... In with the New!

Today we welcomed the newest member of the EMC Brooklyn Center... a brand new sonogram machine!

This generous gift was finally wheeled in today with the help of several interns and it is a beauty. To think of the amount of good a machine like this will make is mind-boggling. And who can we thank for such a divinely inspired present.... the Knights of Columbus!

These men are great soldiers in the fight to defend the Gospel of Life. Some months ago, they decided to make a donation to EMC. After meeting with Linda, the EMC Brooklyn Center Director, they were moved to give the gift to this office in particular, because of the great need. Such generosity and kindness!

Truly Joy is the only feeling I would use to describe this! EMC is so thankful for this gift and we all know that the aftermath of this generosity will endure and thrive for years to come! God bless those who made this possible and know that we are grateful... truly grateful!

Linda and I had to wait in the moving truck for the delivery to be made. We are all so excited to have this gift, and I know that it will be used for His glory! So far the machine has performed about 5 sonograms... and this is just the start!

Her Body, Her Choice, Her Decision

She came into the South Bronx Center scared she might pregnant. I talked with her in length about her circumstances and her feelings. We talked about her options. She has a son already. I asked her when she knew he was her son. Did she love him when he first drew a breath and screamed? Yes, she answered with a smile. Did she know he was forever hers when he first opened his eyes? Of course she did. Did she know when he first sucked his thumb? She said yes.

I lovingly told her, your son opened his eyes in the womb, he sucked his thumb and his toes inside of you. (A baby opens his or her eyes around 28 weeks into the pregnancy.) She was amazed. I posed one big question. What is the difference between your son, and this child? This young lady knew the answer. The difference was only in her.

Yet she informed me it was her body, her choice. (How does one sentence blind women so well?) She used that defense over and over. And in the end, she went home. There was no more I could do. I had given her a sonogram appointment the next day, but I doubted she would go.

I tried to get in touch with her throughout the following weeks. I wanted to know how she was doing. Whether she was grieving. I finally got in touch with her yesterday. She knew who I was, and quickly gave me her story.

She had left our center and went directly to an abortion clinic. Once there she got the news, they would not accept her insurance. She walked out. Right then and there she changed her mind. She decided to parent! She went to the appointment I had scheduled the next day. When she heard her baby’s heartbeat she knew she would never kill this little one.

I expected a hurting woman, but instead I found that God had turned that fear to joy. This mom is, well there really is no other way to put it- bubbly! She is bursting with love for this child. And her relationship with her own mom is growing stronger as they love this baby together.

New Intern, New Life

I was born and raised in a small farming community in rural Michigan. Growing up I remember distinctly declaring on more than one occasion that the last place I would ever want to live was New York City. The fact that said city is now the place I am incredibly excited to be moving to is proof of the power and persistence of the Holy Spirit. Really, my whole life is proof of that.

God has blessed me with many different experiences in ministry and outreach, such as working with children, teens, the elderly, and foreign mission, but working in the Pro-Life arena is a first. Being the second of nine children, I grew up with a natural love for new life and the blessing of babies. I also love adventure and a good story. There has been adventure aplenty in my life. This will be my 6th residence since graduating from high school in 2005 and during that time I have taken classes through 7 institutions of higher education (including a couple through a school in Italy).

Language, Theology and People are my greatest interests. Throw in some photography, countryside, and exploring new places and you have a general overview of my life. I graduated from Lansing Community College with an Associates in Foreign Language, followed (rather unexpectedly) a few years later by a Bachelors in Pastoral Theology from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. While I love learning, especially those subjects, I don't like sitting in classrooms. So, I am thrilled to be heading out onto the streets of New York to put my experience (and God's grace) to good use!

All Boys Need Sisters

I counseled at our EMC center in Queens this week where I had a couple that wanted a sonogram.

While I was counseling them, our director-Carmen- was also counseling a client.

This client is from Queens. She has a son and is currently pregnant. We gave her a sonogram.


When she first came to us, she said she wanted to get an abortion. We tried to take the focus away from the abortion and asked her to tell us more about her son.

She loves her son. She talked about how beautiful and smart he is. She told us he is one of the best things in her life.

I said, "Don't you want to give him a little brother or sister?"

She responded, "Sister". I said, "What?" Then Carmen turned towards me and said, "Yeah Abby- sister. We did the sonogram and found out she is is pregnant with a girl!"

I talked to her about how exciting it would be to have a little girl. That she could have a little boy and now a little girl. It is what most people dream of having. Why would you want to deny such a gift?

All of a sudden, she firmly says to both of us, " I'm keeping it".

It was so shocking. Carmen had been counseling her for almost 2 hours at this point and the entire time she kept saying that she wanted the abortion. So, this was out of nowhere. Carmen and I both got these smiles on our faces. We were overcome with a mixture of excitement and transparent joy.

The client is coming back to us this week. She is going to bring in her son so we can meet him. I can't wait to be the second or third person to tell him (besides mommy) that he is going to be getting a new little sister!

The New Guy

My name is John, I hail from the Electric City of Scranton, Pennsylvania. As the youngest of seven children, the pro-life morals have been instilled in me since before I can remember. I attend Christendom College, a Catholic liberal arts school located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Aside from pursing my B.A. in Political Science, I enjoy playing soccer, reading, and being involved in the school community.

My experiences involving the pro-life movement have been limited to attending the March for Life in Washington D.C. I am extremely excited to be involved in pro-life work with E.M.C. and to be working with courageous individuals who make the effort to protect the most defenseless form of humanity. This experience that God has placed before me will, undoubtedly, have challenges and present the opportunity to do the work of God.

Heartbeat International Conference

This past week, I had the privilege of going to the Heartbeat International Conference in Ohio. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

I was able to meet with women and men from all over the country from all different backgrounds for one common purpose: how can we best save women and children from abortion?

It was incredible to see all the people who are big time leaders in their pregnancy help centers, put aside their pride and become open to listen. They were open to listen to advice from others who have been working at crisis pregnancy centers for years.

There was a great sense of humility during every session. On first night we experience how Focus on the Family operates. They hosted a webcast starring Abby Johnson who used to work for Planned Parenthood for 5 years, and saw a sonogram that totally changed her heart and her job.


In this picture, is one of the women from Focus on the Family. She was so sweet and down to earth. She told me all about her job and I was able to tell her what I do. This was a great start to an awesome conference!

Counselors All Over the World

The Heartbeat International Conference I was able to go to in Ohio consisted of many different opportunities.

It provided me with detailed instruction on how to be a better pregnancy counselor.

One of the classes that I went to was a lesson on post abortion syndrome. It explained what the woman experiences after she has had the abortion emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally.

The conference was not only about learning new counseling tactics, but also about networking. I was able to meet many people from all over the country who have the same mission as I do.

They came from all different backgrounds. I made connections with people in Michigan,South Carolina, Minnesota, New York, and many more. They told me how they run their centers. It was quite interesting to see how different they work and how I work .

In this picture are people we met from Spain. They were very fun people. We discussed different ways we could visit each others centers; in NYC and Spain!

The connections were many, while the counseling instruction was helpful. It was a great conference. And thanks to the opportunity of networking, who knows if I might someday be saving babies across the world!

A New Gal

Guten Tag! I herald from the creosote-scented, purple mountainous preserves of Arizona. A subtle, dry desert garden, Arizona is known for its desert blooms and its oven summer season. I am looking forward to a humid August in the urban areas of the 11th state in the Union. New Yorkers, who reside in the Grand Canyon State in the wintertime, are known as snow birds; I am a Phoenician and a Diamondback. I am delighted to intern with EMC on the front lines of the urban Pro-Life movement in New York.

As a young, urban Phoenician, I read Dr. Harold O.J. Brown's book, Death Before Birth. The absolute: life is sacred from conception to natural death, left an indelible impression on me. This impression led to action. I am a long-time Arizona Right to Life volunteer, a 40 Days for Life participant, and a pro-life volunteer client service coordinator.

