WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.700 Welcome to the Forward With Purpose podcast. 00:00:03.339 --> 00:00:05.960 Your hosts are Linda Keener Thomas from the National 00:00:05.960 --> 00:00:09.019 Memorial for the Unborn and Mindy Lefeshore from 00:00:09.019 --> 00:00:11.320 an even place virtual abortion healing groups 00:00:11.320 --> 00:00:13.240 and coaching for pro -life ministry workers. 00:00:14.060 --> 00:00:16.379 We understand the power of addressing the abortion 00:00:16.379 --> 00:00:18.820 wound which then allows us to confidently stand 00:00:18.820 --> 00:00:21.699 in the gap for the next person. We also understand 00:00:21.699 --> 00:00:24.559 how lonely and heavy this work can be. This podcast 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:26.640 is designed to connect you with other leaders 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:28.820 doing this work to learn from the vast wealth 00:00:28.820 --> 00:00:30.699 of knowledge and experience that is out there. 00:00:31.460 --> 00:00:33.820 God has designed you for greater things. God 00:00:33.820 --> 00:00:35.799 has commissioned you to a precious and sacred 00:00:35.799 --> 00:00:38.500 place in abortion recovery ministry work. It 00:00:38.500 --> 00:00:40.539 is our hope you are encouraged and equipped as 00:00:40.539 --> 00:00:42.799 you move forward with purpose in your ministry. 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:51.880 Welcome to Forward With Purpose. Today I have 00:00:51.880 --> 00:00:54.240 Latoya Matthews with us. Linda can't be with 00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:56.579 us, it's just me, but I have Latoya Matthews. 00:00:56.619 --> 00:00:58.920 She wrote a book called Unveiled Freedom and 00:00:58.920 --> 00:01:00.399 she has a ministry and I'm going to give her 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:02.560 all kinds of room and latitude to talk about 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:07.920 herself and her ministry. But first Latoya, I'd 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:09.780 love for you to share just a little bit about 00:01:09.780 --> 00:01:12.099 your story and tell us, you know, just kind of 00:01:12.099 --> 00:01:15.849 how you got here. Yes, and thank you so much 00:01:15.849 --> 00:01:18.230 for having me, Mindy, and it is such an honor 00:01:18.230 --> 00:01:22.329 and a blessing to be here. And so I am where 00:01:22.329 --> 00:01:29.109 I am right now because at the age of 18, I was 00:01:29.109 --> 00:01:33.650 had graduated high school and I was I knew that 00:01:33.650 --> 00:01:36.290 some things were changing in my body, but I didn't 00:01:36.290 --> 00:01:40.530 know exactly what was happening. And my grandmother's 00:01:40.530 --> 00:01:43.590 friend, you know, the elders can always tell 00:01:43.590 --> 00:01:47.250 when someone is caring or conceiving or anything 00:01:47.250 --> 00:01:49.290 like that. And she saw me in a grocery store 00:01:49.290 --> 00:01:53.769 one day and she said, you're glowing. You're 00:01:53.769 --> 00:01:59.299 pregnant. And I was like, no. Not me. Not me. 00:01:59.780 --> 00:02:02.819 And I had a cousin who also, she was like, you're 00:02:02.819 --> 00:02:06.620 sleeping a whole lot. And I didn't really know 00:02:06.620 --> 00:02:10.300 the symptoms that came with this being an 18 00:02:10.300 --> 00:02:14.210 year old. I was just like, okay, maybe I do need 00:02:14.210 --> 00:02:16.430 to go get this checked out since people are, 00:02:16.710 --> 00:02:19.550 you know, saying things. So I walked into the 00:02:19.550 --> 00:02:21.490 health department. I'm originally from Mississippi 00:02:21.490 --> 00:02:24.449 and we have health departments. And so I walked 00:02:24.449 --> 00:02:28.729 into the health department and the nurse told 00:02:28.729 --> 00:02:31.530 me to, you know, follow the procedures. And so 00:02:31.530 --> 00:02:34.069 that's what I did. And she came back in the room 00:02:34.069 --> 00:02:37.889 and she said, you're pregnant. And I was just 00:02:37.889 --> 00:02:41.360 like, I was taking her back. I was like, What 00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:45.599 like you know, but it's like what would you expect? 00:02:45.740 --> 00:02:48.680 You're doing the duties like you're doing the 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:51.620 thing so you know it wasn't really a shock but 00:02:51.620 --> 00:02:55.699 it was a shock for me because I knew that at 00:02:55.699 --> 00:02:57.879 that time I had just graduated high school and 00:02:57.879 --> 00:03:00.520 I had opportunities that were out there for me 00:03:00.520 --> 00:03:04.780 and in my mind it was just like I can't do this 00:03:04.780 --> 00:03:08.560 because I'm already trying to leave Mississippi. 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:12.009 I knew that it wasn't the the place that I would 00:03:12.009 --> 00:03:16.569 be in. I was already in my mind applying for 00:03:16.569 --> 00:03:20.490 opportunities to go to the Navy. I had applied 00:03:20.490 --> 00:03:23.129 and I had gotten my height waiver you know and 00:03:23.129 --> 00:03:26.409 everything because I'm 411 and a half and so 00:03:26.409 --> 00:03:28.469 you have to be a certain height to join the military 00:03:28.469 --> 00:03:31.030 and you know had taken all the steps and I was 00:03:31.030 --> 00:03:34.229 like Mississippi is not the place for me and 00:03:34.229 --> 00:03:36.509 so I remember calling my boyfriend at the time 00:03:36.509 --> 00:03:40.020 and telling him that I was pregnant and There 00:03:40.020 --> 00:03:43.840 wasn't much words on the other side of that line. 00:03:44.060 --> 00:03:46.719 It was just like complete silence. And I was 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:49.300 like, I don't know what I'm going to do. And 00:03:49.300 --> 00:03:52.000 also, I didn't even know if I was going to be 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:56.919 with him at that time. And so I had never even 00:03:56.919 --> 00:04:01.199 heard of the word abortion at that time. And 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:04.509 I just knew that. When people had babies they 00:04:04.509 --> 00:04:07.849 had babies, you know And so for me it was like 00:04:07.849 --> 00:04:10.689 to be to be presented with that opportunity I 00:04:10.689 --> 00:04:13.449 was like what this is the decision that I will 00:04:13.449 --> 00:04:17.009 have to make because I have all of these things 00:04:17.009 --> 00:04:20.769 that are happening for me and on my behalf and 00:04:20.769 --> 00:04:23.250 I felt like at the time that I really didn't 00:04:23.250 --> 00:04:26.230 have a great relationship with my mom and at 00:04:26.230 --> 00:04:28.629 the time I also told myself I'm not going to 00:04:28.629 --> 00:04:30.949 be that girl that's on welfare like I had seen 00:04:30.949 --> 00:04:33.589 family members that were on welfare