Angela and I have been married for over six years, but she’s never seen me cry. So, when she asked about a sermon she missed while teaching Sunday school, she was shocked when I told her I had tears in my eyes during the service. The message and testimony that day were about adoption.

Angela would occasionally talk about adopting a child. I guess it was natural considering her grandfather and later her uncle have been running an orphanage in Korea for over 50 years. However, I didn’t really give it much consideration until that Sunday I cried. We started praying about adopting a child and asked others to pray with us. But, it still took some time for me to come around. I knew in my mind it was something we were called to do, but the weight of responsibility was holding me back. In the meantime, Angela was patiently waiting and praying. God was also working. I started being drawn to passages in the Bible about justice and God’s concern for widows and orphans. Then, I started hearing sermons on the radio and in other places about the same topics. Finally, God sent me and Angela to China to meet orphans that were being cared for through a ministry that we were supporting. At that point something in me changed. It wasn’t really about doing the right thing. But instead I saw how deeply God loved these orphans and I wanted to imitate Him.

After we came back from China, Angela told me she was going to call her mom to let her know that if her family’s orphanage in Korea ever received an infant, we wanted to know about it. I didn’t think much about it because the orphanage didn’t usually take care of infants and hadn’t had one in years. I was with Angela when she made the phone call. She started crying before she could talk about the orphanage. I thought something terrible had happened. Instead it was an answer to the question that wasn’t asked. Angela’s mom told us the orphanage just took in a baby girl and asked if we knew anyone that would want to adopt her.

That started a 13 month whirlwind where we experienced grace after grace. Because of partially completed paperwork by a birthmother who disappeared, we faced many low points in trying to adopt a child that fell through the cracks of the system. But, every obstacle was overcome by the grace of God, sometimes without explanation.

One day during this process I was looking at a picture of our daughter and was amazed at how much I loved her. She was not my flesh or blood. I had not had much contact with her at that point. She didn‘t love me or even know me, but I chose to love her. I saw how much God loves his adopted children. He chose to love me before I knew him. He loved my daughter and sent her to an orphanage that doesn’t take infants. He sent me to China to see how much he loves the fatherless. He changed the hearts of social workers, bureaucrats, and a reluctant father.

I witnessed the fierce and passionate love of our Heavenly Father. I experienced a love that reaches out to the helpless - even before they can ask for help. I saw a love that was tender and caring. Adopting our daughter had nothing to do with me or Angela doing something noble or good. Instead it was our great privilege to worship God with our family in a very special way.

Hyunjung has been home for a month now. She’s beautiful in every way. Sometimes at night I’ll sneak into her room and pray for her and Angela. I give praise to God for what he’s done. I thank him for His goodness to our family. I pray that she’ll have an abundant life that grows in worship of our Heavenly Father. Finally, if her earthly father fails her or is taken away, I pray that Hyunjung will always be secure in the unfailing love and care of her Heavenly Father. May God complete the good work that He started in her life.

Sol Bahng
Deacon and Treasurer