PLEASE PRAY!

Today I had another 23 week 2 day client. She is in a really tough spot in life and is wanting an abortion inspite of how far along she is. 

Her situation involves custody issues, drugs, jail, divorce, and more. Another abortion is the last thing she needs. Please pray for this woman and her child. 

A Memorial to the Unborn

This past weekend I had an opportunity to visit our nation's capital again and do some sightseeing.  I have been to Washington DC a number of times in the past and have visited most of the the memorials and museums. There was however, one memorial that I had never seen in person before mostly due to my ignorance.  This was the Vietnam Memorial. I had never made a point to see this memorial because, to be honest, I thought that it looked kinda silly. I mean, it's just a big wall with names on it... at least that's how I used to think of it.

Yes, it is still a large black wall with names on it, but it is so much more and it is something that one should experience in person because pictures do not do it justice.  When you walk up to this memorial there are three things that hit you. 1.) The length and height of the wall 2.) All the individual names on the wall and 3.) The silence of nearly everyone around you.

It was a very somber experience to walk the length of that wall and see each of the names of those who died in the war. The names and the size of the wall really made me realize the loss of life during that point in our history. All of those brave men who fought for our country to protect freedom. Reading the numbers on a page in a book or newspaper just do not effect you the same way and obviously everyone else there was feeling the same thing based on their silence. 

Then that made me think, "What if we built a memorial to all of the unborn children who have had their lives taken from them before they even had the chance to look upon this world?" 

The length of the Vietnam War Memorial is 493.5 ft long and includes the names of 58,272 soldiers from the US who died or are missing. So, I ran some numbers to see what a similarly designed memorial would look like if it had the names (or something to symbolize those children which would take up the same amount of space as a name) of every aborted child in the USA since Roe v. Wade in 1973. With over 57 million names, this memorial would stretch roughly 91.5 miles in length. And this just includes those aborted legally in the US since Roe v. Wade. That is long enough to go around Manhattan 3 times over, give or take a few miles. I don't mean to belittle what happened in Vietnam,  but just want to take the number "57 million" and make it more concrete, as the Vietnam War Memorial did for me and many others who have visited this sight.

Double turn around

Yesterday I had to go to Brooklyn office.

Its a busy morning and we all saw about 6 girls in total.

When I wen to the office after lunch a couple arrived. I looked at them and they looked very scary and terrifed.

I took them to a room and asked the girl to take first a free pregnancy to verify if she is pregnant or not.

After she took the pregnancy test we concluded she is pregnant. Then I took both of them to an other room and started counselig them. I showed them the methods of abortion, procedures and of course the risks of having an abortion.

Soon after they saw and understood all the risks of abortion, I talked to them about the other options and alternatives they can have instead of the abortion.

Then the girl went to a sonogram in other room, she heard the heart beat of her baby and I believe that was the main cause that changed her mind. Hearing the heart beat of her own child in the womb was something that astonished her so much that made her want to keep the baby.

Thank God she is keeping the baby and she has us to help her and her boyfrien in everything they need.

Good for you, God to me

Hello again, my good readers. This week I wanted to share with you that being a volunteer and work for EMC is not something I do for my own good, the main reason is to help others. But even is not the objective why I came here, I have to say that lots of new and positive experiences are involving me in this first weeks that I´ve been here. I feel that I´m learning many new things mostly in terms of pro-life and helping future or recent mothers, a knowledge that I will be able to use in the future so I would know how to act in similar situations. Also, to do this task correctly is basic to have inspiration. That´s why is so important to be close to God: to have clear ideas, to focus on your target and to have that extra power of inspiration that can make the difference. But wanted or not this relationship gets closer while days are passing and while tasks are being done, you feel more and more how God involves you with his presence. There are not many other situations that open to reflexion and that easy to improve your faith like this. It´s a privilege not recommendable to reject.

Embarazo adolescente

El embarazo adolescente es aquel que se da entre las mujeres de entre 10 y 19 años, es decir, desde el comienzo de la edad fértil hasta el final de la adolescencia. La mayoría de los embarazos adolescentes son embarazos no deseados, de ahí que muchos acaben en aborto.

