Adoption IS An Option.

Yesterday a young woman walked into one of the Pregnancy Centres and she looked very sad if I may say so. During the filling out of the form with all the information which is our standard procedure with new clients, it appeared that her boyfriend had been shot dead a month ago by some of his friends and she had witnessed the whole thing. She was still traumatized. At that moment, she was already 2 months pregnant, but she didn´t know that, and neither did her boyfriend.

And now, a month later she was sitting on our sofa. Because of the poor relationship with the boyfriends family, and her fears of the child remembering her of the dad and other things I will not mention here, she wanted an abortion. We talked to her, talked to her, and talked to her again. We showed her the Abortion Procedures movie and the Choice Blues ( A live abortion which shows how big the aborted baby really is) and after seeing them she decided that she doesn´t want an abortion. She has an appointment with an adoption agency next week. That is why we do this work. Making sure that the dad isn´t the only one who will never get to see his baby.

People often have a wrong impression of adoption. They think the child is going to end up in some orphanage, miserable and lonely, when in fact there is a huge demand for American adoption kids. Because of the many abortions, there is a shortage of American kids. That´s why many couples go to Asia and Africa, as there are lots of children there. The greatest gift a mother can give her child is life. I´m sure there no adopted kids that aren´t grateful that their mother let them live in stead of aborting them. And all these kids are wanted, their adoptive parents are waiting for their children and they are so welcome.

Let´s just pray that this lovely woman will be strong and brave enough to show up at the appointment and that she will keep her baby.

From Hopeless to the Happiest Woman Alive; An EMC Client Testimony

I found myself pregnant and without hope for a future with my boyfriend. I was 23 years old and very insecure in my present situation. Having experienced a similar situation at 20, I opted for an abortion. So three years later I thought it was my only solution. I was being pressured to abort by my lover and some friends. But everything changed when I came to the EMC Queens office and discovered I was carrying twins. Carmen lovingly explained to me that I had other options and that abortion was not the answer. She gave me hope.

Now I am the proud mother of Emily and Marietta, who are the greatest blessing in my life. I feel I am unable to repay Carmen and EMC for making me the happiest woman alive. My whole life has changed and my immediate family became more united because they share the love of my 15 month old beautiful babies.

Marietta Ortiz, NJ

A lost child!

A very stressful busy day at Linda's a couple days ago. A 15 year old came in with her best friend.. Both very angry.. The tension was definetly there. The girls did NOT want to watch the movies. Ofcourse, we didn't force them to watch it.. They were just so upset.

The girls friend kept speaking for her.. I told her it was her decision to make for the rest of her life. They were both for abortion. I was speechless. I had to pray for God to give me words of wisdom. I went to a room for a minute, and made a quick prayer for Words of Wisdom.

I came back into one of the rooms to counsel her. I asked her, "what are you afraid of"? She said, "What if I keep it for 9 months and hide it from my mother?" I was shocked! So, I told her that winter is coming and I told her to hide it by wearing sweaters. She was so scaired of her mom finding out that's all.

After a long day of sonograms and pregnancy tests, I finally got a chance to show her her baby. She found out she was 17 weeks pregnant. She did not know she was pregnant, maybe she assumed after some missing periods. Finally, she got an answer. Maybe it wasn't the answer she wanted, but the sonogram showed her her baby.

She called the other day, and told us that her mom found out about the pregnancy. We were in such shock. We told her, that we would help her. I made some phone calls. I am proud to say she will be living in a maternity home in NYC.

WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF?

I arrived Dr Emily´s abortion clinic at 7.30am for side walk counseling on saturday.The gates were already wide opened,flashy cars classfully parked and the enviroment cleaned,ready for the lucrative business of the day.

As i observed the enviroment,i noticed some´clients´were already in the clinic.Knowing that more girls were yet to come,i started praying.While i was praying, a woman walked into the premises and was approaching the door.She noticed i was staring at her so she turned to look at me.I gave her a smile and requested she come and hear what i had to say;and she did.When i asked her why she came to the clinic,she explained that her daughter was actually the one up for abortion and that though she´d adviced her not to,the seventeen year old insisted because she does not have all it takes to care for two children.The woman seemed opened to having a last minute talk with her daughter so i gave her a pro-life pamphlet that contained information about how EMC helps young girls in such trying situation.She collected it and took it into the clinic.

