First experiences in the LifeHouse

I arrived NYC some time ago. To travel, to meet new people, to get experiences, to learn English… but to work in a pro-life organization.

I would like to share with you, people, a summary about my first days here. I arrived at March 25^th from Spain, which seems a lot of time because all the things that happens here, and just a few days, because in this amazing way of life, day goes fast. I was hopeful, expectant about what was coming!

To meet the Lifehouse was great. You can´t expect a hotel, but it is friendly. People who were living there (two more interns) welcome me. We have one floor to the girls, one for the guys, a common floor with kitchen, living room, terrace and the attic. All furnished and ready to be lived. To live in The Bronx, it is also funny. Some people come scared about safety, but I have to say that NYC, even Bronx, is one of the safest places I ever have been. People is motley, so different than European, but not really dangerous. You can see cops everywhere, and Americans take safety seriously.

To life in the Lifehouse is great, but you are not here just for living. You are going to help women with a rather tricky situation. EMC has three centers spread along the NYC area, in Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn. The interns used to be located in one of the different places every day. My first days I was working at Brooklyn, being taught by Katty, the experienced manager of this pregnancy center. I see a counselor session, I watched the media material we have in the center with necessary information about abortion techniques, and I learnt how to manage the appointments we used to have. To help this woman usually it is not necessary only one session, we offer pregnancy test, sonograms, information, counseling, and diverse resources which helps girls to keep the baby. And we are absolutely opened always, ready to listen, to understand those persons who afford the harder decision in their life, and if they keep the baby, the happier choice.

At 5PM I left the center happy, proud about the task done. I took the crowded and crazy subway direct to meet the interns and have a walk in Times Square. Looking all those people running and living all together, but each one busy in their own business, I thought how good is to find some people who expend their life trying to make more human the crazy city of New York. 

In the next post, I will tell you one of my best experinces as counselor in The Bronx!