En Estados Unidos la tasa de natalidad en adolescentes es la más alta del mundo desarrollado, siendo también muy alta la tasa de abortos en la adolescencia.

Por lo que considero que es necesario un mayor apoyo a la maternidad adolescente, incluida la ayuda para volver a integrarse en la educación obligatoria, asesoramiento y apoyo psicológico y económico. Pero también creo que es necesario una completa educación sexual, de esta forma se evitarían un gran número de abortos en adolescentes

Sidewalk Counselling

Hi everyone, 

Over the last couple of days, I've done quite a bit of sidewalk counselling. The long hours and heat are tough, but the work is vital. Yesterday I spoke with a man standing outside the women's health centre in the Bronx, whose wife was inside and had just suffered a miscarriage. The man told me how they had been trying to have a baby for five years. It was a completely different and new situation, and despite the setting, and seeing several women enter to have abortions, it was uplifting to meet a couple so desperate to welcome new life into the world. The circumstances were sad wherein they were seeking help from a business that made so much money from women looking to end life, whilst on the other hand trying to assist this couple create new life. The contrast between the two really shows how mixed up society can be. 

This weekend I'll be taking a trip to Washington DC with three other interns. I'm really excited to see the Capitol, and it will be interesting to see the different institutions of US government. We need to keep the policy makers in our prayers, that they come to recognise the beauty of life, and act in defence of it.

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend. 

God bless, 

Laura 

xoxo

Complex Case

What a week we have had! A couple of days ago, some of us interns spent the morning side-walk counselling outside Dr. Emily's abortion facility in the Bronx. We spoke with some women and handed out leaflets at a reasonable distance from the entrance. A few hours in, the security guard must have felt threatened by our presence ... He called the police. The girl nearest the front door was well out with the 15 feet boundary, so the police seemed less than impressed that they'd been called out 'again' for nothing. When the police left, the security guard followed one of the interns around. He was trying to intimidate her. Luckily, Hannah was not upset by this and stood her ground. A true prolife warrior!

For the second half of that day, I went to the Bronx clinic. For five hours I sat with one woman - an extremely complex case. In short, this woman wanted to have her baby, but an incredible number of unfortunate circumstances placed doubt and fear in her mind. She was told this pregnancy could kill her, she and her family are about to move away, she has job interviews lined up, she has plans for her life that don't include another baby. On the other hand, she feels like she knows this one is a girl, her boyfriend is desperate to keep his daughter, she keeps finding herself in the baby aisle of the supermarket, and she 'knew' she was pregnant before she missed her period. The five hours consisted of a lot of uncertainty and fear.

We discussed her belief in God and His plan for her life. She feels her baby would be better off in heaven and that she has been forgiven for her past abortion. (We talked about John 8:4-11 for a while. 'And Jesus said, “... Go and sin no more.”') We discussed at length the place God had in her life and how He brings life and takes it away. She left the office still undecided so please pray for a conversion of heart, and that a good doctor can assess her situation and give her the truth (It has been known for people with big families to be told that future pregnancies would be dangerous to their health by their doctors).

As I mentioned, this is a very complex case - God alone can work this out. 

One last thing I'd like to mention about this situation, is that during our session, we discussed how the current law is influencing her decision. She knows God doesn't want her to have an abortion, but as the law allows it, she feels she can make the decision and that in time she will heal and be forgiven again. 

This crime - that society accepts and normalises the fact that women undergo surgery to make them equal to men, but ridding their pregnant bodies of their children - is unbelievable. One day, I truly believe we will look back and ask where we all were when these lives were being taken, and when women were demeaned in the name of choice.

A C. S. Lewis quote from The Screwtape Letters comes to mind:

"The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid ‘dens of crime’ that Dickens loved to paint. It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voices."

How true.

God bless, Vx. 

Our Lady of Gaudalupe, pray for us.

