By .

I have been serving at Open Arms for two years. Our desire is to provide hope and to share the love of Christ with women facing unplanned pregnancies. Even though our clients usually come in for pregnancy related services – pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and Earn While You Learn (EWYL) classes – they also receive a loving, listening ear, compassionate support, truth and hope in a non- judgmental environment. I’d like to share two examples of the way we have ministered to clients facing the uncertainties of an unplanned pregnancy.

One young woman came to our clinic with a stressful home life, facing a crisis pregnancy. She came in for a pregnancy test and continued over the next several months with our EWYL parenting classes. Over the course of her pregnancy, we developed a close relationship. She shared with me that when she comes to Open Arms for her appointments; she really sees and feels the presence of God. To her, Open Arms is a safe place where she can come and experience God’s love, something she struggles to see in her day- to-day life.
Another client came to us, pregnant yet conflicted as she didn’t want any more children, but didn’t believe abortion was right. She had called an abortion provider to inquire about the abortion pill, but ended up here to take a pregnancy test instead. After spending some time talking, she said that having a place like Open Arms where she could be heard as she sorted out her emotions helped her to realize that she didn’t really want an abortion after all.

Our prayer is that the relationships developed through conversation in a loving, safe and non- judgmental environment will have great impact and will demonstrate the love of Christ to our clients and draw them to Him.
We are grateful that women have a place like Open Arms where they can breathe for a minute while they think through their emotions. They often realize that they don’t have to act out of fear or stress in a crisis and that there is time to think through their options. Our hope is that they leave here knowing they are loved, not only by us, but by the Lord, and that there is always hope.