Season 6 is all about normal people making a difference, and few are making more of a difference in North County San Diego than Leslie Salazar-Carrillo. Join Pastor Rob Salvato with this conversation with an amazing woman and mother, a God-transformed life that has taken her to lead the Pathway Clinic helping unplanned pregnancies.
[00:00:13] Welcome to Season 6 of The Basics of Life Conversations with Rob Salvato
[00:00:25] The why of what we do, the heart of what we do is we meet women who are at such a difficult time in their lives
[00:00:39] and they feel alone and they feel desperate and they feel backed into a corner
[00:00:46] and we come alongside them and we hear them
[00:00:50] and we hear what they're saying but we listen for what they're not saying
[00:00:55] because what they're not saying is speaking volumes
[00:01:00] when everybody else has a decision on their life, we sit with them
[00:01:06] and we say it's Missionary 101, you get into their world, you sit in their dirt, you sit under their tree
[00:01:15] and you learn who they are
[00:01:19] Today on The Basics of Life Conversations, we're continuing Season 6
[00:01:23] and the theme of this season is normal people making a difference
[00:01:27] and my guest today is Leslie Salazar Carrillo
[00:01:31] Leslie is the executive director of the Pathway Health Clinic, a pro-life clinic here in VISTA
[00:01:37] Leslie has an amazing story of how the Lord delivered her from addiction, gave her a son
[00:01:44] and turned her world upside down to the point where she is now being used by God
[00:01:50] to rescue babies from the womb and to bring hope and healing to parents who find themselves with an unplanned pregnancy
[00:01:58] In this conversation, we talk about her work at Pathways, the Supreme Court decision on Roe vs Wade
[00:02:04] and the role that we as believers can make in a culture that is becoming more Godless by the day
[00:02:11] and so now here's my conversation with Leslie Salazar Carrillo
[00:02:17] Well welcome to the conversation Leslie
[00:02:21] No thank you, it's so great to be here, I'm honored
[00:02:24] Yeah it's awesome to have you in studio and just love the work that you're doing with Pathway Health Clinic
[00:02:31] and I would just love to just begin by having you just tell us your story, you know
[00:02:38] kind of how you came to Christ and a little bit of your background
[00:02:41] and then we'll kind of get to the point of talking about, you know, how the Lord brought you to this place where you're at
[00:02:46] but why don't you just start by telling us your story
[00:02:48] Oh wow, that's a deep one
[00:02:53] I was not raised in a Christian home
[00:02:56] I always say that my story is pretty deep and pretty wide
[00:03:01] I come from a place of deep brokenness
[00:03:05] being abused as a child
[00:03:09] growing up in, I always say I know what hell is because I grew up in it
[00:03:16] and not to say I love my mom, you know, I do
[00:03:22] she taught me a lot of great things
[00:03:26] and through my teenage years I was reacting to the environment that I grew up in
[00:03:33] and I started doing drugs at a very young age
[00:03:36] and everything that goes with that started drinking
[00:03:40] by the time I was 18 I had done so many things, seen so many things
[00:03:45] experienced so many things and had so many things done to me
[00:03:48] that I truly at that point didn't even really know who I was anymore
[00:03:52] and so then I graduated from high school, graduated from college
[00:03:56] and through my early 20s
[00:04:01] just trying to fill up that emptiness and that deep brokenness with drugs
[00:04:08] and alcohol and men and it was never enough
[00:04:13] it just couldn't take away that deep ache that was inside of me
[00:04:18] and every relationship was worse than the one before
[00:04:23] and when I was in my mid-20s I met somebody who appeared to be perfect
[00:04:30] but by that time my idea of perfect was so distorted
[00:04:36] and it was a very, to say the least dysfunctional relationship
[00:04:41] it was a violent relationship
[00:04:44] and I am a survivor of sexual abuse, I'm a survivor of domestic violence
[00:04:49] well then I found out I was pregnant
[00:04:52] and he really was really pressuring me to abort
[00:05:00] and I wouldn't and it got more violent
[00:05:05] and then when I was six months pregnant he walked through the door
[00:05:08] and said, I don't love you and I never did
[00:05:12] and when my son was born
[00:05:15] the day after he was born they walked in and they said
[00:05:18] your son has a massive heart defect
[00:05:21] and that started a trajectory of my life
[00:05:26] by the time that my son was five
[00:05:29] he wasn't even supposed to live to be five
[00:05:32] so my world is thrown into chaos
[00:05:37] and I had always, I'd been working since I was 15
[00:05:41] I had put myself through high school, put myself to college
[00:05:44] I knew how to make money, I knew how to work
[00:05:47] and I couldn't do that anymore because I had this very sick child
[00:05:52] and I quickly found out what welfare was
[00:05:55] I quickly found out what food stamps was
[00:05:58] and I quickly found out what it's like to be hungry
[00:06:01] because sometimes I didn't have enough for both of us to eat
[00:06:04] I had enough for him to eat
[00:06:07] and really got to the depths
[00:06:10] and my sister who had been praying for me for many many years
[00:06:15] invited me to Calvary Chapel Escondido
[00:06:18] to hear somebody speak and I did not want to go
[00:06:21] I had dabbled in church
[00:06:24] and there was a time in college that I had this kind of Zen Hindu philosophy
[00:06:29] mixed in with Mexican Catholicism
[00:06:32] I was raised in a Catholic home
[00:06:34] and it was all kind of you do you, I do me
[00:06:37] and that was kind of my philosophy in life
[00:06:40] but it was so empty
[00:06:42] I knew who God was from being raised Catholic
[00:06:45] I knew who God was
[00:06:47] but I didn't think he wanted to have anything to do with me
[00:06:50] there were so many times I rolled a car across a freeway
[00:06:54] when I was 18 years old without a seat belt on
[00:06:57] and walked away from that
[00:06:59] and I remember crying out saying oh God don't let me die
[00:07:03] but soon after that you know that party called
[00:07:06] and that life called
[00:07:08] and so I held up my hand and I said no thank you
[00:07:10] I don't have time for you
[00:07:12] so my sister in 1998
[00:07:16] my son is three and we he had already been in the hospital
[00:07:19] numerous times he's already had one open heart surgery
[00:07:22] wow
[00:07:24] and she said let's you know I want you to come here this guy
[00:07:29] and I said I don't want to
[00:07:33] so I go and I remember him saying
[00:07:37] the one thing that I remember is him saying
[00:07:42] I hell is not eternal damnation
[00:07:45] it's knowing that God called and I didn't answer
[00:07:49] and in that moment I saw all the times that I had held up my hand
[00:07:54] and said thank you for saving me
[00:07:56] but I don't have time for you
[00:07:58] and I was broken
[00:08:00] and I would love to tell you that I got saved that day
[00:08:06] it was about three months later in August of 1998
[00:08:10] that Pat Kenny, my very first senior pastor
[00:08:13] and I'm 30 at this point
[00:08:16] said did an altar call and he said if you deny me before man
[00:08:21] I'll deny you before my father
[00:08:23] and I thought after all that I've done
[00:08:27] after who I am because I knew who I was
[00:08:30] that's it
[00:08:32] and pretty much ran up there
[00:08:35] but this is the thing that I tell everybody
[00:08:39] my life didn't get any easier after that
[00:08:42] I was still a single mom
[00:08:44] I was still poor
[00:08:46] we didn't even mark on the poverty scale
[00:08:50] we were so poor
[00:08:52] I still had a lot going on
[00:08:56] but I had hope
[00:08:59] and for the little girl that didn't have a safe daddy
[00:09:03] I had a daddy
[00:09:05] and I had a husband at that moment
[00:09:08] and God just came in
[00:09:10] I was just telling somebody the other day
[00:09:12] one of the things that kept me from the Lord
[00:09:15] is I had so much pain stuffed down
[00:09:20] and that I had tried to numb
[00:09:23] with so many different things
[00:09:25] and I was so afraid that if I let that out
[00:09:29] that I would literally lose my mind
[00:09:32] because I would just scream from the pain
[00:09:35] and the amazing thing was
[00:09:37] that God's hand covered all of that
[00:09:41] and he healed me of it
[00:09:43] and I never felt it
[00:09:45] the scars are still there
[00:09:47] and I tell people all the time
[00:09:49] I know who I am
[00:09:51] because every time I'm going to go speak
[00:09:53] or do something
