Inspire, Fall 2004

Before time began, God knew exactly what He had planned for me. I was born in the war-torn country of Vietnam in 1971. I am told that my birth mother left me in a rice paddy near a Catholic orphanage. I was crying, and the nuns heard me and took me in. My adoptive father was in Vietnam fighting during the war, and even though he wasn’t a doctor, he visited orphanages with a doctor. My parents could not have children, so they wanted to adopt. They had already adopted my sister from New York, and shortly after the adoption took place, Dad was sent to Vietnam. When he was visiting the orphanages, he and mom decided to adopt another little girl. The first girl he chose died before the adoption took place, and so he chose me. Later I asked him, “Why me?” He said it was because I had a fight in my eyes — he knew I wasn’t going to give up easily. (Little did he know what he was getting himself and Mom into!) Two years later they adopted my brother from Texas. Even though I am honored to be adopted, being Vietnamese in an all-Caucasian family was not easy. I always felt different, like I didn’t fit in. My family didn’t make me feel that way, but in a sense I made my “difference” a cross to bear. When I was adopted 32 years ago, adopting Asian babies wasn’t as popular as it is today. Sometimes when we were out as a family and were waiting to be seated at a restaurant, I would sometimes be the last to follow my family to the table and often the hostess would ask, “Are you with this party?” That just reinforced the feeling that I was different. Funny thing is, my sister and I have talked about this, and she has said she doesn’t even realize that I am Vietnamese. I’m just me, her sister. It wasn’t until I was 22 that I finally realized I wasn’t inferior, and I didn’t have to prove myself or gain my significance from the approval of people. My significance rests in Christ alone. In God’s Hands b y J e n n i f e r L l o y d H o l s i n g e r ’ 9 4 Jennifer being held by her new father 16 Fall 2004 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11