St Michael the Archangel, pray for us.

God is Good... And Life Is Beautiful!!

The last few days I have really been asking myself why I am here doing this internship. I was beginning to question whether I had made the right choice to come here since it has really been a struggle for me at times for a few reason. Then I remembered that I was here to help save some lives and souls.

But I couldn't help but wonder if I was really reaching that end...

Yesterday I had heard that one of my abortion minded clients had gone in for her Sonogram and found out that she was 9 weeks and 2 days pregnant and was going to keep the baby! I wanted to follow up with her to make sure that she was still doing ok after the sono only to find out that she now wanted to have an abortion. I tried my best to talk her out of it, but unfortunately do not think I was successful as she would not come by the office to talk again. So has this been worth it..?

This morning as I headed to the office feeling very downhearted, I asked God for the strength to get through the day and do my best to be there for the women He sent my way. So, He sent a little humor my way today to cheer me up and topped it all off with a big sign, literally. :)

In the 5 weeks that I have been here I have never once had a client come in to the office looking to take pregnancy test and not have had enough to drink beforehand to do so [if you know what I mean ;) ]. Today three came to the Bronx office... so I had a few laughs about that one and some interesting experiences with those clients.

Then, while I am with one of my clients, the doorbell rings so I had to excuse myself to answer the door. The person at the door was a young gentleman saying he was here for his STD test. I told him that we do not do STD testing and that we were a pregnancy center where we do pregnancy testing, sonograms, etc... he must have not understood because he then proceeded to ask if we could test him. :)

But wait, there's more! I later had a client who came in with a young boy, about 5 years old. While I was helping the client the boy asked to use the restroom and accidentally locked the door and couldn't unlock it. So that was an adventure.

As I was straitening the office towards closing time I chanced to look out the window and saw a moving truck that was stopped in front of our office for a few minutes. This truck was your ordinary moving truck, but it was the slogan across the top that caught my eye. It said, "Life is Beautiful." The ironic thing is that the slogan was facing so that it was upside-down to me, but right side-up to anyone in the building across the street. What's so ironic about that... Planned Parenthood is located on the second floor of that building!

God is Good... and Life Is Beautiful!!!

Don't go in!

Yesterday was one of the toughest days that I have had at Planned Parenthood on Beeckler St. in Manhattan.

I spent all morning with another intern, Hannah, praying in front of the main door, and doing side walk counseling around the block.

It wasn't a slow morning, so we had to pay close attention all the time. As we saw someone approaching the clinic we had to be very cautious.

At 11:00 AM two girls were approaching the main door so my friend and I walked straight to them. They didn't want to listen to us, they just said please don't bother. So I decided to give them a pamphlet and said please keep it in your purse. The security guy might tell you to throw it away because they never let anyone get in carrying a pamphlet.

Six minutes later, the friend of the girl interested in having the abortion went outside the clinic to wait for her. So Hannah and I decided to talk to her. The girl told us she already had an abortion and she is so sad and deppresed but she does not care if her friend has an abortion. 

After 25 minutes of talking, the girl inside the clinic came out and approached were we were stood next to a tree by the main door.

Then Gloria, a prolife volunteer who comes to pray with us and do sidewalk counseling some days, came with her daughter and started to talk to them. 

Her daughter is about 4 years old but she is well prepared to do sidewalk counseling. Isnt that amazing? After so many months coming with her mother to Planned Parenthood she learned how to talk to the girls and what to say to them.

The girl interested in having an abortion told us she is undecided but she wants to have an abortion because she cannot afford it. So we told her how we can help and that this is not the only option. For example, she can find help at the Sisters of Life. 

After talking to her and praying on our knees next to her she decided, while crying, to go back in. Then the little girl ran to her and at the very moment when the girl was opening the door, took her arm and pulled her out while saying please dont go in, come with us!

God's plan

Hope everyone has had a blessed week. At the start of this week I was fortunate enough to visit the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania along with Vanessa.

   

During that time we visited a historical farm village set in the 18th-19th century. Overall it was an extremely interesting experience, and one key aspect of it that I most enjoyed learning about was the determination of the original settlers. Their hard work was evident, starting as serfs in Germany, boldly crossing the Atlantic on a small ship to make a better life for themselves, only to have to build a full farm from nothing. They fully trusted in God, and everything they did, they done it in His name. Their faith and courage is a shining example to us all. Sometimes when life gets hard, we just have to take a step back and see that God has a plan for each and every one of us, and just to trust in Him. 

“If you follow the will of God, you know that in spite of all the terrible things that happen to you, you will never lose a final refuge. You know that the foundation of the world is love, so that even when no human being can or will help you, you may go on, trusting in the One that loves you.” 

― Pope Benedict XVI

In the office today, I was talking to three different girls. Strangely, all three of their pregnancy tests were found to be negative. With two of the girls wishing to parent, it was tough witnessing women who long to be filled with the joy of a new baby finding out they weren't pregnant. In a society today that discards something so sacred as human life, it is an injustice not only to the babies who don't get the chance to live, but also to the parents who cannot conceive. Therefore we must pray that society comes to realise this injustice, and truly recognise the beauty of human life. 

Thanks again for reading my blog.

God bless, 

Laura 

xoxo

A special greeting from God to you.

This week, Laura and I were given the opportunity to visit Quiet Valley Farm in Pennsylvania as part of our few days off. It was interesting to travel back in time to the 19th century where life was so basic and family so important. The people working there lived as though there was no electricity, running water, cars, or mobile phones. Life in those days was hard. Of the German family who originally settled there, apparently only one child survived the trip across the Atlantic. 

One of the really interesting aspects of the day was when we met the woman who made the clothes and curtains for the farm. She showed us how the machines worked and how she made her living. In another building we were shown where the cooking took place - the cups, bowls and cutlery were made from ram horns or deer antlers. The kitchen was built into a hill so it was essentially underground making it cooler in the summer. The downside of this is that the fire was their only source of light ... Either that or candle light. Candles were made on the farm and lasted roughly 30 minutes. The only time their candles were used was on a Sunday after Church when the preacher would come and read from scripture. In this difficult time, resources and energy were found to listen to the word of God. 

When these people arrived at the farm with nothing, they trusted in God and set about their daily work to make a living for themselves. They took time to listen to the preacher, and wore their one special outfit to commemorate the Sabbath.  Perhaps this is where we could take a leaf from their book - to trust in God. Not to ask to see where we will be in the future, or what will happen next, but to work hard, trust Him and allow Him to take us on the path He has carefully chosen for us, whether that be one we find favourable, or one laden with crosses that are difficult to bear. We can apply this thinking to our lives, but also encourage women in crisis pregnancies to think in this way too. St Francis de Sales said the following:

'The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost heart. This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for you. 

He has blessed it with His holy Name, anointed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God. '

Over and out.

God bless, Vx. 

Our Lady of Gaudalupe, pray for us.

St Michael the Archangel, pray for us.

Oh by the way...I'm keeping my baby!

Today I spent the morning once again outside Planned Parenthood.  It was a slow morning..meaning not many girls coming for abortions..which is always a good thing.

Nonetheless God worked in a mighty way and I got to witness a life be saved. 

I met a girl outside named Chaya. She at first was questioning me trying to figure out what "box" she could put me in. She didn't seem to want to accept that I literally just wanted to help. 

But we ended up having a really good conversation that included me showing her a mini video on my phone of what her baby looks like right now. 

She thanked me and said she wasn't gonna go through with it but wanted to talk to them. (I've heard that many times only to find out they went through with it..) Needless to say I was hopeful but not holding my breath. 

However, upon returning from a bathroom break I heard from Tote (another intern) that Chaya had left the clinic and given him her number to give to me asking for me to call her. When I followed up she said she just wanted to let me know that she didn't go through with it and wants to keep her baby. 

I was, of course, delighted!

It was a seemingly easy yet great victory!

Me conversing with a bystander outside Planned Parenthood:

razones para ser mamá

Ser mamá es una estado maravilloso, que te ennoblece y te hace crecer como ser humano.Tu vida empieza a tener otro sentido en el momento que sabes que serás mamá.

Son muchas las emociones que te hará sentir ese bebé, tanto en la gestación como en el tiempo que dediques a cuidar y educar a tu hijo.

El día que te conviertes en madre, naces de nuevo, convirtiéndote en una persona diferente, absoluta y completamente feliz. La maternidad nos aporta la mejor y mayor felicidad del mundo; Cuando tu pequeño te dice ¡Mamá! por primera vez.. cuando da sus primeros pasos.. y un largo etcetera..

Sabes que existe al menos una persona en el mundo que considera que eres buena en todo lo que haces y para quien eres lo más importante.

¿De verdad existe algo mejor que ser madre?

Una persona, un mundo

Es interesante y a su vez un reto comprobar que cada persona con la que interactuamos en este voluntariado es diferente. Todos los internos hemos comprobado que es imposible utilizar un mismo esquema estable de conversación con todos, pues cada uno tiene unas circunstancias totalmente diferentes. Por eso es muy importante examinar con mucho cuidado los datos que rellena el cliente en el formulario que les damos al entrar en la oficina. Este examen minucioso es imprescindible para que el trato sea personalizado. En la foto que os he adjuntado debajo podéis observarme haciendo ese análisis del que os estoy hablando. Según sus datos y circunstancias se actuará de una determinada forma. Para saber hacer este tipo de adaptaciones es muy importante la formación y el entrenamiento por parte de los internos veteranos, quienes gozan de una sabiduría y maestría que los novatos estamos ansiosos por conocer. Poco a poco la cosecha va dando sus frutos y el esfuerzo y la dedicación va haciendo de mi un mejor canseleur.

It's Just Some Tissue... Really??

9 week fetal model

Today I had the opportunity to talk to two women who were considering having an abortion. Both of these women were faced with a difficult choice because of their life circumstances. They came to EMC with a decision to solve their problems, but both had been lied to about the new life nestled in their womb. These women, while deep down desiring to somehow keep this new life, found comfort in something they were told to be true... that it was just some tissue and not that big.

I decided that this would be a perfect time to show these women the fetal models that we have in our Bronx office. The first woman was roughly 9-10 weeks pregnant and so she has felt the child move, but still did not think that it was as big as it really is. So when I showed her the model she was shocked.

At first she would not take it, but just looked at the fetal model in my outstretched hand. I kept it there while we continued to talk. Then, after a few minutes she picked it up and held it in her hands and just looked at it, without saying anything. She sat there for several minutes caressing the model in tears. Ultimately she knows it would be wrong to have an abortion, and she does not want to have one, but due to circumstances in her life she feels pressured into it. Please keep her in prayer that we will be able to provide her with the help that she needs and desires.

Joyous Encounters

It's easy to get bogged down with the deep emotional issues with each client, but I thank God for clients like one of mine today. A sweet girl came in today saying she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. But as soon as she saw the sonogram of her 13 week old baby, she and her best friend were ecstatic!

There was so much joy in that room and afterwards she said she for sure wanted to keep her baby.

What a contrast! I asked God for some encouragement today and that was just the pick-me-up I needed.

Seeing a mother actually be excited for her child is a beautiful thing.

God is good!!

Me having fun in Queens yesterday handing out educational brochures:

Last chance ...

Hi everyone,

On Thursday morning I was sidewalk counselling in the Bronx. I never met any woman going in for the abortion, however fully came to terms with how significant sidewalk counselling is to the pro-life cause. You are the last point of contact between the woman and the abortion clinic. It truly is the last chance to save an unborn babies life. 

