Tammy Cook reflects on 28 years with JFA.
New Team Members and New Cities
(1) Kristine (right) talks to a student at Cal State San Marcos at JFA's outreach event in Oct. 2023
(2) Alora (center) interacts with a student at Wayne State College earlier this week (during the first week of her internship!).
Rejoice with us!
Kristine Hunerwadel (1) just joined our team as a trainer working from Denver, Colorado. Alora Tunstill (2) just began a fall internship, based in Northwest Arkansas. JFA trainer Kristina Massa (3) recently relocated to Kansas City. Kristine, Alora, and Kristina will help greatly expand JFA’s training efforts in these areas. Denver and Kansas City are established metro areas, and Northwest Arkansas is the 13th most rapidly growing metro area in the country.
(3) Kristina (center) at University of Nebraska at Kearney in May 2024.
We’re excited about these new team members and new cities, but we’re also excited about the ongoing local efforts of our trainers in other regions (see Metro Area list below). Look for us to do more in all of these areas in the coming year. Look for us also to continue our work in regions where we have dedicated volunteers and church connections even if we don’t have full-time trainers based there...yet (Arizona, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and others).
Our team is working across the country to train Christians through workshops and outreach events to change hearts and minds. Please pray that God will use these efforts to save unborn children and their parents from abortion. Would you give a special gift this month or commit to become a monthly partner to support the excellent work of these trainers?
Steve Wagner, Executive Director
10 Metro Areas Where JFA Trainers Live
3,200,000 CA San Diego Rebekah
3,000,000 CO Denver Kristine
2,400,000 TX Austin Jeremy
8,100,000 TX Dallas Jon
590,000 AR Fayetteville Andrea, Alora
653,000 KS Wichita Paul, Tammy, Susanna
2,200,000 MO Kansas City Kristina
344,000 NE Lincoln Mary, Rebecca
2,100,000 OH Cleveland Kaitlyn
6,300,000 DC Washington Steve
(Population Numbers Refer to Metropolitan Statistical Area, per Wikipedia)
Upcoming Outreach Events
8/26-28 Wayne State College (Wayne, NE)
9/9-10 Colorado State Univ. (Fort Collins)
9/11 Univ. of Northern Colorado (Greeley)
9/30-10/1 Minnesota TBD
10/8-9 Mira Costa College (Oceanside, CA)
10/28-29 Univ. of Central Oklahoma (Edmond)
11/18-20 UTSA (San Antonio)
11/18-20 Johnson County CC (Kansas City Area)
See JFA’s Newly Redesigned Calendar Page for More Events, All Event Details, and to Register.
What God Can Do Through Every Human Being
This month we report on a different kind of impact that God has created through JFA, specifically through the work of our office manager, Eva Heath. This is the story of the impact God produces through human beings many have written off because of their circumstances or disabilities. It’s also the story of one woman’s testimony that even if we can’t see the good that God is bringing from difficulties right now, we must hope in Him, loving every human being precisely because each person is made in the image of God. We bid a fond farewell to you this month, Eva, and we trust God will care for you in the new chapter of your retirement!
Thinking about the Unborn Child for the First Time
Stacey walked up to our outreach signs looking curious. We were standing on a busy walkway at Palomar College (CA) in December. I asked a few questions about her thoughts on abortion, and she clarified that she thought abortion should be legal until birth. Here’s my recollection of the rest of the conversation:
Steve: Do you believe abortion should be legal because you believe a woman has a right to her body?
Stacey: Yes. A woman’s right to her body is really important to me.
Steve: I agree that a woman has a right to her body, generally speaking, and I agree that’s really important. Women’s bodily rights have been trampled on and continue to be trampled on throughout the world with practices like slavery, rape, and domestic violence. I think those things are horrific and wrong.
Palomar College Outreach in December 2022: Steve (center, black shirt) and other JFA staff members interact with students.
Stacey: I agree.
Steve: Do you agree with me that a woman’s bodily rights are not simply created or determined by the state? Instead, they’re fundamental. They’re like other human rights. If the state didn’t protect those rights, the state would be wrong.
Stacey: Yes, that’s true.
Pages 4-5 of JFA’s Invitation to Dialogue Brochure.
Steve: I have some pictures over here that might be helpful to our conversation. [I showed her the signs that show pages four and five of the Invitation to Dialogue Brochure.] Look at this young woman pictured here. Can we agree that she has bodily rights that the state should respect?
Stacey: I agree with that.
JFA’s setup at the National Mall on April 26-27 included the signs Steve referred to in his conversation with Stacey.
Steve: Now, what about this toddler? I assume we would agree he shouldn’t be killed. Can we agree he has bodily rights that are fundamental?
Stacey: Yes.
Steve: So the woman and the toddler have the same bodily rights. And those rights are fundamental, so the situation would have to reach a really high bar to justify limiting something so important as a person’s bodily rights. Perhaps the only legitimate way the state could limit those rights is if these people were using their bodies to take away someone else’s bodily rights.
Stacey: That’s a good point.
Steve: Does it make sense to you that if their rights are fundamental, they had them from the moment they began to exist? When did this toddler begin to exist?
Stacey: That makes sense, but I guess I’m not sure. What do you think?
Steve: Well, from fertilization [pointing at image on sign], when the sperm and the egg came together, both ceased to exist, and a new organism came into existence. All that’s been added from then until the toddler stage is food. If we have something as important as fundamental human rights now, I don’t think we could gain those rights by eating. So, I think the woman and the toddler began to exist at fertilization, and that’s also when they gained their fundamental right to their bodies. But that would mean that the embryo has a fundamental right to his body just like the toddler and the woman.
Our conversation continued for ten minutes or so. (Indeed, Stacey contributed much more detailed responses than what my memory has allowed me to include here.) We discussed how the embryo is very different from us (in looks and functions) but is also the same kind of being that we are—a being with the same human nature we have. If this is true, the woman’s fundamental right to her body would not include the right to abortion, because then abortion would be killing a human being with the same bodily rights.
As Stacey got ready to move on from the conversation, she eagerly accepted a copy of the Invitation to Dialogue Brochure that included the same pictures we had been discussing. What she said in parting really surprised me:
Stacey: I never thought about the fetus as a separate person—that it has its own rights we would be taking away. I’ll have to think about that!
At the beginning of this conversation, Stacey sounded completely pro-choice, and frankly, I think I suspected she wouldn’t have much interest in an alternative opinion. She showed the exact opposite throughout our conversation. It’s a lesson I’ve learned again and again: Don’t make assumptions from appearances.
As I found common ground with Stacey repeatedly about bodily rights, showing relational sensitivity to the emotionally heavy topic of what a woman can do with her body, I think she became open to my perspective about the unborn child. That’s the sequence we teach any chance we can: Be relational…then be intellectual. That approach helped Stacey to consider the possibility there was a whole other person involved in the abortion question, and she showed genuine interest in thinking further about that.
Note: This letter is the second in a series of letters on conversation skills we teach volunteers that help them get started having conversations and encourage them to stay active. See “Be a Playmaker” (Feb. 2023) for the first in the series. (March 2024 Update: The third letter in the series, “Only Two Questions?” has just been published. Read it here.)
See the Letters in this Series
Featured
Growing Up with Justice For All
One of the most critical parts of our work is training Christians to have conversations about abortion so that they can change people’s hearts and minds. It is always great to see this process working in the real world. I saw it recently at a seminar I gave in Phoenix when one of the participants, Rylei, told me her story.
This is Rylei after a conversation at her first outreach event at Colorado State University in 2017.
We initially trained Rylei as a junior in high school at Faith Christian Academy in 2017. Often when we train Christian students, they tell us that they don’t know who to talk to because all of their friends are pro-life. One of her high school classmates commented, “Because of our culture, I rarely even considered abortion and its morality. This [experience with JFA] really helped show what it is and the impact it really has in America.”
The value of our training, however, lasts throughout these students’ lives. In Rylei’s case, she is now a student at Arizona State University with two pro-choice roommates.
I asked her how her JFA training helped her talk to her pro-choice friends about abortion.
