On Sunday evening, October 9, knowing that she had scheduled an appointment to end her baby’s life the next day, 23-year-old “Kirsten” was determined to make it to church. Sitting next to Kirsten in the Baptist church their family had attended for many years, Kirsten’s grandmother was thrilled to join her granddaughter in singing praises to God.

A few miles away, two men joined their hearts in prayer outside the locked gates of Bakersfield’s FPA abortion business as a part of their participation in the 40 Days for Life campaign. Realizing that the following day was a likely abortion day, the men turned their prayers to the women who were scheduled for abortions, asking God to break through the hearts of these women during the night.

When Kirsten arrived at the abortion center and saw Christians praying outside, she decided that it was easier to befriend them than to ignore them. Telling the vigil participants that she was not pregnant, Kirsten asked for extra pamphlets so that she could hand them out to others who were considering abortion.

Kirsten exited and re-entered the abortion center several times, telling different versions of her story to different vigil participants. Eventually, some began to become suspicious that she might not be telling the truth. A few hours after she had first entered, Terri saw Kirsten and her friend exiting the abortion center again. Terri asked “is there something I can help with?”

Kirsten responded “mental help!”

At first Terri thought Kirsten was joking, but Kirsten explained that she had been having anxiety attacks, experiencing cold sweats and heart palpitations. She further revealed that the prior Monday (which happened to be the first Bakersfield abortion day of the current 40 Days for Life campaign) she had planned to abort her baby, but she didn’t have proper identification. She went to the DMV to get a new ID card, but the DMV computer crashed, preventing her from following through with the abortion that day.

Noticing that Kirsten and her friend both looked exhausted, Terri asked “did you have a rough night?”

“We had trouble sleeping last night, because we kept thinking about the abortion,” they responded.

Kirsten went on to reveal that as she prepared for the abortion inside FPA, she saw a clear picture of a baby on the ultrasound screen. “After I saw that, I just had to leave,” she confessed. But before she left, she made another abortion appointment for the following Monday.

As tears filled her eyes, Terri explained to that we had recently begun this 40 Days for Life prayer vigil and that we have been specifically praying “not just for the babies, but for women like you too.” Terri went on to talk to Kirsten about one of the vigil participants who was never able to bear a child because of her abortion many years ago.

“I don’t want you to be tempted to come back here,” Terri pleaded. “Why don’t you just give me the paperwork for your next appointment?” Without hesitation, Kirsten handed the papers to Terri.

Terri told Kirsten that several local churches have Elizabeth League groups which exist to provide help and encouragement to vulnerable pregnant women. Kirsten provided Terri with her address and phone number so that Terri could connect her with an Elizabeth League group.

If you are interested in starting an Elizabeth League group in your church to help Kirsten or someone in a similar situation, please contact Terri at 661-323-2229 or 866-949-2229. More often than not, what women need most from the Elizabeth League is not extreme financial assistance but someone to be their friend, to listen to them and pray with them. Whenever possible, we try to connect women with an Elizabeth League group which is similar to their church background, but no Baptist Elizabeth League groups are active at this time.