The LifeHouse pregnancy help center in Bakersfield was busy on Monday (Feb. 19) and Tuesday (Feb. 20), as many women came for free pregnancy tests. Across the street at the Family Planning Associates abortion chamber, abortionist Kenneth Wright committed abortions on Tuesday. However, three to five babies or more were saved from abortion through the "pregnancy evangelism" ministries at the LifeHouse and on the sidewalks outside FPA. Here are a few selected reports from last week's ministry activities:

"Dottie," 22, came to the LifeHouse on Tuesday to pick up some information to share with a friend who is considering abortion. She asked Terri* to show her a video about abortion.

After seeing the video, Dottie confessed that she has had two abortions in recent years. She said that she is not married, and she has been attending a local Southern Baptist church for several years. Dottie timidly revealed that the last time she was pregnant, Terri had talked her out of aborting at 12 weeks, but her boyfriend's continued pressure caused her to follow through with the abortion when she was 14 weeks pregnant.

Someone else came to the LifeHouse for a pregnancy test while Dottie was there, so she asked Terri, "could I take a pregnancy test today too?" At first, Dottie thought she couldn't be pregnant because she has been on the Depo-Provera "birth control" shot. However, the results of her pregnancy test were positive. She was devastated to find out that she is pregnant, but insisted that she will not consider abortion.

As a couple entered the abortion mill on Tuesday, Amber* offered them literature about the risks of abortion. The woman refused to take it. Amber said "you don't have to talk, but please just read this," so the woman's boyfriend took the literature and followed her upstairs. After he read the literature to her, they left, saying "we're keeping the baby."

"Julia" is just a few weeks pregnant, and had made an appointment to abort her baby at FPA on Tuesday. After discussing the situation with her boyfriend, "Jerry," she decided to let her baby live. Jerry called LifeSavers Tuesday morning, asking for information about adoption. "We have beautiful babies together," he said.

Tim called Julia* and gave her information about A Baby From Heaven adoption facilitators. Julia said she already has four children, but she wants to "share a beautiful child with another family." "I'm definitely not going through with the abortion," she assured Tim.

"Corrie," 23, came to the abortion chamber on Monday. She told Debbie (an independent volunteer) that she intended to abort her baby because she had been raped. Beth (a Fresno sidewalk counselor who travels to Bakersfield to help with the ministry) gave her a pamphlet about rape, along with literature on the development of her baby and the risks of abortion, and evangelistic literature. As Corrie left, she said, "I'm going to love this baby."

"April," 28, came to the LifeHouse on Tuesday for a pregnancy test. She is not married, and has been attending a local Catholic church for three years. She had found out that she was pregnant after taking a test at the LifeHouse a few months ago, and she had been very upset about it, but she did not want to abort the baby. However, she had a miscarriage a few days later.

Her test on Tuesday was positive again. She said, "this time I'm very happy to be pregnant." Terri gave her a baby gift.

"Bonnie," 21, came to the LifeHouse on Monday for a pregnancy test. She is single and has attended a local Foursquare church for two years. Her test results were negative.

Bonnie told Terri that when she was pregnant with her four year old daughter, her doctors told her to abort the baby because of Down syndrome. Bonnie ignored the doctors' advice, choosing to "trust God" instead of taking the risks of having an amniocentisis test. She said her daughter is "perfect" and she would like her to have a little brother or sister. Terri admonished her that she needs to get married first, and Bonnie said "I know." Terri gave her abstinence literature as she left.

Terri saw "Kami," 20, sitting outside the LifeHouse on Tuesday afternoon, so Terri asked "did you have surgery today?" Kami said, "no, I decided not to do it." She said she was 17 weeks pregnant and would have had to go to Los Angeles. "I have two boys, 5 and 3, so I might as well keep this one," Kami said. Terri gave her a baby gift and a dress for a baby girl, along with some food.

Beth talked to "Nina," 17, outside the abortion chamber on Monday. Nina was waiting for her boyfriend to pick her up, because she found out she was 20 weeks pregnant, and that she would need to go to Los Angeles for the abortion. Eventually, Beth convinced Nina to come to the LifeHouse to see a video about abortion.

Nina told Beth that the hardest thing for her is not knowing how to tell her parents. "I hate to disappoint them," she said. Beth showed Nina a page on the LifeHouse web site about "how to tell your parents," and Nina said she would look at it more carefully at home.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.