This testimony has always been very special to me.
"This Conversation Has Opened My Eyes."
Impact Report May 2025
Our trainers are working in the local areas where they live to create more training events, including interactive workshops (Seat Work) and outreach events (Feet Work). In this Impact Report, Andrea Thenhaus explains some of her experience getting events planned with Alora Tunstill in their local area of Northwest Arkansas, and Andrea describes in vivid detail a conversation that was made possible through those events. In addition, Andrea shares a reflection (blue box, below) from one of the young women who volunteered at the campus outreach events. Thank you for partnering with us through financial gifts and prayers. -Steve Wagner, Executive Director
I moved to Arkansas three years ago. Ever since then, I have been wanting to organize a Justice For All outreach event at the University of Arkansas (U of A) to start conversations. I was told that it would be challenging for an outside organization like JFA to set up outreach tools in a high-traffic area of campus.
Lauren (pictured second from right) and Alora Tunstill (center) in conversation at the University of Arkansas
My friend Alora started an internship with JFA last August. Together, with prayer and determination, we made it our mission to figure out how to get on the U of A campus. After a whirlwind trip all over the university and a series of referrals from students and other clubs, we were sent to the Event Services Office. They helped us understand the process to reserve a space. Our first outreach took place on February 4 and 6! Then on April 15-16, we went back to the U of A, and my colleagues Jon Wagner and Kristina Massa, along with some friends of ours, joined us for outreach. (See Lauren’s reflection below.) We are so grateful for their willingness to join us.
“It’s been such an honor to visit campus with Andrea and the JFA team these past few times! I had no previous experience with pro-life outreach, but it turned out to be an amazing experience. It was so neat to see God use us, give us the words to say, and just overall bless our time of outreach. Students appreciated how peaceful and “non-combative” pro-life conversations can be as we helped them contemplate their views. JFA outreach has helped me understand the pro-choice mind and has proved to be such a wonderful avenue to “open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die.” (Proverbs 31:8) – Lauren”
Here’s my memory of one conversation that happened during our February event:
A student I’ll call “Mark” walked up shortly after we had finished setting up our poll table. The poll asked the question, “Should abortion be legal?” We had “Yes” and “No” signs with notebooks for the students to weigh in and express their views.
When Mark finished signing “Yes” to the poll question, I asked him if he had time to share his thoughts. Mark started by saying that he thought abortion should be legal. He was in the military where many of his female colleagues had experienced assault.
Andrea: Wow, that is terrible. Rape is a horrible crime, and no woman should have to go through that.
After talking about his time in the military, the issue of rape, and other related topics, we began to discuss the science related to when human life begins.
Andrea: If the unborn is growing, would you agree it is alive?
Mark: Yes, I would agree with that.
Andrea: If the unborn has human parents, would you agree it is a human being?
Mark: Yes, I agree with that as well.
Andrea (green jacket) in conversation at the University of Arkansas
Andrea: We can know the unborn is a living human being. Obviously, it takes time for the unborn to grow and develop, but science shows that life starts at conception. The development of the unborn is similar to a polaroid photo. Are you familiar with polaroid cameras?
Mark: Yes.
Andrea: After I take the picture, it takes time for the film to develop. However, as soon as I take a picture, that image has been captured. I just need to wait for it to develop in order to see it. From conception the unborn is a whole, living human organism. The unborn grows and develops [but it’s the same organism through all those changes]. Does that make sense? What are your thoughts on that?
Mark: Wow, I agree with what you are saying. This makes sense.
As we talked, I was able to show him images of abortion from the JFA brochure (jfaweb.org/brochure). After giving him a minute to look at the images, I could tell that they were having an impact on him.
Mark: Wow, this is terrible.
Andrea: I agree. After seeing these images, would you say that abortion is a medical procedure? Or does abortion take a human life?
Mark: Abortion is definitely taking a life.
Andrea: I agree. It comes down to whether or not the unborn is a human being. If the unborn are not human beings, then it does not matter if women get abortions. If the unborn are human beings, abortion is taking a life. We talked earlier about life starting at conception, so I agree with you that abortion is taking a human life.
Mark: I have had a lot of training on various things in my life, but I have never learned what you just taught me. Thank you so much for being out here today. I have learned so much, and this conversation has opened my eyes.
As I reflect back on outreach opportunities God has given us here in Arkansas, I am reminded of the power of prayer and of God’s faithfulness. At first it felt challenging to get an event confirmed at the U of A, but God led us each step of the way. I am thankful for the friends God sent to volunteer with us. I am also grateful for the opportunity to talk to Mark and witness the Lord working in his heart and mind. Please pray for us as we plan to do more outreach here in Arkansas.
-Andrea Thenhaus for the JFA Team
"Do you believe Jesus is God?"
Conversations about Jesus and the truth of Christianity come up often when I talk about abortion. The nature of this ministry not only helps people see the value of unborn children; it also helps people understand there is a God who is worth seeking and knowing.
I talked to “Mary” at San Diego State University in March. She was pro-choice. As we talked, I felt that I wouldn’t be able to make more progress with her on the abortion issue, and I wanted to go deeper with her, so I asked her what she believed about Jesus.
She told me she believed he was a man who lived, died on the cross, and rose from the dead. Noting she said Jesus was a man, I then specifically asked her, “Do you believe Jesus is God?” Mary paused and said, “I’ve never thought about that before.”
Her response to this question illustrates how important it is to ask clarification questions because they help us understand what other people believe. When you understand a person you are in a better place to share the truth and challenge her false beliefs.
I shared with Mary that Jesus said He is God in human flesh, and that it’s really important to read God’s Word so we can know Him. As we talked, I also asked her, “If you died and faced God today and had to give an account for your life, would be you prepared for that?” She said, “No.”
