Women's Center - Post abortion healing - Abstinence education
“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” Deut. 30:19
Eastern European countries have some of the highest estimated abortion rates in the world. Until more recent years the recorded abortion rate was higher than the live birth rate. According to information posted by the World Health Organization, in 2008 there were 281 abortions performed for every 1000 live births in the country of Ukraine. Most likely the "unofficial" figures are much higher.
In our personal experience in the clinic ministry, when we delve into this area of the medical history, it is actually a rare thing to find a woman who has never had an abortion. Usually they have had multiple abortions. During soviet times it was estimated that each woman had an average of 7 abortions, and we have heard stories of women having as many as 18!
The lack of value for human life is alarming, and the need for a voice for the unborn cannot be denied. However, the focus of our ministry here in Ukraine is evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. It is our desire to use pro-life ministry to give the churches we work with a fresh avenue of connection to the needy people in their community. We not only desire to save the lives of the unborn, but also to point their families to the hope of new life that can be found in Jesus Christ.
God burdened the hearts of a number of Ukrainians as well as several missionaries to establish an ongoing Pro-Life Ministry and Pregnancy Care Center here in Odesa. We officially registered as a non-profit in Ukraine in 2013 and opened the Women's Center in the summer of 2014. Since then we have been able to serve many women facing crisis pregnancies. We provide free pregnancy tests, individual counseling, parenting classes, a course to prepare for childbirth, a monthly mom's club, and humanitarian aid for those who need it. We have a wonderful group of volunteers from a number of Odesa churches who have been trained to assist us in this ministry. In 2018 God miraculously provided us with our own building that we trust will serve the ministry for many years to come.
Choose Life also has an ongoing ministry to women who have experienced abortion and continue to suffer from its devistating impact on their lives. This part of the ministry began in 2011 and each spring and fall small group Bible studies are led by Ukrainian leaders using the material Forgiven and Set Free by Linda Cochrane. We have seen God do amazing things in the lives of women as they delve into His Word and come to understand the complete forgiveness and freedom that they can experience because of what Christ has done for them.
We have a team of teachers who are involved in teaching young people in churches and other settings about God's design for sexuality. This is our newest area of ministry. Our team began actively teaching in 2021.
If you would like to contribute financially to this ministry, checks should be written out to ABWE and gifts can be designated to the
Ukraine Pro-Life Ministry account # 0757353 and sent to:
ABWE
PO Box 8585
Harrisburg PA 17105-8585
Phone: (717) 774-7000
