the process of remembering: a photoblog by andrew huth

“They Captured My Heart 12″

This is the man Leanna and I followed back to the orphanage of his childhood.  While he and the current director looked through an old “yearbook” from the orphanage’s archives they discovered photos of him as a child.  I think the second photo of him tells the story best as he strains a bit to hold back memories of his painful childhood.  He grew up to deal with his past and pain in the best way possible—by striving to make the world around him better for other people.  The little boy who lost both of his parents to the Korean War now provides top care and a home for Korea’s elderly in Suwon, South Korea.

While working on an assignment for Compassion International in Korea I followed a man back to the orphanage of his childhood near the southern tip of Korea.  Although my time at the orphanage was brief, the unbearably sweet children there affected me deeply.  The mix of being reminded of my own orphan childhood with the knowledge that these sweet children were without parents to tuck them in at night choked me up for weeks after returning home.  Although their situation is sad, they, like most children, still experience the joys of curiosity and simple play.  I hope this short series will be able to express a bit of their joy in the face of adversity.  They have a great deal to teach us.  To see some background photos of me hanging out (literally) with some of the children you can go HERE.