Latest / Pregnancy Help Podcast / More Than One Choice – Dr. Laura Lewis

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More Than One Choice – Dr. Laura Lewis · Pregnancy Help Podcast

0:02
Welcome to the Pregnancy Health Podcast. I'm Christine
0:05
Gru, and I'm joined by Heartbeat International international
0:08
program specialist Ellen fell. She's our world traveler.
0:11
She helps us stay connected and unified as
0:13
a global pregnancy health network, and she's brought
0:16
doctor. Laura Lewis from pregnancy care Canada. To
0:19
bring us up to speed on some of
0:20
the happenings in the Pro life world in
0:22
Canada, as well as some personal updates on
0:24
a project that she has been working on
0:26
and has recently published
0:27
And 1 of the other projects that Ellen
0:29
works on here a Heartbeat is our emo
0:31
newsletter called Heartbeat around the world, And this
0:33
is also another way that you can stay
0:35
connected to the global movement. Whether you're an
0:38
organization in the Us or anywhere else in
0:39
the world, we have a handful of other
0:41
newsletters that can contain helpful information, sometimes free
0:44
resources,
0:45
articles links to the podcast, webinars and other
0:48
training opportunities.
0:50
And if you're currently working your volunteer in
0:52
the pregnancy help movement and are not receiving
0:54
those emails or you're interested in signing up
0:56
for other newsletters. Visit heartbeat services dot org.
0:59
Click on e news sitting subscriptions under the
1:01
affiliates only tab, and I'll also add a
1:04
direct link to that below in the show
1:06
notes. So, Ellen, I'll turn things over to
1:08
you. Let's get started.
1:10
Thanks, Christine. Great to be with you, and
1:12
doctor. Laura, great to be with you as
1:15
always. Hello.
1:17
Heartbeat family and friends,
1:19
I I love doing these podcasts, and I
1:22
love
1:23
Christine, what you said that,
1:26
really
1:27
my my role
1:29
is to
1:31
advance the the unity
1:33
of the pregnancy help movement around the world,
1:35
but that does not have happen without connection
1:38
and communication. And I love that those 2
1:41
together,
1:42
so thank you for tweaking my memory in
1:44
that. Happen 1 of the people I've had
1:47
the honor and the privilege and the fun
1:50
of getting to know in the pregnancy health
1:52
movement is doc to Laura Lewis, who is
1:54
our guest today.
1:56
Laura is a family physician.
2:00
In Canada, she is a
2:04
Jesus follower.
2:06
She serves as the servant leader executive director
2:09
of the pregnancy care Canada, which was used
2:13
was known as Canadian
2:15
association of pregnancy support services.
2:21
Mostly though I want to,
2:24
introduce her as my friend,
2:26
and all also as a recent author,
2:29
congratulations on your book, more than 1 choice.
2:33
We're gonna talk about that, Laura, Welcome
2:35
to,
2:36
our podcast
2:38
on Thank you so much. And I do
2:40
want to underscore
2:42
the beautiful way that you are interconnect. The
2:46
pregnancy help movement around the world and has
2:48
been such a privilege to get to be
2:50
part of
2:51
that international counsel and to meet others and
2:54
to hear about the
2:57
trials and triumphs that are going on across
3:00
the nations.
3:02
And thank you for pulling us together.
3:05
It's it's my joy and my privilege. Thank
3:07
you for saying that.
3:09
So,
3:10
I have about 3... Sheets of pages,
3:13
of, 3 sheets of questions for you, and
3:16
I'm gonna try to limit it to probably
3:18
4 or 5 pages because
3:21
lawyers like to expand the questions not limit
3:24
them.
3:26
I I wanna start first of all, with
3:29
with you, Laura, because you you had an
3:31
an interesting
3:33
introduction into the pregnancy help,
3:36
movement
3:37
I did not know. I I don't think
3:39
I did. That your your original degree is
3:41
in business.
3:43
Is that right?
3:44
Yes. It is.
3:46
I did. I did a 4 year a
3:48
bachelor of commerce degree, and I always thought
3:51
I wanted to go into business.
3:53
And then at the end of my 4
3:55
years,
3:56
I thought,
3:57
I don't really have a lot of passion
3:59
for business. I didn't... I wasn't interested... Did
4:01
in the marketing jobs, but I was always
4:03
interested in the health
4:05
radio shows.
