Come and follow Me, and I will give you peace.

Guest blog by 18 year old Sarah Durling

It was January 22 2011, the day of the Walk for Life West Coast! That was the day that started it all. About a week before the walk, I started doubting that Campus Life Tours was my calling. After the Walk for Life, a few friends and I went to mass at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church in San Francisco. I knew I had a doubtful heart at the time, so I asked the Lord, “Am I really supposed to go on Campus Life Tours? What do you want me to do?” Then I said that famous line, “Lord, please use me.” We stood to listen to the Gospel and I could not believe my ears! The reading was from Matthew,

“As he was walking along the Sea of Galilee he watched two brothers, Simon now known as Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea. They were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately abandoned their nets and became his followers.” ~ Matthew 4:18-20 ~

Then the priest gave his homily, “If you feel that doing pro-life work for your whole life is what God wants, or if you have this burning desire to save babies from abortion, that is what God is calling you to do!” When the priest said that, I immediately knelt down in thanksgiving! Now I know that is what God wanted me to do! Now I have a handful of pro-life missionary groups lined up including Campus Life Tours.

When I went to the Survivor’s camp after deciding to join Campus Life Tours, something happened to me that I would never forget. Our camp was standing on Venice Beach in the middle of huge crowds and walkways with signs of aborted children to show the truth to our peers. I was standing in front of a lady’s booth, and after a while, she started to get fed up with me. She came up to me and said, “I am sorry, but I cannot have you in front of my booth. I am trying to eat my lunch and I cannot eat with your picture facing toward me. Can you please move?” I had not gotten permission to move so I told her “No.” She obviously did not like that answer. “No, you HAVE to move.” Then she tried to take my sign from me. I pulled it out of her hands and said, “I am not moving from this spot unless I am told by my leader.” Then the unthinkable happened. She tried to push me and my sign over!

I stood there no matter how hard she pushed on my sign. God was definitely there helping me! Since she could not push me over, she retreated to her booth and just glared at me. Eventually, a few friends came over and stood with me after I called a leader and said that someone tried to push me over. A few minutes later, I heard some people yelling a little ways away from me and my sign. I looked over just in time to see a young woman from a shop behind us kick a sign in! She turned around after she broke the sign and yelled, “Who’s next?!?” Oh no…that would be me. I tried to keep my mind off of what the woman had just said, so I was engaged in conversations with people walking by asking them what they thought of the pictures. Then the lady that tried to take my sign away from me came up to me shaking her prayer book in my and my friend’s faces yelling, “These are prayers from the bible! You should read them!” In my mind I was screaming, “I do!” But it never came out because I did not want to ruin my video.

Then, as one Survivor tried to reason with her, another Survivor came and stood back to back with me. Oh what is happening now? I looked behind me when I heard some yelling from the lady who broke our sign earlier! She was in my friend’s face yelling at him when he intercepted her as she tried to jump on me from behind! Thank goodness he was there or else my nose might have been broken from this mad woman. The woman continued to yell, not even an inch from his face! “Touch me! Touch me! Touch me mother trucker!” She yelled that over and over again. Then she finally backed off. The thought came to my mind, “Could anything else happen?” But I stupidly jinxed myself and lo and behold! A man came from behind some palm trees carrying a plastic chair that had something on it. It was pretty much dripping with whatever was on the chair, and he was bringing it over to me! A couple of girls screamed when he walked passed them and I immediately knew that it was not going to be pleasant. He walked up to me and my sign and shoved the chair slowly against my sign – the chair was covered in a swarm of bees! In my mind, I started totally freaking out by that time. My friend and fellow Survivor said calmly, “No matter what you do to us, we are not going to move.” 

Then the man who put the chair in front of my sign simply picked up the chair again and walked off. For about three seconds, I kept telling myself not to cry. The adrenaline was running through me at five hundred miles per hour! Then unexpectedly, a hand was placed on my shoulder! “Oh this is going to be my doom!” I thought. When I turned around to “face my doom”, I turned to find an old man. He looked so kind, his eyes were kind, so I figured he would not hit me. He looked at me with those kind eyes as he said this,

“I am so proud of you child. I do not think that I would have been able to be that brave in your situation. I know for sure that God will save you and your friends a special place in Heaven and you will receive your crown in His kingdom. Remember this, Rescue those who are being dragged to death, and to those tottering to execution withdraw not.” 

Then as fast as he appeared, he disappeared! Then I broke down and cried. Was this the Lord who just appeared to me? He quoted my favorite verse in the Bible perfectly and with such love! I could not believe it. Then another friend came to my aide and escorted me away from the commotion. I do not know for sure if God just appeared to me, or if it was an angel sent from heaven, but what I do know is that day changed the little spit of fire in my soul into a roaring fire that cannot be quenched!

