At our Zion retreat over Labor Day weekend (more coming soon), we were so please to have Molly Hawkins join us and share her recent adventure. She  (pictured on far right) is taking a huge jump to search for her birth mother in Korea. Here's one of her recent blogs at www.iheartsnow.com.

I am leaving for Korea in 60hrs… 60hrs!!!!!?? I guess its just starting to set in and i am not sure if im ready…am i ready? I could be meeting my birth mom within the next couple weeks? Ive been so driven and focused on the goal of just getting out there, tracing leads, emailing people, researching Buddhist temples and Farmstays, purchasing books off of Amazon… oh dang, the list just goes on.  The other night im sitting there watching a Youtube video about a Korean American Adoptee who is reunited w/ her family, the waterworks fire up and im instantly crying.  I guess im happy for the girl, but i think part of me is imaginging myself in those shoes…wondering what i would say? I want to tell her thank you, i want to let her know im alive and well and that i dont resent her.  Will she apologzie profusouly, shower me in embrace, extend a hand? If no, how will i feel? I just got done telling my brother that if that is to be the outcome than ill be fine with that, but i wonder what it will really be like?

Anyhow, another email came in.  This one even more surreal.  I have a name and address now. Check it out:

Hi. Because the Star of the Sea orphanage does not accept visitors in the protection of their children from swine flu, they faxed me the information about the adoptee. It contains limited information about her birth mother, but I thought I should share it with her.

According to the fax, the name of the birthmother was “Lee, Kil Ja”. She was unwed at that time. Her “then-current” address was Seoul, Dobong-gu, Beon-dong, 460-58.

Just in case the adoptee is curious, the first part (No.1) is about the adotpee; the second part (No.2) is about her birth mother, and the third part (No.3) is about the reason for the relinquishment (Unwed).

A local police station has done extensive search for the birth mother by sending out letters to people with the same name as the birth mother, but their attempts were unsuccessful due to lack of information.

We do not disclose birth parents’ (identifying) information to adoptees without their consent, but we make exceptions when there is little chance for us or adoptees to locate birth parents.

Sincerely and with respect,
Kyunghee “Toni” Ma