4:06
And so I ended up volunteering
4:09
for short stint down in Haiti to see
4:11
if I could use my business skills in
4:13
the developing world,
4:15
and it was upon return from that
4:17
8 weeks that I felt like I was
4:20
to go into medicine. And so my
4:22
focus shifted.
4:24
Mh.
4:25
Is a longer story.
4:27
It's... And it's a great story available
4:30
in in some of it anyway in the
4:32
in the book. But I I would like
4:34
to ask you, can you connect
4:39
for us the journey from
4:41
medical school
4:43
to executive director of pregnancy care, Canada
4:47
because it was not a straight line?
4:49
No. And I have had people ask me.
4:52
So what was your career path? And how
4:54
did you plot this out? And
4:56
Honestly, if anyone really looked at it, it
4:58
was zigzag all around, and I did not
5:01
plan this out.
5:02
But I started my medic... Degree, and I
5:05
was not a follower of Christ.
5:07
I
5:09
I never had that
5:11
awareness or revelation And so for the first
5:13
10 years of my practice,
5:15
I
5:17
was socialize really by the medical system. And
5:20
in that time, I didn't think anything about
5:23
abortion, so I referred many patients for abortions.
5:26
I had no revelation about the value of
5:28
life.
5:29
And then at about the 10,
5:31
ear mark, I started to burn out.
5:34
And at that time, I was invited to
5:36
go on a mission trip with a colleague,
5:38
who's going to Guatemala, and it was in
5:40
Guatemala
5:41
surrounded by all these
5:42
Christian,
5:44
medical
5:45
professionals and others, and I truly saw, like,
5:47
they will know us by our love. I
5:49
saw the love,
5:51
and my heart and heart softened, and
5:54
I began to question maybe this is real.
5:56
I'd had always believed in the supernatural,
5:59
but I never found what I was looking
6:01
for until I encountered the lords of Jesus
6:04
Christ on the mountain top. In Guatemala,
6:08
and I came back changed, and so that
6:10
changed
6:11
my...
6:13
Obviously, my spiritual
6:15
understanding. And then a couple of years after
6:17
that, I had a revelation about the value
6:20
of every life and my heart was broken.
6:23
And I realized we can
6:25
talk about it, but it has to look
6:28
like something that help has to be something
6:30
practical. We can't just say,
6:32
consider your options,
6:34
you know, all the ways that people can
6:36
help to counsel some with an unexpected pregnancy,
6:39
but I believe they're needed to be that
6:41
practical
6:42
expression. And so with a small group, we
6:44
help to start a local pregnancy care center
6:46
in our town.
6:47
And we needed the help of the organization,
6:51
pregnancy Care Canada at the time called something
6:54
different, but without their help, I don't think
6:56
we would have ever opened our doors. And
6:58
so
6:59
I...
7:00
Really believed in the importance of this type
7:02
of work,
7:04
and then they asked me to join the
7:05
board,
7:07
then the
7:08
the executive director was retiring and 1 of
7:11
the board members
7:12
said, oh, Laura, maybe you'd like to do
7:14
this,
7:16
and I said no. I wouldn't like to
7:18
do this.
7:19
And I really didn't want to.
7:22
And then I kept waking up at night
7:23
with ideas, and
7:26
I realized that I did want to do
7:28
it. And so 8 years ago, I stepped
7:30
into this position,
7:31
and I have loved
7:33
almost.
7:34
Every part of it.
7:36
It has been such a privilege and a
7:39
joy
7:40
and an opportunity and
7:43
and and getting to know those of you
7:45
at Heartbeat International has been part of that.
7:48
So that is my journey into this role.
7:51
Well, I appreciate that. And I
7:55
I love the way that you
7:58
are...
8:00
Even though it's a condensed version,
8:04
I love the way that you have
8:06
connected,
8:08
what you know in your head,
8:12
connecting that to your
8:14
spiritual formation and
8:16
journey with Jesus
8:18
into
8:19
the compassionate and practical
8:22
help
8:23
to women and unplanned.
8:25
Pregnancies.
8:27
So
8:29
in the big... At the beginning, I might
8:31
as well
8:32
jump into your book, Laura, because you've touched
8:35
on a couple of the questions that I
8:36
wanted to ask you.
8:38
And, to be honest, when I first looked
8:40
that your book more than 1 choice how
8:43
to love and support and unexpected pregnancy and
8:46
Christine will get that into the show notes
8:48
as well if that's possible how to get
8:51
it,
8:54
I thought, oh, okay.
8:56
More than 1 choice, and it seemed kind
8:58
of self evident what good?