Most of my pro-choice friends haven’t thought through their position very much. I was writing a paper for my class on the pro-life position, using the same arguments you guys gave me. While writing the paper, one of my roommates saw me watching a video of a pro-life person having a conversation with a pro-choice person, and said, “Wow, he is really destroying her pro-choice arguments.” So she’s hearing the arguments as I’m researching my paper. So I find ways to naturally bring up the topic of abortion with them.
Rylei also has a passion for doing outreach at her campus. That passion was born from the outreach she did with us in high school. I am always thinking of how difficult it must be for a high school student like Rylei, who was 16 her first time doing outreach, to engage college students on a difficult topic like abortion.
Rylei’s first exposure to Justice For All was during our seminar at her high school in 2017. Here JFA trainer CK Wisner (center, curly hair) leads her mentor group in interactive exercises and discussion as Rylei (facing CK) listens.
That is what makes outreach such an important part of our training program. Once someone overcomes the initial fear of talking about abortion, this newfound confidence can even last a lifetime. One of her classmates at that first outreach experience said, “Outreach taught me that getting uncomfortable is a really good thing. When God is with you, you don’t have to fear.”
I asked Rylei about her outreach experiences during high school.
I love it. Every time. It is so rewarding, honestly. I know the first time I was super nervous, [and] I got thrown right into a conversation. But after you get through the first conversation I feel like it gets a lot easier.
During her senior year in high school in 2018, Rylei joined us for outreach again, this time at Metro State University in Denver.
Rylei is a living example of our training program in action. Rylei left high school with good arguments for the pro-life position, good skills for conversations about them, and courage to actually have conversations about abortion with those who disagree with her position. She was totally equipped for dealing with her pro-choice roommates and reaching her largely pro-choice campus.
Because of your support of Justice For All, we were able to be there to help Rylei each step of the way. She attended a JFA seminar and then an outreach event at CSU in 2017. She participated again in 2018 at Metro State University. And just last week because of a JFA seminar event, we had the privilege of encouraging her to become active at Arizona State University, where she is now a student. Thank you for partnering with us as we serve students like Rylei, so that they can become effective advocates of their pro-life position to their future pro-choice friends—many of whom will face an unplanned pregnancy in their future.
"My Mom Wanted to Abort Me."
Featured Resource for October 2018
By Jeremy Gorr, JFA Training Specialist
Sometimes it’s not a logical argument that makes people open their minds about abortion, but a story. In the case of Amin, a student I met this fall at Kennesaw State University, that story came from the person standing right next to him.
When we started talking, Amin was quite rude. He kept interrupting me. When some others joined the conversation, he started interrupting them. In fact, when someone asked him to stop interrupting, Amin cursed at him, and I thought he was close to starting a fist fight. Amin wouldn’t listen to what anybody had to say.
Still, I was trying to connect with him, explaining why our conversation was so important.
Grace (left) and Jeremy (right) interact with students near our poll table at Kennesaw State University (KSU).
Jeremy: The reason we should both be listening to each other is that over 925,000 lives are lost to abortion each year in this country, and I think if we listened we could find a way to save those lives.
Amin: Would we actually be able to save those lives, though? How many of those children would make it to age 25 with the kind of upbringing they will probably get? If a mother wants to have an abortion, and she can’t get one, how do you think that kid will be raised?
Jeremy: I don’t think we can say for sure what kind of life that child will have.
Amin: But probably it will be bad. If my mom didn’t want to have me, and then she did, I don’t think that I would be her top priority.
At that moment, standing right next to him, a woman named Ima decided that she had to respond.
Ima: I don’t think it is a fair assumption that those kids are going to have horrible lives.
Amin: I’m saying if the mother wanted to have an abortion, they are pretty much guaranteed to have horrible lives.
Ima: My mom wanted to abort me, but instead she put me up for adoption. And I have had a successful life. I don’t think it’s fair to assume that the children we’re talking about will have horrible lives. They can be put into loving environments like I was.
Amin: But you got adopted. There are tons of children who don’t.
Frequently, group conversations spontaneously formed during our three days of outreach at KSU.
Ima: But there are also tons of parents that want to adopt children. I think we can find a way to help more people adopt them. I just don’t think you’re considering both sides and considering adoption as an option.
Amin: You make a good point. I don’t think we should go straight to abortion as the only option.
After Ima shared her story, Amin finally started listening. Ima, Amin, and I then discussed many of the arguments against abortion. By the end of the conversation, Amin admitted to me that he had gained a whole new perspective on the issue.
Amin: I’m glad we had this conversation. You do bring up many good points. Because I started listening I was able to hear you. It is a human life, and I have to put that perspective in my head. Ima, your story was great, and you allowed me to see other sides of the story when it comes to abortion.
Jeremy: Thank you for having an open mind.
Amin: This is good. We all got to talk. We all got to share our opinions. I apologize for snapping at you and interrupting initially. When you started talking you seemed passionate, and you seemed informed. I’m glad I started listening. I’m honestly not very well-informed on this topic.
Amin realized that while he was eager to dispute all of my arguments, he could not dispute Ima’s life. She was proof that he was wrong to assume all children in situations of unwanted pregnancy would have horrible lives. That realization caused him to start listening to my arguments and reconsider his overall perspective on abortion. That’s one of the things I like most about Justice For All’s outreach events: they create a space for people like Amin to meet people like Ima, a space where they can discuss their views on abortion together. Many times that’s all it takes to change hearts and minds.
Worth the Interruption
Spencer Stewart, a high school teacher and long-time JFA volunteer, is passionate about the training opportunities that JFA provides to Christian communities like his school (Veritas Christian School in Lawrence, Kansas). In recent years, Spencer has invested personal time and effort in equipping his students for dialogue during class time. In March, after teaching students using JFA materials, he brought twenty students to our University of Kansas outreach event to watch JFA mentors in conversation and to give the students an opportunity to join in. In this Impact Report, Spencer and several of his students share about their experiences. (Student quotations have been edited for length.) We are always eager to come alongside teachers like Spencer who have a heart for discipleship, providing the tools and experiences they can use to help their students “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” (Prov. 31:8, NIV). - Steve Wagner, Executive Director
Spencer Stewart talks with a University of Kansas (KU) student at a JFA outreach event in April 2015.
I have attended about a dozen Abortion: From Debate to Dialogue seminars by Justice For All, often in order to bring new volunteers, as well as multiple outreaches on different college campuses. For two years now, it has been my privilege to teach JFA’s material to juniors and seniors in my Worldview and Apologetics classes over the course of the week leading up to a campus outreach. They have eagerly engaged with the training. I love that the Three Essential Skills (asking clarifying questions, listening to understand, and building common ground without compromise) prepare them to be better humans and better conversation partners on any topic.
All of my students know that they should be pro-life, but I love to see lightbulbs switch on as they learn more precisely why – and how to help others see it for themselves. At the outreach, we pair students with an apologist with Justice For All so they can listen in on and pray through the conversations taking place. Having received the training in class, they are able to track with the JFA apologist and better learn the nuances of these kinds of dialogues. Some of our students even jump in and engage in conversations of their own. All of the students have been enthusiastic about the experience. It opens their eyes to the diversity of thinking on campus, and they all benefit from JFA staff members modeling both kindness and conviction in the midst of a controversial issue. The juniors always want to do it again the following year. The hope is that the second time around will help them internalize the approach and increase their confidence to lead this kind of conversation.
Spencer (left) talks with a University of Kansas (KU) student at a JFA outreach event in April 2016. Students whom he brought to that outreach event listen in.
It obviously interrupts the flow and takes a chunk of time away from our regular content, but I believe it is worth it, without a doubt. In terms of scope and severity, I consider abortion to be the greatest injustice on the planet, and God’s people are called to partner with Him in seeking justice, especially for the weakest and most vulnerable among us. With this issue, I believe partnering with Justice For All is the best way to do that, especially because they also work to connect students who are considering abortion (or who need healing from one) with local pregnancy care centers. We are wired to be heroes, and we can literally save lives at these outreaches, and in our daily walk, once we have been prepared in this way. I pray that more and more churches and schools will open themselves up to be blessed by JFA and equipped for life on mission.
- Spencer Stewart, Veritas Christian School Teacher
Spencer (right) listens to a conversation at one of the first JFA outreach events in which he participated, at Wichita State University in January 2012.
