The Client Connection

by Leslie Hatcher

Saving and Changing Lives

At First Choice for Women, we have the privilege of meeting with young women and families who need our services daily. Whether the need involves a free pregnancy test, options counseling, parent education, a material need, or spiritual guidance and support, the staff and volunteers of First Choice make every effort to meet those needs with compassion and love.This past summer, a young military wife came to us for a free pregnancy test. She lived in California, but was visiting her family in Muncie. The young woman was distraught. She already had a one year old and did not want to be pregnant again. Her husband was to be deployed in February, and her family “would not be happy” about her having another child so soon. Being pregnant would also mean moving back in with her parents...since her husband would be away for quite some time, she would need her parents support in order to take care of two small children. To her dismay, the test was positive. We explained all of her options, focusing on fetal development. We also encouraged the young mother to look at her little one year old boy with the knowledge that a similar life was growing inside of her. After assuring the young woman that First Choice would be there for her when she moved back to Muncie with her two babies, she left, still undecided. A follow-up phone call brought the great news that she had decided to carry to term and planned to contact First Choice when she returns to Muncie for mentoring, education and material assistance. Praise God for this life decision!The beginning of a new school year at Ball State University always brings with it a number of students who require our services. This past fall was no exception when a young freshman student came to us for a pregnancy test. She was scared, alone and very abortion minded. The test was negative, but we still explained the options available to her...just in case it had been too early to obtain an accurate result. We discussed making better lifestyle choices so that she might not have to face this tough decision in the future.

We talked about abstinence and how her daily choices ultimately affect life goals and dreams. We also shared the hope found in Jesus Christ, and was able to pray with her! After a few days, I received an email from the young woman confirming that she was not pregnant. She wrote, “I am so relieved, but also very thankful for all the information you gave me. I can’t thank you enough for talking to me and basically comforting me, with a very heartfelt conversation that made me fully believe you were there for me. That means a lot.”Please continue to pray for us as we strive to share with our clients the truth about LIFE with compassion and love.