Labor Days

August 2014 Impact Report

Labor Day traditionally marks the end of summer activities and the beginning of many new sports and academic seasons. In keeping with that tradition, training thousands to make abortion unthinkable in the 2014 to 2015 school year starts now!

In addition to our internship program and other regular training events this summer, we have been laboring to prepare a fall semester full of opportunities for homeschool and high school students, college clubs, and churches. Below you will hear from some of our spring and summer training participants. We hope that their testimony will move you to review our fall training schedule on the back and to come labor with us to bring about more “labor days” across this great land.

- John Michener, for the JFA team

“My JFA internship was simply the first step of my preparation, and a big step it was at that. It taught me not only how to dialogue with others about abortion, but also some of the best people skills ever.” -Anne Marie

Anne Marie Laville (right) is one of several stellar young people who participated in our summer internship program.

“I took a huge step closer to becoming the kind of woman, Christian, and activist that I have always dreamed of becoming. JFA…gave me a compassionate awareness of my audience… It was my joy and pleasure to step so far from my comfort zone that the Lord had to take control. Had the environment at JFA not been so safe and respectful, I would have never achieved such ambitious goals.” -Sarah Mary

Sarah Mary Toce, Regional Coordinator and Legislative Liaison for Louisiana Right to Life, participated in our summer internship program. Our summer internships were designed to train current and future leaders in the pro-life movement.

“It was great! I feel prepared to talk to almost anyone with different views than me… I got to share my faith with a stranger for the first time.” -Jacqueline

“I now feel fully equipped to explain and justify my stance on abortion. It would be great if [JFA] could come to my church.” -Olivia

Jacqueline and Olivia are high school students in Atlanta, Georgia.

“I would not be leading ASU Students For Life (or likely be involved at all) without your mentorship at Xavier [High School] in 2012. It made all the difference. I distinctly remember leaving training that day saying, ‘I want to be as knowledgeable, gentle, loving and active as she is!’ You also gave me the confidence to start those initial conversations at ASU that year and realize that I could actually make a difference. I have you to thank for all of that.” -Maggie

Maggie Otlewski, a student leader at Arizona State University, sent this message to JFA staff member Rebecca Haschke (right).

“A young woman was brought to me (I am post-abortive) because she tearfully shared with one of our youths that she had chosen abortion just eight short weeks ago. [She] was suffering from depression… We talked for quite some time and shared contact info. She is willing to join an abortion recovery group. I am confident that she will experience the healing power of the resurrection. I was reminded of the many who suffer from this violent abortion industry.” -Judy

Judy Caracheo is a regular JFA volunteer who helps us minister at outreach events to those who are hurting from abortion.

“It was exciting to see…the expression on their faces as they began to realize that maybe, just maybe, their ideas might be false. The ‘aha’ moments… I was encouraged as well by those who would themselves open up the conversation for sharing the Gospel. Nothing was forced, just natural. The idea of putting a proverbial pebble in their shoe became a reality. It is possible. It is doable.” -Kristi

Kristi Moore is a homeschool mom who went on a JFA mission trip to Denton, Texas with her two teenage daughters.

From Mum to Mom

Impact Report: July 2012

Mum was the word. She was too scared to tell even her mom.

Gloria & Josh at Metro State, Denver, CO (April 2011)

It was a sunny afternoon in April on the first day of our outreach at Metro State in Denver, Colorado. A petite, dark-eyes, raven-haired, Hispanic girl stood staring at the Justice For All Exhibit. "Gloria" had recently learned that she was eight weeks pregnant. She shared that she was trying to decide what to do and felt that God had been sending her signs not to abort. She said that she never walked through the area where the exhibit was stationed. Gloria thought our 18-foot-tall exhibit was definitely the biggest sign that God would send her way.

She had not yet told her parents and was afraid to do so. My good friend and fellow missionary, Bubba, put one hand on her shoulder and one hand on mine. In a holy triangle, he prayed one of the most touching prayers I have ever heard, asking for God's grace and courage to be upon Gloria. The next day Gloria sought me out and introduced her boyfriend "Josh." They had stayed up all night excitedly talking about their future. After encouraging them further and exchanging contact information, they left to go visit Alternatives Pregnancy Center to get free help and support.

On Cinco de Mayo I sent Gloria an email to see how she was doing, and I asked if she had talked to her Mom. She wrote back:

Some days I'm more worried than others, and this stresses me out almost daily... I can't stop thinking about the pregnancy and how it is going to change my life... I haven't told my mom yet. I really don't know when or how I'm going to tell her. I'm very worried she'll be disappointed and upset...but frankly this is something that I can't keep postponing... Josh and I are doing great. He is very supportive (just as he always has been), and I am very thankful for him...

Anyways, thank you for writing to me; it's nice to...know that there is somebody there willing to listen, or in this case read my thoughts, so thank you.

God did not mean for people to handle the pressure of major life events, like having a baby, alone. They need support. At this point, Josh was Gloria's only support. I advised her to talk to her mom soon.

How did we know Gloria was in need? How did we know she was struggling with hear and indecision? As Christians we cannot wait in our church buildings and homes for people in need to stumble across our paths or announce to the world that they are trying to make a life-and-death decision. At a minimum, we must be willing to ask questions and start a conversation. At Justice For All, that is our mission. We will teach you the questions to ask. We will model for you how to start a conversation. Then, we will model for you how to start a conversation. Then, we will go with you to find the next Gloria who needs you to be an ambassador for Christ (II Cor. 5:20).