I planned to share the gospel with her next, but she asked me a different question that turned the conversation in another direction. Then she told me she had to leave and walked away. Although this conversation didn’t end the way I wanted it to, I think it is really significant that I was able to ask her these important questions. She listened and took time to consider them.
This student’s ability to hear the gospel certainly does not rest on me, and I am confident that God will bring others into her life to finish what he allowed me to start that day on campus. We plant seeds, sometimes water the ones someone else panted, and we trust God to bring the growth in a person’s life in His time (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). No matter where we fit in the process, it’s an honor that God allows us to be ambassadors of His truth.
Spring Update
Thanks for supporting and encouraging us in our work. Our trainers have been busy over the past four months in 12 states (see events list below, and see recent pictures here). Go to our social media pages for photos of our team in action as well as videos and thought-provoking content.
You can see many of our upcoming events at www.jfaweb.org/calendar. Please consider attending one of our new short-form online workshops, praying for our team, and making a gift to JFA to help us continue training Christians to change hearts and minds.
Recent Facebook Post Gets 1.3 Million Views
One of JFA’s recent Facebook posts has garnered over 1.3 million views and over 3,000 comments! (Numbers updated as of May 6, 2025). The post shows a vandal spray-painting the JFA display at CU Boulder in early April, and although the post isn’t focused primarily on dialogue or JFA’s arguments against abortion, it does illustrate how our trainers engage every human being at our events respectfully and peacefully, and we’re happy the post is bringing many new people to JFA’s page. Go to JFA’s Facebook post to read Rebekah Dyer’s thoughtful comments about the incident and share the post. Then join us in praying for the masked vandal, for the other students at CU, and that this post will help many more people learn from and support JFA.
New Trifold Brochure You Can Share
Share JFA’s work through this new trifold brochure. Use this link to share the virtual brochure via email or text. Request copies of the brochure at our “Request Printed Materials” page.
For years we’ve needed a brochure our trainers and friends can use to illustrate and explain JFA’s mission, so Kristina Massa created one. You can share it with a pastor, pro-life leader, or friend to get a conversation started about how JFA can help your community learn to change hearts and minds about abortion. Each copy of the brochure only costs JFA about 12 cents, so please don’t hesitate to give it away! You can get additional copies at www.jfaweb.org/request-printed-materials or by calling our office at 316-683-6426. You can also send a friend the virtual brochure via text or email: www.jfaweb.org/about-jfa.
Recent JFA Events (Seat Work + Feet Work)
See photos from recent events here.
TX — Feb. 9-10 — Workshop and Outreach at University of Texas (UT) (Austin)
AR — Feb. 4 & 6 — Outreach at University of Arkansas (Fayetteville)
AR — Feb. 5 — Workshop at Fort Rock Family Camp (Combs)
MO — Feb. 15 — Workshop for Students for Life Club at St. Louis University (St. Louis)
MO — Feb. 17 — Poll Table Outreach at St. Louis University (St. Louis)
IN — Feb. 27-28 — Workshop & Poll Table Outreach at Indiana University (Bloomington)
NM — Mar. 1 — Seminar for Christian Student Center at Univ. of New Mexico (Albuquerque)
NM — Mar. 2 — Seminar for Summit Ministries Gap Year Program Students (Albuquerque)
NM — Mar. 3-4 — Outreach at UNM (Albuquerque)
CA — Mar. 1-2 — Seminars at The Gathering Church & Mission Hills Church (San Diego)
CA — Mar. 1-2 — Outreach at San Diego State University (San Diego)
CA — Mar. 5 — Outreach at MiraCosta College (Oceanside)
CO — Mar. 30 — Seminar at First Baptist Church (Golden)
CO — Mar. 31 — Outreach at University of Colorado at Boulder (CU)
CO — Apr. 1 — Outreach at University of Colorado at Boulder (CU)
CO — Apr. 2 — Outreach at Colorado School of Mines (Golden)
AR — Apr. 14 — Workshop at Gospel Light Baptist Church (Rogers)
AR — Apr. 15-16 — Outreach at University of Arkansas (Fayetteville)
Stand-Alone Presentations, Workshops, Outreach Events, & Other Activities
WEB — Jan. 10 — Workshop for Students for Life of America — Steve Wagner & Team
CO — Jan. 12 — Presentation at First Baptist Church (Golden) — Kristine Hunerwadel
MO — Jan. 23 — Workshop for MO Right to Life Western Region (Kansas City) — Kristina Massa
DC — Jan. 25 — Presentation at National Pro-Life Summit (Washington) — Steve Wagner
MO — Feb. 16 — Workshop for Archdiocese of St. Louis Respect Life (St. Louis) — Kristina Massa
CA — Feb. 10 — Outreach at Palomar College (San Marcos) — Rebekah Dyer
CA — Feb. 11 — Outreach at Miramar College (San Diego) — Rebekah Dyer
CO — Feb. 12-13 — Poll Table at CSU (Fort Collins) — Kristine Hunerwadel & Andrea Thenhaus
TX — Feb. 12-13 — Outreach at Texas State University (San Marcos) — JFA Team
KS — Mar. 1 — Workshop for Heritage Christian Academy (Olathe) — Kristina Massa
KS — Mar. 8 — Workshop for Holy Spirit Catholic Church (Overland Park) — Kristina Massa
MI — Mar. 9 — Presentation at West Cannon Baptist Church (Belmont) — Kaitlyn Donihue
MO — Mar. 12 — Workshop for Archdiocese of St. Louis (St. Louis) — Kristina Massa
MI — Mar. 14-16 — Deeper Still Retreat — Kaitlyn Donihue (Also in Ohio on Mar. 21-23)
MN — Apr. 6 — Presentation Including Stories from the Field, Q&A, and “The Baby’s Heart Beats Like Mine” (jfaweb.org/kids) — Andrea Thenhaus, Alora Tunstill, & Paul Kulas
MN — Apr. 7-8 — Outreach at University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) — Andrea, Alora, & Paul
OH — Apr. 13 — Workshops at Franciscan University (Steubenville) — Steve Wagner
CA — Various Sidewalk Counseling Conversations in Escondido — Rebekah Dyer
You Don't have to be Afraid
San Diego State University, March 2025
I’ve done several events at Cal State San Marcos in the past year. Here are two stories I want to share with you:
You don’t have to be afraid.
