Heartbeat Goes to Zambia
This Summer, of 2024, Jor-El Godsey, President of Heartbeat International, visited Zambia! Below are some questions Jor-El answered about his experience:
1. Have you been to Zambia before?
Yes! Parts of Zambia are in the world-renowned Copper Belt that holds an estimated 50% of the world’s concentration of copper. It’s been a few years since I’ve been so I was eager to go back to have the chance to be with our joint-affiliate network partners, AFLA (Association for Life of Africa).
2. Why did you go to Zambia and what impact did you and the conference hosts hope for?
Ndola, Zambia was the hosting site for AFLA’s National Directors Conference. Barbra Mwansa, our long-time friend (since 1998), and her AFLA team always create a great opportunity for building friendships, deepening understanding, and envisioning the future. While AFLA has affiliates in nearly 18 countries, their home base is in Zambia (Kitwe).
3. What was planned for this trip?
It was my privilege to get to connect with African leaders from many countries. Particularly new to me were the many key leaders from French-speaking countries in Africa, such as the Congo, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast. I was also able to support the AFLA conference line-up with a workshop and two keynotes.
4. Did anything surprise you?
My biggest surprise for this trip was an unexpected, and extended, stay in Nairobi, Kenya. After the long flight from New York City (JFK) to Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) I missed my connection by just a few minutes. Unfortunately, the next flight was scheduled for the following morning so that meant an overnight in Nairobi was in order. This included applying for a visa at the airport. When the next day’s flight was canceled as well, the long trek became even longer. In all, it took 73 hours to get from my home to the conference in Zambia. Not only did that scramble the schedule a little bit for my presentations, but it meant lost time with our good friends gathered there.
A fun surprise was speaking (with interpretation) in French. While I have worked with interpreters for Spanish, Russian, and other languages, this was my first time hearing my words in what is often called “the language of love,” French. I’m grateful our French-speaking friends in Africa were able to hear the conference content in the language of their hearts!
5. Who did you get to connect with—either for the first time or to foster an existing relationship?
Meeting with Pastor Edward and Barbra Mwansa is always a joy. This couple is, in some ways, the patriarch and matriarch of the pregnancy help movement across much of Africa. In addition, I was able to visit with some familiar friends who have been able to join us for past Heartbeat International conferences in the U.S. But it was the many new leaders in AFLA, who lead pregnancy help outreach and pro-life churches, who I was able to meet with for the first time and hope to see in the future.
6. Why is it important for those in the pregnancy help movement to connect with others internationally?
Community is a cornerstone of the biblical imperative. God created us for community because He existed in community, the Godhead, before creation. That’s why it is important for all of us to seek, affirm, and cultivate our community. The pregnancy help community has a specific, even unique, calling to champion life where we find ourselves. In the United States pregnancy help can look different in, say, Texas, than it does in California. This is also true internationally where the variations in culture, economy, government, and spiritual foundation can be challenging. Building community across the country and around the globe helps us to encourage one another and stimulate each other “toward love and good deeds.” (See Hebrews 10:24-25.)
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Üdvözlöm!
We are delighted to welcome you to beautiful Budapest, the location of Heartbeat International’s 5th European Pregnancy Help Leaders Summit. You are in for a treat to be with over 55 other life-affirming leaders!
Heartbeat International is the first network of pro-life pregnancy resource centers in the U.S. and remains the largest and most expansive network in the world. Since 1971, Heartbeat has supported, strengthened, and started pregnancy help organizations, including pregnancy help medical clinics, pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, and adoption agencies all over the world. Currently, Heartbeat serves over 3,500 affiliate locations on all six inhabited continents to provide alternatives to abortion.
We are a nonprofit, interdenominational, Christian association of faith-based pregnancy resource centers, medical clinics, maternity homes, and nonprofit adoption agencies endorsed by Christian leaders nationwide.
Our Vision is a world where every new life is welcomed and children are nurtured within strong families, according to God’s Plan, so abortion is unthinkable.
Our Mission is to Reach and Rescue as many lives as possible, around the world, through an effective network of life-affirming pregnancy help, to Renew communities for LIFE.
Jor-El Godsey serves as President of Heartbeat International. He leads a staff dedicated to equipping, empowering, and encouraging the thousands of leaders and developing leaders of Heartbeat’s affiliated pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and adoption services, in the U.S. and on every inhabited continent. He oversees Heartbeat’s core mission to be the leadership supply line for the growing pregnancy help movement worldwide by providing accurate information, training resources, leadership development conferences, programs, and daily support to help affiliates start, grow, and expand their services to women and couples at risk for abortion.
