5 More for the Glory of God!

We had five turnarounds in front of Dr. Emily's abortion clinic, the largest clinic in the south Bronx, last Friday! The clinic had changed their hours that week to 12-3pm, instead of the norml 7-11am, perhaps to throw us off. So we watched the clinic all morning, with very few people coming in before 11, but actually got two turnarounds before noon! One had a sonogram in our mobile clinic and decided she couldn't kill something that had a heartbeat. The day dragged on, but we toughed it out through lunchtime and got 3 more saves! One girl was 4 months pregnant who decided to keep. She thought she was only 1 month pregnant, so our sonogram technician Wadiya definitely surprised her and us. Two other girls came out and told us they were going to keep, one of them was carrying twins! So we saved 4 moms, 5 babies.

Go do your surgery!

Clare and Joanie and I think that there's no way you can do this job and not believe in God-- there are too many undeniable miracles during the week.

A 28 year old womanl from Spanish Harlem walked towards the front entrance of Dr. Emily's abortion clinic, the largest abortion clinic in the South Bronx, with her boyfriend last Saturday. He handed money off to her, she said something to him, then he got angry and walked off, screaming back at her "Go do your surgery! I'm going home." She looked heartbroken and turned to me, thinking I was just an innocent bystander, and said "Who does that?! Who just drops off their girl and says, 'go do your surgery?!'"

That was my in. I let her know about how many guys like that I had seen, and how this abortion wasn't going to help their relationship. I was basically telling her to abort the boyfriend, not the baby.

I was able to bring her over to our South Bronx pregnancy center and she ended up sitting with Julie for over three and a half hours! She had two young kids at home and her boyfriend only helped when he felt like it, they were off and on. Her previous pregnancies had been really hard, she was bedridden during and after the pregnancy for a while. She said that she needed diapers for the kids, and right then Julie received a call from a donor who wanted to drop off diapers. She needed size five diapers. All 150 diapers that showed up on our doorstep a half hour later were size 5. So this Harlem mom walked away with diapers from EMC and the confidence that God would always provide.

2 Hours of Counseling!

I had a 2 hour counseling session this morning at the South Bronx Pregnancy Center! This girl was 20-years-old, and only eight months ago she had had an abortion. She was seeking another one with me for her six-week-old baby. I could tell why she wanted one, her family was in shambles, and her mom was not supportive at all. Her boyfriend said it was totally up to her, and she felt alone because of everyone's indifference. At first she acted like the first abortion never hurt her. But when she started to see the pictures, the reality of what her abortion was finally hit her. She then decided that she really wanted to keep her child. I told her that she would be a good mother, I could tell that she had a good heart at the root of it all. She said, "I know I'll be a good mother because I know what a bad mother is like." By the end of it all, a full two hours later, she was still afraid but willing to trust in God.

Receive your Diploma and your Baby

I helped out at our South Bronx Pregnancy Center on Easter Monday. It was a little depressing to think that girls would be wanting abortions the day after Easter, but I knew that they needed hope in the Resurrection more than anyone. I counseled a girl who was my age, her birthday was two days before mine. (It was kind of crazy to think how different our lives were). This was the first time she had been pregnant. Her friend, who had an abortion a couple of years ago, had told her to come to our place on 149th street. (I think she had mistaken our place for the Planned Parenthood across the street). So thank God she came to our place instead. She was undecided on what she wanted to do if she was pregnant. I had her start the pregnancy test and then I popped in the abortion procedures video for her (it's a non-graphic animated video showing the two most common abortion methods and the side effects). She was absolutely appalled. She sounded like me when I was a young pro-lifer. "How could anyone do that!" and "That's insane!" and "It's a full child!". So needless to say, she would have decided to keep her child. The pregnancy test was negative, but she had missed her period for two months, so we suspect that she is pregnant. She's going to come back in a week to test again, and we'll get her a sonogram in a couple weeks as well. She's graduating in a month, pregnant or not, from Hostos College in the Bronx. Diploma and maybe baby on the way!

You can still Soar!

I went over to our South Bronx Pregnancy Center to help Liz out, the Director of the center. It was a rather slow day, but we had one 17-year-old girl who was pregnant and looking for an abortion. So I told her I could give her information. I sat down with her, filled out her intake form, and invited her boyfriend in to watch the abortion procedures video with her. (It's a non-graphic animated presentation, it describes the two most common procedures and the possible complications). She started crying during the video, and asked her boyfriend to leave. She was most embarrassed to tell her mom, because she was "fornicating" (her language, she was Muslim). Because of her faith, she said she didn't want to do an abortion. Her boyfriend was pressuring her to. We assured her that God would forgive her, as well as her mom, and that she wouldn't disown her. We also assured her that her boyfriend would be able to handle it if she told him earnestly that she couldn't do it. And finally we let her know that her future plans of joining the air force wouldn't be lost with having a baby.(Her sister had a baby at 14 and actually went on to get her PhD.!) We then scheduled a sonogram for her at the Brooklyn center for next Monday. We think she'll be a great mom!

