Winter 09-10:dec newsletter 12/1/09 10:07 AM Page 1 Assurance A Ministry of Women for Life, Inc. Doctors Park, Suite 405 1517 Nicholasville Road Lexington, KY 40503 Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit No. 415 Lexington, KY expressions of Winter 2009 a newsletter of Women for Life, Inc. Sanctity of Life Sunday is Jan. 24: Materials Now Available! efforts to empower young men to be strong 1 2 3 Sanctity of Human Life Sunday Materials Men’s Ministry Update Every Day Miracles: A Client Story Choosing Life Pays Off CHOOSE LIFE license plates are increasing in popula-rity and effect! This year they brought in $37,488 up from nearly $6000 in the first year and approximately $29,000 last year." Hooray for Kentucky! The check our Center received from your donations was $3,338. When it's time to renew, remember your license plate can save lives! Make sure your County Clerk knows to direct the $10 gift from the sale of the plate to the nearest pregnancy resource center (Us!). Thanks to those who are already sporting one. For more information, visit www.kychoose-life.org. REACH Boutique Revamp Assurance would like to express our great appreciation to the team from Center Pointe Church for the incredible work they did on revamping our REACH Boutique with new paint, shelving and clothes containers. Donate Online to Women for Life Supporters of Women for Life can make donations to the ministry via our secure, online giving feature. Visit www.womenforlife.org and click the “Donate” button from the homepage. (All donations are processed via Authorize.net, a trusted industry processor of electronic transactions.) er Life fly ctity of nce San Assura of 2010 Preview What’s Inside! Do Your Christmas Shopping with GoodShop When doing your online Christmas shopping this year, think of Women for Life before you finalize your purchase. More than 700 of your favorite internet retailers including Amazon, eBay, Best Buy, Target, Apple, Expedia and more will donate a percentage of all your purchases to us at no additional cost to you! It takes just a few seconds to go to www.goodshop.com, select "Women for Life" as your charity, and then click through to your favorite store and shop as usual. Also, Yahoo has teamed up with GoodShop's sister-site, GoodSearch.com, to donate a penny to your cause every time you search the Web. This is totally free as the money comes from advertisers. Please tell 10 friends about GoodShop and GoodSearch today! Thank you, MOPS group at Porter Memorial Baptist Church, for the adorable handmade baby blankets! On-going Center Needs Donations of everything from computers to tissues are precious to our ministry! Please consider if you or your group might be able to contribute some of the following items: paper products (tissues, toilet paper, paper towels), copy paper, blank note cards (for thank you notes, etc.), bottled water, cleaning supplies, baby wipes (esp. anti-bacterial wipes), diapers, and preemie clothes. 859.278.8469 • www.womenforlife.org supporters and involved fathers? Assurance is here to support all our local churches as they observe Sanctity of Life Sunday. We have many resources available: professionally designed educational flyers (at no cost), videos and speakers to assist with planning your 2010 Sanctity of Life celebration! Our goal is to bring awareness to the sanctity of all human life, as well as ways your church family can be a part of the difference we’ve been making in this community for nearly 25 years. Call 859.278.8469 to secure the FREE educational flyers for your congregation or visit www.womenforlife.org for more information. Reaching ‘Joe Client’ Given a chance to take her first breath, she can accomplish anything. Given a chance to smile into his mom’s eyes, he will own her heart for life. Since 1985, Assurance has been in the business of giving chances. To date, more than 1,950 children have been given a chance. On Sunday, Jan. 24th we invite you to celebrate with us those lives and the lives of the thousands more to come “if given a chance” through the 2010 Sanctity of Life Sunday celebration. Will you take a stand this year and join us as we celebrate this important day? Will you speak up for the millions of unborn babies? Will you support young women facing difficult circumstances who feel they have nowhere to turn? Will you join our by Ryan Douglas When God provided the board and staff of Assurance with a vision to begin reaching “Joe Client” in late 2008, He was already putting into place the necessary resources to launch this new aspect of ministry. In a matter of a few months, we had our first group of male volunteers committed to becoming equipped to meet “Joe” wherever he was in life. The single most startling statistic that originally drove us to this type of outreach and continues to move us to serve these men is this: 80% of post-abortive women said they would have chosen life for their babies if the men involved would have spoken up for the baby’s life. cont. on page 3 859.278.8469 • www.womenforlife.org Every Day Miracles by Ande Jelley, Counseling Supervisor February brought cold weather and a beautiful young lady named Monica to Assurance. Walking into the intake room, I saw a petite, young woman with fear in her eyes. Small talk was made in an effort to ease the tension. Monica was a graduate student planning to complete her Masters degree in May. She was working as a waitress to support herself through school. When she wasn’t in class or working, the party scene was her home. A missed period wasn’t in the plans. For Monica, alcohol and men had been the perfect recipe for disaster. The guy in the picture had no clue Monica was dealing with the thought of an unplanned, unwanted pregnancy. There were no plans to inform the guy of a pregnancy because Monica knew he wasn’t interested in being a father. Monica was going to graduate with a huge amount of debt, no male support for a pregnancy, no father for her baby and no job. The answer? Abortion. Or so she thought. As the risks and abortion procedures were explained to her, a new look appeared on Monica’s face. It was a look of dread. She knew her choice was one the most difficult ones she would ever have to make. After talking awhile, I discovered Monica was from a single parent family. She didn’t want that kind of a struggling life for herself or a baby. Who could blame her? continued on page 2 Winter 09-10:dec newsletter 12/1/09 10:07 AM Page 2 Love Walk 2009 Report Every Day Miracles (continued from front page) Monica and Preston The ultrasound we did that day showed that Monica was very early in her pregnancy and she was encouraged to come for a second ultrasound in two weeks. I was able to share with Monica that her Creator knew every ounce of pain and fear she was carrying at that moment. The tears began to flow and we prayed together, surrendering the situation. Two weeks later, the ultrasound confirmed that the pregnancy was viable. After the ultrasound, we talked about where Monica was with the situation. Despite all odds, fears and misgivings, Monica had decided to keep her baby. A few weeks ago, I received a phone call asking if I would be up for a visitor. With great anticipation, I replied yes! In the door walked Monica, her mom and another one of God’s most amazing miracles. His name is Preston and he the picture of perfection. Monica’s mom greeted all of the staff and told us how excited she was to meet all of us. She’d heard so many wonderful things about the ladies at Assurance from Monica and what they meant to her. We don’t always get to meet the babies whose lives have been saved by our ministry, but when we do they are extraordinary gifts from God! Preston and Monica inspire us all to keep working despite the challenges. I Cor. 15:58 comes to mind, and we will keep on! Volunteer Spotlight: Why I Volunteer at Assurance by Linda Leugers “I volunteer because I feel God has invited me to be a part of the Kingdom work He is doing at Assurance. I had been rather passive about my position on abortion until I heard Mo and the author of Reconciled speak to our Sunday school class. The book ignited a passion not just for speaking out about abortion, but for offering women in crisis compassion, understanding, information and hope in the name of Jesus. I view my work at Assurance as mission work. Sometimes it is thought that we have to travel to some distant place to be a missionary. I only drive about 15 minutes to get to Assurance and I have the ultimate privilege to represent Jesus and offer His care, His hope and His love with those who need His touch. Each month I create the schedule for the Center and Hotline volunteers. I also meet with clients, and time and time again I have seen women convinced that an abortion was their only option, but when they see their babies are forming and that the heart is beating on the ultrasound they change their minds. I have grown spiritually through the Assurance community. I believe the work at Assurance is on the frontline battling Satan for the next generation. Most women in crisis pregnancies do not want to abort their babies, but feel helpless and hopeless. I have learned to listen and to encourage them to think beyond their circumstances. One client that stands out to me is a young lady who came thinking she was coming to an abortion clinic. She saw no way that she would be able to have her baby. We talked, looked for options and then… the ultrasound. Prayers were being said as the procedure was underway. After the ultrasound she ‘melted’. She was so grateful that she had come to us and indicated that she was going to find a way to have her baby.” – Linda Leugers Assurance volunteer, Linda Leugers, is a wife, mother, former school principal, a worker and lover of the Lord. As with all our wonderful volunteers, these traits and experiences come into play as she gives generously of herself at our Center. If you feel led to investigate how God might use your giftedness at Assurance, check out www.womenforlife.org and click on the “Volunteer” tab to see the possibilities, or call the Center at 859.278.8469. With the chill of fall in the air, the 15th Annual Love Walk was a heartwarming day to celebrate life. Held Saturday, Oct. 10 at Applebee’s Park in Lexington, KY, more than 250 dedicated supporters of all ages turned out for the event. With any event of this magnitude, it can’t be done without many helping hands. Thank you to our countless volunteers who served in immeasurable ways to make this day possible. From meeting weekly on the Love Walk Planning Team to painting faces to helping register walkers the day of the event; we appreciate your time and talents. The generous support of local business sponsors through monetary gifts and giftin-kind donations, and walker pledges from 140 sponsored walkers brought this year’s Love Walk total to over $51,000! Check out more photos at