Emily's Closed for Day and a Half!

It was what we had been praying for all these days at the clinic. We showed up Friday morning and found that Dr. Emily's was not doing abortions! It was a sidewalk counselor's snow day. I brought a group of Fordham kids down this morning (Saturday), and again we pleasantly found ourselves useless outside the clinic (minus the prayers of course). Emily's opened up for a brief hour, between 11-12, so we counseled during that period. We found out from a secret source that the doctors were out learning "new procedures." Can't be good, but then again, can't be much worse than what they already do to these babies and mothers.

I wanted to share a quote I got from a Flannery O'Connor novel I'm reading. It's about a father who watches his mentally challenged son get murdered in front of his eyes.

"All he would do was be an observer. He waited with serenity. Life had never been
good enough for him to wince at it's destruction. He told himself that he was indifferent even to his own dissolution. It seemed that this indifference was the most that human dignity could achieve, and for the moment forgetting his lapses, forgetting even the narrow escape of the afternoon, he felt he had achieved it. To feel nothing was peace."

I think this quote captures alot of father's attitudes who walk their women and children into the clinic. It's an attitude of despair, followed by an indifference which is a solution to the pain and guilt they try so hard to suppress. Life sucked for them, it will suck for their child, and so for them it follows--what is the tragedy in destroying life if life sucks?

It's up to us to bring the hope of Christ to these people and help them realize that Christ loves them and we love them, and we want to do all we can to make life easier for them and their children. And who knows, as I'll often tell them, maybe your child will be one to make life a little better for everyone else.

At Emily's

Myself and Julie,one of our top counselors, were at Dr. Emily's.Julie had a girl in our mobil clinic getting a sonogram and a couple pulled up and parked near the fence.Initially they didn't seem interested in changing there minds.They were going in and the man hit his automatic car starter-I think by mistake-and I yelled at him that he started his car.They proceded into the 'clinic'.He came out a few minutes later and I asked to him to just look at our pamphlet which he did.He started reading it and seemed a little dumb founded by what he was reading and seeing.As he looked at the picture of an aborted baby I told him that was what they were going to do to his baby and to not let them throw his baby in the garbage.He started walking back in and I told him to get his lady out of there and he nodded back.About a half hour to 45 minutes passed and the couple came out I asked the man if they were keeping the baby and he smiled and shook his head yes.He started the car and they sat in the parking lot for several minutes.I prayed several memoraries that they would leave and they eventually pulled out and I gave them the thumbs up.Julie had a couple turnarounds so it was nice to see some of the fruits of our labors.We will keep this couple in our prayers as well as the other girls that turnaround as the devil will try and sucker them back to the killing center. Jeff Asmussen

It kept falling and falling.....

As I ly awake in my bed early this morning I heard the rain hitting the house and I knew I was going to be in it all day. I sighed as the thought of being cold and wet came to mind, and suddenly found myself planning my layers of clothes to wear that day to stay warm. As the morning progress, as they often do, I prayed for less and less girls to enter the abortion mill for more than one reason; I wanted to be warm!

Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday morning the abortion mill in the South Bronx makes appointments for abortions. We are there! Today without keeping track I couldn't help but feel there were less women going in than normal, but more than we would like of course.
By the grace of God, I was able to talk a young girl, "Tina" into getting a sonogram which we offer in our mobile clinic parked around the corner. Tina brought with her her friend and boyfriend as "moral support". I soon left them in our mobile clinic with the wonderful sonogram technician and prayed to the Holy Spirit for conversion of heart. Not much time had passed when I saw them walking back up the sidewalk to enter the mill again. This time Tina had noticeably been crying, as she entered the doors of eternal regret her friend gives me the "Don't shove your beliefs on other people" speech. I kindly tell her we not here to force beliefs on anyone, we're here to help. Softly she replies "I know" and walks in with Tina. Tina's boyfriend on the other hand stood back starring at the doors as if starring out in space. Making eye contact with me he sincerely says "Thank you". I notice his eyes are misty; I tell him she's not alone in having this baby. "You're not alone" I say to him. After a somewhat long pause; with hesitation he walks in to be with Tina. Many prayers I feel went to Our Lord for them at that moment for not a hour later as I mingled at the back entrance Tina and her two companions walked out of darkness hoping for the light. With not much to say they disappeared into the New York disarray. Praise Jesus for these souls were spared! His Mercy is endless!

