Dear Pro-Life Partners, March 1, 2023

The Executive Director of If Not For Grace, a post-abortive healing ministry here in the Kansas City area, recently gave a
speech to local Christian marketplace leaders regarding her organization and the subsequent impact of the rapidly
changing abortion industry. Her well-informed and impassioned plea moved many to view this issue in different light,
address it more intentionally, and get involved. I have included an excerpt below.

“Imagine this scene with me: Amy lay on the bathroom floor, covered in sweat, blood, and regret. It wasn’t supposed to
be this way. They told her that it would pass quickly, that there would be little pain and she would feel relieved soon.
Nothing could be further from the truth. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to erase the memory of the perfectly formed
little body with ten little fingers and ten little toes. What is she supposed to do now? Who can take this pain away? How
was she going to ever go back to “normal?”

This story and hundreds more have passed through our ministry in the last 20 years. Statistics tell us that 1 in 4 women
will have an abortion by the time she is 45. 1 in 4. Think about your churches…the stores you frequent. Every single day
we brush shoulders with those who are carrying around this secret and this pain. While many believe this is a woman’s
issue, we know there is also a man involved in every story and often the impact on him is widely ignored and
unaddressed.

The advancement of scientific research has proven that the heart begins to beat around day 21-22 after conception.
Fortunately, many lawmakers are waking up to the need to restrict access to surgical abortion earlier into pregnancies
which is something we should all be celebrating. Even pro-choice experts have begun to report and celebrate that
abortion overall is on the decline. We argue that the real abortion rate is likely rising as women gain access to chemical
abortions in numerous, unregulated, and undocumented ways (internet, black market, a friend’s medicine cabinet).
These same experts are reporting the alarming trend as chemical abortion has skyrocketed, representing over 53% of the
over 900,000 reported abortions each year.

What this truly means is that women are now becoming their own abortionists and are ill-prepared for what they might
see, the trauma and pain their bodies will endure, and the subsequent emotions that follow. They are experiencing
firsthand that their pregnancies are not just a “blob of tissue” but human babies with fingers, toes, and beating hearts.

Something else to note is that it is voluntary and not required by law to report the number of abortions performed
chemically (via the pill) in each state. So even the statistics that are reported are not dependable or accurate. Now take
yourself back to Amy’s bathroom floor. Imagine this scenario happening over 450,000 times a year in the U.S. alone.”

For more information on the Abortion Pill, check out the links below.

Abortion Pill Q & A Part 1

Abortion Pill Q & A Part 2

“With the reversal of Roe vs. Wade in June of 2022, the argument that “No one can tell me what to do with my body,”
has led the pro-choice narrative. The gaslighting men and women receive in regards to choosing abortion is calculated
and intentional. Once the decision is made and the abortion performed…regret and grief felt…women and men are told
‘No, no, no, you can’t feel that way with your body, your mind.” Or “Surely it is your mental illness that is causing this
struggle within you.

Our hope is for the whole story of abortion and its impact to be told. We are overwhelmed with heartache and
compassion for those women and men who feel regret and grief, yet feel like no one will love them, or listen to and care
for them without judgment. There is a war raging all around us. So we run into the fire searching for the wounded to
bring them to safety so they can heal. What a beautiful picture of what we do!

In the last two years, men and women are reaching out days, weeks, and even hours after their abortion. This shift has
impacted the way we approach ministry. Many are still in a trauma response and need a trauma-informed approach to
care. Many are still in the very life situations that led to their abortion decision. And so many are utterly lost and without
hope. What we love about this new reality is this: What the enemy meant for evil, God is using for good and His glory. We
are seeing the trauma of abortion being the avenue to bring the truth of the gospel into hearts, lives, and stories.

Many are willing to engage on a political level, but very few are doing so on a personal level. So my challenge to you is
this: ‘How can you begin to lift the cloud of shame and regret? How can you help us tell the stories of healing and
restoration? How do we mobilize healed and restored hearts to live abundantly in their God-given purpose and share
their journey with the world?’”

Partnering with You for Life,

Linda Verhulst (quoting Renae Kitchin)