Titus Puppy in South Korea Eats Korean BBQ (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798367304909)

Hi! I'm Josie Wells and I had the pleasure of living in South Korea for a year. During that time I enjoyed experiencing a culture that was new to me. I went sightseeing, learned some phrases, tried new dishes, but what I learned, that still moves me, was not found on any guided tour.

My husband, our little dog Titus Puppy and I participated in Operation Happy Holiday in December 2020. Participants each sponsored an orphan for Christmas and marched together to a local orphanage to drop off the gifts. We were assigned a 15-year-old female. I happily got her an inspirational "Females in History" book in Hangul and some BTS makeup.

On the day of the march, before we headed off to the Orphanage, we heard a short speech about the challenges the orphans would face if they did not get adopted, as not having a last name makes obtaining employment difficult, and according to the speaker, most Koreans are not interested in adoption. The preference, traditionally, is for children to be from the same bloodline. I listened and understood the hardships, but little did I know that later on, it would hit me hard.

We proceeded on our march and once we arrived, we had to remain outside due to COVID regulations. The orphanage staff greeted us by the front door entrance and directed us to place the gifts in a pile. They thanked us and we eventually went on our way. About a week later, the orphanage shared an email with pictures of the children holding their unwrapped gifts. I skimmed the images, then I found our sponsored child, but my smile quickly faded.

Her eyes, seemed so vacant, as if she was not in the moment and the gifts didn't even faze her, but not in an ungrateful way. It looked as if she had bigger things on her mind. I thought to myself, she should be happy on Christmas, happy opening gifts. She shouldn't have bigger things on her mind, but that is when my heart shattered, and then it hit me, because the truth was.... she probably did. Even more so, not having a family in a social environment that prefers you to belong to a family, can provide quite a disheartening perspective on the future. Was she thinking about her life once she is out of the orphanage's care? Where will she live? Will she be able to get a job without a last name?

This experience not only shattered my heart but compelled me to do something, even if it's just bringing awareness, it's a start. I am grateful to have participated in Operation Happy Holiday because that experience was exponentially more impactful than any tourist attraction I had experienced during my time in South Korea.

I hope that awareness increases South Korean adoptions and that this will spark new programs and post support across all orphanages worldwide for children once they depart from the orphanage. I highly encourage you to do a quick internet search regarding orphans in South Korea.

Titus Puppy and I thank everyone who has and will support this initiative! You are all amazing people, with amazing hearts! That was just the first book and I have more work ahead of me, so wish me luck!

All our gratitude,
Josie Wells & Titus Puppy