“Rachel” described her pro-choice view by saying she thought abortion should be legal through 12 weeks because the unborn didn’t look human earlier in pregnancy. We spent time discussing the value of humans in the womb, and I made the case that the appearance of the unborn does not negate the innate value she has from the beginning, in virtue of the kind of thing she is—human.
As we talked, Rachel told me she agreed abortion kills a human being, and she didn’t care. When people say they don't care that abortion kills real human beings I typically shift the conversation from abortion to a larger worldview conversation, and I try to understand what might be causing that indifference toward the killing of humans.
We started talking about God and when the topic of Jesus’ return came up, she told me she would be scared if Jesus came back right now. I asked her why, and she said if that happened, she would wonder what she did wrong. I asked her if she was interested in hearing about a way where she didn’t have to be afraid of Jesus’ return. We talked about Jesus and what He did for us on the cross and how that allows us to have hope and confidence in the return of Christ.
“I think abortion is murder, and I’m okay with that.”
I am often reminded that I can’t assume too much about what someone believes in the beginning of a conversation. I saw “Matt” looking at our pictures of humans in the womb, and I asked him what he thought about abortion. He paused and then said, “I think abortion is murder, and I’m ok with that.” I stood there for a moment thinking about how I wanted to respond to him. I was taken back by his seemingly cavalier attitude towards killing other humans. I started asking him questions to get a better understanding of his view, and as I did, I was surprised to find out that he would actually support banning abortion after eight weeks of pregnancy. I think he cared more than he had let on in the beginning.
Justice For All’s dialogue training involves teaching people to listen to understand, ask questions with an open heart, and find common ground whenever possible. Time and time again, using these skills has enabled me to understand people better and to have productive conversations with people who say really extreme things and may not initially sound open.
A Conversation, a Seed Planted, and a Life Saved
Impact Report, March 2025
In this Impact Report, our newest intern Alora Tunstill (Northwest Arkansas) shares one of her favorite conversation stories. She underscores how important it is to engage those around us in conversation about important topics like abortion, lifestyle choices, and spiritual things.
Our mission is to help you to learn the same conversation skills Alora discusses in this letter, and to help you teach others around you in your church and community. See jfaweb.org/calendar for upcoming workshops, both in your community and online anywhere in the world. Thank you for partnering with JFA through financial support and prayer as we seek to reach more people.
-Steve Wagner, Executive Director
My mom, Rachael, grew up in a lukewarm Christian home only going to church on holidays like Easter and Christmas. She had a basic understanding of who God is. She knew she was a sinner and that if she died she would be forever separated from God.
Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center made an eight-minute video of Rachael (right) and Alora (left) sharing this story. Watch the video here.
Her parents divorced when she was three years old. She didn’t have a real relationship with her siblings; her friends were her priority. During high school she often spent her time with the wrong influences.
She got a job working at a small barbecue restaurant when she was in 10th grade. It was here she met my dad, Nicholas. He was a country boy who had no spiritual knowledge. They started dating, partying, and drinking together. Their lives revolved around themselves.
My dad’s family unit was also a wreck. His dad was an alcoholic, and his mom was completely uninvolved. He lived with his great-grandparents, and some of his aunts and uncles took an interest in him.
Shortly after my mom graduated from high school, she moved in with some friends and began using drugs. She continued to work at the restaurant but also got a job at a dental office. Three of her co-workers began speaking to her about making good choices with her life. Her aunt also took time to encourage her and share truth with her. My mom felt safe to open up to her co-workers and her aunt because they took the time to start conversations with her about hard things and remained her friends even when they disagreed. They found common ground with her through everyday conversations. They accepted her for who she was. They challenged her with truth by their own right living.
Around this time, my mom discovered that she was pregnant and that she was already five months along. She was only 19. She was still using drugs and still dating my dad, but they weren’t married, and she felt alone. She felt the only option she had was an abortion.
Since she was so far along, the procedure would take two days. The first day the doctor would implant laminaria which is used in the dilation and evacuation abortion procedure. The next day she would go in for the surgical part of the procedure. The clinic was cold, unwelcoming, and lonely.
After the implant was finished, they did an ultrasound, and she saw her baby and heard the heartbeat. Suddenly she realized she couldn’t go through with the procedure. She felt God calling out to her, asking her to stop running and surrender to Him. She gave her life to Him right there and left the clinic.
Because her Christian friends at the dental office had taken the time to talk with her, listen to her, and challenge her toward truth, she knew she could call them and that they would help her.
(Above) Alora and her parents enjoy the snow when Alora was just four months old. (Below) Alora and her mom pause for a recent photo. Alora is now serving as an intern with JFA in Northwest Arkansas and raising support to serve as a Training Specialist. Learn more about her work here.
Through the scramble of trying to figure out what to do next, my parents made some phone calls to several OB-GYN doctors. No one wanted to take her as a patient since the abortion procedure had already been started. Her co-workers, however, knew of a local pregnancy resource center close by, and they decided to see if they could get care there. They went in looking for help and love.
The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center (huntsvilleprc.org) immediately called a doctor who was willing to help. The doctor didn’t promise that he could save their baby, but he said he would do what he could. He removed the laminaria that the abortion clinic had implanted. Everyone held their breath and prayed. They did an ultrasound and there was a heartbeat! What a miracle!
