6. Letter to a Birth Mother

Patrick sat down and wrote this letter from the notes we had made in the car on our trip to Seoul.   We would love your input and suggestions on how to make it even better if you have them.  We plan to include about ten photos with the letter that represent the family and life this child would be entering.  The photos will be of:
1. our wedding
2. us working with children
3. our living room
4. the child's bedroom  (showing we are prepared) -we need to buy a pack n play now.
5. the view out our balcony of the hospital (showing it is close by)
6. our immediate families (are you guys ok being in this?)
7.  us with our friends who have babies (showing community)

We are trying to keep the letter from us to one page and the second page will be about the process of private adoption and will inform the birth mother of her legal responsibilities if she choses this route. This letter will be translated into Korean. 

Dear Birth Mother,

             Hello, our names are Patrick James Chapman and Ashley Lara Chapman, and the purpose for this letter is to communicate our desire for adopting a child into a loving home.

We know that many mothers face difficult decisions with their children. To any mother who loves her child but cannot take care of her child for whatever reason, we understand that she faces difficult decisions, and we hope that she might see us as a way that her child can be raised in a loving, safe, and Godly home.

First, let me explain a little bit about ourselves. Patrick and Ashley are both from the United States, but they both now live about 50Km South of Seoul. They are both 29 years old and have been married for 5.5 years. Patrick is from the State of Colorado and has 4 brothers and 3 sisters. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Management, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, and has been a pilot for 7 years. Ashley is from California and has 4 brothers. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and a Teaching Credential.  For the past 7 years she has been an elementary school teacher, English teacher, and Children’s Ministry Director at our church. We also have a small gentle dog (dachshund) who is very good with children. We have always wanted to be parents, and feel that we are ready to raise children in a stable, loving home.

Our home is ready to receive a baby. We have a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom apartment, a hospital sits across the street, and we are surrounded by a close community and friends who also have young children. Ashley will stay home to raise our children.

We know that every mother is concerned for the well-being of her child, and as potential adoptive parents, we have several promises that we want to communicate. As parents we will love your child as our own, and unconditionally just as God loves us. We want to teach our children to know God and honor Him with their life. Additionally, we want to honor any wishes that the birth parents have for their child, as well as honor the child’s cultural ethnic heritage. Lastly, we want to give our children the opportunity to travel and for a good education so that they have the opportunity to pursue whatever interests them as they grow into adulthood.

We are pursuing private adoption because it will allow the child to be cared for from infancy.  If we go through an agency we cannot begin the adoption process until a child is six months old.  The legal process would then take an additional 18 months – 2 years.  We believe those early years in a child’s life are critical for their development and success in life. If you are interested in meeting with us concerning your child, our contact information is below. We have also included a Korean friend’s information for help with translation.

Patrick and Ashley Chapman                                       M****

Email: ashleyLchapman@gmail.com                        Email:

Phone: 010-4773-3771                                                   Phone: