It Is Good

After the long weekend, today was back to life as usual. As we all chose to fight for life today, we saw amazing things. I watched as a woman at the sidewalk by Dr. Emily's was counseled. Julie truly does have a gift! I worked with interns and staff today as hearts were changed and lives were saved.

And yet there are still so many more to be reached. How many

women turn into Planned Parenthood rather than into EMC

Frontline? We are doing as much as we can. But I am asking for

your prayers specifically for ones we don't even see. South Bronx alone has well over 700

clients so far this year. How many more need to be reached? How many more can be touched?

As I think of the women who we don't reach, I am so grateful for the ones we do. The woman in

the office this morning who was afraid of another miscarriage. The young women I have

counseled about abstinence. The young men who had no idea they could tell their girlfriend

they wanted this baby. These, we have reached. And God looks and says, "It is good."

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

No two counseling sessions are the same. Each woman brings her own unique face, personality, and story. This is simple enough to understand. However, what is more remarkable is the fact that each woman’s baby is different too. Not only are they different from their own mothers, but from all the other babies whose lives are at risk. Just like us, each of them has a special genetic makeup of DNA that has never been combined that way before and never will be again! If this wasn’t impressive enough, not only is each babies face and finger prints different, but the plan God has for their life is unique from anyone else who has ever existed! Since God has never made two snowflakes the same and causes each one to fall where He wills, then how much more must He care and pleasure in knitting each child together in its mother’s womb. He has special plans for each one. Killing the baby does not in anyway diminish the importance of each child’s purpose. When abortions happen, it isn’t just a child that is killed. So are their children, and their children’s children, from one generation to the next. Whole family trees are wiped out. As a culture, we don't care. We are only concerned about the here and now. When will we begin to think of eternity?

What Really Matters

EMC center began as a result of the initiative of someone who really believed in life’s defense. He didn’t have money but he has a strong spirit.

Gradually he was earning money from the people who really believed in his work. Thanks to them he could buy all the centers that are still working.

It’s important to be sure what we want. It’s easy to say “I want to do something” but it’s hard to start doing that. In a few months he turned the idea in a reality.

This happens when a woman comes to us saying that she wants to have the baby but she can’t because of economic problems.

The fact is that sometimes we don’t have self-esteem and we also think that we’re not able to do some things. With initiative we can do whatever we want. Thanks to that and his strong character EMC is doing a good job in NYC.

No Excuses

When I counsel abortion minded women, some of the most common excuses I hear them give as reasons why they want an abortion are something along the lines of: "I'm too young" or, "I'm not ready to have a kid", or, "I just can't see myself having another child right now." The type of women who say these kinds of things are normally in their late teens to early twenty's, finishing up high school or college, and living with a parent. They are often the hardest clients to turn around.

Surprisingly, the easiest women to turn around, in my experience, are often the ones with the most legitimate reasons to feel they can't have a child. It is the fourteen year old, homeless, parent-less girl who can see that abortion is murdering a child. It is the displaced and abused prostitute who understands that life is valuable and that killing her baby won't solve any of her problems. They could make the excuses that: "I have nowhere to stay, no home for a baby" or, "I can't provide for the basic physical needs of a baby", or "The father of my baby isn't a good man and I fear for our safety." But all of that means nothing to them compared to the horror of abortion and the blessing of life. They realize their pregnancy isn't solely about themselves and their circumstances or needs. It is about giving life to another human being, their child, their blessing from God.

Sad Men

The pro-life community is constantly talking about the emotional and psychological affects abortions have on women. The hurt and pain women feel after an abortion is a harsh reality that leaves them in need of true healing. However, what the pro-life community rarely talks about are the emotional strains that post abortive men go through. Our culture tries to make it seem as though men are not affected by abortion and that is is simply a women's issue dealing with so called "women's rights." This is a grave mistake. No one, I repeat, no one is left untouched by the damage of an abortion.

Men who are involved in abortions are usually in one of four positions. One, they encourage or coerce the woman to get the abortion. Two, they say they don't care what the woman decides as long as it makes her happy. Three, they strongly oppose the idea and plead with the woman not to get the abortion. Or four, they don't find out about it till afterwards.