Clients, who are either contemplating an abortion or who are experiencing the side effects of an abortion, remain in my thoughts. There is hope for the broken hearted; there is freedom from the hurt and the pain, for He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147).

I, recently, read Abby Johnson's Unplanned. When I am not reading great pro-life testimonies, I read classical literature in English and in German and explore National Parks in the Southwest.

It is my desire, as an EMC intern, to give hope to clients contemplating an abortion.

Pro-Lifers Around the World Unite!

For my very first days as an EMC Intern, I had the unique blessing of attending Heartbeat International's 40th annual conference. Talk about formation! I had some hesitation about stepping out into the world of pro-life outreach (on the streets of New York no less!) without extensive training and experience, but since God was in charge, things couldn't have been arranged more perfectly.

If you are familiar with the annual March for Life in Washington D.C., I can make a comparison between the two of the overwhelming experience of unity, love, and support that attending such a large scale pro-life function can invoke. Though we didn't have hundreds of thousands at the conference (I'm not sure how the Hyatt would have accommodated them...), we had hundreds and that spoke volumes. There were 14 internationals present, representing Denmark, Spain and Uganda, just to name a few. I met some of these lovely people and received so much encouragement hearing about how they are serving the needs of pregnant women and new moms in their countries. There are new ideas and approaches blossoming into existence all the time! The Holy Spirit cannot be outdone in inspiration and zeal, especially when it comes to preserving the lives of God's most vulnerable and innocent creations.

While I was being amazed by their work however, they spoke in wonder about all they were seeing us do here in the U.S.! They were incredibly impressed and empowered by what they witnessed. We recognize the incredible suffering that is being inflicted on our country by such widespread abortion, but it is also vitally important to maintain our spirit by recognizing all the gifted servants God has raised up to work for the cause and the work that is being done. It is all truly a miracle and will continue to exhibit even more miraculous results as the battle intensifies.

Getting back to the formation, which was so much more than I could have hoped for, this conference would be hard to beat in its educational presentations! Nearly every topic relating to pro-life work and the needs of women was represented by a key-note speaker, a workshop, or an exhibition booth. We were blessed by such speakers as Abby Johnson, Teresa Tomeo, Fr. Frank Pavone, and Shawn Harper. After attending the 3 days of the conference, I feel much more equipped to step out into the streets of NYC and share the love of the Lord with those who are awaiting the light of his truth.
May God strengthen us and may we remain faithful!

Heather; Life Affirming Specialist at Your Service

This past week we celebrated the 40th Anniversary of Heartbeat International at their conference in Columbus Ohio. What a joy it was to come together with people from all over the world! We all share a common goal; to help pregnant women in need and save children from abortion.

I was even more excited to receive the title of Life Affirming Specialist at the conference! From Heartbeat's website: LAS is a professional designation developed specifically for those serving faithfully in the pregnancy help movement. The LAS designation indicates that the holder has participated in on-going training on the latest information surrounding pregnancy, abortion, abortion recovery, client programs, sexual integrity and related, life-affirming issues.

Heroes Amongst The Fallen

We call people like Martin Luther King Jr.

and Abraham Lincoln, heroes. They are.

However we also need to remember people like

Sacagawea, women who choose to face the world

and do what it takes to overcome their difficulties.

Sacagawea led an expedition of men over what is now called

the Oregon Trail. She did this with a newborn

baby on her back. And she was a teenage mother.

One of our clients came in asking about a pregnancy test, but really just needed someone to talk with. She has a daughter already, but her daughter lives in Ohio. This mom has been though it all; physical and verbal abuse, unplanned pregnancy, drug and alcohol addictions. She went straight from jail to rehab, before coming to us. She is working hard at turning her life around because she wants to be a real mom to her daughter. She is working full time and taking any extra hours her employers will give to her. This mom is an amazing woman.

Yes, she struggles everyday with addictions. Yes it is true, she can't be with her daughter right now. However she has set goals for herself, and is asking for help when she needs it. This mom is an example of a hero. She is actively choosing life for herself every day. And she is putting the thought of a life with her daughter before the "easy" ways out.

