I read a report about a Korean pastor who helps families that do
not want their babies. The point is why people decide to have baby if they are
not capable of taking care of them. If you do not want them there are million
ways not get pregnant at the first place.
Lee Jong-rak is a Korean pastor in
South Korea.
He is the creator of the Baby Box.
His Baby Box is the first and only box in Korea that is for collecting
abandoned babies who are physically or mentally handicapped or are just
unwanted by their mothers.
Hundreds of unwanted babies are
abandoned on the side of the street in South Korea every year. Jong-rak knew he
needed to set up a way to save the lives of these precious babies. He built a
drop box on the side of his home with a humble sign reading, “Place to leave
babies.”
The inside of the box contains a
thick towel covering the bottom, and lights and heating to keep the baby
comfortable. A bell rings when someone puts a baby in the box, then Jong-rak,
his wife, or staff associates come to immediately move the baby inside. His aim
was to provide a life-giving alternative for desperate mothers in his city of
Seoul. He even admits that he didn’t really expect that babies would come in–
He was mistaken. The babies came. In the middle of the night, in the middle of
the day, some with notes, some without a word, and only a very few mothers
actually spoke to him face-to-face. Pastor Jong-rak stated that one of the
mothers said, “she had poison to kill both herself and her baby.” He responded,
“Don’t do that. Come here with your baby.” One single mother left this
heart-wrenching note with her baby. The English translation follows:
“My baby! Mom is so sorry. I'm so
sorry to make this decision.
My son! I hope you to meet great
parents, and I am very, very sorry.
I don’t deserve to say a word.
Sorry, sorry, and I love you my son.
Mom loves you more than anything else.
I leave you here because I don’t know who your father is.
I used to think about something bad, but I guess this box is safer for you.
That’s why I decided to leave you here. My son, please forgive me.”
My breath was pulled from me as I
read, “I used to think about something bad but I guess this box is safer for
you.” Yes, this little box is a safer place than the plans that once haunted
this single mother’s mind. Because this box was an alternative, she chose life.
Thus, this box would be the beginning of a previously undreamed ministry in
Korea, the ministry of the Baby Box.
The story of this man and his baby
box is reaching the entire world with it’s own 72 minute documentary called
“The Drop Box” by a young 22 year old, Brian Ivie. The documentary just won the
“Best of Festival” Jubilee Award & “The Best Sanctity of Life” film award
at the 8th annual San Antonio Independent Christian Film
Festival this past February. Ivie was stirred to do the film after reading an
article in the LA Times about Pastor Jong-rak’s mission, and he decided to go
to Korea to make the documentary. After seeing the testimonies of this
orphanage up close, Brian Ivie’s life was changed. In his acceptance speech,
Ivie said, “These kids are not mistakes. They are important.” He went on
saying, “I became a Christian while making this movie. When I started to make
it and I saw all these kids come through the drop box – it was like a flash
from heaven, just like these kids with disabilities had crooked bodies, I have
a crooked soul. And God loves me still. When it comes to this sanctity of life
issue, we must realize that that faith in God is the only refuge for people who
are deemed unnecessary. This world is so much about self-reliance, self-worth,
and self-esteem. It’s a total illusion that we can be self-sufficient. Christ
is the only thing that enables us.”