In each circumstance, the man can come to regret the abortion and be in need of healing just as the woman is. Some of the root reasons for why a man will have this regret is because of his natural inclination to defend, protect, comfort, and provide for his family. He will see the abortion as a failure to defend the life of his innocent child, a failure to protect the body and spirit of his wife of girlfriend, and a failure to provide for whatever needs the woman or child might have had. The pain the woman suffers from he sees as a failure to comfort and relieve her. He may see himself as having abandoned the woman in her time of need by simply not being present or aware of the abortion decision. He may also feel this way for having pressured her into the abortion and failing to lead and guide her to choose life for his child.

Since both men and women are involved in creating a child, it only follows that they are both affected by the ending of the child's life. Men in post abortive circumstances ought not to be pitied, but rather they ought to be empowered to speak up about the destructive power of abortion and seek healing for their wounds.

Mommy look!

They are constantly bombarding us with lots of information nowadays. New devices, worldwide news, great savings and many more is what we get through our 5 senses each and every second.
So why not also being informed about pregnancy and abortion? That was our job at Queens this morning and we did it in every possible way. It´s amazing how many people stopped by our table. Men, women and whole families who were impressed by the pictures of babies growing inside the womb."Mommy look!", A 3 year old boy said," Just like my baby sister!". The woman nodded and smiled. Yes, This thought is now firmly attached to their hearts. I guess the question is not how much, but how important the information is. Ours is a big job.

We can do no great things, only small things with great love

It is very important to be active in the pro-life world. To be a great and peaceful soldier in this war. To prevail we must take part in an active way. When more soldiers join the fight it makes each part easier and the war progresses more quickly. I say this because of all the people that I speak with in the streets while I am working in this internship, they tell me that I am doing a great work, that we must stop abortion,

and they agree with me, but they don´t fight with me in the cause. I can understand that they may be busy but if everybody pulls his own weight it will be easy and quick.

As in the scene from the film “Finding Nemo” when all the

As in the scene from the film “Finding Nemo” when all the fish agree to swim down to escape the net, they do it together, quickly and victoriously.

It may be a utopia that I am describing but this I know, there are many people against

abortion that would like to participate in an active way, to abolish abortion but they don´t do anything; I encourage those people to contact us and be part of EMC.

Together we will end abortion

National Right to Life Conference, Part 2

Among my favorite speakers ever in the pro-life movement is Fr. Frank Pavone. In fact it is likely he who initially sparked my interest in the movement. It was very exciting for me then to be able to meet him and go to a Mass he celebrated in his hotel room! Besides this here are a few other highlights from the National Right to Life Conference.

1. Attending the Republican forum, where Michelle Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, Hermain Kain, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum spoke. In my opinion Senator Santorum was the most impressive and I am excited about his candidacy.


2. Attending workshops with post-abortive men and women and hearing from experts some of the psychological effects of abortion. I know this will strengthen me in my counseling skills.


3. Hearing from experts about the danger of the pro-abortion legislation in Obamacare.


4. Learning more about Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers and hearing the powerful witness of Abby Johnson, the now famous former Planned Parenthood employee of the year turned pro-life activist.


5. Being able to meet pro-lifers from around the country!

National Right to Life Conference

Much of the EMC family, including myself, had the wonderful opportunity of attending the National Right to Life Conference in Jacksonville, Florida this past weekend. We had the chance to meet all the pro-life leaders from around the country and listen to great speakers.

For the three day conference there was a general session in the morning of each day followed by workshop sessions. It was a great opportunity to talk about our own work at EMC as well as learn about all of the latest developments on the national level of the pro-life movement.

Among the speakers were Abby Johnson, Bobby Schindler, Fr. Frank Pavone, and there was even a forum among many of the pro-life Republican Candidates for president. Overall the experience was great and rejuvenated me in my pro life convictions. I look forward to posting some of the details of the conference in a future post.

A Chance to Turn it All Around

Today it happened, I never imagined I would experience it this way. I was at Dr. Emily's clinic with one of my co-workers and this girl was coming out of the building with her boyfriend. My friend told me "It's your turn, I can't go now, otherwise the boyfriend will shout at me for being a guy". That was apparently the moment I have been waiting for, wasn't it? But when I started walking towards her I did the unexpected: I hesitated. I looked at her and thought to myself: "I cannot do this, she is talking on the phone it's not gonna work, why do I wanna try it if she is not gonna turn around?" And I did nothing. WRONG!

