The Babybox… Chapter 2

We stepped out of the cab, and looked around. The street was crowded and winding and we stood halfway up a huge hill. We found the entrance and took some pictures before entering… it was a breath-taking and surreal moment. 

We were warmly welcomed by Seon Ju, one of the ladies who works there, and shuffled into the foyer, where we took off our shoes and followed her up the stairs. We sat in a small, warm room with pictures of children I recognized on the wall, and posters of The Drop Box film in Korean. 

I was hoping that I’d have the chance to meet Pastor Lee, but she told me that he was very busy that day, filming a documentary for a Singapore TV station.   Also, because the Babybox is running so well these days, he is able to spend most of his time at the Jusarang Community church (a few miles away), working with the disabled children.  Yes, of course. I understand. 

She showed us around, the diaper and formula storage, how the Babybox works from the inside, the kitchen where there was a small elderly woman boiling bottles… all the while telling stories of lives saved and moms supported by this great work of Love.

As a side-note… I love hearing people speak in their own languages.  I love the expression and the emotion and the ups and downs that come naturally in story-telling.  I was so amazed to listen and follow through the translation of my new friend, Wendy.  This day would not have been what it was without her help and loving, patient interpretation.  There was so much passion, so much joy, so much intimacy.

Since this ministry has received so much attention in the last few years, they have been blessed by people and organizations who have been moved to send support, as well as some large companies’ ongoing donations. The gifts have been so generous that they are currently able to support 70 new moms on a monthly basis. Moms that have decided to keep their babies, but did not have the provisions to support them. They also have a beautiful staff of workers, administration, and a counseling/pastoral care team. Amazing. 
 
We saw the room where the babies stay, and where there were 2 beautiful babies being cared for by young ladies with warm, shining faces and colorful smocks. For the sake of privacy, we were asked not to take pictures of the babies.  But I’ll never forget the sweet, round faces and fluffy black hair.  One little girl was around 3 months old, and there was a tiny boy who had just been brought 4 days ago. His name in Korean means “Love”. He was the 1,540th baby to be brought to The Babybox. We made eye contact, and I’m pretty sure a piece of my heart is still there with him.  We went down the stairs and into a separate entrance to visit a newly established area called the “Baby Room”. The sign on the door echoes God’s heartbeat… “No life is trivial” 

It has given some moms the opportunity for closure – to sit and cry and say goodbye. Some moms have been given the gift of a shoulder to cry on, a kind word and open arms… many of them have hidden their pregnancy from family and friends for the entire duration. They have been completely alone and very scared for months.  They have been left with their own thoughts and only society’s pressures to guide them.

Love Listens

The counselors sit with them in a beautiful, warmly lit room (she turned the lights on for the picture below, but the original lighting was soft and welcoming, with beautiful music playing in the background). They speak about some practical options, and also about God’s love and plan for them and their baby.  They listen.  They love.

Some of the moms, after this care, decide to keep their babies, and begin to establish a relationship where they will be receiving future emotional, spiritual, and physical support from this ministry. Some decide to leave the baby, but put things in place so they can be reunited with them one day. And some decide to say goodbye, feeling that this really is the only option. 

We stood there and spoke for a while, and then returned back to the other part of the building, where we sat on the floor around a table and continued our conversation.  I asked her what their priority was. Was it to save lives?  To encourage moms to keep their babies? She answered that their ministry is to save lives, to keep families together whenever possible, and to share the good news of the Gospel. What a beautiful mission…. Three legs of a stool that bring stability and love into these precious little lives. 

Beauty of Change

I believe that the changes that need to happen in the world start on this kind of foundation. And, the beauty of this change was there in front of me. With so much darkness, so much confusion, so much ugliness around us, I got to see something more. A greater Reality. Maybe I had to be on the other side of the planet to experience it so deeply. But what I saw and felt and knew as I sat there was this: there is so much of God’s work happening in this world right now. So much. 

Does it impress me as deeply as the work of darkness? Does it keep me up at night? Does it take a hold of my heart and mind? I want that. I want it to be my focus. I want it to be my foundation. It’s greater, higher, stronger than the darkness. It’s the glory of God. 

I’m landing in Budapest as I write, returning from this amazing journey. And do you know what? God’s work is happening here. And He’s called me into it. It’s a lot of work. It’s hard sometimes. But the beauty and the miracles that happen all around me are proof. Faith-building and powerful truths that I can be strong and courageous. God is with me. He is my God, and this is His work.   – Nikki Colby