Krystal's Story

              At the Community Pregnancy Center, our primary fight and mission is to combat abortion. We add our voice to speak up for the unborn miracles, hand-crafted by God Almighty Himself. We want to share the truth about life and the truth about God, trusting that He will intervene through our words. Sometimes, the girls who come into our facility don’t necessarily need an abortion conversation, because they have already chosen life for their baby. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

                Working late into the afternoon, the phone at my desk rang. A mother was on the other line. After speaking for just a few seconds, she made it clear that she wanted only to schedule an abortion for her 17 year old daughter’s unplanned pregnancy, assuming we were an abortion clinic. Knowing I needed to choose my words very carefully, I assured her that we are not an abortion clinic, nor do we give referrals to abortion clinics, but I can schedule a counseling appointment for her daughter: “In an appointment, we will explain the process and facts of abortion, so your daughter understands the procedure. Through this appointment, we will then be able to schedule your daughter for a free sonogram on Thursday. This will determine the exact age of the pregnancy, which will determine the cost of an abortion.” The further along a woman’s pregnancy is, the more expensive an abortion will be. Her mother took my logical argument for an appointment with us and scheduled it for the next morning, admitting to me that she herself wanted her daughter to get an abortion.

I had 18 hours until the appointment

18 hours to pray for Krystal.

She arrived at our door promptly at 10:00 am that Tuesday morning, with her ex-boyfriend at her side. Recognizing her name, I took her back into the counseling room, trusting God to give me the words. She explained every reason why she wanted “to terminate the pregnancy”:

 

1) She already had a one and a half year old son with this ex-boyfriend.

2) She would have no one to watch the kids while she was in school.

3) Her Medicaid is about to end.

4) She’s just too afraid to have another baby at just seventeen years old.

In the society in which we live today in 2012, these reasons are accepted as justifiable for abortion. Thankfully, the Kingdom doesn’t work with the same rules as the world.

Before anything else, I shared the truth of abortion, the option she was solely considering.  To her unknowing ears, I laid out the risks and the extreme dangers of abortion. Even more, I confronted Planned Parenthood’s lies on their own website, which she had visited. I did my best to answer every question and worry she confessed about the abortion procedure.

After the logistics of the appointment, I then shared the greatest support she could ever have. I shared the redemptive Gospel of Christ Jesus and his personal, attentive love.

1) He will hold her oldest son within the palm of His hand.

2) He will provide the care for both of her children.

3) He will fill every gap earthly resources leave open.

4) He will surround her with perpetual and unwavering peace, approval, and strength

to raise this new baby.

 

She soaked up every word.

 

The test read positive.

 

I offered the sonogram, again reminding her that this will give her the exact age of her pregnancy. She quietly agreed to this second appointment. She told me that now, “I just don’t know what to do.” I scheduled her for that coming Thursday at 10:00 am.

I had 2 days until the appointment.

 

2 days to pray for Krystal.

Thursday morning, she came with the baby's father, and waited in our waiting room. Our sonographer, Mikelle, called to warn us that she would be late for that 10 o’clock appointment. Seeing the apprehension in Krystal’s eyes, I sat with her in the waiting room, talking for 45 minutes as we waited for Mikelle. Without realizing, I became more than her counselor. I was the only friend who would listen. Finally, Mikelle arrived! Krystal asked her ex-boyfriend if he wanted to be her support, her witness in the sonogram room. He quietly said “no”. She looked up at me, and chose me to go in with her!

Of all the sonograms I have seen, this was by far the clearest of the clear. Krystal could see every part of the growing baby! The head, the feet, the arms! She even noticed the size of the toes, remarking that her feet have the very same form! Mikelle played the heartbeat: perfection. Krystal’s face lit up when she heard the sound. I led her to the counseling room to talk to Mikelle after it was over, and I asked how she was feeling about the pregnancy now.

"Now that I've seen him, I think I want to change my mind."

A week later, both Mikelle and I followed up with Krystal. To be honest, we wanted to know if she went to Planned Parenthood anyway. Our lack of faith was revealed. Krystal shared that she chose life for her baby! Since her visit here, she talked with her family and is now under a doctor’s care. Pray for her as she lives out her decision. Pray for constant reassurances and unwavering support.

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. -Matthew 8:26

In our moment of “What’s going to happen?”, Christ, our Warrior and our Defender, got up, rebuked the opposition, and calmed sweet Krystal’s heart.

This is our King.

An Uncommon Story

          Prayer is a vital part of our relationship with God as Christians, but also to our purpose of the pregnancy center. Before meeting with clients, our volunteers circle together to each pray over the day. Before the door opens once, the women entering our facility have already been wholly covered in prayer. Their appointment is on purpose, and God is about to move.

Such is the case with today. One of our beautiful volunteers prayed over her appointment before even knowing the girl’s name, age, or situation, and He listened. God makes no mistakes, nor does He allow a single oversight. This client came to this specific Community Pregnancy Center to talk to this specific volunteer specifically today. James 5:16 assures us that “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Prayer moves God. Bold prayers excite God into incredible action. Not a single factor of today’s appointment was untouched by the hands of God, because our Creator is personal, precise, and so very faithful to provide.

This young client is 21 years old, not an uncommon age for our girls. She is also unmarried, which is also a highly typical response. Her case seemed simple. The answers on her intake sheet were not a surprise to her volunteer counselor. She greeted the client and led her to their counseling room, beginning a most unforgettable conversation. The story behind this client’s general information ran so very far beyond “common”.

She suffers from bi-polar disorder, a condition she currently cannot mediate due to this possible pregnancy. She alone cares for her only son. She is denied Medicaid, though she provided her driver’s license and social security card, because her birth certificate is in Ohio. She has no family support, and she has no financial support. Every facet of her life seems to be a worst case scenario. Despite her complicated and hopeless reality, her deepest grief lies elsewhere.

On September 22, 2012

Just 4 days ago

The father of her son, the man she loved since she was 13 years old died without sign or warning.

They haven’t even performed his funeral.

The pregnancy test read positive.

          The grief, the pain, and the confusion are absolutely unimaginable. Where is the hope? Where is the Sovereign Hand of God? Where is some cosmic example of Jesus in something like this? Absolutely everything in this girl’s life is going wrong, and then she loses her best friend.

This is anguish.

“And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly,
and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
Luke 22:44

Prayer. This day began with prayer, and it most certainly ends with prayer. When the test is negative, we pray. When the test is positive, we pray. When a client spills a story of utter agony out of her soul, we pray. It’s always about Jesus. Only He can hold her psychological illness together without a doctor’s hand. Only He can father her fatherless children. Only He can provide every earthly and heavenly support her needs could ever demand. The answer is always Jesus, so together with our Christ-believing client, we claim Habakkuk 3:17-19.

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.”

Pray for this young client as she walks through these unbelievable days with her Savior. Pray for confirmation as she sees her baby’s life through a sonogram.

He’s listening, and I thank Him with every part of my heart that He is present and active, working these meetings into truly Divine appointments.

A Crisis Story

                In pregnancies, Psalm 139:13 is more than often quoted: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” This reminds us that a baby is a gift. Every single life inside the womb is carefully formed by the hands of the Creator! He personally chooses the color of the baby’s eyes. The Reigning King above all kings Himself meticulously sets the rhythm of the new life’s heartbeat. With unparalleled consideration and love, He writes great, unforeseen plans never before imagined specifically for this young life! A baby truly is a miracle straight from God’s arms.

                Yet, our pregnancy center and pregnancy centers like ours are typically recognized as “crisis” pregnancy centers. This, of course, insinuates that an unplanned pregnancy is indeed a crisis. Society understands a crisis to be a catastrophic disaster. It’s the point where life goes down in flames. It’s sad. It’s painful. It’s filled with panic and tears. It’s the moment when life is absolutely ruined.

                Yesterday, a young woman came for her appointment, accompanied by her mother and boyfriend. She lives a seemingly normal life with her mother and her sister. She walked in our doors with fear. She frightfully anticipated the expected news. She already researched the possibility of abortion, but God drew her to our facility before she finalized that decision. Our client advocate listened, comforted, and shared Christ’s love and redemption! She explained God’s promises and desires for this girl’s life.

They performed the pregnancy test.

Positive.

10 weeks pregnant.

She’s just 14 years old.

                Is this baby a gift? Is this baby a crisis? Did God truly orchestrate such a miracle, knowing the body carrying was a girl beginning her 9^th grade year in high school?

                The Biblical definition for a “gift” is found in James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” This famous passage is even written in the context of perseverance under unwanted trials. So yes, this baby is a miracle, hand-crafted by God, and His plan for the baby, for the mother, and for the situation is good. No matter the circumstances which caused this or the circumstances following, this baby is a miraculous gift from God.  

The literal definition for “crisis” is the following: “1) a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined; turning point and 2) a condition of instability or danger”. So yes, this pregnancy is a crisis. This 14 year old’s baby has absolutely changed all future events this girl planned. The pregnancy is indeed a turning point. It’s undeniably an instable time, filled with anxiety, worry, and fear.

Whether or not the situation is fair is not our place to determine. Out of selfless love, God gave mankind free will, free to choose Him or reject Him. On a daily basis, we choose to reject Him, yet He still chooses us. He chooses to see His Son’s sacrifice instead of our sin. He chooses to forgive. He chooses to redeem our mistake and bring about something beautiful.

Something good and perfect.

That’s the miracle.

That’s the gift.

Pray for this young girl as she walks forward, choosing life for her baby. Pray for her family as they absorb the depth of heartbreak attached to this positive test. Colossians 1:17 promises us that Christ “is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Pray that this family runs to Christ’s ever-open arms, because only in Him is there true hope and healing. Our Savior is big enough for a 14 year old’s pregnancy. Our Deliverer is without question strong enough to hold this crisis together and form a miracle.

A Victim’s Story

        We live in a fallen world, a world with mistakes, slips in judgment, and unwanted pregnancies. The young girls who walk into our doors share their stories of regret and shame. They choose for themselves to walk the slippery road of premarital sex, and they need hope. That is the primary account we typically hear. Some days, however, we hear the stories of the victims. We hear the exceptions. We rediscover the utter depth of this fallen world. Yesterday morning, we wrapped our arms around a 24 year old date rape victim. Expecting a typical appointment, our client advocate took her for counseling. The dark story began to unfold.

        Weeks prior, she attended a party at a close friend’s home. The actual of events and decisions at the party are irrelevant at this point, because it was the choice of another that sealed the night. Unnoticed by her, a man slipped a drug into her drink. Faces blurred. Voices quieted. Her mind seemed to close its eyes, remembering nothing from that drink forward. Hours later, she awoke to an empty house, entirely naked and alone.

"What was the drug?"

"Who was the man?"

"Why did this happen?"

 

        These questions, among countless others, are justifiably asked, but the answers are nonexistent. The days passed, and the fear becomes reality. Yesterday morning, the diagnosis read clear: Positive. She’s carrying a baby conceived by rape.

        Two drugs are primarily known as the “date rape” drug:  Rohypnol (AKA “roofies”) and GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyerate) (AKA Liquid X). They both produce a sedative effect, amnesia, muscle relaxation, and a slowing of psychomotor responses. The effects can last up to 8 hours, depending on the dose. The typical use of these resembles the following: The attacker will slip the drug into a drink. Upon consumption, the victim will appear drunk and helpless. The attacker will then offer the victim a ride home. When the victim regains consciousness, he or she has no memory of the events.

        Two-thirds of rape victims between the ages of 18 and 29 know their attacker and over 60 percent of rapes occur in residences. This devastatingly proves true in our client’s case. She questions if it was her friend of 7 years, the host of the party, who attacked her. A DNA test will be administered soon to identify the father of this baby.

In the meantime, our client moves forward.

To the glory of God, she has chosen LIFE for her baby!

 

        She is researching adoption options! The Community Pregnancy Center is also giving her an ultrasound appointment to reaffirm her decision for life! She’s confused. She’s hurt. She has so many unknowns, but she is trusting God with this new life growing inside of her. She’s attending church, and she’s praying for hope and praying for guidance.

        We serve a God with love greater than this world’s hate, grace deeper than this world’s evil, and hope brighter then this world’s devastation. No matter man’s free choice, God offers a rescue. No matter man’s betrayal, God offers a salvation. Yes, we live in such a fallen world, but we stand in the presence of the God who wins! He has conquered this world, and the devil’s days are numbered.

        Praise our Gracious King for bringing this young woman into our doors. Thank Him for His intervention, leading this woman to LIFE for this baby! What a reigning, loving God! Cover this woman in unrelenting prayer as she walks forward!

Jackie's Story

Last night, I led worship with a close friend of mine at a Pearland youth service. The young youth pastor continued his sermon series called, “Hot Topics”. The Lord certainly planned my presence to coincide with last night, because the topic of the evening was Abortion. The pastor arranged a panel for an interview segment. Three individuals lined the stage.

A man who was adopted at 3 weeks old shared the story of his birthparents. They were just 16 when they selflessly made the choice for adoption. The young man read aloud the letters his then teenage parents wrote explaining their decision for his life. Tears streamed down his face as he spoke their words, “It wasn’t because I didn’t want you or because I didn’t love you. It’s not because I don’t care. I chose this, because I care about you so much.”

Another man opened his adoption story to the students. He and his wife wanted so desperately to have children of their own, but doctors diagnosed this dream as medically impossible. To the glory of God, this man explained, this family is no longer childless.  Within three years of each other, two young girls separately chose life for their unborn children. They chose adoption. Because of their choice, this man and his wife are now raising two beautiful daughters!

The final panelist was Jackie. Her story gravely opposed the previous success stories. She bravely shared her choices for abortion. When she was 15 years old, her parents separated. Her mother spent her time dating. Her father spent his time working. Her need for love sought fulfillment through other outlets: drinking, drugs, and boys. The latter resulted in a pregnancy at 15. Feeling utter desperation, she chose abortion. She wanted out of the situation, and, in her young mind, that was the only solution. Continuing her destructive lifestyle, Jackie discovered she was pregnant again just 2 years later. At 17 years of age, she chose a second abortion. She would chose abortion one more time when she reached her twenties, totaling to 3 abortions.

At the time, she claimed to be a Christian. She went to church with her family, and knew all the right answers. Looking back, however, Jackie admits, “You cannot truly be a Christian and do this to your body.” Years passed, and Christ changed her. She came into a new relationship with her Loving Maker, and to this day, she stands sober. Through Celebrate Recovery, Jackie has faced her past, faced her decisions. This, of course, means finally confronting the 3 abortions. She recounts the years of shame and heartbreak: every time she saw a baby, every time she saw a child the age her babies would be now, every time she had to list the number of pregnancies in a doctor’s office. The remembrances were haunting.

Her side-effects of the abortions reach deeper than psychological. When Jackie married her godly husband, they immediately began the process of trying for a family. Finally, the test read positive! In her fourth pregnancy, she deemed herself ready and so excited! Unfortunately, because of the effects of the abortion procedures on Jackie’s body, the baby miscarried. The cruel darkness of loss inside of her devastatingly deepened. This would be her last pregnancy, because she was then diagnosed with cervical cancer. She made the decision to have a hysterectomy. She no longer can have children of her own, an intrinsic result to her choices years earlier to kill the children her body once carried.

Both she and her husband are healing. Our God is very much a God of redemption, forgiveness, and restoration! Jackie finds rest in His promises. Though she fully grieves the scars she suffers, she now lives in the sustaining peace of Christ. They are now looking to adopt.

The Community Pregnancy Center encounters 15 year old “Jackies” every single day. God gives us the opportunity to share not only pregnancy’s options, but also His salvation. We have one guaranteed appointment to offer a life of hope, not shame. Jackie’s story is such a reminder that we still have a most-prominent purpose!

Consider...