She, like Sacagawea is a hero. She is doing the hard things and loving a child at the same time.

Saved Baby at Dr. Emily Today

A fellow sidewalk counselor named Jowell and I were standing in the back of Dr. Emily abortion facility this morning when two girls came out of the clinic. As we later found out, one of them already was scheduled for the abortion later in the day - they were just going to the corner store to pick up a few things. They looked like they spoke Spanish so Jowell started to speak with them.

The two of them were sisters and Jowell found out that one was a little more than eight weeks pregnant. She told him she never had an abortion before and was actually quite ignorant as to what goes on during the procedure.

So Jowell got them on our bus and continued talking to them. Shortly after our ultrasound technician performed an ultrasound. After the pregnant woman came out of the ultrasound room Jowell asked her, "Did you hear the heartbeat?"

She said "Yes."

And for her that was all it took. Then she realized that she would rather go through the ordeal of figuring out everything with the boyfriend and family than destroy her child and his or her heartbeat. She knows it will be difficult, but it will be worth it - and EMC will be there to support her through the entirety of her pregnancy.

The Walk

What most people don't ever see about the abortion issue, I have seen on a regular basis. Anyone could see it if they would only look. It's hard to see, but it happens in plain sight.

I'm talking about the walk. She walks in the clinic as one woman, and comes out as another. The truth is that she's sad, scared, lonely, and heartbroken. She has decided to abort her child. Though she hasn't done it yet, and there is still hope in that. The aftermath of abortion is completely different.

Some are emotionally numb, trying desperately to put it out of their mind. But you can't just evict something from your consciousness. Instead it's hidden away, in a box, on a shelf in the back of the mind; ready to return when you least expect it. I have seen women with dead eyes, sad eyes, regret filled eyes leaving the abortion clinic. Crying, crying; weeping on my shoulder. Unable to believe what they have chosen, wishing they could turn the clock back just a few hours.

They walk differently, you know. Some times a slight limp, yet others barely able to stand, barely able to walk. Leaning on the arm of their boyfriend. Stopping every few minuets to take a breath. Tears streaming down their now pale cheeks.

This my friends is what abortion does to women. I have seen these things before and I witnessed them all again today as I sidewalk counseled. This is part of why we work. To prevent this from happening, and if we can't prevent it, we offer help for healing in the aftermath.

A Beautiful Choice

I was blessed with a beautiful story. She came in for a pregnancy test at EMC's South Bronx center. She had been considering abortion, as most girls are when they come in. I was with another client when she came into the center. She sat in the waiting room with her best friend and watched a non graphic educational video about the two most common abortion procedures and risks and complications. Normally we wait until the client is in our counseling room, but one of the staff members had put it on for another client's friend.

By the time I saw her, she changed her mind. She walked into the counseling room with me, sat on the couch and proceeded to ask me detailed, well thought out questions. We talked about the procedure and she informed me she would never choose that option. She asked "why anyone would trade the risk of all those complications for a dead baby?" I didn't have an answer to give her.

Although she understands how difficult it will be to raise a child and do all the things she wishes to, she believes she will. Her family is going to support her in any way possible. She called her Godmother while she was with me and told her Godmother what her decision was. I saw for myself how close her family is.

This young girl amazed me. Even though she had made the mistake of having sex outside of marriage, she was willing to learn. To learn, and to take responsibility for her choices.

They said she was too old to have a baby

A few days ago I had the privelege of speaking with the type of woman with whom I rarely speak. She was forty years old.

If there is any stigma worse than 'teenage pregnancy' - it may be a single older woman. After all, they are supposed to 'know better.' This woman was basically embarrassed that she got herself into the predicament without knowing the father too well.

Anyway, the woman just needed encouragement. She already had gone through a horrible abortion experience and utilized the healing process of Rachel's Helpers, and was mad at herself for even considering it again (when she came in she was undecided on what she wanted to do). I was so glad that I could offer her friendship and compassion.

