First Fruits Friday - Hope in Christ and APR
Isaiah 40:31
"but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
The work we do at Seneca is Christ-centered. Christ is our only hope. We see things that don’t make sense, that we don’t understand, but we must stay faithful and trust in the Lord for eternal glory. We must cultivate hope and peace in our own hearts and lives, because one day we pray that we will all be united with Him in a heavenly kingdom where the peace of Christ abounds.
Peace and hope are essential elements that are missing from the mothers we witness heading into the abortion facility. When a mom heads into the abortion facility, she is not truly making a “choice”. Mothers make abortion appointments out of desperation, fear, feeling overwhelmed, and unsupported. This is spiritual warfare, and Satan is attacking these women in the most deceitful and powerful way under the guise of “choice” and “women’s rights''. The path to an abortion is absent of peace and hope, and the work we do to fight this on the sidewalk is not to be taken lightly.
When a mother calls to make her medical abortion appointment, this is the first step in her giving up hope for her baby’s future. When the mother arrives for the abortion appointment, this is the second step in giving up hope. When a mother pays for and then digests the first dose of the abortion pill (misopristone), this is the third step in giving up hope. Lastly, when the mother goes home and 24 hours later takes the last dose of the abortion pill (misoprostol also called “cytotec”) a contraction inducing drug, and gives birth to her lifeless baby alone at home. This is her final stage - death and despair. Not only does her baby experience death, but this mother experiences a spiritual death as well.
Fortunately, by the efforts of Dr. George Delgado, the abortion pill reversal (APR) process was developed nearly 20 years ago. You can learn more about the effectiveness of this process in this peer reviewed medical journal. At Seneca, we have conducted more than 10 APR’s on patients since our founder Kelly Tolman started the ministry in 2014. There have been sorrows as well as joys.
Recently, we met “Sherry”, a mom who journeyed with Seneca’s team through Sidewalk Advocacy and medical intervention, feeling the loving embrace of Christ on each stage of her journey. We know this mother truly did not want an abortion. She told us this herself, but was still afraid she couldn’t handle a 5th baby. She successfully reversed her abortion for three weeks. As she was undergoing the treatment for APR, we immediately helped her with financial planning, prayed with her, and listened to her fears and worries. We gave her multiple free ultrasounds to confirm the baby’s heart was still beating. Within days of beginning the abortion pill reversal process, we connected her with a ProLife Ob/Gyn in her community who began to help her immediately with medical care where she received care on three occasions. We provided her immediate Case Management and goal setting, communicating with her regularly.
Sadly, after three weeks of a successful reversal, “Sherry” crumbled under the weight of the world and booked another abortion appointment. It devastated our team, especially our Sidewalk Advocates, when they saw her show up to the abortion facility around 9 weeks into her pregnancy to end the life of the baby that God saved through a medical miracle and a blanket of support. She was not interested in attempting the reversal program a second time. Sadly, her baby died. We prayed for mother and baby. Then, we named the baby Caleb.
As you can see, the struggle is real. The battle with Satan is real. Mothers are being pressured. In a culture of death that has allowed abortion to become normalized, women are losing hope. Even a mother who truly does not want an abortion, is surrounded with support, and has hundreds of people praying for her, can crumble in the spiritual battlefield and fall into the trap of abortion, convincing herself that abortion is the “solution” to a “problem pregnancy”.
Still, we did not cut ties with this client. We know that abortion wounds women, and our vision at Seneca is: “to create a culture of hope where the beauty of life is celebrated, and healing is received.” Our Case Manager reached out to her, and in their discussions, “Sherry” referred a friend of hers to Seneca, stating “my friend is in the same kind of situation”. This friend had an abortion scheduled as well, but did not show up to the abortion appointment. Additionally, the team at Seneca helped her solve the immediate problems that were making her feel abortion was her only option, and make changes to cultivate more peace and hope in her life. The friends’ prayers were answered due to supporters like you, and she chose LIFE!
This is the reality of our work on the spiritual battlefield. We must keep our hope in Christ Jesus, celebrating the beauty of life, and praying for healing, while honoring the lives we witness. Even when we do everything in our power to support a mother in need, ultimately, we are not in control. It is only through Christ that we can “run and not grow weary”.
Please continue to pray with us, especially for “Sherry” and her baby Caleb. Rest in peace sweet Caleb, may the arms of Jesus hold you now. May your mother learn from this experience that her wounds are what unite her to Christ Jesus, and may she find healing and forgiveness from abortion. May we all keep the faith. Christ is our only hope!
Please consider helping Seneca as we strive to bring the hope of Christ to more mothers who decided, after starting the abortion process, that their baby’s life matters. APR is resource intensive, and it requires coordination of many of Seneca’s staff, volunteers, and doctors.