Shortly afterward, my dad gave his life to the Lord, and my parents got married. Four months later their baby was born – me! I was born with no health issues or side effects from the drugs or from the first step of the abortion procedure.
What can a conversation change? Turns out it can save a life! Because my mom’s co-workers took the time to talk to her about spiritual things as well as everyday things, she knew she could reach out to them. What if they hadn’t talked to her? I might not be here today. They never could have guessed that the simple conversations they had with my mom would lead to them helping to save my life.
Conversations are powerful. At Justice For All we work to equip Christians to have conversations with people around them about the important issues of our day because these conversations can have an incredible impact. Just like in my story, they can plant a seed and later maybe even save a life.
– Alora Tunstill, for the JFA Team
Bridge to Healing
Impact Report, February 2025
Sometimes our impact comes not in the form of changing a mind but rather in the form of being a bridge to healing, connecting someone who is hurting with the best resources available. In this Impact Report, Kaitlyn Donihue gives us an example and shares about her important work with Deeper Still, an abortion recovery ministry. We’re inviting you to avail yourself of the resources she suggests and also offer them to friends in need. When you mention your concern for unborn children at church or with friends outside of church, you’re likely to encounter people revealing their past experiences with abortion, experiences that for many continue to be unresolved. Offering them resources like Deeper Still can be life-changing.
-Steve Wagner, Executive Director
Recently I received an email from a woman I spoke to at the Justice For All (JFA) table a few years ago at a conference in Michigan. She shared that she’d had an abortion many years ago, and our seemingly insignificant conversation at the table led to a life-changing decision. Here’s her story, shared with permission:
Lori Navrodtzke (center) works for Hands of Hope in Tucson and directs Deeper Still Arizona (deeperstill.org). Lori has volunteered at many JFA events, like the one pictured above in Texas in 2011. Read Lori’s testimony, including a reflection on JFA, at jfaweb.org/healing-after-abortion.
Kaitlyn’s report, “Bridge to Healing,” (below) features results of interviews with many women discussing ways we as members of the body of Christ can be more helpful to those with abortion in their pasts. See jfaweb.org/bridge-to-healing to view or download the report.
I experienced some trauma as a child. As a result, when I became a teenager, I began living a secretive, promiscuous life. I became pregnant, and because I was a minor, I was forced to have an abortion. I wanted to have my baby even though I was a teenager. I experienced a lot of guilt, shame, depression, isolation, confusion, and doubt. I didn’t know how to communicate those feelings, and I became bitter and lost.
I got into another relationship and became pregnant again. This time I was able to decide on my own, and I determined that the guy I was with was not a responsible person and would not be a good dad. He wanted the baby and begged me to keep his baby. I was so emotional and irrational that I said, “This is my body, and I am the one who makes the decisions.” Even after he begged and pleaded with me, I went ahead and had an abortion. He was so hurt and lost – just broken.
We got pregnant again and ended up having my daughter. I cried out to God and asked Him to please help me raise my child because I was tired of being selfish. I prayed and trusted God.
I started going to church regularly when my daughter was three years old. I began volunteering in the nursery, in the choir, on the hospitality team, and in the church office.
Two years ago, I read a JFA newsletter, and it talked about Deeper Still retreats for post-abortive women. I felt compelled to learn more. I went to the retreat, and it was everything [Kaitlyn had said in her newsletter]. I found deeper freedom and healing.
The Deeper Still retreat took me to another level of healing, and I am so glad that I continue to go deeper in my healing. The retreat helped me do more work and process what I was experiencing. I felt so loved and cared for at the retreat. I never felt judged or looked down on because of my choices and mistakes. During the retreat, I felt safe. I was able to build friendships with women that I keep in touch with to this day. I now volunteer when I can, and I tell men and women about Deeper Still because men and women need to go.
As her story demonstrates, one reason talking about abortion is so important is that conversations about abortion can become opportunities to extend the message of Christ’s forgiveness to men and women who have lost children to abortion and to give them resources for healing. I never dreamed that God would use a simple conversation at a conference to connect someone to my JFA newsletter list, and through that to Deeper Still and healing.
I know this woman is not alone. We have other readers who have experienced abortion. If that describes you, I would encourage you to consider attending a Deeper Still retreat (deeperstill.org). Your local pregnancy resource center likely also provides resources for healing after abortion. Consider taking advantage of these resources.
““Some people might perceive our conversations to be mostly intellectual disputations about philosophy. In reality, though, because our dialogue method emphasizes listening, asking questions, caring for the whole person, and seeing people’s current beliefs on abortion as very connected to their histories, our conversations provide unique opportunities to serve as a bridge to healing for those who are hurting. We regularly teach in our workshops that our role is not to attempt to provide the therapy that someone may need regarding his or her past. Few of us are qualified for that role, and we should be careful not to assume it’s simple or easy to provide that care. Our role is to serve as a bridge to healing resources, and that is a role any of us with just a few minutes of training can begin to do.”
– Steve Wagner, Executive Director”
As part of my JFA work, I serve as the Director of Deeper Still West Michigan and Deeper Still Northeast Ohio. We encourage women and men that healing is a process, and, regardless of the healing God has already worked in our lives, He always wants to take us deeper in our healing and in our walk with him.
Reaching out for healing can be scary, but many women and men have testified that it was one of the best decisions they have ever made. Here are some testimonies from people who have attended Deeper Still retreats:
“I definitely feel lighter, freer, and like a weight has been lifted. Like I’m more positioned to go deeper.”
“I had significant peace from my Deeper Still retreat. I used to torment myself, and I do not do that anymore.”
