Saturday, September 26, 2009

Pro-Abortion Violence

Today was the fourth day of our campaign. As every saturday we went to Dr. Emily´s to pray and try to counseil some girls. I need to say that today was a terrible day, more than 60 people pro-abortion stand up in the clinic, screaming, laughing at us, jelling. To be honest I felt terrible, some how my heart was a little broke, I felt so sadnes about this people holding this posters saying that "Abortion is Health Care", saying all these lies.
I think that Violence produce more violence, Abortion is a terrible violent act against the women and the child, and that has a reflection in the society, abortion broke the hope into the people make us believe that because the abortion is allowed is coz there is not another way, and that´s a big lie, but the sadnest part is that people believe that, nobady wants to effort nobady wants to fight for a better life. And the worst part, people say that they believe in God, but they don´t believe int what God tells to us.

God Bless You

Mar

Friday, September 25, 2009

FORTY DAYS FOR LIFE

Last wednesday "The Forty Days for life" prayer Campaign just started in all Unites States, and we weren´t the exception.
As every wednesday we went to Dr. Emily´s located in the Bronx and after that instead of going to our centers to give counseiling to the girls we went to another clinic in Queens, and we started to educate the comunity about abortion. It´s easy to see how is important to show the truth about the abortion to the people on the street, coz many people they don´t know how the baby looks like in the womb, or they don´t know anything about the abortion procedures, and when that you tought them, things become clear and it´s easy to support the prolife movement.

God Bless you, and pray for us during this important campaign for life.


Mar

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Not Just a Blob of Tissue


In an age when our society has become so visual, we have lost sight of what it means to know... without seeing. At EMC we have found Fetal Development Models to be a great tool in this life saving work. With these, tiny, lifelike, babies, woman are able to visualize their child in the womb.

On the sidewalk outside of Dr. Emily's Woman's Health Center, people who would normally walk right by us, instead approach out of curiosity. They are trying to get a better look at the fetal models. This gives us the precious time that we need to educate abortion minded clients, about fetal development. The babies are also making an impact on the people who live and work in the neighborhood. They are always quite surprised to find out that a fetus is indeed not just a blob of tissue.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Counseling Couples

At times, working with couples can be tough especially when one or both of them want to have an abortion.
Today, one of the couples that we counseled both came in very sure about having an abortion but after a long talk with the girl she was very open to better things for her and her child.
When her boyfriend came into the room to watch the videos that we show about abortion procedures, he was very closed minded to the idea of keeping the child. By the end of the last video he was very upset and he was not listening to anything we were trying to say. Also, by that time I was upset too. At some point I wasn´t as polite as I should have been, and the guy started yelling at me and cursing at me in retaliation. However, for some reason God gave me the strength to stand up to him and ask for respect for me and the place. The funny thing is that the guy is big, but I for some reason wasn´t afraid, and I think that the reason was that God was there the whole time.
Anyway, I learned that as a counseler, we should try to be polite at all times and to also ask for respect in return.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

They Didn't Think That Such A Place Exsisted.

Last Saturday three girls in their early teens visited our South Bronx office. Two fifteen year old best friends, and a thirteen year old little sister just tagging along. The two older girls were afraid that they might be pregnant, and it didn't take much time to find out that the thirteen year old was sexually active as well. While it was to early to tell if they were in fact pregnant, I took the oppertunity to have a talk with them.
I started out by asking them a few questions, "What do you like to do in your spare time?" followed by, "What are your hobbies?". These girls had talents ranging from cooking to dancing to swimming to organizing and singing! But the very first answer that I got was, "I like to chill with my boyfriend and my friends."

You may wonder why I would ask such seemingly trivial questions, when I could have been talking about Abstinence and Chastity. The answer is simply that, if a girl doesn't understand that she has more to offer in a relationship than her body, if she doesn't know her own self worth, than it is pretty hard to get her to wrap her mind around saving sex for marriage. For to long girls have been fed the lie, that the best thing about them is their body. My first task was to get them to believe the truth, that they are unique, talented, loving, giving and compassionate, young women that are capable of really and truly loving. I wanted to introduce to them the concept that to be loved by them is a gift indeed, and that the best things about them are their spirits and their minds.