Jor-El comes to Heartbeat having served in the pregnancy help movement since 1988. He first served as a volunteer at Hope, a pregnancy help center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Then he joined their board, served as Chair, and then as the Executive Administrator. In 1999, Jor-El became Executive Director of Life Choices in Longmont, Colorado. Six years later, in 2006, Jor-El accepted the call to help Heartbeat International meet the diverse and expanding leadership needs of the pregnancy help movement as Vice-President of Heartbeat International.
Dr. Giuseppe Grande was born in Catanzaro, Italy. He obtained his medical degree at the Catholic University in Rome, where he completed his training in Endocrinology cum laude.
Dr. Grande has more than 10 years of experience in andrology and reproductive endocrinology, with special interest in diagnosis and treatment of male infertility, as an alternative to in-vitro fertilization. He works at the Centre of Medicine for Natural Procreation (ISI) at the Policlinico A. Gemelli Catholic University in Rome.
He is the author of 25 scientific papers in the fields of andrology and reproductive endocrinology.
Dr. Grande is a member of the Italian Society of Andrology and Sexual Medicine, the Italian Society of Endocrinology, the European Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society. In addition to his medical practice, he serves as the Secretary General for Movimento per la Vita Italiano, the Italian federation of pregnancy help centers, maternity homes and pro-life associations in Italy.
He is a 2019 recipient of Heartbeat’s Servant Leader Award.
Svetlana Jovanova has been the Founder and CEO of Lydia – A Beating Heart since its foundation in 2012 and is now the Leader of the Balkan Network for Life. She has attended multiple trainings and conferences with Heartbeat International and is certified in peer counseling. She is LAS-certified by Heartbeat International and certified as a reproductive loss trainer for the Institute of Reproductive Grief Care.
Robert and Sandrina Jurjevich serve as pastors in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as overseeing the crisis pregnancy ministry, Center For Life LIGHTHOUSE. They have four married children and are especially blessed with six grandchildren. Their ministry experience in the USA, Europe, and particularly the Balkan region, spans over the 40 years of their marriage. The ministry of LIGHTHOUSE is reaching many women faced with a crisis pregnancy, training pregnant moms, and counseling women suffering from the consequences of having had an abortion.
Teodora Diana Paul is President of Students for Life Bucharest Association and is part of the March for Life Bucharest organizing committee. She joined the pro-life movement in 2020 and has since participated in, organized, and spoken at various pro-life events, particularly for youth. Teodora graduated in 2024 from the Faculty of History and Philosophy of Babeș-Bolyai University and is currently a third-year student at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology of the University of Bucharest.
Filip Petrovski, from Macedonia, works at Lydia – A Beating Heart helping with their technical support as a software developer. He is also a local missionary with CRU (Agape). He’s married to Alexandra, a family therapist who works at Lydia – A Beating Heart and a new father to a baby boy.
Vesna Radeka was born in 1974 in Novi Sad, Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia). She attended Philosophical College and received a degree in Serbian Literature and Language. In 2009, Vesna finished graduate academic studies at the Novi Sad Theological Seminary. In 2004, Vesna started a pioneer work in the field of pro-life ministry in Serbia and currently serves as president of A Place for Me Pregnancy Care Center whose aim is to raise awareness about the value of human life in Serbia and in the Balkans.
Through providing confidential and non-judgmental assistance in a caring and supportive environment she wants to affirm LIFE and make abortion an unthinkable option. In 2015, the center opened the NEST Maternity Home for women who are pregnant or with a baby and without the support of their partner or family. Vesna is married to Nesha, who is pastoring Nexus Evangelical Church in Novi Sad, Serbia. They have three children, Danilo, David, and Anastasija.
Guillermo A. Morales Sancho, PhD, serves as legal counsel, Europe, for ADF International in Vienna, Austria. He is a lawyer specializing in constitutional and human rights law and conducts legal advocacy in Europe to promote and protect parental rights, free speech, children’s right to life, as well as freedom of conscience and religion. Prior to joining ADF International, Prof. Morales Sancho lectured on constitutional and human rights law at the University of Navarra (Spain) and as an invited professor at the University of Münster (Germany).
Guillermo was a visiting scholar at the University of Cologne thanks to the grant awarded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), which recognized him as the best candidate of the call. In addition to his native Spanish, Morales is fluent in English and German and speaks conversational French.
Tracie Shellhouse, Vice-President of Ministry Services, began serving in pregnancy help as a volunteer client advocate in 2003. She has served as an abstinence educator, client services director, executive director, CEO, and consultant. As Heartbeat International’s Vice-President of Ministry Services, she oversees a team of dedicated individuals committed to the growth and development of the pregnancy help movement. Tracie has an M.A. in Biblical Counseling, is a board-certified Master Christian
Life Coach, and is a Life-Affirming Specialist. Her passion is enabling people to live abundant lives by helping them discover their God-given purposes and empowering them to live according to their original designs.
Gib Wood (Woody) was raised on a dairy farm in Brunswick, Maine. He discovered the joy of a relationship with Jesus while stationed at Sembach Air Base in Germany. In 1978, he was saved at the Rheinland Baptist Church where he has pastored since
1991.
Bro. Woody and Kathy were married in June 1980. The Woods have served the Lord in Germany since October 1986. He has faithfully served the Ramstein-based Heartbeat Crisis Pregnancy Center for over 30 years and has been a frequent presenter at the European summits.
A few details to make the Summit an enjoyable experience for everyone:
• Please be on time for all sessions.
• You must wear your Summit badge for entry to the dining area.
• Friday night you will have an option to tour the Hungarian Parliament Building, one of Europe’s most beautiful buildings. Thereafter, you will have time to tour Budapest, and take a ride on the Danube. Dinner will be on your own.
We are glad you are part of the Heartbeat family.
At this Summit, we are happy to welcome the following nations and representing organizations:
Albania Lutje pa Kufi
Austria Save One
Belgium Alliance Defending Freedom Intl.
Bosnia/Herzogovina Glas za Zivot, Lighthouse
Croatia Bethlehem Home
Estonia Light in the City
Germany Hope4Life
Greece Hope Center
Hungary Human Life International, Shout for Life
Ireland Gianna Care
Italy Movimento per la Vita
Latvia ESMU DZĪVS
Macedonia Lydia, A Beating Heart
Malta Life Network Foundation
Romania ROUA, Esterra Foundation
Serbia Mesto za Mene
Slovakia Fórum života, Poradňa Alexis
Slovenia Sara Center
Spain Provida
Switzerland Ja zum Leben
Ukraine Save a Life
| Thursday | ||
| 1900-2100 | Dinner with Attendees | Jor-Godsey (Host) |
| Welcome/Introduce Tracie | ||
| Attendees Introduction | ||
| Friday | ||
| 0630-0900 | Breakfast | |
| 0900-0910 | Welcome | Ellen Foell |
| 0910-0930 | Devotions | Robert Jurjevich |
| 0930-0935 | Keynote Introduction | Tracie Shellhouse |
| 0935-1000 | Keynote | Jor-El Godsey |
| 1000-1010 | Introduction of Sue Berg, Director of Shout for Life | |
| 1010-1030 | Coffee/Tea Break | |
| 1030-1130 | Workshops A | |
| Hotline Conversations | Giuseppe Grande/Lara | |
| Getting the Pro-Life Message Across to | Teodora Paul | |
| the Next Generation: How, Who, What, When, Where, Why | ||
| Engaging the Board | Gilbert Wood | |
| 1140-1240 | Workshops B | |
| Tracking Metrics: the Why and How | Filip Petrovski | |
| Collaboration and Coalitions | Svetlana Jovanova | |
| Social Media, Sidewalk Counseling and Buffer Zones | Giullermo Morales Sancho | |
| 1240-1200 | Lunch | |
| 1430-1630 | Optional Tour of the Hungarian Parliament and Meeting with | |
| Vice President Dóra DÚRÓ VP, MP | ||
| 1630 | FREE time; Dinner on your own | |
| Saturday | ||
| 0630-0900 | Breakfast | |
| 0900-0915 | Devotion | Gilbert Wood |
| 0915-1030 | Keynote | Giullermo Morales Sancho |
| 1030-1100 | Coffee Break/Check out/Summit Photograph | |
| 1100-1200 | Workshops C | |
| Building Your Team | Tracie Shellhouse | |
| Mission Drift and Resetting the Course | Vesna Radeke | |
| Fundraising | Jor-El Godsey | |
| 1200-1215 | Questions and Answers | |
| 1215-1230 | Final Comments | Jor-El Godsey |
| 1230-1400 | Lunch | |
| Dismissal |
For affiliation services and questions, please contact
Ellen Foell, J.D., International Program Specialist at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
whatsapp/signal +1(614)302-3664
• International Posts
• About Affiliation With Us
• International News
Voice for Life (Glas za Život) - Bosnia and Herzegovina
Our vision is to help women in the situation of unplanned pregnancy, by walking alongside them in their own unique circumstances. We provide counseling, as well as emotional and material support. We also help women who have suffered reproductive loss and have had abortion/s to find healing and restoration.
