On Valentine's Day last week, Stephen and Joy Yoon, received a huge blessing of love in the form of a child named Jacob. After years of wanting to adopt a son, the day finally arrived for the Yoons to bring in the newest addition of their family. Three year old Jacob from China was born with cerebral palsy and though that may seem like a difficult obstacle for most families, Stephen & Joy have been treating North Korean children with cerebral palsy for the past several years. It really speaks volume for a family to put their faith into action by not only committing to the children of North Korea, but to bring a child with CP into their home and love him as their very own. Through their work with special needs children in North Korea, God had been preparing their lives for something far beyond their expectations. And with that, our Ignis team has been ecstatic to see the new Yoon family become a family of six in the past week and we wanted to share their story with our community.
A short Q A with Joy Yoon:
When did you guys first decide to adopt a child? And what was the process like?
Joy: We have been wanting to adopt a child for over 4 years now. I have dreamed of adopting a child ever since I was young because I knew many adopted families growing up. We at first tried several other agencies, but since we live and work overseas, none of our previous adoption agencies worked out. We gave up the hope of adopting which is when Anna began praying for a younger brother. Then we met our social worker from our current adoption agency by chance during our family vacation at a likeminded facility. She enabled us to adopt. And since we adopted a child with special needs, the process only took about a year.
Were you guys specifically looking for a child with disabilities?
Joy: Yes. We wanted to adopt a child with CP since we have experience working with children who have CP.
How has your work in North Korea helped prepare you as parents for Jacob?
Joy: Our experience in the field has taught us patience and how to work with children who have special needs. If we did not have this experience, I don't think we would be prepared to adopt a child like this.
What was your biggest fear as you guys waited to bring Jacob into your family?
Joy: Our biggest fear about adoption was that our son would not be able to attach with us.
Describe your first moments with Jacob. How were they in comparison to your anticipation?
Joy: When we received Jacob, he bonded with us much faster than we had anticipated. His disabilities were also much milder than we were prepared for. In fact, he has surpassed our expectations and cried very little.
Any prayer requests?
Joy: Please continue to pray for Jacob's adjustment. He is having to learn a new language, and he has some minor behavioral issues to overcome. Pray for good attachment and bonding with our family.