Once we built this foundation of self worth, it no longer seemed so foriegn for a young man to love one of them without having access, to the precious gifts of her body. We talked about what it meant to be respected by the men in our lives. I watched beautiful tears fall from their eyes, as I told them stories of young women recieving respect from their boyfriends. The girls thought that good guys didn't exsist anymore. Well, I could vouch for it because the stories that I told were of my friends! We also touched on the true meaning of love, and what it would be like to be in a relationship with someone who, "willed the good of the other". We looked at the vast difference between being loved and being used.
Many more things were said, to numerous to write about while keeping your interest. But I will tell you this, these girls were hungering for someone to teach them. Over and over again, as I gave them theological, scientific, and practical reasons to save sex for marriage, one of them just kept repeating, "That's deep, that's deep."
We spent two hours laughing and crying, learning and growing, and singing! In the end we bonded. When it came down to it, they said that they didn't even think that there was such a place where they could go and get a pregnancy test, and have someone sit down and talk with them. I'm glad I could be there.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Coincidence? I think not.

Last week a lovely young woman walked into our office with both her grandmother and her five-month old son in tow. As they waited in the front room, she confided in me that she wanted an abortion for the six-week old pregnancy she currently carried.

We started filling out the intake form, and as I went through the questions I also asked others, wanting to get to know her this woman and her story. ¨How old is your baby?¨ I said, as I calculated her due date from the last question she had answered. ¨Five months,¨ she answered, ¨He was born on March 30.¨

¨Excuse me?¨ I said, ¨Did you just say March 30?¨

She nods yes.

¨Because that's the due date of this baby too.¨

Not too many minutes later, she´s beaming out in the front room as grandma cradles the five-month old and triumphantly calls the rest of the family concerning baby-to-be.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Protesters to the "Protesters"



Dr. Emily's in the South Bronx is an abortion clinic that supposedly helps women in a jam. Of course, they don't actually tell them what's going to happnen, after they've been put under for the procedure.



Over there summer there have been people that show up to escort these women in for abortions. Personally, I don't understand how they think their helping these women in the first place. I just wish these people were willing to weigh all of the evidence and then decide whether their really helping these women. Your never going to see one of them leave saying, thank you, in any form, nor will they be happy and the reason why is because they know they have just done something very wrong.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

What a Surprise, What an Honor!


They had driven for two hours when they appeared in my office, late Monday morning. They came all the way from New Jersey to the Bronx. They came, seeking an abortion. What proceeded was an education in fetal development, the abortion procedure, and the risks and complication that it entailed.

Mom was 5 months pregnant! (Babies at this stage are fully formed and big, with a heartbeat, unique fingerprints, his or her own blood type, and well developed ears that can hear mom speak.) I showed her Fetal Development Models and pointed her to the one replicating a baby at 5 months gestation. She started to understand a little better, the gravity of her decision. As we watched a non-graphic, computer animated video of the abortion procedure, it became all the more clear to her.

Mom shuddered as she realized the facts. The baby was so far developed that it would be to big to remove the child from her womb whole and intact. It would have to be dismembered and taken out piece by piece. The thought was too much!

Mom and Dad: We're keeping it! We're not gonna do that!
Me: You think that is bad? You haven't even seen the real stuff.
Dad: What!?! You have a video of a real one?!
Me: Yes, I have a video of an actual abortion happening.
Mom: I want to see it, to make my decision stronger!

As I prepared the video called Harder Truth, I told them the story of Eduardo Verastegui, the movie Bella, and Dura Realidad (the Spanish version of Harder Truth). The star of Bella visited an abortion clinic while doing research for the movie, only to be asked by sidewalk counselors to talk with a Spanish speaking couple about to enter the clinic. As he spoke with them and showed them the video they decided to keep their child and didn't enter the clinic. Months later Eduardo was asked if he would mind them naming their son after him.

Needless to say the couple that walked into my office was very effected by this same video. It only solidified their decision to save their child's life. As we said our goodbyes, amidst hugs and promises of phone calls, they said something that I will remember for the rest of my life, "If it's a girl, we're gonna name her Heather!" What a surprise, what and honor!


Heather

Obama at Martha's Vineyard


First of all it's always hard to tell what your going to get whenever you deal with Obama. But then there are people that think we should just leave him alone on his vacation. Perhaps these same people are not aware that Obama held a press conference while on this vacation or that he continues to support Planned Parenthood and NARAL while on his vacation. While Obama may have spent time away from the Whitehouse, as a future Presidential hopeful I can tell you that the President of the United States of America never truly takes a vacation while he is the President.
Well never fear there were eight of us that let Obama know that "life begins in the womb" by holding up banners a quarter of a mile from where Obama's family was staying on the Blue Heron Farm.