Just after walking into the clinic with a smiling face,she walked out shouting,cursing and approaching me.When she came close enough,she told me one of the abortion clinic staff snatched the pamphlet away from her.She was asked not to give her daughter or read the EMC material in the clinic.What could these professionals be afraid of?

Could it be that the information provided in pamphlet expose somethings they would prefer hidden? if yes,why would they want it hidden from their patients? What is the fear about?What is the aggression for?

40 Days for Life

Last week, "40 Days for Life" started. Before coming to New York, I didn´t know anything about this campaign, but now I am very involved with it.


These days, I am going to be in front of two abortion clinics praying, passing out brochures and speaking with people who ask us what are we doing and why.





Our 40 days site is in a very busy part of town. It is not uncommon for women who are pregnant and considering an abortion or women who have been hurt by abortion, to walk past our prayer virgil.
This allows us to minister to the most vulrnable. We are also educating the general public using fetal developent models, educational videos and pro-life brochure. The best part is that since we are on the streets with the people, we are able to explain the pro-life position one-on-one.

Manuel

40 Days on Abortion Row

Wednesday began this fall's 40 Days for Life Campaign. Here in NYC, that means not just one vigil sight but two, Dr. Emily's in the South Bronx and Abortion Row in Queens. I have spent the last few days at Abortion Row. Here are some pictures.

Contraception is Not the Answer

One of the most common misconceptions so prevalent in today's era is that artificial contraception leads to less 'unwanted' pregnancies, therefore society should provide as much access possible to condoms, the pill, or other forms of birth control.

Of course not only has modern history proved this theory erroneous, so does our experience every day working with pregnant women. While it makes sense on paper that birth control would lead to fewer 'unwanted' pregnancies, when it is applied to actual people, the scenario plays out completely differently.

I spoke today with two women who both turned out to not be pregnant. In this scenario, the discussion not only includes the truth about abortion, but also highlights the truth about human sexuality. Both women had been sexually active for quite some time and had used contraceptives sporadically.

Those in favor of contraception say that the answer is to make sure people use it every time, but the fact that people don't and never have I consider as evidence of a greater truth about sexuality. Indeed, it is the 'contraceptive mentality' that desensitizes individuals and society as a whole that babies are the natural consequence of the sexual act. A phrase I've heard someone say and often relate to the women with which I speak is "when a pregnancy results from a sexual act, that is something that has gone right, not something that has gone wrong."

It is a truth so obvious no one can dispute it - well at least no client I've spoken to has - and yet it comes as such a shock when a pregnancy arises. Apart from the failure rate (which is higher than most like to believe) and misuse of contraception which results in babies - I believe these more subtle, societal, and mental affects of the 'contraceptive mentality' is what is causing pregnancies to come about in less-than-ideal situations far too many times.

Luckily, hope is not lost; the truth resonates with even the most hardened of women, and with at least the two women today with which I spoke, lifestyle changes toward chastity are seen as not only morally correct, but practical and achievable.

To end abortion people need to get back to the idea that sexual relationships and babies go together, and however simple that sounds, it may be one of the most formidable challenges the pro-life movement faces. That is why we try to do it one girl at a time.

The suffering of a man

Today was a good day in Queens. We set the table with spanish brochures, models of the babies and the big TV playing educational videos. We spent the day giving away flyers with information to the people and talking with them about the abortion.

A man from Argentina stopped when I offered the brochure and he told me his story: When he was 20, his girlfriend got pregnant. He was not sure about what they were going to do, and the girl had an abortion on her own. They broke up, and he got depressed for two years.

He gave us his cell number in case we need his help on the streets and stayed with us for a while praying.

This reminded me that there are not only women suffering from abortion, there are also plenty of men suffering as well.


Manuel

THE TRUTH

``And yea shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free``

My first experience as an intern with EMC brought alive the reality of the above scriptural verse to me. Today at the Brooklyn office I had the opportunity to be educated on the details of abortion procedures and its possible effects, and I must confess that though I have been against abortion for as long as I can remember, I have been grievously ignorant about the gravity of this evil.

I saw how a woman goes through the pain of dismembering herself in form of her baby and how a baby, which the abortionist make people believe is just blood clot, is butchered by professionals who are supposed to be licensed to bring life into the world.

If given truthful and comprehensive information about the facts of abortion, many mothers would never want to go through it, many fathers will stand by the mother of their children, and many innocent lives will be saved.

The truth that abortion is not an end to a problem, that young motherhood may be challenging but yet pays, and that adoption doesn´t mean abandonment is what young mothers need to know. That being tough and being a man is not about looks, slangs, or the number of ladies you ``conquer,`` but about facing the consequences of your actions.

