Dear Friends,
We are the Kanciruk family from Seoul, ROK. Since the spring of '96,
we have been trying to facilitate an adoption and necessary surgeries for
Yi (Lee), Sul Hee, an abandoned girl living with the Missionaries of Mercy
in Inchon. We could not have had more support, advice and advocacy than
that which was given by so many of you blessed with these special children.
Thank you all so very much. |
We are proud to be the bearers of glad tidings. Sul Hee is now Sarah
Elizabeth Yenney! Her parents are Bea and Tim Yenney. They received custody
papers this Saturday and Sarah will be visiting our American hospital this
week. I first spoke to Bea about Sul Hee last fall, when, stepping out
in faith, I put Sul Hee's name on the waiting list for the Mustard Seed
pre-school. She was still living with the Sisters, and all concerned, including
her American social worker, agreed she was better off staying with the
Sisters until adoption, rather than move through foster care. Sul Hee's
situation changed when, in February, the Sisters could no longer care for
her and wished to know if our family could. Something I had prayed for
so long, and...well, our situation with our foster daughter, Yong Jin,
was not resolved at the time and we could not accept Sul Hee. I sought
my pastor's council, and Bea, who works as our ministry coordinator, was
also there to listen and pray. She and her husband, Tim, together with
our family, picked Sul Hee up from Eastern Child Welfare on February 22.
Sul Hee/Sarah has been happily in their home since. The decision to
adopt came fast; Sul Hee is a pretty irresistible child. She and our foster
daughter are good friends. She often visits with her "little sister",
Hyun Ni, the blind two year old in the care of our friends, the Grandersons.
Sul Hee always lights up when she sees Hyun Ni, a child also raised by
the Sisters. Sarah has a wide circle of friends and companions and is out
and about every day. Her progress in language is tremendous, as well as
her need to be and "do" like everyone else. This child, loved
as she was by the Sisters, never played on the public playground, because
the other children feared and scorned her because of her Apert Syndrome!
Today, despite her special needs, she scales the playground equipment,
jumps, runs and plays like any four-year-old! Sarah's community accepts
her totally. Sarah loves to watch "Road to Avonlee", and had
begun to call herself "Sarah" even before her forever family
had chosen to. This fall she WILL be attending the Mustard Seed pre-school.
Bea and Tim do not yet have e-mail, but will soon. They will need your
continued support and advice. Any and all e-mail for them may be routed
through us, cheerfully. Their regular address is:
Tim and Bea Yenney Yongsan Education Center Unit 15556 APO AP 96205
The Shriners are still actively involved with funding for initial surgeries,
stateside. Samsung Medical Center, here in Seoul, may be an excellent choice
for surgeries other than cranio-facial. Sarah will receive good care from
the pediatricians here on base.
Dear friends, I am so happy to tell you all these things. I cannot imagine
what would have become of this precious child without you and your children.
I thank God for you and ask that as you tuck all your little (and not so
little) ones in tonight, that you pray for Sarah Elizabeth Yenney and her
new forever family.
Jane, Edward, Vanessa, Polly, Basil and Yong Jin, the Kanciruk Family |