and I was 00:04:33.589 --> 00:04:38.009 like that will not be me and so I told my boyfriend 00:04:38.009 --> 00:04:39.709 I was like well this is what we're going to do 00:04:39.709 --> 00:04:42.589 and he didn't really he didn't hesitate You know, 00:04:42.629 --> 00:04:44.670 it was just like, oh, are you sure? Like, and 00:04:44.670 --> 00:04:47.170 I'm like, yes, this is what I want to do. And 00:04:47.170 --> 00:04:49.930 so I scheduled the appointment and I remember 00:04:49.930 --> 00:04:53.850 walking into that building and I hit my head 00:04:53.850 --> 00:04:56.490 held low because there were people outside. They 00:04:56.490 --> 00:04:59.470 had signs. They were, you know, saying things, 00:04:59.509 --> 00:05:03.089 but I blocked all of that out. And I, it was 00:05:03.089 --> 00:05:05.670 almost like the walk of shame going into that 00:05:05.670 --> 00:05:08.069 building. I just remember sitting in that chair, 00:05:08.449 --> 00:05:11.720 filling out the paperwork again. I know I didn't 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:13.819 even look at the other women that were in the 00:05:13.819 --> 00:05:16.779 room. Like I didn't look around. I didn't see. 00:05:17.079 --> 00:05:19.660 I didn't want to see anything. I just was focused 00:05:19.660 --> 00:05:21.920 on filling out my information and getting in 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:26.860 and getting out of that place. And so isn't that 00:05:26.860 --> 00:05:29.819 what we have to do? Yeah, abortion. I mean, we 00:05:29.819 --> 00:05:31.620 have to disconnect ourselves from what's really 00:05:31.620 --> 00:05:35.300 happening. Don't we? Yes. Yes. Yes, we do. And 00:05:35.300 --> 00:05:38.680 so they called my name and I go into the room 00:05:38.680 --> 00:05:43.839 and I remember laying on the table that they 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:47.019 had prepared for me, and I was laying there. 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:50.560 I was looking at the ceiling, and I began to 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:54.439 hear the machine, the rearing of the vacuum going 00:05:54.439 --> 00:05:58.790 off and, you know, just laying there. And I don't 00:05:58.790 --> 00:06:00.990 even remember any of the conversation that I 00:06:00.990 --> 00:06:03.829 had with the nurse or even with the doctor. Like 00:06:03.829 --> 00:06:05.810 you said that there was just such a disconnect. 00:06:06.089 --> 00:06:08.870 Like I just needed to not focus on what was happening. 00:06:09.209 --> 00:06:12.209 But I remember looking around that room and I 00:06:12.209 --> 00:06:14.829 saw the jars on the wall and I just remember 00:06:14.829 --> 00:06:18.370 thinking my child, my baby is going to be in 00:06:18.370 --> 00:06:23.209 one of those jars. They were done and I went 00:06:23.209 --> 00:06:25.970 to the recovery room and it was, you know, dimly 00:06:25.970 --> 00:06:28.769 lit in the recovery room and it felt like I was 00:06:28.769 --> 00:06:31.410 there forever. And then she came in and after 00:06:31.410 --> 00:06:33.649 I went school shopping because I was preparing 00:06:33.649 --> 00:06:36.529 to go to college and I got in that truck with 00:06:36.529 --> 00:06:39.629 my boyfriend and there was nothing said. There 00:06:39.629 --> 00:06:42.310 was no conversation. Nothing. We drove to the 00:06:42.310 --> 00:06:45.490 store, got the things for me to move into my 00:06:45.490 --> 00:06:48.750 dorm room and I went back home. And I remember 00:06:48.750 --> 00:06:52.310 walking into my aunt's house and I went to the 00:06:52.310 --> 00:06:55.329 back bedroom and I guess the business of that 00:06:55.329 --> 00:06:58.949 day had worn off and I sat on the bed and I just 00:06:58.949 --> 00:07:02.009 broke down crying and I said Lord what did I 00:07:02.009 --> 00:07:06.689 just do and I My boyfriend must have been feeling 00:07:06.689 --> 00:07:08.449 the weight of it at the time as well because 00:07:08.449 --> 00:07:10.970 he came back to pick me up and I just remember 00:07:10.970 --> 00:07:15.300 him crying and I Got in the truck and we went 00:07:15.300 --> 00:07:18.220 to a secluded place and I just sat in his lap 00:07:18.220 --> 00:07:21.019 and put my head in his chest and I just stopped 00:07:21.019 --> 00:07:25.339 and we both, you know, we're just crying and 00:07:25.339 --> 00:07:32.560 So I started college 2003 August 2003 and 2006 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:37.360 I moved to Georgia and even during that transition 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:41.000 time I really didn't even think about it. Like 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:43.560 I was just still moving about like nothing had 00:07:43.560 --> 00:07:46.639 taken place. I was always busy trying to make 00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:49.360 sure that I didn't have time to sit and think 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:52.360 about that. But it's a process. That is such 00:07:52.360 --> 00:07:55.220 a that is such a good way for us to not think 00:07:55.220 --> 00:07:56.620 about what's happening in our head and heart 00:07:56.620 --> 00:07:59.240 and to just keep ourselves disconnected from 00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:02.259 it. So it's not just disconnecting in the abortion 00:08:02.259 --> 00:08:05.040 center, but we have to then maintain that disconnect 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:07.959 from reality afterwards until finally it comes 00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:13.810 crashing in. Yep. And so, you know, I was. drinking, 00:08:14.170 --> 00:08:17.529 I was partying, I was even in and I was I had 00:08:17.529 --> 00:08:20.149 went to school for tennis and so tennis season 00:08:20.149 --> 00:08:23.610 came so that was another occupying you know time 00:08:23.610 --> 00:08:25.990 you know for me not having to think about that 00:08:25.990 --> 00:08:28.949 but I was just in this place and in this space 00:08:28.949 --> 00:08:32.649 of It was just so much happening and I was making 00:08:32.649 --> 00:08:36.029 sure that I was always busy, you know, doing 00:08:36.029 --> 00:08:39.169 something. I had gotten a job as well. And so 00:08:39.169 --> 00:08:42.409 still, when I got out of class, I would go to 00:08:42.409 --> 00:08:45.269 work. So there's still no time to really think 00:08:45.269 --> 00:08:47.649 about, you know, this, because by the time I 00:08:47.649 --> 00:08:50.350 get back to school, then it's time, you know, 00:08:50.389 --> 00:08:53.200 to go to bed and wake back up and. go through 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:55.980 all the things, but one of the things I wouldn't 00:08:55.980 --> 00:08:58.679 say that I'm blessed, but one of the things that 00:08:58.679 --> 00:09:01.860 I did not experience that I know most women do, 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:04.899 there was never a sensitivity to babies crying. 