Walking With Mothers In Tangible Ways On A College Campus

Common method that they are competent and they are becoming away down their college campus. This is family policy matters. Focus on faith tradition, Thomas Graham, Pastor outreach director for NC family join us once a month as pastor Graham shine some light on the intersection between our Christian faith and engaging our culture for Geordie ghost brothers today are pleased to be joined by a woman who was at the forefront of the pro-life movement.

She walks with mothers and very real and tangible ways on the college Western North Carolina as they navigate unplayable or crisis pregnancy Debbie Kaplan is the Executive Director of Mira the a beautiful ministry in western North Carolina but offers not just a wide variety of free support services for pregnant women, but also provides a free residential program for local pregnant college didn't Debbie Kaplan welcome the family policy matters. It's great to have you on the show today I so wonderful to have you, Debbie.

We all like to tell stories and I know you have a powerful one to tell what you share.

Just kind of a snapshot of your life story with our listeners, particularly your faith journey and how your relationship with God.

Work to prepare you for the work that you do today near the Christian family in South Carolina. Like a lot of young children. I actually had a love for God at an early age. I like a lot of people that I know and we grow in the worldly way and 13.

My dad passed away seven me and at that time I started to look more for love and and and comfort in worldly relationships and ideas before Wanda had gone off to college and had started to embrace a lot of the feminism and liberal ideology that I've been taught in college. I live in going back home. I was only attending church. When my mom hit me with some help the unfortunate thought of that right now partying and doing all the things that I hope my own children have a daily got pregnant the summer before my sophomore year, and as a young age of 18. I looking back, I was not practically a child completely terrified by the pregnancy. I got back to college and made to walk me to walk down to the health clinic on campus because I wanted another test to confirm my fear and deep down I was looking for help is looking for guidance.

I did give member standing there clinic desk and told him I am bearing to give me a call responsive well if he took a home pregnancy test in your apartment and there's really nothing we can do for you here there dumbfounded looking at her and she felt sorry for me what you want to talk to someone you they sent someone out to me in the waiting room. I was mortified that even call me back to a private room in after what I should do and she said well I guess if you're looking for an abortion Yellow Pages you find someplace there and that was the conflict so tragically.

I wish that I had reached out to my mom course now and I wish that I reached out to Christian friends that that I knew existed, but instead blinded by fear. I went to the Yellow Pages and went through with the abortion and free for while I was probably the poster child for parent and I graduated college I met my future husband. I had a great job here I was with everything I thought I wanted. And deep down I was happy I wasn't filled.

I could not put my finger on what was wrong and a lot of self reflection and realizing God's love in my life I missed that Keith and I know even where to get to go back to God.

I I found out that I was unforgivable and the only thing I could remember were the our father is a Hail Mary that I knew as a child that I started crating our father in the hell. My prayer was that God would put me back to him day after day week after week, I began to open the Bible, I went back to church.

I was praying for my fiancé and before I knew it he was. He was returned to God to you and I opened up to him. I told him about my past loving and forgiving, so encouraging and I told him I said I want to help when I want to do something about this. Don't want people to experience that isolation from God that I felt just said that put me on this path to follow God's call years are just feeling a blessing. Here, you told me the you know it's exciting for me to think that this mission describes its Christ centered work is being inspired by the examples of both of Jesus's earthly parents, Mary and Joseph tell us if you will please help example of this wonderful this holy family impact both your motivation and also your tangible resources. Part of our mission statement to model ourselves after the holy family from the very ending when Mary gave her yes Turkey… That life in her world that she never expected right want our mothers feel that that yes and that joy life going in that room and just as Mary nourished our board and Kate taught him spiritually and met his emotional needs. We want for our young women to introduce them to Christ and and for all their their growth in their spiritual journey and then on June 5 two was entrusted with the physical needs, and sheltering all that Mary and Jesus and through our residential facility. I think in body fat strike that Joseph provided healthcare security will women walk through our doors. They immediately over and over again, they just feel safe at home and so from the meal for provide diapers, credit clothing in the teaching and education where they are to show them whatever your family looks like and family for them for the two years that there with that and we make sure that they have pastors in their life then and in setting that example that that not just bother with that but that they can take it out with them and create families which are the building blocks that are fine. You're listening to policy matters of resource to listen to our radio show online resources that will be a voice of persuasion in your community to our website and see family.org so why choose to be on not just near a college to well unfortunately I think that the college around the nation are playful with losing the culture for college, understand, and they they have created here on their campus that is a loving Christian environment where they want to set an example and evangelize not only their students but to the world and happy offered to donate the land to us. Yeah so what out what unbelievable opportunity from that indication, we were able to get a foothold and to build this facility that we hope will be a model for colleges all over the country in the world to cut if we're not going to down then we hear everything and so the women who come and live with us and go to school either Miami or wherever they are already attending Qaddafi that our hope is that they can continue on a trajectory that they were on their company and their becoming a witness on their college campuses.