Abortion Row

It was a cold Thursday afternoon in Queens, NY outside what we call "abortion row". Outside these two abortion clinics almost back to back we setup a table with a TV and pro life literature which we pass out to anyone willing to take it from our hands. The video we have constantly repeating is call Abort73, a video showing baby fetuses after they have undergone the horrors of abortion. This movie without a doubt has the most gore I've ever seen in a movie. The passersby who are going about their daily business find themselves face to face with abortion.

This particular day I spent 6-7 hours witnessing to Life in front of "abortion row". I saw this one man whom I handed a Spanish brochure and thought he might have come out of one the clinics, his eyes were mesmerized by the video. The look on his face was heart wrenching. I went up to him and asked "Do you have a loved one in there?" I pointed to the clinic stairwell, he barely looked up at me and said "No ingles". So I went back to passing out literature, but couldn't help but notice the man stood there for a long time watching one graphic picture after another of cut up babies. I wanted to hug this man, I wanted to reach out to him somehow but with the language barrier it would have been impossible. So I prayed for him and all those suffering from abortion especially those in Queens, NY. As I prayed I knew I would never know the pain and suffering they know, with a warm tear running down my cheek I praised God for His mercy.

Outside the Clinic

I once thought that counseling outside a clinic was a mean thing to do, that hounding the women only lead to greater levels of depression and suicidally, that these women were already grief stricken and that it simply added to their pain. Then I started doing it.
The women we help don't want abortions, they are struggling with economic hardship and poverty, and they simply want help. This is the foundation by which the prolife movement is based upon, love is our cornerstone and hounding the girls is not part of the program.
Take "Amanda" for example this is not her real name however she wanted an abortion, until she heard their was help. Amanda lived in poverty, had an abusive boyfriend and had 4 children. She was raped with her first child and still braved the pregnancy and gave birth, and followed up by having several more children. We spoke outside of Dr Emily's (the abortion clinic here in the S. Bronx) and gently I told her about the programs we had available, she looked unconvinced. Then I suggested a free sonogram. She looked at the van and then broke down, she admitted she couldn't kill this life any more than she could any of her others and she stepped into our van for a sonogram. A life saved thanks to modern day technology and somebody who cared enough to say hi and listen.

Abstinance is Best

"I want an abortion." Those words never seem to sit easy with me. I know the pressure of a boyfriend is all it would take to push any girl over the edge from choosing life to choosing death, and that's something this girl had. Her boyfriend sat with her and admitted to being a peer counselor with Planned Parenthood. I was shocked to see this girl in our office. As I set her on the task of taking a test her boyfriend sat in the waiting room. As we let it cook we started to discuss abstinance as a possiblity for their relationship. She said she'd consider it however my co-worker Liz and I were far from convinced... then we showed her Liz's book. The book is composed by Liz and includes newspaper clippings showing the effects of abortion as well different clippings regarding STD's. Then one article caught her eye, it was on Gardisil the HPV vaccination. She proudly admitted to taking a dose of the vaccine.
Liz then broke the news to her, the HPV virus has many strains and though their were specific viruses targeted that on a whole fewer viruses were defeated by the vaccine than were not. She looked at us with grave concern. As her test continued to cook we ran through the gamut of STD's and the effectiveness or should I say the ineffectiveness of condoms. She looked teary as we explained how they often were not effective against viruses such as HPV that were transmitted by skin to skin contact. Then she begged us for the name of a GYN, which we promptly provided her with. She looked with scorn toward the room with her boyfriend who when we suggested abstinence looked absolutely appalled.
We don't try and break up couples however we do try and educate them, her test came back negative but she was changed. Her ability to make good decisions, decisions that would help her stay healthy, and safe was secured by our message, which is His message. God makes rules regarding sex in order to keep us safe, I was just sharing them.

What about Adoption?

"It isn't fair to the baby, for me to have it, I mean" began this 18 year old college freshman sitting in the office today. I began to explain the procedure but as always my words could not command the attention that our video library did.
After watching one of the videos on the procedures and repercussions of abortions she began to turn. "I just had no idea... what about adoption? It's kind of what I wanted from the beginning but the process is so expensive (she had read it would cost her $400 to put her baby up for adoption) and complicated". I explained gently that it was not an overnight fix but that when counseling and the process was finished it was the most loving, gentlest and kindness option available. I also explained that it would be free for her.
I told her she would be a hero in the eyes of God, something she looked sheepish about. We agreed that she and her boyfriend would return Monday to discuss it further, as it would be in part his decision.
I pray for her today and for all the mothers out there that are faced with the option of adoption. It is the the most selfless act an unwed mother could make and I pray that she be greatly rewarded for her decision.

God Never Gives Us More Than We Can Handle

Let's take in baby steps I tell this soon to be mommy-again. This is her fifth child and she is clearly scared, as am I. She has every intention of aborting her child. Her children range from 16 to 20 months and now her body is slowly preparing for her 5th. This mother has suffered through an abortion already and looks scared at the prospect of having another.
I listen as she explains her needs, primarily childcare for 20 month old and then a thought comes to me. I worked as a coworker for the Sisters of Life for about a year (and still do) during that time I provided women with child care, as well as other services. I asked her if she would mind if I gave them a call, because I knew they are a wealth of resources for expectant mothers. With gratitude in her eyes she say I could make the call.
Then she stopped me and told me that she loved children, that she in fact loved the child inside of her but that she felt she had to sacrifice him or her in order to provide a better life for the children she already had. I shook my head knowing she was the woman I always wanted to help, I always wanted to pray for, the woman backed into a corner with no other place. It was then that she told me she knew in her heart the Lord never gives us more than we can handle- at this I nodded and called Sister at the Visitation mission in Manhattan.
After talking with her for an hour on my cell she looked not only relieved but happy. Teamwork is essential in this war for souls, and thankfully we have God on our side. She left, and I knew both her a her baby were safe.

Survivor

As she stepped into our office I could see this young woman's stomach protruding from what I must assume was a once flat belly. It could be from beer but she's not old enough to drink. At the age of 15, this little one had an abortion, or so she thought.Her story went that her aunt took her for an abortion 2 months ago and had decided for her to terminate the pregnancy, a distressing situation for any woman, forced by another to make that "choice". Basically a sort of rape in the form of abortion. Although this in and of itself is not an uncommon story (whether it be the boyfriend, mother, or some other relative that simply cannot grasp that their is a life involved here) the end result is uncommon.
She claimed she still "felt pregnant" although she hadn't had sex since previously getting pregnancy. My initial reaction was that it was psychological, that she felt pregnant but that she wasn't. Then the test came back... the little pink line told everything. A botched abortion.
Fear then ran in all of our hearts, was the baby damaged, how big was she, how did the abortion affect the baby or the mother? We quickly raced her across town to a free sonogram clinic also run by the EMC crisis pregnancy centers.Then came the sonogram came back, or rather the sound that was sweeter than any man could make, it was a heart beat. A strong, powerful heartbeat. The center in Brooklyn had called us to not only confirm the pregnancy but to privilege us with the baby's 30 week old heartbeat. She is a survivor as is her mommy.

Gaurdian Angels

But I can't have this kid... I'm still in high school". This is the third girl this week who has told me she can't keep her baby because she's in school. The rain is pouring down as I gently remind her of her options, that their is help available and she doesn't need to abort. Her mind still lingers on what she is convinced is a simple procedure.
I show her the video, I show her the second video. Suddenly her eyes are brimming with tears. Shame was apparent on her face as she rubbed her stomach and I could see the wheels turning in her head as we sat in silence.
As St Francis said, "preach the gospel at all times, when necessary use words". I gently reach over and touch her hand reminding her she's not alone in this war for her soul. Her friends sits on her left and I realize now this baby's life is secure. Fr Pavone says "America won't reject abortion until it sees abortion". The more women I counsel at the EMC pregnancy center the more I realize how true this is. Tonight I will pray for the mothers and the almost mothers, may they find their own guardian angels and may they be their children's guardian angels.

If Not Me Than Who?

Although I've been here a couple of weeks I thought now as good a time as any to try my hand at blogging. To give all of you out there some background as to who I am I am a 29 year old female, new to this great of NY. I was a former doula now turned prolife advocate, becoming a voice for those without one- the unborn....What would make me give up a life that was, for the most part comfortable, settled, to come to NYC to fight a battle that many would say is a lost cause? Very simply, if not me than who? If it was not my battle to fight than who's is it? Is the unborn's? Nestled comfortably in the womb of their mothers they have no voice, they have no advocate... If not me than who?
What many do not realize is the 7 out of 10 mothers suffer from mood swings in the first trimester, a result of hormonal adjustments being made (source:What To Expect When Your Expecting) that can result in her being less than overjoyed with her pregnancy. This sort of imbalance coupled with the worldly stress put upon her can lead a mother to contemplate abortion. This is where my job begins.I work for the EMC crisis pregnancy clinics in the Bronx. Day in and day out calls come in from women who are vulnerable to abortion. My job is to turn these women around to show them abortion, to explain to them abortion, to make them understand their lives are never to be the same. Whether a woman chooses life or chooses death they will never be the same.
Although ultimately it is their decision it is ultimately my responsibility (and yours- if you agree with this cause) to educate them on their choice.This blog is dedicated to those women and those children who come into our clinics and I see as I sidewalk counsel- for those who choose life may their lives be blessed, for those who choose death may they find healing, and for those who I inspire, may God have mercy on your soul, and please help any way you can because one voice can change the world.

