[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 4171]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE WORK OF THE PIEDMONT WOMEN'S CENTER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Duncan) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 
life and the work of a ministry that is literally saving lives in the 
State of South Carolina. But before I begin, let us pause to recognize 
our friends in Japan and the tragic loss of life there.
  The Piedmont Women's Center is a Christian ministry in the Upstate, 
providing love and compassion to literally thousands of young women 
each year who face unplanned pregnancies. By offering free pregnancy 
tests, limited ultrasounds, and confidential counseling, they have 
protected the most innocent among us, the unborn.
  The doors of this life-affirming ministry opened 20 years ago this 
day next door to the largest abortion clinic in South Carolina. In 
1991, a group of Christians came together and decided to collectively 
start a ministry funded by individuals, churches, and businesses to 
offer real alternatives to those in crisis.
  The staff and volunteers of the Piedmont Women's Center can hold 
newborn babies who have been given the gift of life because of their 
ministry. They have countless stories of real people, like Liza and her 
boyfriend, Peter, who came into their center early one Saturday morning 
with the intent of ending their pregnancy at the abortion clinic next 
door, a story that I would like to submit and share with you today.
  Minutes before this young couple came through the door, the four 
volunteers at the center joined hands and prayed that God would do a 
work of redemption in someone's life that morning. Their ``Amen'' had 
barely been voiced when the door opened and Liza and Peter, mistaking 
the center for an abortion clinic, entered and announced they were 
there for their appointment. In 10 minutes, the life of their 12-week-
old unborn child was scheduled to end.
  Realizing that they were not at the abortion clinic, they started to 
leave. The director boldly stepped up and asked them to use the 10 
minutes before their appointment to talk about their decision. They 
agreed.
  Alone, Liza went into the counseling room with the director while a 
volunteer talked with Peter about their unborn child. Later, Peter was 
invited to join Liza, who had made the decision to trust our director 
and have an ultrasound. This decision would change their lives forever.
  Our volunteer nurse sonographer silently prayed, and with her highly 
skilled touch, the cold steel of the ultrasound machine came alive with 
activity. Liza and Peter were mesmerized as they observed the antics of 
the little life they had conceived. They both melted at the sight of 
their precious child and completely changed their minds about their 
abortion.
  They wept as they tried to contain their excitement. Not only had a 
baby been saved, but before their eyes the King of Kings, the Lord of 
Lords had penetrated their hardened hearts and allowed them to see past 
their fears and enabled them to accept their child as God's creation.
  Liza shared that she was an adopted child, and Peter said his family 
had offered to help financially so they could continue their college 
education. They walked out of the center teary-eyed and full of joy, 
their shining countenance giving evidence to the change that had taken 
place in their hearts.
  Lenna Fox Neill, the CEO for the past 20 years at the Piedmont 
Women's Center, said she is continually encouraged as she sees more and 
more in her community who are giving of their time, energy, and 
resources to see that all life is protected and respected.
  Piedmont Women's Center helped establish the South Carolina 
Association of Pregnancy Care Centers 10 years ago for the purpose of 
providing a network across the State of compassionate ministries to 
care for women in need. The abortion rate through collaborative efforts 
of ministries and legislation has reduced the rate of abortions in my 
home State of South Carolina almost 50 percent in the last 20 years.
  While Congress is fighting to defund Planned Parenthood and protect 
life at conception, the staff and volunteers at the Piedmont Women's 
Center are on the front lines every day literally saving lives.
  I would like to congratulate the Piedmont Women's Center and their 
CEO, Lenna Neill, on reaching their 20th anniversary. I thank them for 
their commitment to protecting the most innocent among us and wish them 
God's blessing as they continue to spread their ministry across the 
Palmetto State.
  May God bless you, the unborn, and may God continue to bless America.

                          ____________________