God’s Love Shines through Wax and Wane: Helen's Root Searching Journey

With stylish short hair, Helen has a pair of big dark eyes full of passion, and she always wears a confident, pleasant smile in the photos. Having been adopted abroad since she was a child, she has a long-awaited wish: to return to where she was born, Taiwan, and meet with her birth mother. Her adoptive parents had applied to come to Taiwan for this "root search trip" before the Covid-19 outbreak, but it was postponed due to the pandemic. This year, before the Mid-Autumn Festival, her wish to meet her birth mother was fulfilled.
 
It was a normal summer afternoon. But for Helen, it was a very special day. Coming back to Taiwan again, she has become a young woman with a confident glow. When she walked into the meeting room with her adoptive parents, they looked a little nervous. In the company of the social workers, the family met Helen's birth mother and birth sister for the first time. The original tension, timidity and strangeness melted away in a warm hug, and both families could not help but shed tears of excitement.
 
They exchanged gifts and got to know each another, looking back at photos from their childhood and sharing recent photos of each other. It was as if Helen had let go of a string that had been holding her heart so tightly. Unlike the serious look she had before stepping into the room, she opened up and looked more of a happy little girl.
 
Surprisingly, the older sister was just as passionate as Helen, and the two sisters found a lot in common soon. With the translation of the social workers, the sisters just couldn’t stop the talk! Helen also took the initiative to talk to her birth mother, who, although she didn't say much, gazed at Helen ardently all the time. The unspeakable longing in each other's eyes transcended the language barrier.
 
Helen's birth mother was once in a difficult situation, and she had no one to rely on at the time, in addition, there’s Helen's sister to support as well. So she made a hard decision to place her newborn for adoption after the birth in order to give the child better opportunities and a more stable life. With the help of the social workers, Helen was matched with a pair of adoptive parents who were well prepared for her. Helen came to her adoptive family at a very young age. She and her adoptive parents were very close; she loved school, outdoor activities, and had a passion for life. From a young age, her adoptive parents shared with Helen early on that there was a mother in Taiwan who gave birth to her and put her up for adoption because she wanted Helen to have a better future. Her adoptive parents cherish Helen's cultural roots, accompanying her as she learned and accepted every part of herself, supporting her as she explored her identity, and thus Helen grow into a confident, enthusiastic, and positive young lady.
 
Every year when Mid-Autumn Festival comes around, many Asian families gather for family reunion. It always reminds us of people we miss and homes far away. Now the travel restrictions have been gradually lifted, it is easier for family members who are separated from each other in the past few years due to the pandemic to travel and be reunited again. However, every root searching is a mission full of challenges. Needless to say, the pandemic has greatly increased the difficulty of working across countries.
 
Helen's birth mother became independent after her situation stabilized, and stopped keeping in touch with Christian Salvation Service for many years. This time, our social worker found her through Adoption Resource Center. In order to make the reunion meeting possible and smooth, the social workers always assessed the physical and mental conditions of each party and adjust their methods of work in the process of contact.
 
The Post-Adoption Department of CSS will continue to provide roots services to the families in need, helping each adoptee to have the opportunity to learn about his or her full background and embrace the wax and wane of life's journey.