9:00
What the choice was.
9:03
And then when I started to read your
9:05
book and at the very beginning, you say,
9:07
well, there are 4 people that this book,
9:09
for groups of people that this book is
9:11
written for.
9:14
Can you just when you
9:18
titled it more than 1 choice.
9:21
What were the choices
9:24
you were thinking
9:25
about with regard to those 4 groups of
9:28
people
9:29
especially.
9:31
Yeah. And I think the title might
9:34
throw people off
9:36
potentially,
9:37
but it was...
9:39
It came from
9:41
this experience with a patient in my office,
9:45
who I do mention in this in this
9:48
book, but
9:49
She was 18. She came in. I didn't...
9:51
I hadn't met her before. She saw the
9:53
poster for the local pregnancy care center on
9:55
my wall. And although she was there about
9:57
a cold. She just started. To
9:59
her story just spilled out of her, and
10:02
she said that when she was 14,
10:04
she and her boyfriend got pregnant and her
10:06
boyfriend's mother forced her to have an abortion
10:08
that she didn't want.
10:10
And she said that she's thought about her
10:12
child every day,
10:13
and,
10:15
wondered what they would be like. And that
10:17
just
10:18
her words really sear into my heart,
10:21
because she said I felt like I didn't
10:23
have any other choice.
10:26
And so that's the way that our culture
10:29
has shifted in this. It's not that
10:32
it's assumed that if you have an unexpected
10:35
pregnancy
10:36
or
10:37
maybe you don't want the pregnancy,
10:39
that abortion is the natural.
10:42
Treatment or care or option,
10:45
but we really do need to believe that,
10:47
you know, and everyone will land differently on
10:49
this spectrum, but if people do believe that
10:52
women should have a choice, then surely, they
10:54
should have alternatives to abortion available.
10:57
And that is what the pregnancy health movement
11:00
provides. We provide
11:02
a safe place for people to navigate the
11:04
challenging aspects of their life when they're
11:08
count when they encounter an unexpected pregnancy,
11:11
but they need to,
11:12
yeah, to know that there are
11:14
places where they can receive support and that
11:16
they do have more than the choice of
11:18
abortion
11:20
available to them.
11:22
Well said,
11:23
well said,
11:25
you also...
11:27
To be honest as I read your book,
11:28
I was a little convicted at times, and
11:31
I don't like that feeling. But
11:33
but thanks anyway.
11:36
I think that there was... There's... And
11:39
there is a little bit of a another
11:42
choice
11:44
that you maybe
11:47
imply for those of us who are pro
11:49
life as we approach women
11:53
in unplanned pregnancies cease.
11:56
And
11:57
so I I don't know if I'm being
11:58
a little of twos, but maybe can talk
12:00
a little bit about what what is the
12:02
choice that we have?
12:05
In in our in in our... As we
12:07
approach women in this.
12:09
Right. Well, if I understanding
12:12
and part of this is because I have
12:13
lived on both sides. I wasn't saved till
12:16
I was 41, I would have been clearly,
12:18
you know, in that pro choice. I... Luckily
12:20
what our world we call pro choice.
12:24
And so I know what it was like
12:25
to... End as a doctor,
12:27
to not really go beyond a certain layer
12:30
of all of this. To just think this
12:32
is a
12:33
a medical decision that the patient can make,
12:35
and I will you know, do a reasonable
12:38
amount of due diligence and then it's up
12:41
to them.
12:42
Mh.
12:43
But for,
12:46
then when I had the complete,
12:49
change,
12:51
I realized
12:52
that
12:53
there is this sort of space in between
12:56
the maybe harsh
12:59
pro life,
13:00
you know, don't murder your baby
13:03
tone,
13:05
the ones who... On the other side, who
13:07
have no understanding that this is a life
13:10
impacting decision. So it's in that sort
13:13
space in between that I suppose is what
13:15
you're referring to where
13:17
can we walk alongside people in the mess
13:20
of their lives and love them as Jesus
13:22
has loved us and
13:25
understand that we don't control another person's choice
13:29
that we are not in charge of their
13:30
ultimate cis vision, but we can be responsible
13:33
for how we engage, how we lean in,
13:35
how we express a love that can transform
13:39
and I think that perhaps is what you're
13:41
referring to that it may be that we
13:44
need to honestly examine,
13:47
and what does it look like to truly
13:49
walk alongside people at this time in this
13:52
age in this,
13:55
environment where many people have no idea of
13:57
of who Jesus is or there might just
14:00
be a harsh no to Christianity and yet
14:02
we know that ultimately, that's where
14:05
hope and healing and freedom will be found
14:08
regardless of the challenge,
14:10
not just unexpected pregnancy or prior portion,
14:14
Yeah. I think in your book you refer
14:16
to it as,
14:18
we're not god's
14:20
gatekeepers.
14:22
But we're supposed to be his welcoming committee.
14:26
Which is a lovely way of,
14:29
of thinking about it. The the hospitality that
14:32
we demonstrate really to the to the woman
14:35
in that or the family in that
14:38
value of decision. And will we,
14:41
you know, bring her bring them in for
14:43
that cup of coffee, and let's talk about
14:46
this versus
14:47
the
14:48
the green light red light urine in you're
14:50
not.
14:51
Sorry. I really appreciated that.
14:55
Let me ask you as well,
14:59
about,
15:00
I wanna get back to, just for a
15:02
moment,
15:03
you you used a phrase that you had
15:06
been
15:07
socialize
15:08
by the medical system.
15:13
That could be a kind of a loaded
15:16
phrase, but I think I got it down
15:18
right. And I I just wanna... I'd I'd
15:20
love to ask you, what do you mean
15:22
by that?
15:23
Looking at it, you know, because you've got...
15:25
As you say perspective on both sides now.
15:29
Yes. So
15:31
not having another world view. And I I
15:34
see it and I saw it in my
15:35
colleagues who had a Christian world view, how
15:38
they could
15:40
things were a little different for them. They
15:42
could withstand the the pressures or
15:46
the nuances and medicine a little differently, and
15:49
that's a very much a general centralization. But
15:51
for me,
15:52
I
15:53
engaged
15:54
medicine full on with the with the medical
15:57
root. So it it took everything I had
15:59
to... When I came back from Haiti and
16:02
only had my medical degree. I didn't even
16:04
have high school sciences. So I had to
16:05
go back get the equivalent of high school
16:07
sciences,
16:08
then get into medical school. Then do 4
16:10
years of medicine then do 2 years of
16:12
family
16:13
school residency, so I had to go all
16:15
in. And so it was
16:17
it was like a separate world where
16:20
there were the unspoken rules, there were the
16:24
expectations. You, you know, if you if I
16:25
said I wasn't gonna do anything, it meant
16:27
1 of my other fatigued colleagues. Going to
16:30
have to pick it up.
16:31
And so I picked up that
16:34
perhaps burden responsibility,
16:36
the good and the bad was So when
16:38
I refer to it, I was socialize by
16:40
the medical world,
16:42
it's looking back from...
16:45
My now worldview view that is a Christian
16:47
worldview view.
16:48
All I had at that time was I
16:50
wanna do better. I need to perform better,
16:54
and I do mention in the book, like,
16:56
just sort of that shaming. You're not quite
16:58
good enough. And certainly, as a family doctor,
17:01
we were
17:02
at the lower end of the... Peck order,
17:05
the specialists were more esteem, but I always
17:08
wanted to do that type of primary care
17:11
with
17:12
patients
17:12
packing So, yeah. I got... I've just tried
17:15
to keep working and working and working and
17:17
do everything that I was supposed to and
17:18
be on the committees and
17:20
and that's really what how I ended up
17:23
getting to that place of burning out and
17:25
feeling like either, I I do less or
17:28
I can't do this anymore.
17:30
But it was that
17:32
point where
17:34
I realized this is not working for me.
17:36
And the day when it started, I was
17:39
about to begin a weekend of call
17:41
I'm looking out the window and I just
17:44
thought,
17:45
is this all there is to life.
17:48
I had a good life. Had a good
17:49
job, a good marriage, too little boys,
17:52
and I just didn't think it was...
17:55
It wasn't. It... There was something missing.
17:58
And
17:59
that began, this
18:02
journey to to fill that and I'm right
18:04
at that time, my colleague invited me to
18:06
go to Guatemala. So I jumped at that
18:08
chance.
18:09
Yeah. And then when I did encounter
18:12
the Lord,
18:13
I needed to believe in that resurrection of
18:16
Jesus. I knew that I couldn't engage with
18:18
Christianity if I didn't believe that.
18:21
And so something happened where the holy spirit
18:24
helped to me bypass my mind to get
18:26
to my heart, but it didn't mean I
18:28
didn't still question. I still researched. I read
18:31
historical
18:32
accounts.
18:33
I still looked into it, but something happened.
18:35
There was that transaction of faith that happened
18:37
that day.
18:38
And I thought this is this is what
18:41
I've always been looking for. I didn't know
18:43
it was
18:44
Jesus.
18:46
It was a bit of a surprise.
18:49
Why I...
18:51
1 of the things that I
18:53
curious about, and it it relates now to
18:56
your role, as the, executive director of Pregnancy
19:00
Care Canada.
19:01
And actually, for this benefit of our listeners
19:05
could you just tell us a brief snapshot
19:07
about a pregnancy care Canada,
19:09
you know, where you are, what you do,
19:11
all that sort of
19:13
information?
19:14
Could Yeah. So we are a
19:17
Christ centered national best practice
19:21
association of local pregnancy care centers.
19:24
Across Canada, there are 80 affiliated centers, and
19:27
we also have
19:30
groups that provide online care as well online
19:33
support.
19:34
And so we help to train and equip
19:36
and support the
19:39
staff, the leaders, the volunteer volunteers in local
19:41
pregnancy care centers,
19:44
and
19:46
Yeah, Canada is a big country a big
19:48
nation and the geographic challenges are real. So
19:51
we're always looking at new ways of trying
19:52
to,
19:54
raise up help in local communities when maybe
19:56
it's not even practical to have local center.
19:59
And so we're also looking at ways to
20:01
help engage the church,
20:03
and to increase the digital
20:06
support that's provided.
20:07
Now, so you're probably faced with the same
20:11
questions about the shifting
20:14
movement or the shifting direction
20:17
forward for, pregnancy... The pregnancy health movement in
20:20
Canada like, in every other country,
20:23
brick and mortar versus digital versus,
20:27
you know, the bike, the motorbike, the mobile
20:29
unit, whatever it is,
20:32
we have joked, Laura and I
20:35
for the benefit of our listeners of,
20:38
having an an igloo pregnancy help
20:41
outpost in Nun it at Park Sunday, Someday.
20:47
So what was tell me what your biggest
20:49
prize was when you became the director of,
20:52
pregnancy care yeah.
20:55
That's an interesting question. And I'm trying not...
20:57
To. My initial default was a negative
21:01
thing.
21:03
So,
21:04
yeah. I I think that to Unfortunately, my
21:07
biggest surprise was
21:09
I was
21:10
disappointed in the lack of unity in the
21:13
the pro life.
21:15
Efforts.
21:16
Mh.
21:17
And the
21:19
lack of maybe grace for different
21:22
approaches,
21:23
Mh.
21:24
And I think we can all point to
21:26
finger at ourselves. And some of that, we
21:28
think we know. We think this is the
21:29
best way, and we forgot that what if
21:31
Goddess is. Choosing a different way for other
21:34
people and other
21:35
organizations.
21:37
So that was surprising, and I found
21:40
it's surprising as well that some of my
21:43
most challenging
21:45
encounters with people were people that I thought
21:47
might have been
21:49
more helpful and supportive.
21:51
Mh.
21:53
But I do also believe that that god
21:55
is so faithful and he refine us through
21:57
these things and he wants our character to
21:59
be
22:00
strengthened
22:01
and as pure as possible. So
22:05
there's that negative part. Now the positive part
22:07
is
22:08
care and it wasn't a surprise because I
22:11
always believed this. I loved
22:13
the stories. I loved meeting the people who
22:15
were just sweet and tender
22:18
representation of
22:19
Christ's love in these local centers.
22:22
I loved getting to know them more and
22:26
really
22:27
learning new ways that we could serve them.
22:30
They... We're that's our mission field. We wanna
22:32
serve the local centers, the local
22:35
ambassadors that are helping to provide hope.
22:39
Mh.
22:40
So that wasn't a surprise, but it was
22:41
1 of the things that I loved and
22:44
appreciated about my role.
22:46
Well, I will just say that I... In
22:48
the... I don't know. I think I've known
22:50
you maybe 7 years, something like that, but
22:52
I have really seen you harness the positive.
22:57
The positive surprises of the positive aspects and
23:00
really have done so much to build
23:04
Pregnancy Care, Canada and build up
23:07
the the local centers. So thank you for
23:09
doing that. And thank you for your pursuit
23:11
of
23:12
of unity
23:13
as well.
23:16
Tell me a little bit if you would
23:19
about,
23:21
how how you
23:24
now that you have un learned some of
23:26
the
23:27
socialization,
23:28
from the medical
23:30
community,
23:31
What has the response been
23:34
to your being the executive director?
23:37
I mean, how how... I guess I'm asking
23:40
how
23:41
how have you found your ability
23:45
to,
23:47
impact
23:50
the medical community,
23:52
your own medical community in your in your
23:54
new role.
23:57
Sadly, I would say it's... I feel like
24:00
it's very minimal,
24:02
and
24:03
I would have... I thought maybe initially when
24:06
I started into this, I thought, oh, people
24:08
would
24:10
couldn't they be open to just maybe and
24:13
how they speak about this or hey. We
24:15
didn't learn any of this in medical school,
24:17
wouldn't that be helpful to know the other
24:19
side of the abortion
24:21
conversation, but
24:24
there really isn't an openness and even in
24:26
Canada, sadly, there's been a bit of a
24:29
selection against
24:31
medical students who would
24:33
openly say they have a per life worldview.
24:36
They might not make it through. So Mh
24:40
Yeah. So I guess my hope to really
24:42
bring that
24:44
reformation. I haven't seen...
24:46
The open doors within the medical community.
24:49
I've seen the
24:51
value...
24:52
I did
24:53
publish this little book. It's on the resource
24:56
in the resources on our website, Springs Care
24:58
Canada. But for primary care
25:02
physicians in speaking to women with an unexpected
25:05
pregnancy, like, just some questions to ask because
25:07
I didn't really have any tools, so I
25:10
didn't do a good job, But I would.
25:12
It wasn't that I was pro abortion. I
25:14
just wasn't informed.
25:17
And so I did put that together. I
25:19
asked a colleague who provides abortions to look
25:22
at the booklet, and I wasn't expecting a
25:25
total endorsement.
25:27
And they did think that the questions were
25:29
helpful, but probably they wouldn't ask the field,
25:32
you know, are you aware of the field
25:34
stage of fetal development, they they didn't think
25:36
that was a good question.
25:38
So
25:40
I think that there is an openness, but
25:43
when it starts to feel like it's
25:46
very black and white, and there's a... Huge
25:49
separation. There aren't many bridges, and we can
25:52
all be guilty of
25:54
adding to that
25:56
division. So
25:57
That's my long answer to little influence perhaps.
26:03
The name of the brochure, that you're referencing,
26:06
What what is the name of that?
26:09
It's called unexpected pregnancy
26:12
practical tools to help your patients make a
26:14
well informed decision.
26:16
And so it's published by pregnancy care Canada.
26:19
It's a free clip. And on our website
26:22
under the... I want to help.
26:25
There's a resources tab and and people can
26:27
just download
26:29
the booklet from there.
26:32
That sounds like that would be a helpful
26:34
resource. I I hope... Yeah. So definitely. That's
26:36
alright. For for us to put it in
26:37
the notes and hopefully people
26:40
download it and give it to their physician.
26:44
I think Canada stands unique.
26:48
In in its
26:51
current
26:54
approach to abortion,
26:57
from a from a legislative
27:00
viewpoint. And I I think there might be
27:02
people in the in the listening audience who
27:05
are not aware. Could you just educate us
27:07
for a moment on that?
27:11
Yep. We're the only Western democracy without any
27:14
abortion
27:15
law.
27:16
So in 19 88, the existing law was
27:19
struck down, and the legislature legislation was supposed
27:23
to come up with something else and nothing
27:25
else has been introduced.
27:27
So we struck abortion in Canada's is legal
27:29
up until the baby fully exits, the birth
27:32
canal.
27:33
And that we are in
27:36
company, I believe with North Korea in that
27:39
and perhaps 1 other
27:40
nation,
27:42
but that is
27:44
a know, and unfortunate. Although I will... I
27:47
still believe that although
27:49
laws can help,
27:51
you constrain
27:53
a culture.
27:54
The revelation will change it. So
27:57
we have had sadly, there was an incident
28:00
I believe it was last year where there
28:02
was a woman who aborted a 38 week
28:05
baby. And most people would find that hard
28:06
to believe that that could happen.
28:09
But as far as
28:10
the sources that we're aware of, we believe
28:13
that that actually did happen. And so that's
28:15
what happens as people get hardened into this.
28:18
It was her her choice, she wanted to
28:20
do that, but
28:22
and then that there was a facility that
28:24
provided that.
28:26
Mh So we are we are not...
28:30
Yeah. We're... I'm not proud of that in
28:32
our country that that's where we're at.