“I came to the door with trepidation, uncertainty, and fear. It wasn’t but five minutes, and I felt the warm, welcoming acceptance and God’s holy, powerful presence. And I know without a doubt that God wanted me here for the weekend to do His work in my heart. I didn’t realize how deep I had stashed it. After 50 years it was so wrenching to dig so deep in my heart and memory because I had put the event so far back and so so deep for so long. But through God’s power and the angelic team I was able to get it up and out. It was a safe, loving environment, and I didn't have to do it alone. The team encouraged me to keep going on, and I did until I fully surrendered it to Jesus.”
“To be able to acknowledge my children, their life and such great value, was so healing.”
Some of us have personal experience with abortion and need this healing ourselves. Some of us have people dear to us who are hurting and need these healing resources. All of us can have conversations about abortion with the goal of being an ambassador of Christ’s forgiveness toward women and men who have chosen abortion.
– Kaitlyn Donihue, for the JFA Team
(Banner Image: Photo taken in Albuquerque, New Mexico by Rebekah Dyer)
"Just say it. Say I'm a murderer."
“Just say it,” she said. “Say I’m a murderer.” A student I’ll call “Allie” at Cal State San Marcos was looking at me waiting for my response.
To ease the tension, I calmly said something like, “I don’t think it would be helpful for me to sit here and call you a murderer. I want to be careful before using that word. I don’t know you, and I don’t know your story. Murder is a big word, and there is a lot of malice and intent involved with that so I’m not going to sit here and do that to you.”
Allie had come up while I was in the middle of another conversation. After the other student left, she asked me what I would say to someone who had had an abortion. She told me soon after that she had one.
I didn’t sidestep Allie’s demand because I didn’t have an answer for her. I’ve learned that it is often helpful to not directly respond right away to things people say when they demand an answer, especially in a tense moment. As we talked, Allie’s tense demeanor softened, and she apologized for coming off as aggressive in the beginning. When Allie asked what I would say to someone who had had an abortion, I said something like “I’m sorry you experienced that. How are you doing?”
It’s important to understand why certain questions are asked or what’s behind the demand for a response. For Allie, it was deeply personal. Our conversation was short, and I wish we could have talked longer. Allie didn’t need someone calling her a “murderer” for a horrible decision she had made. I think she needed someone to be gentle with her.
While I don’t sit around and call people like Allie or others that disagree with me murderers, I am direct about what abortion is and what it does to another human being. I do what I do because I love God, unborn children, and people like Allie. I can sense the pain and the darkness they are in when we talk. I know I could be just like them if it wasn’t for the grace of God in my life. I want them to be free from the grasp of the enemy. He “steals, kills, and destroys” people, but Jesus came “that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 (ESV)
Don't Judge a Book by its Cover
Our team engages with students at Texas State University, November 2024
“I am definitely pro-choice. My mom is a doula, and even she is pro-choice. I look up to her, and she has helped me shape my views on this.”
A student at Texas State University I’ll call Taylor had just signed “Yes” on our poll table that asked the question, “Should abortion be legal?” I asked if she had time to share more about her beliefs on abortion.
Outreach at the University of Texas at San Antonio, November 2024
Judging by her initial response, I thought that this could be a challenging conversation. I began asking Taylor questions about her view. She told me she thought abortion should be legal for the first four weeks of pregnancy for certain cases like rape and if the mother’s life is in danger. She believed that life starts at conception.
We talked in great detail about the case of rape and other hard cases. Then she asked me my thoughts on the issue. She was incredibly open-minded during our discussion.
After we discussed the abortion issue, I shifted the conversation to the gospel. I asked if she had any spiritual beliefs. Taylor shared with me that she grew up going to church but has stepped away from everything to figure things out for herself.
Andrea: I agree that you need to figure out what you believe for yourself. I encourage you though to take this issue seriously because eternity is a long time, and you don’t want to get it wrong.
I was able to talk about the significance of the gospel, why it is important, and how it applies to us.
Andrea: I have done a lot of talking. I hope what I am saying makes sense.
Taylor: Yes. I love everything you are saying. Keep talking, this is all so good.
Our conversation continued on to other topics. She wanted me to point out everyone on my team. Then she exclaimed, “I am loving this conversation about abortion and the value of humans in the womb. Now I want to talk to someone else from your team.”
Taylor scanned the area and saw my co-worker, Alora. Taylor walked up to Alora and asked her why she is pro-life.
After they talked, Taylor shared with Alora, “I used to stereotype pro-life people, but my conversations with you and Andrea have changed my perspective.”
It struck me how easy it is for me to assume things about people. I assumed it was going to be a challenging conversation based on her first answer. Our conversation was not what I expected. In fact, it was an amazing and enjoyable interaction. It was my favorite conversation from that trip. It reminded me how important it is to ask questions to understand someone’s view and not make assumptions from the start or “judge a book by its cover.”
Joseph Changes His Mind
Impact Report, January 2025
By Andrea Thenhaus
Over the past few months I’ve reminded you that just getting people to “stop and think” is a big part of what’s needed in order to initiate cultural change. (See this Oct. 2024 post and this Nov. 2024 post.) The moments people spend with our trainers and volunteers during campus outreach can be transformative. In this Impact Report, JFA trainer Andrea Thenhaus gives an example from a recent outreach event in California. (This post updates the original post from Nov. 20, 2024) Many of you responded to our appeals for year-end funding during the past two months. Thank you! It’s a privilege to partner with you to train followers of Christ to change hearts and minds on abortion. - Steve Wagner, Executive Director
Our team had the opportunity to engage with students on the issue of abortion at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) and MiraCosta College in California in October 2024. At CSUSM, we were getting ready to take down for the day when two international students walked up to our poll table, and I engaged them in conversation. I will refer to the student who did most of the talking as “Joseph”.
Andrea: Do you think abortion should be legal for all nine months of pregnancy or only for a certain window of time?
Joseph: Oh, I don’t think it should be legal for all nine months.
Andrea: Ok. I have our brochure here with images of the unborn at different stages of development (shown right). Where would you draw the line?
Joseph: I think abortion should be legal until the first trimester.
Andrea (center in hat) interacts with a student at the JFA outreach event at CSUSM in October 2024.
Above, Jon, Alora, and Andrea interact with students at JFA’s MiraCosta Outreach in October.
After talking through the legality and the circumstances under which these students thought abortion should be legal, I asked them when they thought life begins biologically speaking.
Joseph: I am not sure. I am not a physician so it’s hard to say.
Andrea: No problem. Obviously I’m not a doctor either, but do you mind if I share with you my understanding of the basic biology?
Joseph: Yes, totally.
Andrea shared pages 4-5 of our brochure with Joseph. Get your own copy at jfaweb.org/brochure.
Andrea: If the unborn is growing, would you agree it is alive?
Joseph: Yes, I would agree with that.
Andrea: If the unborn has human parents, would you agree it is human?
Joseph: Yes.
Andrea: Right. Living things reproduce after their own kind. Dogs produce dogs and cats produce cats, so it would make sense to say that humans produce human offspring. At conception, the unborn has a complete set of DNA. It just needs time to grow and develop. Are you familiar with Polaroid cameras?
Joseph: Yes.
Andrea: The development of the unborn is similar to a polaroid photo. After I take a picture, it takes time for the film to develop. However, as soon as I take a picture, that image has been captured. I just need to wait for it to develop in order to see it. From conception the unborn is a whole, living human organism. The unborn just needs time to grow and develop [for you to be able to see it]. Does that make sense? What are your thoughts on that?
Joseph: Wow. Honestly that makes so much sense, and this is making me change my mind on abortion.
Our conversation continued, and we talked about the realities of abortion. The students agreed that the process of abortion is horrible.
Outreach at Wayne State College, September 2024
Before Joseph and his friend left, I thanked them for taking the time to have a conversation. They thanked me and expressed again how our conversation had changed their minds. They now understand that the unborn is a living human being and that abortion is taking a life.
It was amazing to see God at work in these students’ lives. Students often do not think the unborn is a human being. Once they understand what science teaches about the beginning of human life, some students are more likely to realize the tragedy of abortion. I am thankful that Joseph and his friend were willing to have a conversation and that they were open to the truth.
“The development of the unborn is similar to a Polaroid photo...As soon as I take a picture, that image has been captured…
From conception the unborn is a whole, living human organism. The unborn just needs time to grow and develop [for you to be able to see it].”
"Cast Down Your Cares"
Note: We are reposting this reflection from Dec. 11 with an introduction from JFA's Executive Director. For Kristine's original post for her readers, click here.
Introduction
I’m so thankful for our outstanding trainers. During our college campus outreach events, they both mentor volunteers and personally help passersby “stop and think” (see jfaweb.org/nov-2024). In this Outreach Reflection, one of our newest staff members, Kristine, discusses a challenge we regularly face: so many people share such heavy stories. Kristine helps us think more deeply about the true solution we can offer to others and also utilize to stay healthy ourselves.
Don’t forget to visit jfaweb.org/blog for recent stories of changed hearts and minds, including “Connecting the Dots,” “Joseph Changes His Mind,” and “Never Underestimate a Picture.”
There’s still time to give a year-end gift! To receive a tax-deductible receipt for 2024, give your gift today at jfaweb.org/donate or postmark it by December 31.
-Steve Wagner, Executive Director
Outreach Reflection
by Kristine Hunerwadel, Regional Training Intern (Denver, CO)
While conducting workshops and outreach events with the JFA team over five days in September (at Colorado State University and University of Northern Colorado), I heard all of the following statements:
“If I got pregnant tomorrow, I would get an abortion.”
“My mom was in an abusive situation, and she should have been able to have an abortion.”
“My dad was adopted, and his biological mom struggled with the reality that she placed him for adoption all her life. She should have been able to have an abortion.”
“My friend was raped, and her parents wanted her to keep the baby, but she didn’t want to, so I drove her to the abortion clinic.”
“I had an abortion when I was 17, and I don’t regret it. I think about it a lot, but I don’t regret it.”
“I went in to have an abortion, but then I changed my mind about it and asked them to stop, but they didn’t. They said it was too late.”
“One of my family members didn’t find out she was pregnant until she was seven months along, and she had a third-trimester abortion then, here in a Colorado hospital.”
“It would have been okay with me if I had been aborted.”
A comment left on JFA’s free speech board at a MiraCosta College outreach event in October
The amount of pain and need reflected in these statements felt enormous to me, and I’m thinking now of the many human beings who were willing to share their thoughts and stories with me, a stranger. Each of these human beings was made in God’s image, and God cares about each one deeply. As I listened, all of their stories felt heavy, and they each seemed to express an underlying question: Doesn’t anyone care?
Feedback submitted on a response card after a workshop Kristine conducted in November
One was in tears wanting to experience healing from a sexual assault she experienced at 14. Doesn’t anyone care about women who are raped? One told me about his partner who spent years in foster care. Don’t you care about kids who are suffering? Another dealt with mental illness that required significant treatment, which led him to empathize with the need for women to have affordable healthcare. Don’t you care about women who might die if they can’t get adequate medical care? Another had recently lost her mom, and she was concerned that she might become suicidal if anything were to be added to her plate. I’m struggling so hard to just get by right now, and I’m close to being suicidal myself. How can you expect someone like me to care for a child right now? Several appeared to feel like they were a burden to the people who had raised them, too, instead of a blessing. Don’t you care about me?
As I was processing a conversation I had just had with a particularly hurting student, a JFA team member noted that the Christian worldview includes “the freedom of being able to not think about ourselves.” I was struck by his comment, because in it he alluded to something that is available in Jesus that so many people we talk to haven’t been able to experience yet, and that I take for granted far too often: the freedom to not be shackled by my concerns. It made me stop and think. The staff member was not inferring that people should deny that they have concerns, or that they should stop wanting to have their needs met. He wasn’t saying the cares of the people we meet at our outreach events aren’t real, or heart-felt, or that they haven’t gone through the difficult experiences they have gone through. He also was not suggesting that we shouldn’t care in the same way that Jesus does about their experiences, or that we shouldn’t step in to meet their needs as we are able. He was simply describing the gift it is to be able to lay our burdens down and take a break from them – the gift of being able to “cast down our cares.”
As Christians, we have a worldview that tells us that we are seen, known, and loved by the God who made us, and that we can see, know, and love others freely in His name. This is true even if we weren’t told it as children, even if we didn’t experience it firsthand until we met Him, and even when we have been hurt by others in devastating ways, as many of us have been. We get to bring our cares and concerns to Him (see I Peter 5:7), set them down before Him, trust Him with them, and then experience His love, care, and healing deeply, fully, and personally. We also then get to freely focus away from our cares (which can be so liberating!) and care for others around us in a self-forgetful way. This time of year gives us a special reminder that God saw our enormous need, and humbly gave of Himself freely and fully to meet that need. It reminds us, too, of people like Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men, who humbly gave of themselves to honor Jesus and care for those around them. The following lyrics from “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” put it this way:
Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings;
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King”
This Christmas season I hope you are encouraged by this reminder of the God who took on human flesh and cares for you, heals you, and frees you to care for others in a world that so desperately needs it.
I’ve been so encouraged and impacted, too, by those of you who have come alongside me in this new season of my life to care for me and sacrificially provide for the work that God has given me to do. Thank you! Through your prayers, housing, meals, and financial support this fall, you’ve helped my JFA colleagues and me to:
offer comfort to hurting people, while pointing them to the God who cares deeply for them,
train Christians to have conversations that can build bridges and provide hope and healing to a hurting world, and
advocate on behalf of babies, mothers, and fathers who are impacted by abortion.
Thank you so much for your support and encouragement. Merry Christmas!
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
"Cast Down Your Cares"
While conducting workshops and outreach events with the JFA team over five days in September (at Colorado State University and University of Northern Colorado), I heard all of the following statements:
“If I got pregnant tomorrow, I would get an abortion.”
“My mom was in an abusive situation, and she should have been able to have an abortion.”
“My dad was adopted, and his biological mom struggled with the reality that she placed him for adoption all her life. She should have been able to have an abortion.”
“My friend was raped, and her parents wanted her to keep the baby, but she didn’t want to, so I drove her to the abortion clinic.”
“I had an abortion when I was 17, and I don’t regret it. I think about it a lot, but I don’t regret it.”
“I went in to have an abortion, but then I changed my mind about it and asked them to stop, but they didn’t. They said it was too late.”
“One of my family members didn’t find out she was pregnant until she was seven months along, and she had a third-trimester abortion then, here in a Colorado hospital.”
“It would have been okay with me if I had been aborted.”
A comment left on JFA’s free speech board at a MiraCosta College outreach event in October
The amount of pain and need reflected in these statements felt enormous to me, and I’m thinking now of the many human beings who were willing to share their thoughts and stories with me, a stranger. Each of these human beings was made in God’s image, and God cares about each one deeply. As I listened, all of their stories felt heavy, and they each seemed to express an underlying question: Doesn’t anyone care?
Feedback submitted on a response card after a workshop I conducted in November
One was in tears wanting to experience healing from a sexual assault she experienced at 14. Doesn’t anyone care about women who are raped? One told me about his partner who spent years in foster care. Don’t you care about kids who are suffering? Another dealt with mental illness that required significant treatment, which led him to empathize with the need for women to have affordable healthcare. Don’t you care about women who might die if they can’t get adequate medical care? Another had recently lost her mom, and she was concerned that she might become suicidal if anything were to be added to her plate. I’m struggling so hard to just get by right now, and I’m close to being suicidal myself. How can you expect someone like me to care for a child right now? Several appeared to feel like they were a burden to the people who had raised them, too, instead of a blessing. Don’t you care about me?
As I was processing a conversation I had just had with a particularly hurting student, a JFA team member noted that the Christian worldview includes “the freedom of being able to not think about ourselves.” I was struck by his comment, because in it he alluded to something that is available in Jesus that so many people we talk to haven’t been able to experience yet, and that I take for granted far too often: the freedom to not be shackled by my concerns. It made me stop and think. The staff member was not inferring that people should deny that they have concerns, or that they should stop wanting to have their needs met. He wasn’t saying the cares of the people we meet at our outreach events aren’t real, or heart-felt, or that they haven’t gone through the difficult experiences they have gone through. He also was not suggesting that we shouldn’t care in the same way that Jesus does about their experiences, or that we shouldn’t step in to meet their needs as we are able. He was simply describing the gift it is to be able to lay our burdens down and take a break from them – the gift of being able to “cast down our cares.”
As Christians, we have a worldview that tells us that we are seen, known, and loved by the God who made us, and that we can see, know, and love others freely in His name. This is true even if we weren’t told it as children, even if we didn’t experience it firsthand until we met Him, and even when we have been hurt by others in devastating ways, as many of us have been. We get to bring our cares and concerns to Him (see I Peter 5:7), set them down before Him, trust Him with them, and then experience His love, care, and healing deeply, fully, and personally. We also then get to freely focus away from our cares (which can be so liberating!) and care for others around us in a self-forgetful way. This time of year gives us a special reminder that God saw our enormous need, and humbly gave of Himself freely and fully to meet that need. It reminds us, too, of people like Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men, who humbly gave of themselves to honor Jesus and care for those around them. The following lyrics from “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” put it this way:
Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings;
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King”
This Christmas season I hope you are encouraged by this reminder of the God who took on human flesh and cares for you, heals you, and frees you to care for others in a world that so desperately needs it.