[00:09:55] the enemy will show me in full living color
[00:09:57] of what I have done
[00:09:59] and so the scars are still there
[00:10:03] but they don't define me
[00:10:05] they're not who I am
[00:10:07] and so I just throw it back in his face
[00:10:09] and say you're right
[00:10:10] I was that person
[00:10:12] but by the blood of Jesus
[00:10:14] I am redeemed
[00:10:15] and so get behind me Satan
[00:10:17] because I got business to do
[00:10:19] and yeah it was just
[00:10:21] I had the privilege of sitting under such amazing teaching
[00:10:26] and I am a lot today
[00:10:32] in how God has molded me
[00:10:34] and I'm still a mess
[00:10:37] in a work in progress on most days
[00:10:39] we all are
[00:10:40] but yeah it was amazing
[00:10:44] but that's the thing I think
[00:10:46] sometimes people don't realize
[00:10:47] they think oh I'm going to accept the Lord
[00:10:49] and everything is going to get better
[00:10:51] your life is still your life
[00:10:53] it's your perspective has changed
[00:10:55] I had an eternal perspective
[00:10:57] and I was no longer defined
[00:10:59] by what had happened to me
[00:11:01] or what I had done to people
[00:11:04] or what I had done to myself
[00:11:07] I am now defined by who he says that I am
[00:11:10] and he says that I am a daughter of the most high king
[00:11:14] perfected by him
[00:11:16] and so that's how I define myself
[00:11:18] and that's one of the most important things
[00:11:20] I think for any believer to come to a place
[00:11:22] of realizing that their identity is in Christ
[00:11:26] and I know people that walk with the Lord
[00:11:29] for a long long time
[00:11:31] and they never get that
[00:11:33] they're still struggling
[00:11:35] with their pastor
[00:11:37] who they're trying to be
[00:11:39] so for you at a very early stage
[00:11:43] in your walk with Jesus
[00:11:45] to come to that realization
[00:11:47] I mean that's huge
[00:11:49] I could see how that impacted you in a big way
[00:11:51] just a quick question though
[00:11:53] so prior to coming to Christ though
[00:11:55] you get pregnant
[00:11:57] you have a boyfriend who's wanting you to have an abortion
[00:12:01] and just out of curiosity
[00:12:04] what was the thing that
[00:12:07] led you to not go down that road
[00:12:09] because somebody do
[00:12:11] I think it was just God's hand
[00:12:16] because my son needed to be born
[00:12:20] to save my life
[00:12:22] because God knew for no other person
[00:12:26] would I love that much than to bend my knee
[00:12:29] and submit to him but for my son
[00:12:32] because trust me
[00:12:34] I was a drug addict and alcoholic
[00:12:36] we don't do things well
[00:12:38] there wasn't any religious conviction
[00:12:41] or moral conviction
[00:12:43] you really think it was just a sense from God
[00:12:46] I just knew that I would not survive that
[00:12:49] all the pressures that come with
[00:12:54] with all of that
[00:12:56] everything
[00:12:58] it could not have been Leslie
[00:13:00] because Leslie was not strong enough
[00:13:02] it had to have been something external
[00:13:04] in fact they did
[00:13:07] because nobody knew what was going on
[00:13:10] that I'm in this domestic violence situation
[00:13:13] and I kept going into preterm labor
[00:13:16] and my OB said
[00:13:18] Leslie I think something is very wrong with this pregnancy
[00:13:22] but if it is we're just going to let it go
[00:13:25] we're just going to let you miss Carrie
[00:13:27] and I'm in such a weird head space
[00:13:31] I was like oh it's so surreal
[00:13:35] okay so she said
[00:13:37] but I want to do a cardiac work up
[00:13:39] in utero on this baby
[00:13:42] and let's just see what's going on
[00:13:44] and so they did a full cardiac work up
[00:13:47] his defect is massive
[00:13:49] and they didn't see it
[00:13:51] wow that's amazing
[00:13:52] and I truly believe that God put his hand over that
[00:13:55] and hid that
[00:13:57] because my son needed to be born
[00:14:00] when my son was born
[00:14:02] it was a forked cord and it was short
[00:14:04] and it was wrapped around his throat
[00:14:06] and everybody laughs because women's things
[00:14:09] I win all the prizes
[00:14:10] because I was in labor for four days
[00:14:12] wow that's crazy
[00:14:15] I truly believe that God held that little baby
[00:14:18] up there because had he had dropped
[00:14:20] we both probably wouldn't have made it
[00:14:22] and I feel like he held him there
[00:14:25] because that child needed to be born
[00:14:28] because Leslie needed to get saved
[00:14:31] and not what Leslie was
[00:14:33] just because I'm a child of God
[00:14:35] not what Leslie was going to do or anything
[00:14:38] and my poor son
[00:14:40] you know a gypsy parent raised a gypsy child
[00:14:44] and there was a lot of growing up
[00:14:46] that we had to do together
[00:14:48] but he
[00:14:50] I think God just wanted him here
[00:14:52] because that was the one thing that was going to save me
[00:14:54] and he will go to the ends of the earth
[00:14:56] to save one
[00:14:58] and how amazing is that
[00:15:01] that I'm that one
[00:15:03] so I wish I could tell you
[00:15:05] that I was this strong
[00:15:07] and I said no I am not doing this
[00:15:09] I just couldn't
[00:15:12] I just couldn't
[00:15:14] and trust me when I tell you
[00:15:16] I have done things in my life
[00:15:18] that I am just
[00:15:21] can't believe that I have done
[00:15:23] but at that moment
[00:15:25] a God that I didn't even know
[00:15:28] I knew who he was
[00:15:31] I knew about him
[00:15:34] but I didn't know him
[00:15:36] and that he would intervene in my life
[00:15:39] and not only save my life
[00:15:41] but also save my son's life
[00:15:43] who I am a little overly attached to my son
[00:15:46] he is my world at 26
[00:15:49] but that he would save me
[00:15:53] through this child
[00:15:55] so you come to Christ when your son is three
[00:15:58] and you are growing under some great Bible teaching
[00:16:01] and then what happens
[00:16:03] where does God take you from there
[00:16:05] oh my gosh so just a whole like this twisty
[00:16:08] and a load of growing
[00:16:10] and finding out who he is
[00:16:12] and these scars being healed
[00:16:14] but knowing that I always have
[00:16:16] a hurt for the lost
[00:16:18] and the hurting
[00:16:20] and you know different ministries
[00:16:24] I was in youth ministry for a few years
[00:16:26] and love that
[00:16:28] but just knowing that I was being called
[00:16:31] to women like me
[00:16:33] and through a series of events
[00:16:35] God connected me with some amazing girls
[00:16:38] that I'm still friends with down in San Diego
[00:16:40] Loli Romo and a bunch of them
[00:16:42] Daughters of the King
[00:16:44] we did some crazy ministry stuff together
[00:16:46] my husband
[00:16:48] so in the meantime
[00:16:50] in I want to say 2006
[00:16:53] that I met him
[00:16:56] through a series of events
[00:16:58] I met an amazing man
[00:17:00] who loves me
[00:17:04] and respects me
[00:17:06] and has a deep walk with the Lord
[00:17:08] so much deeper than mine
[00:17:10] and we got married
[00:17:12] and he loves my son
[00:17:14] as his own
[00:17:16] and in that time
[00:17:18] between getting saved and meeting him
[00:17:21] is I just poured everything
[00:17:24] I had into knowing this Jesus
[00:17:26] and who he was
[00:17:28] and you know in this time
[00:17:30] there are two more heart surgeries
[00:17:32] my son has been in the hospital
[00:17:35] over 40 times
[00:17:37] I almost died
[00:17:39] I can't tell you how many times
[00:17:41] I know what life flight is
[00:17:43] I know what ambulances are
[00:17:45] I know what it looks like to have
[00:17:47] operating room doors shut
[00:17:49] and you don't know if you're going to see
[00:17:51] your child again
[00:17:53] where they walked in the room
[00:17:55] and said we don't know if he's going to make it through the night
[00:17:58] and just pouring out my heart to God
[00:18:01] and sometimes my son would go into the hospital
[00:18:03] and he'd be in for so long
[00:18:05] the only food I was going to get
[00:18:07] was in the hospital
[00:18:09] the nurses used to sneak me food
[00:18:11] he would go in the hospital
[00:18:13] we'd have food in the refrigerator
[00:18:15] and by the time he got out
[00:18:17] I had to throw it all away
[00:18:19] because we'd been there for so long
[00:18:21] so yeah just that
[00:18:23] but the thing is
[00:18:25] is that I just developed such a deep relationship
[00:18:27] with the Lord that when I met my husband
[00:18:29] I told him
[00:18:31] I don't have time for you
[00:18:33] listen it's me and Jesus
[00:18:35] and I don't think that you fit in here
[00:18:37] and he said
[00:18:39] okay
[00:18:41] and just kind of he kept praying
[00:18:43] and praying and the Lord kept saying
