On Friday the 13th in September, 1996 I flew around the belly of the earth from Honolulu to Cebu in the Philippines. It was a day of firsts: first trip to Asia, first time in the developing world, first experience as a minority–a tall white woman amid the crush of petite, brown-skinned people.

First day of motherhood.

Christian, Jameson, Marlie and Marguerite: I’ll never forget that first glimpse of you, my children, as I strode up the steps of Children’s Shelter of Cebu and plopped down on the...