"What a Mistake I was about to Make"

A 15-year-old girl and her mother came to Dr. Emily's abortion clinic, the largest abortion clinic in the South Bronx. It had been raining all day and we were starting to get discouraged because it becomes really difficult to speak to women when the weather is bad. They don't want to stop to talk. I was fortunately able to stop these two. I asked the mother if she wanted her to do this, and she shook her head slowly and said, "No." So I took them over to our mobile sonogram clinic down the street. Wadiya, our sonogram technician, showed her her baby on the screen. When The girl saw it, and heard the baby's heartbeat, she said, "What a mistake I was about to make." Her mother had been crying the whole time I was counseling her daughter, and at the sound of the heartbeat the tears ran down even harder. Then mom asked her daughter what she wanted to do, and she just asked if they could go home. So they did. God bless them!

Chris and Maita's Miracle

Chris and Maita are a young hispanic couple, 17 and 16 years old, who came to Dr. Emily's Abortion clinic, (the largest abortion clinic in the South Bronx) early last week. I talked to them in the front of the clinic just briefly, I was able to get out my normal spiel that this was going to be bad and painful for them and that we had help to get them out of this situation. I could tell that they didn't want to go through with an abortion, but like most people their age they felt like they had no choice.

Later in the day, they ended up coming out the back of the abortion clinic because they were having second thoughts about it. They talked to Joanie, (another intern and sidewalk counselor) but again after their conversation they decided to go back in. The boyfriend, Chris, we found out didn't want her to do the abortion at all. After she had gone back in, he had tried to get her out and take her home. When he got to the front desk, however, the Dr. Emily's staff told him that she was inside getting the abortion and there was nothing they could do to interupt. He was despondent, broken down, freaking out, and puffing away at cigarettes with one of his girlfriend's friends in the back of the clinic.

Normally I have giveaway rosaries for boyfriends or whoever may need one, but I was fresh out. I called over to him and offered him my personal rosary and said "Listen man, cigarettes arent going to get her out of there at this point, only God can. You need to pray." He and his friend were visibly moved. He didnt want to take my rosary, he wanted me to pray for him, and I compromised by saying that we could pray together. He helped me say the intention at the beginning, and the closing prayer after we said a decade of the rosary.

After we finished the prayer, I said to him that it was most likely that the abortion will happen, it was getting late in the day and once a girl goes in they rarely come out with the baby. So I told them that they especially have to pray for each other, both for their souls and for reconciliation. But I also told him to not rule out a miracle, and that I had seen crazy things happen there.

Literally 5 seconds after I said that, Maita walks out the back door. "I didnt do it" she mouths to him. He runs over to her, gives her the biggest hug I've ever seen, they start crying in each other's arms. He looks up to heaven and says "It worked! She didn't do it! She didn't do it!" Their friend looks at me and says quietly, "Thank you. From someone who doesn't believe, thank you."

I absolutely couldn't believe what I witnessed, it was no doubt a miracle. I gave them all the pregnancy help material I had and gave them my personal number. I hope to hear from them soon. Personal lesson: Prayer works and always needs to be a part of the work that we do.

The Most Amazing Save

In the begining of December I met a girl who would become the most miraculous story I've had to date. Crystal has been in an unhealthy marriage for the past three years and is currently fighting a custody battle for her two little girls. With a drug abuse history, Crystal struggles to take care of herself, let alone trying to prove to state authorities that she can care for two little ones. Being post-abortive she knows all too well the pain and heartache women carry their whole lives after having an abortion. With all this and more on her shoulders, Chrystal and my paths crossed.

Crystal's husband had brought her to Dr. Emily's abortion clinic, the largest abortion clinic in the South Bronx, against her will. When we asked if we could help her, she screamed out, "Talk to him! He's making me do it!" (Later we found out that he had in fact tried to strangle her that very same morning!). She made it outside the clinic a little later and took down my number. In a couple hours when I was back at the Lifehouse, she called and asked if I could pick her up. I asked Chris Slattery, president of Expectant Mother Care, if I could do this and bring her back to the Lifehouse. He understood the urgency of the situation and allowed me to do it. She came back to the Lifehouse with me, and I immediately tried to contact materinty homes, drug rehab programs, and the Sisters of Life hoping that they could take her in and that her will to save her baby would persist. Unfortunately no one was able to help on so short notice; it was a Saturday afternoon. So with Chris' permission, she stayed for four days. But then Crystal took her own road and I was only left with my Faith that God would keep her safe.