[The JFA in-class preparation] taught me how to communicate an important point with someone in a non-threatening way, and it made me really think about my reasons for being pro-life.
- Marianna, Veritas Christian School Student
Spencer (right) and his students listen as Rebecca Hotovy describes JFA’s Art of Life Exhibit at the recent University of Kansas outreach event in March 2018.
The JFA outreach was beneficial to me because I have never gotten the chance to talk to a stranger about my beliefs and ask about theirs. It was great to [hear] someone else’s belief, and for them to hear mine. Using the finding common ground technique worked great because they felt differently about the message we were sending after we talked.
- Rondre, Veritas Christian School Student
The JFA [in-class preparation] showed me how to better listen and not just attack a person based on their opinion. It helped my confidence when speaking to non-believers about scriptural things. The JFA outreach was super cool to be a part of because we were doing the work of God. Watching older, wiser people listen and have Godly conversations was helpful spiritually. The JFA outreach showed me just a glimpse of some of the opinions on campus, and the need for God.
- Quinton, Veritas Christian School Student
JFA impacted me by helping me understand the facts about abortion and how to talk to people in a relational way about this topic. It strengthened my reasoning for what I believe and opened my eyes to other people’s views.
- Leandra, Veritas Christian School Student
The JFA training impacted me by making me feel more prepared to share about abortion with others and get into meaningful conversations. The techniques they taught us were very helpful and will be useful going into next year. The JFA outreach was different than what I thought it was going to be, but in a good way. The exhibit [was] very thought provoking and a good way to get people to ask questions.
- Emma, Veritas Christian School Student
The JFA [in-class preparation] made me think of most debates or disagreements in a different way. It gave me a different method to approach them. The JFA outreach was interesting because it showed the actual beliefs of real people, not just hypothetical responses and answers.
- Anonymous, Veritas Christian School Student
A Popsicle Poll (and a Conversation)
Impact Report, January 2017
Introductory Note: I'm eager to share this Impact Report with you. Written by 20-year JFA veteran Tammy Cook, it allows you to see a model conversation unfold, nurtured through Tammy’s skillful choice of questions and information. You get to watch a student rethink his position on abortion, and you get to see the JFA poll table, a stalwart conversation tool we’ve used since 2001, in a new twist that JFA trainers Jon Wagner and Paul Kulas came up with during a late-night run to Walmart. The “popsicle poll” was one of the tools we used along with our large Art of Life Exhibit to start conversations about abortion at Oklahoma State University in November 2016. Go to the photos page for the event to see these tools in action, as well as two other new twists on classic JFA conversation tools. We turned one free speech board into a straw poll on the presidential election (we couldn’t help ourselves—it was election day), and we used another to ask people which particular abortions they thought should be legal, in terms of timing and circumstances. - Steve Wagner, Executive Director
Having conducted many campus outreach events in unpredictable weather, the JFA team has learned to make quick adjustments on the fly. Our latest challenge? How to keep poll table notebooks dry in the rain. The notebooks allow students to sign Yes or No in response to our poll question, Should Abortion Remain Legal? The poll is one of our best tools for starting conversations, so when it was raining at Oklahoma State University (OSU) in November, our team got creative. Popsicle sticks and Styrofoam to the rescue! Students could now vote by signing a Popsicle stick and putting it in either the Yes side or the No side.
During the lunch hour, “Hudson” stopped by to vote. He placed a popsicle stick on the Yes side. I thanked him for voting, introduced myself, and started a conversation:
Tammy: I’m curious—do you think abortion should be legal through all nine months of pregnancy?
Hudson: Well, I don’t know, but I don’t think the government should be in people’s lives.
Tammy: I would like to better understand your view. Can you give me an example?
Hudson: I don’t think the government should make a law that says a woman can’t have an abortion.
Tammy: Ah. So basically you’re saying that you don’t want the government to tell you what you can or can’t do?
Hudson: Yes.
Tammy Cook interacts with a student near JFA’s experimental “popsicle poll” at OSU in November. Click here to see more pictures from the OSU November 2016 event, which included our large Art of Life Exhibit along with two new twists on our classic free speech board conversation tool.
Tammy: I can see that. I agree that there are times when the government shouldn’t interfere with our choices. For example, I think people should be able to choose if they want to go to college. I do think, though, that the government should make laws that protect our citizens. Would you agree with the laws that stop people from driving 100 miles per hour on the freeway while intoxicated?
Hudson: Yes.
Tammy: Why?
Hudson: Because that’s not safe, and it would risk harming or killing other people.
Tammy: I agree. So, do you agree with the current laws that prohibit rape, murder, and theft?
Hudson: Yes, I agree with those laws. But when it comes to taking away choice, I don’t agree with the government taking away a woman’s choice.
Tammy: Got it. Let’s take a moment to talk about human beings and look at biological development. When do you think we become human?
Hudson: I’m not sure... maybe in the third trimester?
Tammy: Okay. So, do you agree with me that this is a human being? [I pointed to the third-trimester fetus on page three of our brochure, pictured right.]
Hudson: Yes.
JFA Exhibit Brochure, page 3 (Click here to access the brochure on your smartphone or get a paper copy.)
Tammy: Okay. Let’s look at earlier stages of human development. [I pointed to the first seven circles on page three.] Would you agree that if the unborn is growing, it must be alive? And if it has human parents, it can only be human? And living humans like you and me—we’re valuable, aren’t we?
Hudson: Hmmm... [seriously contemplating what I’ve shown to him]
Tammy: And did you know that from the point of fertilization, all that is added to the embryo is adequate nutrition and a proper environment? Nothing essential is injected along the way to make an embryo into an organism. So, if you and I are whole organisms now, the embryo must also be a whole organism at fertilization. Would you agree?
Hudson: Maybe so, but I still think abortion should be a woman’s choice because abortion is legal.
Tammy: Okay, so it sounds like legality is important to you. Let’s look at slavery, which used to be legal. Should our country have kept slavery legal?
Hudson: No.
Tammy: I agree. We should restrict people from choosing to own a slave because that is a violation of human rights. For the same reason, don’t we also have an obligation to restrict people from choosing abortion?
Hudson: [pausing to think]
Tammy: And I think it could aid our discussion if we include images of abortion. Are you willing to view them?
Hudson: Sure.
Tammy: This is what abortion looks like. [I showed him an abortion image on page five of the JFA Exhibit Brochure.]
“I feel like I want to break the popsicle stick in half and put half in the Yes side and half in the No side..”
Hudson: Wow, you’ve given me a lot to think about. I see it a little differently now. The slavery comparison was really helpful. I’ve never thought about it that way before. I need to go think about this. I feel like I want to break the popsicle stick in half and put half in the Yes side and half in the No side. Can I have one of those brochures?
Tammy: Yes, absolutely. Thanks for taking time to talk.
Our team had two wonderful days of outreach at OSU, even despite the rain. And the popsicle poll brought a great response. There were 190 people who voted Yes (abortion should remain legal) and 120 who voted No (abortion should not remain legal). I spoke to about 25 pro-choice students over two days, and I saw more than half of those students rethinking their views like Hudson did. Some even had a complete change of heart and agreed that abortion should not be legal.
Small Decisions and Big Results
Impact Report, November 2016
Grace Fontenot and Clare Lavergne, two young women from Louisiana, had only been interns with JFA for two months, but they had already been inspired by JFA’s emphasis on creating conversations about abortion every week. The goal? Help those who are pro-choice come to their own settled conclusion that abortion is unthinkable, and help those who are pro-life become active advocates for unborn children.
Clare (blue, behind table) and Grace (right) interact with Wichita State students.
Seeing that there was one week in their internship with no outreach event scheduled, Grace and Clare grabbed a survey clipboard and headed to Wichita State University to start conversations. Clare described what happened next:
“After a few surveys that resulted in one lengthy conversation about abortion, we asked a few more students to take our survey, but they declined. So we decided to ask one final person before leaving campus. The student whom we happened upon was Zachary Lee-Watts.
“Right off the bat, Zachary told us he was completely pro-life. He then shared with us that he was raised by a single mother in an impoverished area in Los Angeles. He felt that his mother’s situation had made him a prime target for abortion. Not only that, but he has also seen firsthand the lasting psychological effects of abortion on women who are very close to him.
