Next Step Support Site

Next Step Supporters, Volunteers, and Staff

There’s Nothing Like a May Tea Party!

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A lovely time was had by all on May 31st when Greg and LaFon Jantz, Edmonds locals, hosted a beautiful tea party in their lovely home! The day was bright and warm, the food was delicate and tasty, and the tea was fragrant! Thank you to all who joined us for a scrumptious light lunch and welcomed Heather and Barb from Next Step Pregnancy Services to share about our ministry! Powerful and impactful words! And thank you to Rebecca Anderson for the intro and support! The generosity was overwhelming. All in all Next Step was gifted and astounding $11,500 in support!! Life wins! Always!

Beautiful Next Step!

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What a day! Neither wind nor rain nor cold! Nothing stood in the way of beautifying Next Step! Thank you to the awesome people who came out to volunteer hours of their time getting dirty, sore, and tirelessly planting, shoveling, digging, and more! Many hands made light work for sure! What a blessing. The goal was to ensure a warm, bright, and welcoming place for all our clients – mission accomplished. See below the great photos for all the angels who came to help.

Kim and Josh Cummins, Marilyn Thornton, Jake and Nicole Forman – from the NS Board

From St. Mark – Nicholas, Robbie, and Helena Yen, Abby Pinard, Alyssa and Francie House

Dennis Halpin, Eoin, Vander, and Ryan Ritter from Boy Scouts Troop 309

Anne Lombard and Eleanor Dusch from American Heritage Girls Troop 821

Isabella Couarrubias from St. Thomas More

Linda Charcas from Holy Rosary’s Respect Life Group

Thank you Donna Vago, and Grace and Stephen Heinrichs!

And finally thank you to my big brother Ricky from the Buyce clan and my darling daughter Scarlett!!

The Gift of Human Life

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At the dawn of salvation, it is the Birth of a Child
which is proclaimed as joyful news.

Today, March 25, marks the anniversary of the papal encyclical Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life). Written by Pope St. John Paul II in 1995. 

The source of this “great joy” is the Birth of the Savior; but Christmas also reveals the full meaning of every human birth, and the joy which accompanies the Birth of the Messiah is thus seen to be the foundation and fulfilment of joy at every child born into the world (cf. Jn 16:21).

I cannot begin to write anything nearly as beautiful and profound as the encyclical referred to here but I can share its proclamations and connect them to what is and has always been the heart of our mission here at Next Step Pregnancy Services. 

“Man is called to a fullness of life which far exceeds the dimensions of his earthly existence, because it consists in sharing the very life of God. The loftiness of this supernatural vocation reveals the greatness and the inestimable value of human life even in its temporal phase.” (Evangelium Vitae, 1995).

Next Step’s vocation is to recognize and name those children, the unborn, those human lives that we are privileged to welcome each and every time a woman comes through our doors whether she’s happy, or tentative, uncertain, angry, overjoyed, alone, or with family. Whatever her circumstance she is cherished, planned, and chosen. Chosen to carry new life. 

For the full encyclical click here –
https://tinyurl.com/evangeliumvitae25

Thank you to all those whose prayers and gifts to Next Step continue to strengthen this thriving organization. Please check out more ways to help, pray, and donate by going to nssupport.org

P.S. Save the Date – the Next Step Pregnancy Services Gala will be on Saturday September 14th! More to come. 

“Charity is that with which no man is lost, and without which no man is saved.”

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~ Saint Charles Borromeo

As I examine that statement about charity I’m reminded of God’s ultimate charge of us, His people. To love God above all else and to love thy neighbor as ourselves because we love Him. “Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God.” (CCC1822). That’s powerful. And direct. 

In Washington state alone there are over 50 pregnancy resource clinics, centers, and programs dedicated to the well-being and care of the men, women and children (born and unborn) that seek out assistance each and every day.  Some centers focus on material goods (diapers, formula, clothes) while others are more medically geared offering evidence based ultrasounds, pregnancy testing, STI testing and treatment and still others offer well women health care on top of pregnancy and family ministry and still others are focused on maternity housing and better maternal outcomes as well as walking beside women and children up and beyond those first few years. Each ministry is essential and can’t work alone. 