Now I am on Campus Life Tours and it is everything that I expected! I love it so much, and I feel like I have another family in Southern California. A very large family filled with brothers and sisters who are all fighting for the same thing. While I was on tour last semester, I experienced something that I had not experience before. I know it may sound very crazy, but I felt the devil’s presence. I know it sounds like all voodoo and stuff like that, but when I was in front of 'Woman’s Health Specialists' in Sacramento of all places, I felt something wrong there – very wrong.

We went out in the middle of the night to chalk all over the sidewalk in front of this horrific clinic and as I was chalking, something happened that was really hard to explain at first. I was chalking as fast as I could, chalking things like “Your baby has a heartbeat at only twenty-one days” and loving messages all over the sidewalk. Then my piece of chalk fell out of my hand, but this did not feel like it just fell out, it felt like it was pulled out of my hand! Like I said, it sounds crazy, but it did happen. It happened a few more times, and every time the chalk was pulled out of my hand, I would scratch my knuckles. By the end of the night, my knuckles were pretty skinned up and they definitely hurt. I think that the devil will test us in millions of ways through our lifetime and we must not let him succeed ever! There were times where I would feel like giving up, but I could not let the devil win! I had to keep strong no matter what happened, and no matter what questions or insults were thrown at me.

When we went to Sacramento State University, John Ficker, who works with Project Truth, brought a woman over to me. “Sarah, this young lady does not want to hear us men talk about our views because we would not understand.” I shook the woman’s hand introducing myself with a friendly smile. Instead of saying ‘nice to meet you’ or anything like that, she asked me, “How old are you sweetie?” I cringed at the thought of her calling me sweetie, it makes me feel like I am eight years old. “Eighteen, what does that have to do with our conversation?” She looked at John with disbelief,

“You brought me to an eighteen year old?” John tried to calm her down as she was coming to her boiling point, “Well we have some older women here as well if you would like to talk to one of them,” she pretty much just brushed him off. “I did not know s*** when I was eighteen. What could she possibly know?” John came to my defense, “Whoa, you are just going to wave her off just because of how old she is? I think that this eighteen year old is smarter than you.” She scoffed at the comment, “Oh yeah?” John then said, “Alright let us have a contest to see if this eighteen year old is smarter than this…oh how old are you?” She made herself look all high and mighty and said, “Thirty.” All I was thinking was, “Oh this is one of those brick walls…”

John continued, “Alright let us see who is smarter. At what age does a fetus, embryo, whatever you want to call it, when does her heart start beating?” The woman looked like it was the easiest question and prepared herself to win our little contest. “Eighteen weeks of course!” WHAT? Four months? John made a buzzer noise and declared her the loser of our contest and asked me for the correct answer, “Eighteen to twenty-one DAYS.” The lady stared at me with a cold stare that could rip you apart, but with my Lord, I stood strong.

After a million of the usual questions, she finally blurted out, “Would you give your life to save these fetuses?!?!” Without even a second thought I told her calmly, “Yes, of course I would if that means that they will live.” She threw up her hands, “I can’t talk to you anymore! You are driving me crazy!” I wish I could have talked to her a little while longer, but I had already put a crack in the brick wall and maybe she will look at that crack later. That is what I hope.

Like I said before, you will be tested. I was asked if I would give up my life to save babies! Of course I would, but if someone asked you that question, what would you have answered? Will you follow me and give up semesters and summers of your life to go save babies? The one important question is – What will you do to serve your Lord?

“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”~ John 12:26 ~

For Life and for the Little Ones,

Sarah


Checkout Sarah's Blog: A Diary of a Missionary

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Inspired to Speak, Are you?

Every Thanksgiving I spend a portion of my day going through my entire contacts list to tell those dear to me “Happy Thanksgiving”. As I went from A to Z sending text messages and emails I clicked on Kortney Blythe Gordon’s name and started to type . . . Then I remembered Kortney and baby Sophy are no longer with us . . .

For those of you who do not follow my blog: Korney was a dear friend of mine who died in a tragic car accident that took the life of her 21 week old unborn baby and another pro-life hero named Jon Scharfenberger. Kortney dedicated her life to defending the unborn, and educating others across the country to do the same (read my blog about her work and what an inspiration she is).

As I very suddenly remembered that Kortney died in a car accident, my heart broke. I sat mourning the loss of such a wonderful person, and once again the question I’ve asked over and over again came to mind: “Why? Why Kortney? She did so much when many people do nothing.” Babies are dying daily by the thousands, and millions of people are apathetic. Even those who are “pro-life”. Many don’t stand firm to their “pro-life” convictions, some won’t say a word when their friend is considering having an abortion, and others are not willing to let go of even a little bit of free time to defend life.

Kortney was in her mid 20s, just married, and had her first little baby on the way. Her life was short, but my gosh did she live a life in service to God. She inspired many beyond words, and into action. She may not be here to save babies and encourage others to do the same, but we have the inspiring memory of Kortney, along with the ability to do what she did. So, here are the questions I ask myself, and I challenge you to do the same:

Will I pray for an end to abortion?
Will I give whatever time I can to defend the unborn?
Will I always be there for anyone who is considering an abortion and who needs to talk?

