Remembering a Hero of the Faith, Linda Long

On the morning of October 27th, our dear friend and colleague, Linda Long went home to be with her Savior.

Linda served as nurse manager of the Pregnancy Care Centers of South Central Indiana for ten years. In 2003, then executive director Jim Bramlett and the board of directors saw the need to offer ultrasound scans to women who had positive pregnancy tests. Linda, who had been volunteering as a peer counselor at the time, accepted the responsibility to lead this new ministry initiative. Jim said, “Linda was one of the most compassionate, caring and loving people that I have ever met! She was also dedicated to excellence with integrity in her role as ultrasound technician and Nurse Manager.”

Linda loved working with her clients and certainly did serve with excellence. She was passionate about using her technical skills to provide a window into the womb so moms and dads could see the heartbeat of their child being knit together by the hand of God. She loved calming the fears of new parents and providing them with encouragement and resources to help them make wise choices about their own lives and  that of their child. Through her faithful service in this ministry, untold numbers of babies were born that might otherwise have been aborted.

More than that, Linda had a heart for God which was the primary motivating factor in her life and ministry. It led her to be the person she was in her family, church, work and community. Her faith was integrated into every aspect of her life. Linda was a missionary, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with those she came in contact with. She was never shy to point clients to Scripture and share the truth of God’s word with them. She held them accountable yet loved them with the compassion of Christ. She prayed with them in the counseling room and for them long after they left the Center.

Tim Bond, Executive Director, best summed up the impact Linda made on all of our lives with the eulogy he gave at her funeral. “In my life, Linda Long will be counted among my heroes of the faith; those who are willing to hear God’s call and give their life, one day at a time, to the service of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She did that in order to please Him and to bring Him glory, honor and praise. She did that in anticipation of one day hearing Him say, ‘Well done good and faithful servant.’”

A Beautiful Life

Carrying a third copy of the 21st chromosome can be a death sentence for many preborn babies in the U.S. It's estimated that more than 90 percent of babies diagnosed with this common form of chromosome abnormality die each year. This death is not from complications with the condition--but from abortion.

Yet, the parents of children with Down syndrome overwhelmingly say the diagnosis is reason for a beautiful and joy-filled life, and that the blessings are worth the challenge.

The December issue of Citizen magazine features an in-depth cover story talking to families who've discovered the surprising joy of having children with Down syndrome. Click here to read the entire story.

December 3: Giving Tuesday

This #GivingTuesday we are standing for the help and hope for those that come into our centers. Please join us in our efforts to celebrate the value of human life. Donate here: https://www.egsnetwork.com/gift/gift.php

Giving Thanks: One Volunteer Shares His Passion

One of our male counselor volunteers told us why he does what he does, so we asked him to write it down. Keep reading to see why this ministry is important to him!

It’s a fact; men and women are different.  And it does seem a bit odd to ask our male clients, “Are you here for a pregnancy test?”  Yet, the male clients who come to the Pregnancy Care Center (PCC) come for a variety of reasons, and in most cases it’s because they care, care deeply about their baby and about their partner.  While the women generally have a circle of friends and/or relatives with whom they can and do discuss intimate subjects, men generally do not.  Society tells men that they are not supposed to have emotions, are not supposed to cry, are not supposed to mourn the loss of their child, but they do.  And they worry about providing for their loved ones.  And that’s why the men’s ministry component of the PCC is such an important and integral part of the services the PCC provides.  Each male client has the opportunity to meet individually with a male counselor and to discuss important social, physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of his life.

Each client is different and has different needs, individual needs which we try to address.  Often the client’s greatest needs are unknown to him due to a variety of circumstances.  Many of our clients have never had a positive male role model in their lives nor have they had anybody with whom they can share or discuss their deepest and most intimate concerns.  We listen, we counsel, we educate, and we share the Gospel with each client, assuring him of God’s love, His mercy, and His grace for him.  Like farmers, we sow seeds with the full knowledge and realization that some of those seeds fall on rocky or unfertile soil, while others fall on fertile soil, soil rich and inviting and open to the grace, mercy, and love God has for each and every person.

It is truly an honor and a privilege to volunteer and serve as a male counselor at the PCC, knowing that the impact we have on each male client may ultimately have a positive impact on the life of his expected child, on his relationships with others, on his physical and emotional well being, and on his spiritual relationship with God.  This is an abundantly fulfilling and positive ministry which addresses the needs of a segment of society too often overlooked or neglected.  Ultimately both the client and the counselor are richly blessed through the men’s ministry of the PCC.  The men’s ministry richly complements and augments the ministry the PCC provides to the women of the community and is an integral and vital part of the total program.

It is a blessing to have volunteers such as this working alongside us. We are incredibly thankful for our steadfast volunteers, sincere donors and hard-working staff.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Shout out...

... to Frank and Pete, who built this literature rack for our LifeCare Testing Clinic! Thank you both for your efforts! This is a great addition to our clinic!