An open letter to the Church who follows Jesus...

In the last two weeks two very alarming events have occurred that shook the Church to the core, one in America and one here in South Africa, but both equally disturbing and potentially problematic for our society and for the next generation of youth. 

The first was a horrific video that was secretly filmed, exposing Planned Parenthood's senior director of medical services, Deborah Nucatola selling the organs and body parts of aborted babies.

“I’d say a lot of people want liver,” Nucatola said. “And for that reason, most providers will do this case under ultrasound guidance, so they’ll know where they’re putting their forceps.”

It is unbelievable to think that innocent babies, who are ripped and torn apart, who feel pain and who are usually fully developed by the time the abortion takes place, somewhere around 12 to 16 weeks, are now being victims of human organ trafficking too. 

These unborn babies are shown no compassion or dignity at all.

But on a positive note, the fact that human organs are being sold by the same Organization who says that the fetus is just a clump of cells, means that the Pro-Choicers are admitting that the fetus is more than a clump or a blob...because how can you make profit from "just a clump of cells."

The second shocking incident is that just two weeks ago the Amendment to the "Sexual Offences Act" that effectively decriminalises consensual sex between teens in the age group 12 – 16 years old was signed into law here in South Africa.

So how does the planned parenthood scandal impact us here in South Africa? If affects us because the patterns and trends in social and moral decay that are happening in America, are followed in South Africa too. And if Planned Parenthood can get away with this somehow, and wangle it to make it acceptable, then this could happen here too. 

In South Africa the abortion rate is an alarming. According to Professor Eddie Mhlanga, the head of obstetrics and gynaecology at Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine at the UKZN 256808 abortions have been performed in South Africa in the past three years.

And these are only the figures of abortions that are recorded.

More sex between youngsters, who are able to make and grow a baby, but who are too young to deal with the consequences of having a baby, will mean more crisis pregnancies. 

And higher abortion rates too. Therefore higher suicide and infertility rates.

Down spiral here we go.

Don't believe me? Research the effects of abortion on women.

What will become of this society in years to come? As it is pornography is being distributed by children as young as 12 years of age. More pornography means more pornography addiction, and studies show that pornography use can lead to sexual abuse, so we are literally making South Africa a more dangerous place by not standing up to this.

So dear Church of Christ... No matter what your denomination or what your differences, can I ask you with tears in my eyes to please just stand together, to unite and to fight back.

My daughter is just 8 years old and my son 5, and as a parent I cannot turn my back on this and do nothing.

Children should be protected, and this is where we step in.

So come on Church. Let us fight back. 

Let us fight for those who are most vulnerable and in need of basic human rights.

If we do not stand up and speak out for the innocent then the blood of the unborn is on our hands too.

I never want to stand before my Maker and have Him ask, "But why did you not defend those who have no voice? Why did you not tell the younger generation about me?"

Come on Church....

Let us embrace the women who have had abortions, who are hurting and are broken, let us tell them about the hope and the mercy and grace of the One who unites us.

Let us pray for our leaders and for the government as the Bible tells us to.

Let us vote for political parties who reflect the practical values of a well adjusted society.

Let us unite and get involved in Pro-Life movements such as 40 Days For Life. 

Leaders preach on this in your sermons, make your congregations aware.

And not only leaders but all of us who follow Christ because we are ALL called to be the salt and the light to this fallen and dark world.

We simply cannot be passive, we have to stand up, for the sake of our children.

Come on Church stop making things that are black and white, shades of grey.

For more information about 40 Days for Life please visit the website:

https://40daysforlife.com

Arise. Butterfly. Pray.

I never thought I would ever step into an abortion clinic again.
After the trauma of my abortion fourteen years ago, I vowed never to go back.
But this morning I did.

I wore my pro life badge in honor of the "40 Days For Life" prayer movement.
My badge is of a babys' hands - to scale of a twelve week old in the womb.
In 559 cities around the world, believers pray and fast for forty days, some standing outside abortion clinics and peacefully pray for the mothers and children killed and scarred by abortion. And to ultimately end abortion.

I felt very strongly that I had to go inside the clinic. I had vowed to never enter an abortion clinic again after the pain I had gone through as a scared and desperate teenager. But in I went and sat quietly in the waiting room. They would throw me out if I tried to convince one of their potential clients not to have an abortion on their property, so all I could do was pray. 

I sat watching each person, not judging, but just compassionately praying over each and every one. 

Not everyone in there was there for an abortion because Marie Stopes also provides other services like sterilization and HIV testing. But I still prayed for everyone. And then I left. And I didn't feel profoundly spiritual or like I had achieved much.

Part of me felt like I didn't do enough. All I did today was go and pray.
I wanted to tell the mothers who had abortions that if they turn to Jesus, He will forgive them. I wanted to tell the girl considering an abortion that it is not a quick fix.

Then a very special friend messaged me to ask how it went. She was praying for me from her home. I told her that I felt like what I had done wasn't enough. I didn't see the effects of my prayers. I believe God heard them, but I didn't feel super spiritual.

She reminded me of this amazing principle: 

Darkness always gives way to light. It has to. It is a basic principle and law. My presence wasn't there for nothing, and the life I spoke in the walls of death were heard by God.

The next "40 Days For Life" will be in February 2015, I am praying that even more believers will take part.

God hears me ask for this.

He hears all my prayers. 

He hears all of your prayers too.

Every prayer.

Always.

"God's there, listening to all who pray, for all who pray and mean it. He does what's best for those who fear Him - hears them call out, and saves them." Psalm 145:18-19 MSG

For more information on 40 Days For Life visit: http://40daysforlife.com/

A Letter To My Aborted Baby Girl:

Today is the anniversary of your death.
It has been thirteen years since I made the decision to end your life.
Thirteen years since I sacrificed your precious and innocent life for my own convenience.

I only heard the sound of your heart beat once and I remember not liking the song you sang to me. Your existence mocked me for my sins. You were the consequence of my behavior.
In my mind you were not allowed to exist until I said so. 
At your first ultra sound I remember thinking, "Get it out. Get this thing out of me."
But when you died, something inside of me died too.

If only I had known that back then...

Words fail me to express the level of remorse I feel for failing you. I am truly so sorry and ask that you will forgive me for what I have done.
I failed to protect you. I failed to be a mother to you.
And despite how it looks, despite the fact that I payed someone to poison you and slowly rip your body apart and dispose of you, I really do love you. 
Ironic I know, that in the same sentence I apologize for murdering you then say that I love you.

If only I had known back then what I know now...

I am sorry that I took your chance to live away from you. I often wonder what you would have looked like. What weird and wonderful personality quirks could you have had?
You could have been anything you wanted to be in this life. You could have been an artist or a chef or a firefighter or a writer. You could have changed the world and gone to the moon and back if that is what you wanted to do. 

But I took that away from you…

And now the world shall have to be a little less colorful because you never had the chance to leave your footprint.

There is no excuse for what I did to you. There is simply no way to justify the crime I committed against you. Sure enough, I was afraid. And only fourteen years old. But that did not give me right to murder you and all that you could have been. 

A few years after I aborted you I tried to end my own life because I hated myself so much for what I had done. It was in this dark moment that God intervened and stopped me and saved my life. I went from being an atheist to a Christian in a second.
It took a few years of walking with the Lord before I completely forgave myself.
And then God put it on my heart to tell my story of what happened... of what I did to you.
And because I spoke out against abortion, three babies who were to be aborted, now live.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you came to birth, I consecrated you.” Jeremiah 1:5

Your death will never be in vain, and I will make it up to you by doing all that I can to prevent another mother from making the same mistake that I made. I will fight for you, until my very last breath, because every time I tell the world about you, I bring you back for just a few minutes. Your life, although short, will be a beacon of hope for many, and you are a legacy down here on earth. Until the day we meet in heaven, it is my promise to tell all who will listen about you and save as many babies as I can, because I believe that this is Gods will and plan for me.
I promise to tell your brother and sister the truth about you once they are old enough to understand.

And if ever the fact that I aborted you made you feel unloved, unwanted, unworthy or forgotten, know this:
You are loved, you are wanted and you can never be forgotten. 
I can never forget you and I can never stop loving you.

You are not my dark secret and I am not ashamed of you.
I am proud to have had you as my daughter for fourteen short weeks.
So honored to have carried you.
But so deeply sorry that I was not your mother.

I love you forever.

Your Mommy
Melissa Hertz