In the end, the actual obstacles to a pregnancy were mostly practical. I connected her to the Sister's of Life who have a very large network of those willing to volunteer with things like child care, which is exactly what she wanted.

While not quite as old as Sarah in the Bible when she concieved Isaac, I hope this woman will eventually find the joy of a new baby.

Abortion Leads to More Unwanted Pregnancies

A few days ago I was speaking to a woman who was very abortion minded. She had the standard obstacles with regards to her pregnancy. For some reason or another, the conversation led me to ask, "Well what would you do if abortion were illegal."

Her answer was memorable, she simply said, "I wouldn't have sex."

The side of the debate that says there is no correlation to highly available abortion and unwanted pregnancies' only position would be not to believe this woman and other women like her. But I do. She said it very matter-of-factly and point blank.

And of course it makes sense - with the conscious or even subconscious realization that there is a way out in case there is a 'mistake' - a new human being coming into existence, more unwanted pregnancies arise. The history of the pro-choice movement in America simultaneously producing more unwanted pregnancies is further evidence of this.

Of course to defeat abortion the truth of human sexuality must surface, but conversely, if we can curb the 'abortion as the way out' mentality through legislation and education - it will help promote the truth of human sexuality.

Most Important Part of Mother's Day

On Mothers Day of this year, EMC Interns had the opportunity to team up with the Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust; a group of pro-life youth from California. We did a lovely and worthy project here in the Bronx.

We purchased many bouquets of flowers and made "Happy Mother's Day" cards for the women we saw at the abortion clinic in the Bronx.

We wanted to do this for various reasons. One being that we simply wanted to honor and show appreciation to the mothers of our time. Without mothers, there would be no nurturing. There would be no maternal characteristics to bring into the world. Mothers are the source of this.

Another reason we wanted to distribute flowers to the mothers we saw,

was because we wanted to take whatever focus they had and gear it towards the fact that they are capable of producing one of life's most miraculous and precious creatures: a baby.

There are many things running through these women's minds. Things such as my career will be jeopardized, I am not even sure about my relationship with the father, what are my friends and family going to think.

There is a lot to think about in these types of situations.

But the most essential one, is the thought of the life on a new human being. All the others are important in their own way, but they don't compare to the thoughts on the life or death of a human being.

There were some other people there that day who did not like our idea so much. One of whom was the "escort" who works for the abortion clinic. This is a picture of him yelling at one of our young persons from the survivor group.

He used many profanities and raised his voice. We just kept loving on the women despite his words. It's important to stay focused on what the most important part of Mother's Day is. Thank you for reading.

Abstinence v. Anguish

As tears were streaming down her face, she told me she had only been sexually active for less than a month. She was scared and felt alone. Her boyfriend had been going out with her for two years, and she had only just given into the pressure. Now she sat in front of me, terrified that she might be pregnant.

Over and over again, I see the fear of being pregnant. In our world every mom is at risk of feeling like a baby is something to fear. I wish I could help every woman to understand, a child is a blessing not a curse. And yet how can they understand when all they can feel is fear? Our God is not a god of fear. He is God of power and strength, mercy, compassion and love. Out of our fear, we commit great sins against God. These women consider killing the Image of God, simply because they are afraid.

This girl made it two years before she gave in! I encouraged her to choose wisely, to wait for marriage before giving anymore of herself away. She listened to what I said, and she agreed. Being like "everyone else," wasn't worth the pain and fear she had put herself through. She told me, "Never again." She decided that day to choose abstinence. She chose safety and patience. Armed with those she will find there are still men out there who truly care about her. Who don't want her to suffer and feel alone. Who care enough about her to wait and encourage her to wait for them.

"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones." And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. (Genesis 50: 20-21)

Facing The Facts

Throughout the ages, America has been a haven of justice and freedom. We have fought against the oppression of tyrants. We have lobbied for equality in our own country, both for women's rights and against the injustice of racism. America refused to turn our heads away and ignore the horrors of Hitler's regime. There are times We the People disagree. Nevertheless, through the years we have pulled together and fought injustice where we found it.

