Go Beyond

A few weeks after I arrived at Kingsland in the summer of 2005, Mary Whittington, one of our members, invited me to a breakfast meeting with Kurt Dillinger, the President of Life International. Life International is an evangelical Christian organization that multiplies healthy, Christ-centered, life-giving ministries wherever abortion is provided worldwide. Kurt and his staff are committed to helping people come to new life in Christ while they work to protect pre-born lives from abortion.

I listened politely that morning as Kurt shared about the work of Life International on the mission field created by abortion. And then, Kurt said something that captured my interest in the plight of the pre-born. He said that babies in the womb are the world’s largest hidden and most vulnerable people group. I don’t think I heard anything else he said because those words in particular disturbed me.

I thought about Kurt’s words all day. And, that night, I could not sleep as I thought about this hidden and vulnerable people group in need of champions. That night, the Lord convicted me that in addition to all of the other unreached people groups I would lead our missions ministry to adopt, He wanted for me to lead us to adopt the pre-born as one of our people groups.

Veronica, the Director of The Comforter’s Center.

In the following weeks and months, we worked with Kurt and his staff to underwrite and to help start The Comforter’s Center in Kampala, Uganda. Our people embraced the vision and gave generously to make a pregnancy help center in Kampala a reality. We purchased a building for the center, ensuring that it will have a geographic presence to promote the sanctity of human life even beyond our generation.

The best news of all is that out of all of the abortion-minded young women who have visited the center over the past seven-plus years, more than 1,100 have chosen life for their babies. And, many of these women have come to faith in Christ. A couple of days ago, I received the first quarter report from Veronica, the Director of The Comforter’s Center. Since the first of this year, the center has served 449 clients. Of these, 56 chose life for their babies and 47 women professed faith in Christ. One woman named Yowerina, shared this story:

I had planned to have an abortion without telling anyone. I had the money and I wanted to do it at the abortion clinic. I was so afraid of how my parents and the church would react learning about my pregnancy. My college friend took me to The Comforter’s Center. I told the counselor that I am a Christian and I know that abortion is murder but also I know that God is gracious to forgive me. They told me that is not a biblical formula for forgiveness. After much counseling I asked them to break the news to my family. They said they will have to give counseling to my parents before they can do that. They met my parents and I was surprised to receive loving responses from my parents. They affirmed to me that everything will be ok. Now as a family we are enjoying the blessing and the gift of my baby, Jonson. My Daddy enjoys his company and is proud to introduce him to his fellow colleagues as his grandson.

Jonson with his mother, Yowerina, at The Comforter’s Center.

Thanks, Kingsland, for supporting the work of The Comforter’s Center. I am grateful every time I receive news from Veronica about how God continues to use the staff at The Comforter’s Center to encourage abortion-minded young women to choose life for their babies and to find new life in Christ. That is indeed comforting news!