[00:18:45] nope she's the one and I
[00:18:47] remember sitting
[00:18:49] and really kind of pouring out to my heart to the Lord
[00:18:51] like Lord I don't want to get married
[00:18:53] I am so content in you
[00:18:55] I am so content in where we are
[00:18:57] I don't want this person
[00:18:59] and really
[00:19:01] clearly feeling in my heart
[00:19:03] that God said but I brought you this gift
[00:19:07] and this is what
[00:19:09] I've given to you
[00:19:11] and really the Lord showed me
[00:19:13] because I was not nice to him
[00:19:17] I just kind of kept him in an arms leg
[00:19:19] then I remember one day
[00:19:21] God really let me feel everything
[00:19:23] that I made him feel
[00:19:25] that he was broken
[00:19:27] again because that is his son
[00:19:29] and I was not treating him
[00:19:31] the way in which he should be treated
[00:19:33] so we ended up my husband
[00:19:35] and I did a lot of like outreach
[00:19:37] street
[00:19:39] I have seen
[00:19:41] it was like first century stuff
[00:19:43] it was great I have seen
[00:19:45] it was the book of Acts
[00:19:47] demons rebuked
[00:19:49] and I do not say that lightly
[00:19:51] please don't think that I do
[00:19:53] I don't want to come in contact with it
[00:19:55] understand it
[00:19:57] and just
[00:19:59] growing but always having this
[00:20:01] need to
[00:20:05] just reach the broken
[00:20:07] and especially women
[00:20:09] who feel like
[00:20:11] that veil is between them
[00:20:13] and God
[00:20:15] there are things that they are holding back
[00:20:17] and just
[00:20:19] be broken in front of him
[00:20:21] and just set free
[00:20:23] in front of him and all of that
[00:20:25] junk
[00:20:27] just taken away
[00:20:29] and so yeah
[00:20:31] it was just a lot of growing
[00:20:33] and a lot of loving
[00:20:35] I started speaking
[00:20:37] writing and teaching Bible studies
[00:20:39] and I
[00:20:41] wrote and taught a Bible study in my home
[00:20:43] for eight years deep
[00:20:45] it took us two years to get through John
[00:20:47] that is deep
[00:20:49] but again
[00:20:51] because I could only do that because
[00:20:53] I always say Pat Kenny taught me
[00:20:55] my Bible and I know my Bible
[00:20:57] backward and forward because of Pat Kenny
[00:20:59] good Bible teacher
[00:21:01] and Jeff Jackson of Shepherd staff taught me how to
[00:21:03] apply it to God's people in a very real
[00:21:05] practical way
[00:21:07] Richard Reyer and Mark Turner
[00:21:09] these guys poured into me
[00:21:11] and
[00:21:13] really
[00:21:15] held me accountable
[00:21:17] and taught me God's word and taught me to
[00:21:19] love God's word
[00:21:21] it's awesome
[00:21:23] so at what point
[00:21:25] you're involved in a lot of stuff you get married
[00:21:27] and then
[00:21:29] when did you start getting involved
[00:21:31] in working with
[00:21:33] it was
[00:21:35] pregnancy resource center back then
[00:21:37] how did that happen
[00:21:39] it was really funny
[00:21:41] like I said I was speaking
[00:21:43] for somehow they
[00:21:45] heard about me
[00:21:47] I got a call
[00:21:49] at the time we were in high school
[00:21:51] speaking to high school students
[00:21:53] of STD education
[00:21:55] pregnancy prevention
[00:21:57] I've worked in medicine now for over
[00:21:59] 20 years on the admin side
[00:22:01] they got a call and said hey
[00:22:03] we'd like to meet you
[00:22:05] we'd like you to volunteer
[00:22:07] by this time my son is in high school
[00:22:09] and I'm self employed so I had
[00:22:11] some time and so I said yeah
[00:22:13] great my sister
[00:22:15] had been very involved in the pro-life movement
[00:22:17] and
[00:22:19] so I went down there and I met
[00:22:21] with them and they said you know we'd like
[00:22:23] you to come on as a speaker but then they kind of
[00:22:25] heard my story and they said
[00:22:27] we would like you to come on
[00:22:29] at the time we called them counselors
[00:22:31] and meet with
[00:22:33] women and you know who are
[00:22:35] facing really tough
[00:22:37] decisions and so I
[00:22:39] just started volunteering
[00:22:41] and in
[00:22:43] uh so that was in
[00:22:45] 2011-2013 I was
[00:22:47] invited to come on staff
[00:22:49] and I just fell in love with the ministry
[00:22:51] of just meeting
[00:22:53] women at their most brokenness
[00:22:55] I love speaking to high schoolers
[00:22:57] that's my jam
[00:22:59] because I am about their maturity level
[00:23:01] and
[00:23:03] I just love connecting with high
[00:23:05] schoolers and maybe getting them to think
[00:23:07] of things a different way
[00:23:09] um uh and when I
[00:23:11] was running the I'm Waiting program
[00:23:13] gosh we went into probation schools
[00:23:15] and continuation schools
[00:23:17] and that's my heart and
[00:23:19] for sure the regular high schools
[00:23:21] and Christian schools just everywhere
[00:23:23] and it wasn't about
[00:23:25] just STD education and teen pregnancy
[00:23:27] prevention it was like where's your value
[00:23:29] it's good you know
[00:23:31] what is the media saying to you
[00:23:33] and what's that influence in your life
[00:23:35] and so I loved doing that
[00:23:37] and then um
[00:23:39] in 2016
[00:23:41] I was at a meeting
[00:23:43] and my predecessor Kim Brunson
[00:23:45] who was the very best boss I'd ever had
[00:23:47] texts me and says
[00:23:49] do you um
[00:23:51] are I was going to Pendleton
[00:23:53] afterwards because we were on Pendleton too
[00:23:55] um
[00:23:57] and I said can you
[00:23:59] stop by here first I need to talk to you
[00:24:01] and I was thinking oh my gosh what did I do
[00:24:03] I'm trying to go through the last
[00:24:05] couple weeks oh my gosh am I in trouble
[00:24:07] because sometimes she would say it was okay
[00:24:09] and it wasn't okay and so I
[00:24:11] walk in and and she um
[00:24:13] she said
[00:24:15] I want to let you know that I'm going to
[00:24:17] retire and
[00:24:19] I burst into tears because again
[00:24:21] she was such an amazing
[00:24:23] leader and such an amazing boss
[00:24:25] and she said
[00:24:27] I want you to consider
[00:24:29] um becoming
[00:24:31] the executive director
[00:24:33] and I looked at her and said
[00:24:35] are you out of your mind
[00:24:37] hahahaha
[00:24:39] I'm not you
[00:24:41] she said I know you're not me you're you
[00:24:43] and she said I prayed about this
[00:24:45] and I said do you know who I am
[00:24:47] do you know who I've been
[00:24:49] so in any case
[00:24:51] in 2016 I was invited to become
[00:24:53] this EO and um
[00:24:55] I just
[00:24:57] can't even believe that somebody
[00:24:59] like me gets
[00:25:01] to run a ministry
[00:25:03] yeah
[00:25:05] and a ministry that meets people
[00:25:07] at just such a crucial time
[00:25:09] in their life it's so funny when I'm
[00:25:11] from Orange County and I'm sure
[00:25:13] the people up there who thought I would be dead by 30
[00:25:15] hahahaha
[00:25:17] well I can't believe I'm a Christian and can't believe
[00:25:19] that I run a ministry let alone a pro-life
[00:25:21] ministry because
[00:25:23] you know just I was
[00:25:25] back in the day you know I was
[00:25:27] very liberal
[00:25:29] very pro-choice don't tell me
[00:25:31] what to do you shouldn't tell anybody
[00:25:33] because I just didn't know
[00:25:35] I didn't know
[00:25:37] yeah um and so
[00:25:39] yeah it's just so amazing that
[00:25:41] that
[00:25:43] that somebody like me
[00:25:45] is trusted with
[00:25:47] a ministry hahahaha
[00:25:49] but then God allows that
[00:25:51] yeah that's so good I love that
[00:25:53] you know especially I think so often
[00:25:55] he'll put us in positions
[00:25:57] or in a situation like the last
[00:25:59] thing that we would ever expect I never
[00:26:01] ever thought that I would be a pastor
[00:26:03] I mean that was like the furthest thing from
[00:26:05] my mind and I wasn't
[00:26:07] I didn't enjoy talking
[00:26:09] in front of people and you know that
[00:26:11] type of thing and so it's so interesting how God
[00:26:13] how God does that um
[00:26:15] what exactly for those who maybe
[00:26:17] are unfamiliar what exactly
[00:26:19] does pathways what do they do
[00:26:21] yeah so that's a great question
[00:26:23] um so pathway health clinic
[00:26:25] is a pregnancy medical clinic
[00:26:27] we are licensed accredited pregnancy
[00:26:29] medical clinic we are a life affirming
[00:26:31] pregnancy medical clinic
[00:26:33] so we do no cost pregnancy tests
[00:26:35] we do no cost ultrasounds
[00:26:37] we are launching STD testing
[00:26:39] and treatment this year and we have
[00:26:41] parenting classes from prenatal
[00:26:43] all the way now up to pre-k
[00:26:45] hmm and that's
[00:26:47] what we do
[00:26:49] okay the why
[00:26:51] of what we do yeah
[00:26:53] the heart of what we do