In the world this very day, a distressing system has been put into place. All over the world, what we as a people have refused to allow in the past is becoming acceptable in the present. Women's rights are being trampled. Racism is running rampant. Yet Americans are closing their eyes and their hearts.

How can we pick and choose what wrongs we will right? Will we forever ignore that which we assume will not affect us? At times, the truth may be ugly. At times, we may want to shut our eyes and turn away. However, it is knowing the truth and refusing to ignore injustice, which make us who we are. True Americans. So sit up straight and face the facts. It can be done.

The fact is: The injustice has a name. Abortion. Whether "Pro-Choice" or "Pro-Life" there are facts, which must not be ignored any longer.

The fact is: The injustice is being covered up by handy slogans and misleading propaganda. So few people are taking the time to search out the truth, yet it is staring us right in the face.

The fact is: One of women's greatest enemies is abortion. Medical World News reported a study in which ninety-nine mothers were informed of the gender of their children. Fifty-three of these pre-borns were boys and forty-six were girls. Only one mother chose to abort her boy, while twenty-nine chose to abort their girls. The statistics are overwhelming. Over and over again, women's rights are being overthrown by abortion.

Did you realize polls show more women than men affirm the un-borns’ right to life. In fact, “the most pro-abortion category in the United States (and also in other nations) is white males between the ages of twenty and forty-five.” More specifically, “the group that is most consistently pro-choice is actually single men."

The fact is: It is time for men to take responsibility for their own actions, and for us women to refuse to be lumped together as if we are incapable of taking care of our families and ourselves. Is this not what the women of the past fought for?

The fact is: Abortion is geared towards the minority races. What most people call Abortion could also be called eugenics. Abortion is used in many countries as a population control. Why do we believe it will be different here?

Whether we think about Hitler or abortion, the fact is: They both do the same thing in the end. When all is said and done, millions of innocents are being slaughtered. Women's rights are suffering. Racism is being ignored. But not for long. Throughout history, Americans have said, "enough is enough", to injustice.

Why does Planned Parenthood and its supporters think this will be any different? America will stand up for the truth once again. We will see and share the truth, and we will stand for Change. The question is will this generation go down in history as heroes? Or will this generation be known as Those Who Shut Their Eyes?

Together Eternally

The moment a child is conceived, the mother is also conceived. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.

-Author Unknown

Last Sunday mothers were the main focus of many people’s lives. At EMC, mothers are our focus everyday. Each time a child is conceived, a mother’s heart begins to beat. With each beat comes fear and worry, but also joy and love. As the chemicals in the mother’s body begin to fight for life, so her heart wages the war for her child’s life. As this world tells her she made the biggest mistake possible, God tells her she is part of the biggest adventure possible.

Even when a woman has had a child before, she still becomes new every time she conceives. She may already be a mother, but she wasn’t a mother to this precious one. It is amazing to me how my mother could look at each of her children and whisper, “you are my favorite,” and not be lying. It is amazing to me to see how a woman’s heart breaks when she chooses herself over her child.

I saw this in a woman’s eyes as she told me she knew what she wanted. She knew it was a baby, and she knew she would regret killing her baby. Her heart was wounded, but still fighting. Yet her mind and the world’s lies were winning. I don’t know if I will ever know what happened. I don’t know if someday I will turn the corner and see her child’s face. But I do know she will always be a mother. I just don’t know how long her child has in this life.

Happy Mothers Day!

At Expectant Mother Care we believe in the value and beauty of motherhood. We know that moms work tirelessly to inspire, and instill values in their children. They are truly the unsung heroes of our time! From the EMC family to your's; Happy Mother' Day!

Fruits of Our Labor

One of the best parts about working at my job is seeing the results of our labor.

It's one thing to see the fruit of my labor, and something else when I get to see the fruits of the others I work with.

One day this past week I was assigned to work in Brooklyn. Linda is our director there. As I was walking through the door, I saw her with a woman and a baby.

There were smiles everywhere.

