This is the story of Pastor Lee of Jesus-Loving Union Church in South Korea. He has been a believer for 35 years and has recently begun getting international attention for the “Baby Box” ministry he has been running since 2009.
This baby drop box was set up as a way for saving unwanted babies who are left by those who can’t care for them. Instead of abandoning these children in trashcans or on the street, people can safely leave the babies in a ‘baby box’ for Pastor Lee and his wife to take in and care for them.
Since its creation in December 2009, 629 children have been dropped off in the “Baby Box”, many from teenage pregnancy, rape, incest, or immigration.
Pastor Lee is now the father of 19 disabled children, with 9 of them officially adopted by him and his wife. However, official adoption paperwork means very little to him. “Those who are not adopted are still my children” he says.
What’s so beautiful about this ministry is the fact that this man and his wife are serving together, as a family, to take care of abandoned children in their own community. They know the people, they speak their language, they understand their culture and the social perspectives that come with such heartbreaking situations. Whether Pastor Lee and his wife use the term ‘orphanage’ to define their ministry or not, that is essentially what it is. However, it is more than that…it is a home! These children are not put in a huge institution with one caregiver to look after fifteen or twenty children. No, these kids have a mom and a dad and are part of a family. They are remaining in their own country, raised just how they would have been if they were still with their biological parents. They are receiving love, guidance, and covering by a couple who is committed to them for the rest of their lives.
Click here to hear Pastor Lee’s testimony and learn more about the story of the “Baby Box”.
