Love Stories: My Happily Ever After

April 19, 2017 adoptee perspective, April 2017 Feature - Love Stories, birth family, foster care, older child adoption, orphanage realities, telling their life story 4 Comments

We are so quick to fill in the blanks, aren’t we? We get one part of a story, and we use our imagination to complete the rest.

But it’s too simplistic to do that with the care of orphaned children halfway around the world… to see an image and create a tragic narrative, hear a testimony and judge an entire community, read an account of a single incident and make assumptions about an entire system.

We want to have eyes to see the good.

And there is most definitely good to be found. So this month we are sharing stories that exemplify the good. The lovely. The things that remind us that there is always hope.

Join us this month as we share stories of love in the unlikeliest of places.



……….

Have you ever felt so alone that you thought no one in the world cared about you anymore?

I have.

When I was young, I was abandoned by my birth mom at the market who said she was going to buy me a coloring book. About an hour passed. When I finally realized she wasn’t coming back for me, my first instinct was to cry but then I thought, What good will crying do? I have to toughen up now because I’m on my own.

A kind lady at the market offered me some food and called the state orphanage to pick me up. When I got there, the staff gave me a bath and asked me for my age and where I was from. In the beginning they were kind to me but soon I became just another orphan there.

I did not get the best treatment there but that was my life and I learned that the only way to live through it was to not complain about anything. I learned my lesson when I said to the nanny on staff that the person I was sharing my bed with kicked me in the face (we didn’t have enough beds for everyone so we slept head to feet with another person); the nanny was annoyed and harshly told me to kick them back. I realized I just have to live down my pride and survive.

We also never had anything to do so many days we all sat in a line and watched a TV that was so far away that we couldn’t even see it.

After what seemed like an eternity, one day two ladies came to the orphanage and were talking quietly with the staff about something and kept on looking over at us, the orphans. I was curious and tried to move closer to find out what was going on. Suddenly, they started to head over to me and asked if they could examine me. I agreed, and they led me to a table and checked my range and motions.

After this, it was a bit fuzzy but I do remember the two ladies (Kirsten and Connie) brought me to what I now know and remember as the House of Love. The title in Chinese is an exact translation to the English, House of Love.

I was greeted by a crowd of kids, most of whom looked older than me. They were very excited and told me all about this place I was transferred to. The kids’ excitement made me feel welcomed and helped me forward into my new life.



It was hard to believe that this House of Love was going to be any different than the other orphanage.

But I soon realized it was. We celebrated birthdays, holidays, and sometimes our sponsors would treat us to KFC chicken which was always everyone’s favorite.

At this new orphanage, we had two wonderful teachers who loved teaching us and always inspired us to never give up. Helen Keller was one of their favorite examples.



One of the things I treasured the most there was the books. I would always finish my classwork and then go to find a thick book that would entertain me for hours. I was even more excited than my teachers when some of our sponsors donated new books for us.

When I celebrated my birthday once, I was so excited to get gifts and a cake that I kissed my new coloring book! I also remember a nanny who gave me my first Bible and later a Bible in English with Chinese translation. The two teachers also gave me a stuffed animal and a journal right before I was adopted.



The support and love I experienced there would have never happened at the other orphanage which is why I am extremely grateful for what God has done in my life, and how he used foster care to turn a tragedy into a happy-ending story.



……….

Molly is 15 years old and was adopted at age 10. She is an avid reader, excels at school, loves Jesus and spends her days cruising in a lime green wheelchair with a smile on her face.



4 responses to “Love Stories: My Happily Ever After”

  1. Julie says:

    Molly, thank you for sharing your story of hope and love. You are a beautiful young lady! I pray the Lord continues to use you and your story to encourage others and point them to Him.
    I too love books and learning! Our family is in process to bring our first child home from China. Your story pierces my heart for older child adoption. May the Lord bless you!

  2. Laura J says:

    Thank you Molly! You are a very good writer. I appreciate you sharing your story and wish you much success is high school and beyond.

  3. Cindy Fitzgibbon says:

    Dear Molly, Thank you for sharing with us your beautiful story! You have so many gifts and talents and writing is one of them!! You inspire me with your faith, determination, and you are a beautiful daughter of Jesus and thru your story, you bring Him glory! I think of 2 Timothy 1:7-9 when I read your beautiful story. I am so honored and blessed to know you Molly, you are dearly loved! Love, Aunt Cindy
    2 Timothy 1:7-9 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began”

  4. Aunt Mary says:

    Molly, it is so important that you tell your story and I’m so glad you did! I know you have heard this from me several times but your story is unique and can be helpful to so many adopted children and their struggles to feel secure and loved! This family loves you so much!!!

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