After that I spent my first day in the Bronx office. I spoke with two clients, one who was adamant on having an abortion, and the other was a woman whose test turned out negative, but whom I spoke with for quite a while. She was telling me about having had two abortions around twenty years ago, and the regret she feels. Abortion not only takes away the life of a baby, but is detrimental to the woman as well. Studies have shown that up to 60% of women experience some form of Post Abortion Syndrome after their experience, which include feelings of regret, hopelessness and even depression. I gave her the number of Rachel's Vineyard. This is a therapeutic support group set up to help woman who have been through abortions, that they come to terms with their loss and can find healing. I found an excerpt from their website to be very moving... 

""I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me"". 

"In trying to understand the mystery of death, we look to God in times of personal distress, trauma, and the loss of human life. The death caused by abortion leads to anguish and intense yearning for someone who cannot be retrieved. We weep. We recall regrets, our role in what has happened and the child we will miss. It is in these painful moments of loss that we search for meaning"

If you know anyone who has went through an abortion, or if you yourself still struggle to come to terms with the loss of your baby after an abortion, please visit this website and contact the group at this link. 

http://www.rachelsvineyard.org.uk/home

Unfortunately I don't know the circumstances surrounding the girl who had booked an abortion for wednesday past. I really hope and pray that the Holy Spirit guided her and helped her to recognise the beautiful life that was growing inside her. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, and hope everyone has a blessed weekend! 

Laura xoxo

Saving my first baby

¡Maravillosa semana! por fin tengo la satisfacción de poder decir que.. ¡He salvado un bebé! El pasado jueves, una mujer musulmana vino con toda la intención de abortar a su bebé. El primer paso fue el sonograma, el hecho de ver a su bebé y poder oír los latidos de su corazón.. junto con la intervención de Rosana, fue lo primero que le ablandó el corazón. Después Toté y yo hablamos con ella de lo bonito que sería tener ese bebé, de las facilidades que le íbamos a dar.. y todo ello hizo que tomara una nueva decisión, ¡Salvar al bebé! Algo que nos hizo sentirnos muy orgullosos y satisfechos de nuestro trabajo.

Bebé en camino bebé arropado

Ayer fui a trabajar a la oficina del Bronx.

Primero pasé la mayor parte de la mańana repartiendo panfletos, en la puerta de nuestra oficina y también en la puerta de Planned Parenthood que la tenemos justo en frente.

A pesar de que la gente en la calle en la que nos encontramos va a toda prisa, estamos rodeados de varios locales comerciales, muchos se paran unos minutos a escucharnos o al menos agarran un panfleto nuestro donde se explica toda organizacion y las oficinas.

Despues de terminar de repartir todos los panfletos informativos, fui a la oficina a esperar y atender a los clientes que iban a venir hoy.

Sobre las 2.00 de la tarde llego una seńora de 40 ańos, embarazada de 6 meses, pidiendo ayuda para mantener a su bebé. Fuimos al almacén de la oficina y conseguimos darle varios biberones, cajas repletas de pańales y varios bodies para que pueda tener la ropa necesaria para du bebe en cuanto nazca.

Le dimos también la dirección de Sisters of Life, que son un grupo de monjas que se encuentran en Nueva York que ayudan 100% a las mujeres más necesitadas y son unas de las personas mas trabajadoras, humildes y que dan la vida por salvar los bebés inocentes de todo Nueva York.

Young but close to you

How can a 18 years old guy convince an older and more experienced woman to not have and abortion?

This question doesn´t have an easy answer. When the clients come to the office and they find my, usually they put a surprise face, because they expected someone older. What I discovered here, mostly in the Queens office, where I spent the most part of my volunteering this week is that what women want is someone that understands her situation, her feelings and herself. I discovered that it is effective to tell her you will try to overcome that hard situation she´s having, with her, as a team. Becoming her confident and someone she can trust in makes more than someone that just give information with no sharing of feelings. When a woman wants to have an abortion it is because she´s in trouble, and she would avoid it if it were and easier way to her. It is of course also important to give her information and education about the matter. We can´t forget than our target is to save the baby and make him live in good conditions, an objective where we should put all of our power on. 

