Ultrasound worth 1,000 words at HPC banquet
- Nov 5, 2008
Almost 600 people sat mesmerized as the tiny fetus stirred from its slumber to stretch across the screen, and the murmurings rose as the tiny head, body, feet and hands could be clearly seen as the ultrasound machine did its magic during the “Changing Hearts—Saving Lives” Banquet at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Sept. 30.
The reactions ranged from amazement to exhilaration to excitement, perhaps somewhat similar to that of a young girl seeing her unborn child for the first time, thanks to the efforts of Hope Pregnancy Centers, a part of the Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children.
“Everyone is always amazed at the ultrasound and the idea that that is an actual ultrasound that they are seeing live,” said Candy Hines, state director, Hope Pregnancy Ministries and director of Hope Pregnancy Center (HPC) South in Oklahoma City. The ultrasound really gives them an idea of how those young ladies feel when they first see their babies.
“Most of the young ladies who come in for an ultrasound have no idea that what they’re carrying is really a baby at that point. It’s a great education tool.”
In 2007, 2,079 clients, ranging in age from 16-24 visited one of the two HPCs in Oklahoma City. Of those, 264 chose to have an ultrasound performed, and of those, 84 percent chose life for their unborn child.
Unfortunately, thousands of babies were not so lucky, as Hines poignantly pointed out.
“As you entered tonight you began seeing the baby shoes,” she said during the banquet. “There were shoes displayed as you registered, and some as you came into the banquet hall. There is also one baby shoe on each table tonight. In total, there are 202 precious baby shoes. The sole of each shoe represents 15 souls lost to abortions in Oklahoma County and surrounding county residents in 2006, which is the latest year statistics are available. That represents a total of 3,030 abortions.
“This means for each shoe, 15 babies lost their lives right where we live. At Hope Pregnancy Centers, our desire is to see this number drastically decrease,” Hines declared.
But, all the statistics weren’t unhappy ones. Hines also reported that 50 people have prayed to receive Christ so far this year at the centers.
“We feel that if the Lord sends those clients to us, it is our responsibility and privilege to share His message with them,” she stressed.
“As Candy has shared some of the life-changing ways we share hope, I’d like to continue by sharing some of the solutions we are providing when clients come to us for a pregnancy test,” said Peggy Duncan, director HPC North in Oklahoma City.
“While we do not refer, nor perform abortions, we never want a client to leave and not be informed of the truth of that choice. We not only want to tell our clients about the reality of abortion, but we also want them to see the life of their unborn baby through our limited ultrasound, as you witnessed here tonight. While praying all of our clients will choose life for their unborn babies, statistics show us that is not always the reality. Therefore, as our clients later face the reality of their abortion, we want them to know they have a safe haven where they can find freedom and forgiveness in Christ through our post-abortion Bible study.
“We also educate our clients regarding the unselfish decision of adoption and then refer them to three agencies in the Oklahoma City area where they desire to explore that option further.”
Guest speaker for the evening was Kirk Walden, of Nashville, Tenn., creator and publisher of LifeTrends Monthly and The LifeTrends Development Report, publications assisting more than 500 pregnancy care ministries in 49 states.
Walden told the crowd he has a dream of the day “when abortion becomes obsolete in the United States.”
He shared his life journey of raising three children alone when his first wife left him, and how there were special people in his life who “would not give up on me.” Later, after re-marrying and becoming a father for the fourth time at the age of 45, the Lord impressed on him more than ever that “children are a gift from God.”
Walden, who said he has visited more than 100 pregnancy centers across the country, said the Oklahoma centers were exemplary.
“I haven’t seen any set up better,” he said. “If you haven’t seen one of them, you need to take a tour,” he encouraged those present.
In closing, Walden referred to the display of shoes mentioned by Hines.
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if each of those shoes could represent 15 babies who had the opportunity to live, instead of reminding us of those who died?” he asked. “If you believe so, there are three things you can do: first, pray; second, volunteer to help at one of your centers, and third, give generously to help shut down abortion clinics in Oklahoma by helping to make the services of abortionists unwanted and unneeded.
“It can be done,” he concluded. “There are no abortion clinics in Chattanooga, Tenn. today, and in the state of Mississippi there is only one.”
This article is reprinted from the October 16, 2008, issue of the Baptist Messenger, the newspaper of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma.