Two Hispanic women came towards the abortion center. I intercepted them, fairly certain that was their destination. I was correct. They spoke NO English. Fortunately, I have been studying Duolingo online Spanish for this exact purpose. I was able to tell them they should not abort, that God loved them and the baby, that we had help for them, and I could make an immediate appointment for a free ultrasound. (ultrasonido gratis.)
“Gratis?” the pregnant woman asked.
“Si, gratis!” I answered.
“Si,” she said nodding. “Quiero un ultrasonido gratis!” (I want a free ultrasound.)
At that moment, the most aggressive abortion advocate who volunteers to urge women into the clinic came rushing over. She grabbed the woman’s arm and told her not to listen to us, that we lie, and the clinic was right across the street.
The women both looked confused and distraught, but they followed the abortion advocate into the clinic. I was discouraged and sad. I called out to them in Spanish as best I could, but the door closed on them as they entered the abortion center. As the hours passed, I knew they had probably aborted.
This was one of the rare days when we had enough people on our team that we could have an afternoon team. In God’s merciful providence, one of those team members, Veronica, speaks fluent Spanish. Apparently, when the two women emerged from the center, Veronica called out to them, and they came to her.
The one who had been pregnant was terribly distraught. She had gone through with the abortion. When she called her boyfriend, he dumped her anyway! She realized she had never wanted the abortion but had it at his request. Now she saw how she had been deceived. She knew that she had wandered far from God, and now was suffering the consequences.
Veronica shared the Gospel with the anguished young woman. The woman recognized the severity of her sins, and she told Veronica how she wished to repent of them, to make a fresh start, to return to church, and to return to God. As Veronica outlined the steps of salvation, the woman told her she wanted to submit her life to Jesus as Lord.
Right then and there on the sidewalk of an abortion center, a terribly wounded young woman committed her life to Jesus. Because the church was present, this woman found hope in the midst of her deep despair. If the church had not been there, the wreckage of her sinful life and sinful choices would have led her deeper into the mire of darkness and sin.
But we WERE there. Our presence was a beacon of light, of hope, in that very dark place. What Satan meant for evil, God turned it to good. We MUST be there.
Help us bring the presence of the Church to more abortion mission fields across our nation by donating to our #givepresence campaign.
Visit https://lovelife.org/givepresence to give.