And that’s just Washington state! The latest numbers say there are well over 2000 pregnancy resource clinics and centers in the US. If you take a look at the monetary value of even a fraction of the work these organizations accomplish you’ll be blown away – and I hope – proud to know where your treasure lies. 

  • Nearly $151 million in ultrasound-related care  (Year-to-Date Next Step Pregnancy performed over 300 ultrasound scans for expectant moms!)
  • Over $75 million in parenting education programs  
  • An over $3 million investment into our nation’s youth, teaching sexual risk avoidance  

These centers, like Next Step Pregnancy Services, also provided practical support of: 

  • Over $40 million in diapers  (Next Step Pregnancy Services welcomed almost 5000 clients and client families in 2023 and the first month of the new year!)
  • $6 million worth of baby formula 
  • Well over $7 million in new car seats, cribs, and strollers  

Other services include: 

  • Abortion pill reversal (Next Step Pregnancy Services just started this service in September of last year!)
  • STD testing and treatment (Next Step Pregnancy offers a full service STI clinic with trained and certified nurses)
  • Abortion trauma recovery (Next Step Pregnancy Services partners with the likes of Healing Hearts, Project Rachel, and The Life Perspectives Institute to offer post-abortive support.)

These essential services totaled over $358 million in one twelve-month period! Think about that for a moment. That is the power of pro-life pregnancy center. The power of what you’ve helped create at Next Step Pregnancy Services here in Lynnwood, Washington. 

And yet on October 13th, 2023 sixteen Attorney Generals joined together to produce and endorse an open letter denouncing Pregnancy Resource Clinics like Next Step. You can read the letter here if you are so inclined. http://tinyurl.com/October23Letter

“The hard truth is pro-life pregnancy centers impact the bottom line of the abortion industry. They are a competition that must be eliminated.”  (Bradley Mattes is president of the Life Issues Institute.)

Meet the newest Next Step babies! Lola and her mother and Musa and his big sister!

Christmas Letter

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“The world will never starve for want of wonders, but for want of wonder.” G. K. Chesterton

I’ve always loved this painting by Norman Rockwell. It’s called “The Discovery” and it appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post on December 29th, 1956.

The surprise, then astonishment, then the slow realization…. but not the surety. What has he discovered? Is he sure about what he is seeing and what it means?

The wondrousness of Santa. His sleigh and 8 reindeer. The clomp of boots on the roof! His huge red bag of goodies with all the names of the little boys and girls. The plate of cookies that mysteriously empties in the night…. The sparkling-colored lights and the crisp snow-covered yards and the hot cocoa and marshmallows!

The way my mom and dad made it all so magical. So believable, So wonderful! Because when you love someone, you endeavor to create a magical, joyous space where they can feel cherished. Where the unceasing darkness of the world is held at bay, even for just a little while. And the twinkling lights are like endless stars and the night is warm with blankets and footie pajamas and dad reads “A Visit from St. Nicholas”  like he does every year, and there is simply none of the harshness that seems to fill the news and the hurried disconnect etched into people’s faces. It all seems to melt away during the season.

Much like a parent – Next Step Pregnancy Services – tries so very hard to create magic and warmth and security for each person who comes through our doors. We all know life is hard. Not can be hard – IS hard. And we aim to do what we can to ease the burden of stress and isolation, uncertainty and pain that many of our clients feel. It truly is the little things.

Extra diapers, warm receiving blankets, nipple cream for breastfeeding moms, an early ultrasound to confirm baby is there and is ok, prenatal vitamins, a warm hand to hold and be held when inexplicably there is no heartbeat, a shoulder to cry on when the STI test comes back negative and you feel confident you can start fresh because our nurse was there every step of the way encouraging you to take a look at yourself in the mirror and love who you are. Not who you think you need to be.

I sometimes read articles right around this time that refer to Jesus as an “unplanned pregnancy” and I think – No! He was not unplanned. He was anointed. He was – is – the plan. Mary-His mother-was planned. Joseph-His father on earth-was planned. You were planned. So was I. We were planned. He planned us. He created us. He knows what each and every one of us can do and will do. And He loves us.