An Actor's Perspective

My internship with EMC, lasting over two months, has been a great opportunity to grow as a Catholic and a human being. Spiritually and emotionally it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. When I think back on this experience, it will be primarily with gratitude for these benefits. My internship, however, offered me another opportunity - one that ties in with my career plans.

A senior now at Ave Maria University, I intend to attend an acting school in NY or elsewhere when I graduate. NYC, of course, is the Mecca for theatre, the Bethlehem for Broadway, so to speak. In my spare time, I attended many shows, Broadway and off-Broadway, the tickets to some of which Chris was generous enough to obtain for us, free of charge. I also was able to look into several conservatories and schools in the city, and to research their acting programs. I'm very grateful for that opportunity.


Many good, faithful Catholics and Christians tend to frown upon the arts in today's society, especially the theatrical and cinematic arts. It is not surprising, I suppose, due to the degrading sexual, violent, and language content of so many plays and films. It is true that it is quite easy for these particular arts to become corrupted, but they are also weapons that we, as Christians and prolifers, can use to great positive effect. Witness Bella and Passion of the Christ, both acclaimed by audiences and critics alike. But, then, there are also fine movies without explicitly Christian overtones. Witness It's a Wonderful Life or Schindler's List or even Saving Private Ryan. Any movie that is a good piece of art will reveal a truth about our human nature, and many movies do so. And truth always brings us closer to God.


Just as movies can be put to noble use, so can the vocation of acting be a noble one. It is an art, for those who are serious actors, and not just a quest for fame and fortune. And it is one of the greatest arts, I think - one of the most personal arts, more so than painting or writing or sculpting, because the instrument is not a paintbrush or a pen and paper but oneself. It calls for immense self-discipline and self-scrutiny, but above all it calls for understanding. Understanding of oneself, yes, but also of others. An actor cannot realistically portray another human being on the stage or screen if he cannot extend understanding and sympathy towards his character's situation. Thus many actors become better actors as they become better human beings, and vice versa. Many actors become confused in the extension of their sympathy, granted.

You find many liberal actors today campaigning to save a rare species of African bug, or the trees and moose in Alaska. If only they could have interned with EMC - they would have surely determined to extend their energetic sympathies towards the unborn babies and the trapped, pregnant mothers, who are far more needy of their sympathy than a moose, or a bug, or a tree. Seeing and speaking with these poor, exploited women has changed me, firstly and most importantly, as a person and a Catholic, but it has also improved, in terms of acting, my understanding and humility, confronted with these mothers who are, in many cases, truly beautiful people, but only confused and deceived by society's lies.

-Dan

" OF COURSE I'M HAPPY...I'M KEEPING MY BABY"

My name is Maria, I am one of the interns of the EMC program this summer, and evr we have livesd millions of wonderful experiences I am going to tell you one that touched me deep inside. This is the story of Magda, a 31 years old and she found us by chance. But from the first time that I saw her I felt something special, like she was one of the women that you would never forget.
She had a special situation, she had had 5 abortions in her life, and she was looking for another one.
Mercedes and I talked with her for a while, we asked her if she knew what an abortion was and she just said that she had had 5 abortions and she really knew what was going on.
We used a graphic video in order to showed her the reality of the abortion, and she found out that she didn't know what she have been doing with her life.
Suddenly she started crying like she has never cried in her life and then we found out that she was ready to been asked the biggest question...What re you going to do?
She looked us with such a thankful eyes that we knew that she was going to keep the baby.
A week later we called her and she was with a completelly voice, full of hope and joy, and she told us that she was full of happyness because she WAS HAVING BABY!!!!!
This is for me the most important and special experience that I have had here, in NYC, tha capital of the abortion in USA.
I will never forget this woman I will never forget lots of situations and experiences that we have lived this special and complete summer, and for this I will always be thankful.

Maria

RAN OUT OF WORDS:

My name is Nikos Daley. I came to the Bronx life House on May 28th not knowing what to expect. I'm blind and partially deaf and I had never counseled in a crisis pregnancy center or in front of an abortion clinic before, and I felt I was unprepared to take on this task. Even after the training I still felt like I was missing something. This is when I began to realize the importance of prayer.

Abortion counseling cannot succeed with out prayer because you are not doing the talking, God talks through you. I found that out the first time I counseled a woman. I wasn’t even a minute into the conversation when I just ran out of words. Try as I might, nothing came. Then I said a quick prayer asking for help and the words just came I didn’t even have to think about them.
I was also coming to realize that the devil was very real and was coming after us for doing God’s work. Satan wants to kill these babies and God wants to save them. If you don’t ask for his help you will not save anyone. God is always there with you in every conversation whether it’s in an office’ or in front of an abortion clinic; or in the middle of no where; God is always guiding you and running the show.


When I reflect on my experience here, I realize two things. First that God called each and every one of us for a reason. We may never know that reason but we didn’t come here by accident. The second comes from a quote my friend told me. "God doesn’t call the equip, he equips the called," And especially for this job, I think it’s very true. He doesn’t call millionaires or people with a lot of political power to do his work. He uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things, just because you are disabled doesn't mean you can't accomplish things, you just have to look inside a client's heart. You can physically see and be spiritually blind. If he calls you, he will equip you well!

THE SKEPTIC:

I will have been interning with EMC for over 2 months by the time I leave, and I will have talked with many girls by then, but my best memory may be of my talk with a girl during the second week of my internship. It was the first day I had been counseling in the office alone, so I was very nervous. This particular girl had been in the waiting room for a while, and when I initially met her and handed her the paperwork, she was laughing and wisecracking with her friend, completely skeptical of anything and everything we could say or offer.

Once she came into the office, though, and began to talk to me, she became an entirely different person. Gone were the cynicism and mockery, and what was left was a real, loving human heart which had taken a wrong road and had been broken. She had had a good education, and she was confidentof her financial future. Society and her friends had told her she wasn't cut out to be a mother, but with all the love and gentleness that she showed ot me while we talked, I have no doubt that she will make a great mother.

When she left the office, she was joyful and eager for the baby to come, and it was amazing and terrible to think that such a truly beautiful person could have been pressured and pushed to do something there was no need for her to do at all, and which she would surely have regretted for the rest of her life. Thank God she was saved.

~Dan

GOD BROUGHT ME HERE:

It was a couple of days ago. She was smiling and nervous. Her name was Rosana, and she spoke in spanish, so it was easier for me.

She explained to me her situation, and she said "I need an abortion." She had a lot of problems with her boyfriend, her family, she was single with two kids, and she was only 24. Her situation was really hard. But I realized that she had a good heart, and she had faith.

I talked to her about the value of the life of her child. I said "the life is a gift from God," and she told me "God brought me here. I was going to make a big mistake here, but because you have helped me -- you have opened my eyes".

~MERCEDES

AFTER-THOUGHTS:

Two weeks ago we were in front of Dr. Emily's the abortion mill -- like many times before...
Suddenly, a big group of teenagers appeared down the street. We thought that they were too young to be coming to have Dr. Emily's "services". To our surprise they went inside without hearing us because they were joking around and laughing all the time.

After a while, they came out and we were able to convince them to go to the bus where Julie and Wadija spoke with the young girl that was pregnant and showed her her baby in the ultra-sound.
They took a long, long time to talk with her because she needed a lot of counseling, she was deeply sad.

Meanwhile, Alex and Laura, we were trying to keep the rest of the group under control because they were all together inside the bus. They were so young and had very childlike behaviors so they were difficult to keep. All them were shouting and arguing about the abortion. They had a lot of different and confused opinions so we tried to clarify some things...

Despite Julie and Wadija giving a very dedicated counseling with the girl for a long time and she was pretty convinced about keeping her baby. Unfortunately she went ahead and had the abortion anyway. We learned about that two weeks after. The reason was because her boyfriend pressured her too much lot and she couldn't endure.

The nice part of the story is what we learned that yesterday.
Again in front of Dr. Emily's, when two friends of her came looking for us, they explained to us the sad story of the other girl, but they came looking for us because another girl from the group got pregnant and she remembered us...

From Wadija and Julie's words, they came looking for help because they didn't want to finish the new baby's story like the other...she wanted to keep it and go ahead with her pregnancy!