[00:26:55] is
[00:26:57] we meet women
[00:26:59] who are at such
[00:27:01] a difficult
[00:27:03] time in their lives
[00:27:05] and they feel alone
[00:27:07] and they feel desperate
[00:27:09] and they feel backed into a corner
[00:27:11] and we come
[00:27:13] alongside them and we hear them
[00:27:15] and
[00:27:17] we hear what they're saying
[00:27:19] but we listen for what they're not saying
[00:27:21] because what they're not saying is speaking volumes
[00:27:23] yeah
[00:27:26] when everybody else has a decision
[00:27:28] on their life we sit with them
[00:27:30] and we say
[00:27:32] it's missionary 101
[00:27:34] you get into their world
[00:27:36] you sit in their dirt
[00:27:38] you sit under their tree
[00:27:40] and you learn who they are
[00:27:42] so that they trust you
[00:27:44] yeah
[00:27:46] our job is not to make that decision for them
[00:27:48] our job is to come alongside them
[00:27:50] and we're given the best information
[00:27:52] when a woman is in a crisis
[00:27:54] um
[00:27:56] she's thinking in a circular thought process
[00:27:58] hmm
[00:28:00] we want her to make a decision in a linear thought process
[00:28:02] okay so
[00:28:04] you think you may be pregnant
[00:28:06] okay so let's talk about that
[00:28:08] let's talk about what's going on in your life
[00:28:10] what are your external
[00:28:12] pressures
[00:28:14] what is helping you make your decision
[00:28:16] then let's get you
[00:28:18] your pregnancy test
[00:28:20] because we need to find out if you're pregnant
[00:28:22] and then based on that
[00:28:24] let's get you your ultrasound
[00:28:26] there are three things she needs to know
[00:28:28] whatever decision she's making
[00:28:30] is that pregnancy where it should be
[00:28:32] how far along
[00:28:34] is that pregnancy and is it viable
[00:28:36] is there a heartbeat
[00:28:38] she needs to know those things
[00:28:40] in her decision making
[00:28:42] and we do it
[00:28:44] in a way that this is in your best interest
[00:28:46] because it is
[00:28:48] it is in her best interest
[00:28:50] and
[00:28:52] I always say that
[00:28:54] my team is amazing
[00:28:56] I understand these women
[00:29:00] on such a deep
[00:29:02] level
[00:29:04] to feel alone and scared
[00:29:06] you've been there
[00:29:08] and so many different levels I've been there
[00:29:10] in so many different areas of my life
[00:29:12] where you
[00:29:14] you just can't
[00:29:16] know how you got here
[00:29:18] where did
[00:29:20] what decisions did I make to even get me here
[00:29:22] and to have somebody
[00:29:24] that truly listens
[00:29:26] and
[00:29:28] truly loves them
[00:29:30] because these women
[00:29:32] they know that's why you used to love high schoolers
[00:29:34] they know if you are faking them out
[00:29:36] they know if you're fronting them
[00:29:38] and they will call you out on it
[00:29:40] and I love that
[00:29:42] these women know it too
[00:29:44] they know legitimate
[00:29:46] love
[00:29:48] and they know when you have an agenda
[00:29:50] so we sit with
[00:29:52] love and respect
[00:29:54] she deserves respect
[00:29:56] sometimes we may be the very first people
[00:29:58] that ever conveyed to her
[00:30:00] that she deserves respect
[00:30:02] it doesn't matter what she did before she walked in the door
[00:30:06] in pathway health clinic
[00:30:08] she's going to be treated with dignity
[00:30:10] because whether she knows it or not
[00:30:12] she's the child of God
[00:30:14] and through us
[00:30:16] she may be introduced to him
[00:30:18] or at least
[00:30:20] his very presence
[00:30:22] I once heard somebody say
[00:30:24] that the fragrance of deep
[00:30:26] faith is like an expensive perfume
[00:30:28] when I was in Israel
[00:30:30] I was
[00:30:32] serving over there with
[00:30:34] another ministry
[00:30:36] and God had some business to do with me
[00:30:38] some stuff
[00:30:40] and I had been holding back
[00:30:42] and so he would call me to a rooftop
[00:30:44] every morning at sunrise
[00:30:46] and I hate sunrises because if I see a sunrise
[00:30:48] I'm usually in children's hospital
[00:30:50] and I've probably been up for 36 hours
[00:30:52] and my son may not have a good chance of living
[00:30:54] so you know that God called me up to the rooftop
[00:30:56] every morning at sunrise
[00:30:58] and I looked over the old city
[00:31:00] and you know
[00:31:02] because you've been to Israel
[00:31:04] there's the wind in Jerusalem
[00:31:06] and to me his very fragrance
[00:31:08] was in that wind
[00:31:10] and what that is to you
[00:31:12] and what that is to me is totally different
[00:31:14] but he would meet me there
[00:31:16] in the wind
[00:31:18] and that's what I pray when they walk into pathway
[00:31:20] that that fragrance
[00:31:22] that fragrance of Christ
[00:31:24] and they don't know what it is
[00:31:26] but that heart
[00:31:28] that emptiness that Leslie had
[00:31:30] they have that
[00:31:32] and they're searching for it
[00:31:34] and they just know that there's something different
[00:31:36] that it's calling to them
[00:31:40] does that make sense?
[00:31:42] Yeah, just incredible
[00:31:44] probably sense of love
[00:31:46] and like you're saying respect
[00:31:48] and probably for a lot of them
[00:31:50] they maybe have never experienced that
[00:31:52] at home or anywhere else
[00:31:54] and then to experience that
[00:31:56] when they walk into
[00:31:58] the clinic is a huge thing
[00:32:00] I know
[00:32:02] that there's a lot of people
[00:32:04] that have a huge thing
[00:32:06] I know you that you have such
[00:32:08] a heart for the soul
[00:32:10] of people
[00:32:12] so at what
[00:32:14] point or how
[00:32:16] how do you navigate
[00:32:18] and how does your team
[00:32:20] navigate and I know it's probably
[00:32:22] different from person to person
[00:32:24] but
[00:32:26] the heart to kind of navigate
[00:32:28] bringing Christ into the
[00:32:30] conversation how does that happen?
[00:32:32] Well, yeah
[00:32:34] it is
[00:32:36] so different for everybody
[00:32:38] Christ is there
[00:32:40] we are Christians and so Christ is here
[00:32:42] we pray before
[00:32:44] we open up the clinic every day
[00:32:46] we let God
[00:32:48] lead us on that
[00:32:50] sometimes he's
[00:32:52] being revealed to them
[00:32:54] it's like the book of Esther
[00:32:56] his name is not even spoken
[00:32:58] in just how we speak with them
[00:33:00] sometimes God
[00:33:02] blows open that door
[00:33:04] and you don't even know how you got there
[00:33:06] you're like okay
[00:33:08] but it is that
[00:33:12] it is that missionary
[00:33:14] philosophy is building that
[00:33:16] relationship first
[00:33:18] and so we are slowly building
[00:33:20] that relationship from the minute she calls
[00:33:22] or texts
[00:33:24] it's building that relationship of trust
[00:33:26] and then she calls
[00:33:28] and makes that appointment
[00:33:30] and she's treated kindly
[00:33:32] and then she comes in and meets with a team
[00:33:34] and she's loved and heard
[00:33:36] and respected
[00:33:38] and then the ultrasound
[00:33:40] and people are just speaking kind to her
[00:33:42] and like you said this may be the first time
[00:33:44] yeah somebody's treated her like that
[00:33:46] and then sometimes
[00:33:48] God will open up that door
[00:33:50] a lot of times my team knows
[00:33:52] we'll say something like
[00:33:54] we always ask permission
[00:33:56] can I share with you
[00:33:58] and depending on what they put on their intake
[00:34:00] sometimes they'll mark a Christian
[00:34:02] that's a different conversation
[00:34:04] she's marking that she's a Wiccan
[00:34:06] which we do get then that's a different conversation
[00:34:08] a lot of times if
[00:34:10] I don't take patients very often
[00:34:12] and it's always a God thing
[00:34:14] when I do but I'll say
[00:34:16] can I just share with you for me
[00:34:18] so I'm a Christian
[00:34:20] and
[00:34:22] just kind of go from there
[00:34:24] and say oh well I believe in God too
[00:34:26] well now that
[00:34:28] there's your open door but then you're treading lightly
[00:34:30] it's a jump rope game
[00:34:32] you jump in you jump out
[00:34:34] you don't want to
[00:34:36] you're letting them lead
[00:34:38] and actually the Holy Spirit is leading
[00:34:40] where is this conversation going to go
[00:34:42] but really where ultimately
[00:34:44] where we see the gospel
[00:34:46] revealed is if they enroll in our parenting
[00:34:48] program because then
[00:34:50] that is relationship
[00:34:52] that's you know
[00:34:54] Americans have such a
[00:34:56] we're so task oriented
[00:34:58] and we meet you we talk for five minutes
[00:35:00] you get saved and we move on
[00:35:02] that's not you know
[00:35:04] that's not how the rest of the world does it