“Zachary was so excited to meet people his age who were passionately pro-life like he was, and he asked us how he could get involved. We invited him to a seminar that took place the next week, and shortly after that, he accompanied us for two days of outreach at Oklahoma State University (OSU), where he engaged in many conversations of his own. Then he attended another outreach event, this time at Wichita State. He truly believes that God intended for him to meet us that day on campus and that our friendships and JFA have already had a great impact on his life and faith journey.”
Zachary shared a bit about his experience:
Clare (right), Zachary (second from right), and Grace (third from right) interact with three Oklahoma State University students at JFA’s recent Art of Life Exhibit at OSU.
“At OSU we set up an exhibit titled The Art of Life, which is beautiful in itself, and is quite impacting. The entire experience was beautiful, insightful, passionate, and just awesome. Speaking to students about such a ‘controversial’ topic never seemed so peaceful and amicable. Not just that, but to also be able to connect with individuals on a personal level was splendid.
Zachary, right, near JFA’s Art of Life Exhibit at OSU.
“I recall speaking to a young guy named David, who was more aligned with the pro-choice side, but we connected because we came from similar backgrounds. Eventually, I convinced him enough to at least keep his mind open and do research himself on the personhood of the unborn and their intrinsic value. There was also this fellow named Brent with whom I had a really in-depth conversation. He was pro-choice. He said his opinion didn’t matter because he was a guy. I found that quite ludicrous, so I managed to persuade him that his opinion did matter; that the subject of abortion was not just for women...that it was for humans in general.”
Grace Fontenot interacts with a student at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, in September 2016. Grace is raising support to work full-time with Justice For All. You can support her work with JFA by making a donation here (look for Grace's designation or put her name in the notes).
Zachary also described his approach to abortion prior to meeting Grace and Clare, and prior to participating with JFA:
“Admittedly, on any given day I was not one to prompt the seriousness of abortion. I did understand why it was wrong, and in a general sense how to defend my belief, but not sufficiently enough. After listening in on JFA dialogues and reading the JFA Exhibit Brochure, I understood how to convey the seriousness, and how to treat individuals who were opposed to my stance in a more comforting way. I felt more urgency to bring up the seriousness and assured that I could do so more wisely.”
The story of Grace, Clare, and Zachary is really just a story of small decisions, small decisions which ended up yielding big results. Grace and Clare made a decision which probably seemed somewhat insignificant at the time, a small decision to go and do the hard work of creating conversations about abortion. In the course of their impromptu outreach event, Grace and Clare happened upon a pro-life advocate, Zachary, who wasn’t doing much to make abortion unthinkable. They befriended him, encouraged him to participate in our training program, and now he has begun to create conversations about abortion. He has now made his own series of small decisions to seek to change minds about abortion and encourage pro-life advocates to do the same.
Clare Lavergne discusses the value of the unborn child with a student at Oklahoma State University, while a deacon from a local Catholic parish listens in. Clare is raising support to work with JFA again in Spring 2017. You can support her work with JFA by making a donation here (look for the Intern Scholarship Fund or put Clare's name in the notes).
If you think about it, each one of us in our own small decisions each day can have the same big impact, as we prayerfully trust God for help. Indeed, JFA’s big, “impossible” mission of “training thousands to make abortion unthinkable for millions, one person at a time” can only be accomplished through the small decisions of each one of us. What part can your small decisions play in JFA’s mission? Are you able to give one or more years to work as an intern with JFA? Are you able to partner with JFA financially? Are you able to pray regularly for our team? Are you able to encourage others in your community to learn more about JFA? Are you able to participate in JFA outreach events, creating conversations that change hearts and minds? Each of these activities requires only a small decision like the decision Grace and Clare made that day to just go out and talk to students at Wichita State. Yet one of these seemingly insignificant, small decisions can even change the course of someone’s life, someone like Zachary. When we reflect on the fact that Zachary is now doing the same for others, by God’s grace, JFA’s mission no longer seems impossible at all.
- Steve Wagner, for the JFA Team
How JFA Helped Me Reach My Campus
August 2016 Impact Report
By Meredith Boles
Introduction by Steve Wagner
INTRODUCTION
In this Impact Report, Meredith Boles describes a conversation that took place at JFA’s new Stop and Think Exhibit (shown below), illustrating how the public display of abortion images, a gracious manner, and thoughtful responses to tough questions can help pro-choice advocates “stop and think” about abortion in a new way.
Meredith and another UCLA student talk in front of JFA's new Stop and Think Exhibit in May 2016.
Meredith also shares what it was like for her club, Live Action UCLA, to partner with JFA to carry out large JFA events on the UCLA campus two years in a row. We cherish the hard work of Meredith, Ines, and other members of their club who share our passion for creating hundreds of conversations about abortion in a single day of outreach. Meredith and Ines helped invite JFA to campus, participated in conversations themselves, and rallied other club members to participate. The result? Together, JFA and Live Action UCLA trained more pro-life advocates and reached more pro-choice advocates than either organization could ever have done on its own.
P.S. This Impact Report is the second in a series showcasing our newly-expanded large exhibit outreach program, which also includes another new exhibit that was displayed at UCLA, The Art of Life. For an introduction to both new exhibits, including more pictures, see JFA’s July report, “Two New Exhibits: A First Look.”
-Steve Wagner, Executive Director
THE STORY
I just graduated from UCLA, and throughout my four years there I was actively involved with the pro-life group. In both my third and fourth years, I coordinated with Justice For All so that we could bring them onto our campus for a training seminar and then for an outreach event. I cannot recommend JFA enough for a club event that is both educational for club members and influential for our peers on campus.
Throughout this past year I had to meet periodically with the staff of the club events office in order to get the training sessions and the outreach exhibits approved, as well as to reserve outdoor spaces, classrooms, equipment, parking, etc. This process was difficult at times because it was very obvious that the campus administration was not pleased with our event, so it felt like I was pulling teeth at times. It was also difficult because not everyone in my club was comfortable with the idea of displaying graphic images of abortion, and so I did not have enthusiastic support from all my club members. But with their consent, and the help of two club members who were fully on board, combined with the guidance and assistance from the JFA staff, and the conviction that this was a great opportunity for my last year in college, we made all of the arrangements.
We had one day of training on a Sunday, and then two days of outreach at two different locations. We needed one club member at all times present at the exhibit, and we used a group chat to coordinate this. All of my club mates told me afterwards that it was a great experience, that they had some tricky conversations, some fruitful conversations, and that by the end they felt much more confident about having these conversations.
Meredith interacts with a fellow UCLA student in front of the side of the Stop and Think Exhibit focused on feminism and women's rights.
I myself had a very good conversation with a student named Amanda. She was walking slowly past Justice For All’s Stop and Think Exhibit when I asked her what she thought of the exhibit. She said she didn’t really understand what it was about, so I offered to walk around it with her and explain it. We walked slowly, side by side. Once we had circled around I asked Amanda what she thought. She replied, “I know it’s a tricky issue. It’s really hard to know. I just think it should be up to the mother. Do you think that abortion should be illegal even if the mother couldn’t afford to have the baby?”
I wasn’t sure if Amanda was expressing this condition because it was her own story. All I could do was express my sympathy for a woman in this situation, whether it was her own or not. I told her I understood her concern – it’s a real one. Students who get pregnant do not just have to put up with expenses for a year. They become permanent mothers. They either need to raise this child, love it, and provide for it, or give it up for adoption. It’s so, so hard for these women on our campus who find themselves pregnant when they did not intend to. Amanda was moved and said, “Yeah, I think adoption is an alternative. People try to say that it’s worse but I think it is a great idea. After all, a lot of couples want a baby.”
I agreed with her and told her there is even a waiting list for couples wanting to adopt. Then I said, “Going back to your concern about women who get pregnant while in poverty. Let me ask you something…” I trotted out the toddler as we had practiced in the training on Sunday, and finished with, “So I know it’s an extreme example, but you wouldn’t say we could kill that toddler, right?” She said, “Of course not,” and then paused and added, “I understand what you mean.”
Her voice got a bit more anxious when she said, “I don’t know, it’s just that this whole time I have been telling myself that I was pro-choice, but after seeing that picture…” She was referring to the picture of the aborted baby on one of the panels of the exhibit. “Is that really ten weeks?” I said yes, and she said, “I had no idea.”