Lost Fatherhood

On our way to Planned Parenthood on Bleeker Street this week, I was praying that God would send someone, or a group to join us outside praying and talking with the women going into the clinic. After a few hours, and little success, a man arrived who said he was there to pray. He stood silently opposite the main doors and prayed the rosary. The incredible witness he provided the help Michelle and I needed - it boosted our morale and gave us the encouragement we needed to stick it out for a while longer.

At around 10am, a girl walked into the clinic, she walked straight past and said 'Don't speak to me'. I looked behind her to her boyfriend whose eyes looked apologetic and sad; he took a leaflet. A while later he walked out and chatted with the PP volunteer at the door for a while. He ended up sitting about 50 yards away looking lost. Michelle told me (because he had taken the leaflet) I should probably see if he was ok. I walked across, expecting to be blanked or sworn at. But what actually happened was quite different - here was a man sitting on the steps, head in hands, heartbroken and confused. I sat with him for around an hour and discussed all sorts of things, but mostly we discussed the evidence for and against the existence of God. Interestingly, he had a tattoo of Our Lady of Guadalupe on his arm - a good talking point. Turns out he lost faith in God at the age of 19 when he started questioning his faith with no one to give him satisfactory answers. He was polite and keen to chat - he said he'd thought a lot about it but had never had a conversation longer than 2 minutes about the Church and God. I directed him to a fantastic, newly redesigned website answering many of the big questions we all have. (available at: www.faith.org.uk) 

Whilst I was speaking with him, his girlfriend phoned - the procedure had been started and she was in pain. As I sat and looked out  from the steps, it really struck home, the twisted nature of abortion. Here was a man, (a good, polite man from what I can gather) who is on the phone with the person he loves most in the world, as a stranger takes their unique child from her womb... Heartbreaking. He felt it. The pain was clear. For all his baby was not given the chance to explore and question life, the experience of his girlfriend made him swear that he would never allow himself to be in this situation again. I gave him my number and pointed him to the leaflet where there are contacts for post-aboriton counselling. Maybe he or his girlfriend will find healing at some point. 

As I've said in every blog so far - prayer is so important. Perhaps this time we can pray for lost fatherhood. For the men who have lost children through abortion. For those who regret suggesting to their partners they get an abortion, and for the men who didn't get a say in the matter. And maybe especially for the ones who forced their partners to get an abortion, that their hearts will be changed and healed.

Over and out.

God bless, Vx. 

Our Lady of Gaudalupe, pray for us.

St Michael the Archangel, pray for us.

Strongholds. [Standing firm in the face if lies.]

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."(Ephesians 6:12-13 NIV)

This week I felt the reality of these verses more than ever.

On Wednesday I had the opportunity to speak with a young girl outside Planned Parenthood who was 15 weeks pregnant with her third child and seeking an abortion. She admitted that she didn't really want the abortion and that she knew she would regret it.

 I told her we could help and got her in touch with the Sisters of Life, another very large pro life organization that is a great resource for us when trying to help the women who need immediate help. She said she would meet with them and was very grateful for our help.

However, against my advice, she went ahead and went inside Planned Parenthood to talk to them since she missed her appointment. 

Not intending to do the procedure, she was somehow convinced by the workers inside to begin the two day procedure that morning despite missing her appointment. 

Inspite of the efforts and prayers of myself and many other people including the sisters at Sisters of Life, this young girl's baby apparently died yesterday at the hands of Planned Parenthood. 

When I heard from another intern that she returned for the rest of the procedure the next morning not really wanting to but convinced it was too late, I witnessed first hand the deception that fuels Planned Parenthood.

A stronghold of the enemy is a lie. Lies are always entangled in other lies. The bigger the lie, the craftier the deception, and the more power the stronghold has.

Just such a stronghold is over Planned Parenthood, I am convinced, because it is an organization rooted and based on lies. They say, "Abortion is safe."

Really? Safe?

And how do you define "safe" I wonder?

I'm sure they told the girl on Wednesday that, "Once an abortion process has begun there is no safe way to stop it."

I know this to not be true as many women have been rescued mid-procedure in a late term two-day abortion and were just fine later giving birth to a healthy baby.

They say on their website,

"Absolutely no one should pressure you into making a decision you do not feel comfortable with."

Wait a minute really??

Then why did you perform an abortion on a woman who clearly was not comfortable with it??

The manipulation and deception that are the basis for how Planned Parenthood operates is sickening.

But there is hope! 

Ephesians talks about just this and how we can fight with the armor of God. It is emphasized that after we have done all we can do, we must stand firm.

This is where I found myself after fighting for the life of that particular baby on Thursday.

Here I stand. 

The truth wins!

Llorar por dentro

El verano pasado mi oficina era siempre la de Brooklyn, estaba acostumbrada a esa oficina y por fin esta semana he vuelto, hoy he ido a mi barrio favorito para enfrentarme a un nuevo día intentando salvar vidas  dando esperanza a las mujeres embarazadas que vienen a las oficinas.
Hoy he tenido una experiencia que sigo sin poder entender y me ha hecho sentirme impotente.
Ha venido una chica que llevaba 6 años con el mismo chico y estaban felizmente casados y con un niño de 3 años, ambos trabajaban...aparentemente tenían una vida perfecta. Y digo aparentemente porque ella se acababa de enterar de que estaba embarazada, y quería mantener a su marido apartado de todo, no quería ni tener el niño y ni siquiera hablar del tema con su marido, consideraba que era SU propia decisión y no pensaba sacrificar su vida de nuevo entregándose al cuidado de un bebé las 24h al día. Su principal motivo era porque su graduación de la universidad era en unos meses y no quería ni estaba dispuesta a aplazar ningún  acontecimiento de su vida por algo inesperado como era el nuevo bebé.
He estado hablando con ella casi una hora, ha llorado, he llorado, hemos visto el sonogram y todo lo relativo al bebé y su desarrollo, además de hablar de los distintos procedimientos para el aborto y los riesgos que conlleva...pero no había nada que hacer, estaba muy convencida de lo que quería, y era deshacerse de este embarazo inesperado. Aún así, ha vuelto al rato envuelta en un mar de lágrimas y me ha pedido mi número de teléfono, además de pedirme una foto de su bebé en la ecografía.
Sólo espero que estos días recapacite, sólo nos queda rezar.

One Way Street to Planned Parenthood

Often times in our lives we are faced with difficult situations that have more than one possible outcome. We come to a crossroad and must choose one, and only one, road to take. But, nonetheless,  there are different options to choose from and ultimately one will be the only one to get us to where we need to be. The other roads may seem like the right one for a bit, but eventually we realize we have caused us to stray farther from our goal in life.

After counseling women in the offices and on the streets for almost a month now, I have heard so many of them say, "But I have no other choice" or "I have to do this, I can't go back." This is because our culture, the media, Planned Parenthood,  and countless others continue to lie to these women by telling them that they only one "choice" (which isn't much of a choice if there is not another option) and that they can't go back.

The reality is that these women find themselves at a crossroad and they do have options. Unfortunately,  for some women, the right choice is not always the easiest one at first, but with love, prayers, and support it is a road that can be traveled.  Also, there is hope for those who have started down what they see as a One Way Street to Planned Parenthood. They can turn back and fight the oncoming traffic and go down the right road. This choice is also a very difficult one, but again, it is one where they can find love, prayers, and support if only they open their hearts and minds.

Lord, please open these women's minds and hearts to your tender love and care. Help them to find You in their hour of suffering.

Michelle talking with a passerby

The pro-life crew has a new member

Dear pro-life people, this is Toté, the new spanish intern introduced in this saving lives volunteering.

I´m the youngest member here being 18 years old and I will put the power of my youth in this cause.

It´s not my first volunteering (last year i worked for almost a month building a school in Ivory Coast for poor people) and it will not be the last one.

For the moment i have worked just three days mostly at the office in Queens.

I hope my effort will give us good news and I also hope I will make you all have a great time with me.

Toté