After this first experience, I can´t help but be excited about being one of the few spreading the truth and setting people free. I am sure glad to be given this opportunity by EMC. I hope to share testimonies of the truth giving life and hope to all, even young parents.

A lost women and boyfriend.

This story is very interesting. The work day was pretty much over. Last minute, we got a walk in. A 20 year old African American girl with her Albanian boyfriend. She recieved a sonogram and realized she was 5 months and a week.

The boyfriend and girlfriend were both homeless. It smelled as if they didnt shower for weeks. I felt so bad for both of them. The handsome young man got kicked out his home for dating a black girl. In Albanian culture, the youngest son must stay with the family and marry. The wife must stay home and be as a servant to his family. They would never accept it. So they kicked him out of the house.

The boy carried this heavy burden on his shoulders for two years of dating her. He was strongly ready for an abortion, and she was just "hopeless". The young man didn't see another option. He said "No WAY"- my family would never accept her, let alone a child."

He didn't even want to see the sonogram. I saw such sadness in his eyes, and hopelessness in the womens eyes. I told them Not to worry.. I set the boy up for a job interview. I also called in regarding living in the matenity home. I said "Please dont make this mistake, your too far along".

Anyway, we set up for another appointment. The girl was so hungry, I was able to give her grapes I had from lunchtime. She was so thankful about the kindness and love we were giving and showing them. There is always hope, I told them.

I cannot wait to meet this beautiful biracial child in 4 months. Abortion clinics want to minimize the population of minorities. I am so proud of helping this couple. It really gave me so much joy. I am so glad to save a child. That child is going to be so beautiful. I hope I am invited to the wedding!

A Story of Redemption

A woman walked in to one of our pregnancy centers and heard the truth about abortion, but ultimately the pressure from those she trusted most - especially her grandmother - proved too much for the 16 year old girl and she decided to have an abortion.

Afterwards she experienced much of the psychological damage and regret that pro-lifers would be familiar with; after the procedure she only dated other girls for a while, each year around what would have been a due date the feeling of regret intesifies, and she can't help but think of names that might have suited the little child that she ended up terminating.

Then 9 years after that initial visit she came back, but this time she wasn't the one that was pregnant.

She had brought a friend of hers into the same center she had been, and after finding out her story I immediately recognized how this may influence her pregnant friend to not make a similiar mistake. No doubt learning about the risks of abortion and fetal development pointed the pregnant woman in the right direction, but it was the heartfelt testimony of her friend who 9 years ago made a decision that she regrets to this day which encouraged the woman to choose life. This was also an oppurtunity to discuss post-abortive healing, which I'm sure the woman who needed it did not know existed.

This case truly encourages me; rarely have I experienced a 'failure' so tangibly turn into a success. This story should fortify the hope in all pro-lifers that never are our efforts in vain - even when they seem to be, and that suffering women who have experienced abortion can use their witness to help others choose life.

Introducing Myself

My name is Lianne I'm from the Netherlands. Several months ago my mom was in NYC to speak to the UN about pro-life issues. While in the City she also spoke at an EMC fundraiser. When she returned home to Holland, she told me about this amazing oppertunity to save lives in the Abortion Capitol of America! What a great work! I am very excited to lend a hand in this work of God.

In my spare time I enjoy playing my guitar and singing. I also garden, I find it very relaxing! I look forward to sharing my stories with you on this blog. Until next time!

A homeless women.

A 21 year old women came in my office. She was a female that gave me such a hard time. She was cursing, talking with other females. She said "Why are yall showing these videos?" I told her she can walk out at anytime. I said, you must be aware of what your getting yourself into.

So, I took her to the back for a sonogram. She was 11 weeks. I took her for some private counseling and asked her, "Whats wrong, talk to me"? She poured her heart to me, and told me all the problems she was in with the babys father also with her alcoholic mother. She cried and cried. I told her the options.

I called the maternity home for her. She also took the number and called them. She was carrying a big bag with her, because she didn't know where she was going next. I gave her some fruit to eat, and told her to call me 24/7. She will be taken cared of in the maternity home. I know I impacted her life in a huge way that day.

Mother of three.

Today was a great day. I met a 29 year old mother of three. She was in an abusive relashonship for 9 years. She met someone new, and got pregnant. Her fears were that her family would not accept this child. her mother told her to have an abortion forever.

