In Kampala, Uganda I met an amazing lady named Veronica. Veronica is the director of the “Comforter Center” which is a center to minister to women who feel their only choice is to abort their babies. Veronica and her staff show them the love of Christ and help them through their difficult situation. Many women chose life for their babies, and even more choose Jesus for themselves.
On this beautiful day in March, 2010 I sat in Veronica’s office and met some women and their babies as they were coming out of a Bible study. There were five babies, which because of Veronica’s love and assistance to their mothers, had lived. One of the babies was even named Veronica!
Veronica Speaking for Life!
Veronica is a hero of the faith. She was born on December 16, 1976. Her mother was the third of five wives. Her father an important man was forced to flee Uganda because of Idi Amin’s rule of terror. Veronica was not even his child, but her mother had taken another lover. In order to destroy the evidence of her secret love she decided to abort her baby: Veronica. In Uganda, much like other developing countries, if a woman cannot afford an abortion at a medical clinic (cost about $50 in Uganda) there are plenty of other village based witch-doctor, midwives or others willing to help women abort babies. Veronica’s mother got “help” from one of these people. She drank a herbal poison to try and kill the fetus growing inside her. It didn’t work.
Veronica was born, but severely handicapped in one leg and hip. Veronica had a difficult childhood. Because she was from a remote village and handicapped, she did not get much education. Then, a few years later, a group of Norwegian Christians opened a school for the disabled in Kampala. Even though there were many applications for only a few positions, Veronica was chosen to receive education. It was here, at this Christian school for the disabled, that she first heard the Gospel. However, she thought it was only for white people. She did though like the singing.
One Sunday, as she walked past their church and she heard a song she really liked. Stopping to listen, she decided to slip into the back of the church to hear more. As the pastor began to preach, she felt certain he was talking right to her. Yet, the Holy Spirit was drawing her and she felt compelled to accept Jesus as her Savior. After accepting Christ she now immersed herself in the Bible and the life of the church. When she completed school, she stayed with a sister in the capitol instead of going home to her rural village.
Then, tragedy struck when her sister died from an abortion attempt. She had already aborted one baby successfully using herbs, but this time they didn’t work. Still pregnant, she resorted to a method involving the insertion of thorns in her uterus. Infection and profuse bleeding led to death. Around this time, another Christian friend of Veronica’s also died from abortion complications. Veronica mourned her losses deeply.
Sometime later, she went on a long overland trip to Zambia to visit a pastor and his ministry. Arriving at his house she found he was away. The pastor’s wife explained he was at the crisis pregnancy center. What was that, Veronica wanted to know? She had never heard of such a thing. When it was described to her, she was overwhelmed with emotion. She couldn’t help thinking of her sister and friend, how if there had been a crisis pregnancy center in Kampala, they may not have died. And she thought about how her mother had tried to kill Veronica as well.
Suddenly, all the pieces of her life fit together. She knew what she was supposed to do, why she’d felt so compelled to come to Zambia, and why she’d suffered all these difficult experiences in life. She could see how they built into her life the unique qualities that would equip her for the task of starting her own crisis pregnancy center in Kampala.
Today, the Comforter’s Center serves about 20 women per week, offering Christian counsel concerning pregnancy. They reveal the truth about abortion and minister God’s grace to those who’ve had abortions. The center is also invited to teach abstinence in local public schools and universities, and is free to use God’s Word in their presentations. The Ugandans seem eager to learn the biblical basis for sexual purity and the sanctity of human life and want to read about it in their own language.
God has enabled Veronica to help many women. Since the comforter center has opened the Comforter’s Centre has helped hundreds of abortion-minded women choose life for their babies and many more have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior! Certainly many more babies will be saved from a horrible death through abortion in the years to come and many of them will probably be named “Veronica” in honor of the lady who has given her life to save babies in Uganda.
Note: The comforter’s center blog site can be found at: http://thecomforterscenteruganda.blogspot.com/
You can find more information about Veronica from:
Baptists for Life: http://www.bfl.org/Services-Resources/Partners-in-Ministry/Veronicas-Story.aspx
Life International: www.lifeinternational.com
Omar C. Garcia (Kingsland Baptist Church) http://gobeyondblog.com/2009/10/08/the-comforters-center/
Mercy Uganda: http://mercyuganda.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html
Comforter’s Center in Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40533184088
Anglicans for Life: www.silentnomoreawareness.org
Uganda Mission: http://www.ugandamission.net/orphan/comforter/comforter.html
hello thanx 4 the work you are doing may the almighty god bless you and all those you work with greetings to you Ms veronica, Justine mom Joyce and Sharon