These are some of our client's testimonials:
I got pregnant with my third child unexpectedly. My first thought was, oh no, how are we going to provide for this one?! I went to see a doctor and he told me I was 12 weeks pregnant. The only thought I had in my mind is to have an abortion. I thought that would be the most responsible decision. Still, I had my doubts, so I decided to look for answers online. There I found your FB page, and I read that you help women in crisis pregnancy.
I called you, and you were so patient and kind to me. I talked to my husband after that and we both agree that we actually want this baby and that we will manage to provide for her somehow. Now after A was born, we couldn’t imagine our lives without her. Thank you so much for being there for me and for encouraging me to make the right decision.
At the beginning of our relationship, everything was “perfect”. He was kind, gentle and loving. However, the moment I told him I was pregnant, he completely changed. He said he could pay for my abortion and that things can go back to how they were before. I was raised Catholic, and I knew that abortion was wrong. I told myself that I will not have one. Still, I didn’t know what to do. I went to the priest and I asked for help. He told me he could refer me to some people who could help. He connected me to a lady who then connected me to your center. Words can’t express how grateful I am that you paid my rent for all of those months when I couldn’t afford a place to stay. I’m forever grateful to you all for providing a safe place for me and my daughter.
Through “Save One” that you offered me as a tool for healing I discovered some wounds that I was still carrying around. Through all of this, I’ve learned (and I’m still learning) the following:
- I believe that God forgave me in His mercy, even though I remember and cry about it sometimes.
- I have to accept forgiveness, not because of my own merit, but by the grace of God.
- I want to move on trusting that I will help someone else change their view on unborn life.
Center for Life LIGHTHOUSE (Centar za Život SVJETIONIK) – Bosnia and Hercegovina
WHO ARE WE?
The LIGHTHOUSE Center for Life, the first pro-life registered center in the nation of Bosnia and Hercegovina since 2001, is managed by Robert and Sara (Sandrina) Jurjevich. The LIGHTHOUSE offers information and education for women about pregnancy, regardless of whether it is planned or unplanned. Through our educational activities and workshops, we aim to answer the questions that pregnant moms have concerning their pregnancy and how to prepare for the most precious gift in life – parenthood.
The highest priority of the LIGHTHOUSE ministry is to offer hope to women facing a crisis pregnancy and to offer alternatives to abortion, which is considered the main birth-control remedy in Bosnian society.
Testimony: “I was in a situation where I already had one baby of 14 months and found myself quickly with an unplanned pregnancy with a second baby. I was hit with fear and worry. What now? It was too soon…would I be able to handle it or not, because there was little difference … I have no help … I have no one … I will go crazy … I will fall into a depression. I cried and said to myself I did not wish for or want an abortion. By chance, I then came across the website of the LIGHTHOUSE! While seeking advice I wondered why this website? How could they help me? I received support through counseling and understanding. The pregnancy calendar I received prevailed, and I did not decide on an abortion. Through it, I learned so much that I didn’t know about. I highly recommend the LIGHTHOUSE! To everyone who finds themselves in similar circumstances and does not know what decision to make, contact the LIGHTHOUSE!” – I.G., Sarajevo
‘PREPARE FOR YOUR BABY’ PREGNANCY WORKSHOPS. Throughout the year the LIGHTHOUSE team offers a course of 6 consecutive weekly workshops for pregnant moms where we discuss the development of their baby in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy; the importance of a healthy diet and exercise; preparation for the birth of the child; and, what to expect in the first weeks after birth.
In the workshops, we provide pregnant moms with a nine-month pregnancy calendar called ‘The Miracle of Life’ which walks them through the details of their pregnancy month by month. Additionally, at the end of the workshop, the attendees receive a gift bag filled with items they will need for the baby.