“Working with Justice For All bolstered our club in our fight against abortion, and helped spread awareness of our club. I highly recommend it for every single pro-life group on college campuses.”
I told her that the reality behind that picture is the reason why I am fighting to end abortion. I asked her if she agreed that a procedure so brutal could never be the right option, and so it should not be legal to choose it. She said yes, but asked, “But if abortion were illegal, would that mean women who get abortions would be criminalized? Would you agree with that?” I might have faltered at this point, except that one of the JFA trainers had walked us through this topic at the training. If I truly believe abortion is killing an innocent human being, which I do, then of course a woman who willingly breaks a law that states abortion is an illegal act of murder should be penalized. I told her that it may be the case that a woman who committed an abortion was under a lot of emotional stress, and so may receive less grave sentences, but she would still need to be penalized. She agreed with my reasoning. She said, “Thank you so much for talking to me about this. This really helped me.” I gave Amanda the JFA brochure, and we exchanged numbers. [Editor’s note: See JFA's Extending Your Learning page for more on this topic.]
Not every conversation goes this well, but JFA gives us the tools so that every conversation is at least civil and intelligent, and almost all of them leave the other person pondering. The conversations definitely confirm me in my beliefs; at the same time, talking face-to-face with another student who holds the opposite opinion to mine helps me to be more understanding. It reminds me of the reason why I believe abortion should be illegal: every person, whether it is the pro-choice student who is standing in front of me, or the unborn baby in a mother’s womb, has dignity and ought to be loved.
Working with Justice For All bolstered our club in our fight against abortion, and helped spread awareness of our club. I highly recommend it for every single pro-life group on college campuses.
- Meredith Boles, Member of Live Action UCLA and JFA Volunteer
Featured
CK and Jamie
June 2016 Impact Report
CK Wisner, Training Specialist
PART I: SEPTEMBER 2015
Things were getting out of hand. Voices were raised and the crowd was visibly upset. Gathered in front of Justice For All’s display at the University of Georgia – Athens (UGA) were several pro-life men, most notably Matthew and Isaac, engaging one pro-choice woman, “Jamie.” I joined the debate hoping to turn it into a gracious dialogue.
I started by addressing a question to Matthew. As I was beginning to understand Matthew's point of view on abortion, Jamie interrupted him. Soon after Jamie started talking, Isaac interrupted her. We weren’t getting any closer to having a productive conversation, so I laid some ground rules.
Me: Excuse me, but I don’t feel like we’re getting anywhere with this discussion. I propose that we take time to listen to each other and try to understand where everyone is coming from. If someone else is speaking and you have something you’d like to say, please raise your hand and that will signify that you get to speak next. Now, I hold to “ladies first,” so I’m going to let Jamie speak next.
Jamie: Well, I think that women are just in really difficult situations. We don’t know what any given woman is going through or why she needs an abortion…
Matthew and Isaac: But wait! There’s a baby in that situation…
At this point, Jamie was looking very angry. Trying to avoid further outbursts, I decided to help the pro-lifers out a little bit by teaching them the concept of common ground.
Me: [raising my hand] Hey guys, I think Jamie is actually saying something about which we can all agree…if I understood her correctly, she is concerned about women who are facing really difficult situations. I think we all are concerned for women in difficult circumstances. Is that right?
Matthew and Isaac: Yes. Definitely!
Me: I’m glad we agree on that. I find that making note of the things we agree on is particularly helpful.
The dynamic of the conversation then changed. Prior to introducing the concepts of listening and finding common ground, students were yelling their views and grouped together like a mob. After adding structure and kindness, the group formed into a circle, and all of us started respectfully raising our hands when we had something to say.
Even though things were going well, I was becoming concerned for Jamie. She was still highly emotional, and when I would aim to lovingly point out the flaws of her pro-choice position, she would admit that I was right, but then still cling with a passion to her views. I could sense that something was underneath the surface that she was not sharing.
The conversation carried on for about 45 more minutes. I heard the views of those who had joined our conversation. Eventually it was obvious that everyone had said what he or she had to say. As people were starting to repeat themselves, I raised my hand again.
Me: I’ve appreciated all of you sharing your views. Can I see a show of hands on who understands what Matthew believes?
All hands rose.
Me: Who understands what Jamie believes?
All hands rose for a second time. I continued asking this question about every person who had shared his view, and each time there was a complete consensus that everyone was at least beginning to understand what the others believed. I then kindly ended the conversation.
Me: Now that we understand each other, I think it would be more productive to end the group discussion here, instead of each of us repeating our stances on abortion. I think no one at this point is open to changing his or her mind in front of a group. I’m more than happy to talk to each of you one-on-one.
The group disbanded, and I took this opportunity to pull Jamie aside. I shared with her that I appreciated her sharing her view when nearly everyone had disagreed with her. She thanked me, but she was still noticeably hurting. I was becoming more and more convinced that Jamie had a personal connection with abortion.
Me: Do you know anyone who has had an abortion?
With that question, Jamie fell into my arms weeping. I held her until she gained her composure. Jamie then confirmed that she herself had an abortion in her past.
Jamie: [pointing at a photo of the aftermath of abortion] That photo condemns me to hell.
Me: Jamie, abortion is not the unforgiveable sin. Jesus is just as willing and able to forgive the sin of abortion as He would be any other sin. There is grace and healing in Jesus. I’m not trying to take away your guilt [because I did believe what Jamie did was wrong], but I want you to know that redemption for your past mistakes is completely open to you.
Jamie: I just don’t know why I feel this way, because I don’t think abortion is wrong.
“I just don’t know why I feel this way, because I don’t think abortion is wrong.”
Me: [very gently] You don’t have to answer this question out loud, but I want to give you something to think about. Are you sure abortion isn’t wrong, or are you just telling yourself that to justify your actions?
At this Jamie simply nodded her head. We talked for a few more minutes, and I made sure to get her contact information so that I could connect her with resources for healing from her abortion. Once I got back from Georgia, I did email Jamie. Her message back to me showed me why I do this work with Justice For All. She said,
“Thank you for this. I have been thinking a lot since we met, and I want you to know that that has been good for me. I've actually discussed the matter with my parents for the first time in several years, and it was a healing occasion for all of us. Thank you for your help.”
When I returned to UGA in February of this year (2016), I had another conversation with Jamie. (Continue reading below.) I am confident that God continues to be at work. He is at work in Jamie’s life, my life, and your life. Let’s pray for Jamie to draw near to Christ that she might fully experience Christ’s healing work in her life.
Note: Part I originally appeared in CK's December 2015 Newsletter.
The JFA Exhibit (2000) panels displayed at UGA on the day CK met Jamie. Jamie was referring to the "Is this humane?" panel when she said, "That photo condemns me to hell," and CK was able to share the message of Christ's forgiveness with her.
PART II: FEBRUARY 2016
In my December 2015 newsletter, I shared with you one of my favorite stories about a dear young woman, “Jamie.” I told you about meeting Jamie at an outreach event and shared how she had opened up to me about the abortion in her past. I was able to love Jamie in the midst of the short time I had with her and share with her the hope of healing. We then exchanged a couple of emails.
But the story doesn’t end there. I returned to Jamie’s campus in February of this year. I knew that I wanted to see her again, so I sent her an email letting her know that I was going to be there. Early Monday morning on the first day of our outreach event she came by. We greeted each other with a hug of friendship and then I asked her how she had been doing. For the next several minutes, I heard more of her story. The details were heartbreaking.
After I had listened to Jamie, she said something that surprised me: “I’m the closest I’ve ever been to being pro-life, but I just have a couple of questions.” I asked Jamie to share with me what her questions were, and together we began to address them. By the end of our conversation, she recognized the truth of my answers, but understandably she still needed to think about it. I didn’t expect her to change her mind right then and there because she has been pro-choice her whole life. If I had believed something my whole life, I would need time to process a big shift in thinking, too.
Jamie came back by our outreach event the next day as well, but just to give me a hug. I had written her a letter after we had talked the day before and I was able to give it to her. In the letter, I shared with her that she is beautiful and also shared with her about the love of Jesus. I am continuing to pray for her to see the Truth. I count Jamie as a dear friend and my heart longs for her to find complete healing in Jesus. In the brief time we’ve been able to spend time together, God has used her to encourage me and to grow in me a heart to continue loving the hurting.
Stories like Jamie’s remind me why I work at Justice For All. They show me how deep the need is to reach the hurting and the great opportunity I have to share hope with them. Here is an awesome reality: God is able to work through you to love those He has placed in your life, too. If you need a little help getting started and you have not been through JFA’s training program, I strongly suggest that you attend. It has not only laid the foundation for me to communicate with those who believe differently than me regarding the value of human life, but it has also helped me learn how to communicate in general.
Thank you for your prayers, financial support, and encouragement. God is working through you to enable our team at JFA to meet more people like Jamie.
Note: Part II originally appeared in CK's May 2016 newsletter.
COMMENT
A woman walked up to me years ago at a JFA large exhibit event at University of Colorado (Boulder). She was crying and could hardly speak, but she said something about our exhibit and her abortion. As I attempted to show concern for her, she turned and walked away. While I think that abortion images do a great deal of good when shown in public and that this woman’s grief might very well have been precisely what she needed to begin to grapple with her abortion, my heart breaks for this woman and others who for whatever reason weren’t able to find healing during their encounter with the JFA team.
Thankfully, some women who have had abortions are able to begin to embrace healing at Justice For All outreach events, even when abortion images are shown publicly. In the story of CK Wisner and Jamie (above), we see through CK's beautiful example how a compassionate, gentle, and skillful ambassador for Christ can play a vital role in a person’s process of healing from a past abortion.
- Steve Wagner, Executive Director
Confidence Creates Conversations
Impact Report: March 2016
Note: Chris Haynes, one of the pastors at Trinity Baptist Church in Norman, Oklahoma, said this about JFA: "I know of no other group that does such an outstanding job of training and then guiding teams of people through the actual process of dialogue. If you have one day and JFA training [team] comes close to you, don’t miss the opportunity. Our church and specifically college students have been equipped to now be on campus and have meaningful, life changing conversations." This Impact Report explains through the story of Andrew some of what motivated Chris to say these encouraging words. We hope you hear through Andrew's story our heart for established Christian communities. For example, we are eager to serve local churches as they carry out their God-given role of helping the disciples in their flock to grow in their ability to actively love those too often forgotten in relation to pregnancy and abortion - women and men in distress, the smallest humans on earth, and those who disagree with us. We see ourselves as helping these established Christian communities fill a gap in their discipleship in this area, rather than doing the work of mentoring and discipleship totally apart from or in place of these communities. - Steve Wagner, Executive Director
Before the JFA conference, I was hesitant to raise the topic of abortion with my peers. — Andrew (right)
Like so many of us, Andrew did not often have conversations about abortion. He was pro-life, but he lacked confidence. Then he participated in the Justice For All (JFA) training program last fall. His college pastor, Chris Haynes, and their church, Trinity Baptist Church in Norman, Oklahoma, have a very purposeful emphasis on “the equipping of the saints for the work of service” (Eph. 4:12), so this was one of many times that they have invited JFA to help train their students. Later, Andrew said,
Before the JFA conference, I was hesitant to raise the topic of abortion with my peers. While this was due mainly to my lack of knowledge about abortion, I also felt uncomfortable raising the subject due to my lack of experience in conversing about the topic with someone from another worldview.
Through these interactions, I learned not to categorize someone too quickly… you really don't know where someone stands on an issue until you ask specific questions. — Andrew (left)
I’ve heard these same hesitations often. Many people say that there is no way the average person is capable of engaging in productive dialogue with pro-choice advocates. Andrew’s JFA experience proved the opposite. JFA training helped Andrew develop (1) confidence in his own pro-life convictions, (2) confidence to begin creating dialogue, and (3) confidence to create further conversations in his daily life.
The first dose of confidence came for Andrew during the interactive seminar (Seat Work) portion of the training program. In a mentor group led by Rebecca Haschke and me, Andrew and other students said they felt apprehensive about coming to our outreach event at the University of Oklahoma (OU) the following week. As these students learned why common pro-choice arguments fail and practiced sharing the evidence which supports the pro-life position, however, their confidence grew. Andrew reflected,
JFA not only has given me the tools I need to reach out to my peers, but also has helped me firm up my position on abortion as well as my reasoning behind my stance.
Even with this confidence, though, Andrew wondered if he personally could take these ideas and produce a good conversation with them. Here’s how our outreach event at OU (Feet Work) enabled him to do just that. At the beginning of the outreach event, Andrew got a second dose of confidence as he listened in to conversations that JFA staff members were having with pro-choice students. The next day, he took the critical step of starting not just one, but many conversations. He was surprised by what he learned:
During the time I spent in outreach with JFA, I had several opportunities to dialogue with other college students about their beliefs about abortion. Through these interactions, I learned not to categorize someone too quickly. To my surprise, many people who initially stated that they supported abortion were less supportive after receiving information. Most of the people I spoke to were not the die-hard leftists I had thought they would be. On the other hand, several people who thought abortion should be illegal turned out to support early abortions! Through outreach with JFA, I discovered that you really don’t know where someone stands on an issue until you ask specific questions.
Andrew gained an understanding of pro-choice advocates and of himself through outreach that he could not have gained otherwise. That’s why JFA has found Seat Work and Feet Work to be such a powerful combination. Seat Work provides the tools for creating good conversations, but Feet Work gives a real-life opportunity to practice using those tools, to get rid of false caricatures of the people we’re trying to reach, and to explore ways to grow in dialogue skills.
Andrew found that creating conversations during Feet Work gave him a third dose of confidence so that it was natural for him to continue creating dialogue about abortion after the JFA events (Repeat Work):
The [seminar] and outreach JFA allowed me to take part in have prepared me for several discussions since their visit to campus. In dialogues with fellow students, finding common ground has been very important as have techniques such as “trotting out the toddler.” I am thankful for the opportunity I had to volunteer with JFA and to develop my convictions and my ability to share them.
“The [seminar] and outreach JFA allowed me to take part in have prepared me for several discussions since their visit to campus.”
Andrew initially had the same hesitance to have conversations that most people have. His biggest hurdle was his first conversation. Once that hurdle was past, creating more conversations did not seem so daunting. Andrew’s story demonstrates that gaining knowledge at a JFA seminar and taking a first dialogue step at a JFA outreach event can produce bold action on behalf of the unborn.
Are you someone who wants to be prepared for these kinds of conversations, but you’re hesitant like Andrew was? Do you know someone in the same boat? You can gain confidence like Andrew did by participating in JFA’s training program, including a Feet Work event. You can find upcoming opportunities on the JFA Event Calendar. Or, inquire about JFA Mission Trip opportunities.
We thank God that he used Justice For All, in partnership with Andrew’s very supportive college pastor and church, to help Andrew gain the confidence to be able to regularly and graciously share his views about abortion with his peers. Thank you for supporting the mission of JFA so that we can offer Seat Work and Feet Work experiences to others who simply lack the confidence to start the conversation. Through thousands of bold advocates like Andrew, we can truly make abortion unthinkable for millions – one conversation at a time.
- Jeremy Gorr, for the JFA Team
JFA's Three Essential Skills Are the Life of the Party
Impact Report: October 2013
PREFACE
JFA’s alumni want to do one thing with their JFA training: practice. They attend multiple Seat Work and Feet Work events, and they want to teach others. They are a treasure because they come back time and again to JFA outreach events to help us reach thousands of students on campuses each year. They’re also a treasure because of what their JFA training has enabled them to do when JFA trainers can’t be present.
“It’s become something that I do almost instinctively now — asking the right kinds of questions.” - Anthony Trent
In this Impact Report from October 2013, Kansas volunteer Anthony Trent shares in his own words the story of how he went from the fire of his second JFA training experience to the frying pan of a party of naysayers. He was ready to turn the debate into a dialogue.
Thank you for helping us give Anthony and hundreds of others like him the tools they need to be confident when the pressure is on.
