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A Day at the New Life
Prenatal Center in Lima, Peru
By Evelyn Stone
 When you think of it, please pray for a few tough cases we saw today.
A seventeen-year-old just found out she is pregnant and is determined to abort. Pray for her baby and for her salvation. Not everyone makes a decision while sitting in our office, but we try to give each one God's answers, good literature, and hope.
An older lady came in with various physical complaints and a history of nine abortions. She recently became a Christian, and her church referred her to us because she is suffering post-abortion stress disorder. God's Word has answers for her, and several of our volunteer counselors are working to help her.
A girl who got saved at the center about four years ago came back today. She wants to leave her little girl in an orphanage so she can work. The baby's father abandoned her and now has another family. We referred her to the New Life Children's Home that is just opening here in Lima. A man from our church is the director.
A woman in her mid-twenties is depressed and has panic attacks. It all started when she was abused at the age of six. One of our volunteers led her to the Lord. Now she is in counseling with me and studying the Self-Confrontation course that I teach at the center each week.
A lady with a year-old baby saw the sign for a free pregnancy test and was our next walk-in. If the test had been positive, she was going to abort because she couldn't support two babies. It was negative, and so was her response to the Gospel, but at least we had the opportunity to share Christ with her and explain to her the value of sexual abstinence.
An eighteen-year-old Christian girl came for childbirth training classes with her unsaved boyfriend. Pray for his salvation and her repentance. Holly, our short-term missionary nurse, and Janet, a Peruvian volunteer nurse, have organized childbirth training classes. In addition to training for childbirth and parenting, the students in the class study the Bible.
The last ones to come in tonight were three girls, all around eleven or twelve years of age. They are on the streets nearly all day, trying to sell candy to earn enough to live. One of them said that she is not allowed to go home at night if she doesn't have at least $3.00 to buy breakfast for the family. All three have accepted Christ at the center and come once a week for discipleship classes. We are trying to train them in godliness while they are young. We would like to reach their families too. Life is dangerous on the streets for young girls like them. If their lives don't change, in just another year or two they will be coming in for pregnancy tests.
During the first two months of 2005, 115 women have walked in for the first time, 299 people have been counseled, and 32 made decisions for salvation. Pray that each volunteer will be faithful, true, wise, and loving.
Today I took in several bags of donated baby clothes, left the clothes with a couple of volunteers to sort and organize, did some counseling, met with a visitor who was interested in the work of the center, and consulted with the director of the new center in San Borja. After lunch I met with our accountant to go over the accounts of the purchase and renovations of the new offices. Friday I will meet with the board of directors to present reports, plans, and a budget for this year. Saturday I will meet with the doctor, two midwives, three nurses, and the volunteers that give prenatal care at the center to work on the Standards and Procedures Manual. I spent the evening doing e-mail consultation with the director of the new center starting in Chiclayo, northern Peru, where I spoke last week, and with the director of the new center scheduled to begin in Bogotá, Colombia. This is an exciting time to be doing the work of the ministry and to serve with such wonderful national partners.
| Evelyn Stone and her husband, David, serve the Lord with ABWE in Peru. E-mail: dstone@abweperu.org. |
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