00:09:05.159 --> 00:09:09.279 There was never any nightmares of what had happened 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:13.179 in that room. And so I never experienced those 00:09:13.179 --> 00:09:16.440 things and it could be because of the constant 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:19.470 motion. that I was in so you didn't have any 00:09:19.470 --> 00:09:22.889 kind of triggers at all like babies or no when 00:09:22.889 --> 00:09:25.570 you had your you have a daughter correct yes 00:09:25.570 --> 00:09:27.710 I do have a daughter when you had it when you 00:09:27.710 --> 00:09:29.590 had your daughter that didn't trigger you back 00:09:29.590 --> 00:09:33.909 yeah it did okay so it wasn't until then it wasn't 00:09:33.909 --> 00:09:37.299 until then I had my daughter that things started 00:09:37.299 --> 00:09:40.559 to really hit me when I found out I moved to 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:44.779 Georgia in 2006 and my grandmother she was she 00:09:44.779 --> 00:09:47.879 was my rock she was like my everything and in 00:09:47.879 --> 00:09:50.659 2006 when I moved the very first thing that she 00:09:50.659 --> 00:09:54.620 said because my mom no one knew that I had had 00:09:54.620 --> 00:09:57.820 the abortion. And there was only one person that 00:09:57.820 --> 00:10:01.200 knew outside of my boyfriend. And she was my 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:04.539 friend at the time. And she knew. But then she 00:10:04.539 --> 00:10:06.720 broke that trust by telling someone else. So 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:10.639 I put up this wall. And so I kept everyone out. 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:13.340 And still, no one in my family knew about what 00:10:13.340 --> 00:10:17.799 I had done. So in 2006, when I was prepared to 00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:19.740 move out to college, my grandmother told me, 00:10:20.259 --> 00:10:23.379 don't go to Georgia and get pregnant. And what 00:10:23.379 --> 00:10:26.039 did I do? I moved in May and I was pregnant in 00:10:26.039 --> 00:10:30.139 October. And it was just like the very thing 00:10:30.139 --> 00:10:32.779 that she told me not to do, I did. But in that 00:10:32.779 --> 00:10:36.240 moment, I knew the hell that I had went through. 00:10:36.419 --> 00:10:38.659 And I was like, I'm not going through that again. 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:42.460 I will have to do what I have to do and I'm going 00:10:42.460 --> 00:10:45.840 to have the baby this time because I knew the 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:48.580 torment and the things that I was experiencing 00:10:48.580 --> 00:10:55.080 in my mind at that time. But it was every day 00:10:55.080 --> 00:10:58.299 that I isn't that interesting because I hear 00:10:58.299 --> 00:11:01.279 I hear you and I get this from my experience 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:03.779 because I hear you say You were so busy. You 00:11:03.779 --> 00:11:05.399 were never thinking about it never triggered 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:07.519 by anything all these things But yet you went 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:09.919 through hell and torment in your months. So it's 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:13.860 like this It's there, but you're just trying 00:11:13.860 --> 00:11:16.259 to buffer it and so you don't feel it You don't 00:11:16.259 --> 00:11:18.740 experience it, you know, it doesn't become that 00:11:18.740 --> 00:11:23.720 the reality that is true Yeah, so it is a strange 00:11:23.720 --> 00:11:28.759 it is a strange thing to be in and But every 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:32.799 day from the moment that I had it For about ten 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:36.399 years. I prayed every day for God to forgive 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:39.940 me for what I had done and so I got prayed in 00:11:39.940 --> 00:11:44.200 2006 and I remember being at work one day and 00:11:44.200 --> 00:11:47.740 I told my friend and I just I broke down in the 00:11:47.740 --> 00:11:51.240 front of her and I said How can I take care of 00:11:51.240 --> 00:11:54.220 one when I've given up another? And so things 00:11:54.220 --> 00:11:57.179 started to really hit me when I became pregnant 00:11:57.179 --> 00:12:00.360 with my daughter. And it was like the enemy, 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:03.500 you know, bringing up these things and telling 00:12:03.500 --> 00:12:08.200 me all of these things. And she was born in 2007. 00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:13.860 And she was about two weeks old. And my mother 00:12:13.860 --> 00:12:17.200 came to help me. And I would pick her up and 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:19.399 she would start crying. But when my mother picked 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:22.340 her up, she would stop crying. And my husband 00:12:22.340 --> 00:12:24.779 went out of town because I have a bonus son. 00:12:25.240 --> 00:12:29.100 He went out of town to Mississippi. And it's 00:12:29.100 --> 00:12:33.200 in the heat of summer. And it's very hot in Atlanta 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:36.580 during the summertime. And I run out to my car. 00:12:37.019 --> 00:12:40.779 The car isn't on. The windows aren't down. It's 00:12:40.779 --> 00:12:43.460 hot in this car. I know that it's hot. But in 00:12:43.460 --> 00:12:47.639 my mind, that doesn't faze me. I call him and 00:12:47.639 --> 00:12:51.840 I say, she doesn't love me. And he was like, 00:12:52.299 --> 00:12:54.559 what are, he's confused. He doesn't know what 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:57.159 to say. He doesn't know how to console me. He 00:12:57.159 --> 00:12:59.720 doesn't, you know, have the words. He's confused 00:12:59.720 --> 00:13:02.580 cause he's like, what are we talking about? Did 00:13:02.580 --> 00:13:04.460 he know about it or is this where he finds out? 00:13:05.220 --> 00:13:10.019 Well, actually my husband is actually the one 00:13:10.019 --> 00:13:14.840 that took me. He was my boyfriend. Okay. Okay. 00:13:14.840 --> 00:13:18.899 Yes. Okay. All right. So you guys so did oh wow 00:13:18.899 --> 00:13:22.379 some more questions and Because I want to know 00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:25.200 that he get healing too. So go ahead. Yeah. Yeah, 00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:27.779 so I call him and he's like, what do you mean? 00:13:27.820 --> 00:13:30.559 She doesn't love you and I said every time I 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:33.320 pick her up She starts crying but when my mom 00:13:33.320 --> 00:13:35.980 