28:37
There's a
28:39
as in the Us, the the
28:43
misinformation and the the tolerance to
28:46
misinformation. Maybe that's more disappointing than the actual
28:49
misinformation.
28:50
But the sla or, the
28:53
the false had spoken.
28:56
Most Canadians wouldn't
28:58
believe...
28:59
Agree with that, but they don't get to
29:01
hear a lot of the other
29:03
truth. So
29:05
we deal with that,
29:06
and we just have to determine that we're
29:08
gonna keep showing up for the for the
29:11
1 woman, the 1 family who who really
29:14
needs help and who is unsure, and
29:17
I do believe that most Canadians
29:19
would agree that women no woman should feel
29:21
forced to have an abortion that she doesn't
29:23
want or feel like there are no other
29:25
choices.
29:27
I have 2 last questions.
29:29
1 of them is,
29:33
how
29:34
has
29:34
the lack of...
29:37
In many countries around the globe, we see
29:40
centers
29:42
having their own
29:44
I I would call them, like, many many
29:46
battles with the legislature,
29:49
or with the national,
29:51
legislature.
29:53
I and then sometimes it it
29:55
sometimes, but not always it it spills over
29:58
into
29:59
the battle with the... Either national or a
30:02
regional network like your own.
30:05
So how do you
30:08
best equip
30:10
your
30:11
individual centers
30:13
for the cultural
30:17
almost M
30:18
about abortion,
30:19
I don't know if if Canada is in
30:21
that group of countries that are stride
30:23
pro abortion, but it's definitely in a m
30:27
about
30:31
protecting life? Let's put it that way. So
30:33
how how how do you feel that you
30:36
best that pregnancy care Canada best qui, your
30:40
individual centers
30:41
to withstand that cultural
30:44
as well as the
30:46
the political
30:49
onslaught,
30:50
which must happen quite a lot.
30:54
Yes. And I think it comes down to
30:57
even for purse... On a personal level, it's
31:00
important to know your why.
31:03
Why are we doing this?
31:05
And when our motives are pure
31:07
as pure as they can be,
31:09
it's easier to withstand,
31:11
pressure and criticism
31:13
and attacks
31:15
because we know why we're doing something. So
31:18
that would be 1 of the messages we
31:20
would want to help the individual centers here.
31:24
Just remember and know that you're doing something
31:26
meaningful and needed and legitimate.
31:30
And
31:31
know why you're doing this and because we
31:33
are a Christian
31:35
organization,
31:36
mean we are not
31:39
we're not an activist group. We are a
31:43
a group of compassion. At Christ followers
31:45
who wanna bring the love of god into
31:48
some messy circumstances. So remembering who we are,
31:51
why we're doing what we're doing
31:53
that and being strong in that helps to
31:57
fight the lies
31:58
and the
32:01
And then knowing together too. Right? The 3
32:03
stranded cord is much stronger. So we link
32:06
arms, we cheer 1 another up when we
32:08
start feeling weary,
32:10
you know, let us know, and we will
32:12
pray for you. We'll lift germs.
32:14
And,
32:15
together, we can fight this battle,
32:17
we might have 1 hand rebuilding the wall
32:20
on the other hand in battle. But together,
32:22
we can do so much more. So
32:25
I think
32:27
acknowledging this is a the reality of our
32:29
world. It doesn't mean we accept that.
32:32
And remembering that, you know, our battle isn't
32:35
car, but spiritual. So make sure you're strong
32:39
and in your own faith journey and knowing
32:42
why you're doing this work. I think that.
32:44
And then just
32:46
sharing the positive stories because I think people
32:49
have an interest in hearing those. Life lives
32:52
changed
32:53
and transformed
32:55
and family legacies
32:57
being built. Those are all enriching for the
33:00
communities to hear about those things.
33:04
Hey amen.
33:05
Alright. So my last question is,
33:09
give me your elevator
33:11
speech
33:13
about,
33:14
more than 1 choice.
33:17
So you step in and and somebody says,
33:19
so, oh, you're so and so you're your
33:21
doctor Laura Lewis. Didn't you just write a
33:23
book? Tell me what the book is.
33:26
What's it about?
33:28
Yeah. The book is really, I wrote it
33:30
because it's a lot of the messages
33:32
that that I carry.
33:35
And that I often will speak, and I
33:37
thought, if I write these down, then they
33:39
have a different way of
33:41
being communicated to those who may read the
33:43
book.
33:44
And I do feel like many Christians don't
33:47
really know how to lean into this
33:49
difficult challenge and often very tender area of
33:53
abortion and unexpected pregnancy.
33:56
And they're not maybe sure about what they
33:58
believe, so they get thrown off by the
34:00
what ifs, what if it's the result of
34:02
a rape or... So it's very important for
34:05
Christians to know
34:07
what they believe. And then to
34:10
understand where they might lose their their grace
34:13
in compassion because of
34:15
a predetermined judgment or just to... It's important
34:19
that we know how our minds are processing
34:22
things in our lives. So,
34:24
I wrote it really to help,
34:26
primarily
34:28
the people in the church to understand that
34:31
And also,
34:32
for
34:33
women and men who experienced an abortion.
34:36
And I've seen this so many times and
34:39
you probably have as well that
34:42
many even Christian women leaders, they believe that
34:45
the blood of Jesus that his work on
34:47
the cross is sufficient for all things.
34:50
But maybe not abortion.
34:52
And there's this hidden part, the shadow of
34:54
their lives where it's not being healed and
34:57
redeemed
35:00
through the love of god through the power
35:01
of
35:02
Christ, and
35:04
I
35:05
I just have a heart that they would
35:07
know that that's not. True.
35:09
And then that there is hope and healing.
35:12
So those would be the primary
35:15
reasons that I I wrote this book and
35:17
then you know, I thought perhaps others
35:21
who maybe don't follow Christ.
35:24
Maybe there's some thread that would help them.
35:26
Believe that that he is true
35:29
and real and good.
35:31
That's a long elevator ride. We must have
35:33
gone up
35:34
we went up to studio,
35:36
but that's okay.
35:39
That's okay.
35:41
Probably 1 of my kids in in and
35:43
pushed every button for every floor. So it
35:45
was... It was... That's alright.
35:47
But IIII
35:50
wanna say that I
35:52
celebrate
35:53
and I applaud,
35:57
your...
35:58
Multi
35:59
directional
36:00
movement
36:02
because
36:04
not just in the book, but I'm saying
36:05
this generally for you,
36:08
you know, you've you've written that that that
36:10
brochure for physicians.
36:12
How how what are the kinds of questions
36:14
you can ask?
36:17
A client that our patient that's sitting in
36:19
front of you that are tender and compassionate
36:22
and provide the options
36:24
the alternatives.
36:26
And you've now written the the book that,
36:30
you know, somebody who's not in the pregnancy
36:32
help movement,
36:33
can read and say, hey,
36:37
how do you how do you church member?
36:40
How do you
36:41
pastor
36:42
And I know I think Pregnancy care can
36:44
also has,
36:47
is it connecting for pastors or what's it
36:50
called? Yeah.
36:51
Healing
36:52
conversations.
36:53
Yeah. Thank you. Healing conversations. So, you know,
36:56
you're you're addressing the
36:58
the the people across the spectrum in in
37:00
what you've said and what you've done is
37:02
the director of, pregnancy Care Canada
37:05
to reach the into the pulpit into the
37:08
physician's office into the hearts of the people
37:11
who might just be so afraid to
37:14
have the conversation. So thank you for the
37:17
conversation that we've had today,
37:20
Laura, I really appreciate your time.
37:22
And thank you also for the conversations that
37:24
you're... You've been willing to have with the
37:27
physicians with the residents with the...
37:30
You know, the politicians as well, the media,
37:33
all across the spectrum.
37:34
And
37:36
I just,
37:37
wanna thank you for your work.
37:40
And I think that that takes me out
37:43
unless you have something else you'd like to
37:45
share, Laura, I'll give you a 30 second
37:48
opening.
37:50
No. I appreciate the opportunity, and I think
37:52
it is to through,
37:54
having
37:55
conversations that that we can help shift
37:59
understanding and
38:00
Yeah. So thank you for this. You're very
38:03
welcome.
38:04
Alright. Well, thank you both for being here.
38:06
It's really encouraging to hear of... All of
38:09
the work that pregnancy care Canada is doing.
38:12
I will link to the book more than
38:14
1 choice,
38:15
we'll be sure to make a easy act
38:18
us for those of you who are listening
38:19
to get that in your hands and spread
38:20
those copies around. I'll also link to that
38:23
pregnancy care, Canada booklet that was referenced
38:27
in case you would like to download that
38:28
from the website as well. So with that,
38:30
I'd ask you to subscribe to the pregnancy
38:32
help Podcast podcasts that you don't miss a
38:34
future episode, and thanks for listening to this
38:36
episode of the pregnancy Health podcast.