Written by Niki Goodine
My journey to pro-life activism is deeply personal. As a young woman, I had abortions. For years, I carried that weight until four years ago, when I repented and accepted the Lord Jesus as my Saviour. Facing the truth of my past was a heavy burden, and while I know the Lord forgives me, the healing process is an ongoing journey.
Attending the Florida Abortion Awareness Project (AAP) training was a pivotal moment in that healing. It provided a safe, purposeful environment to process my past and transform my personal history into a tool for truth and compassion.
The training I received through the Florida AAP completely changed how I communicate. We leaned heavily into apologetics, learning how to defend pro-life values and debate pro-abortion views using both truth and empathy.
Some of the most valuable tools I gained included:
- The Dublin Declaration: Using established medical consensus to show that abortion is not healthcare.
- Finding Common Ground: Learning to connect with people first rather than pushing them away.
- Strategic Dialogue: Using analogies and asking targeted questions to guide people to the truth.
- Human Rights Facts: Learning to clearly articulate that a whole, distinct, living human being comes into existence at the exact moment of fertilization.
We spent four full days on Florida college campuses, putting our training into practice. Talking to hundreds of students helped me overcome my lack of confidence. I learned how to present thoughtful, logical arguments on behalf of pre-born children. On a few occasions, I shared my own abortion story. Opening up about my past completely changed the trajectory of those conversations and shifted the minds of several students. The confidence I gained in Florida has completely transformed my work here at home with Toronto Right to Life (TRTL). I now feel fully equipped and motivated to attend more “Choice” Chains.
Recently, during a “Choice” Chain in Toronto, I handed a pamphlet to a young woman who was talking on her cell phone. When she saw the image of the pre-born child and listened to why we were there, she hung up her phone. She looked at me and confessed that she had just found out she was pregnant. I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. Using both my training and my personal testimony, I spoke with her. I could tell my words had a profound impact. While I do not know the final outcome, I pray for that young lady regularly. I pray that she is preparing to welcome a beautiful child into her life—a child she will see as a gift, not a choice.
I am incredibly thankful to Toronto Right to Life, their wonderful staff, and their deeply compassionate team. I feel incredibly blessed to be a member of this community, and I am ready to keep standing up for the most vulnerable among us.
