Megan’s Story
A support System Makes All the Difference
When Megan found out she was pregnant, she felt isolated and alone, with no family nearby. To compound the pressure, her boyfriend’s job was unstable and she was not sure how she could support this child or if she could rely on him for support. This all weighed on her when she found out she was pregnant. She was very much considering abortion, feeling unsure, ostracized, and alone. Megan needed people who would open their arms to her without judgment. Thank God, Megan found First Coast Women’s Services.
Through counseling, Megan began to feel supported and no longer alone. But it was ultimately at the ultrasound when she chose life. Seeing the image of her child made all the difference in her choice. Recently, FCWS received two new ultrasound machines. As you can see in Megan’s story, God uses these ultrasound machines to aid in the life-saving work done at our centers by providing our clients with an opportunity to really see and hear the LIFE growing within them.
Despite ongoing challenges, the joy and connection Megan finds in motherhood bring her immense happiness. She has found a support system in FCWS. Megan is receiving help in learning to parent and deal with the stresses of life through Earn While You Learn. She has received much-needed baby supplies, including a crib and layette set from the Center. Her boyfriend enrolled in welding school and now has a job that helps him to better provide for Megan and their daughter, Jasmine, pictured above.
Megan’s story, along with many other powerful stories, were shared at our Women Helping Women event this month. Watch the video below!
The Lord Has Prepared Us for Whatever is Coming
A Letter from the CEO
We are thankful to the Lord for leading us to open FCWS Centers across a wide-reaching area of Northeast Florida, encompassing four counties. From our Northside Center near the Jacksonville Airport to the new St. Augustine Center in St. John’s County, and from the Kernan Center in the East to the Baker County Center in the West, we have been led by God to specific places. The Mandarin Center and the Clay County Center in Orange Park round out and complete our geographic area of service. As the CEO, I have complete confidence in the FCWS Board of Directors, who have always unanimously agreed about every new venture. My confidence is based on their focus on prayer during our meetings and as individuals. It is a joy to be led by them.
We do not know what the future holds for abortion laws in Florida, but the Lord does know. He has situated our Centers to be able to offer accessible services to desperate, abortion-minded clients anywhere in NE Florida. We are also the closest places of help to clients coming from other states along I-95 from the North or I-10 from the West.
As we begin to serve clients in our new Center in St. Augustine the first week of May, I am encouraged, as always, to see how the Lord acted in blocking our pending plans to lease a space because He had a better plan to lead us to a place to purchase. This former doctor’s office in a medical complex required only cosmetic renovations to render it perfect for our needs. The purchase price was very similar to a 5-year lease that would have required extensive buildout. Your generous support during all of 2023, and especially the last two months of the year, made this purchase possible. We are still in need of additional staff, volunteers, and some furnishings for this new center, but we continue to trust that our faithful Lord will lead whoever He chooses to complete the work.
There is such a gap between what we think we know and what will actually one day be…If you asked me at 18 what our life was going to look like I would have described to you a whole different life. One that lacked the miracles that have taken place. I couldn’t see it, but God knew.
Reneé Lamoureux, REVERB Church
