A Faithful Friend, A Friend of Faith

Some friends are just special. They are fun to be with, they don’t forget you when you move away, they listen with all they’ve got when you need a listening ear, and--most importantly--they encourage, challenge, and yes, correct you from the Word of God. I’ve been blessed with more than my share of such godly friends, and for that I am deeply grateful.

Ann Marie is one of those friends. We spent the day together on Friday. Our time together was short but we managed to pack a whole lot of “catching up” into the time we had. We had lunch together at my favorite local Italian restaurant and just talked.

Ann Marie is an ultrasound technician and works for a pregnancy center in NE Ohio. Works isn’t the right word. She serves young, frightened and confused women and their unborn babies. She ministers to them; body, soul, and spirit. Most ultrasound technicians work in hospitals or doctors offices, but Ann Marie ministers in a mobile ultrasound unit. (Not only does she administer the ultrasounds—she drives the unit!)

To say that Ann Marie loves her job, well, that would be an understatement. She daily gets to use her skills, talents, and gifts in the service of women, babies, and the Lord Jesus Christ. She brought along a 15 minute DVD that showed not only the wonderful mobile facility, but also some of the women that were being loved and cared for through this ministry. I watched it twice. I got teary both times. It was so moving to get a glimpse into Ann Marie’s life and ministry.

The video showed her talking with a 16 year old girl named Crystal. All the grown ups in her life were encouraging her to have an abortion. She didn’t want to do it, but when you’re young and pregnant and scared, the pressures brought to bear can feel overwhelming. She ran away from home at one point and one of her friend’s mothers called the clinic and asked them to pray for this young runaway. They prayed for her for four weeks and even though they did not know her name, when she showed up unannounced at the clinic and began to tell her story—they knew her immediately. She is carrying her baby to term because God providentially brought her to the mobile clinic through the prayers of His people and then used Ann Marie to share the Gospel with her. Crystal is due to have her little boy, who she has named Brett, in the first week of November.

If anyone reading this is involved in a Pregnancy Center and would like to learn more about the ICU, I know that Ann Marie and the rest of the staff would be more than happy to help. You can contact them via the website.