It’s no coincidence – the magic of Christmas. The birth of Jesus brings out the best in all of us. Makes us all kids again. Squeezing our eyes shut, imagining we hear the sound of hooves on the rooftop.

Christmas is joy. It is wonder. It is delight. It is cheer. It is sacred. It is peace.

May your Christmas be bright and filled with harmony. Merry Christmas to you from us at Next Step Pregnancy Services.

Open Letter from Next Step Pregnancy Services

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Dear brothers and sisters, 

“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.” Matthew 5:11

My name is Heather Vasquez and I am the Director of your local pro-life medical and social services clinic. Many of you know me or if not me, you know the clinic and have worked and supported our pro-life mission for many years. You may even have attended the Gala we just had in September celebrating 25 years! For that thank you. 

It has come to my attention that sadly there are those in our local churches who are seeking to discredit and slander our good name. We do not know who is doing this, though we have a few suspicions; we only know that we’ve had a few instances of historically supportive familiar church staff and ministries  notifying us that “they heard we are promoting abortions”. That we in fact “referred someone for an abortion” and that “Next Step promotes abortion as an option”. 

Every instance has been an evil lie set to sow doubt and division between those who defend life. We have been falsely accused and slandered for our work. 

I felt as Director of this beautiful and life-affirming clinic I needed to speak out. 

Next Step Pregnancy Services (previously known as Angelorum) is now and has always been a pro-life organization fighting for and defending life born and unborn. We have never, and will never, refer for or promote the abhorrent act of abortion. Our nurses, our provider, our staff, our volunteers are heavily vetted. There is not one person speaking for our clinic that does not feel strongly about the conviction of life and its sacredness in all stages. 

I can’t help but take these attacks so very personally. I am here every day. Seeing the women and families coming in. Hearing their stories. Hearing our nurses and staff answer. And listen. And pray. I do know that Satan is at work here. That is a fact. And the enemy despises places like ours because we give people hope. And hope is not what Satan wants because with hope there is no despair and despair separates us from the love of Christ. 

I am asking for your help. Please pray for the protection of Next Step and its work. Please pray for the attacks to be thwarted and for the truth to be our shield.  We are under His care and protection. Please pray that the person or persons spreading these falsehoods is otherwise convicted and if there are questions or concerns about our work here that they seek the answers from a place of truth rather than a place of fear and apathy.

Many thanks to you all and for the immense support your churches and your church families have always given Next Step Pregnancy Services. I do hope you can pass this “letter” on to your fellow staff and ministries as well as your pastors. The truth needs to be spread far and wide. 

Thank you

Heather M Vasquez

Executive Director 

Next Step Pregnancy Services

Stepping Stones to the Sky

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“Dear God,” she prayed, “let me be something every minute of every hour of my life.“

~ Francie Nolan

Dear Friend of Next Step,

The first day of Summer this year is June 21st! Washington is full of blue skies and warm breezes. Outdoor concerts and Strawberry Festivals. Summer is beautiful here. But there is a darker side to Washington State just now. Our current Governor is stockpiling the abortion pill Misoprostol in the event access to this drug is in danger. On April 27th Governor Inslee signed a bill that makes Washington a so-called “Sanctuary State for Reproductive Care.” In times like this I can’t help but feel like the walls are closing in around us! But I’m also reminded daily that now more than ever before the battle is being fought and that those of us who defend life will prevail. The road ahead will not be an easy one (has it ever been?) but the resilience and faith we display now will ensure lives are saved and hearts are changed.

Recently my 12-year-old daughter and I listened to an audiobook together. It was called A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. This is a beloved American classic about a young girl’s coming-of-age at the turn of the 20th century.  The story presents young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg. It was, in a lot of ways, a very brutal story, and there were quite a few moments when I worried it was too much for my daughter. It did not pull any punches about the realities of life at that time for those living in abject poverty. The story did, however, create several talking points for my daughter and me– and for that I am grateful.

The reason I bring this up to you folks is that certain aspects of the story put me in mind of our day-to-day work at Next Step and the women and families that seek us out. Like Francie’s parents, Katie, and Johnny, we see many young men and women, with little or no income, some with not a huge amount of education, but with children. And babies. And worries about how to get from day to day keeping their families fed, cared for, and intact. And especially those that live the struggle acutely upon finding themselves expecting.