[00:35:06] and so I really feel like
[00:35:08] it's built and grown in our
[00:35:10] program and we've had them
[00:35:12] because we do have a Bible study on Thursday
[00:35:14] in our parenting program
[00:35:16] and they can come if they want to
[00:35:18] it's optional it's totally
[00:35:20] optional and it's kind of
[00:35:22] it's kind of like when my husband and I used to do
[00:35:24] stuff on the street and
[00:35:26] they kind of sort kids would circle around
[00:35:28] you and they kind of mad dog you
[00:35:30] and then they get a little closer
[00:35:32] and they get a little closer and finally
[00:35:34] they walk up and say what are you doing here
[00:35:36] you know and then
[00:35:38] somehow God would always orchestrate that
[00:35:40] conversation because we would never say that we're Christians
[00:35:42] and
[00:35:44] and it would just come around to it
[00:35:46] and they would usually start it well that's the same thing
[00:35:48] so they circle around and circle around
[00:35:50] and circle around it and then
[00:35:52] they start coming to the Bible study and then they grow
[00:35:54] and to me
[00:35:56] that's how we navigate it
[00:35:58] it always has to be
[00:36:00] the Holy Spirit led
[00:36:02] which is so good
[00:36:04] because if you're pushing that
[00:36:06] or everybody that walks through your door has to hear
[00:36:08] the Gospel
[00:36:10] well I think what you're saying is
[00:36:12] this is that
[00:36:14] there's not a agenda
[00:36:16] other than
[00:36:18] loving and caring for
[00:36:20] this person and you want to
[00:36:22] care for them
[00:36:24] in the Holy
[00:36:26] you know like you're interested in
[00:36:28] their health, you're interested in their baby
[00:36:30] and you're interested in their
[00:36:32] soul and I've often said this
[00:36:34] that a lot of times before we can minister to somebody's
[00:36:36] real need
[00:36:38] we have to minister to their felt need
[00:36:40] and they're coming into the clinic
[00:36:42] because they have a felt
[00:36:44] need, they have a real need
[00:36:46] I think I'm pregnant, I'm not sure what to do with this
[00:36:48] and so you're, this is a divine
[00:36:50] appointment that you're allowing God
[00:36:52] to lead you in and move you in
[00:36:54] and so obviously you probably
[00:36:56] see quite a few people that
[00:36:58] come to Christ through the course of your
[00:37:00] caring for them
[00:37:02] I wish that I could tell you yes
[00:37:04] sometimes we may
[00:37:06] not know that on this side of heaven
[00:37:08] you know but I know that
[00:37:10] we've planted seeds so okay there is
[00:37:12] no theology, I'm sitting across from pass
[00:37:14] or there's no, this is less the theology
[00:37:16] according to Leslie
[00:37:18] I feel like we're either
[00:37:20] planters, waters
[00:37:22] or harvesters, I don't think God allows us
[00:37:24] to be all three because we would become
[00:37:26] arrogant about it
[00:37:28] I think that for pathway
[00:37:30] we're planters, we are definitely
[00:37:32] planting those seeds
[00:37:34] every once in a while we get to water
[00:37:36] cause through conversation we could tell
[00:37:38] that somebody else has planted some seeds
[00:37:40] the very rare occasion
[00:37:42] do we get to harvest it
[00:37:44] so I've been with the organization
[00:37:46] for 11 years, almost 12 years
[00:37:48] and I can count on one hand with some fingers left over
[00:37:50] about bringing somebody to Christ
[00:37:52] and again I don't even know
[00:37:54] how we got here, okay well
[00:37:56] we're here
[00:37:58] but
[00:38:00] I know that we are faithful
[00:38:02] in planting those seeds
[00:38:04] I know that we are faithful
[00:38:06] and I know God has a plan for them
[00:38:08] they're His, whether they know it
[00:38:10] or not and we're doing that
[00:38:12] first introduction
[00:38:14] and so we
[00:38:16] are establishing a program
[00:38:18] so that we have more touches on their life
[00:38:20] yeah so are you
[00:38:22] walking with somebody that comes in
[00:38:24] from the point of
[00:38:26] their first meeting with you all the way
[00:38:28] till their giving birth, do you guys
[00:38:30] are you involved in that whole process
[00:38:32] with them? If they're in the parenting program
[00:38:34] if they enroll in the parenting program
[00:38:36] that's always our goal because
[00:38:38] in my years of speaking
[00:38:40] in probation school and continuation schools
[00:38:42] and just seeing the brokenness of the world
[00:38:44] people don't want to be
[00:38:46] a bad parent
[00:38:48] they have generational
[00:38:50] bad parenting as a role model
[00:38:52] and so our parenting program
[00:38:54] really breaks those generational
[00:38:56] cycles so
[00:38:58] yes if they enroll in our parenting program
[00:39:00] we definitely
[00:39:02] walk with them all the way through
[00:39:04] up until they're 4-5 years old
[00:39:06] which is great because that's where relationships
[00:39:08] are built and then they build relationships
[00:39:10] with each other which is so amazing
[00:39:12] to see because
[00:39:14] they
[00:39:16] help each other in the parenting program
[00:39:18] you get these people that are
[00:39:20] little rough sometimes
[00:39:22] super individualistic, don't trust
[00:39:24] really anybody
[00:39:26] and they start
[00:39:28] babysitting for each other
[00:39:30] they carpool, they go
[00:39:32] to the after the classes they go to lunch
[00:39:34] it becomes a community that they
[00:39:36] didn't have and that was one of the reasons
[00:39:38] why our program used to go only up
[00:39:40] to 3 years old but since
[00:39:42] covid
[00:39:44] I felt like those moms really had been
[00:39:46] isolated for so long
[00:39:48] they needed more community and so
[00:39:50] we
[00:39:52] I said let's start
[00:39:54] extending it to pre-k we're bringing
[00:39:56] on some child development
[00:39:58] to really
[00:40:00] equip mom and kids
[00:40:02] and
[00:40:04] so in the clinic part
[00:40:06] because we have education in clinic
[00:40:08] this is
[00:40:10] my
[00:40:12] whole philosophy
[00:40:14] you need to love them both
[00:40:16] you actually need to love her first
[00:40:18] because if you
[00:40:20] love her and meet her
[00:40:22] physical, emotional
[00:40:24] relational needs
[00:40:26] she will there love that
[00:40:28] baby because god
[00:40:30] has put that in her
[00:40:32] her decision to
[00:40:34] abort or parent
[00:40:36] many times is based
[00:40:38] on
[00:40:40] I can't even take care of myself
[00:40:42] how am I going to take care of
[00:40:44] this baby and I know
[00:40:46] please don't send
[00:40:48] emails you can send me
[00:40:50] emails
[00:40:52] please
[00:40:54] she thinks it's merciful
[00:40:56] in her mind
[00:40:58] in that moment of
[00:41:00] I know it's twisted theology
[00:41:02] she's in a crisis
[00:41:04] she actually thinks that she's being
[00:41:06] merciful
[00:41:08] because she can't how am I going to do this
[00:41:10] she's not selfish
[00:41:12] she's not self centered
[00:41:14] she is thinking of everybody else
[00:41:16] but herself
[00:41:18] I'm going to disappoint this person
[00:41:20] and this person
[00:41:22] she knows that decision
[00:41:24] makes is going to
[00:41:26] change her life irrevocably
[00:41:28] she knows that
[00:41:30] the center knows that there is center
[00:41:32] it's the Pharisees that doesn't know
[00:41:34] that it's a center
[00:41:36] she knows what she's doing
[00:41:38] or I would say probably at least
[00:41:40] in a lot of those cases
[00:41:42] that's the maybe not all
[00:41:44] but at least some they know
[00:41:46] and they're struggling I totally get what you're
[00:41:48] saying I've walked through
[00:41:50] that with some people where there was
[00:41:52] their first thought like there's no way
[00:41:54] I could do this
[00:41:56] I want to switch kind of turn a corner
[00:41:58] here because you kind of
[00:42:00] led us in this direction
[00:42:02] we have this huge
[00:42:04] upcoming supreme court
[00:42:06] decision that were
[00:42:08] on row versus
[00:42:10] Wade
[00:42:12] and I just want to get kind of your thoughts
[00:42:14] on that and
[00:42:16] I think
[00:42:18] my understanding is we're recording
[00:42:20] this in
[00:42:22] May early May
[00:42:24] and May 6 17
[00:42:26] today and that this could come
[00:42:28] out any day now
[00:42:30] so
[00:42:32] what's your thoughts on that and what does it mean
[00:42:36] if this gets overturned
[00:42:38] yeah
[00:42:40] I never actually
[00:42:42] thought we would be here I thought that they
[00:42:44] would like carve it out a little bit
[00:42:46] you know weaken a little bit but I
[00:42:48] never thought I would see
[00:42:50] row overturned and
[00:42:52] I actually through
[00:42:54] some back channels actually
