Rather than a typical client story, it felt important in this newsletter to share with you praises to the God who is The Way through any circumstance and, in doing so, give you a taste of what it has been like to serve in the time of COVID.
Before I do, let me pause to acknowledge that the impact of COVID is not over, and by the time this makes it to your mailbox, who knows what may have developed. Also, many of you have been impacted tragically through illness, loss of jobs, closed businesses, isolation from loved ones, and so much more. Please know that you have been and will continue to be in our prayers; I trust we have been and will continue to be in yours. I hope you will be encouraged, even in your struggles to see how God has been at work at Assurance.
It is not much of an overstatement to say that over the course of the pandemic, we have adjusted just about everything except our mission. We have stood prayerfully and carefully but strong. Our commitment to serving pregnant mothers, fathers, and their unborn children during these times has remained steadfast. Throughout the pandemic, our clinic has remained open, and our services have continued.
That bears repeating because otherwise, we might miss the miracle. We have been open and serving. Our Board has been full of faith and wisdom. Our clinic staff have been heroic. There is simply no other way to describe them. Supplies have come at the most critical moments, like manna from heaven. When there was no PPE to buy, but we had to have more surgical masks to remain open, a missionary overseas heard of our need, and hundreds of surgical masks were sent to us from the other side of the globe. When our hand sanitizer supply was getting critically low, a gallon from an anonymous donor appeared.
At all times, we have offered in-person appointments with ultrasounds available to our highest-risk clients, but many other things have been different. We have done more telehealth than ever before in our history; careful screening and numerous precautions have been taken for the protection of our clients, staff, and community. Through it all, God has made a way for our mission to continue.
Why is that particularly important? Well, unfortunately, even during the most closed and restricted times in our Commonwealth’s journey through COVID-19, abortions have expanded. Kentucky went into the pandemic with one remaining abortion clinic, and now it has two. The newest is part of a much larger, better-resourced, and stronger branded national network of abortion clinics, and it poses an even greater threat to the life and well-being of our unborn children and their parents. In addition, COVID-19 and our response to it have heightened and exacerbated many of the most frequent reasons we see mothers and fathers feeling like they have no choice but to abort, including financial, health, and relationship concerns, as well as feeling alone and isolated in a time of crisis.
So now, perhaps more than ever, Assurance must stand as a beacon of hope, truth, support, and help. Even with all the changes we have had to make to our services this year, the Lord has been faithful to save. Here are some small glimpses of our Savior at work in those months.
In March, a couple came to us stating they had both agreed they should get an abortion. “Now is not a good time to have a baby because of finances and all that is going on with ‘the virus.’’ The father was already unemployed, and she had just been laid off from her job. But after seeing the ultrasound, they said they had “a lot to figure out.” When staff made a follow-up call, the couple stated that once they “saw the ultrasound, they couldn’t choose abortion.” They decided to keep the baby, the mother “gave her life to God,” the father got a job, and they are now doing a Bible Study through our REACH program.
In April, a couple came to us stating, “Abortion seems a good option” because of their plans for their future and not wanting to add extra stress to all the changes happening now. They said they “don’t feel prepared to parent right now.” The couple met with our staff to process how they were feeling, their options and the risks of each, and the supports available to them should they choose to parent. They also had an ultrasound. The couple has now decided to parent and has indicated that “they are both excited and after the ultrasound, they were in agreement to keep the baby.” They are meeting weekly with staff through our REACH program to help them prepare to be parents.
In May, a client came to us planning to abort because she “couldn’t handle another child right now.” The client received support, accurate information about all her options, and an ultrasound. She left, indicating she was still determined to abort. She declined to take the picture we offered from her ultrasound. We continued in prayer for her and then followed up with a phone call to check on her days later. She shared that she had decided to parent, that she “felt it was the right choice,” and that she wanted the picture from her ultrasound after all. God answered our prayers.
Join us in praising God that He has saved an estimated 64 lives from abortion through the ministry of Assurance in just the first six months of this year. We don’t know what the last six months of the year will hold, but we walk boldly into the unknown, confident our God does.
To God be the glory.