Testimony: “All the information, examples, exercises were useful in preparation for giving birth, staying calm, understanding my body through each stage of development. The breathing exercises were most important for me during my own experience in giving birth because I was able to control the pain and helped myself and the baby.” – Samka M. H., Sarajevo
We stay in touch with the moms up to the first birthday of their child.
OTHER SERVICES OF THE LIGHTHOUSE
- Counseling after a stillbirth or crib death
- Post-abortion healing classes
- Humanitarian aid for single moms and families in need of food, clothing, firewood, etc.
- Online counseling
- Publishing books and literature focused on pregnancy issues
All financial gifts received designated for our approved “alliance” affiliates will be forwarded to them in a reasonable timeframe (usually upon exceeding $250US). Heartbeat International deducts $30 plus 3% from the transfer, to help defray internal costs for money transfers, currency conversion, clerical costs, bank fees, and any processing fees that might be charged. Should any funds be unable to be forwarded – primarily related to the recipient - they may be reallocated for similar international work.
Connecting & Celebrating the
Pan Asian Pregnancy Help Movement
Register to join us in Singapore!
When: October 15-19, 2025
Where: Katong-Joo Chiat District,
Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy, Singapore
Heartbeat International invites you to join our first-ever Pan Asian Pregnancy Help Leaders Summit in Singapore! Join us for in-person networking, training, learning, and encouragement with like-minded leaders from the pregnancy help movement across Asia.
Details
Cost
- Affiliates: Registration, meals, and double occupancy accommodations* are provided at Heartbeat's expense, up to 2 people per organization.
- Non-affiliates, Option 1: USD 350.00. Includes meals, but not accommodations.
- Non-affiliates, Option 2: USD 575.00. Includes meals and double occupancy accommodations.*
*No matter your affiliation, Heartbeat will only secure double occupancy accommodations.
To become a Heartbeat International affiliate, click here!
Registration Details
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Space is limited so please do not wait to register when it opens!
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Please register by August 1, 2025. Keep an eye out for the registration link!
Workshops
Workshops will include client care, reaching your client, fundraising essentials, and more.
Questions? Please email Ellen Foell at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Registration Coming Soon!
Watch the video below for a special thank you for helping to make our 2024 Pregnancy Help Leaders European Summit possible!
Advancing the Pregnancy Help Movement Around the World!
Today, thousands of workers across the globe work tirelessly to save abortion-vulnerable lives in their communities. These frontline lifesavers operate Heartbeat's thousands of pregnancy help locations reaching and rescuing women and their precious babies from abortion.
When you support Heartbeat International you are providing valuable tools, training, and support to these lifesavers all around the world. In turn, YOU—yes, YOU—can save a life today.
The reality is that while the U.S. is responsible for nearly 1M abortions each year, we still account for just 2% of all abortions worldwide. That is why Heartbeat is the most expansive network of pregnancy help organizations in the world - to provide pregnancy help in all areas of great need!
We are now present on all six inhabited continents, including in cultures that do not readily welcome new life based on gender, class, race, or government-mandated laws. We value our international affiliates and partners and realize they face some of the most daunting challenges in the war against abortion today.
With your help, we will reach even more nations with the gospel of life. We will save innocent lives in places where children are not valued and life is not respected. Thank you for doing all you can to make this possible today!
International News
Word of Life
Have you ever wondered how to talk to your pastor or church about the "why" and "how" of engaging in pregnancy help outreach? Have you ever felt stuck on how to make a case for your church to be more involved? Here is a Biblically-based apologetic on why and how we should hold out the Word of Life, recorded at our 2024 Pregnancy Help Conference by Ellen Foell, our International Program Specialist:
This video was recorded at Heartbeat International's 2024 Pregnancy Help Conference. Click here to view more Conference recordings.
Heartbeat Goes to Italy
by Andrea Trudden, Vice President of Communications & Marketing
1. Have you been to Italy before?
I had never been to Italy before this opportunity, but have had the pleasure of meeting our Italian friends here in the States several times at our training conferences. I also have had the privilege of participating in Movimento per la Vita's (MPV) training events virtually in the past.
2. How did this trip begin? 
It just so happened that the MPV Symposium occurred at the time of my anniversary, so my husband was able to join me and we got to familiarize ourselves with the beautiful countryside. Venice is everything you imagine it to be. There is beauty all around. From here, we joined new friends from other areas of the country to drive up into the mountains where the training would be held. Thankfully, one of our fellow travelers happened to be my translator for the week! Camilla was a God-send and has an incredible zest for pro-life work and reaching the youth with a message of hope and love.
