The opportunities for pregnancy centers and pregnancy center workers to help women are without borders.
I have been a client service manager for four and a half years at Crossroads Pregnancy Center just north of Harrisburg, Pa., and have seen hundreds of clients, assisting them with pregnancy options, support and aid. I never imagined I could use that training and those skills beyond the geographical area of my facility.
Local missionaries to the Dominican Republic (DR) visited my office in the fall of 2021.
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Mack and Lori King and their daughters had lived in Central Pennsylvania (which is where I live and work) when they were called to the island to serve.
During one of their home visits in Pennsylvania, they requested materials to help the Spanish-speaking women in their vicinity.
We have an active Spanish-speaking community in our region of Pennsylvania, including those who have immigrated from Honduras, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic. I often have had to utilize a translator to help these women. I use Spanish material, videos and forms. I was able to give some materials to the Kings that year.
Our pregnancy center existed in four locations at the time of their visit, and one of our ultrasound machines needed to be updated or replaced. We were able to give the used machine to the Kings for use in their community. Lori King is a nurse, so she was familiar with the machine.
During their visit home, they had expressed interest in having some Crossroads Pregnancy Center employees visit their location in the DR. It was noted that the women are not well educated about their risks, and parenting education is a minimum. I immediately had the desire to go.
In the fall of 2022, we re-visited the idea via email.
At least one other Crossroads employee was hoping to attend with me. However, the timing of the next opportunity – March 2023—was not ideal for other staffers at our center. I was invited to tag along with a group of four nurses, including two maternity nurses, to help educate women and children Santo Domingo, DR.
The nurses and I boarded a plane for the DR on March 14 of this year.
We brought numerous baby items for a baby shower to bless new moms -to- be and those with infants. We also brought acetaminophen, bandages, and prenatal vitamins for moms.
Our trip included visits to an elementary school and orphanage where we engaged with small children and talked to them about healthy living.
However, my pregnancy center training was highlighted as we also spoke with teenagers about STDs, the consequences of premarital sex and the emotional ties that are involved.
This topic was addressed to students as young as fourth grade, as many 10-year-olds are sexually active in the region, we were told. One young woman told an adult she “never heard the word abstinence,” until our visit.
During our time at a very rural church for a baby shower, there was at least one 15-year-old expecting mom.
Diapers, wipes, clothing, baby wash and lotion and other accessories were packed in hand-sewn tote bags.
The moms heard lessons on the three trimesters of pregnancy and what to expect during labor.
We honored the moms with cake and took their photos with a polaroid camera, sending each momma home with a baby bump photo or a mommy/child photo.
Our group was also invited to speak in two different locations for a Positive Parenting seminar.
I was able to discuss with moms in the audience how shaming our children can inflict damage into their lives.
This is a class I teach in my own center and have found that many moms, both at home and abroad, were raised in a shame-filled home and as a result have parented their own children in the same manner.
In extreme cases, shame-filled parenting can lead to abuse and neglect. The child victims of these behaviors may end up in an orphanage.
We were driven four hours beyond the city to the Good Samaritan Children’s Home.
As the van doors opened and we prepared to greet them, children clung to our waists before both feet hit the parking lot.
Craving love and affection, these children were more than delighted to have these five ladies spend two days with them. Our hearts were blessed as we played games, painted, threw water balloons and held multiple Dominican and Haitian children on our laps.
During our mealtimes in the kitchen away from the children as well as on our ride home, we were told the stories of how each child came to the home.
Some were left to eat dog food in their abandoned homes. Some were victims of mom’s drug use. Others were trafficked – boys and girls – sent into the streets for sex with both men and women.
In all the training we undergo in our pregnancy centers, nothing prepares you for seeing the impact of such sexual sin on the youngest victims.
These children are at risk for STDs, early pregnancy, and even seeking abortions as they grow up.
Abortion procedures have been illegal in the Dominican Republic since 2007. If caught, jail time is ordered. Medical professionals who perform abortions are also given jail time.
Like women from other locations with restrictions, women can get desperate and find other alternatives.
The country has faced much scrutiny from around the world for its abortion stance in recent years.
We boarded our plane to return home late on March 21. I returned to my center the afternoon of March 22.
We were encouraged by the missionaries to share the impact of the trip with others. When someone asks, “How was your trip?” it was suggested we respond with more than just “good.”
I was able to share how God worked in the Dominican Republic with my American clients. This led to many questions and a time to share Jesus in my office.
If your center has an opportunity to serve beyond its four walls, I strongly urge you to answer, “Here I am! Send me!”
More information on the ministry in the Dominican Republic is available by going to Facebook and Instagram and liking/following The Kings’ Quest.