Just after Independence Day I was sorting some pictures from the spring when I came across one of Gloria and Josh. I sent it to them immediately and asked Gloria if she had talked to her mom. She responded:

Gloria & Josh’s son, William, at five weeks

Oh wow...thank you so much for that picture! It's great! I can't wait to show Josh...it just showcases one of the many steps we have taken throughout my pregnancy...

Concerning my mom, you're not going to believe me, but I actually still haven't told her. My absolute deadline is next week because I'm having 21-week ultrasound... I would like for my mom to be there for that....

She finally talked to her mom. Just after Thanksgiving I sat by the fireplace basking in the radiance of our freshly adorned Christmas tree when I heard the familiar ping! from my computer. I only thought I was feeling in the Christmas spirit before, but then I read Gloria's email:

I am happy to announce that...our son was born on Monday...weighing in at almost nine pounds! ... He is beautiful and healthy and vivacious. Josh and I are very proud and very much in love with our son... My mom has also been an incredible support and was by my side every step of the way...

I wanted to let you know that...you and your team made a huge contribution to the quality of my life: You indirectly helped birth my son, and...this one life you did touch is breathing today because of the selflessness, love, and devotion your team has for the beauty of LIFE.

Your efforts are never in vain.

The people surrounding Gloria with encouragement may have made her choice easier. Beginning with Josh and the immediate pro-life community, then expanding to her mom and whole family, they were all there for her, encouraging her, throwing baby showers, and loving her baby. Still, she had struggled with what to do, and she had even waited through over half the pregnancy to tell her mom. Imagine how hard it must be to have no support, and on top of that, to have you peers and culture tell you that you have a fundamental "right" to kill your child.

Once we as Christians have been brave enough to ask a question and have a conversation, we can't stop there. After all, who is my neighbor? It is not enough to simply speak up for the unborn. We must surround women with strong support, emotionally and in practical ways. Fathers, families, churches, and resources centers must be more than passively poised for action--they must proactively find, encourage, and equip women to recognize the lies of our culture and to embrace the truth, knowing that they will be doing the right thing and knowing that they will be supported.

Gloria now looks back with clarity and confidence that she did the right thing. She wants other moms to know that they can get to the other side, too. They don't have to remain mum; they can go to mom, or to other sources of support to help them do the right thing. Here is Gloria's note from New Year's:

Happy New year! I hope 2012 brings you infinite joy, success, love, and many good, deep belly laughs.

My son is five weeks old today and beautiful and healthy as ever. I wanted to thank you for sharing our story. If William's life could save others, and provide hope and inspiration to other young moms who are confused and scared just like I was, then by all means, share our story with whomever you think may benefit from hearing about William...

--John Michener, for the JFA team

Jordan Crosses the Jordan

Impact Report May 2014

Jordan Newhouse has been participating in JFA Seat Work and Feet Work events for years in Arizona.  Recently, she was inspired to start a conversation with a total stranger without the aid of JFA events or JFA mentors.  In this Impact Report, you’ll hear about what motivated Jordan to take this next step of ministry that we call “Repeat Work.”

Jordan has also decided to take an additional next step of serving as a one-year intern with JFA in Kansas.  We’re elated.  Please pray with us for her safe journey next month.   Pray that God will use the year ahead to help her grow in her ability to pass on to others the skills of dialogue and the heart for people that she expresses in the story below.  - Stephen Wagner, Director of Training

Jordan Newhouse, a JFA volunteer in Tucson, Arizona recently sent me this email message:

Jordan helps a student at Arizona State University (ASU) learn to use the JFA Exhibit Brochure to change hearts.

Tonight I saw [a] movie...that made me ask myself the question, “If I believe God’s not dead, but the people around me will be sooner or later, what am I doing about it?”  This question made me think of the one you posed to your colleagues at Beefy’s.  I had read all three newsletters some time ago, but went back and reread them tonight.  [See www.jfaweb.org/Beefy to read the story.] 

I believe I need to talk to someone tomorrow—start a conversation with a stranger and see where God leads it.  Tim, in his newsletter...suggested Starbucks.  You suggested not going alone.  My friend and I are going out tomorrow, and she suggested Starbucks.

So all that to say, would you please pray for me and my friend, that we would be bold to follow God’s leading?  I’m asking you in writing because if I do, then I’ll have to update you—so  it’s for accountability.

I read Jordan’s email with interest.  The story about our impromptu evangelism at Beefy’s on the Green was special to me.  I was glad to hear that the story inspired Jordan to think that she, too, could reach out to a stranger in her own neighborhood.  But here’s something that’s even more exciting: Jordan followed through!  She reported:

My friend and I did go to Starbucks, and I talked with two people.  The first conversation lasted only a couple of minutes, but the second was longer—about a half hour!

While another JFA volunteer listens, Jordan visits with a student at ASU in February.  Jordan is coming to JFA’s Kansas office next month to begin a one-year internship!

I asked Kristen...if I could sit with her, and she said I could. To dive into the conversation, I said, “Last night I went to see a movie with a couple of friends, and it got me thinking. I wanted to ask a complete stranger a question, just to get a different perspective. The movie was called God’s Not Dead.  What do you think of that idea—is God dead?”

Basically, her answer was that it depends on what you believe.  You can choose what to believe, and it will affect your life, but it can be different from what someone else believes, and “it’s all good.”  That’s the sort of thing she kept coming back to as we talked about everything from how things were created to what happens after you die.  It was a very interesting conversation with good give and take.  I left her my email, so maybe it will continue.  She did say she thought it was cool that I was crazy enough to start the conversation!

Engaging friends, family members, and total strangers in conversation about the things that matter most is a challenge.  It’s the sort of boundary that the Jordan River was to the Israelites.  It feels impassable, for emotional and spiritual reasons.  Whether we’re discussing abortion or what happens after death, we don’t want to mess things up, so we often don’t start the conversation at all.  We also don’t want to bother people, and as a result, our politeness helps them only to languish in a life without God, in a life without truth. 

How was Jordan able to cross this Jordan River into a Promised Land of seeking to save the lost?  While it’s not apparent on the surface of her two emails, Jordan and her community worked hard to prepare the way for this seemingly simple moment.  Jordan took part in many Seat Work and Feet Work events with JFA in Tucson and Phoenix.  Faithful JFA supporters Paul and Cheryl Wilson encouraged her and created frequent opportunities for additional local outreach where she could continue to practice.  Because Jordan invested her time wisely in the right kinds of training activities, Repeat Work became more than possible—it became her next natural step as an ambassador for Christ.

Note: Jordan’s poem “I can agree...with him?” illustrates the heart of JFA’s approach to dialogue, and the poem synthesizes two influences especially important to Jordan in her formation as an ambassador for Christ: the Bible and outreach.  Find it here: www.jfaweb.org/Jordan-Poem. 

JFA Mentors: Indispensable

JFA accomplishes its mission of making abortion unthinkable for millions through volunteers who develop confidence to start their own conversations.  How did one JFA volunteer named Rebecca come to believe she could do this?  JFA’s intentional mentoring process.

In this Impact Report, JFA mentor Jacob Burow shows the steps he and JFA’s other mentors take to help volunteers like Rebecca learn to start life-changing and life-saving conversations. -Stephen Wagner, Director of Training

Rebecca (red hair on left) meets Jacob Burow, the JFA trainer who will mentor her through the training program.

I noticed right away that Rebecca was very inquisitive. During a break in the seminar, she stayed to ask question after question. With a background in debate, she was intrigued by the arguments we taught, but she was especially fascinated by the way we teach people to dialogue.

On the first day of outreach she listened intently to my conversations, noting how I started them, as well as how I navigated them using the various techniques we teach in the seminar.

Rebecca and Jacob discuss her questions before she starts her own conversations.

After listening to several of my conversations, Rebecca had questions. We sat and talked about pro-choice arguments and the best pro-life responses to those arguments. I could tell that Rebecca was ready for her own conversations, so I challenged her to start one.

“I was thinking I would just listen today, and maybe talk to someone tomorrow. Is that alright?” she asked.

“You can,” I replied, “but you might regret it.”

“What do you mean?”

I explained how other volunteers had reported after the outreach that they were sad not to have overcome their fears sooner. They realized how many opportunities for life-changing conversations they had missed.

“I would be happy to go with you to listen and help if you get stuck,” I encouraged her.

Rebecca listens to Jacob in conversation on her first day of JFA outreach at the University of Central Oklahoma.

“No, I am going to do this alone. I’ll come back if I have questions.”

I was proud of her as she headed off to the Justice For All Exhibit. Later I went to check on her and found that she had already had eight conversations. I answered a few questions, and then she was ready to get back to it. By the end of the day she had had five more in-depth conversations. Here is what she said about the experience:

“It was not difficult to decide to attend a Justice For All (JFA) seminar. I competed in a debate league during high school, and I thought debate and dialogue sounded right up my alley; however, I hadn't been at the seminar long before I realized they were teaching us something more than a mere debate strategy.

By participating in JFA's seminar, we were trained in the art of graceful engagement… I came to understand how to effectively discuss the daunting subject of abortion which, in the past, was a subject I had tried to avoid…

Justice For All was unlike anything else I had experienced… [The mentors] showed me how to reach out to those who don't know truth, and they challenged me to step up my game… I understand now that I don't need to militantly attack those who do not agree with my stance on abortion.”

Thanks to being personally mentored through the JFA training program, Rebecca has the tools and confidence to start this conversation and many others beyond the outreach.

Rebecca learned to show humility and respect in the process of starting tough conversations. I challenged her to continue starting conversations about abortion after the JFA outreach.

That’s actually a challenge for all of us. Too often we desire to stay in our own comfort zones, but that is not where we will find the conversations that we need to have. That is not how we are going to grow as good ambassadors. Rebecca continued,

“God was very good to have me stumble across Justice For All; I am grateful to Him, and to you all. I would like to express a special thanks to my mentor, Jacob, for taking the time to answer my questions and to teach me so much.”

My colleagues and I at JFA are ready to help you step out of your comfort zone and step up to the challenge that is before us. Let us help you learn, like Rebecca, how to share the truth about abortion, one person at a time.

    - Jacob Burow

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

Taking Paul to Heart

2013 summer interns from top left:  Hannah Williamson, Gabi Vehrs, Katie Worley,   CK Wisner, Sarah Dufresne, Holly Meath

We can't end abortion by sending just a few JFA staff members to dialogue lovingly and persuasively with pro-choice people. Even taking trained volunteers with us will not be enough. In order to see a major change in our culture, we must entrust what we have learned to extraordinary volunteers who will go on to train others as well.

The words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy, his young disciple, have shaped how we have trained pro-life ambassadors at JFA over the years: “What you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2).

This summer’s internship program brought six of these faithful people together so we could put Paul’s principle into practice. Here is what some of our interns and training staff had to say about the experience.

