A Message from JENNY CHERRY, one of our youngest sidewalk counselors.  Her very encouraging experience at the Fair was similar to one Sylvia and I had – first people we encountered on our second day was a young couple pushing a baby in a stroller, the mother pregnant.  They said two years ago Sarasota Medical Pregnancy had helped them with the birth of their first baby (in the stroller) and they were very appreciative.  But Jenny’s story is even better!

FROM JENNY
I wanted to share these stories to bring encouragement and knowledge bc I think this is what every Pro life person dreams of when they serve the Lord in this area:
1) All glory to God, on the last day of the Sarasota Fair grounds, I was serving at the Pro life table, and the moment I walked behind the table, something good in my soul “clicked” and instantly I went to work. I had no fear, people and children were stopping and coming up to the table, I was able to engage in conversation, with many people, youth and families; sadly many ladies and families turn way or ignore, but thankfully we had a young white couple from high school who chose to keep their beautiful baby. Not too much arguments this time.

However, the last encounter made all the time and years serving in God’s Pro-life areas worth it: a young lady, probably 19 years old, came pushing a stroller with a little 1 year old boy, and the grandmother right by her side. The girl told me this, “You all probably don’t remember me, but I came to the fair last year, it was my final year in high school and I was pregnant. I didn’t know what to do, I was thinking about it when I came to the fair and as I was walking around, I saw your table, the models and what you were saying to me, and that’s what convinced me to keep my baby, my son. My mother is so happy, I am so happy, I couldn’t imagine life without him. Thank you for what you are doing. I wanted you all to see him.”
This brought me instant joy like I couldn’t describe, I praised God and thanked her profusely for keeping her beautiful son. Her family is helping her, she finished school and is doing fine. I will never forget this encounter and I will NEVER stop serving on the Lord’s pro-life team. This encouraged me and put even more fire in my heart to fight to save babies’, women’s and men’s lives from abortion.
2) On Monday of this week, my friend Anne Marie and I signed up to pray for the 40 days for life from 9-10 am. And just as we were about to leave, a lady on a bicycle came up to us and said she had some questions. She spoke with an accent and said she was from Sweden, and wanted to know if PP gave the pill that would help prevent her daughter from getting pregnant. We said yes, but explained it could also kill a child as well as harm her daughter physcally and that going on the pill doesn’t guarantee her daughter not getting pregnant. We offered to bring her to our Pregnancy clinic which she seemed unaware of at the moment. She then asked if our clinic offered condoms to prevent pregnancies and we said no, we encourage abstinence, the safest way to prevent any unexpected pregnancies as well as potential STDS , AIDS as well as emotional damage, etc. 
The woman appeared shocked and said how ridiculous we were, and that in Sweden, they teach in public schools about how to use these things to prevent pregnancies and the women there have no problems whatsoever, no STDS, nothing. I asked what facts and resources she had to back that up, which she could not answer, nor did she want to answer my question that abstinence is the safest way to prevent all these things. 
Anyway, at the end, her last statement made it clear that she was aware of our clinic, was trying hard to discourage us verbally and that she was most likely working for PP and we were being staged, but we blessed her and prayed for her as she left. 

This encounter is important to learn from for several reasons:1) To always be ready, to be alert, even up to the final minute, when the “changing of the guard happened,” we still stayed and tried to answer her questions genuinely until we could see the truth behind what she was doing.2) To be as straightforward as possible. If they are asking questions that we know about PP, I think we should be honest in every way, don’t hide anything bc that makes you look suspicious. Instead acknowledge what they do, and include the full truth of what they do and then bring them to our clinic to show them what we really do.3) Be patient as you listen to the other side, love others as Christ did, bc “they will know they are Christians by their love.” I don’t think she can fault us for being kind, but toward the end, I spoke more firmly to explain why and what is wrong, more so bc I was continually interrupted. 
4) Jesus said, “Be as gentle as doves, but clever as serpents.” Let’s not be accusing, but be aware and not naive that the enemy is throwing out his workers in different ways and means. Be ready, don’t be afraid, even if you don’t have all the answers at the time, it’s okay. We’re here bc of the simple truth that PP is killing babies for money, selling their body parts and emotionally damaging women, men, families. It’s destroying our population as a whole and we’re not going to be able to sustain ourselves. If they cannot simply acknowledge and admit to that fact, they are in straight up denial. 
Which is why we are also there praying for them, that Jesus would open their eyes to the truth, just as He did for us so that we could become Pro-life. 5) I’m thankful Anne Marie was with me and I know it’s easy for conversations such as that to draw a crowd but just to let people know on our side, be careful bc if we become so big we might intimidate the other person in the wrong way. Please only let the one or two involved talk, and if they don’t know an answer, then yes, let someone else speak with love and gentleness/firmness. 

And after the conversation, it’s easy for us to be on the sidewalk talking and retalking about it, but be careful too bc this can appear really childish, it’s good to reflect and regroup and to encourage one another, but let’s not be overwhelmed by it either. Ask someone more experienced how to respond or ask for an answer to a question, then pray and go back out there. Our work isn’t done until PP is gone. 🙂
Thank you for taking time to read this,

Sincerely,
jenny cherry

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Sarasota-Manatee Right to Life
http://sarasotamanateertl.org
1973 Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton Decisions Legalized Abortion in the U.S. for theFull Nine Months of Pregnancy Prior to 1967, abortion was prohibited in all 50 states except when the mother’s life was in danger. Between 1967 and 1973, 18 states added further exceptions, mostly to allow abortion in cases of rape and incest, or for certain limited medical reasons, or on demand (New York). In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered two decisions, Roe v. Wade 1 and Doe v. Bolton 2 which, taken together, have allowed legal abortion on demand at any stage of pregnancy in all 50 states. The two original decisions established legal abortion as follows: In the first three months of pregnancy, no one can interfere with a woman’s decision to abort her child. After the first three months, but before the “viability” of the unborn child, an individual state can enact laws to protect the health of the mother but cannot prohibit the abortion of the unborn child. After “viability” of the unborn child, an individual state can, if it chooses to do so, enact laws to protect the unborn child but abortion must be allowed if the life or “health” of the mother is at stake. The Supreme Court defined “health” as “the medical judgment that may be exercised in light of all factors – physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age –relevant to the well-being of the patient. All these factors may relate to health.” 2 Consequently, the broad definition of “health” has made abortion legal up to the moment of birth.

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