From Catherine:
I had my first true encounter today. I was at WWH and I reached out to a young woman named “R.” She walked all the way down to speak with me. She listened intently and was very open with me. She is 17 y. o. and 7 weeks pregnant. She said she hasn’t told her family. She said she was planning on getting an abortion but she’s scared and unsure. I told her she was brave and strong and that we could help. Told her about adoption or the help we could link her to if she wanted to keep her baby. She said they did an ultrasound but didn’t show it to her. I explained why.
Then I let her hold my model of the tiny baby about her baby’s size. She smiled when I noted how cute it was and how it’s already very much a little baby. I showed her the Vitae Clinic info, mostly because that’s the only one I’ve personally been to. She agreed she would go there. I said “I’ll call them now for you. Or better yet I’ll take you – you can follow me.” She said she had to get back to school (she’s in h. s.) and that her ride would be there soon.
We only talked for about 10 minutes but it felt like an eternity as I tried to educate, inspire and love her all at once. She thanked me and walked back towards the clinic porch. Her ride showed up a minute later. I waved and cheerfully said “bye ‘R.’ God bless you” as she got in the car. She smiled and waved back – a far cry from the only reactions I’ve gotten over the last year and a half of volunteering. I don’t know if I did or said the right stuff but I did feel God standing there between us. And I’ve not prayed as hard as I did today after she left, in a long time.