The summer internship was literally life- changing.  I think differently, I talk differently, and, by the grace of God, I believe I'm more effective in training people and more effective in conversations at outreaches.        -CK Wisner

We spent the summer teaching, training, doing outreach, actively seeking to serve the Lord, to serve women, and to serve unborn babies inside the womb...  I remember how those in our groups were responding to the information.  I will never forget the way that certain individuals looked at me with curious and inviting eyes that reflected hearts willing to learn, to grow, and ultimately to love.  I realized in a very tangible way what a great gift and great responsibility it is to teach and equip hearts and minds with the truth about abortion.     -Sarah Dufresne

The interns exceeded my expectations all summer...  They were so good when they got up to teach during our seminars that I almost fell off my chair a couple of times.  I’m looking forward to seeing what God will do through them in the future.     -Tim Brahm, Staff Trainer

 In another letter Paul exhorts Timothy to teach the truth, and then says, “Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example...” (1 Tim. 4:12).  Intern Katie Worley expressed how she is taking this advice to heart:

The...workshops were one of the greatest learning and growing experiences I’ve had so far at JFA.  With my new improved skills, I’m excited to return to school and better train the members of my club...  My favorite part [is] showing young people that just because they’re young doesn’t mean they can’t make a difference in the fight to end abortion. -Katie Worley

Thank you for supporting our mission and for enabling our team to take Paul’s advice to heart.  With your help we can continue to invest in these young disciples who are training others to be gracious, persuasive ambassadors for life.

- Catherine Wurts

The Power of One

Impact Report April 2013

Our team is comprised of more than just our full-time staff.  We are frequently joined in the field by dedicated volunteers, some of whom have experiences and special gifts that help us in our work.  Angela Weatherly is one of these volunteers, and in this report she shares her story. 

Thank you for helping us provide opportunities for hope and healing while we attempt to make abortion unthinkable. - David Lee, Execuive Director

I was in the restroom at a Justice For All outreach when staff member John Michener texted me saying, “Where are you? I need you.” I texted him back, “Give me a minute. I’ll be right there.” I came out to meet a young lady who was obviously tortured by guilt. She had been only fifteen years old when her mother forced her to have an abortion against her will. During our intimate conversation, I encouraged her to consider Christ’s forgiveness and seek counseling. We ended our time together in a warm embrace. I still pray for her healing.

Why did JFA turn to me to minister to this girl? I began volunteering with JFA more than two years ago, but the story begins many years before that.

Angela at a Justice For All outreach event

I was the first child that my biological mother decided not to raise. So I was adopted at birth by two wonderful people. I was their one and only child, and I was given everything a child could want by my doting parents. For six years everything was perfect. Then, just before my seventh birthday, I lost my father, my grandfather, and my great-grandmother, leaving me the only child of a single mother in a time before single parents were common.

I was a good girl all the way through high school. I didn’t miss school or cause trouble. I didn’t smoke or drink. I didn’t even dance, much less party. I was on the honor roll and graduated among the top of my class. I was the good one.

My mom and I were in church every time the doors were open. I became a Christian as a young girl during Vacation Bible School. I was in the choir, and I served as a youth leader, teaching other young ladies the importance of abstinence. Later, I became a Sunday school teacher, the church secretary, and the church treasurer.

During high school my body started doing weird things, and doctors put me on birth control pills to help regulate my cycles. But they also said, “By the way, when you’re on this stuff, the likelihood of you getting pregnant is less than one percent.” Hmmm…the power of one suggestion.

Before I turned twenty-five, I decided to rebel. I had done the church thing and been the good girl. I wanted to have some fun, so I did. The power of one decision.

One day I was not feeling well, so I went to the doctor. Imagine my shock and horror when the nurse told me that I was pregnant. My worst nightmare had begun…and so did the voice. The voice in my head said, “But you’re the good one! How can you be pregnant? Are you going to disappoint everyone?” Then the nurse asked a question. “Would you like to be referred to an abortion clinic…or an OB/GYN? Which number do you want?” Again, the power of one suggestion.

In that moment, my life changed forever as I made the decision to end my pregnancy. What they told me was that it was only a clump of cells, that it could not survive outside my body. It was up to me to choose when to become a mother. The procedure was quick and easy, and it would take care of my problem.

What I told myself was that I was the only one. No one at church would ever do so heinous a thing, so they would never know that I had—this abortion would be my one secret. I could not disappoint my mother, my mother’s friends, or our church. They just couldn't know. I was the good one.

What no one told me was that the guilt would be immediate, the emptiness overwhelming, and that the sound of the vacuum would haunt me forever. I can still feel the cold table and the ice-cold clamps. I can still feel the pressure inside as my one and only child was being removed. I still remember the sparse recovery room where there was no sound—none. Three other women were disbursed about the room. We did not make eye contact or speak. The silence was deafening. Our bodies, our minds, and our spirits knew that we had ended our babies’ lives.

Pain, confusion, isolation, and even thoughts of suicide became my constant companions for years. Why, you may be asking, would I bear my soul to you? Why share something so embarrassing, something that I will regret for the rest of my life? Because I want you to know the power that just one individual, one suggestion, and one choice can have to change the future.

All I needed was one person to tell me no, one person to tell me the truth about how I would feel for the next twenty-five years. That’s why I bear my soul to you; because I want to be that one person to you. Hear me. I understand the power of the secret. I have dedicated my life to spreading the truth about abortion, to spreading the truth that there is grace and mercy beyond the secret.

So that is how I came to be in the bathroom that day. That is why I travel on mission trips with JFA. On another trip in Boulder, Colorado I met several young ladies who had experienced abortion when they were teenagers. I wish I could explain the pain I saw buried inside each of them. That pain in their lives, and in mine, motivates me to be the voice that tells them, “I know how it feels. Let me talk to you. Let me show you healing.”