We can always do something, how dare I be so selfish? She had already gone inside the clinic so she was probably pretty sure about her decision to abort her kid, then how in the world did I ever think for a second that nothing was gonna change? Everything can change because EVERY PASSING MINUTE IS ANOTHER CHANCE TO TURN IT ALL AROUND, any single thing that I could have told her, even the most simple and obvious one could have had an effect on her to help her change her mind, but no it is too late, she is gone.

I am probably never going to see that woman again and although I felt horrible during that whole day because even if we know that we can't say that it is our fault when things do not go the way we want them to go (because that is normal, we are human and we are not perfect, any of us) ; deep inside I still regret my "doing nothing" decision because it left me with the doubt of what could have happened with that unborn baby if only I had been brave enough to make that step.

Little baby, wherever you are now: I'm sorry. I know that I can never cry your tears but I promise you that I will never ever be afraid again.

Bonds between Mother and Son

Yesterday I was at one of our EMC offices, the one in Brooklyn. A woman came in, she has an appoiment for a sonogram. She watched a video about the development of the baby during it's first nine months. After the sonogram I had the opportunity to talk with her. Her circumstances were hard. She wanted an abortion because she can not afford a new baby. Although she and her boyfriend had jobs, she said they can't afford it. More in depth, she told me that in case she decides to parent the baby, she will give it to her sister, who wants a baby but can't have one.

That option sounds to both of us.

After a long conversation about the bonds that exits between a mother and the baby she is expecting... She began to realise that the baby she was pregnant with was her son or her daughter... That baby is HER baby, she can feel it.

This woman began to explan that the choice of adoption of her baby by her sister was hard and she was explaning this to us for a while. She began to love the baby she was pregnant with. While she was talking to us she discovered how she already loved that baby and how true it is that the bounds between a mother and her unborn child are something special.

Finally, she decided not to abort, she decided to have her baby and take care of it. She will save some money to provide him the best she can give him, but, in this case material things go into a a place of second importance.

Another Spanish intern

Hello everybody, I am new here. I’m Oriol from Girona a pretty nice city in Spain. I study economics at the UPF college of Barcelona. I have a big family - I’m the second of five brothers. I can see from all of them happiness and love. I learned that life is a gift of God and we have to defend it.

I am very excited to have this opportunity to join EMC and fight against abortion because as a pro-lifer I think that we can do a lot to help pregnant mothers. I expect that we can all do a great job here in New York and also then when we come back to Spain with all we are going to learn.

Road to Nueva York

My name is Ignasi Grau and I’m 20 years old. I’m from Barcelona where I study Law in the UPF, a Catalan colleague. This summer I decided to take part in the EMC program in order to make this world a better place.

Before that I spend a summer in Africa helping in a Charity center of Mother Teresa. This summer I decided to come to New York, the abortion capital city in the USA, in order to showing people the people that abortion is against fundamental rights and human dignity.

Why Did I do that?

During my first day in Queens I saw a few women. One of them is twenty four. She has a five years old child. She is pregnant for 7 weeks and she came for an abortion.

She has just broken up with her boyfriend so she was a bit annoyed. She is studying and also working. She was saying that she didn't want the child because it wasn't premeditated.

When she told that I was thinking that a baby shouldn't be a plan.

We showed her a few videos explaining what is the truth behind abortion.

This isn't an easy way. It has a lot of consequences that she didn't really know.

We ask her what she would do if somebody hurts her daughter and then she realize that she wanted to have the baby. She admits that the abortion was the best way to forget her boyfriend.

More than just a trip

This last week has been an enriching experience. Not only because we went all over the East Coast, from New York to Florida in this "comfortable" 15 passenger van (which was a complete exercise of patience), but because of the things we learned at the workshops in the Jacksonville conference.

My favorite ones where those involving testimonies from women that aborted or where touched by abortion at some point in their lives. The strength they give off, the sincerity of their voices and their fearless attitude towards facing the world was the type of sensation that my friends and I were looking for.

I have learned what it really means to stand up and speak up for those babies in the womb that have no voice, in order to bring America and the rest of the world back to life.

