Day Four at the United Nations--the Best Day There!

Thursday March 11th was my last day in New York at the United Nations. I really didn't have any plans for today. My team had a meeting that morning along with other NGO's (non-governmental organizations) to meet the United States Mission--the advisory board to the US Delegates. The Delegates are the ones who write the policy for our country, and other countries around the world in regards to women's issues, like abortion, women's rights, etc. Our team was only allowed to bring 15 women to the meeting and the names had to be submitted 24 hours in advance. I was not on that list.

The meeting was to be at 11:30am, and knowing I was excluded from the meeting, I headed on to the UN to go to a Delegates meeting in the conference room on violence against women. Here's where some interesting events took place! I ran into the woman who heads up the NGO our team came with. Her name is Babette Francis, a wonderful woman from Australia. I mentioned to her that the rest of the team was in the special NGO meeting and she told me that she was in that meeting too, but in fact they had the time wrong. Instead of 11:30am, the meeting was at 1:30pm.

Babette told me that she wouldn't be able to go to the meeting now as she was heading to the airport, and she gave me her spot in the meeting! So I headed up the street across from the UN to go to the meeting. When I arrived upstairs at security, my name wasn't on the list. I shouldn't have been allowed in. But when I explained that our team had gotten the time wrong, and now there was a spot open, she remembered Babette, and put my name down on the list.

So here I was, sitting in a meeting that I wasn't supposed to be at. Isn't God amazing!! I shouldn't have been surprised, because He opened many doors this week that I wouldn't have imagined. But this one was very impressive.

As several other women gathered, it was evident that our group outnumbered others by volume, and we were the only pro-life group present it appeared. Then in walked the Ambassador to the US Delegates, along with some of the Delegates. They opened the floor for NGO women to share the concerns on their hearts.

Two of our women shared important information on maternal mortality rates, and how it relates to legalized abortion. For interest, the highest rate of maternal mortality in the United States is homicide--women being killed because they refuse to get an abortion. Yet in countries where abortion is not legal, the maternal mortality rate is much lower. Even though I didn't get a chance to speak, I had prepared a very bright green sheet with information on sexual bonding and the impact on relationships, women and marriage. I was able to hand this to the assistant to the Ambassador with the promise that it would get into the hands of the Delegates making the policy.

But then something amazing happened. I didn't know it, but our team had arranged a private meeting with the Ambassador after the organized meeting. She had the fifteen of us put our chairs in a circle and go around and give our names, etc. This was the meeting God had me come to speak in. Again I handed her one of my green sheets, and speaking from the perspective of sexual health education, I discussed the need to inform our young women how sex bonds and attaches us in relationships, leading to destructive choices, unwanted pregnancy, abortion, and multiple relationship failures, including divorce. And she listened!! It was so amazing...and so powerful.

I left there on a high, knowing that God had orchestrated this divine appointment for such a time as this, with someone who had influence, and who also seemed to care for women. I'm praying that my little green sheet will find its way to people who can make a difference for our youth, and for women in general.

And then I had to run to find a cab to get me back to the hotel to catch my shuttle to the airport...with such seconds to spare I made it.

It was an amazing week...I felt your prayers. Thank you so much!

Barb