A su d d e n commotion in the front hall of the Korean or phanage ! The sound of heavy footsteps com ing toward the nursery! Mrs. Lua Bray, the reg istered nurse in charge, threw open the door. Before her stood a Patrolman carrying a small ob ject wrapped in his coat. He held the bundle toward her, saying, “ A baby girl! I found her face down in a shallow grave.” Mrs. Bray took the emaciated little form, and sent Kang Nan, her assistant, for the doctor. The baby was perhaps six months of age. She was stiff with cold, and her color was ash-grey. The doctor arrived, and the two worked feverishly trying to restore a spark o f life, but the baby did not respond. Finally, Lua took the infant in her arms, held her close, and prayed. She sat for three hours; then a slight warmth, a little gasp, and the baby girl opened her eyes. Lua Bray thanked God not only for the restoration of the infant’s life, but also for the privilege of working with the Holt Program of American Mothers of Adopted Korean Children, an organization which found parents in America for Korean orphans. She remembered vividly her decision to join the Holt Pro gram. She had been reading The King’s Business Magazine and saw the ad, asking for a trained nurse to work in the Holt Or phanage at Ilsan, Korea. She sent her application, and in spite of her age of sixty-one years, was accepted. On March 29, 1958, she left Portland, Oregon, at night in the rain on a Flying Tiger plane. On April 1, at three in the morning, they landed on the frozen ground at Kimpo Airport near Seoul. Four hours later, without sleep, this valiant nurse was ready to give succor to the little people at the orphanage. She found the examining room filled with children, even though ninety babies and tots had been sent to America the week before. All of them were suffering from
Lua Bray, center, and her adopted daughter, young Ja Bray, right. All the young people are university students. Adopted Grandmother in Korea by Helen Emley Schmidt
malnutrition and rickets. The first little girl had a painful case of thrush, a fungus in her throat. The next child, a five-year-old boy, held an arm over his eyes and sobbed. The nurse discovered an abscess as large as a walnut on his neck. As there was no doc tor present at that time, she opened and treated it. She gave worm medicine to some and de- loused others. Vitamins were dis tributed to all. On following days polio, diptheria, and typhus shots were administered. One little boy asked about Mrs. Bray, “ Is she our halmony (grandmother) ?” When this question was repeated to Lua, she replied, “ I’d like to be your grandmother. You may all call me ‘Halmony’.” During her first weeks in Ilsan, Lua not only treated children, but she also taught songs and prayers in English. In addition, she dis tributed clothes from America which included diapers, shoes, woolen sweaters and warm coats. One morning, as Mrs. Bray and Kang Nan worked with the chil
dren, Lua exclaimed, “ I love my fellow Americans for their kind ness and generosity. I am con vinced that perfect love will cure the ills of the world.” Kang Nan replied, “All respect to Mrs. Bray. Some people hard to love.” About this time Mrs. Bray made a decision about eleven- months-old Ho. He had been ill for weeks. He was listless, un responsive, and refused food. The nurse concluded he needed love above everything. She moved his crib close to her desk. At inter vals, she smiled at him and took him into her arms. This “ left over” time brought results. Be fore long he noticed her, then he smiled. From then on, his health improved until he became strong and happy. Mrs. Bray also gave Sue, the infant found by the patrolman, special attention. She picked her up, rocked her, and sang to her. The baby gained in weight, and would hold out her arms when she saw Lua. There were times when Mrs.
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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