachers, and as the host would give guidance to how many people from each team should participate and general instructions for each event.  Since we couldn't understand what the host was saying, all the congregation would just push us out into the gym as to say "It's your turn - go!".  So Ron and I would participate in events without even knowing the rules sometimes, but we would just get to the back of the line and follow the people ahead of us.

Here's what I learned during these events:

• Ron looks great in a clown wig, dress and flippers
• I am apparently good at kicking traditional Korean shoes a long distance
• Americans, in general, can't hula-hoop at all in comparison to Koreans (the hula-hooping was some pretty serious business!)
• Americans, in general, are better at riding scooters than Koreans.
• Korean "Bingo" is actually American "Connect 4"
• Rock, paper, scissors can be fun for children and adults!

There was a relay race using scooters, and when Ron and I rode (we were on the same team) we went a bit faster than most everyone - so the host declared that Ron and I had to race each other.  So Ron and I raced, and the crowd went wild.  It was so funny.

What a fun time!



Go Blue Team!

 



Ron in relay race in wig, dress and flippers



This was an event for people >70 years old... look at them run


Reese and I racing while holding a ball between us

Leaving Esther and Peter was very difficult for all of us.  We have, for so long, looked forward to our visit together.  Our being there helped them feel closer to EunJoo, and we just felt so encourage, loved and inspired by them.  It was definitely a time we will never forget.

So, I will end with a really funny story.

Our trip home felt long - we were so tired.  When we got off the subway, we exited to a part of town that we were not expecting, and we were turned around, and it was late at night.  As we were trying to get our bearings, we were walking down an "alley", but there were still many people walking around.  A man dressed in a suit walked past us and let the loudest toot I have ever heard.  Even funnier than that is he did not miss a step, and NOBODY around us responded at all.   We were trying so hard to hold it together, but we were so tired (and we have an 8 year old with us) - we lost it.  It was hard to focus on finding our way home after that.  Every time we think of it now, we all just start cracking up.

Pictures of Hwasang Fortress

 



Young boy protecting Hwasang Fortress :)

 

 

Trip 1 Day 3 - Suwon Trip

We traversed the KTX (Korean train system) today in order to travel to Suwon - a city about 1 hour south of Seoul and is also the home of our friends Esther and Peter Kang.  For those of you who know our sweet friend EunJoo... Esther and Peter are her parents.

Riding the KTX to Suwon

Peter and Esther are unbelievable hosts and treated us like kings and queens.  We spent the majority of the day at the Korean folk village where we got to explore many of the historical houses and traditions of Korea.  Also, there were several shows with dancers, acrobatic horse riders (I have no other idea of how to describe this...), tried a variety of foods, and bought some souvenirs.

Can you tell which ones are statues and which ones are Reese?

No lie... this is dried squid, and I ate it.

 

This is a woman making silk out of silk worms

Mannequins depicting old traditional schooling for boys. 

After the folk village, we took a bus back to the older part of Suwon and got to tour  Peter and Esther's church in which he is the lead pastor.  It was such an honor to visit here and hear about the amazing work God is doing through these two and their entire congregation.

Entry to "Suwon Church"

We found some beautiful art in the church that was painted by my dear friend EunJoo!

Peter had made a reservation at a favorite local restaurant that is owned by a friend.  They had the table prepared and ready for us when we arrived.  Everything about this restaurant was perfect.  We had our own little room set aside, we sat on the floor, and was provided every Korean side dish ever invented. We were also given golpi beef which is a type of beef in which Suwon is well known.  The "coals" were brought right to our table, where the beef was placed in order to cook.

Entry to restaurant

As if that wasn't enough, Esther and Peter reserved a night for us at a local hotel (they had been given a voucher for a free night - and they were so kind to give it to us!).  This hotel is well above and beyond!  It is beautiful, and I definitely took advantage of the amazing tub, bath salts, and all the other things that could be used to spoil us.  The view from our room is awesome.

 

Even the toilets are high tech in this place!

There are all these buttons and I have no idea what they do!

Peter and Esther... wow.  Thank you for being wonderful hosts and making us feel so welcomed to Korea.  It was an amazing and unique experience.

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Trip 1 Day 2 - Meeting Hyeon

Wow, what a big, amazing day for us.

Dear Heavenly Father - I pray that with each word I share on this blog that it would be transparent to others that You are the giver of all good things.  You have given us abundant grace and blessings, and we give you all the honor.  Amen

I have had the privilege of traveling overseas a few times prior to this, so I was prepared for a difficult night's sleep even though we were exhausted.  Reese wasn't quite as prepared.  At midnight, came so gently to the side of my bed and started singing a song in my ear that I often sing to him when it was time to wake up.

"What are you doing, buddy?"

"It's time to get up, Mommy."

"It's only midnight."

"But it's light outside and people are walking around everywhere."

Being in a big city, and changing the time by 14 hours can really play tricks on a little guy's body :).  Thankfully he eventually was able to fall back to sleep.

Morning finally came... it was time to meet our boy.  First we had to meet with the social worker and fill out all the appropriate paperwork for the visa and the US social security card.  Long story short, during this time we were provided the opportunity to change his name if we wanted - we decided to change the spelling of his first name to Hyun.  From what they explained to us, the spelling "Hyeon" was a phonetic spelling change that came along with the Romanization of the Korean language, so "Hyun" is apparently more consistent with the old language.  In the end, it seems to us that people will be able to more easily pronounce his name with it spelled "Hyun".  So he will officially be "Hyun Chae Oliver Wood".  Whew... hard decisions.

As we were wrapping up, Hyun and his foster mom unexpectedly walked into the room (we were suppose to meet them in a different room).  We of course immediately recognized them, and she also recognized us.  She got down at eye level and started singing a song that we sang to Hyun on a video almost as to indicate "Hey, that's the people that were singing the song to you!". Hyun took one look at me, and spit at me.  Yep, that's right... he spit at me.  Not once but probably 5 times.  This response honestly had no effect on any of us - I think we were expecting the unexpected. 

They escorted all of us to our meeting room only to find out it was occupied.  So the social worker asked if we would like to visit the "Children's hospital" while we waited - which is the orphanage for the babies.  Thankfully Ron and I had already discussed that if we had the opportunity we would like to go - I knew it would be a tough thing to absorb - and it was.  Dozens of babies, lying wrapped in little blankets, bottles propped up in their mouths.  This is where Hyun first lived after birth.  There were several women cycling through taking the babies out to hold them and play with them, but each of these children were missing the most basic of necessities - parents.  We know there are many orphans in this world, but seeing so many of them together in one room really highlights how big the issue really is. 

Then we were finally taken to the room to spend time with Hyun and his foster mom.  By this time, he was starting to lighten up with us.  Every time he would say "hello" in Hangul instead of bowing, he would put his hands all the way to the floor and kick his feet in the air like he was a bucking bull.  He was cracking himself up.  There was a small slide in the room, which I think he went down a million times, and he launched a ball down it an equal number of times.  One time, he rolled the ball down, and Ron was at the bottom to catch it and acted as if the ball knocked him over.  This created such a contagious laughter from Hyun, so of course he had to do it over and over.  Thankfully Reese was willing to fall over also.

Our time together was absolutely perfect, more than I could have hoped for.  Ron and I both feel so much more confident of his relationship with his foster mom now that we have spent time together.  He and Reese were being silly together, and Hyun of course was already doing everything Reese was doing.  He even allowed us to hold, hug and kiss him.

We were so proud of Reese; he was a champ during everything today before, during and after our time with Hyun.  We really adventured out today walking A LOT, discovered how to use public transportation, and ate unique foods (though I have to admit we ate McDonald's for lunch... hey, sometimes you have to throw the kid a bone, ya know?).  He has told me he loves Korea multiple times, which is such a different story than when we left Tulsa.  I am praising God for his hand in all these things.

We leave for Suwon in the morning in order to meet up with EunJoo's parents.  So thankful for their willingness to host us for a few days!  Monday we will meet with the president of the Korean adoption agency and spend some time with other adoptive families; Wednesday we will see Hyun again, and next Friday will be our court hearing - so we have a few down days next week.



 

Trip 1 Day 1

Hello friends and family!  Our trip to Korea was relatively uneventful today, and arrived right on schedule.  We were slightly disappointed to find out we were on a different style plane than was originally planned, and they moved us from the 3 seats next to the window to the 3 seats in the dead center of a 5 seat row.  This means we were sandwiched between 2 guys in tiny little seats.  Overall - we survived, and our focus is on what will happen tomorrow - we will meet Hyeon!

It is almost 8pm here, and we are wiped out hoping for a good nights rest tonight.  Our son was an absolute champ throughout this entire day.  I am so proud of him.

I will have to download pics tomorrow when I get a better internet connection and when I'm not so exhausted.

Love and appreciate everyone.

32mo Old

I can't believe another month has passed by already!  We are heading into spring.  I honestly thought we would have heard something regarding a court date by now, but we haven't.  There are ups and downs in this waiting process... there are days when I am so in awe of God because of how He is working in and through us, and I assume He is doing the same miraculous work in Korea for Hyeon and his foster family.  Then there are days when I just plead with God, broken hearted over the days we are missing out on.

32 Months Stats:

Height - 34.5"
Weight - 27 lbs

Here are the latest pictures.  We are so thankful for his growth.  Nothing too concerning, but he has not grown out of his left eye being slightly crossed.  His huge smile is so contagious!

 

Playing with the fire truck and airplane we sent him.  I would like to apologize to his foster mom (Mrs. Kang) for sending so many toys that make noise :).

 

 Prepping for Easter... it's funny - we don't normally hunt Easter eggs at our house, but for whatever reason it felt "un-American" to not send our son eggs to hunt.  Also in the picture are some pull-ups.  I think he is potty training.

I am not sending any packages this month.  I struggle with this decision, but I've decided there is little else I can send and it is very expensive.  We will likely wait until we meet him.  I do have several things to give Hyeon and Mrs. Kang upon our arrival to Korea.

 

 

31 Months Old

Hyeon is 31 months old now.  Most months we receive a few pictures as well as his height and weight.  Also, since we received Emigration Permission (EP), we have also been getting a few progress reports.

By the way, I think you all know this, but just to reiterate, please do not save these pics or any of this information and post it elsewhere!  Until the adoption is complete, this cannot be public information.

This months information:

Weight - 27.5lbs.   Height - 34"



Is that a dance move?

 

Yay!  We sent him that coat.  It is so cool to see him in stuff we picked for him!

 



The progress report simply stated that he can do a variety of things such as state his name, can obey simple rules, and build a tower using cubes.  It also states that he can't do some things such as pedal a tricycle and hop on one foot. 

This weekend we are prepping a package to send him.  This package mostly consists of toiletries (including a Thomas the Train toothbrush!), and items to help celebrate Easter.  The packages feel so stale at this point.

Today Reese and I are going to my friend EunJoo's house to make kimchi.  I'm really looking forward to it.  Involving ourselves in a variety of cultural activities sometimes helps us to feel a little bit closer to Hyeon while we wait.  Plus spending time with my friend is a super bonus!!!  She's such a good, sweet friend; God has blessed us so much by bringing their family into our lives.

Reese has stated concern that Hyeon might like to have his stuffed "Curious George" which he has had since he was an infant (thank you Uncle Butch and Aunt Karen).  I'm sure this is the first of many concerns we'll have to address between the boys :).

This is a busy month for us... Ron's mom is coming to town on Thursday (YAY!!!), we'll be celebrating Reese's birthday, spring break, etc.  We are certainly not just "sitting around" waiting for a phone call to travel to Korea, BUT we would gladly welcome an interruption to our busy schedules to make the trip!