The Peanut Gallery

At Dr. Emily’s abortion clinic I often see the same people from the neighborhood walk back and forth going to work and such. Many times they stop and talk to me about what goes on in the clinic. They do abortions there? They kill babies in there? Those escorts are helping them abort their babies!? I hear this so often. The people who live in the area don’t like that there is an abortion clinic in the South Bronx. Sometimes the best part of my day is when a random stranger comes up to me and says Thank you for standing up for what is right. Abortion is wrong. These women shouldn’t be in here.

One time when I was talking to a woman who was heading into the clinic to get an abortion I heard a voice yell out from across the street towards the woman “Don’t do it!” That makes my day.

Two Months

Each woman is so different, there is no formula to follow to help her. It is truly a relationship that forms between us, the women are not just clients. They are each special and real people. From the woman who wants an abortion because she is a lesbian, to the girl whose Mom insists; they are all special. They are all loved by God, and so they deserve to be loved by us.

I have been here for two months. I have heard so many stories. Sometimes I wonder where the world is going. But then a child smiles at me and I am amazed at where this world is going. As horrible as each death is, the lives saved are even more incredible.

The women listen to us, to the truth, because it tugs at the hole inside of them. Without the truth, they have nothing. Without God, they have no truth. Without truth, they have no hope. Without hope, they have no strength. This is where we come in.

We have God, truth, hope and strength. And we are here to share. We are not here to make money. We are not here for a summer fling. We are serious interns who truly care. These women know it. And their hearts are changed when the love of God shines through us.

Learn And Teach Others

Two girls came in today and showed more strength than most women can, in these situations. The pregnant girl was only 17, her sister was a year younger. She walked and told me that she knew abortion was killing a baby, and that parenting would be hard. Then she smiled and said, "I'm keeping my baby!"

Without my needing to convince her, she chose to keep. Simply because it is the right thing to do. But I still had more to do, I talked with her about why women choose abortion and how the procedure "works". She had no idea what really happens to women who choose this. She had no idea what really happens to the babies. So I shared the truth with her.

Now she is committed to telling the truth about "freedom of choice". And she is completely in love with her baby. She left the office, and I listened to her laughing as she yelled... "I'm having a baby!"

Instant Gratification

This week at Dr. Emily’s abortion clinic I was standing in the front when a Cadillac Escalade pulled up on the sidewalk in front of the clinic. As usual, when the woman came out I talked to her - trying to give her information and options, begging her not to kill the little life inside of her. She mainly ignored me and went inside the building when one of the “escorts” at Dr. Emily’s started yelling at me - “Do you hear what he’s saying? Do you hear what he’s saying?” I turned around and the man (the woman’s husband) was calling out to me from the car. And this is basically how it went:

Husband: “Stop harassing my wife, stop harassing my wife. Women have choices you know.”

Me: “Sir, I absolutely agree - I am giving your wife choices.”

Husband: “No, No. But abortion is our only option.”

Me: “Wait - you said women have choices but abortion is your only option? This doesn’t make sense.”

Husband: “But when it comes down to it at the end of the day I just don’t want to have another kid.” (motions to two kids in the backseat) “I just don’t want another one. And I’m not going to give the kid up for adoption because I might as well keep it myself. I can afford to - I’m well off.”

Me: “You just said you can afford to have a kid and you don’t want to give it up for adoption - just not wanting it is not a good reason to kill a baby.”

Husband: “I don’t want another kid. Stop harassing my wife or I’ll sue you and your whole organization.” (rolls up window).

You know that feeling when there’s so much you want to say back but really it wouldn’t be a good idea to just start yelling at a person in a closed car. Well yes, that was how I felt. But this is something I see/hear every day.

Many women (and men) know that it IS a child. That it IS living and has a heartbeat. But they don’t care. Usually they tell me, “I know it’s wrong and it’s a sin but God will understand - He’ll forgive me.” They just don’t want it. To them a quick fix is all they’re thinking about. In a culture of “I want it now” - abortion has become an easy solution - instant gratification.

Sadly - they don’t realize the long term consequences of such decisions. Abortion is a decision that will haunt them for the rest of their life. Was it really that easy?