picks her up She starts she stops crying and 00:13:35.980 --> 00:13:38.039 it was like the enemy was telling me see I told 00:13:38.039 --> 00:13:40.240 you that she wasn't she wasn't gonna love you 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:43.879 because of the decision that you had made But 00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:47.620 I also didn't know at the time no one had told 00:13:47.620 --> 00:13:50.980 me or talked to me about postpartum No one had 00:13:50.980 --> 00:13:53.980 told me that babies can pick up stress in your 00:13:53.980 --> 00:13:56.299 body when you pick them up like you know from 00:13:56.299 --> 00:13:58.860 They spent nine months with you so they know 00:13:58.860 --> 00:14:02.120 the functioning of your body But I didn't know 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:06.340 that in my mind it was she doesn't love you because 00:14:06.340 --> 00:14:10.350 of your decision. Yeah And so it all came rushing 00:14:10.350 --> 00:14:13.809 in. And I was like, well, I can't love her because 00:14:13.809 --> 00:14:16.570 I don't have this love to give her. Like, how 00:14:16.570 --> 00:14:18.789 am I going to love her? How am I going to take 00:14:18.789 --> 00:14:21.909 care of her as a mom when I don't even have these 00:14:21.909 --> 00:14:27.429 things that I don't know? And so I'm going to 00:14:27.429 --> 00:14:30.549 church every Sunday. I'm sitting in church and, 00:14:30.909 --> 00:14:34.450 you know, but there's still things that I'm wrestling 00:14:34.450 --> 00:14:36.850 with in those times that I'm going to church. 00:14:37.110 --> 00:14:40.370 And it wasn't until one day my pastor saw me 00:14:40.370 --> 00:14:44.710 and she said, I see death in your eyes. And I 00:14:44.710 --> 00:14:48.909 knew that she wasn't lying because I was just 00:14:48.909 --> 00:14:51.970 like, God, take me now. I'm tired of dealing 00:14:51.970 --> 00:14:54.149 with this. I'm tired of the torment. I was ready 00:14:54.149 --> 00:14:56.889 to leave my husband and my daughter behind. I 00:14:56.889 --> 00:15:00.669 was like, God, I can't do this anymore. like 00:15:00.669 --> 00:15:06.889 just take me and so I went through some um deliverance 00:15:06.889 --> 00:15:10.110 with that because it was things that I had done 00:15:10.110 --> 00:15:14.149 prior to the abortion. Shame was already in my 00:15:14.149 --> 00:15:17.269 life but abortion just magnified it. It was like 00:15:17.269 --> 00:15:20.250 yeast to the things that I had experienced and 00:15:20.250 --> 00:15:25.330 so I went through that and then my pastor introduced 00:15:25.330 --> 00:15:28.029 us to the book called The True Measure of a Woman 00:15:28.029 --> 00:15:31.870 by Lisa Bavir. And she asked two questions in 00:15:31.870 --> 00:15:34.610 chapter two. And I didn't make it to the end 00:15:34.610 --> 00:15:37.450 of that book because everything like shifted 00:15:37.450 --> 00:15:40.470 for me in that moment. And the first question 00:15:40.470 --> 00:15:42.509 was, what is it that you have in your closet 00:15:42.509 --> 00:15:45.429 that you need to clean out? And I knew that it 00:15:45.429 --> 00:15:48.350 was God speaking to me, that it was time to clean 00:15:48.350 --> 00:15:51.809 out abortion. And it was also my grandmother 00:15:51.809 --> 00:15:54.730 had passed away shortly after I moved to Georgia. 00:15:55.210 --> 00:15:57.629 And so I didn't know that at the time I was dealing 00:15:57.629 --> 00:16:00.690 with depression as well. Like it was just a lot. 00:16:01.110 --> 00:16:03.610 It was like layers on layers on layers of things 00:16:03.610 --> 00:16:06.870 that I'm dealing with that I had not healed or 00:16:06.870 --> 00:16:10.450 hadn't started the healing process of. And so 00:16:10.450 --> 00:16:13.210 we read the, got to that first question. And 00:16:13.210 --> 00:16:15.549 then the second question was, what is it that 00:16:15.549 --> 00:16:18.009 you have a value that you can get to someone 00:16:18.009 --> 00:16:21.570 else? And I immediately started sobbing. I was 00:16:21.570 --> 00:16:24.409 crying and I got. Frustrated and mad at God because 00:16:24.409 --> 00:16:26.870 I was like, how could you make me with no purpose? 00:16:27.070 --> 00:16:30.710 How could you make me with no value? How could 00:16:30.710 --> 00:16:33.669 you say that I have something to give when I 00:16:33.669 --> 00:16:37.970 don't? And so it was a thought from the abort 00:16:37.970 --> 00:16:40.470 like that kind of came out of yes You just felt 00:16:40.470 --> 00:16:42.389 like you had nothing to give. Yeah, I had nothing 00:16:42.389 --> 00:16:45.350 to give I am of no value. Why would you make 00:16:45.350 --> 00:16:48.190 me with no purpose? Why would you make me to 00:16:48.190 --> 00:16:50.570 be here when I don't even have anything to give 00:16:50.570 --> 00:16:55.960 to anybody? And so, and at that time also I was 00:16:55.960 --> 00:16:58.879 having this pain in my stomach almost as a reminder 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:01.559 to what I had done. It would be this sharp pain 00:17:01.559 --> 00:17:05.920 that would hit me in my stomach. And so we got 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:08.799 back and we talked about the book and I didn't 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:11.500 want to talk about it. but thank God it was a 00:17:11.500 --> 00:17:14.819 small group of women the Lord knows he's intentional 00:17:14.819 --> 00:17:18.900 and so we share and I tell them about the things 00:17:18.900 --> 00:17:21.920 I had written on that page and I told them how 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:24.700 I had prayed every day and asked God to forgive 00:17:24.700 --> 00:17:28.440 me and my pastor said what sweetie he forgave 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:31.289 you the very first time that you prayed And I 00:17:31.289 --> 00:17:34.609 didn't know that because I didn't have a relationship 00:17:34.609 --> 00:17:38.569 with God like that. And for her to say that it 00:17:38.569 --> 00:17:41.549 was like a gift that I didn't know that I needed 00:17:41.549 --> 00:17:44.369 and it was the gift of forgiveness. And so when 00:17:44.369 --> 00:17:47.069 she said that, she didn't know that I was having 00:17:47.069 --> 00:17:49.450 that pain in my stomach. But when she said it, 00:17:49.569 --> 00:17:52.910 I haven't had that pain in my stomach since then. 00:17:53.150 --> 00:17:56.730 Because now I understand that it was the unforgiveness 00:17:56.730 --> 00:17:59.559 that I was holding against myself. you know the 00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:02.920 regret and all the guilt and everything that 00:18:02.920 --> 00:18:06.079 I was holding on to from having that procedure 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:10.019 done. Wow. And so that kind of changed the trajectory 00:18:10.019 --> 00:18:13.960 of my life and you know started the healing process 00:18:13.960 --> 00:18:17.339 and really started to get me into this place 00:18:17.339 --> 00:18:20.880 of understanding what it was to know God and 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:24.380 to understand you know that he had forgiven me 00:18:24.380 --> 00:18:28.259 and that He still, you know, he still loved me. 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:31.440 And so I just thank God for my pastors, because 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:35.259 they approached me with love and compassion. 00:18:36.099 --> 00:18:39.259 Isn't that beautiful? I mean, we don't heal without 00:18:39.259 --> 00:18:43.119 God. We really don't. Yes. The Word of God heals 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:46.720 if it does. And even if we did... Never did a 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:49.039 Bible study on abortion recovery, but we were 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:50.720 seeking the Lord for abortion there would be 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:53.319 healing But boy, there's so much power in having 00:18:53.319 --> 00:18:55.059 someone take you and lead you through something 00:18:55.059 --> 00:18:57.619 like that So did you go through a specific study 00:18:57.619 --> 00:19:01.900 for abortion recovery ever? No, no everything 00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:08.500 I didn't have my first support group until Last 00:19:08.500 --> 00:19:12.680 year you're you mean for yourself Yeah, because 00:19:12.680 --> 00:19:15.740 I went through it because I was going to be a 00:19:15.740 --> 00:19:20.559 volunteer at a non -profit. So their requirement 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:24.640 was you had to go through a support group for 00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:29.200 it. So my healing was literally Holy Spirit in 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:32.599 the Bible. That was it. I didn't have anything 00:19:32.599 --> 00:19:36.319 else. And even at that time, I didn't know that 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:38.559 there were support groups. I didn't know that 00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:42.680 these things existed. until God began to speak 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:46.660 to me to tell my story. And so everything that 00:19:46.660 --> 00:19:50.180 I've experienced has really just been God. It's 00:19:50.180 --> 00:19:52.519 been Holy Spirit. It's been Jesus. The Godhead 00:19:52.519 --> 00:19:55.809 3 and everything has been just that. So I want 00:19:55.809 --> 00:19:57.430 to talk a little bit about the book you wrote 00:19:57.430 --> 00:19:59.490 and I'm going to apologize right on there to 00:19:59.490 --> 00:20:01.829 you. I read your book. I told you that before 00:20:01.829 --> 00:20:03.950 we started and I loved it. It's beautiful, but 00:20:03.950 --> 00:20:06.670 I read it several months ago and I've slept since 00:20:06.670 --> 00:20:08.690 then. So I did forget the detail about your husband 00:20:08.690 --> 00:20:11.289 and I want to apologize for that on air. But 00:20:11.289 --> 00:20:13.930 it is beautifully written and I want you to just 00:20:13.930 --> 00:20:16.890 kind of talk about unveiled freedom, what your 00:20:16.890 --> 00:20:19.609 intent was for this book, for the women who read 00:20:19.609 --> 00:20:25.329 it and go for it. Yeah, so unveil freedom. It 00:20:25.329 --> 00:20:27.890 was one of those things again where the Lord 00:20:27.890 --> 00:20:29.970 was like, you're telling the story, but I need 00:20:29.970 --> 00:20:33.789 you to like everything out in this book. Like 00:20:33.789 --> 00:20:37.049 I need them to really read it and you know, and 00:20:37.049 --> 00:20:40.430 just be transparent about what took place in 00:20:40.430 --> 00:20:44.170 my life. And so unveil freedom is just that it's 00:20:44.170 --> 00:20:48.740 just it's it's giving an invitation for women 00:20:48.740 --> 00:20:52.559 to really walk unashamedly and to understand 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:55.880 that abortion is not the author of their story 00:20:55.880 --> 00:20:59.579 and so writing this it was the intent of also 00:20:59.579 --> 00:21:02.720 it's not just for people who've experienced abortion 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:05.660 but anyone who has experienced shame in their 00:21:05.660 --> 00:21:09.009 lives because You may not have had a physical 00:21:09.009 --> 00:21:11.210 abortion, but you've had things in your life 00:21:11.210 --> 00:21:13.230 that have tried to abort your destiny, whether 00:21:13.230 --> 00:21:17.349 it be the addiction, whether it be divorce, whether 00:21:17.349 --> 00:21:20.329 it be the accident. There's always something 00:21:20.329 --> 00:21:22.750 in our lives that are trying to abort us from 00:21:22.750 --> 00:21:25.609 getting to the destiny of what God has called 00:21:25.609 --> 00:21:29.119 us to. And so it's for anyone who has really 00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:31.920 dealt with shame. And I talk about in the book 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:34.640 that I didn't even know shame was the word for 00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:36.920 how it was feeling. I knew that I had emotions, 00:21:37.119 --> 00:21:40.680 but I didn't know that it was shame that I was 00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:43.960 dealing with. And so I go, I talk about in the 00:21:43.960 --> 00:21:46.859 book, the Genesis chapter one, and the Genesis 00:21:46.859 --> 00:21:50.079 is all about going back to the beginning. Shane 00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:53.460 did not first start with the abortion. It started 00:21:53.460 --> 00:21:57.339 with me being humiliated in school after having 00:21:57.339 --> 00:22:00.180 sexual intercourse with a guy and him telling 00:22:00.180 --> 00:22:03.339 the entire school. That's where the origin of 00:22:03.339 --> 00:22:07.539 Shane came from, but abortion just magnified 00:22:07.539 --> 00:22:11.460 that. Right. All the unhealed areas in my life. 00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:15.319 And I talk about also how the shame that I carried 00:22:15.319 --> 00:22:18.759 from my husband, he was my boyfriend at the time, 00:22:18.900 --> 00:22:21.740 and he was also with someone else at the time 00:22:21.740 --> 00:22:23.720 that we were talking. He was with her first. 00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:26.819 They had a son and we started, you know, talking 00:22:26.819 --> 00:22:32.660 and we had intercourse and how he has also received 00:22:32.660 --> 00:22:35.940 healing as well and how the Lord began to work 00:22:35.940 --> 00:22:39.339 on his heart and how he apologized to me by saying, 00:22:39.420 --> 00:22:42.000 I'm sorry for the trauma I caused in your life 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:46.950 that I added onto it. And how the Lord really 00:22:46.950 --> 00:22:51.450 had him to see how he was an accomplice in this. 00:22:51.809 --> 00:22:54.009 Because his thing was, well, I didn't do it. 00:22:54.069 --> 00:22:56.349 I don't have anything to apologize for. She was 00:22:56.349 --> 00:22:59.450 the one that went through it. And how the Lord 00:22:59.450 --> 00:23:03.210 dealt with his heart and he had to ask for forgiveness, 00:23:03.490 --> 00:23:06.930 you know, for that. And so I talk about from 00:23:06.930 --> 00:23:10.809 being a mother to my relationships with friends 00:23:10.809 --> 00:23:14.710 and being married and how I'm not able to give 00:23:14.710 --> 00:23:17.609 my body to my husband to love one because I didn't 00:23:17.609 --> 00:23:22.869 love my body. And just going through and talking 00:23:22.869 --> 00:23:25.990 about how speaking with my daughter at the age 00:23:25.990 --> 00:23:29.490 of 12 and telling her about the abortion and 00:23:29.490 --> 00:23:32.910 her having the wisdom of God at 12 years old 00:23:32.910 --> 00:23:38.230 to say, Thank you for choosing me. And I didn't 00:23:38.230 --> 00:23:41.470 know that I needed to hear that from her, from 00:23:41.470 --> 00:23:44.730 her own lips, but it was like the Lord used her 00:23:44.730 --> 00:23:48.490 to further break off some things that I had been 00:23:48.490 --> 00:23:51.970 holding on to. Yeah. One of the things I do like 00:23:51.970 --> 00:23:54.990 about your book, Latoya, is that you actually 00:23:54.990 --> 00:23:58.309 give the reader some things to think about at 00:23:58.309 --> 00:24:01.190 each chapter. And so just talk about that a little 00:24:01.190 --> 00:24:03.369 bit. That's the part where it's called unveiling. 00:24:03.869 --> 00:24:08.470 Yeah, so the unveiling is where I asked these 00:24:08.470 --> 00:24:11.789 questions at like the Genesis the unveiling of 00:24:11.789 --> 00:24:15.049 that where did this thing start in your life 00:24:15.049 --> 00:24:17.789 where did shame start because when we can get 00:24:17.789 --> 00:24:20.809 to the root of something we can stop going through 00:24:20.809 --> 00:24:25.390 the revolving door of repeated cycles and repeated 00:24:25.390 --> 00:24:29.660 patterns and so my whole idea behind that was 00:24:29.660 --> 00:24:32.759 to have you to sit and to reflect because just 00:24:32.759 --> 00:24:36.980 like me having to take a moment to just sit and 00:24:36.980 --> 00:24:39.940 face that thing instead of running from it because 00:24:39.940 --> 00:24:42.960 you keep running but it's still chasing after 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:45.799 you. Yeah and you talk about in the beginning 00:24:45.799 --> 00:24:49.200 you talk about the veil because you know it's 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:52.279 unveiled freedom and I never really thought about 00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:54.740 this before but you talked about the veil that 00:24:54.740 --> 00:24:57.160 the bride wears and then you can the veil that 00:24:57.160 --> 00:25:01.640 we wear is Shane. So go ahead and yeah. So I 00:25:01.640 --> 00:25:04.339 wanted to paint that picture because we all seen 00:25:04.339 --> 00:25:06.619 a veil, you know, a bride come down the aisle 00:25:06.619 --> 00:25:09.799 and with that veil on, which you can't really 00:25:09.799 --> 00:25:12.319 tell if she's crying and she's smiling. You can 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:15.440 see glimpses, but you don't fully get to see 00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:19.079 the rawness of what she's going through walking 00:25:19.079 --> 00:25:24.259 down that aisle. And the same thing, Shane. guilt, 00:25:24.599 --> 00:25:27.099 regret, all of those things become a veil to 00:25:27.099 --> 00:25:30.740 where we hide behind. We don't really show people 00:25:30.740 --> 00:25:33.259 exactly what we're going through and that veil 00:25:33.259 --> 00:25:36.099 becomes a barrier between us and God, keeping 00:25:36.099 --> 00:25:41.220 us away from the true love, keeping us away from 00:25:41.220 --> 00:25:43.839 that unconditional love, keeping us away from 00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:47.319 the healing that we really desire to have. It 00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:50.599 becomes a barrier and it's all based on 2nd Corinthians 00:25:50.599 --> 00:25:55.859 318 where he says, we all with unveiling faces 00:25:55.859 --> 00:25:57.960 like we're going through this transformation 00:25:57.960 --> 00:26:01.420 but it's only when we begin to remove the veil 00:26:01.420 --> 00:26:04.500 Moses had a veil to keep the people from seeing 00:26:04.500 --> 00:26:07.359 the fading glory that was happening when he would 00:26:07.359 --> 00:26:11.380 come down from the mountain and so Paul was encouraging 00:26:11.380 --> 00:26:13.900 us to remove the veil because it's only when 00:26:13.900 --> 00:26:16.779 the veil is removed that we get to experience 00:26:16.779 --> 00:26:20.019 the fullness of what God has to offer us through 00:26:20.019 --> 00:26:22.640 His Son, Jesus Christ. And so when we remove 00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:25.519 that veil of shame, we get to experience that 00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:31.799 because the veil happened in Genesis 3 when the 00:26:31.799 --> 00:26:35.710 serpent You know told II did God really say that 00:26:35.710 --> 00:26:38.150 and they ate the fruit and they said they became 00:26:38.150 --> 00:26:43.009 naked and ashamed Yes, and we begin to cover 00:26:43.009 --> 00:26:45.829 ourselves with those fig leaves when God is like 00:26:45.829 --> 00:26:49.369 Who told you that you were naked like why do 00:26:49.369 --> 00:26:53.029 we have to clothe ourselves? Why do we have to 00:26:53.029 --> 00:26:57.180 hide our insecurities our shame? you know our 00:26:57.180 --> 00:27:00.299 shamefulness our our guilt and regret when there 00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:02.940 are safe places that provide us to where we can 00:27:02.940 --> 00:27:06.319 come and remove the veil so that our hearts can 00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:09.960 be touched so that our souls can be you know 00:27:09.960 --> 00:27:13.579 met with such love and grace and compassion and 00:27:13.579 --> 00:27:19.440 the things that we really need to fully be who 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:22.880 God created us to be and so we try to paint this 00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:26.259 picture a perfect And so that people don't really 00:27:26.259 --> 00:27:29.359 get to see or hear about the things that we've 00:27:29.359 --> 00:27:33.180 experienced. But the Bible tells us that we overcome 00:27:33.180 --> 00:27:35.579 by the blood of the Lamb and by the words of 00:27:35.579 --> 00:27:38.640 our testimony. Yeah, and it's that testimony 00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:40.940 of what Jesus has done in our life is what we 00:27:40.940 --> 00:27:43.059 overcome because just to tell our stories flat 00:27:43.059 --> 00:27:45.240 out is not glorifying it all but when we talk 00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:47.799 about what Jesus done in our life That's a completely 00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:50.220 different ballgame because we're yes, we are 00:27:50.220 --> 00:27:54.059 who we were we are who he says we are Yes, yeah, 00:27:54.119 --> 00:27:56.579 and that's all that matters. So yeah, it's beautiful 00:27:56.579 --> 00:28:00.220 really beautiful. So you do some you work with 00:28:00.220 --> 00:28:03.539 women correct? Just talk about that a little 00:28:03.539 --> 00:28:08.779 bit. Tell us what you do Yes. So 2018, the Lord 00:28:08.779 --> 00:28:11.900 was like, I need you to tell your story. And 00:28:11.900 --> 00:28:14.519 so I hit a Moses and I said, find somebody else 00:28:14.519 --> 00:28:18.940 to do it because who's talking about this? And, 00:28:19.079 --> 00:28:21.859 and especially I didn't see people who looked 00:28:21.859 --> 00:28:25.160 like me that was telling this story. The first 00:28:25.160 --> 00:28:28.960 time I had ever heard of someone speaking about 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:33.259 this was after watching October baby and hearing 00:28:33.259 --> 00:28:38.619 Sharon Rick be tell her story on What's his name? 00:28:40.259 --> 00:28:43.960 Gosh, what's his name? It's a Christian TV show. 00:28:44.299 --> 00:28:49.059 He's from I think he's from Louisiana And I can't 00:28:49.059 --> 00:28:51.480 think of his name right now, but you would know 00:28:51.480 --> 00:28:54.299 who I'm talking about Okay, but she was speaking 00:28:54.299 --> 00:29:00.250 on his show. I think his name is James I'm not 00:29:00.250 --> 00:29:02.230 gonna I'm not gonna butcher it. Okay. I'm just 00:29:02.230 --> 00:29:04.529 gonna leave it at that But she was talking to 00:29:04.529 --> 00:29:09.049 him and how she had That when she got cast for 00:29:09.049 --> 00:29:11.849 that role, they didn't know that she had had 00:29:11.849 --> 00:29:16.490 an abortion Oh But the end of that scene was 00:29:16.490 --> 00:29:19.529 she's on the floor She's saying that that was 00:29:19.529 --> 00:29:23.089 a real moment. That was a healing moment for 00:29:23.089 --> 00:29:26.430 her because her husband didn't even know that 00:29:26.430 --> 00:29:29.190 she had had one. But after shooting that video, 00:29:29.789 --> 00:29:33.289 I searched it up and I was able to find a clips. 00:29:34.970 --> 00:29:38.369 His name, his last name is Robinson, Robin, R 00:29:38.369 --> 00:29:40.970 -O -B -I -S -O -N, Robinson. James Robinson? 00:29:41.869 --> 00:29:46.269 No, the Duck Dynasty people. No, he's an older 00:29:46.269 --> 00:29:48.910 gentleman. He's an older gentleman, white hair. 00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:53.579 But he has a Cajun accent. But I'm watching her 00:29:53.579 --> 00:29:55.940 interview with him. And I was like, that was 00:29:55.940 --> 00:29:59.119 the first time I had ever heard of someone speak 00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:02.900 about this out loud. And so God is like, tell 00:30:02.900 --> 00:30:05.599 the story. I'm still like, I don't want to do 00:30:05.599 --> 00:30:08.980 this. This is crazy. But the voice of the Lord 00:30:08.980 --> 00:30:12.339 kept getting louder. And I finally gave in and 00:30:12.339 --> 00:30:15.940 started sharing my story. And it was on podcast 00:30:15.940 --> 00:30:18.339 interviews that I was doing it. And women started 00:30:18.339 --> 00:30:21.680 reaching out to me and saying, I want you to 00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:26.099 help me. And that was the first time I had ever 00:30:26.099 --> 00:30:29.640 felt valued. That was the first time I had ever 00:30:29.640 --> 00:30:34.950 looked at it where it was like, No matter how 00:30:34.950 --> 00:30:38.529 oxymoron it sound. It was like God used abortion 00:30:38.529 --> 00:30:42.589 to birth purpose in me Yeah, so having those 00:30:42.589 --> 00:30:45.549 women to say I want you to help me and I'm like, 00:30:45.609 --> 00:30:48.690 I don't know how to help, you know But my coach 00:30:48.690 --> 00:30:51.450 at the time she was like you got life experience. 00:30:51.589 --> 00:30:54.369 How did you get from here to here? This is how 00:30:54.369 --> 00:30:56.430 you help them by taking them through the process 00:30:56.430 --> 00:31:00.029 of what got you to here and so I've had the honor 00:31:00.029 --> 00:31:04.450 of working with women from the Netherlands, Belgium, 00:31:04.950 --> 00:31:07.549 New Zealand, I've had, you know, work with women 00:31:07.549 --> 00:31:12.390 from across the US. And just hearing the testimonies, 00:31:12.430 --> 00:31:14.369 because I didn't know that they offered pills 00:31:14.369 --> 00:31:16.910 at the time, I only knew about the vacuum procedure. 00:31:17.250 --> 00:31:21.390 But hearing these women say, I was sitting on 00:31:21.390 --> 00:31:24.150 that floor and it took me two to three days to 00:31:24.150 --> 00:31:30.259 really Get it out, you know of them and how they 00:31:30.259 --> 00:31:32.660 didn't think that they could have children after 00:31:32.660 --> 00:31:36.720 their procedures And so I've had two women I 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:40.359 know for sure They have reached out to me and 00:31:40.359 --> 00:31:43.160 one she had a beautiful baby girl and she was 00:31:43.160 --> 00:31:46.259 like it's because of you that I'm able to really 00:31:46.259 --> 00:31:49.940 do this and I had another one who lives out of 00:31:49.940 --> 00:31:52.259 the country. She has two beautiful baby girls 00:31:52.259 --> 00:31:55.960 now. And it's just to see and understanding, 00:31:55.960 --> 00:31:59.000 letting them know that abortion did not abort 00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:02.200 the promises that God has for you. And so just 00:32:02.200 --> 00:32:05.480 being able to help them even at a time where, 00:32:05.940 --> 00:32:07.920 again, I didn't think that I had value, but the 00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:09.960 Lord was like, I would take the foolish things 00:32:09.960 --> 00:32:12.079 of the world to confound the wise. Let me show 00:32:12.079 --> 00:32:15.279 you how I'm going to use this to bring me glory. 