In honor of Kortney, let’s say yes! Start with an hour a week, or even an hour a day! Give whatever you can. As Kortney once told me this work is so much bigger than us; it’s “God’s work” and “it’s our duty to help others”.

“Stand up for what you believe in even if you are standing alone”

~ Sophie Scholl ~

For the Dignity of the Born and Unborn,

Timmerie

p.s. Kortney’s life can still inspire us, I encourage you to read this blog about just one of my many experiences with her.

Kortney Blyth Gordon an Inspiration

Last night the pro-life movement lost a wonderful person. Kortney Blythe Gordon (Student’s for Life’s Field Director) and her 21 week old unborn child were killed in a head on collision traveling home from a Students for Life conference. One person in the vehicle that hit them died, another Students for Life leader Jon Scharfenberger is in critical condition, and two students have been severely wounded. Not only have we lost a wonderful person, but the unborn have lost a true hero who selflessly dedicated her life to advocating for the lives of the unborn.

Kortney was married earlier this year and was pregnant with her first child. I remember how excited I was just a few months ago when her Uncle Don told me (while we were sidewalk counseling in Los Angeles) that Kortney was expecting a little baby! Kortney’s Uncle Don, whom I call Uncle Don because of her, is another pro-life hero who has saved over 3,000 babies from abortion through sidewalk counseling, and he was one of the main inspirations in her pro-life work.

Kortney has been a long time friend and inspiration to me. I met her through our work with Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust many years ago; where she was responsible for training hundreds of pro-life youth to stand in defense of the unborn. Kortney taught me how to sidewalk counsel when I was 13. She taught me that above all when counseling women against abortion to love each and every woman who entered the clinic because God loves us. To respond to women gently and to do everything in my power to save them from loosing their child and to save that precious unborn child form death. I remember standing outside of numerous abortion clinic doors praying and speaking with her while we waited to be the last intervention between that unborn child and the abortion procedure room.

Kortney's Baby Sophy

I remember the very first time I went sidewalk counseling; I was practically a little girl standing there next to Kortney at one of the busiest abortion clinics in Los Angeles on a Saturday morning at about 6:30 a.m. With the little training of sidewalk counseling I had received the day before during Survivors Pro Life Training Camp, I remember looking up at her and saying, “I don’t know if I can do this. I have to talk to this woman who is about to have her baby killed, and you want me to try and stop her?” I realized that no bit of training could prepare me for such a task and that I wanted Kortney to do it because she had done it before. Kortney reminded me that what we were doing was so much bigger than us and that it’s “God’s work” and that “it’s our duty to help others”.

I was trembling, had knots in my stomach at the thought of what was happening inside the building, I was on the verge of tears, and begging Kortney to help me because I thought I couldn’t do it. I even asked her, “Who’s going to listen to a little girl like me?” There I was saying I was not ready, and a woman walked up who needed help. Kortney grabbed me by the arm and with a huge smile on her face and said “come on, we’ll do it together” . . .

Kortney lead the conversation and kept pulling me along to help. I showed the woman how far along she was in her pregnancy and shared with her that her baby already had little fingers, toes, and a beating heart. Kortney talked with the woman asking her what she needed and the lady shared much information and hurt that she was going through. Last I said, “I know I can’t keep your baby, even though I wish I could; I’m too young. But I can find you someone who will keep him for you!” The lady giggled, thanked us, and went inside. Minutes later the woman came out and asked Kortney for help cause she wanted to give her baby life! The woman was then taken to a pregnancy resource center which assisted her through her pregnancy.

Right away Kortney told me I did a good job and reminded me to just keep talking to those women in need because God put us there to help them. I remember praying to the Holy Spirit to place the words in me because I had no idea what to say even with all the knowledge about fetal development and abortion risks. From that day on, every time I sidewalk counsel, I recall Kortney’s words telling me “it’s God’s work” and that I needed to love each and every women I encounter because “it’s our duty”.

Kortney and I have stayed in contact over the years, even after she moved to the east coast to work for Rock for Life and later for Students for Life. I can tell you that she has been missed in so many ways. From her courage, to her abundance of joy. We’ve worked on different projects together as I later took a leadership position with Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust at the same time she left. I’ve taught some of the same materials she taught me so many years ago, and have even used many of the materials she developed. Just a few weeks ago she was encouraging me to drop everything and move to the East Coast to work with her at Students for Life.

I pray that Kortney’s story of unconditional love and courage continue to inspire many. Every day since I’ve known Kortney, she continued to dedicate her life to saving babies and ending abortion. She reached out to thousands across the world to tell them about abortion, she helped hundreds of women through their pregnancies, she was arrested when she was unlawfully told she couldn’t stand somewhere to defend life, and NEVER did she stop until the day she departed this life. She died in service to God and out of love for the unborn as she travelled home from a Students for Life conference.

May our Lord receive His faithful servant Kortney and her unborn baby into His hands, and may He comfort her family.