3. How long were you in Italy?
With travel and training, we were in Italy for a week.
4. What PHOs did you visit during your time in Italy?
The MPV Symposium brought in pregnancy center leaders from all over the country, which is quite vast. Ultimately, there were about 65 people present, representing dozens of pregnancy centers and maternity homes.
5. What did your visit cover (curriculum, training, visits/meetings, etc.)?
The symposium was such a powerful event. Italians have a love for education, so this was a true example of that in-depth teaching. We covered three primary topics, with various subtopics within.
First, we discussed cultural changes in the world from both a physical standpoint as well as a psychological standpoint. The abortion pill use is expanding all over the world, and it is important to understand the impact it has on women, both physically and emotionally.
Second, there was a clear generational gap that needed to be addressed. Many at the training have worked in the field for decades and have an amazing heart for the work. On the first night, however, we were asked how many in the room were under the age of 35. Four hands raised. (Mine was NOT included.) To come back to a culture that embraces life, we must reach the youth with a positive message about family and hope. For effective succession planning and true impact, we must have more involvement from the youth. MPV has a good youth program that sadly lessened with COVID-19. They are rebuilding and have grand plans for future expansion.
Sticking to culture, we unpacked the role of media today and how we can use it to positively share stories from pregnancy help. We must recognize that journalism has shifted over the last decade and has activated an aggressive media attack on the abortion issue. I had the opportunity to provide media training there alongside two professional reporters. There are ways to counter the narrative, but we must be intentional about putting stories out into the world. There was a theme of becoming good storytellers throughout the Symposium.
Finally, I was able to provide an overview of the global landscape of pregnancy help. This brought us back to talking about the abortion pill and abortion pill reversal. We must be fully aware of the implications easy access to abortion has on society and adapt to this new landscape.
6. What was the biggest thing you learned from or about the organization(s) you visited?
I was very impressed with the depth of MPV's work. They encompass all life issues. In fact, while we were on-site, a couple of the presenters went down the road to present at another conference that had a focus on combatting euthanasia. MPV is working to mobilize the youth, serve through pregnancy help, encourage pro-life laws, and create a culture that embraces life from natural life to natural death.
7. What was the biggest takeaway from your visit to Italy?
Italy truly has the best pizza! Plus, there is a desperate desire to change the culture to embrace life before it is too late. MPV is watching the world and doing everything it can to protect the country from falling into cultural darkness.
8. Why is it important for us to connect internationally and between organizations?
This opportunity was a great example of how we are truly better together. MPV is doing amazing things in Italy! As one of our joint affiliate networks, they tap into Heartbeat trainings often and have great influence in their network. Staying connected and sharing the current challenges and triumphs helps us strategize for tomorrow while bringing key concepts to others around the globe. This is such a mighty mission that we are all working toward, so the more we can work together, the better.
9. Is there anything else that stood out to you or affected you during your time there?
Was there anything that surprised you?
My translator, Camilla, introduced me to a six-year-old girl who was saved at her pregnancy center outside of Rome. The girl's parents are still together and they are actively involved in the work of MPV. Her mother is studying to become a magistrate and her father is a lawyer. Seeing how engaged he was at the Symposium and how she was cared for by all around, as though she was a niece to each person, showed love in action. While a completely different language and nation, the work is exactly the same. We are each called into this movement to share our skills to work toward a common mission of life. It was a great affirmation.
Heartbeat Goes to India in 2024 - Again!
by Ellen Foell, International Program Specialist
I never dreamed I would be able to travel to India, let alone twice in one year. In Part 1 of this series, I shared about my first trip to (north) India. And last October I had the privilege to visit two of our Indian affiliates and participate in the India Pro-Life Summit, held in Mumbai.
I met Brother Godfrey Rajkumar and his wife Beatrice, directing Jeevan (Hindi for “Life”), in Bangalore. We had a lovely time together and I was given the opportunity to talk to around 14 university students who meet in their homes to share about the sanctity of life. In their apartment, they also host a few of the women in unplanned pregnancies, as well as have sewing and computer classes. Talk about a multi-purpose room! Brother Godfrey and Beatrice run the only pregnancy help center in Bangalore (that we know of). Bangalore is a city of about 14 million people.