Months went by and nothing happened, save the occasional text message to see if she was ok. One night during the week, I recieved a phone call from Crystal saying she needed a place to stay for the weekend. Chris again thought that it would be fine to take her in. Finding out that she had been with her abusive husband the whole time I felt she had let me down. Trying to be hopeful for her and the baby, I again did everything I could for her. Chris was even able to take her to a methadone clinic to help her out because of her previous substance abuse. By the end of the weekend she assured me that she would be okay with her husband and said goodbye. We still kept in contact though. A couple weeks later she called me back after numerous attempts I made to get a hold of her and told me she was staying with Missionaries of Charity here in NYC at the Pregnant women's shelter.

Just this past Friday, I got a call from the Sisters of Life informing me that Crystal had just left the shelter and her husband was trying to force her to abort again the following day. At this point she was 24 weeks pregnant, right at the legal limit to abort in the state of New York. I couldn't reach her, her husband wasn't allowing her to pick up her phone. Then after her husband had a very prolonged conversation with the Sisters of Life, he finally cracked and let the Lord in. He apologized to me, he apologized to Crystal, he expressed great remorse for his past actions but also exuberance in the future to live for Christ and to try to be a good person.

So finally, Crystal is on her way to delivering a beautiful little girl. She gave me the sonogram picture to prove it! She's expected to deliver June 20. God is good!

Miracles Do Happen!

How often have you seen the bumper sticker with the pro-life slogan "Take My Hand, Not My Life"? It is a beautiful sticker! It has a powerful message, one that became even more powerful on Monday at the pregnancy center that we went to.

We arrived at the center and after group counseling the girls were taken back one at a time to see their sonograms. There is something so beautiful about the connection between a woman and her child at that moment. It is almost like they get to meet each other for the first time. For most girls, you can see in their eyes the confirmation of what they knew to be true in their hearts all along- that they have a baby living and growing inside of them.

One of the first girls to be brought back was still unsure about whether she was going to keep her baby or go through with the abortion. Then the miracle happened. Linda came in and asked the girl if she would like to hold her baby's hand. Then Linda took the girl's hand and put it on her stomach. Everyone was praying that God would touch her heart. On the sonogram screen we could see, clearly and unmistakeably, the baby (who was about 22 weeks old) reach her precious little hand up and rest it against the place where she could feel her mother's hand! It was beautiful!! Then, the baby, as if reaching out to her mother, put her other hand there too! The baby would not let go until the mother removed her hand.

Everyone in the room knew that we had witnessed a miracle and the phrase "Take My Hand, not My Life" suddenly became real to each one of us.

Christina from the South Bronx

This story doesn't have a happy ending. But it shows what's in a day's, and week's, work for EMC. I met Christina Lopez (name changed for this post) outside Emily's one morning about a month ago. She stopped without much effort on my part, and she went to the minibus with me to get a free sonogram. She was a pretty easy turnaround, after she saw her sonogram of her 20 week old baby, she knew she wanted to keep it. However, through the counseling session horrible things became known to me. Her boyfriend, who had been her boyfriend for 6 years and was her first child's father when she was only 13, was violent and abusive, and pressured her every day of her pregnancy to get the abortion.

She lived in government subsidized housing in one of the worst places in the Bronx. I found out that her boyfriend didnt live with her, and when I asked why didn't she just lock him out, she said that he had kicked in the door and broke the lock. Her stuff had been getting stolen ever since. He would just come in whenever he wanted and have his way with her. And then tell her to make sure she got that abortion.

Soo.. I ended up going down to her place that day and bought a lock for her door, installed it, and hung out with her for the afternoon. Clare and I went to Mass with her the Sunday after, and got lunch with her.

A week later, at a subsequent meeting, she told me that she had gotten the abortion. She couldn't escape the pressure anymore, every day he had been telling her that he would do it himself if she didn't get it done. She felt horrible, she cried, she prayed she would be forgiven. She had already signed up for a Sisters of Life retreat before I had to suggest it to her. She was genuinely sorry. I felt so bad for her, and I told her that I forgave her. It was all I could do at that point. Please pray for Christina. She recently moved and said she would call me with her new number, please pray that she tries to keep in touch.