Well, in her mothers country her Grandmother and Mother had at home abortions- so they think its nothing. This girl was such a beautiful soul. I counseled her, and told her we can help. She recently lost her job. I told her not to worry.

There were so many signs of her not to have an abortion. After watching the videos, and constantly staring at brochure- she said "How can I do this"? I assured her she didn't have to. She was very confused, vulnerable, and lost. I felt such a great connection with her and I totally understood her problems.

I told her to take it one day at a time. She recieved a sonogram, and ended up being 4 months. i promised to help her in anyway possible. She turned around, and changed her mind. Im very proud of her and this baby. Now, she will have a total of 4 children. How blessed!

Finished Chapters

Have you ever read a book that seemed to omit details you really wished you could know? Sometimes I feel like my experience with EMC was just like that.

Yes, I had chapters that had happy endings; mommies chose live instead of death! Sure, I had a few chapters that ended in the tragic death of innocence.

But, I had many chapters that were plain cliff-hangers! I really wanted to know what happened. What happened?!

Well, I'm here to share that my book is slowly completing itself. Three of my cliff-hanger chapters have now been turned into happy endings. So, now, after two months of being gone from EMC, my story is still being written.

Let me share the beautiful hidden chapters with you all, friends of life.

I recently received a call from a girl who had not spoken to me in months. She was dead set on abortion and no longer wanted to talk to me. This made my heart heavy, but I couldn't violate her wishes. She called me out of the blue to tell me she is six months, keeping the baby, and already has his name picked out! PRAISE GOD! Only God could write something so beautiful.

Today I received yet another call from a young woman who's boyfriend threatened both her and me. She hasn't contacted me in months and I was always worrying about her. She called today to tell me she is five months, living with her mom in another town, and she just found out her baby is a boy. Again, isn't God so amazing?!

As if God hadn't blessed my week enough already, I just received two ultrasound pictures of two baby boys that have loving mommies. These mommies wanted to keep their little ones from the beginning but were in really difficult situations. They've been through a lot to stick true to their hearts' wishes. It is a great blessing for me to know that these two women have made it through the storm and found their sunshine.

I couldn't help but come back to the blog even though my internship is over. Let these finished chapters be an encouragement for all of you reading.

God IS doing amazing miracles in the lives of all those in my book, especially me.

Giving God praise for all the precious little ones He has saved!

The Domino Effect

When you sidewalk counsel you are on the frontlines. At any moment there can be a girl walking up the pavement on her way to the abortion clinic. But in between those times, there is a lot of waiting and praying. In the long moments between it all, you get to thinking.

I have been reflecting lately on abortion and the many factors that contribute to this horrible scourge on our world. Culture, society, schools, parents, TV, all contributing to what I believe is the driving force behind abortion, a contraceptive mentality. In this mentality children are looked at as undesirable and fertility is looked at as a disease, perpetuating an attitude of irresponsibility.

What we have here is a domino effect. We must act accordingly. We must fight against abortion, it is a great evil. We must also fight against the evils that support abortion. Here at EMC, we do just that, because our objective is to help women and save lives.

Forever with God's help

Emily’s

Last week it was a hard week. I went three days to Emily’s, an abortion clinic in the Bronx.

There at Emily’s, I stood at the door and spoke with the women before they entered into the clinic to get the abortion. If we don’t talk to them before they go inside, it would be too late, the doctors would kill her baby.

A routine day can become quite interesting if there is any “pro-choice” at Emily’s. Pro-choice people make our work more difficult. They talk with the girls, and intend us to stop helping pregnant women...

But they won’t stop us! We are there for the pregnant women and to save their babies, and we will continue with our work there forever with God’s help.

Frank Pavone speaks in Freedom Ride Night

Meeting people

On Monday I worked in Queens. It started as a normal day but became quite interesting because of one thing: I met Connie.

Connie is a woman from St. Louis, Missouri. There, in St. Louis, she has a center to help women. They provide food and clothes to who needs them. She came into the clinic at about 11 am ready to take note of everything.

I must say she learned quickly how to deal with the girls. For instance, she convinced one Colombian girl of keeping her baby.

We talked about a lot of things like Maafa 21, Margaret Sanger, social security and the horror of abortion. She told me about Jesus and how He was born as a fragile baby like anyone of us. We both reached the same conclusion.

Maybe it is as simple as this: there are two kind of people, the ones who believe in God and the ones who don’t. If you belong to the first kind, then you should support life and the unborn.

And just remember, once upon a time Jesus was just a baby.