News from the trenches: The man came down crying

First and Grape, San Diego

The following comes from a Dec. 14 email sent by Helpers of God’s Precious Infants.

Planned Parenthood, First & Grape, San Diego, Saturday, December 13
A couple arrived, and as the man was parking the car around back, the woman, in her 20’s, came up and said “No English” but said in Spanish to please give information to her boyfriend. When the boyfriend came up, two counselors (one who spoke Spanish) spoke with him for several minutes. One of the counselors showed him a baby model, and said “10 weeks,” and his eyes opened wide and he said, “Really?” and the other counselor spoke to him in Spanish, explaining how developed a child is so early on in pregnancy and that you can clearly distinguish arms, legs, hands, feet, and a face. The counselors gave him information in English and Spanish. He thanked the counselors and went inside. About 10 minutes later they left, and the woman smiled at the counselors as they drove off. Please pray for this couple and their decision.

Around 9:00 am, a mother and daughter arrived, and the daughter broke out in sobs and they went inside. A few minutes later, the mother and daughter came outside, and the mother explained that the daughter was pregnant by her cousin. The daughter had been given the RU-486 abortion pill four days earlier at a Planned Parenthood in Palm Springs and then developed an infection accompanied by vomiting. PP in Palm Springs gave her oral antibiotics, which were not effective because she continued to vomit before they could be absorbed. PP in Palm Springs referred her to PP at 1st and Grape. The mother told them that they were going to ask PP to tell them if there was a heartbeat. If so, they would keep the baby. One of the counselors tried to convince the mother to call COLFS, and explained to her about the abortion pill reversal, and that this was based on science. The counselor told them that after four days, the odds were not good for a reversal, but a COLFS doctor should advise them, not the counselor. Unfortunately, they decided to let PP advise them. Please pray for this whole family that they may receive healing from this tragedy.

Family Planning Associates, Miramar Rd. San Diego, Saturday, December 13One of the counselors spoke with a man and a woman who already had two children, and the woman was now pregnant with a third. The woman wanted to have the abortion, while the man did not. He felt that he needed to support her and that this was not his decision; still, he felt abortion was wrong. After a while, the woman left and walked toward the clinic. The counselor continued to talk to the man and encouraged him to go up to clinic and beg her to leave. He felt that she would not listen to him. The counselor spoke to him about the cases that had been alleged against the abortion doctor, and after continued discussion, he decided to go talk to the woman. They argued outside the clinic for a while, and the man came down crying. He tried to call the woman’s mother to see if she could call the woman and convince her to leave. After the man finished his call, the counselor talked to him again, and thanked him for going up to the clinic to try to get the woman to leave. The counselor told him that no matter what happened today, God loved him, and he cried. He told the counselor how he had made many mistakes in his past and how he had begun to know God. He told the counselor he did not cry easily, but that this morning he woke up and felt like God was telling him this was wrong.

The counselor told him that we are all sinners, and that the counselor was no better than he. Still, we are all called to help one another, especially when our hearts are hardened. He agreed. They discussed belief in God, the value of life, and what it really means to love someone. The counselor told him how God really loves the woman but cannot support her in having an abortion and explained to him that when we really love, we are called to love like God. The counselor asked him if he wanted to pray, and he said he rarely prayed, but that when he did, he did so in Spanish. The counselor told him that God doesn’t speak in only one language and that praying in Spanish would be fine. So, he knelt down in the parking lot and the counselor knelt down too and they prayed together- he in Spanish and the counselor in English.

After the prayer, they talked for a few more minutes, and the woman came back from the clinic ready to leave. Right before she came back, the counselor gave him an “Abortion Changes You” card, telling him that if she had decided upon abortion, they could go to the website on the card to reach out for healing. She had not been in there long enough to have a surgical abortion, but we do not know if she received the abortion pill. Still, it is hopeful, since she came out not long after their prayers. The counselor gave them a phone number and told them they could contact the counselor, and would be happy to meet with them for coffee, just to talk sometime, or if they ever need a friend. The counselor gave them information about where they could go for help, and about abortion pill reversal. Please pray for them and their baby.

Late in the morning one of the counselors handed literature to a couple on their way up to FPA. They took the information but said little. Very soon after, they came out of FPA. Another counselor approached them and asked the woman if she changed her mind. She told the counselor “Yes”, and then the counselor asked “So you are keeping your baby”? To that the woman replied “Yes” and both she and her husband smiled. The counselor called over two other counselors and all gathered for a moment of joy that one of God’s precious ones was spared.

Please pray for M. and her husband that they are blessed abundantly for their decision. As they were leaving, the counselor told them this would be a wonderful Christmas for them.

One of the counselors spotted a couple early in the morning but was unable to reach them before they went in. The husband emerged sometime later on the balcony. The counselor took this opportunity to try and talk to him about the doctor. The man listened as best he could, and acknowledged what the counselor said. He then went into FPA. Sometime later both he and his wife came out and stood on the balcony. They were on the balcony for quite some time. When they left, another sidewalk counselor tried to give them information. They went into their car and remained there for about 20 minutes. The counselor walked over and noticed the woman had the door open a bit. The counselor approached the car and gave them both the information on the doctor and a card on COLFS. They both were quiet, but the woman seemed grateful. The man seemed to be more guarded. The counselor told them how happy she was that they were leaving and asked the woman if she would accept a Christmas present. The counselor handed her a blue Rosary and they both smiled at each other. They left at the same time as the other previous couple.

Two of the counselors were faced with two separate couples who each had four children and just did not want to have a fifth child. The counselors did their best to help them, but in the end, both mothers did not want their babies.

From http://cal-catholic.com/