THE STORY
Last weekend I had a pretty incredible experience. It was Labor Day weekend, a Sunday night, and I happened to be in Wichita visiting a friend who was hosting a party. Nothing seemed to be abnormal or different than most group functions I’ve attended. Of course, there was an understanding that many of this friend’s friends didn’t really share the same beliefs I held.
The timing was interesting because a week beforehand I had participated in my second JFA seminar and outreach at Wichita State University. Many of the people at the party were WSU students.
Later in the evening, the subject of the JFA outreach was brought up. After saying I participated in that event, one of the guys there said, “Yeah, well, we were making fun of that all day it was there. It was stupid.” I replied, “Why was it stupid? We were asking questions and promoting dialogue with pro-choice students.” After asking more questions, it was clear he didn’t have a reason for belittling the outreach, and he admitted it.
This conversation, not surprisingly, sparked a debate about abortion. While the room seemed to erupt in aggressive talking points and pseudo-listening, a person named Cole and I had a one-on-one conversation about abortion. Cole believed abortion was a woman’s right during the first two trimesters of pregnancy. We found common ground that third-trimester abortions were immoral and that it makes sense to consider the unborn to be human persons when the pregnancy is far enough along that premature babies can survive.
I later found out that Cole considered personhood to be based on a sort of self-awareness—“the ability to know I exist independently.” As I proposed to him the Equal Rights Argument and how his explanation of rights based on self-awareness excluded newborns and third-trimester children, though, he knew it couldn’t work. The conversation went on for three hours as he tried to propose new functional abilities that might bestow human rights. I then asked him, “What is the one trait that every person in this room has in common?” We came to the conclusion that it was our human nature. As we talked even more, Cole came to the conclusion that abortion should be made illegal, even in cases of rape.
Not only was my conversation with Cole refreshing, but the other people at the party also gave me some hope. As one girl came back from a late-night McDonalds run, she sighed, “Oh, another judgmental pro-lifer.” Another person spoke up: “Oh no, this guy is different. He’s listening and is making an intelligent, logical case.”
Now back to the friend I was visiting in Wichita. She attended the Abortion: From Debate to Dialogue seminar a week beforehand, and she was silently overhearing the conversation the whole time. The next day we talked about the conversation, and she said, “I finally understood how that training can be put into a real conversation and that it really does work.”
This is why I support Justice For All. It’s small moments like these that give me assurance we can win the culture for Life. Just one year ago, I would not have been able to have productive conversations like these. This is the purpose of the training. Rather than just holding a brochure or pointing students toward an exhibit, the purpose is to use the skills we’ve learned as an ambassador for our Lord, and to do that on a daily basis. I can’t thank this staff enough for equipping me to love those with whom I speak. Thank you, and God bless.
- Anthony Trent
COMMENT
After reading this story, I asked Anthony whether he would have spoken up at the party before his JFA training. “I definitely would have entered into the conversation,” he said, “but it would have been much more like a debate. I would have been a really bad ambassador… I would have just taken his comments, blown them up, and intellectually humiliated him.” Fresh from two rounds of Seat Work and Feet Work with JFA, though, Anthony went into the party living out JFA’s Three Essential Skills: asking questions with an open heart, listening to understand, and finding common ground when possible.
When the outreach event was mocked, Anthony didn’t respond in kind. He asked a clarifying question. Instead of reveling in a one-against-many showdown featuring him at the center, Anthony opted for a one-on-one format in which he could listen.
When Anthony learned that Cole was pro-choice, he could have simply listed off his best pro-life arguments, whether Cole was interested or not. Instead, Anthony started with common ground: adults deserve an equal right to life. Then he labored with Cole for three hours over Cole’s explanations of those equal rights. When it became clear to Cole that his explanations were flawed, Anthony was ready—ready to give him a hand up with the more satisfying explanation that we deserve equal rights because we have the same human nature. It was then a very small step for Cole to embrace the unborn as humans who share that nature. If you want to learn how to approach a conversation from the Equal Rights perspective like Anthony did, join us for an upcoming JFA training event. Until then, enjoy stories from JFA missionaries in a newsletter collection entitled “The Equal Rights Argument."
Since the party Anthony has continued to put his JFA training into practice. He’s created other Repeat Work conversations in his everyday life, and he’s joined the JFA team for six additional days of outreach, including one he arranged on his own campus (see photo above). For more discussion with Anthony about the value of practicing the Three Essential Skills, see my interview with him at www.jfaweb.org/Impact/Anthony-Interview.
What could have been a disaster became a delight for Anthony, for Cole, and for the others at the party. Thank you for helping us train pro-life advocates like Anthony to change hearts and minds in their everyday lives.
- Stephen Wagner, Director of Training
Amanda, Kim, and Lucy
March 2012
Amanda kneels to make her mark signifying that she thinks human rights begin at fertilization.
She made a beeline for our table, knelt down, and drew her line directly below the conception photo, signifying her view that human rights begin at that point. Later that day, she helped save a child from abortion.
This is how it happened.
After Amanda stopped to give her opinion during a Justice For All outreach at Wichita State University (WSU), I asked her why she drew her line at conception and whether or not she ever gets into conversations with people who disagree with her.
Amanda said that as a Christian she knew abortion was wrong but wished she knew how to make a strong case for the pro-life position to her non-religious friends.
She was eager to learn, so over the course of the next 20 minutes, I gave her a crash-course version of the Abortion: From Debate to Dialogue seminar. The conversation was very animated, and Amanda was a quick learner.
Catherine and Amanda talk near the JFA Kiosk.
As we talked, Amanda became pensive and shared that earlier that week her friend at work, “Kim,” had told her she was planning to get an abortion. Amanda realized the situation was urgent because Kim is only 19, has already had one abortion, is raising two small children, and has an unstable relationship with her boyfriend.
“Amanda believes that God brought JFA to her campus as an answer to her prayer.”
Kim is not a Christian, so Amanda didn’t think it would help to use the Bible to talk her out of abortion. During the two days prior to the outreach at WSU, Amanda had been praying for God to somehow give her the words she would need to boldly reach out to Kim with love. Amanda said she believed God had brought JFA to her campus that day as an answer to her prayer.
I then gave Amanda a copy of the JFA Exhibit Brochure and showed her how to give Kim a two-minute summary. We also discussed Choices Medical Clinic, which provides local resources for women who are considering abortion. I helped Amanda brainstorm how to broach the topic with Kim naturally. We prayed together, hugged, and traded contact information before Amanda had to leave for work.
That afternoon, Amanda gave Kim a ride to work, stopping for coffee along the way. She told Kim that some people had come to her campus to talk about abortion and that she thought Kim ought to look at the information they were handing out.
Amanda prayed silently and handed Kim the JFA Exhibit Brochure, saying, “I know you’ve had an abortion before, so some of these pictures will be difficult for you to see. But I think it’s important that you look at all of the information in here while you’re deciding what to do. And I want you to know I’m here for you.”
“[JFA’s brochure] made me realize that getting an abortion would be worse for my baby than the bad situation I’m in with my boyfriend.”
The very next day, Kim called Amanda to say that looking through the brochure had caused her to think about everything in a new way. Amanda asked what she meant, and Kim said, “It made me realize that getting an abortion would be worse for my baby than the bad situation I’m in with my boyfriend.” Kim said she had decided against having an abortion!
Kim has since visited Choices Medical Clinic for a free sonogram, counseling, and other care. She and her two children have moved in with her mom. She also has a new, better-paying job, and her baby is due to be born this August.
Please pray for Kim and her children, and please pray for Amanda as she continues to reach out to her friend with truth and love. Amanda says she wants to go through our entire training program and to be more active with JFA in the near future.
Note: There’s more to this story. Keep reading.
GOD WAS AT WORK IN THE LIVES OF AMANDA AND KIM
"Extras": More Details from Catherine's original March/April 2012 Letter from which the above report was drawn ("On-The-Spot Training Helps Save a Life")
We thank God for orchestrating these events and working through Amanda to pursue Kim and her precious child. Consider these additional details of the story:
For years Amanda had felt God calling her to do something about abortion, but didn’t know what to do.
Amanda and Kim have such different lifestyles that people at their work have wondered aloud why they get along so well. Amanda is convinced it is all by God’s grace, according to His plan.
Our JFA team would not normally have had an outreach at WSU in January. The only reason we were there that week was to test out the new kiosk before taking it all the way to Arizona at the end of the month.
There's another reason we might never have met Amanda; she was only going to stop at the kiosk for a few minutes between classes. But the class she was heading to got canceled, so she had time to stay and get trained!
After talking with Amanda, Kim called the JFA office the following week on a day that I don’t usually answer the phones, but I happened to pick up. She had already decided to keep her child, but she seemed stressed. I felt privileged to be able to listen, process with her, and arrange a three-way call with one of the counselors at Choice Medical Clinic.
APRIL 2012
“Today I had the privilege of seeing a sonogram of the child whose life was spared by God working through me, and as I watched her wiggle around on the screen, we found out she is a precious baby girl :)”
NOVEMBER 2012: ONE (TINY) PERSON AT A TIME
A Note from Catherine Wurts
Dear Family and Friends,
"Lucy"
This spring I wrote to you about Amanda, who I met on her campus in January. Later that day, she shared our brochure with her friend, "Kim," who had already had one abortion and was planning to get a second one.
Kim said that the JFA brochure helped her realize “that getting an abortion would be worse for my baby than the bad situation I’m in with my boyfriend.”
Amanda and I were privileged to attend Kim’s baby shower on my birthday (best birthday present ever), and we got the news in August that her baby girl was born!
When this picture was taken, Amanda was so happy to be able to meet Lucy for the first time!
Kim and Amanda continue to keep in touch. Earlier this month, Amanda sent me the beautiful photo above with the message, “I’m hoping to meet her soon!” And last week, she sent me the photo below of herself holding Kim’s baby girl with the message, “Finally met her!”
I am so grateful to God for the grace and courage he has given these two young women, and for the life of this beautiful baby girl. Thank you for partnering with me in this mission. Together we are making abortion unthinkable, one person at a time.
In Christ,
Catherine Wurts
DECEMBER 2013: YOU HELPED SAVE THIS GIRL'S LIFE!
A Note from Catherine Wurts
Dear Family and Friends,
Last year I shared a story with you about meeting Amanda the day after her friend, “Kim,” told her she was planning to get an abortion.
Amanda holds "Lucy," now one year old.
After we spoke, Amanda shared the JFA brochure with Kim, and it changed her mind. In Kim’s words, “It made me realize that getting an abortion would be worse for my child than the bad situation I’m in with my boyfriend.”
Kim’s baby girl “Lucy” was born last August!
Amanda continues to be a positive presence in Kim and Lucy’s lives. Last month I got a text message from Amanda. I opened it to find the photo you see nearby, along with the following caption: “The first time I saw my precious jewel since she turned 1.” I just had to share this update with you!
We have heard of quite a number of lives that have been saved as a result of pro-life people lovingly sharing our little nine-inch JFA brochure with abortion-minded women. If you would like copies of our brochure so you can be prepared to help a woman in the same way, please [request them here]. I would also be glad to share with you ideas of how to bring up the conversation and how to share the information in the brochure in a loving way, just like I did with Amanda that day.
Thank you for your support of my work at JFA. Whether you send prayers or financial gifts or both, your partnership allows me the great privilege of being here, living out our mission of training thousands to make abortion unthinkable for millions, one person at a time.
In Christ,
Catherine Wurts
Ashley
Reflection on the Justice For All Boulder Outreach
Focus on the Family Institute, September 2003
By Ashley*
I remember the bus ride up to Boulder, talking, laughing with my friends. All the while, in some of the deepest parts of me, I felt some very familiar emotions being pulled. Babies, unwanted pregnancies, abortion, embarrassment . . . I began to remember them all.
I know some of the students I was with were a little nervous. They didn’t have any experience with this stuff and were afraid they didn’t have much wisdom to offer others. In a way it’s sort of true. Unless you have been there . . . unless you know what it feels like to be single, pregnant, in an abusive relationship, maybe even disowned by your family . . . it’s hard to say what you would do. I wish I had been in the same boat with my friends, but I wasn’t. I’d been there; I remember what it felt like.
“I believe in divine appointments . . . the kind that you know only God could have set up for an exact 15 minutes of your whole life.”
No one will know unless I tell them, I thought. I never considered that God would use me. I was broken, embarrassed, and ashamed. I was surrounded by 87 students who had more character and integrity than I had ever seen and I felt their strong, honorable lives were more valuable than my destructive past.
I knew we were all sinners, but my sin was different . . . you could see it. Everyone else got to quietly discuss their issues with God, while mine was displayed for the whole world to see for nine months. There’s a stigma that comes with unwed mothers, especially in the Christian community. Sometimes I still wonder if my Christian friends see me as “Ash” or “Ash that had a baby.”
I was intrigued standing around the exhibit, listening to debates, arguments, and people just sharing so vulnerably with strangers that you know a lot about a person after only a few minutes. Everyone was being real and a fire was starting inside me. This issue was so close to my heart.
A year and a half earlier I found out I was pregnant with a guy that I should have never dated. Not walking with the Lord, and all options on the table, I seriously considered abortion. I remember when I made the appointment, I wanted it done as soon as possible and the woman on the phone told me that we had to wait six to eight weeks because the baby was so small right now that they wouldn’t be able to tell if they got it all out.
It was only a couple of days afterwards that I decided against the abortion. It wasn’t a heroic gesture to save my baby’s life. It wasn’t a good moral decision based on the idea that all life is sacred. It just felt wrong to me. Though I wasn’t walking with the Lord, the Holy Spirit was with me and wouldn’t let me go through with it. I gave birth to my son on January 13, 2003, and gave him to an amazing adoptive family.
I believe in divine appointments . . . the kind that you know only God could have set up for an exact 15 minutes of your whole life. I was surrounded by a crowd of people, all standing in silence looking up at the giant, horrific pictures.
In the background you could hear side conversations and debates, but they are all drowned out by a voice in your head, trying to comprehend these pictures. Are they real? This is so wrong. These can’t be real. You finally gain your composure after your breath is literally taken away, and you muster up something to say, maybe to yourself, maybe to the person next to you.
“I would have another sibling, but my mom had an abortion,” said the young man standing next to me. His eyes didn’t move from the pictures. I’m not sure who he was talking to, maybe anyone who would listen.
As I slowly turned my head to see the tall, thin man, with a baseball cap, and hands in his baggy jean pockets, I hear another person speak out. This time, on my other side. The man, not quite as young as the one on my left, had a beard and glasses. He was holding his girlfriend’s hand. “I participated in an abortion once.” I nodded my head to acknowledge his words and looked down at the ground as I gently moved the grass under my foot.
After what seemed like an eternity, I looked up to make eye contact with him. The girl on his arm had tears streaming down her face. Before I had a chance to speak, she said, “I had an abortion once.” I couldn’t hold it in a second longer – with no reservation I blurted out, “I had an appointment for an abortion once, but I ended up giving him up for adoption.”
The girl let go of her boyfriend’s hand, took a few steps, and collapsed in my arms, sobbing. We held each other and cried, holding nothing back. I sensed other bodies around us and then felt the arms of the two men who had also just shared their hearts with us.
There we were, four strangers in the middle of a college campus, surrounded by hundreds of people, brought together by the Creator of the Universe, to help heal each other’s pain. After the heavy sobs stopped and we began to sniff and wipe our noses, I asked these three strangers if they wanted to pray. None of them spoke, but they all nodded in agreement. I took the girls hand, knowing the guys would follow, and led them away from the crowd, under a tree, where we stood in a circle, holding hands, praying to our Lord.
“This experience wasn’t a highlight of my week, or even semester, but something I will treasure and remember for the rest of my life.”
I have no idea what I said or prayed as we stood under that tree, because it wasn’t me speaking. I spoke truth to them that day, and though I’ll never know how it was received or if I made a difference, I know how they impacted me. As I watched them walk away in different directions, I felt a sense of peace and relief for what the Lord has saved me from. I am forgiven and have been washed as white as snow.
This experience wasn’t a highlight of my week, or even semester, but something I will treasure and remember for the rest of my life. I realized that day that everyone was broken; I wasn’t alone. And despite our brokenness, God still wants to use us for His glory. What an awesome feeling – to be used by our King. He took my shameful past and used it for good.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28
* Name changed. Used by permission.