This past week has seemed to almost drag on
forever, not because it was boring by any means, I think it was more along the
lines of because it was so emotionally draining. I already wrote the post on
being in Jackson and what happened there. But after Jackson we headed to
Birmingham, AL to do some activism at a local abortion mill, whose owner just
happens to have certain unpleasant affections for our group. I heard many
stories on the way from California all the way to Alabama of Diane and her love
for hurting pro-lifers who dared to stand and sidewalk counsel or pray in front
of the abortion mill. But I’m not really sure I could’ve been prepared
for what was awaiting us there, there’s always a difference between stories and
experiencing something in real life.
So we arrived in Birmingham, Alabama on Wednesday night and went straight to bed after the past 38 hours or so of insaneness. We awoke early the next morning to go to the abortion mill and received quite the surprise on getting there. Jeff, Cheryl, Father Terry, and Sarah H. were the first ones out of their car and onto the sidewalk. Just a few seconds after stepping onto the sidewalk it seemed the sprinklers went on. Now let me just clarify these aren’t some wimpy or run of the mill sprinklers, these are high powered sprinklers that can easily give you bruises the water shoots out so hard. So only a few seconds after turning on poor Jeff had the sprinkler shoot at his eye, causing quite the injury, I know this because he took several pictures of it.
Things only got crazy from there but I won’t go into the details just now, just know that Diane graciously greeted all of us that morning with tons of foul language.
That day I had the chance to sidewalk counsel and talk to a young man waiting in his car as his wife (or girlfriend) went into the mill in order to get a medication abortion being 3 weeks pregnant then. I was talking to him as he was staying out in the car with their cute little boy Tyler. The father told me the reason his wife said she was having the abortion was because her doctor told her she wouldn’t live if she continued with the pregnancy. He said they had fought the whole way to the clinic; he wanted her to keep the baby and get another opinion from a doctor. She trusted her doctor whole heartedly and didn’t want to take the chance. It broke my heart cause that young man sat in that car with his son, and proceeded to tell me that although he wanted her out of there that there was nothing he could do aside from calling or texting her to come out. He said it was her body and ultimately he couldn’t make the choice for her. It’s so sad to see a father of the baby not think that he has any say in what happens to his own child.
It really broke my heart, because you could tell from the way the father was playing with his son that he was a loving father. Tyler was constantly trying to climb out of the window of the car, I was convinced that he was trying to urge his dad to go into that building and get his mother and little brother or sister out of there. I gave the young man a lot of information and he texted his wife and said that she said she was going to come out soon, but she never did while we were there. So while I don’t know what happened he said she texted that she couldn’t go through with it because her Iron was too low. We don’t know ultimately what happened, but I’d like to think that maybe she came out and he took her to the local pregnancy center where she could get a second opinion.
That next day on Friday we yet again went to the clinic, I grabbed some signs that day to hold and walked toward the mill. Yet again there went the sprinklers, we got wet for a while before moving out of the way, so that the cops could see when they were called that those sprinklers were affecting our right to free speech outside the clinic. That morning was absolutely freezing, yes it was probably only in the 40’s but when you’ve been soaked by sprinklers and the wind is blowing all these factors make for one very cold activist.
We were there for two hours, and in that time there were two plumbers who came to fix the broken sprinkler (because they really need two high powered sprinklers to scare us off). Now these must have been two of some of the vilest men I have ever seen. Kristina tried to engage them in conversation and they started back attacking us. Father Terry even tried talking to them, but then they started saying some of the vilest things I’ve heard in a very long time. Vince, Kristina, and I stood close to the fence because while the sprinklers were off we could do so without getting soaked. I still don’t even want to think of some of the things they were saying, one of them who was older was the one who was saying the more vile things while the other tried to work and would only respond with an attack if he was especially upset. I told the one working down on the ground that I just wanted him to know that I was praying for him and praying that he was able to find a better job so he didn’t have to do what he was doing then.
So we arrived in Birmingham, Alabama on Wednesday night and went straight to bed after the past 38 hours or so of insaneness. We awoke early the next morning to go to the abortion mill and received quite the surprise on getting there. Jeff, Cheryl, Father Terry, and Sarah H. were the first ones out of their car and onto the sidewalk. Just a few seconds after stepping onto the sidewalk it seemed the sprinklers went on. Now let me just clarify these aren’t some wimpy or run of the mill sprinklers, these are high powered sprinklers that can easily give you bruises the water shoots out so hard. So only a few seconds after turning on poor Jeff had the sprinkler shoot at his eye, causing quite the injury, I know this because he took several pictures of it.
Things only got crazy from there but I won’t go into the details just now, just know that Diane graciously greeted all of us that morning with tons of foul language.