00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:18.680 And so that's where I am. right now is helping 00:32:18.680 --> 00:32:22.599 women understand that just like me you may have 00:32:22.599 --> 00:32:25.700 prayed you know however many times that you prayed 00:32:25.700 --> 00:32:28.900 but died. said he forgave you the very first 00:32:28.900 --> 00:32:30.839 time that you pray. He threw it into the sea 00:32:30.839 --> 00:32:33.779 of forgiveness and everything that we experience 00:32:33.779 --> 00:32:37.000 now, helping them understand shame, regret and 00:32:37.000 --> 00:32:39.779 guilt is not a cross that we have to bear. Yes, 00:32:39.880 --> 00:32:41.960 there are crosses that we have to bear, but those 00:32:41.960 --> 00:32:44.920 are not crosses that we are meant to carry. Jesus 00:32:44.920 --> 00:32:47.859 took that upon, you know, the cross 2000 years 00:32:47.859 --> 00:32:51.700 ago and to still carry that is to do a disservice 00:32:51.700 --> 00:32:54.500 of what he did on Calvary. And so helping them 00:32:54.500 --> 00:32:57.329 to understand that they are still daughters of 00:32:57.329 --> 00:33:00.349 the king that God still wants to use them for 00:33:00.349 --> 00:33:03.950 a purpose so dismantling the lies of the enemy 00:33:03.950 --> 00:33:06.809 that I you know had to deal with helping them 00:33:06.809 --> 00:33:09.869 to understand that God still wants you God still 00:33:09.869 --> 00:33:12.569 loves you he still has a purpose and a plan for 00:33:12.569 --> 00:33:16.269 you this is what Jesus did for you and you don't 00:33:16.269 --> 00:33:18.849 have to deal with that right so you're doing 00:33:18.849 --> 00:33:22.319 this by virtual are they coming to see you I 00:33:22.319 --> 00:33:25.420 do virtual, but I do host retreats. I do have 00:33:25.420 --> 00:33:29.240 retreats and I am in the process right now. We 00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:32.259 have started a nonprofit called heal the womb. 00:33:32.740 --> 00:33:36.900 And so we are getting things together so that 00:33:36.900 --> 00:33:40.109 we can help. individuals as well as families 00:33:40.109 --> 00:33:43.269 to disrupt the cycles of trauma that surrounds 00:33:43.269 --> 00:33:47.210 reproductive loss and sending out care boxes 00:33:47.210 --> 00:33:50.410 to women so that they can start the healing journey 00:33:50.410 --> 00:33:52.910 and, you know, providing them with the support 00:33:52.910 --> 00:33:56.009 that they need. And so, you know, just being. 00:33:57.340 --> 00:34:00.700 shoulder you know for them and I always say one 00:34:00.700 --> 00:34:03.440 of the things that I like to say I know where 00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:07.579 I stand when it comes to abortion but when it 00:34:07.579 --> 00:34:11.400 comes to the women of God and his daughters I'm 00:34:11.400 --> 00:34:14.800 pro you what does your soul need right now you 00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:17.820 know is it the is it the tough love is it the 00:34:17.820 --> 00:34:20.519 compassion that you need right now You know, 00:34:20.579 --> 00:34:23.380 the very thing that I received. So I'm pro -you. 00:34:23.559 --> 00:34:26.480 I care about your soul. I don't care about the 00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:29.159 pro -life, pro -choice because it is one of those 00:34:29.159 --> 00:34:32.320 things that I feel like it divides us when we 00:34:32.320 --> 00:34:35.519 are meant to help one another and still come 00:34:35.519 --> 00:34:39.380 together, you know, as one. And so again, I know 00:34:39.380 --> 00:34:42.360 where I stand, but I care about the souls of 00:34:42.360 --> 00:34:45.079 his daughters. That's beautiful. So healing the 00:34:45.079 --> 00:34:47.900 womb is not available for us to go and look at 00:34:47.900 --> 00:34:50.809 yet right now. You can go to the site. We're 00:34:50.809 --> 00:34:53.269 still building, but you can go to the site. It 00:34:53.269 --> 00:34:55.550 is up and available for you to look at. And you 00:34:55.550 --> 00:34:59.650 can fill out the form to get a care box. And 00:34:59.650 --> 00:35:02.849 you can also, we have the option where you can 00:35:02.849 --> 00:35:06.230 send a care box to someone. And so it's free 00:35:06.230 --> 00:35:11.130 of charge. And we just want to be the hands and 00:35:11.130 --> 00:35:15.750 feet of Jesus to start this journey. Yeah. What 00:35:15.750 --> 00:35:17.469 kind of things are you putting in that care box? 00:35:17.960 --> 00:35:20.860 So the care box will have a journal and we will 00:35:20.860 --> 00:35:26.219 have devotionals as well as non -faith base because 00:35:26.219 --> 00:35:29.179 we want it open to all. So we'll have faith base 00:35:29.179 --> 00:35:32.920 as well as secular things in there. We will have 00:35:32.920 --> 00:35:36.059 some comfy socks to make sure that you're comfortable. 00:35:36.320 --> 00:35:39.739 We'll have candles and we'll have stress relief 00:35:39.739 --> 00:35:44.829 balls. to help you in what I like to call, I 00:35:44.829 --> 00:35:47.869 got this from the Reproductive Grief Institute. 00:35:48.730 --> 00:35:52.690 And it is little breathing cards that teaches 00:35:52.690 --> 00:35:55.710 you how to breathe through that, which I think 00:35:55.710 --> 00:35:57.989 I sent you one. I think it may have been in your 00:35:57.989 --> 00:36:01.150 book. It may have. I don't know where it is off 00:36:01.150 --> 00:36:04.369 the top of my head. But it's a little breathwork 00:36:04.369 --> 00:36:06.590 card. to teach you how to breathe, especially 00:36:06.590 --> 00:36:08.630 when you're feeling anxious. And so I always 00:36:08.630 --> 00:36:10.670 include those, even with my book, when people 00:36:10.670 --> 00:36:13.349 buy them from me, I include that, you know, just 00:36:13.349 --> 00:36:16.170 so that they can find comfort whenever they may 00:36:16.170 --> 00:36:18.389 be triggered and they can, you know, have that 00:36:18.389 --> 00:36:20.710 to take those deep breaths. So those are some 00:36:20.710 --> 00:36:22.869 of the things that are included in that care 00:36:22.869 --> 00:36:25.969 box. Okay. And that's, um, healingthewoom .com 00:36:25.969 --> 00:36:29.929 or .org. .org, healthewoom .org. Heal the womb, 00:36:30.090 --> 00:36:32.590 not healing. Okay, gotcha. Heal the womb .org. 00:36:32.920 --> 00:36:35.099 All right. Well, I'm going to put that in the 00:36:35.099 --> 00:36:37.139 show notes for sure. So if anybody wants to check 00:36:37.139 --> 00:36:39.760 that out, they have that option and that resource. 00:36:40.059 --> 00:36:41.880 I mean, it's a great resource to have, right? 00:36:42.599 --> 00:36:46.059 Yeah. Latoya, Matthews, I am so thankful you 00:36:46.059 --> 00:36:48.739 gave us your time today and shared your stories, 00:36:48.900 --> 00:36:50.460 shared about your book, shared what you're doing, 00:36:50.960 --> 00:36:53.139 and I'm excited. I'm excited for what God is 00:36:53.139 --> 00:36:55.760 doing. He really is raising up an army, and that 00:36:55.760 --> 00:36:58.730 to me is beautiful. Amen. Thank you so much. 00:36:58.809 --> 00:37:00.489 It was a pleasure to be here and thank you so 00:37:00.489 --> 00:37:03.050 much for the opportunity to be able to share.