Video Wednesday: The Drop Box

Within the first month that Jonathan and I were living in South Korea, we learned that physical beauty is extremely important to the Korean people. Many young ladies, and even some young men, have expensive plastic surgery done to make themselves look more beautiful (or at least to fit society's view of beauty). Because South Korea is such a small country (38,600 square miles) with such a large population (in November 2011, when we arrived, the population was almost 49 million, but by the spring it went over 50 million!), job competition is very high. Many people, especially young adults, think they need to get plastic surgery to be able to compete in the job market. Needless to say, physical beauty is very, very important to the South Korean people. And people in that society who are physically or mentally handicapped are quite looked down upon, as are single mothers and even couples who adopt children.

A few weeks ago I read an article about a Korean pastor, Lee Jong-rak, who saw a need and made himself open to God's leading. He saw and heard about babies being abandoned on the streets, so he installed a Baby Box on the side of his Seoul apartment. Here mothers who would have abandoned their unwanted - and many times handicapped - babies in the streets could instead place them in the Baby Box. So far about three dozen children are being raised by the pastor and his wife and a small Korean staff at Pastor Lee's apartment-turned-orphanage. Their lives have been saved from certain death, and they are now loved and cherished by this couple who has committed to look after them.

I didn't know about this orphanage while I was living in Seoul, South Korea, but now, after reading the article and seeing the video below, I really wish I had known about it while I was there and could have gone to visit or volunteer there. I'm sure it would have been an amazing experience to witness the love that this man has for the children he has saved. While I watched the video, I was reminded again of God's everlasting and unchanging love for us, all sinners by birth, and how happy He is to welcome us into His heavenly family. What amazing love!

For more information about Pastor Lee Jong-rak and the orphanage he runs, please read the article about his ministry or visit dropbox-movie.com.