A preacher and his wife are VERY poor.  They already have 14 children and she just found out she is pregnant with #15.  Considering their poverty and excessive global population, should an abortion be recommended?

A father is sick.  The mother has tuberculosis.  They have 4 children, the oldest is blind, the second has already died, the third is deaf, and the fourth also has TB.  The mother is pregnant again, should an abortion be recommended?

A white man viciously rapes an innocent 13-year-old black girl, and she becomes pregnant; should an abortion be recommended?

A young unmarried teenager becomes pregnant greatly shaming her family.  She has just become engaged, but he is not the father of the baby and is beside himself with grief and anger.  Should an abortion be recommended? 

Perhaps you have seen these stories before... for those of you who have not, in the first case John Wesley, one of the greatest evangelists of the 19th century would have been aborted.  Child #2 was Beethoven.  #3 was Ethel Waters, the great African-American gospel singer. and Child #4, if you had encouraged your friend to "save face" and have an abortion would have ended the life of the greatest teacher of all time, and my personal Savior, Jesus Christ.

  January is Sanctity of Human Life Month, a time for Americans to reflect on the reality of the supreme court decision of Roe V Wade.  Since January 22, 1973, 50 million voices have been silenced with the legalization of abortion.  Recently I heard someone put it this way:  "entire generations of children have been wiped out."   What a sobering thought that there would be NO baby girls to put frilly dresses on; no little boys to take fishing or teach to throw a ball... because an entire generation is gone.

  Where do you fall on the issue of abortion?  Over half of Americans believe that abortion is morally wrong, but I have had the opportunity to sit with many young women who made that statement, and proceeded to consider abortion as a viable option when they saw a positive pregnancy test.  I have heard many people mutter under their breath after they say it is morally wrong, 'except in the case of incest or rape'.  And rape and incest are incredibly horrible, and I do not presume to tell those women what to do, or to judge them for their decisions, but for the purposes of this conversation, I submit for your consideration the Psalmist's words, 'You knit me together in my mother's womb. You knew me before I was even made.  All my days were written in Your book.'   I have an acquaintance who said of her child conceived during a rape, "I cannot imagine my life without this little girl", and I have heard several young adults publicly thank birth mom's for making the choice for life. 

     Rape, incest, abortion, they are all horrible things... and in a perfect world none of them would happen, but we don't life in a perfect world, and until we do, I am called to love these women and teen girls.  To listen to their story, and to help them make sense of the "madness"  To provide them with as much information as possible; to help them make an informed decision, that protects them - hopefully physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  My job is not to judge, but to listen, to love, to glorify GOD.  Not a wrath filled and  vengeful God, but the generous and loving God, who wants the best for His children.
     What are you called to do?  Will you pray for us?  Will you support us at our next event?  Or are you a potential client - wondering why you would ever show up at Community Pregnancy Center of Pasadena...  Well if that's you, know that we care about you.  Really! you matter - you are much more than just a girl with a baby we have to save - you are a Young Woman we want to meet.  We care about your health,  what you think, what's going on in your life, who's going to support you in this decision.  We are here to help.  Call and find out how.
 

Abortion Facts

The last client I met, who had recently had an abortion, was on her way back to the clinic because they did not get the baby completely removed during the first procedure.  I have been through the healing process of abortion with many women during my tenure in a Crisis Pregnancy Center, most of the women I have met post-abortion have had some sort of complication - many medical, most emotional and often guilt-filled.  Very few (but I must admit some) have said, "no, it was the perfect decision for me".  So why do women choose abortion?  Studies show that women have said, if someone, anyone would have simply offered to help in their time of need, they might have made a different choice.  In my experience women have often said, "If only someone had told me..." and "I wish I had know there was a place like this before my abortion."

So in a time where over 50% of Americans say they are morally opposed to abortion, and would never choose it for themselves, why do women continue to choose abortion?
What can you do to help women, teen girls, and even the guys in their time of crisis?  How can we make a difference, and save a 17 year old girl - 10 days from the abortion clinic - from sitting in my office crying, and wishing she had known how hard it would be to deal with the death of her baby?