First day reactions

After only three days here in New York I have gotten a small taste of what it means to be truly pro-life. Yesterday I went to the EMC pregnancy center and today we prayed in front of the abortion mill. I was really inspired by the other counselors, interns and volunteers who have given so much of their time and effort to pro-life. It has been an intense experience for me, but it is an amazing privilege to be a part of the lives of these women in need of help and to be there to love and care for a child that I may never meet, except in Heaven. At the same time, it is sad to see first hand the effects of a society that has failed to recognize the dignity of each human person. Today, more than ever before in my life, I realized the need for compassion and love in the pro-life movement. I used to get angry at the thought of so many children dying every day, but as I watched the women entering the clinic today I could only feel love. It is a privilege to offer the women and children- with my prayers and presence- all my love. It is my prayer that God's grace will reach out to their hearts and give them the support they need to choose life.

"That's exactly what I need....."

What a beautiful day it was! The first day in months that I actually wanted to be outside. I knew right then it was going to be a good day in the baby saving business. So there I was talking to the mothers, fathers, friends and praying the rosary in between all the conversations; when I noticed a couple walking in. I wasn't able to talk to them going in but they no sooner came out and I took the window of opportunity to say something. I informed them that we had free help for pregnant women and proceeded to ask if they were pregnant. "Yes" was her answer, "Well how many weeks are you?" I then asked. She didn't know, and I was glad to offer her a free sonogram in our mobile clinic to see. "That's exactly what I need", she told me; then started running on about medicaid or insurance saying that Dr. Emily's told her that's what see needed and so forth. Quietly listening, I ushered them into the mini-bus. At Dr. Emily's, if the women can not afford an abortion they will give them the information on how and where to go to get emergency medicaid which will pay for the abortion. New York State taxes willing fund these abortions.

18 weeks! Wow, this baby was all over the screen; waving, bouncing, and just loved being the star of the show. Much to the surprise of the young parents, their baby was not just a blob of tissue. Finding out what was really wrong, why they really "couldn't" have this baby was soon to follow. Eighteen, still in school, bad relationship with mom, and boyfriend was about to lose his job; no easy situation(never is). No sooner than later, by the grace of God, these two became more and more hopeful about their situation. After talking everything through they were so thankful that I stopped them. Saying that is was a sign from God that they didn't have insurance and the mother even wanted to be a motivational speaker for teens and tell her story. They left that day saying we were going to be invited to the baby shower and to keep in touch!

After all those long winter months of hardly getting the chance to speak to so few girls, God rewards us with a beautiful day and a beautiful baby with two very hopeful determined parents to make the best out of life! Thank you Jesus!

Emily's strikes back

Over the past month Dr. Emily's abortion clinic has been posting signs on thier entryways reading

"Tell all abortion protestors: This is America, Mind your own business."

Pretty absurd. The first absurd thing is that we arent really protestors so much as we are pregnancy counselors and helpers. These women don't know the type of help that is out there for them. The second absurd thing is that even if we were protestors, it's precisely because we live in America that we cherish the ability to say what we want wherever we want. America is "Home of the Free," not "Home of the Moral People who should stay inside and keep their good intentions to themselves."
The good thing about it, which I'll never tell the clinic, is that it actually lets bystanders and neighbors see what they do inside the clinic. The sign otherwise just reads "Dr. Emily's Women's Services Clinic: a Bronx Women's Medical Pavillion." Now that it says "Abortion" somewhere on the door, people know what they're doing in there, and we're actually seeing more support from the community. Bottom line, the truth is on pro-lifers' side. Let the darkness of the abortion industry come into the light, and people will see it and despise it for what it really is.

Lenten 40 Days For Life

Couple hours before Lent began in 2009 a small group of people pray in front of the largest abortion facility in Bronx, NY. At 11:30pm, in a not so safe neighborhood, 7 of us light one hundred little candles for the one hundred little babies who's lives were ended every week at that very spot. Standing in the cold that night, praying for a few hours I had this feeling that the next 40 days were going to be grace filled 40 days. Being able to unite my suffering with the suffering of Christ makes the long hours of standing outside, praying without ceasing, and being mocked at turn to a time of joy instead of misery. I know, because I was taught, Our Lord has a special plan for each one of us everyday, but I feel the Holy Spirit has a shower of graces to give to those who participate in the next 40 day.

As we stood there praying aloud for all the mothers and their babies we had helped in the last couple months; a neighbor man walked by with a newly purchased pack of diapers. A little while later he was back and placed on the ground next to the one hundred candles one newborn diaper and said "For the babies" and walked off. Our hearts were touched. Not only are we there to help save the unborn but to help Jesus touch every heart of all who walk by.

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.