Last year we were at the University of North Texas, and once again I was in the restroom. The Holy Spirit thinks it’s funny to schedule my divine appointments while I’m indisposed. Again, John texted me: “Are you ready?” I introduced myself to a young lady who had just had an abortion two months before I met her. I sat and held her, and we cried. Her experience was so similar to mine. She had thought she was the only one. We got her connected with local counseling so she could begin the healing process. I was also part of a team that visited a woman who was contemplating abortion. I’m happy to report that that little baby is out and about these days.

The power of one. On one side Satan offers you one little suggestion, one little choice, one little secret you can choose that will solve your one little problem. Of course the problem isn’t so little, and neither is the choice or the secret.

On the other side, God offers hope and healing. He offers mercy and grace. Will you help me share the message of reconciliation? You can cover for me while I’m in the bathroom.

by Angela Weatherly

ed. John Michener

---

In addition, pray for these JFA volunteers who have received forgiveness for abortion and who help us share the message of reconciliation. Some of their stories are linked below:

Angela: "The Power of One" (Regular JFA Volunteer, writing in 2013)

Anne (Regular JFA Volunteer, writing in 2013)

Judy (Regular JFA Volunteer since 2011)

Lori (Regular JFA Volunteer since 2011; JFA Mentor since 2012)

Brenda (Regular JFA Volunteer since 2011)

Yvonne Morris

Miriam's Seminar Ends Up in the Abortion Clinic

Impact Report: January 2013

PREFACE

A friend pulled Miriam out of bed one Saturday morning to take her to a pro-life training seminar JFA missionary Jon Wagner had arranged when he was a student at Azusa Pacific University.  It was the first in a series of small steps that ultimately led to a big decision — right inside an abortion clinic.

Time Magazine proclaimed on January 14, 2013, that “40 Years Ago, Abortion-Rights Activists Won an Epic Victory with Roe v. Wade.  They’ve Been Losing Ever Since.”  If Time is correct, we think the efforts of pro-life advocates like Miriam are the most exciting illustration of progress.  It’s small steps like hers, along with the small steps of each of us, that can change our culture.  

THE STORY

I’m writing to share with you a story of how your influence as an organization is like a pebble in a pond, whose ripples keep spreading and spreading.

In 2005, I was fortunate enough to attend JFA’s Abortion: From Debate to Dialogue seminar.  It ignited a passion which led me to attend your March 2005 trip to Texas.  I’ve since been to four more seminars and three more campus outreaches.  Needless to say, JFA’s ministry has etched itself on my heart.

A couple years ago, when it was my turn to bring the devotion to my family’s weekly dinner night, I decided to present a mini version of the JFA seminar, using my JFA training materials.  I passed out the JFA Exhibit brochure, and I even facilitated my parents and siblings and their significant others to role-play “pro-choice person” and “pro-life person.”  It went very well, and that was that. I hadn’t thought about that night for a long time, until it was brought back into my mind in a very big way.

“JFA’s ministry has etched itself on my heart.”

When I gave that mini training, my sister was dating a nice guy named “Damien,” so he was there for the training.  Later on, he and my sister went their separate ways and Damien began dating another girl, “Mindy.”  Recently, my sister came back into contact with Damien, and he shared an incredible story with her.

A few months after he began dating Mindy, they found out she was pregnant.  Being young students with only part-time jobs, they decided on abortion.  They made the appointment and went into the clinic.  When Mindy left to have the procedure done, Damien sat alone in the waiting room.  He said that suddenly all the things he had learned that night at the mini JFA training came flooding back to his mind.  

He became very frantic and forced his way to the room where Mindy was.  He begged and pleaded with her not to go through with the abortion.  In those few seconds, he blurted out everything he remembered from the training and told her he’d do whatever it took to make it work.  She said she’d think about it; then the clinic personnel forced him to leave.  Damien sat in his car and cried for two hours while he assumed his girlfriend was aborting their child.

Later that day, she called him and told him that she thought about what he had said, and she had decided not to go through with the abortion.  Today, his beautiful little girl, “Sophia,” is the joy of his life, and he told my sister that he can’t imagine life without sweet Sophia.

- Miriam Bernard

COMMENT

Miriam talks to a University of Texas student during her first JFA mission trip.

Miriam’s story is a series of small steps — steps which may not have seemed to her to change hearts or save lives.  When she had the natural opportunity to share what she had learned with her family, she took it.  She was doing what JFA trainers regularly teach in our seminar: focus on being a faithful ambassador for Christ and leave the results to him.

Once in a while God gives us a glimpse of the work he’s doing through that faithfulness, and in Miriam’s case we all have the joy of seeing how her small steps had a big impact in the lives of Damien, Mindy, and Sophia.

Those who support JFA also take steps to make sure our team can keep working full-time to save children from abortion.  Sometimes, to them, their steps seem insignificant, but God is pleased to use those small steps to make a big impact.  

The close of Miriam's letter is as much a note to our faithful supporters, as it is to our staff:

THANK YOU for the impact you have made on me, and for giving me the tools to share the truth about abortion in love and common sense with people like Damien. One can never know when those morsels of truth will surface and affect major decision-making.  Because of JFA, Sophia is alive and loving her daddy today.  

- Stephen Wagner
Director of Training

Seat Work + Feet Work = Repeat Work

Impact Report: November 2012

Preface

We describe the JFA training program in terms of Seat Work, Feet Work, and Repeat Work.  

The duty of JFA mentors is to guide their student volunteers through an interactive seminar and then shepherd them as they practice their skills at an outreach where they talk to people in real time, many of whom really disagree!  The expected outcome?  Students will experience making a difference, and they will want to continue using their skills to change hearts and save lives.  In other words:

Seat Work (SW) + Feet Work (FW) = Repeat Work (RW)

From start to finish, Conny’s story exemplifies this simple equation.  See for yourself.

The Story

Last year I participated in the Justice For All training program.  I had several conversations during the outreach day, but one in particular changed my world.

Feet Work: Connie at a University of Nebraska outreach

“Amy” was writing on the Free Speech Board when I asked her how she felt about abortion.  She responded that it did not matter how she felt and that we should all die for putting girls at her school through the trauma of seeing pictures of abortion.  Amy seemed to hate me without even having talked to me first.

I was distraught by this.  I hated that my actions were causing pain, but I thought of the countless children who would die that day, and I stood my ground.  Little did I know that Amy’s friend “Lisa” had been raped repeatedly by the same assailant, resulting in five pregnancies.

Each time that Lisa had become pregnant, she had gotten an abortion.  Her rapist was eventually found, and he is now in prison.  He will never leave jail.

It was Amy, the girl standing right in front of me, who had gone with Lisa each time to Planned Parenthood.  Amy had been Lisa’s “Rock of Gibraltar.”

I ended up consoling Amy for the better part of an hour.  Then, she started asking questions about the things that Planned Parenthood had told her and Lisa.  For example, someone there had told them that babies don’t have heart beats until ten weeks.  She related other misrepresentations that I couldn't believe.

By the end of our conversation, she no longer hated me, and she asked for my contact information.  I felt such love for her.  As she left, I promised I would continue to talk to her.

Over the next month we talked—not about abortion, but about life.  We became good friends.  I was there for her when she had bad days, and we bonded.  I learned about her schooling, her faith, her friends, and finally, I learned about her boyfriend.

Her boyfriend…  He was not the ripest apple on the tree, but she insisted she loved him, and they were sexually active.  Eventually, he cheated on her and hurt her deeply.  She came to me to talk about it, and we hung out together.

The day Amy found out that her boyfriend had cheated on her was significant in another way:  she also learned that she was pregnant.  She had no idea what to do, so I took her to a pregnancy center.

She decided she would have the baby and let her be adopted.  I was overwhelmed with joy.  It was probably the best day of my life.  We laughed and cried together.  Then, to my amazement, she attributed her daughter's life to me!

Amy has since had the baby and given her my middle name!  The baby has been adopted by a wonderful Christian family who love her extremely.

Why do I tell this story?  I hope to inspire others to action.  A wonderful child of God was brought into this world by an hour-long conversation!  To have had this experience is the most encouraging and wonderful gift I have ever received.

-Conny Fiedler

Comment

Such a simple equation.  What a dramatic sum!  Conny graduated last spring from Pius X High School, a private Christian school in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Conny and her classmates first participated in the JFA training program in 2011.  I was privileged to mentor Conny this year during her school’s second year of offering the Justice For All training program to its students.

Thanks for helping us mentor and shepherd students like Conny through Seat Work and Feet Work and into their own opportunities for Repeat Work.

-John Michener, for the JFA Team (2012)

(Note: John Michener served as a Justice For All trainer from 2010-2014.  He is now the Director of Oklahomans United for Life)

Mission Trips—Catalysts for Change

Impact Report September 2012

Thank you for supporting our ministry with your finances and prayers. With your support, we are able to offer mission trips like this one that are transforming people’s lives. Thank you!

David Lee, Executive Director

Stuart Boyes reaching out at the University of North Texas

Stuart stood under the oak trees at the University of North Texas (UNT) and waited for his next divine appointment.

A young lady approached the Justice For All Exhibit, and like a stone statue, she stared at it. It was not raining, but a drop of moisture ran down this statue’s face. Then the statue cracked and became human.

Reacting to this sign, Stuart gently began a conversation. He learned that she had chosen to have an abortion earlier in the year. He asked if she would like to talk about it with someone who had made a similar decision. He then brought her to Lori Navrodtzke and Angela Weatherly, two JFA volunteer missionaries.

Lori and Angela sat with the young woman on a bench under the trees for over two hours. Besides providing her with immediate lay counseling, they were able to connect her with local professional counseling options and a local post-abortion women’s Bible study.

Susan Boyes on the mission field, participating in JFA outreach

Stuart later reflected, “This experience has not only motivated me to be more confident in being able to talk to anyone about Christian values, but has given me the tools to be more effective in doing so.”

Stuart’s learning experience was aided by the combination of Seat Work with Feet Work. He was able to immediately put the skills and principles he learned into practice. His learning was not just theoretical; it was practical.

In addition to the combination of Seat Work with Feet Work, people learn even better in an environment that forces them to immerse themselves in using the skills they are trying to master. That is why many Christian families prioritize a family mission trip.

Many Christians feel that it takes a trip out of the country to accomplish these goals, and they believe they cannot go because of the expense. But there are other ways that families on a tight budget can experience Christian leadership and discipleship training, as evidenced by the Boyes family.

Stuart and Susan Boyes, along with three of their six children, traveled from Oklahoma City to Denton, Texas, for a three-day Justice For All mission trip. On the first day of the trip, the Boyes family attended a seminar, where they studied and practiced how to defend their pro-life beliefs. Then over the next two days, the family went to the mission field, in this case the campus of UNT, to engage students in heart changing dialogue about abortion. This process included Seat Work followed by Feet Work, and they experienced both in a super-charged learning environment.

Stuart explained, “I think the [trip]…provided better learning opportunities because of the fact that we were immersed in learning for three full days… Being away from everything else, I was able to focus on our immediate task without distractions from work, other ministry, and other things that constantly fight for my time and attention.”

Stuart’s seventeen-year-old daughter Jennifer said, “JFA has taught me so much! I have learned skills I can use in any conversation, like asking questions, listening, and finding common ground.”

Stuart concluded, “Thank you so much to the JFA organization and the leaders and mentors, who are so great at training and leading by example, for giving my family and me the opportunity to minister to the students at UNT. This has truly been one the greatest experiences of my life.”

JFA mission trips powerfully transform participants by combining Seat Work with Feet Work and by immersing participants in a focused, intensive learning environment—the mission trip experience. The best part is, from defending life to sharing the gospel, you will not need a passport or shots on a JFA mission trip!

JFA’s cost to provide the educational experiences of the mission trip is approximately $200 per participant. Please consider funding a scholarship, so that more families can attend this leadership and discipleship training program.

Give at www.jfaweb.org/donate and designate the gift “Mission Trips,” or mail your gift to our home office in Wichita, Kansas.

Amanda, Kim, and Lucy

By Catherine Wurts

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.”

— Kim

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 :)”

— — Text Message from Amanda (April 19, 2012)

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

Jinny

Report By David Lee (JFA Founder), 2010

Jinny (right) interacts with fellow Pasadena City College students in 2009.

Jinny, a Pasadena City College (PCC) student, contacted Justice For All (JFA) in fall 2008 to ask if we would ever consider bringing JFA’s training program to her school.

Our initial response: “Probably not in the near future.” However, we encouraged Jinny to pray.  At that time JFA’s May 2009 California training plan only included UCLA and UC-San Diego.

Early in 2009 we saw that UCLA was not going to be possible.  Jinny was still very interested so we began working with her to substitute PCC for UCLA.

Jinny, a 19-year-old, is the ideal student to sponsor JFA’s training program.

She always returned calls, always went the extra mile, reserved numerous training locations at PCC, and recruited volunteers to participate in the JFA training program!

Jinny even took a part-time job to help cover JFA’s expenses related to coming to PCC!  She is the first student in a decade of campus work to take such steps to insure that her school mates would have an opportunity to understand the truth about abortion, and the love of Christ.

Above, left to right: Sarah Torre, Focus on the Family Institute volunteer, Rebecca Haschke, JFA’s newest intern, Steve Wagner, JFA training director, Jinny Li (wearing blue visor) and Jon Wagner, JFA staff.

““Jinny took a part-time job to help pay JFA’s expenses to bring its training to PCC!”

As a result, we had every needed reservation and also hit our training goal (75) for the number of volunteers who participated.

JFA’s training equips volunteers like Jinny to engage anyone, anywhere, at any time with the truth about abortion, and integrate their Hope (I Peter 3:15), Faith (I Corinthians 15:3-4) and Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) into the dialogue.

So it was not a surprise three months later to receive this email from Jinny:

“Sunday night, I got a phone call from a friend.  She was crying because she found out she's pregnant...  I called her Monday and Tuesday but she didn't pick up.  I finally saw her today.

She wants an abortion.  She’s going to Planned Parenthood tomorrow for information.  I’m trying to convince her to keep her baby and to go with me to a crisis pregnancy center.  Can you please pray that she changes her mind?  Thanks, Jinny”

What Jinny didn’t say in her email is that when she met with her friend — Amanda (not her real name), she walked her through the JFA Exhibit Brochure in order to help Amanda understand life before birth (pp. 2- 4) and death by abortion (p.5).  Before leaving that day, Amanda actually asked Jinny if she could see the JFA Exhibit Brochure again!

Despite Jinny’s best efforts, Amanda’s abortion was still scheduled for August 28.  Jinny called JFA to ask what we thought about her calling Amanda’s parents to inform them of their daughter’s continued plan to abort their first grandchild.

Jinny had several fears with making such a call.  What would be the position of Amanda’s parents on the scheduled abortion?  Would a call to Amanda’s parents harm Jinny’s future opportunity to talk with Amanda?

When it became clear that Amanda was not going to return Jinny’s calls before the scheduled abortion date, Jinny called Amanda’s parents.

They were horrified to learn what Amanda was about to do and said they would immediately speak with her.

Jinny’s only earthly contact with Amanda for the next month was through Amanda’s mother.  However, Jinny had plenty of spiritual contact with Amanda through the hundreds of people that Jinny persuaded to pray for Amanda and her baby.

Long story short, here's a portion of the email Jinny received on September 9:

"Hey Jinny. ... Well I just wanted to tell u sorry if I was a little harsh on you. I just felt like it wasn’t your place to tell my parents. But I know that you were trying to help and maybe it was for the best that they found out early on.

Anyways I think I'm keeping the baby! So I’ll keep you updated and send you pics when the little one is born....  I realize that I would probably regret killing it but I would never regret my baby.” —Amanda

““I realize that I would probably regret killing it but I would never regret my baby.””

The last sentence in Amanda’s email speaks to the successful completion of JFA’s mission through Jinny: train students to make abortion unthinkable for their family, friends and strangers, one person at a time.

Words fail to express the value of your support that enables JFA to train students like Jinny, not simply for a JFA outreach event, but for the many divine appointments that they will have throughout their lifetime!

Jinny, now attending San Francisco State, has already asked if we will bring the JFA training program to her new school!  We told her to pray!

Christina

There is one thing we can always be certain of on every campus:  Encountering students who are either considering abortion or who have had an abortion.  Our hope is to connect them as quickly as possible with valuable life-saving resources. 

Having a local pregnancy resource center (PRC) table near our exhibit is invaluable.  Because we’ve been blessed to have the presence of PRC tables manned by directors and volunteers, many lives have been saved and impacted.  Here is one of those stories.

Six years ago I had an encounter with a student on campus that I have never forgotten.  Her name was Christina. 

As she viewed the exhibit I asked, “What do you think about this exhibit?” 

She looked at me and replied angrily,

“I’ve had three of these, what do you think I think about it?” 

My heart broke as I expressed sorrow for her pain.  After sensing my spirit of compassion instead of condemnation, Christina shared her story with me. 

With her first two pregnancies, each boyfriend split after hearing the news.  She got involved with a third guy who promised he would stick by her no matter what.  But she once again discovered she was pregnant and this guy turned out to be the same as the others.

“Thank you ... you’ve given me my life back.”

— Christina

With each pregnancy her mom informed her she would not continue her financial support for her education if Christina didn’t have an abortion.  Her mother also reminded her each time that she wouldn’t be able to continue playing soccer competitively and she would lose her scholarship if she didn’t get an abortion.  Scared and unsure, she chose to follow her mother’s advice each time.

After she finished her story, I asked her if she would be interested in talking with someone who knew her pain firsthand.  She nodded yes. 

I walked with her to the PRC table nearby.  Christina picked up a brochure that listed over 10 symptoms of post-abortion syndrome.  I’ve never forgotten her response: 

“I thought I was the only one feeling this way.”

She spoke to Terri, the PRC director, who had also had three abortions.  Terri shared hope with Christina for the pain and anguish she had been feeling.  Christina took the information on the abortion recovery class that was starting the following week.   She then hugged me and thanked me before she left.

Two days later, Christina came back.  As she walked toward me I noticed something was different.  She was smiling and immediately gave me a hug.  I’ve never forgotten her words: 

“Thank you so much, Tammy. I feel like you’ve given me my life back.  I’m going to start going back to church and also start going through the bible study program at the pregnancy center.  I am a Christian and I think it would be good for me to get back to God.”

Nicholas

“...I saw the [Justice For All] exhibit at the University of North Texas, one month before I got pregnant with Nicholas.

Nick could have easily been an abortion photo on your exhibit [if I had not seen it first].

God…used [the JFA] exhibit and my pregnancy to get mine and Nicholas' father's attention in a BIG way.

Nick is the lover of my soul...and I love him too -- SO MUCH!

All things are possible through Christ, who strengthens us!"

—email from Nick’s mother, 8/16/2006

Reprinted with permission.

Unscheduled Divine Appointments

We had just finished training about 70 high school seniors from Faith Christian Academy in Arvada (Denver, CO area) on a late September Friday afternoon in 2006. The students would join us for the Exhibit at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins during the next week.

As our training team drove north on I-25 toward Fort Collins at about 3:30 PM, I turned my cell phone on to listen to voice mail. The very first one spelled immediate disaster—a CSU administrator informed me that we would not be able to have the Exhibit at CSU on Monday because the student club paperwork was not in proper order.

We made a quick exit off the freeway and found a hotel that graciously let us to use their wireless internet in the lobby. After 90 minutes of intense prayer, phone calls, tracking down students and information, the crisis was resolved and the CSU reservation again secured.

Relief was followed by starvation. Most had missed lunch. A few had also skipped breakfast. Tammy and Paul remembered that we had stopped at that very exit to eat on an earlier mission to Denver with less than enjoyable results. Votes were cast. We would eat at a different restaurant nearby.

A fatigued training team of 8 JFA staff and volunteers sat down to “destress” and have dinner and thoroughly enjoyed the energetic service that a waitress named Cecilia (named changed for privacy) provided.

Near the end of the meal, I complimented Cecilia on her excellent work and asked how long she had been a waitress. “Six months”, she replied, adding that she was also a student at Metro State (Denver).

“In that case you may have seen our ugly abortion display called the Justice For All Exhibit there last fall,” I responded.

“I did! And I thought that it was needed and very well done.” Then more softly Cecilia continued, “My mother had an abortion a long time ago, and she still has problems with it – she’s recently been having dreams about it.”

“Could I give you a brochure that covers that experience that you could share with her?” I asked.

“Most certainly I would. Thank you.” She replied leaving the table to process my credit card payment for our bill.

She had barely left the table when Paul jumped up to retrieve a Focus on the Family abortion recovery brochure from the truck to give to Cecilia when she returned with the credit card receipt.

Upon my offer of the brochure, Cecilia said, “My mom only speaks Spanish. Do you have anything that I could give her that’s written in Spanish?”

I promised to find an abortion recovery brochure in Spanish for her to review and give to her mom, and we traded email addresses.

Cecilia then added, “I have a good friend who wanted to get an abortion, so I went with her to Planned Parenthood. I was appalled by what they did not tell her, so I showed her the Justice For All Exhibit in order to show her what really happens in an abortion. She now has a beautiful baby girl!” (text in bold was Cecilia’s emphasis)

Cecilia went on to tell us that she is a pre-med student, and that the Justice For All Exhibit offers an extremely valuable service to students since they don’t learn about abortion anywhere else. She made us promise to let her know when we would be back so that she could volunteer at our next Colorado Exhibit!

And we have! Pray that she will join us for at least part of a day in 2008!

--As told by David W. Lee, Executive Director, Justice For All