~ALEX and LAURA

MIRACLES HAPPEN:

Some of the girls that come into our offices already have their minds made up. They have decided that they want to get an abortion and they have hardened their hearts to hearing the truths that we try to tell them. They don’t want to hear about the procedure, or learn about the risks, or even see their baby on the ultrasound screen. There is nothing that we can say that will reach them. When this happens, we have to give the girl over to God and trust in him to get through to her.

A girl like that came into our Brooklyn clinic, completely set on aborting her baby. She wasn’t moved by anything that any of the counselors said, or responsive to their offers of free help. When she had the sonogram, the baby was very active, squirming and turning and sucking her thumb. The girl listened to the heartbeat with a disinterested expression, waiting for the sonogram to be over. As the counselor stood there, she began to pray to God, asking him to tell her what he wanted her to do.

She told us that the thought went through her head like a streak of lightning, “Ask her to hold her baby’s hand”. She didn’t know what that meant or how to accomplish it, but she felt compelled to ask the mother to do so. She asked her to put her hand over her womb and the girl skeptically complied. The instant that she did, the baby stopped it’s movement and those in the room watched in shock as the ultrasound showed the baby lift her tiny hand and place it on the wall of the uterus, right underneath the mother’s own palm. The mother instantly got tears in her eyes, as did everyone else watching the screen. The baby continued to hold it’s hand up, and when the ultrasound was over, the mother and child were still holding hands.

That baby is still alive, not because of anything that we said or did, but because God knew exactly how to touch her heart, and He allowed us to be a part of it.

~Jenna

UNDECIDED:

I was in one of the centers couseling a young girl about 22 years old. She was into her 2nd trimester in her pregnancy and she looked very nervous. As she told me her story I was struck by how she was truly seeking to do what she thought was the best thing--she just had too many voices telling her what to do. She was wringing her hands and I tried to tell her she was strong and going to be ok. At the end of our talk I tried to leave her with encouragement but she was still unsure of her decision.

When it came time for her sonogram she was happy to look at her baby on the screen. The girl doing her sonogram asked her if she was thinking of an abortion, she answered yes. When she was asked why she told her that her boyfriend wanted her to have the abortion and so did his friend etc, etc. The girl doing the sonogram asked her simply, "what do you want?" she said, "I want to keep the baby." Sandra touched the girl's arm and said, "then that's all that matters, no one can tell you what to do with you and your baby." The girl burst into tears because she had finally heard the exact words that she knew all along, only no one had spoken them to her.

No one had cared what she wanted to do, and she had gotten lost always listening to other's advice. I saw the touch of an angel as Sandra touched this woman's arm and the words she spoke were truly from Heaven. The woman left so much brighter, her anxiety was gone and she looked at me and smiled saying, "I'm going to keep the baby, and I'm going to leave my boyfriend." I told her I was so proud of her and gave her a picture of the Blessed Mother.

Again, this is one of many amazing stories where God's grace is poured out to his children through the efforts at Expectant Mother Care. I am so blessed to be an every day witness of His miracles.

~Natalie Oberlin

TWINS:

We want to tell you a story. A story that could be something out of a movie. This really happens, believe it or not.

It was one of those Tuesdays we go to Dr. Emily's abortion mill. There, we usually stand at the front and back doors trying to counsel them (stop women who have appointments there and offer them free information and alternatives to abortion). Our work there is quite hard because we have very little time to call those women's attention and normally they will ignore us and keep walking.


That day, we were standing at the front door with Julie (one of the EMC's full-time employees) when the usual black car stopped. There was a woman sitting in the back seat. When she opened the door and stepped out, Julie went to talk to her but she couldn't arrange to do anything and so we went for the last try.


She almost got into the first door when we could start saying something. We were desperate. In that moment you don't know what you say. Of course you have prepared an speech but words just don't come out. You say what's in your mouth, theres just no time to think. You just...move your mouth hoping the sounds you are pronuncing make sense. What we said was more or less: "Come here to talk to us, we've got free help, abortion is not going to help you, be brave, come here, why do you think this is your last option? Mami come. Don't go through that door, if you talk to us you will lose one minute but if you go in you will lose everything..."


When we were saying that last phrase the woman had already past the first door and was holding the knob at the second one where we couldn't have talked to her anymore. Then, while we were shouting, she looked at us. Then the knob. Then she started crying. And then she looked at us again. And then, to the knob. We couldn't believe it. Ignacio and me were just shouting no sense words for 10 MINUTES to make her come to us. We needed to move that girl out of there, normally there is security. We were "lucky" that no one was there. We were so excited saying the best we could desperately. Then she sudenly started walking towards us crying. We couldn't believe it. She finally turned around. We were so happy and we told her that what just happened it was God's hand that wanted that baby to live, and she smiled. She smiled joy while she was crying. We won't ever forget that.


After she came out, Julie told us that she had already talked to her a few weeks before and she was pregnant with twins. So, our joy was doubled. Afterwards, Julie took that woman to a maternity home because she was homeless and her husband had left her. Julie told us that the woman is going to have the baby.


That is one among the thousands of stories that happened all around this organization. This is just one day in one of the abortion clinics, imagine how much are you helping everyday with your donations.


We could make this possible because YOU make this possible. Thank you.

~Javier and Ignacio

The Cost of Abortion

One of the saddest things about this job is hearing about women who have had past abortions, and are now right back in the same situation that they started in. The reasons that they didn’t want to have a child are still the same, but they still had sex and they still want to be free of the consequences. Almost every woman with a past abortion experience admits that it effected her in some way. Many still think about the baby that they aborted. They know how old he would have been and they grieve each year on what would have been his birthday. They still cry themselves to sleep at night. They wake up at night and think that they can hear the baby crying. Most of them admit that the abortion that was supposed to be a “quick fix” made their lives much worse, and they regretted the decision.
However, many of them put themselves through that pain a second time, desperate to believe societies lies that abortion will make it like there was never a baby in the first place. They want everything to go back to the way that it was, but it can’t. Whether they have an abortion or carry their baby to term, the baby changes things from the moment that it is conceived. Most of the women who have abortions believe that it is wrong; most of them acknowledge that the baby is alive. They cannot lie to themselves, but they choose to ignore the facts.
Almost worse, though, are the horror stories that women tell about the physical complications that accompany abortion. It is easy for some women to dismiss the possibility of emotional trauma, but it is much harder to ignore stories of women who have been there and experienced the horror for themselves. A woman came into the clinic in Brooklyn who had been bleeding heavily all weekend, since her abortion. She kept calling Planned Parenthood, and all they would tell her was to come back in two weeks if the bleeding hadn’t stopped. Our office was in the same building and when she came to us, we got her to call an ambulance and receive emergency care. A woman at the Jerome office told an intern about spending three days in the Emergency room and receiving blood transfusions because the doctors couldn’t stop the hemorrhaging. While sidewalk counseling outside of an abortion clinic, we see girls come out who are shaking so badly they cannot walk, they are in so much pain. One day, the clinic called two ambulances because they had botched a girls abortion. Although we were unable to find out what had happened, we did hear from the ambulance driver that the girl would recover. She was one of the lucky ones.
People want to believe that abortions are safe and quick, but the truth is that woman are being hurt every day. It is not only the babies who are victims of abortions, but the women who are never told what may happen to them when they get on that table. Some of them never get off.

The Freedom to Choose

People say that women should have the freedom to make the choice about what happens to their own bodies. Many women, however, don’t feel like they have a choice at all. They feel that the only option available to them is to have an abortion, because no one tells them that there is help for them. No one lets them know that they have somewhere else to turn. One morning, immediately upon arriving at the abortion clinic, I saw two women walking up to the door. I assumed that the younger girl was the one that was pregnant and she was being escorted by her mother, something that happens often. It turned out that the woman was bringing her young niece so that she could see what abortion was like so that she would never go through it herself. As I talked to the woman, she told me one of the saddest stories I have ever heard. She has four children, all by different fathers, and they are homeless. She didn’t have anyone to turn to, so in desperation, she decided to get an abortion. She can hardly take care of the four kids that she does have; her oldest is only seven. She struggles to find them food and clothes and a place to stay, and she doesn’t want another child born into those conditions. As we talked, I bought her breakfast at a Dunkin’ Doughnut’s, and sat with her until our Bronx clinic opened. She told me that she didn’t know what to do, but that she thought my presence there was a sign. The night before, her young son, Joshua, had come to her and crawled into her lap. He didn’t know that she was pregnant, so the words that came out of his mouth stunned her. He took her palm, and looking at her hand said, “Look mommy, you have five lines on your hand. That means that God wants you to have five babies.” She looked at him with tears in her eyes and told him that she couldn’t take care of five babies, that she could barely feed their family as it was. He told her sweetly, “I’ve been praying for you because I know that God wants you to have five babies. I told God that I would go a whole week without cereal.” Joshua is only seven, but he regularly prays with his little brothers and sisters, gathering them together and telling them about God. She was touched by his words, but didn’t see any way that she could make it work. Outside the clinic, she heard my offer of free help, and knew that God was offering her a way out. Since then, she has come for a free ultrasound, and we are working with her to get her insurance for all of her children and a place for her family to stay. Talking to her at her ultrasound appointment, she was no longer unsure. She had such peace about keeping this baby, now that she knew there were people willing to help her. She went to the abortion clinic because she didn’t see any other options; we helped to open her eyes and tell her that she does has a choice. She chose life.

