Day 2

We attended Young Nak Presbyterian Church this morning. 

Very sweet time and we were treated like visiting dignitaries.  After church, the welcome committee hosted a reception with coffee/tea and cookies.  They showered us with little trinkets from the church.  I think my cheeks hurt from smiling hard and bowing to try to communicate thankfulness to the people.  This afternoon we visited SanRok Children's Home where 71 children live.  We only spent time with a group of 20 or so children.  Most of the kids have family to visit on weekends(extended relatives, not parents).  The children who stay over the weekend do not have family.  One was a darling 2 year old who had been abandoned.  Due to Korean law, he cannot be made available for adoption because there are no official relinquishment papers.  This beautiful little boy will live the rest of his childhood in an institution.  The facility is fantastic.  The director was super proud of how hard he'd worked to secure donations and provide a quality home.  They had a library, gym, and play therapy room.  I was most impressed with the program they offer teens who age out of the group home. Kids who turn 18 can move in to a dormitory and stay for up to 5 years free of charge.  They attend trade school or college and try to become independent.
Supper was Korean Bulgogi and was fabulous!  Tomorrow we travel 5 hours to a different province that has invited us to meet with a group of domestic adoptees.  Abby is doing great.  There are other kids on the trip.  A 15yr old boy, a 12yr old boy, a 13 yr old girl, an 11 yr old girl and then Abby.  They are loving having some kids to hang out with who look like them and have similar family stories.  I think this is really good for Abby.
I saw something Hudson and Dillon would have liked at a store this evening and had a wave of sadness.  I know they are fine.