We were at American Family Planning on Wednesday of this week, which is unusual, but we had deliveries to make in the city so I thought we might as wll make a day of it. To our dismay, a little after 9:00 Rosa pulled in. We had turned her away from the abortuary almost two years ago and had made many visits and deliveries to her apartment. She was accompanied by two “gang bangers”–teenage boys wearing the over-large clothing, baseball caps turned sideways, tattoos, shaved heads. They were very much in our faces with violent gestures and obscene language. But, while the staff whisked Rosa in through the back door, with one of the boys standing right up against me I managed to open a pamphlet and hold up the photograph of an eight week old aborted baby. Suddenly I had his attention. “What’s that?” he asked. I explained what it was; and after several more conversations, while the boys went in and out and in and out of the abortuary, I had them working on our side. Rosa came out in less than half an hour.
We’ve visited Rosa twice since then. We will be giving her rent assistance through the winter, a promise made to her at the door of the abortuary. One of the boys, meanwhile, is in jail, picked up on charges of robbery and assault.
Later that Wednesday we went to see Ana and Ricardo. They were turned away from the abortuary more than a year ago. Lately, they have been on my mind; and after rummaging through a lot of papers, Alicia managed to find their phone number. They were very happy to see us and to show us the baby–the youngest of their 8 children. Their house displays simplicity and poverty. The children are quiet, absolutely serene, but always ready to respond and smile. And extremely handsome, every one of them. But whenever I looked at one of them, I couldn’t help thinking, “what does this city hold for them?” Their mother, as good as she is, once ended up at the abortion mill. What guarantees are there that they will be protected?
I asked Ricardo if he had ever thought of leaving the city. Often, he responded. Since then I have resolved that we will somehow bring them out.
On Saturday we were back. Alicia conversed with a young Hispanic woman for more than a half hour. She did leave, and later that day we visited her and her family. She seems fragile to me, frightened. I don’t think the baby is really safe yet. Please pray for her–Nicole.
