Visit with Molly Holt at Holt's Ilsan Center Orphanage

On Saturday morning I was up and out the door before breakfast.  I had the box of coloring books and hot wheels cars a former co-worker of mine sent me, and I met three other adoptees at the bus stop for our trip to Holt's Ilsan center orphanage.  It took us a little over an hour to get there.  Ilsan was built in the late 1950s and is home to all the handicapped (both physically and mentally) orphans.  Some have been there since the center opened.  The good about that is that they have grown up with the same people and are now a large family and they watch out for each other.  The bad is that there are over 200 residents there.

I'd made an appointment to see Molly Holt and she was expecting us.  She was very welcoming when we arrived and offered us tea and coffee.  We sat around her dining room table and exchanged stories of where we are from and when were were adopted.  Molly is still bright, and was able to fill in some blanks about the orphanages or foster homes.  She was happy to see the baby pictures I brought with me, and the pictures of the ladies who cared for me.  I also included current family pictures, and she was pleased to see my beautiful family.

There are three adoptees staying at Ilsan center as volunteers.  One is from CA, one from Belgium, and the third is from Norway.  Molly invited us all to join her for lunch, so we walked to a nearby galbi place and she ordered for us.  It was fantastic beef to grill, salad, several kinds of kimchi, bowls of rice or noodles, soup.  It was a big meal.  We were all very surprised that she invited us...but it was nice to be able to eat with her.  We all sat on the floor...she had no problems doing the same.  Mom and Dad, you'll be pleased to know that she prayed before we began our meal.

men's dorm

When we went back to the orphanage, the three adoptees gave us a tour of the property.  Molly went back to her home to get ready for a newspaper interview that she was expecting a little later.  The grounds are really lovely with lots of old growth trees, the azaleas were in bloom, and the property seems well cared for.  We got to see the chapel, the occupational therapy building, a large gymnasium that includes bleacher areas, ping pong, and a workout room.  We learned that their wheelchair basketball team was in the finals this year.  They have a chicken coop or two, with chickens.  There is also an area where the residents can work to earn their own money.  Some local large department stores will send their paper shopping bags to them, and the residents will tie the cloth handles on the bags.  They also have a ceramic kiln and a volunteer works with the residents to make pottery.  The crafts and pottery are for sale and the funds from the items sold are given to the residents for their weekly trip to E-Mart (sort of like a Super WalMart).  One of the female residents saves her money so she can get perms.

We walked up to the graves of Harry and Bertha Holt, the original founders of Holt Adoption Agency.  Harry passed away when he was 59 years old of heart failure, in the house where Molly resides.  There are 59 steps leading up to their graves.  Bertha Holt lived into her 90s.  Our next stop was the residents' homes.  The residents are grouped together based on their abilities.  They have house "moms" that take care of them and when they have the night shift, they sleep there with the residents.  They were happy to have visitors, although it was a bit difficult taking pictures and they are always moving or not sure about the cameras.  There are large playground areas, and it was laundry day because there were racks and racks of clothes outside drying in the sunshine.  We saw the mens' residences, but didn't venture in.  There is also a large building for the men who volunteer or work and live on the property.

Molly shares her home with at least one or two handicapped residents, and the upstairs is where all the female volunteers stay, currently three.  They all pitch in and help and she appreciates the company and the help around the house.  Her home is very simple and loaded with mementos.  They are renovating an older building next to Molly's house that she will move into once it is done, and then they will renovate her house.  It's in desperate need of work!

After the tour, we returned to Molly's house and sat down at her table again and she brought out books that her dad had written--she wanted us to have some copies.  She also had some Holt sweatshirts and t-shirts that she gave us.  She was so generous and welcoming to us.  Two reporters showed up shortly thereafter and Molly introduced us to them.  They asked if they could ask us questions, and of course, it was fine with us.  Molly graciously interpreted.  They wanted to know why we came to Korea.  If we wanted to find our birth parents.  How we will feel if we find our birth parents.  Where we were all from.  We have been asked these questions before, but some of them are still stumpers and often the subject of conversation when we get together.  I think most of us would like to find our birth parents.  Almost all of us were abandoned and have very little information from which to work.  None of us really know how we will feel, what we will say, what questions we will have if and when that happens for us.  It's almost like dreaming about the winning the lotto and what you would do with the winnings.  You think that would be great, know you would do certain things, but it's such a pie-in-the-sky kind of dream, that it's hard to form any kind of concrete thoughts around it.

What I've learned through my visit, or not actually learned, but confirmed, is that I was extremely lucky to have been found so quickly and adopted into my wonderful family.  I've got a great mom and dad and a pretty terrific brother too (although they always liked you more...).  I love my family and wouldn't trade them in even if I could (what can you get for a trade in on an older model these days anyway??)!