From there I went to Coimbatore to meet with Simon and Johanna Durairaj who run Life for All. Coimbatore is in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Life for All recently opened a birthing center, and they run a home for the elderly as well as a daycare. The pro-life movement in India really has to minister seamlessly for the weakest in the population who are easy prey.
Finally, I traveled with Simon, Johanna, and their family back to Mumbai for the 10th Pro-Life Summit. The Pro-Life Summit started nine years ago with about 15 people. Praise God for the growth of the movement which saw about 70 people attend! The Summit was well planned with talks to encourage, equip, and train. A huge shoutout to all the wonderful people I met there who embraced me so warmly with true Indian hospitality. There is nothing like a proper cup of Indian chai.
The India Pro-Life Summit continues to grow from the 15 or so who attended 9 years ago to the nearly 75 that attended this year. Like many of our international affiliates, the Indian pregnancy help movement is actually the pro-life movement. The people who attended the Summit are the same people who plan the marches, attend prayer walks and 40 Days for Life, plan client services, promote APR, raise funds, do research that hopefully influences legislation, and mobilize the culture toward life through social media—and they are pastors. They do everything—if not them, who else?
The pro-life movement in India is growing, but slowly. It is hard to keep up with the ever-increasing number of abortions in India; currently, approximately 42,000 abortions are performed per day with a total of about 15.6 million per year. Would you pray for the pregnancy help movement in India? Your Indian co-laborers are under-resourced, understaffed, and face tremendous opposition, governmentally and culturally. Like you, they are fueled by their love for life and love for the Giver of Life.
Political Map of India
Highlighted in yellow are the territories I visited:
More...
My Option Line Roots: One Journey to Help Thousands
by Nafisa Kennedy, Director of Option Line
On the evening of February 16th, 2006, I arrived at a quiet brick building in Columbus, OH. A few cars were in the parking lot as I walked toward the door. I took a nervous deep breath, carefully entered my entry code on a keypad, and wondered what my first shift on the Option Line hotline would be like. My colleagues, some of whom I met for the first time that day, welcomed me as if I were family (between calls, of course). I observed that same warmth and kindness as I heard them connecting with our callers that night.
My first hotline shift was 6 hours long, and I still remember that I spoke with twenty-six people. My colleagues told me it was a quiet shift, but as a young professional with a heart for missions, I left with a heart bursting with gratitude for the opportunity to serve twenty-six souls in as many different cities! Not only was it incredible to speak life to them, but I knew that their next step would be a visit to a local pregnancy help center. What an honor to be part of a vast network of support which always leads back to the Lord our God! At the time, I was unaware of just how much God was already at work at Option Line, and I couldn’t have imagined all that He would do.
Later that year, we received an email from a mom who said she had called and spoken to someone by my name. When Sarah initially called she was considering abortion, but because of the support she found through Option Line and her local pregnancy help center, her email contained a photo of her (the mother) and her newborn child, absolutely beaming. She had not forgotten our late-night conversation, and she wanted to say thank you.
Up until 2012, all Option Line staff lived in the Columbus area and reported to the office for every shift. As a 24/7/365 operation, Option Line consultants would arrive and depart from our building at all hours of the day and night, in every season, too. In 2012, we began testing remote work with our Columbus area team during the overnight and weekend hours. Thanks to innovative technology, and God’s leading, we hired our first fully remote team member in 2014, and this year more than 60% of our team is remote. We’ve even had our consultants answer calls while in Guatemala, London, and Mexico; advancement in technology can bring many unexpected blessings!
Some things never change though. We still have an incredibly dedicated team of people-loving servants. Just recently, one of our consultants went into labor during her hotline shift; she chose to serve other moms until the time was near and was holding her own baby within two hours of her last hotline call.
Another aspect of our service that has not changed is our approach to people: respect and empathy are integral to Option Line culture.
“My caller says she reached out a year ago and spoke to me. She remembers my voice. She was raped a year ago and reached out to our helpline. She reminded me how she felt alone and that she decided to tell her husband…they kept the baby! She said that God heard her cries and they got help at their local center. Her baby is now 10 months old!”
- Sylvia, Option Line consultant
Option Line was developed on a solid foundation by its early leaders within Heartbeat International. God has ordained every step forward, and we have seen His blessings through those serving, as well as the people we serve. While my first shift on the hotline resulted in twenty-six calls, it is not uncommon for a hotline consultant today to speak with over 100 people per shift. During that first year, we celebrated reaching a quarter million contacts; as of our 22nd birthday, we have reached 7 million. To God be the glory, forever!