That day I had the chance to sidewalk counsel and talk to a young man waiting in his car as his wife (or girlfriend) went into the mill in order to get a medication abortion being 3 weeks pregnant then. I was talking to him as he was staying out in the car with their cute little boy Tyler. The father told me the reason his wife said she was having the abortion was because her doctor told her she wouldn’t live if she continued with the pregnancy. He said they had fought the whole way to the clinic; he wanted her to keep the baby and get another opinion from a doctor. She trusted her doctor whole heartedly and didn’t want to take the chance. It broke my heart cause that young man sat in that car with his son, and proceeded to tell me that although he wanted her out of there that there was nothing he could do aside from calling or texting her to come out. He said it was her body and ultimately he couldn’t make the choice for her. It’s so sad to see a father of the baby not think that he has any say in what happens to his own child.
It really broke my heart, because you could tell from the way the father was playing with his son that he was a loving father. Tyler was constantly trying to climb out of the window of the car, I was convinced that he was trying to urge his dad to go into that building and get his mother and little brother or sister out of there. I gave the young man a lot of information and he texted his wife and said that she said she was going to come out soon, but she never did while we were there. So while I don’t know what happened he said she texted that she couldn’t go through with it because her Iron was too low. We don’t know ultimately what happened, but I’d like to think that maybe she came out and he took her to the local pregnancy center where she could get a second opinion.
That next day on Friday we yet again went to the clinic, I grabbed some signs that day to hold and walked toward the mill. Yet again there went the sprinklers, we got wet for a while before moving out of the way, so that the cops could see when they were called that those sprinklers were affecting our right to free speech outside the clinic. That morning was absolutely freezing, yes it was probably only in the 40’s but when you’ve been soaked by sprinklers and the wind is blowing all these factors make for one very cold activist.
We were there for two hours, and in that time there were two plumbers who came to fix the broken sprinkler (because they really need two high powered sprinklers to scare us off). Now these must have been two of some of the vilest men I have ever seen. Kristina tried to engage them in conversation and they started back attacking us. Father Terry even tried talking to them, but then they started saying some of the vilest things I’ve heard in a very long time. Vince, Kristina, and I stood close to the fence because while the sprinklers were off we could do so without getting soaked. I still don’t even want to think of some of the things they were saying, one of them who was older was the one who was saying the more vile things while the other tried to work and would only respond with an attack if he was especially upset. I told the one working down on the ground that I just wanted him to know that I was praying for him and praying that he was able to find a better job so he didn’t have to do what he was doing then.
They weren’t there for long before Diane came
out and started calling us names and spewing her hate towards us. I put up my
hands and started praying, anything, I couldn’t understand why this women
seemed to be covered in this evil feeling. I had actually heard stories of how
Diane had hired a hit man a few years back to take out a pro-lifer who
faithfully stood in front of the abortion mill praying and sidewalk counseling.
I wish so much that this woman would turn her back on the abortion industry
forever, but it’s not going to happen
without prayer, so let’s pray for her please!
I was greatly relieved that after we had made a quick stop at a local Planned Parenthood to pray for the 40 days for life vigil that we went back to the house for some much needed free time and rest. Being a missionary traveling is perhaps more tiring then I thought it would be, but then again I was off of school for 2 or so months just sitting at home doing research, so not like I was running marathons. Overall it was a great experience in Birmingham, Alabama. We were able to go to the Civil Rights museum with Created Equal the day we left for Florida.
Just to give you a little background, the next two weeks Survivors is pairing up with an organization called Created Equal, they’re based out of Ohio. They also like us go to college campuses and set up a huge display of signs. They are doing two weeks of touring in which high school and college aged students can use their spring break to defend the unborn and travel all over with them and get some practice in debating. It’s really great to have them with us, and I know our one and only guy Vince is happy to finally have some guys around. So currently we are in Tallahassee but will yet again be traveling tonight. We were just at Florida State University; it was an interesting school, definitely one of the more apathetic ones we’ve visited so far.
I felt so blessed however to talk to this young woman today, she came up to me as I asked her what she thought about the signs and held up her hand. She said “I’ll talk to you, but a few quick rules”, I said “ok”. She said she wanted to keep things polite and that I couldn’t get all uppity on her, which I completely respect and hope that I never do that! So we had a great talk for probably about 45 minutes or more in total that day. She was really great, she talked, then I talked, then she talked, then I talked. It was all done in complete respect. Yes, I always have a point to make when I talk to people, but my thought is that I’m not always trying to hammer them over the head and make them admit their view point is wrong, even if I do strongly believe that. This young woman was pro-choice and had gone through an abortion herself, but she said at that time it was what was right for her. She considered it her one and only “get out of jail free card”. Now while I don’t know if she ever regrets it or not, the great part was she was so open to listening, she agreed that abortion should not be a means to birth control. She also made the great point that while the pro-life message is a great one, there is also such a great need for educating our young people before they even get to the point of needing an abortion. We talked about both our pasts and how we have both fallen victim to men in the past and them telling us how much they loved us, only to treat us like trash.