Marsha

Around two weeks ago, a young mother stepped into one of our offices. She heard about us through the train ads. The young woman's name was Marsha. She was a young black girl studying to be a nurse. When she's not working, she's studying and going to school. The pregnancy to her, was an inconvenience and a financial burden she was not ready to accept. After showing her the Silent Scream, she was moved to tears. After further consolation, Marsha shared she wanted the baby but abortion seemed like her only option. One of the counselors (Julie) was able to reach Sisters of Life and Marsha went to see them that very day. The Sisters were able to find her housing because Marsha was in and out of two Women/Children centers. Because she was such a special girl, Marsha came to eat with us that same night. A week later, before her sonogram, Marsha called Julie in tears, saying she could not go through with the pregnancy. Julie was able to get Marsha to go to her sonogram and Marsha called again the next day happy as ever because she saw her child and heard the baby's heart beat!

Marsha is just one of the many stories of girls coming in wanting and abortion and coming out keeping their child. Many of the girls just need a nudge in the right direction. The resources for them are available, they just never knew they existed.

-Travis

Baby's Eyes

My Experience: Amanda Miner

"My experience with EMC has truly changed my life. Words cannot describe the amazing felling I got when the first woman who I spoke with by myself walked out of the office with the decision to keep her baby. She had walked in dead-set on wanting an abortion. Knowing that eve one little soul and life was spared touched my heart so much that it moved me to tears. The Holy Spirit truly guides this work. Every single person I got to work with shone with the light of Christ. If anyone had this unique and truly any fulfilling chance to work with EMC, I would strongly encourage it."

- Amanda Miner
De Sales University '09

Dr. Emily's Abortion Mill 06/24

Dan and Jenna handing literature to a lady walking into Dr. Emily's South Bronx abortion mill.

Dr. Emily's Abortion Mill 06/24

Dan offering help to a girl leaving the abortion mill.

At Dr. Emily's South Bronx Abortion Mill 06/24

Nikos waiting to hand out pro-life literature and show the http://www.abort73.com video

At Dr. Emily's South Bronx Abortion Mill 06/24

Dan offering help to the boyfriend of a girl waiting in Dr. Emily's abortion mill.

"All That is Necessary for the Triumph of Evil...

Is for good men to do nothing." This quote from Edmund Burke appropriately fits the pro-life movement and in particular this internship. There are so many people ignorant of the truth behind abortion. Many people pass the procedure off as a "necessary evil" but my experience with this internship has told me different. The demographic we're working with shot down my mentality that abortion is always a selfish choice. For the most part, we're not dealing with rich girls who want to get rid of a so called "accident." The girls that come in to our centers or to the abortion mills truly have a problem on their hands. Most of these girls are teenagers, they usually do not have a steady source of income, the relationship status with the father is questionable, yet despite all this, these girls are looking for a genuine source of help. Simply talking to the girls outside the abortion mill or in our center has shown me that these mothers have little education on what they're wanting to do. For example: One couple came in to our center wanting to take a pregnancy test. The girl had taken two by herself and she wanted a definite yes from our center. After she took the test we showed an abortion procedure video to the couple. She then told us that she came in knowing she was going to get an abortion if she was pregnant but after the video, her boyfriend began crying and said, "She's not getting an abortion." I remember being taken back by his comment because as he came in, I heard him mumble profanities under his breath. At the time I thought it was because he wanted her to have the abortion. Seeing him crying after a non-graphic video which explained the procedure and possible complications, I knew the comment made when he walked in was because he didn't with his girlfriend going through with an abortion.

Of course not every girl that we come into contact with makes this same decision. However, I believe our presence is enough to nudge a girls heart to really think about the decision she's going to make. After all, if we didn't think this was wrong, why would we be out there?

- Travis

This is only the first of many posts to come. Other interns will be posting their stories, pictures, experiences, etc. as time goes on. I hope you'll be inspired by the things we share. Pax Christi