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Click here to learn about Option Line's impact today and how we've expanded our modes (digital, emails, texts, chats, and calls) of making over 370,000 connections per year.
APR Around the World
Recently, a pregnancy help organization in India shared it's first Abortion Pill Reversal story! Watch the video to celebrate with us all that the Lord is doing in India:
Pictured and used with permission, Mom and her baby girl*
*For security purposes, do not post, forward, or share this information, or video, with others without specific permission.
Two Hotlines, A 'World' of Help
by Ellen Foell, International Program Specialist
We all know that the demographic of childbearing-aged women are on their smartphones. In America, 90% of women own smartphones. In India, the number of women owning smartphones is lower than in the USA, at 64%. But even 64% is high. "Mobile technology in the form of the smartphone is widely used, particularly in pregnancy and they are an increasing and influential source of information."1 That means we can reach these women and they can find us, find you and your hotline. Help, and a possible rescue from abortion, can reach a woman in the time it takes to find and dial a phone number. It takes less than a second, compared to typing in a search engine and reviewing results. That is the power of technology. That is the potential power of a helpline.
We are focusing this issue of Heartbeat Around the World on helplines, hotlines, and crisis lines around the world.
A hotline is usually a toll-free telephone service available to the public or to a group of people for some specific purpose. For us who serve in the pregnancy help movement, our "group of people" are moms in unplanned pregnancies and those who love them and our specific purpose is to reach them in their hour of crisis to connect them to people close by who can compassionately provide alternatives to abortion. Such a hotline was a "someday dream" for the founders of Heartbeat International. Today, you can read the story of how Option Line (powered by Heartbeat) connects with hundreds of thousands of women in crisis every year. Or, enjoy the photo and video of an Indian woman who reached out to Option Line and was connected back to the helpline in India. There is such power in connectivity.
Around the world, there are hotlines in places as far apart as Romania, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, India, Canada, and countless other countries. Does your country have one? If so, we would love to know the number so we can add it to our Worldwide Directory. We want women to find you, reach you, and connect with help...faster than it takes to search and review results.
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Source Cited
1. https://www.
Thriving in Babylon: Lessons from Daniel
by Dr. Laura Lewis, Executive Director of Pregnancy Care Canada
We are in a Daniel time, not an Esther moment, and there are many lessons we can learn from Daniel's story.
When King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem, Daniel and other young men were captured and thrown into the culture of Babylon, a culture that opposed their faith. Yet, God elevated Daniel to influence four different government administrations over nearly 70 years. He went from being a prisoner of war to an influential leader.
Daniel gained favor and influence even while living as a stranger in a hostile land, not only because of his gifts but also because of his character and integrity. His life serves as a powerful example for us as we strive to engage with integrity and compassion to influence our communities and nation, allowing us to lead a broken culture rather than be led by it.
Daniel’s heart remained devoted to God, even under pressure. His highest priority was not to gain influence with people, but to stay faithful to God, seeking the Lord before he spoke and exalting and glorifying Him. His example teaches us that when we do what is right, we can trust God to handle the outcome.
Daniel served with integrity. He was not for sale.
We may be tempted to waver for cultural acceptance or financial gain. However, there is a major difference between wisely discerning how to engage with a broken and unbelieving community and compromising for the applause or finances of man. Before doing anything, let us respond as Daniel did—in prayer.
We are to lead culture, not be led by it. To influence, not conform.
Daniel understood how to build bridges. He led with wisdom and humility, which resulted in people trusting him. When people trust you, your influence grows—even in a corrupt and broken society.
At Pregnancy Care Canada, we also aim to be bridge builders by:
- Bridging the digital reach through social media: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. We want to meet this generation where they hang out and provide trustworthy information and help.
- Bridging the gaps geographically with understanding by equipping churches and strengthening connections with local centers.
- Bridging services. We appreciate the expertise of many others working in the pregnancy help space and are thankful to collaborate with them.
Our actions don’t need to be grand or heroic, but they must be grounded in love. If we fail to understand love, nothing else truly matters. Our culture, our Babylon, is desperate for a manifestation of God's goodness.
One woman recently told me that the work done each day in local pregnancy care centers is one of the purest expressions of the gospel she has seen. Let us protect this space.
If we are willing to turn away from compromise, serve with integrity, build bridges, and choose to love as Jesus did, we will position ourselves for the long arc of influence and favour that will impact a broken world.