Even the other clients who didn't know who this baby was or belonged to were filled with a subtle peace. It's interesting how a perfect stranger can positively impact your life.

This particular client was one that Linda had last year. All odds were against Linda. There was a major language barrier. She spoke very little English. Also, the woman initially wanted to get an abortion. Linda did not give up on her.

She tried everything in her power in attempts to communicate with this woman. Whether that included a sonogram, a conversation, or a picture to show, Linda tried all that she knew to do in order to save this baby.

She succeeded!

This mother could not have been any happier with her decision to bring her daughter into the world. Praise God for giving Linda the perserverance and wisdom to carry out His will. Thanks be to God! Thank you for reading.

Help is Waiting to be Utilized

I stood outside of Dr. Emily abortion clinic today. Up until eleven am, I had talked to around ten girls.

I was able to catch up with a couple that walked out of the back entrance. At first, they ignored me. I'm not sure they knew what I was saying, or that they were interested at all. But I was persistent. I walked with them down the sidewalk.

Finally I was able to get their attention. She abruptly turned towards me and said, "I didn't do it". I said, "You didn't do what? Get the abortion?" She said, "Yeah. I couldn't do it." I said, "Are you lying to me?" She said, " I swear on my life. I couldn't do it. I have done it before and I just couldn't go through with it."

From there, I told her that we can and will help her. I told her we can give her free sonograms as well as other services, but that she needed to come in and do a consultation so that we knew her specific situation. We need to get to know her and establish a relationship.

After I told her what helps we could give her, she was very impressed, extended her arm to shake my hand, and stated her name. I told her mine. She took the pamphlet I gave her with the list of our centers on it.

Glad I could be there to expose the help that awaits to be utilized. Thank you for reading.

"This is your baby, and you're my baby"

A few days ago a nice 18 year old girl came into our office on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens and just wanted to talk. She knew that she was pregnant and she desperately wanted to keep her baby but just wanted further confirmation via one of our free self-administered pregnancy tests.

She was weeping and afraid of what she would do in her future - college, family, etc. She just needed somebody to encourage her and point out the fact that yes this will change her life (having a baby), but her baby is not the enemy to her happiness or fulfillment. Luckily, in addition to the emotional support I was giving her, she had a very supportive mother.

The highlight of my talk with her was when she called her mom while I was present. I could hear her mother give one of the best lines to a sad and afraid daughter I've ever heard.

She said, "We can do this, and you can keep your baby, because this is your baby, and you're my baby."

What great encouragement from a loving mother. Unfortunately most girls do not have this kind of support. Lets hope and pray that mothers, or rather, grandmothers, will offer their children the kind of nurturing care best provided only by them.

The LOVE option.

"There are three choices. Parent, Abortion, and Adoption."

These words are a part of my everyday life here at the EMC Brooklyn office. However the choice of adoption is one that is always suggested but rarely ever seriously considered. Today was a special day.

This woman came in early. She was not interested in discussing pre-natal development. She didn't want to hear about the risks associated with abortion. She was very certain that she "knew it already". However, after speaking to her about her 18 month old son, I learned that she had considered adoption before. She knew about the process and said that she had gone through the preliminary steps while she was pregnant with her first child... but had decided to parent!

Now here she sits. Pregnant. Wanting an abortion.

"I caught it early enough. It is what I have to do. I think I am only a month along..."

Turns out her baby is 14 weeks old. The initial shock of this knowledge physically made itself manifest on every inch of her face. She sobbed in my arms. I felt her emotions flood my soul like a tsunami wave hitting a wall. After some time and a few phone conversations she was calmed enough to talk. "No way am I going to have an abortion... not this far along... " She asked me about adoption and about places that could help her to learn more about the specifics of this option. I helped set her up with Bethany Christian Services for a consultation.

This woman showed the depth of her heart. Her openness to even consider adoption gives me such hope! I am honored to have worked with her. I was present to see her conscience awaken and her heart embrace love... that is not selfish, that is kind, that does not seek its own interests.
Her journey is far from over, but I will rest assured that she will choose life for her child. God bless her and her discernment.