I’ve been so encouraged and impacted, too, by those of you who have come alongside me in this new season of my life to care for me and sacrificially provide for the work that God has given me to do. Thank you! Through your prayers, housing, meals, and financial support this fall, you’ve helped me:
offer comfort to hurting people, while pointing them to the God who cares deeply for them,
train Christians to have conversations that can build bridges and provide hope and healing to a hurting world, and
advocate on behalf of babies, mothers, and fathers who are impacted by abortion.
Thank you so much for your support and encouragement.
Merry Christmas!
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
They Stop and Think (Then We Pray)
While our culture is drowning every day in new content embraced through shiny devices, we have the privilege of mobilizing Christians to show up to encourage each individual to stop and think. We listen to understand, ask questions with an open heart, and find common ground throughout every interaction. Then we work to challenge each person to love all of the people touched by unplanned pregnancy, especially the unborn child who is forgotten by so many. Thank you for your support!
What many people we reach don’t realize is that our team of supporters prays with us to ask and trust God to follow up and specially care for each person we’ve met. In this Impact Report, we share names and pictures of a few of the people we met in 2024. (See more pictures and stories at www.jfaweb.org/blog.) Please give a generous year-end gift to help us reach thousands more in 2025.
Pray with us for…
Let’s Cause Thousands to Stop and Think in 2025
What does it take for the content of the truth to sink into a person’s mind and heart? Is hearing or seeing enough? Our culture is filled with more data, inputs, and content than ever before, but we are at risk of being one of the least thoughtful cultures ever. The antidote? Cause people to stop and think. They need to stop not just for a moment, but for long enough to allow them to interactively consider what’s true. This is why one of our passions is conversations. (See our October Update, “Connecting the Dots” for one example.)
When our trainers and volunteers step out and create conversations, we ask questions that cause the other person to stop and think. Imagine the impact of thousands of Christians who are trained to be skillful advocates who start conversations and make them productive encounters filled with listening, asking questions, and offering respectful challenges. We’re passionate about these advocates because they then take what they’ve learned and, long after our event is over, continue changing their world one person at a time. During each outreach event we see a different kind of advocate creating a different kind of conversation, and we see the beginnings of a different kind of world in which elective abortion is unthinkable. Our strategy is aimed at long-term systemic change that’s only possible when many thousands of individual minds and hearts change. If you share our passion for conversations and advocates that God can use to change the world, please consider supporting JFA’s work with a generous year-end gift or a pledge of regular support.
When you give a gift to JFA (jfaweb.org/donate), it creates moments to “stop and think” by…
… transporting our trainers to events in CA, CO, TX, OK, KS, MO, NE, MI, VA, and elsewhere through flights, rental cars, and mileage reimbursements.
… helping us be present in 10 metro areas including increased activity in Denver (Kristine), NW Arkansas (Alora), Kansas City (Kristina), and Grand Rapids (Kaitlyn). (See our August update: “New Team Members and New Cities.”)
… helping us reach more people through small-scale events. (See our September update: “Team Be Nimble.”)
… allowing us to create new copies of our smaller exhibits and to experiment with new content so we can find the tools that attract more people to stop and think.
… providing new dialogue brochures for our campus events.
… enabling us to provide Seat Work + Feet Work training to Christians in more places.
… providing computers, projectors, and other technologies that enable us to reach more people through workshops, presentations, emails, letters, and social media.
Thank you for partnering with JFA. If you send regular financial support or host our trainers in your home or provide meals or pray for us or volunteer at events or share our training with others, you are already doing so much to help JFA make a difference. Thank you.
Where Do You Draw the Line?
In a conversation with a student at MiraCosta College in October.
Where do you draw the line on human rights? It’s a common question I ask people on campus while we look at images of human beings, born and unborn, in all stages of their development. I’ll ask them at what point they think humans begin to have the basic right to be protected from violence. I was at MiraCosta College in Oceanside on October 8-9, and I spent time talking about this question with a student I’ll call “Jake.”
We were looking at pictures of embryology together and I pointed at a picture of an 18-week-old fetus and asked him if he thought the abortion of that unborn child is wrong and should be illegal. He said yes. I then pointed to the 12-week-fetus,and he agreed it was wrong and should be illegal to kill a human at that point as well. I pointed to a seven-week-fetus, and his answer was the same. Then I pointed to a four-week human embryo, and that’s where it got murky for him. He said abortion should be legal at that point. I asked him if it had anything to do with how the human looks at that stage of development. He said yes.
Like Jake, many people struggle to see the early human embryo as having the same right to not be killed as you and me. I presented the equal rights argument* to Jake and made the case that if we believe every human being should be protected from violence and harm, we all have to share something equally. I made the case that human nature makes the most sense of our equality. That answer doesn’t lead to counterintuitive implications that would end up including animals or excluding newborn infants. Our equality is not rooted in how we look or in what we can currently do. If I’m right about this, then it’s wrong to kill the unborn even if they don’t look like you and me yet— it’s wrong because they are human just like us.
After I shared this, I asked him if he thought the criterion he was using to determine which humans get equal rights was a good one since it was largely based on how the human embryo looks. Jake told me, “I’m doubting it now.”
Many people have views about human value that are misinformed and based on criteria that actually result in great inequality and injustice. That is why it is so important for us to have conversations about these important issues with those around us.
*Go to www.jfaweb.org/equal-rights or www.jfaweb.org/notes#4 for more stories and equipping.
