A year after the country expanded abortion to 20 weeks, missionary sees Christians “on the cusp of writing the pro-life narrative.”
Getting pregnant at 15 hadn’t been part of Anong’s plans. The young Thai teenager ran away from home to live with her boyfriend’s family, and though they helped a little, the young couple still felt at a loss about how to navigate their situation.
What hospital should she go to? How would she get insurance? How would she take care of a child? Questions like these piled up and threatened to overwhelm Anong.
Should she just abort? That would be easier, she confided in a friend.
Months before Anong’s dilemma, IMB missionary Beth Hipps began building a network of believers and healthcare professionals in Chiang Mai, Thailand, who desired to walk alongside those experiencing unexpected pregnancies.
One of those believers heard Anong’s story and called Hipps.
“Can you come help her?” Hipps remembers the phone. All she could think was that Anong was the same age as her own daughter.
That day, Hipps and a friend were able to take Anong to a clinic for an ultrasound. Over the next few weeks, they talked through her questions and problems and helped her see she wouldn’t be alone if she decided to give birth.
Four months later, Anong gave birth to a healthy baby girl. As she settled into motherhood, she continued to have support from Hipps and other believers. She heard the gospel and knew her family was prayed for.
This was a life-changing experience, not only for Anong and her family but also for Hipps. She’d been praying and hoping to establish Chiang Mai’s first crisis pregnancy center but had no idea how to start outside of building a network of connections.
Working with Anong clarified for Hipps that helping didn’t have to be complicated. More than anything, those in crisis …