Dads need help too

Recently a couple came into our office at 149th street in the Bronx and I had the privilege of speaking to the man for an extended period of time. He had one living child with the girl that came into the office with him, but that was just the beginning.

This man who is now 24 has lived a lifestyle that many young men do these days - especially when he was eighteen and nineteen years old.

He told me that he was probably responsible for multiple pregnancies - he is actually the father of about a dozen children (he estimated) - all of whom had their lives ended with an abortion.

Now he told me he is somewhere in the stage where he realizes he should feel horrible but somehow he does not. He knows that abortion is taking a life but is comfortable with his own selfishness.

The good news however is that the girlfriend who was very abortion bound is going to keep her child now, confirmed in her decision after talking with another counselor. And although he was initially against having the child I believe he will slowly come around and the mother of his children will help him to do that.

Dear America: We Love You

As Independence Day approaches, the recognition of individual American rights have a diminished sense of importance. This is not to say that many Americans do not appreciate our rights and the sacrifices made by our military, but rather our cookouts, family reunions and fireworks have seem to have taken precedence.

Despite the unity the American people may feel as this celebration approaches it seems strange to me that the most basic rights we celebrate are blatantly ignored. The three basic rights we have as Americans are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, however, on the days preceding July 4th, it seems as though America has lost respect for the rights granted to us in our Constitution.

These rights must be defended and upheld, despite the liberal agenda. This fact may seem to be pushed aside by the liberal media, but the actions of the conservative movement, especially that of the Pro-Life Movement, have proven otherwise. These brave men and women within this movement have pushed to defend the most basic right of Americans. And to the Americans who love their nation in this respect, I salute, respect and sincerely thank you.

LIKE THE YANKEES

I am trying my best to help those women who came to visit us, also, I am trying my best to listen to them and understand their circumstances. I realized that from EMC lots of women are being helped but...there is something else that I just discovered it was happening.


Each of us can influence lots of people, not only the ones that come to visit us at EMC, but all our friends, our relatives, our neighbors, the new people we are meeting here.... All those that have nothing to do with EMC. When I explain where I am working, what I'm doing in New York, it is an opportunity for me to talk about abortion, the impact it has, the damage that it causes women, how much help is available to pregnant mothers...

On the onther hand, there is a lot of information about abortion that people don't know, although they dont agree with abortion. For this reason, talking about abortion gives us the opprtunity to give more transparency to this.

I cannot express by words this feeling, however, I do not want to give the impresion that this fact is our merit, it just happens and.. for a while, our possition in this net is really important.

Yesterday, we went with Chris to a Yankee's game and he explained to us the rules of the game and how it works. At one point he said "In this game, there are two players that are esential, the two most important: one is the pitcher and the other one is the batter.


Well, when he said that, I thought of this work we are doing and of the influence our job is gonna have and.... For a moment I imagined that all those who work at EMC are, at this moment, those two players, the most important ones. Those on which the game depends the most, those which determine the direction the work is going to take.

A Day for the Dads

On Tuesday we had what Linda, our Brooklyn Clinic Director, tells me is the first Father's Day party in EMC history. Inspired by the generosity of some friends of the center, we threw an all day celebration and handed out gift bags to all the fathers who came in with their girlfriends. For those absent fathers, we had the ladies choose a gift in their honor for their unborn child. There were lots of smiles and surprised faces as we explained what was going on to all the arriving mothers and made sure they didn't leave without their present. Their reaction was mostly pleasure and disbelief, as if no one had ever done something like that for them before. Probably they hadn't. Much less for the fathers, who usually receive mostly negative attention in these situations. The women oooed and aahhed over new baby clothes and handmade blankets like it was Christmas.

Some simple inspiration and a generous donation of time can go such a long way. If we follwed these divine nudges more often the world would be a much better place (as one of our new mothers noted at the end of the day).

Bringing America back to Life

I never saw so many people together for the same purpose: growing in knowledge of how to defend life.
Each and every talk was interesting. We learned about the history and evolution of abortion and also about politics in the United States.
What most amazed me was the testimony of a woman who wasn't supported by her family but she still carried out her pregnancy without a doubt. She was only 15.
Traveling to Florida was a long trip, but there's nothing that equals all that we received in such a little time. This story is the start of a chain, a chain of hope that we can enlarge each time we share it, and save many lives.