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International Outreach  

Greetings friends and Heartbeat Affiliates!

Heartbeat International has had quite an adventurous 2008 – Nathan’s departure in March to pursue his passion for the political arena and encountering very difficult financial concerns that consumed us for the latter part of the year. In fact, the funding challenge kept us from filling the open position for far longer than we preferred. We have spoken to the Lord on your behalf many times, even if we have been remiss in talking with you directly. I trust you understand why.

Surviving last year and surging into the new year we have been able, by faith, to hire a new International Program Coordinator. Paula Grimsley, who many of you will know for her work with LadyCare (in India, Pakistan and other countries), has joined the Heartbeat team as our part-time International Coordinator. Paula is a trained nurse with many years of experience in and with life-affirming organizations like yours. We believe that her passion for the cause combined with her leadership experience and medical background will make her an excellent addition to our staff and a wonderful resource as we strive to serve each of you. Just some of her life and life-affirming experiences include:

• BS Nursing Degree (George Mason University, Virginia)
• Certified Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner (United States Air Force (USAF) School of Science)
• Grief Counselor and Childbirth educator
• Founder/President, Life Link, Crisis Pregnancy ministry at Misawa AFB, Japan 1993-95
• International nursing/counseling work including trips to: India, Pakistan and Northern Ghana
• Founder/President/CEO - Lady Care 2000-to present

I trust you’ll welcome Paula with me to the Heartbeat family with a prayer for her and, perhaps, a note to her via email. You can connect with her directly at pgrimsley@heartbeatinternational.org. See Paula’s greeting to you below. I’m confident you’ll be blessed to have Paula as an associate and advocate!

We greatly appreciate all you do for the cause of life! We pray blessings upon your organizations and especially upon you as leaders.

Jor-El Godsey
VP, Ministry Services

Learn more about individual International Pregnancy Centers...

 

Africa - Africa Cares for Life
The pregnancy care efforts are growing on the continent of Africa! Africa Cares for Life now publishes a dynamic manual on how to start a pregnancy centre called “Fan Into Flame”. Gail Schreiner, President Africa Cares for Life, combined her personal experiences, insight and wisdom with the framework for Heartbeat’s own “A Vision for Your Organization” to author a manual that will equip and inspire others to establish strong efforts to help those in need. We are pleased to announce our joint affiliation agreement where affiliates in good standing of Africa Cares for Life automatically receive all the benefits of affiliation with Heartbeat International.

Australia - Pregnancy Help Australia
Heartbeat International congratulates our Australia affiliate network Pregnancy Help Australia (PHA), formerly known as the Australian Federation of Pregnancy Support Services (AFPSS), on their new leadership group and especially the new Executive Officer, Lynn Mabey. Pregnancy Help Australia is set to celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2009. The roots of this good work go back even further and intersect with the founding group that became Heartbeat International.

Canada - Canada Association of Pregnancy Support Services (CAPSS)
We celebrate the new look of the Canada Association of Pregnancy Support Services (CAPSS) website. Check out CAPSS.com to see the good work and exciting initiatives of our friend Lola French, CEO, her team at the CAPSS and the associated pregnancy centres. We also are excited to announce a new joint affiliation agreement where of CAPSS affiliates gain affiliation with Heartbeat International for no additional cost.

Internationals in Dallas – 2008
More than 40 international delegates attended our 37th Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas. Nations from the Philippines to South Africa to Denmark to Russia were among the two dozen countries included. Gail Schreiner, Executive Director of Africa Cares for Life, presented a keynote session of her powerful testimony which highlighted her own journey and the beginnings of her work counseling under a tree on a park bench. Drew Land of Durban, South Africa led each worship time with songs in varied African languages as well as common contemporary music familiar to all attendees. Before the conference we opened with an International Dinner featuring Kurt Dillinger of LIFE International and June Hunt of Hope for the Heart.

Abortion Legalized in Mexico City
Mexico City lawmakers approved a proposal legalizing abortion 46-19, with one abstention, on April 24, 2007. This decision may have a great influence on policies and health practices in other Roman Catholic Latin American countries.

“Heartbeat International and our affiliates advocate for the true reproductive health and well-being of women. Abortion is not a medical ‘treatment’ that can improve a woman’s health. The very idea of an abortion to preserve a woman’s health is a smokescreen used to promote a culture characterized by sexual gratification separated from responsibility. Women we see in our pregnancy centers testify daily to the painful physical and emotional effects of abortion” said Heartbeat International President Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D.

“The recent vote by Mexico City lawmakers to remove protection for their unborn citizens is especially disturbing,” said President Hartshorn. “After 34 years of abortion on demand in the U.S., we have seen first hand the tragic impact of abortion on women and families. We are appalled that the culture of death is being exported in the name of reproductive rights. This ultimate human rights violation being perpetrated on Mexican society is an insult to a culture that treasures family and life.”

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