We talked about a lot, how we’re both super passionate about helping the youth who are uneducated and stuck in the foster system. She wants to be a judge who helps with Children Services and such, which is great! Yes, I know you’re thinking I’m agreeing an awful lot with someone who is pro-abortion, but we had points to agree on. I was happy to hear that she at least thinks abortion was not an option past the 6 month mark. That always seems to be where people on the fence stand on abortion. It’s often because most people know that babies have a much greater chance of living outside of the womb when they’re born then. To me, yes I will occasionally debate someone who is staunchly pro-abortion til I’m blue in the face, but there are points where I know that will do nothing but turn them off from the pro-life side even more. That’s not what I’m seeking to do, I seek for equal rights for all, for all to be respected and have freedom. I just absolutely don’t believe in Murder and how over 3,000 children are being murdered in the womb every day!
So it’s been great on the road, every day I grow more, I try to be more selfless, though I admit I’m definitely not the one on the team to say that I’ll sleep on the floor, but I can if need be. God has been ever so great in providing just awesome host homes and families to take us in and feed us. I often wonder if this is what it was like for the Disciples sometimes, though I imagine they were much less welcomed then we were. But there’s always that great moment when someone is willing to engage in a conversation with you and you see the light bulb in their head light up because they realize just why we’re fighting so hard for an end to abortion.
Thank you for all who have continued to pray and support the Campus Life Team, we can use all the prayer and support we can get!
I was greatly relieved that after we had made a quick stop at a local Planned Parenthood to pray for the 40 days for life vigil that we went back to the house for some much needed free time and rest. Being a missionary traveling is perhaps more tiring then I thought it would be, but then again I was off of school for 2 or so months just sitting at home doing research, so not like I was running marathons. Overall it was a great experience in Birmingham, Alabama. We were able to go to the Civil Rights museum with Created Equal the day we left for Florida.
Just to give you a little background, the next two weeks Survivors is pairing up with an organization called Created Equal, they’re based out of Ohio. They also like us go to college campuses and set up a huge display of signs. They are doing two weeks of touring in which high school and college aged students can use their spring break to defend the unborn and travel all over with them and get some practice in debating. It’s really great to have them with us, and I know our one and only guy Vince is happy to finally have some guys around. So currently we are in Tallahassee but will yet again be traveling tonight. We were just at Florida State University; it was an interesting school, definitely one of the more apathetic ones we’ve visited so far.
I felt so blessed however to talk to this young woman today, she came up to me as I asked her what she thought about the signs and held up her hand. She said “I’ll talk to you, but a few quick rules”, I said “ok”. She said she wanted to keep things polite and that I couldn’t get all uppity on her, which I completely respect and hope that I never do that! So we had a great talk for probably about 45 minutes or more in total that day. She was really great, she talked, then I talked, then she talked, then I talked. It was all done in complete respect. Yes, I always have a point to make when I talk to people, but my thought is that I’m not always trying to hammer them over the head and make them admit their view point is wrong, even if I do strongly believe that. This young woman was pro-choice and had gone through an abortion herself, but she said at that time it was what was right for her. She considered it her one and only “get out of jail free card”. Now while I don’t know if she ever regrets it or not, the great part was she was so open to listening, she agreed that abortion should not be a means to birth control. She also made the great point that while the pro-life message is a great one, there is also such a great need for educating our young people before they even get to the point of needing an abortion. We talked about both our pasts and how we have both fallen victim to men in the past and them telling us how much they loved us, only to treat us like trash.
We talked about a lot, how we’re both super passionate about helping the youth who are uneducated and stuck in the foster system. She wants to be a judge who helps with Children Services and such, which is great! Yes, I know you’re thinking I’m agreeing an awful lot with someone who is pro-abortion, but we had points to agree on. I was happy to hear that she at least thinks abortion was not an option past the 6 month mark. That always seems to be where people on the fence stand on abortion. It’s often because most people know that babies have a much greater chance of living outside of the womb when they’re born then. To me, yes I will occasionally debate someone who is staunchly pro-abortion til I’m blue in the face, but there are points where I know that will do nothing but turn them off from the pro-life side even more. That’s not what I’m seeking to do, I seek for equal rights for all, for all to be respected and have freedom. I just absolutely don’t believe in Murder and how over 3,000 children are being murdered in the womb every day!
So it’s been great on the road, every day I grow more, I try to be more selfless, though I admit I’m definitely not the one on the team to say that I’ll sleep on the floor, but I can if need be. God has been ever so great in providing just awesome host homes and families to take us in and feed us. I often wonder if this is what it was like for the Disciples sometimes, though I imagine they were much less welcomed then we were. But there’s always that great moment when someone is willing to engage in a conversation with you and you see the light bulb in their head light up because they realize just why we’re fighting so hard for an end to abortion.
Thank you for all who have continued to pray and support the Campus Life Team, we can use all the prayer and support we can get!
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