www.womenforlife.org. Welcome Aboard We are blessed to introduce our newest staff member, Dr. Regina Berry. Regina serves part-time as Counselor and Outreach Director when she is not working as Executive Director of the Center for Family and Community Services. She and her husband, Michael, both Lexington natives, have been married for 34 years and have two daughters, four grandchildren and one great grandson. Regina first served Assurance on our Strategic Planning Committee. When asked if she would consider this position she gave it prayer and thought and accepted in obedience to a call from the Lord. In her own words: “My spiritual gifts of compassion, giving, teaching, and discernment have always led me to support women and children. This certainly will not change at Assurance. However, God has revealed to me that I will be a part of a capacity building initiative here at Assurance that will facilitate healing to a larger number of people of diverse races and backgrounds in Lexington and beyond. I was recently blessed to witness a counseling session where Aaron and Peggy (two volunteers) ministered to an African American family. At the end of the session, Mo suggested that Debora (board member, Debora Lanier) and I be introduced to the couple and their young daughter because they recently started attending our church. Aaron, Peggy, Debora and I talked, cried, and prayed with the family. Debora was able to offer Christian peers for the girl to meet. It was apparent the family left feeling supported, respected and loved. I am truly excited about the promise of this capacity building initiative!” Peace and Blessings, Regina Berry, Ph.D Thanks to our friends at Freedom Radio! 2009 TOP Walkers Bruce Willis & Family John Slugantz George & Patty Gilpin Isabella Cross Butch & Pam Vernon Marshall & Donna Kearns Lorri Mills Hans & Kendra Hahnenstein Friend of Assurance $4165 $2280 $1570 $1327 $1300 $1000 $1000 $955 Thanks to our 2009 Love Walk Business Sponsors! Reaching ‘Joe Client’ Champion for Life continued from front page Since July 2009, our Male Client Advocates have ministered one-onone with 40 men involved in a crisis or unplanned pregnancy. They have provided a compassionate, listening ear, educated the men on the truths about abortion and challenged them to partner with the mother of their child to choose life. The men also hear a message of hope, as our volunteers affirm the value that they have in Christ. We need additional men to partner with us and to become client advocates, mentors and role models. If you would like to join us as we work to guide men to become responsible fathers, reestablish men’s views of manhood and to ultimately see God turn the hearts of these men towards His Son, please contact Ryan Douglas at [email protected]. Gainesway Small Animal Clinic Lynn Imaging’s Monster Color Physicians Sales & Service, Scott Stanley Partner in Vision Integrity IT Mike Kerwin Custom Homes Pedal Power Pruitt Property Inspection Inc. Round Mtn. Biological & Environmental Studies Drayer Physical Therapy Institute First Southern National Bank Jimmy Nash Homes Karen Billings Design Lexington Infectious Disease Consultants McKenney Carpet & Flooring McCauley Team Real Estate, Milestone Realty Consultants Modern Web Studios Tatro Capital The UPS Store of Hamburg & Tates Creek In-Kind Sponsors Adcolor Commonwealth Technology Danelle Alexis Photography Dr. Jeanie Dassow, OBGYN Freedom Radio Lexington Women’s Health, PLLC, Dr. Jeanne O’Nan, OBGYN Bobby Willhoite Golf for Life Raises $10,000 The 8th annual Bobby Willhoite Golf for Life was held Sunday, Sept. 27 at Golf Club of the Bluegrass. Conducted annually by our friends from Broadway Christian Church and the AGAPE Class, this event helps to propel our ministry by donating all proceeds to Assurance. With 19 teams, this year's Golf for Life raised $10,000! Thanks to Broadway Christian Church and the AGAPE Class for their wonderful support of this ministry and the businesses who supported this year's event. We would like to extend a special thank you to Dion Spencer and Craig Yates for their dedication to make this event happen. Plans are underway for the 2010 Golf for Life.To volunteer or for more information on next year's event, contact Craig Yates at [email protected] or call 859.252.5638. 2009 Golf for Life Sponsors: Horizon Financial Group, COPS Class, Kentucky Insurance Group, Gary Ginn, Journey Class, Yeagle Contracting, Seybold Heating & Air, Jim & Janet McClanahan, Hampton Inn of Winchester, Encourager’s Class, Sisters In Spirit Class, Spark’s Plumbing, H&W Realty Consultants, ZZ Turf, Reliable Roofing, Jeff & Mary Richeson, Davis, Edens & Stanbaugh Dental, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, Garcia Concrete Construction, Missions MAC, AGAPE Class and BB&T. Assurance Ministry Statistics Jan. 1 – Nov. 1, 2009 1,330 Client visits 540 Clients at risk for abortion 778 Pregnancy tests 572 Positive tests 220 Positive tests at risk of abortion prior to counseling and ultrasound 98 Abortion-leaning clients known to have chosen to parent their babies after counseling and/or ultrasound 15 Clients considering adoption plans after counseling 67 Clients at risk for abortion who’s decisions remain unknown 475 Clients who had a spiritual discussion 218 Clients who heard the gospel presented (seed planted or watered) 15 Clients committing or recommitting their lives to Christ 1,958 Lives Known to be Saved since Center Opened in 1985