You never see private college students. Right now people are paying they can see it and understand not the end of the world. It's the beginning of an new life et al. were changing the culture. One by one, step by step. If I could give a quick example 1 of our resident. She was on a college sports team, and she bravely decided to choose life and her coach was supportive and although her teammate that first thought that she was crazy by the end of the city's young women were babysitting for her and throwing her baby shower and she told us that any confidential moment stated they were sharing with her that they always thought they were pro-choice that they forgot they would choose abortion. But now, after seeing her and her sweet little boy they needed that that was not the way to go from one person she impacted dozens is just look the most sought after services that you provide to young women. Which ones do you think are the most important.

I think that I think the most important services intangible for fear of what is motivated by fear make.

We are able to show them that they don't have to be afraid there's nothing to be afraid at all the things that they're thinking there's actually a solution to back and see you really can't pick one because they're all interwoven on the run. Okay have to have to drop out of school. I don't have to wear that we live.

I don't need my child and honestly one of them is just our counselors to help them to understand how to have this difficult conversations in our life with their with their family and with their friends and then their professors in all of this in their life that they are worried about the challenges the relationships we are here to get them the tools that they need such great work with the most needed.

Or perhaps the best ways for someone to reach out and restrict mothers in their own communities or facing unplanned or difficult pregnancies. W. Based upon your experience will what do you recommend prayer I got my my conversion. I know what the fruit of people's prayers for me and I think that being nonjudgmental and understanding that everyone is on this journey. This miraculous way that were all and looking around backyards that the pro-life organization that are are around us right. We all need help and so I think that the best place to start our the pregnancy resource centers. The maternity home the pro-life advocacy group that they are already in existence. We are strengthened numbers and need that you be that crosses any divide to continue to help this this effort to understand all life sacred. Every life has worth and every woman can be can be ministered to and I think that a lot of times it's about how we talk about it in our own home that weird word helping each other to be able to be prepared. No one ever expect that moment to calm someone in our life. To be pregnant that we don't think it's ever going to happen and and it's so important for us to start right will be our own homes and lives in workplaces to to be that lie in the world. This is been such a joy to hear you to listen to your story and your home what you're helping young women who were caught up in these unplanned and difficult pregnancy situations, however, are our time is about Rodale before we close this interview, I'd like to ask you W work work in her listeners go to learn more about your work.

The work of Mira video or should I go on our website is merely a.org said that an IRA DI a.org and were also on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter. We do get all sprung from online and every time something is liked and shared in the work it out more. I look just great. W. That was my pleasure to just say a big thank you thank you for being with us to bill you will policy matters.

Thank you also for your life-affirming work and your loving work with Mira video helping young mothers face very difficult time in your life. Thank you so much for letting the Lord is you the way that he has bless you and God bless the wonderful work that you've been listening to family policy matters. Focus on faith tradition of production and see family to listen to our radio show online, and for more valuable resources and information about issues important to families in North Carolina go to our website and see family.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook