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Showing posts with label Travon Clifton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travon Clifton. Show all posts
Monday, January 15, 2018
My Mom Wanted Me to Live; I Want The Same For Her, by Travon Clifton
This is an urgent prayer request, published with permission from Travon Clifton, and as you read it, you will see that what Travon has to say is quite profound. I hope it will move you to prayer, as it did me.
-- Rebecca Kiessling
I'm reaching out to inform some and update others on my mother's health. For the last 8 months, my mom has been battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and it has taken a toll on her little frame. Only last week, we bid a fond farewell to my maternal grandmother Isabel Williams (78) and that caused further trauma to my mother's emotions. Some of you may recall that my grandma was an unwed teenage mother, giving birth to my mom at age 15. This had a huge effect on my mom's decision to choose life for me at age 19 when she conceived me during an awful rape.
My mom asked me to preach my grandmother's eulogy, and at first I declined her request. However, the Holy Spirit impressed upon me to say yes. It was in that moment of obedience, I could really see the magnitude of her decision and my grandmother's influence as I looked into my mother's face, telling the story once again. I could also see the endurance, perseverance, and her joy of seeing me share the love of Jesus and her mother's legacy. This was the first time many in my own family heard me tell it (and more) outside of the Compassion Project commercials and the Life Uninvited documentary produced by Right to Life of Michigan and aired on state-wide television. Because my mother so courageously stood with me from the womb and chose life for me, I am compelled to do the same for her as I advocate with the doctors and intercede by faith on her behalf. What I know is that I cannot bear this load alone, which is why I'm coming to you asking that you join me in prayer for my mother's complete healing.
Since I know her eternal home is secure in Jesus Christ, I can afford to be so bold in my faith and ask the Lord for this miracle. I want to see my mother rise from her death bed and go forth in ministry, telling her side of the story so that other mothers won't feel the need to carry the shame of being raped and loving the child who they didn't ask to be conceived.
My mom wanted me to live. I want the same for her.
Will you pray with me for the healing of my mother Victoria Forté and share with other prayer warriors? Thank you in advance for your commitment.
You can follow updates here: https://m.facebook.com/TravonPClifton/
You can follow updates here: https://m.facebook.com/TravonPClifton/
BIO: Travon Clifton is a daughter, a wife, and a mother of two. She's also an international pro-life speaker and blogger with Save The 1. Her interview, Conceived In Rape, will be re-airing with Dr. James Dobson on Family Talk Tues - Th, Jan. 16-18th.Friday, January 30, 2015
Putting A Face to the Issue Through Ads by Mary Rathke
The only way to overturn Roe v Wade is to stop the exceptions!
Did you know that Norma McCorvey – “Jane Roe” -- was told by her lawyers to say she was gang-raped, in order to make her case stronger to obtain an abortion? Today, her daughter is alive because the Texas Court protected them both from that abortion.
As a woman who was conceived in rape, I find myself sharing my story over and over again at many pro-life events. I have to ask, “Are you pro-life except in the case of Mary?” I know that about 60% of people who claim to be pro-life are okay with exceptions, but after they hear real life stories like mine, only 1% will still believe in exceptions.
Living in the great state of Michigan, I have learned significantly about pro-life politics surrounding this issue. Michigan has never passed a pro-life law with an exception. When the Michigan Legislature tried to pass a pro-life law in 2013, the Governor would not sign it because there was not a rape exception. So instead of submitting one, Right to Life of Michigan put together a petition drive. Once they had enough signatures, it was sent back to the Legislature. Of course, those on the left began to yell out, “What about in cases of rape?” Again, instead of adding an exception to the bill, those of us from Save The 1, who are conceived in rape, mothers from rape, or post-abortive from rape, held a press conference to explain that our lives matter. The discussion quickly shifted, and the bill passed – with no exceptions!
This, my friends, is how we are going to overturn Roe v Wade -- not by saying abortion is okay in some cases, but rather explaining to everyone that we fight for life because we truly believe that every life matters. To further the discussion, Right to Life of Michigan has produced some beautiful 30-second TV ads which tell the stories of women conceived in rape. My friend Travon Clifton’s story and my own story are being aired throughout the state. Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, "Those in favor of abortion have pointed to survivors of rape to justify legalized abortion. There is a misconception that women who become pregnant from rape want to abort their children. This is a false stereotype not supported by fact." You can see more about what they are calling the “Compassion Project” by visiting www.RTL.org. Besides the 30-second ads, our 5-minute stories can be viewed there as well.
We cannot overturn a law that was based on a woman's claim of being raped, by continuing to allow rape exceptions. Instead of offering confused compassion to the rape victim by letting her believe that even pro-lifers think her child deserves death, we need to care for both victims, so they can both be survivors and overcomers. The woman needs real help to deal with her extraordinary crisis. We need to offer that help, counseling and support. The child simply needs life. We need to educate everyone that they can have compassion and understand -- even my life matters.
BIO: Mary Rathke is a wife, mother of 4, ordained minister at Bay Valley Christian Church, and pro-life speaker and blogger for Save The 1. She's also the President of HELP People Inc., serving the hungry and homeless. Her website is www.maryrathke.org.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Hard Cases Unite to Make a Difference! by Rebecca Kiessling
How would like to be labeled
“a hard case?” What if your class
of people were systematically targeted for extinction within legislation? What if political candidates felt quite
comfortable with stating their position that you and your kind aren’t worth
protecting and better off dead? What if
your child was regularly stigmatized by our society? That’s exactly what it’s like for those of us
who were conceived in rape, mothers from rape, and those given a poor in utero
diagnosis. But being branded as a “hard
case” becomes easier when we all begin to unite behind our unique kinship. And that’s what Save The 1 has been doing – drawing together
perhaps the most stigmatized and marginalized members of today’s society.
May 2014 was a very big month for Save The 1. On Saturday, May 3rd, Mary Rathke
and I both spoke at the 1st
Annual International Pro-Life Leaders Conference in Rome, Italy – sponsored
by Lifesitenews -- sharing our stories of having been conceived in rape. Mary was a double-exception because her
birthmother was raped after having been diagnosed as schizophrenic. Pro-Life leaders from around the world
received our message well – vowing to fight abortion without exception and
without compromise.
One woman – a nurse –
came up to us and showed us a photo of a baby who was conceived in rape. She explained that the pro-life activists at
the hospital have been familiar with my story since it’s been translated into
Italian, among many other languages. So
any time they have a patient who is pregnant by rape, they share my story on my
website with the pregnant rape victim.
This nurse credited my story has having saved the baby in the
photo. What a wonderful example for
every person with a difficult history to see how stepping out and sharing your
story can make a difference across the ocean, for someone else who doesn’t even
speak your language!
Upon returning from Rome, Mary Rathke spoke at Branch County
Right to Life’s benefit dinner where she met a grandmother who shared that her
grandchild was conceived in rape. This
grandmother was heartened to know that there are others who are paving the way
for her grandchild to be loved and accepted in our society. Several legislators and even judges shared
with Mary how her story helps them to be able to articulate a defense of all human
life.
On May 10th, I spoke at a Mother’s Day brunch at
Gateway Assembly in Imlay City, MI.
After the brunch, a 16 year old girl named Sarah came up to me to share
her own difficult story. She was
conceived when her birthmother was sexually trafficked by her own parents. Not only was she conceived during
unconsensual prostitution, but her birthmother had become a drug addict. Sarah is now writing out her story and is our
newest member of Save The 1! The next day
at the church, another family approached me whose young adoptive daughter was
also conceived in rape. They too were
thankful for a support system for their daughter and their family.
A week later, on Saturday, May 17th, Save The 1
had its 3rd Pro-Life Speaker Training Conference, at the legislative
offices of Right to Life of Michigan in Lansing, MI. We had five adoptees who were all conceived
in rape present – me, Mary Rathke, Travon Clifton, Sarah (these four are all
from Michigan), and Darlene Pawlik from New Hampshire. We also had one mother who had become
pregnant from rape – Karyn Liechty, one post-abortive mother from rape whose
abortion was forced upon her - Sheryl Williams, as well as Brad and Jesi Smith
whose daughter Faith has Trisome 18. In
the morning, everyone had a chance to practice responding to impromptu
questions often asked by reporters and during Q & A on college campuses,
and in the afternoon, each member gave an 8-minute prepared speech. We were blessed to have some family and
friends there in support, as well as three of our friends from Right to Life of
Michigan who helped with our critique – President Barb Listing, Ed Rivet and
Genevieve Marnon. As an additional
treat, filmmaker Jim Hanon (End of the Spear) and his team were present filming and we look forward to seeing the
pieces he is putting together for Right to Life of Michigan in conjunction with
Save The 1 members!
After a wonderful day of camaraderie, we had our first
official Board Meeting, having just filed our 501c3 application! Thank you to the Thomas More Society for
generously sponsoring our filing and to Sally Wagenmaker for your wisdom and
representation. I’m proud to announce
our stellar Board – Darlene Pawlik, Mary Rathke, Jim Sable (conceived in rape adoptee
from IL,) Nick D’Angelo (conceived in rape from NY,) Brad Smith, Dyanne
Gonzales from NM, and me – thank you all for your confidence in electing me as
President of Save The 1. I’m eager to
see what God is going to achieve through us all!
Our next Save The 1 speaker training conference is Saturday,
September 20th in Akron, OH at the offices of Right to Life of North
East Ohio, and our 5th Save The 1 speaker training will be held at the offices of Georgia Right
to Life in Atlanta on Friday, October 10th. In 2015, we hope to have more conferences
around the country, including in the Los Angeles area.
If you fall into one of the categories of “the hard cases” –
those whom Jesus would call “the least of these,” we would love to connect with
you! You are not alone. Connect with us on our Save The 1 Facebook page,
and e-mail me. We have a Save The 1 activism
e-mail group, and there is also an e-mail support group for those who are
struggling and/or who want to help others to know their incredible dignity and
worth.
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