Submitted by philip on
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
KENNER – Jennifer Nelson was 19 when she made the choice to abort her child.
Ten years later, as she was four months into her pregnancy and married, Nelson began to relive the decision she made as a teenager. Immediately, she fell to her knees, asking God’s forgiveness – and the beginning of healing through Christ.
Today, Nelson is a volunteer with the Mobile Pregnancy Care Center (MPCC), a ministry of the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home & Family Ministries. Through this ministry, Nelson is able to use her past experience as a ministry tool to other women facing the same choice she did at one time – with hope that they will not abort their child.
“As I have served at the unit, I have talked to several abortion-minded women and even some men who wanted their girlfriends to have the baby, but the women wanted to have an abortion,” said Nelson, a member of Williams Boulevard Baptist Church in Kenner. “Sometimes we are not sure how the story ends for those we talk to, but we know we have spoken truth into their lives. I wonder if I would have had access to an ultrasound machine and people who loved Jesus wanting to help my child, would my circumstances have been different?”
Started in 2011, the Mobile Pregnancy Care Center travels the state offering free pregnancy tests, free ultrasounds, pro-life literature and a positive Christian witness. So far, the MPCC has served more than 2,000 women. Many abortions have been averted, saving the lives of countless babies and preventing the tragic effects of abortion on their mothers. A number of these women have prayed to receive Christ as their Savior and Lord.
The MPCC travels around the state, making itself available for anyone seeking services or just wanting information.
One such event the MPCC was featured was during the two Louisiana Life Marches, which brought awareness to the need to reduce abortions in Louisiana. Though ranked as the most pro-life state in the nation in 2014 for the third consecutive year, Louisiana still had 9,225 abortions performed in 2012.
Cindy Kouf, who operates the center along with her husband, Ron, said the MPCC tries to show expectant moms that they are carrying a life inside of them. “It never gets old seeing a baby’s heart beating or movement that is not yet felt by the mother,” she said.
Among those was a young woman in her 20s who visited the MPCC, requesting a pregnancy test. Though she had visited an abortion clinic several weeks earlier and was provided a drug to induce an abortion, the woman still felt she was pregnant after experiencing only minimal side effects that normally occur after taking such a drug.
The test result was positive, providing an opportunity for Kouf to undergo an ultrasound in the center.
“We were both surprised when the ultrasound revealed a normal 14-week-old baby with a strong heartbeat,” Kouf said. “I was able to show the young mother her unborn baby’s features. After a few moments, an image came on the ultrasound screen. It looked as if the baby had turned to face the mother. The baby had one of its small hands up as if it were waving. When this young mother saw that image, she was very moved. I knew that she had seen a special blessing from the Lord.”
“I spent some time counseling the woman concerning the possibility of adoption,” Kouf continued. “When this young mother left, she said the ultrasound had definitely affected her decision about her unborn baby. I am so grateful for how God is using the Mobile Pregnancy Care Center to save lives.”
For her part, Mandi Eastwood, seeing her mother volunteer at a local crisis pregnancy center as a phone counselor inspired her to do the same at the Mobile Pregnancy Care Center. She said during the training sessions she felt as if God was telling her that it was time to step up and follow in her mother’s footsteps.
“Since then, I have counseled a young pregnant teen at a local health fair,” said Eastwood, a member of Edgewater Baptist Church in New Orleans. “What joy it is to speak the hope of Jesus into the lives of these girls who just stop by for a pregnancy test. I hope to set an example for my own children as I show love and compassion to the girls who visit the Mobile Pregnancy Care Center.”
For more information on partnering with the Mobile Pregnancy Care Center at a church, association or special event, contact Ron or Cindy Kouf at 318.816.3462 or koufs@lbch.org.