Community supports life

Tuesday evening, Oct. 12, the Durand Center at Crockett Tower was host to about 250 people celebrating life and especially the birthdays of newborns. 

Informed Choices Women’s Center started in this area about two years ago as a mission out of the Mountain Home organization which has been in operation for 15 years. 

 Director Rhonda Graham said, “In the past 18 months,the Center has served 166 men and women in 595 visits offering medical care, education and spiritual direction. The leaders have taught 373 baby classes. There were 42 abortion-minded women served and 37 choose life for the unborn babies.”

“That means 94% of our clients chose life,” Graham said. “Prayer is essential for this ministry. Not only do the workers and unborn babies need prayers, but our clients need prayer. We had 349 opportunities for an advocate to pray with and for a client. There were 66 opportunities to share the gospel. There were five conversations leading to sharing the plan of salvation. It’s our prayer that through these intentional spiritual connections that our clients will one day come to realize that Jesus is not just ‘a’ answer but ‘the’ answer for their hope and future.”

Graham told the story of an advocate who asked for permission to pray for a client. After she prayed, the client had tears streaming down her face and said, “No one has ever prayed for me before.”

Pastor Heath Kirkpatrick was the speaker and shared details about celebrating birthdays and life.

When his newborn daughter had to have heart surgery the cardiologist said, “Do you understand how many millions of things have to go right for that heart to form? This is fashioned together, so intricate and so amazing that only a Creator could put this together. God is Sovereign and He creates life.”

He referenced Psalms 139:13-14 and how God has knit us together in our mother’s womb. 

“Hands that shed innocent blood,” is one of the abominations that Proverbs 6:16-17 says God hates,” he said. “God is angry with the wicked every day, and those who seek to destroy innocent blood. Taking the life of an unborn baby is murder.” 

Kirkpatrick quoted George Orwell, “Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable.”

“The world has changed the wording to soften the blow of murder. But this ministry is all about giving people the truth. It’s not a blob of tissue. It’s a baby,” he said.

The mission of Informed Choices Women's Center is to provide a safe place for men and women who are concerned about an unplanned pregnancy, or STD. All services are confidential and free of charge.

Someone from the community told Graham that he would match the donations raised up to $50,000 from the banquet Tuesday night through the end of the year. 

Donations can be mailed to Informed Choices Women’s Center, P.O. Box 545, Harrison, AR 72602 or go online to informedchoiceswomenscenter.org to make a donation online. 

For more information call 870-280-3169. The Harrison Women’s Center is located at 715 W. Sherman.