[00:42:56] knew that it had probably been
[00:42:58] decided before the leak happened
[00:43:00] okay
[00:43:02] we all thought it was coming out in June
[00:43:04] or July and
[00:43:08] it's very
[00:43:10] very complex
[00:43:12] again
[00:43:14] please don't send me emails
[00:43:16] or Rob
[00:43:18] I am very pro-life
[00:43:22] how do you dismantle something
[00:43:24] that has been in place
[00:43:26] for over 40 years
[00:43:28] you know
[00:43:30] am I
[00:43:32] ecstatic
[00:43:34] that the federal government is no longer
[00:43:36] in the business
[00:43:38] of ending human lives in the womb
[00:43:40] it never should have happened
[00:43:42] right
[00:43:44] and people can call me and I can tell them
[00:43:46] actually the history of how row started
[00:43:48] because it was based on a lie
[00:43:50] it was intentionally
[00:43:52] written loosely so that there was a lot
[00:43:54] of interpretation of what
[00:43:56] we see now
[00:43:58] in fact abortion all the way up
[00:44:00] to birth
[00:44:02] I am ecstatic
[00:44:04] it is going to go back
[00:44:06] to the states I am definitely somebody
[00:44:08] who believes in states rights
[00:44:10] which is great for states that have
[00:44:12] trigger laws
[00:44:14] California is a different animal
[00:44:16] I think
[00:44:18] I think that we are in such a
[00:44:20] different place right now
[00:44:22] when you listen to people
[00:44:24] so there is pro-choice people
[00:44:26] there is pro-life people and then there is
[00:44:28] pro-abortion people
[00:44:30] I really truly believe
[00:44:32] that the people who are screaming the loudest
[00:44:34] are pro-abortion
[00:44:36] yeah definitely
[00:44:38] it is not about choice
[00:44:40] because if it was about choice
[00:44:42] they would embrace us
[00:44:44] and they absolutely hate us
[00:44:46] because we stand in the way of abortion
[00:44:48] right
[00:44:50] there is a potential when she comes into
[00:44:52] a PMC that she will
[00:44:54] change her mind
[00:44:56] because she has a moment to think
[00:44:58] and to stop we don't profit from her crisis
[00:45:00] right
[00:45:02] so I have a lot of
[00:45:04] thoughts on this
[00:45:06] but again I am in California
[00:45:08] we are in California
[00:45:10] and we don't have trigger laws
[00:45:12] and we have a very
[00:45:14] pro-abortion
[00:45:16] administration in the state of California
[00:45:18] right now
[00:45:20] nothing is really going to change in California
[00:45:22] in fact it is in the processes
[00:45:24] of getting worse
[00:45:26] I would just say this
[00:45:28] but God
[00:45:30] but God
[00:45:32] I can't
[00:45:34] no no
[00:45:36] finish what you are saying
[00:45:38] you should not have two hyper people
[00:45:40] well Rob is not hyper but I am hyper
[00:45:42] talking because somebody has to stop talking
[00:45:46] you know what is interesting
[00:45:48] and I actually
[00:45:50] I know you are not saying this
[00:45:52] but I have had some people
[00:45:54] say
[00:45:56] and I have heard people online say this
[00:45:58] that
[00:46:00] I am too excited
[00:46:02] because now it is going to go to the states
[00:46:04] and
[00:46:06] so it is not like
[00:46:08] abortion is going to be legal
[00:46:10] now
[00:46:12] and my response to that was
[00:46:14] ok but wait a second
[00:46:16] it is a step in the right direction
[00:46:18] exactly
[00:46:20] and you know it is interesting
[00:46:22] we are in our church right now
[00:46:24] we are actually going through the book of Esther
[00:46:26] you brought up Esther
[00:46:28] and
[00:46:30] this past Sunday we were in
[00:46:32] Esther chapter 3
[00:46:34] and it is where
[00:46:36] this guy by the name of Heyman
[00:46:38] gets
[00:46:40] puts forth this order that all the
[00:46:42] Jews
[00:46:44] you know 3 million or so in all
[00:46:46] the provinces
[00:46:48] of Persia are going to be
[00:46:50] eradicated
[00:46:52] annihilated in 11 months
[00:46:54] and
[00:46:56] and it hit me
[00:46:58] that the response of this one guy
[00:47:00] his name is Mordecai
[00:47:02] is that he just
[00:47:04] starts mourning
[00:47:07] and tearing his clothes and putting on
[00:47:09] sackcloth and he goes before
[00:47:11] the gates of the emperor
[00:47:13] it is like this public
[00:47:15] spectacle you know
[00:47:17] just weeping and then
[00:47:19] all the Jews
[00:47:21] they are weeping and they are
[00:47:23] mourning and they are getting in sackcloth
[00:47:25] and as I was preparing my
[00:47:27] message this week
[00:47:29] I just felt like God was
[00:47:31] so impressing upon my heart
[00:47:33] like this is where I want you to
[00:47:35] stop you know this is where
[00:47:37] I want you to leave the body
[00:47:39] I was wrestling
[00:47:41] with it because I was like
[00:47:43] I always want to leave on up
[00:47:45] I always want to give the hope that we have
[00:47:47] in Jesus and the Lord was just like saying
[00:47:49] nope I want you to just leave him
[00:47:51] in this solemn moment
[00:47:53] of considering this
[00:47:55] and where I
[00:47:57] took that was
[00:47:59] you know to think the thought
[00:48:01] that you know every year here
[00:48:03] in the United States over 600,000
[00:48:05] babies are aborted you know
[00:48:07] worldwide it's over 50 million
[00:48:09] you know in the last 50 years
[00:48:11] it's 1.5 billion babies
[00:48:13] and where
[00:48:15] the Lord really challenged me personally
[00:48:17] I'll be honest with you was
[00:48:19] that sense of
[00:48:21] when's the last time you really
[00:48:23] mourned
[00:48:25] because of this
[00:48:27] and I'm like very pro-life
[00:48:29] I've picketed abortion clinics
[00:48:31] I've you know done all of that
[00:48:33] I love giving people
[00:48:35] like you a voice and we've been
[00:48:37] really involved with birth choice over the years
[00:48:39] and you know all of
[00:48:41] that but it was like
[00:48:43] you know
[00:48:45] when's the last time you really
[00:48:47] mourned and
[00:48:49] I had to be honest like
[00:48:51] and I told the body this I said it's been a long time
[00:48:53] you know and I said
[00:48:55] in my mind
[00:48:57] I think I sort of
[00:48:59] you know came to this conclusion
[00:49:01] of
[00:49:03] this is just always going
[00:49:05] to be this way
[00:49:07] it's just part of the evil
[00:49:09] it's part of the fall
[00:49:11] I think this
[00:49:13] abortion is a very demonic
[00:49:15] agenda you know it's
[00:49:17] inspired
[00:49:19] and
[00:49:21] it's just going to be that way until Jesus comes back
[00:49:23] you know
[00:49:25] but what stirred me
[00:49:27] this week and I was sharing with our body
[00:49:29] was the sense of
[00:49:31] is that the only
[00:49:33] answer
[00:49:35] well Jesus is coming back and one day
[00:49:37] he's going to fix this
[00:49:39] or is there something
[00:49:41] that God
[00:49:43] is calling the church
[00:49:45] to do because this is the thought I have
[00:49:47] and I'm actually going to
[00:49:49] I don't know when this is going to air because
[00:49:51] this is the next thought I want to give
[00:49:53] our body is that
[00:49:55] King
[00:49:57] Ahasuerus is how he
[00:49:59] he's actually Xerxes
[00:50:01] Ahasuerus is his Persian name
[00:50:03] Xerxes is his Greek name
[00:50:05] I mean
[00:50:07] he's way worse
[00:50:09] than Governor Newsom
[00:50:11] way worse I mean
[00:50:13] he's a pagan egotistical
[00:50:15] and
[00:50:17] yet God moved
[00:50:19] on his heart
[00:50:21] so I have a lot of hope
[00:50:23] for California in the sense that
[00:50:25] I'm just thinking like hey
[00:50:27] if God can change like you said
[00:50:29] I never ever
[00:50:31] in my wildest imaginations
[00:50:33] thought that would get turned
[00:50:35] at the federal level
[00:50:37] and so I have hope
[00:50:39] in
[00:50:41] that God could do something
[00:50:43] here
[00:50:45] but the thing that the Lord really put on my heart
[00:50:47] was this
[00:50:49] it starts with morning
[00:50:51] it really
[00:50:53] starts with
[00:50:55] the body of Christ
[00:50:57] really being
[00:50:59] broken
[00:51:01] and I'm not sure exactly
[00:51:03] where that goes
[00:51:05] you know or what God wants to do
[00:51:07] with that but
[00:51:09] that's just something he's really
[00:51:11] impressing upon
[00:51:13] my heart right now
[00:51:15] in relation to
[00:51:17] ship to this because I think this is huge
[00:51:19] it is huge and can I
[00:51:21] piggyback on that
[00:51:23] something that I have been
[00:51:25] for the past few years is
[00:51:27] never thinking that Roe was going to be overturned
[00:51:29] is
[00:51:31] while we're mourning church
[00:51:35] could
[00:51:37] because there are states like California
[00:51:39] Illinois and New York
[00:51:43] could we get to a place
[00:51:45] where she is so loved
[00:51:47] and so taken care of
[00:51:49] and so supported
[00:51:51] that abortion isn't
[00:51:53] even an option it doesn't matter
[00:51:55] what is on the books
[00:51:57] so as we're mourning
[00:51:59] can we shift our focus from
[00:52:01] the well
[00:52:03] if she had just mentality
[00:52:05] to how do we help
[00:52:07] how do we love
[00:52:09] support how do we
[00:52:11] because that's what she's feeling when she comes in
[00:52:13] is everybody's looking at her
[00:52:15] church
[00:52:17] we need to do better
[00:52:19] so I had a pastor one time ask me it was years ago
[00:52:21] so if Roe v. Wade's overturned
[00:52:23] you know what do you do with all these unwanted
[00:52:25] babies and at that time
[00:52:27] my answer was well I don't think
[00:52:29] Roe's going to be overturned
[00:52:31] but look I
[00:52:33] God is bigger than Leslie
[00:52:35] but I said
[00:52:37] I wanted or feeling like
[00:52:39] she can't take care of because that's
[00:52:41] the biggest issue
[00:52:43] so church
[00:52:45] we need to come
[00:52:47] alongside her in a bigger way
[00:52:49] you know
[00:52:51] she needs
[00:52:53] when I first became a believer
[00:52:55] I have a friend who is still
[00:52:57] my friend today
[00:52:59] and she's probably the reason why
[00:53:01] I'm still Christian today
[00:53:03] she didn't hit me with theology
[00:53:05] she just loved me
[00:53:07] she would invite me to things if I showed up
[00:53:09] and if I showed up I showed up
[00:53:11] she just walked beside me
[00:53:13] she didn't try to fix my life
[00:53:15] she didn't try to find me a husband
[00:53:17] she just was my friend
[00:53:19] who was a Christian
[00:53:21] and now 20 something years later
[00:53:23] she and I are still friends
[00:53:25] and I'm still a Christian
[00:53:27] that's what we need to do
[00:53:29] so in our morning
[00:53:31] can we ask the Lord how do we love
[00:53:33] or show us where maybe
[00:53:35] we're judging her
[00:53:37] show us where maybe we're
[00:53:39] considering her sin the greatest sin
[00:53:41] show us
[00:53:43] how we support
[00:53:45] her and love her
[00:53:47] and come alongside
[00:53:49] she needs somebody who
[00:53:51] is a single mom
[00:53:53] the hardest thing that I
[00:53:55] would do was show up to church
[00:54:00] because
[00:54:02] people knew I was a single mom
[00:54:04] you know
[00:54:06] and it was just so people want to fix your life
[00:54:08] or they want to tell you this
[00:54:10] in a way kind of shame you
[00:54:12] like how did you get here
[00:54:14] well let's say your business I am here
[00:54:16] so
[00:54:18] in that morning I agree with you
[00:54:20] so the thing is like
[00:54:22] it doesn't matter what laws are on the books
[00:54:24] and yes I pray frequently
[00:54:26] that God breaks News I'm Sorry
[00:54:28] because he can
[00:54:30] because I am here and you are here
[00:54:32] Paul
[00:54:34] you're going to say he breaks his neck
[00:54:36] no
[00:54:38] that would be horrible
[00:54:40] it breaks his heart
[00:54:42] but you know what I read today because
[00:54:44] God doesn't mess
[00:54:46] if he keeps resisting his heart
[00:54:48] he might break his neck
[00:54:50] because he has a stiff neck
[00:54:52] but so was I
[00:54:54] and so today we were in Psalm
[00:54:56] 3 and he says he
[00:54:58] knocks out their teeth
[00:55:00] and he's anxious you know
[00:55:02] he knocks them out
[00:55:04] and so
[00:55:06] don't mess with my God
[00:55:08] but he could
[00:55:10] and he
[00:55:12] as much as
[00:55:14] remember
[00:55:16] Gavin Newsom
[00:55:18] is made in the image of God
[00:55:20] just like Rob and Leslie are
[00:55:22] he has just rejected the God
[00:55:24] that made him
[00:55:26] so we need to pray for that
[00:55:28] can we
[00:55:30] love her
[00:55:32] and love that dad so well
[00:55:34] and empower them so much
[00:55:36] it's not even an option
[00:55:38] because you know Psalm 2 says
[00:55:40] he puts kings are in place
[00:55:42] and empower and God laughs
[00:55:44] so what if church
[00:55:46] what if
[00:55:48] we
[00:55:50] because women
[00:55:52] facing an unintended pregnancy
[00:55:54] I don't care how they got there
[00:55:56] she's so loved
[00:55:58] that she
[00:56:00] and she's so supported
[00:56:02] of course I'm going to choose life
[00:56:04] of course I'm going to
[00:56:06] this whole abortion thing
[00:56:08] is really honestly an assault on women
[00:56:10] a man would never be told
[00:56:12] and it is life straight from the pit of hell
[00:56:14] a man would never be told
[00:56:16] that you have to kill your children to succeed in life
[00:56:18] that is exactly what we tell women
[00:56:22] that's an assault on women
[00:56:24] and I have a feeling that God
[00:56:26] takes exception to that
[00:56:28] you know we
[00:56:30] have just broken down the family
[00:56:32] and but
[00:56:34] we need to do better
[00:56:36] in supporting women
[00:56:38] looking past their sin
[00:56:40] to their need
[00:56:42] because that's what Jesus did
[00:56:44] I am the woman at the well
[00:56:46] every time I walk in
[00:56:48] to speak at a church
[00:56:50] and the enemy shows me
[00:56:52] that he reminds me I was the woman at the well
[00:56:54] but how did he love her
[00:56:56] that's what we need to do
[00:56:58] and that's how we break this
[00:57:00] just demonic stronghold
[00:57:02] first person he revealed himself to
[00:57:04] was the Messiah, was her
[00:57:06] so good
[00:57:08] I love that
[00:57:10] if we could just so love them
[00:57:12] even if it didn't get overturned
[00:57:14] the abortions would go down
[00:57:16] because of the church loving
[00:57:18] I love that vision
[00:57:20] and what that will take is for us
[00:57:22] first of all is the body
[00:57:24] to get past
[00:57:26] and really repent of our indifference
[00:57:28] you know because I think in a lot of way
[00:57:30] we just kind of grown indifferent to this whole
[00:57:32] issue
[00:57:34] it's like oh that somebody else's
[00:57:36] problem but then I think also
[00:57:38] it's us
[00:57:40] and I think this is a big one here
[00:57:42] for California because we
[00:57:44] our culture
[00:57:46] I think so
[00:57:48] drives us towards being
[00:57:52] self-absorbed and so busy
[00:57:54] and
[00:57:56] we've only got time for our little
[00:57:58] world and our family
[00:58:00] and
[00:58:02] that's the culture
[00:58:04] that we live in here that everybody's kind of
[00:58:06] just moving it
[00:58:08] 100 miles an hour all the time
[00:58:10] but getting to that place of recognizing
[00:58:12] that we
[00:58:14] are to be the hands
[00:58:16] feet and heart
[00:58:18] and voice of Jesus
[00:58:20] and what I love to just
[00:58:22] really drive into the heart
[00:58:24] in minds of our congregation
[00:58:26] is this is a term I use all the time
[00:58:28] is that we each have a sphere of influence
[00:58:30] that God has given us
[00:58:32] that people he has brought into
[00:58:34] our path
[00:58:36] for a reason and a purpose
[00:58:38] and when we wake up to that and grab a hold
[00:58:40] of that and realize oh well who's he bringing
[00:58:42] into my sphere of influence right now
[00:58:44] oh it's this young girl
[00:58:46] who
[00:58:48] has an unintended pregnancy
[00:58:50] okay why did you bring her into my
[00:58:52] you know why did you bring her
[00:58:54] into my path Lord
[00:58:56] it's interesting when you think about the very first married couple
[00:58:58] Adam and Eve
[00:59:00] I always say this that he gave them
[00:59:02] a mission you know it says that God
[00:59:04] blessed them
[00:59:06] and God said to them
[00:59:08] and part of the blessing was this
[00:59:10] mission and a big part
[00:59:12] of the mission is he says I want you to be fruitful
[00:59:14] and multiply and
[00:59:16] I simplify that to say he wanted
[00:59:18] them to love him and love each other
[00:59:20] and then he says and then take care of this
[00:59:22] garden that I've given you so to me
[00:59:24] this is the mission for all of us God wants
[00:59:26] us to love him love each other
[00:59:28] and take care of what he's put into our hands
[00:59:30] what's he put into your hands well it's
[00:59:32] the people that cross your path
[00:59:34] it's the people in your sphere of influence it's your
[00:59:36] resources it's all of that
[00:59:38] and that's the mission
[00:59:40] you know John Eldridge says
[00:59:42] that every
[00:59:44] married couple needs
[00:59:46] a mission and an adventure
[00:59:48] and I like to say no no no
[00:59:50] the mission is the adventure
[00:59:52] you know it is it is
[00:59:54] it's being on mission
[00:59:56] with God and realizing I'm here for a
[00:59:58] purpose and the purpose is
[01:00:00] to take care of what he's
[01:00:02] put into my hands you know
[01:00:04] and to use that
[01:00:06] for his glory and a big part
[01:00:08] of what he's put into our hands are these
[01:00:10] people you know
[01:00:12] who are broken
[01:00:14] and they're just broken in a
[01:00:16] different way you know I love
[01:00:18] what Greg Laurie says you know
[01:00:20] ministry is messy
[01:00:22] big time you're going to get dirty
[01:00:24] you're going to get messy but let's get messy
[01:00:26] let's sit that's what I say
[01:00:28] let's sit in the dirt with them and understand
[01:00:30] that there maybe you never would
[01:00:32] have made those choices well praise God
[01:00:34] you never had to
[01:00:36] but can you love her where she is
[01:00:38] because you've not lived her life
[01:00:40] and if you start peeling back the layers
[01:00:42] please hear me
[01:00:44] when I tell you she is
[01:00:46] me when you peel
[01:00:48] back those layers she is
[01:00:50] a little girl
[01:00:52] that was abused
[01:00:54] she is somebody that
[01:00:56] thought her only value
[01:00:58] was the body that she could give
[01:01:00] because that's what she was told
[01:01:02] that nobody loved her
[01:01:04] I can't tell you the stories
[01:01:06] that I've heard in the clinic over the years
[01:01:08] I used to speak
[01:01:10] in probation school and there was
[01:01:12] a young she was incredibly
[01:01:14] beautiful and smart
[01:01:16] and so I would
[01:01:18] bring the girls into the clinic to get
[01:01:20] them out of probation school we just do a round table
[01:01:22] and
[01:01:24] she would get busted on purpose
[01:01:26] because Juvie was safer for her
[01:01:28] than the house with
[01:01:30] drug dealing dad and the men that he brought in
[01:01:32] that was her
[01:01:34] reality
[01:01:36] and for the Christian girl
[01:01:38] that is going to church
[01:01:40] and her boyfriend
[01:01:42] because hello we're all human
[01:01:44] she makes a mistake
[01:01:46] she's hurting too
[01:01:48] she needs love too
[01:01:50] she doesn't need condemnation
[01:01:52] because she doesn't want to come
[01:01:54] she would rather abort than come to her church
[01:01:56] and say I messed up
[01:01:58] and so they both need love
[01:02:00] that's their reality at that moment
[01:02:02] and we just
[01:02:04] need to love better
[01:02:06] please do not get me
[01:02:08] I am not an overly loving person
[01:02:10] I am a Martha
[01:02:12] I'm busy I've got things to do
[01:02:14] but when God plants
[01:02:16] that person in front of you
[01:02:18] what are you going to do
[01:02:20] you're going to turn him away
[01:02:22] you're going to throw stones at him
[01:02:24] or are you just going to love him
[01:02:26] because he does
[01:02:28] as we wrap this up
[01:02:30] how can
[01:02:32] people who hear this
[01:02:34] first of all praying for you
[01:02:36] and pathway
[01:02:38] and secondly in what ways
[01:02:40] can they support the ministry there
[01:02:42] oh thanks I love that
[01:02:44] praying for us is the biggest thing
[01:02:46] again we're May
[01:02:48] 17th
[01:02:52] there are people out there
[01:02:54] again because we stand in the way
[01:02:56] of an abortion giant
[01:02:58] to get rid of us
[01:03:00] and so just pray for protection over the clinic
[01:03:02] pray for protection
[01:03:04] over my staff
[01:03:06] they go into dark places
[01:03:08] in this part of the ministry
[01:03:10] it's hard for them
[01:03:12] when you have abortion medication
[01:03:14] and then on that
[01:03:16] then you'll have somebody that miscarries
[01:03:18] there's a big spiritual battle
[01:03:20] that goes on
[01:03:22] that they've been called to this
[01:03:24] and they accept it but God should definitely
[01:03:26] help them
[01:03:28] and they're going to be able to
[01:03:30] get rid of us
[01:03:32] and so this is the ministry
[01:03:34] of not just pathway
[01:03:36] every pregnancy medical clinic
[01:03:38] especially in California
[01:03:40] we are in the cross hairs
[01:03:42] of a pro-abortion
[01:03:44] administration
[01:03:46] for sure and they have made it
[01:03:48] very clear in some other laws
[01:03:50] that they're trying to put forth
[01:03:52] and
[01:03:54] friends of prcvista.com
[01:03:56] and there's a donate button
[01:03:58] you know monthly donors
[01:04:00] are the backbone of our organization
[01:04:02] because that tells
[01:04:04] the board and I what we can do
[01:04:06] for the next year and we have big plans
[01:04:08] to expand
[01:04:10] our reach into her life
[01:04:12] and so
[01:04:14] we if you know
[01:04:16] prayerfully consider supporting us monthly
[01:04:18] and
[01:04:20] we always love baby close donations
[01:04:22] so
[01:04:24] you can contact us and see what we need
[01:04:26] but
[01:04:28] the biggest one is just pray
[01:04:30] just pray for us
[01:04:32] if you feel led
[01:04:34] right now we have a couple of things coming up
[01:04:36] we're expanding our medical services
[01:04:38] so we need more medical people
[01:04:40] nurses
[01:04:42] mid levels, nps, pas
[01:04:44] my wonderful medical director
[01:04:46] who has served us
[01:04:48] for so many years is 78
[01:04:50] and he's retiring when he's 80
[01:04:52] and so we're going to need a new medical director
[01:04:54] who loves our mission
[01:04:56] and can deal with them
[01:04:58] a scattered CEO
[01:05:00] who very much speaks her mind
[01:05:02] but yeah
[01:05:04] that really just loves what we do
[01:05:06] so you know those are practical ways
[01:05:08] to just but
[01:05:10] I always ask for prayer
[01:05:12] at the beginning of everything
[01:05:14] just pray for us you know not everybody
[01:05:16] can support us
[01:05:18] and also you know again
[01:05:20] pray for where God wants
[01:05:22] you in this
[01:05:24] movement
[01:05:26] this is close to God's heart
[01:05:28] because what abortion does
[01:05:30] is it ends the life of one of
[01:05:32] his image bearers
[01:05:34] and it destroys the souls of two others
[01:05:36] yeah it's good
[01:05:38] it's not good but the way you put
[01:05:40] that was very good that's what I meant
[01:05:42] I know what you mean
[01:05:44] I know I just want to clarify for people listening
[01:05:46] don't email wrong
[01:05:50] the way she put that was good
[01:05:52] say that again
[01:05:54] that abortion ends the life of one of God's image bearers
[01:05:56] and it destroys the souls of two others
[01:05:58] two others
[01:06:00] but in that just
[01:06:02] so let me just sorry
[01:06:04] in that if there is somebody
[01:06:06] listening
[01:06:08] and you felt like your only choice
[01:06:10] was abortion
[01:06:12] that
[01:06:14] the person that you've ever committed
[01:06:16] was covered
[01:06:18] by the blood of the cross
[01:06:20] and his desire is for you to walk
[01:06:22] in the victory of his empty tomb
[01:06:24] you are set free from that
[01:06:26] you are not bound by that
[01:06:28] it was a decision that you made
[01:06:30] and if
[01:06:32] you have repented for that
[01:06:34] you are forgiven please don't let that define
[01:06:36] you and be that stronghold that the enemy
[01:06:38] because he's going to shoot that at you
[01:06:40] and God says done
[01:06:42] his blood covered it
[01:06:44] and so
[01:06:46] these are hard discussions
[01:06:48] and that's why the abortion issue
[01:06:50] it is so
[01:06:52] multi-layered
[01:06:54] and so
[01:06:56] deep
[01:06:58] and just this whole discussion
[01:07:00] well she should just choose life
[01:07:02] there's a lot
[01:07:04] that goes into her life
[01:07:06] and so just pray that
[01:07:08] pregnancy medical clinics
[01:07:10] apply
[01:07:12] because we actually outnumber them
[01:07:14] abortion clinics in the United States
[01:07:16] I think
[01:07:18] that there are 700 abortion clinics
[01:07:20] and there's over a thousand
[01:07:22] pregnancy medical clinics
[01:07:24] we're doing something wrong
[01:07:26] church we need to partner
[01:07:28] and we need to do better
[01:07:30] because that's how we win this battle
[01:07:32] because the Lord is he sits on the brow of the hill
[01:07:34] his army sits on the brow of the hill
[01:07:36] and he fights for us
[01:07:38] yeah
[01:07:40] let's say thanks so much for being with us today
[01:07:42] really enjoyed this conversation
[01:07:44] thank you it was great
[01:07:53] thank you for listening to season 6
[01:07:55] this season is all about God's stories
[01:07:57] and we have more content coming your way
[01:07:59] if you'd like access
[01:08:01] to more Christ centered content
[01:08:03] we'd love to direct you to the Good Lion
[01:08:05] podcast network
[01:08:07] simply go to goodlion.io
[01:08:09] for more Christ centered content
[01:08:11] and if you enjoyed this conversation
[01:08:13] I would love it if you shared it with a friend
[01:08:15] wrote a review or left a rating
[01:08:17] otherwise we'll see you next time
[01:08:19] here on the basics of life conversations
