Mission Moment - March 2016

This story is told by one of our lay advocates...

The helpline caller was seeking an abortion; she had already obtained an ultrasound and learned she was 18 weeks pregnant.
 
Kaya* has three other children, ages 3, 2, & 1. The father of her unborn baby is the dad to the three others and said that he supports whichever decision she makes. We made an appointment for the next day, and when I learned he would be off work, I invited him to come along and told her the kids could play with toys at the center.

...18 weeks pregnant...

When they didn’t show for the appointment, I called her and did options counseling on the phone. She was nice to talk to, so we easily built a rapport. We chatted about the challenges of parenting three little boys, and I encouraged her. She is young and finds her responsibilities to be overwhelming at times. She has no help from extended family, and her boyfriend is working most of the time, so is not available to help during the day.
 
Kaya said her ultrasound showed that this next baby is also a boy. She wouldn’t be aborting if it was a girl—she’d love to have a girl.

I told Kaya that at 18 weeks she is at the upper limit for having an abortion in Milwaukee, which seemed to surprise her. I explained the abortion procedure—at 18 weeks the baby is too large for suction, etc., and she commented, “I won’t be able to get that out of my mind.”
 
Kaya talked about her past—there was abuse and her mother was not there for her. She prays for the memories to go away. “So you believe in God?”  I gently asked, “What does God think abortion?” She answered, “Oh, no, he says this baby is his gift. But I’m praying he’ll forgive me.”
 
We continued talking, but Kaya was intent on having an abortion. She did agree to make another appointment to come in, and we again talked about how to get to our pregnancy center.

..."I won't be able to get that out of my mind."

When she didn’t come for that appointment, I called again. She said now that it’s getting so late, she isn’t planning to pursue the abortion.
 
I’m thankful this child will live to be born, even though his mother has not had an apparent change of heart. I will call her again to suggest prenatal care, to encourage her spiritually, invite her to Loving Moms parenting classes, and to see if any other connections/referrals can be made.

*The name "Kaya" was chosen for ease of writing, and is not the real client's name.

Please continue to pray for our lay advocates, and the clients they serve.
"You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." - Jesus