The very first lines of the novel refer to the title, though the reader does not yet know the significance,

“There’s a tree that grows in Brooklyn. Some people call it the Tree of Heaven. No matter where its seed falls, it makes a tree which struggles to reach the sky. It grows in boarded-up lots and out of neglected rubbish heaps. It grows out of cellar gratings. It is the only tree that grows out of cement. It grows lushly . . . survives without sun, water, and seemingly without earth. It would be considered beautiful except that there are too many of it.”

Francie Nolan was a sickly child. Weak and blue. And Katie was no longer producing milk because Katie is pregnant again with her second child. The neighborhood midwife offers Katie ‘some foul brown liquid’ and a choice. Katie refuses. Katie, like Francie, is the tree that struggles to reach the sky regardless of hardship. There are many families struggling to reach the sky, many children waiting to be born. Life can be harsh. But each of us is here by the grace of God. For a purpose. And Next Step’s purpose is to be one of many steppingstones for our clients so that they, and their children, can flourish, grow and be something.

Sanctity of Life Sunday

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Dear Friends of Next Step,

This Sunday January 22nd, 2023 is Sanctity of Life Sunday. The first SOL since the fall of Roe. Always a special day, its made even more so because life won and is continuing to win. How many times though, have you heard ‘the fight’s not over!’? Probably a lot. Me too. And its not wrong. You might say we won a significant battle but not the war.

Our day to day work her at Next Step makes a difference. I know it does. I live it every day! But the lies and slander flung at PRCs (pregnancy resource clinics) has increased 100 fold since January 2022 and the demise of Roe. And its only going to get worse. In fact this Sunday there are planned protests and rallies all over the country. Here in Washington there is one planned in front of our Next Step clinic on 64th Ave. West and 196th as well as in front of St. James Cathedral in Seattle. 

What do we do? I know in my discussions and defense of Next Step, of which I have been doing almost weekly now, a disturbing trend has arisen. The fact is there are a vast number of pro-abortion folks who will not simply be satisfied if abortion remains a viable option for many states but will only rest when we all agree that abortion, in its every form, is ok. Cease to call it wrong and join them in calling it right. 

Well we will not.  We refuse. We reject, rebuff, and abhor the act and will never affirm it to be of God and morally just.
But as we have learned this year and last, we cannot remain passive. “A best defense is a good offense.” – Sun-Tzu

So please do keep Next Step Pregnancy Services in your prayers this Sunday as we celebrate the first anniversary of the overturning of Roe as well as a day to contemplate and recognize the Sanctity of all Human Life.

~Heather Vasquez
audaces fortuna juvat

Speak the Truth Even if Your Voice Shakes!

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Guerrilla Warfare? Hit-and-Run scare tactics designed to misrepresent places like Next Step Pregnancy Services (again….)

“Washington Must Hold Crisis Pregnancy Centers Accountable” is the latest headline from the “Progressive Newspaper” (and I use the term loosely) The Stranger.

(penned by UW students in a segment tagged guest rant from 11/25/2022)

Let’s clear a few things up and please – be a spreader of facts – not fiction.

  • PRCs “divert clients from abortions by using coercive tactics and medical misinformation”
  • Every client comes into our clinic of their own free will. Our services are posted clearly, truthfully, and without embellishment.
  • The medical services we provide are legitimate procedures and tests performed by licensed medical professionals. Early diagnostic ultrasounds are used to determine viability and gestational age. End of. There is nothing false about that.
  • They position themselves strategically to target the young and in low-income communities.
  • Next Step Pregnancy Services is on the bus line and located conveniently in between the larger cities of Seattle and Everett. If strategic means ease of locale for those seeking care, then yes. Yes we do.
  • The young and low-income? Unlike “the other guys” we do not position ourselves directly inside schools of young kids. Additionally unlike “the other guys” we do offer free services and supplies because we recognize that having children and being pregnant can be an expensive time and we are here to help ease some of that inevitable financial strain.
  • PRCs are a “potential health threat because they delay clients from receiving prenatal care” and “intentionally lie to clients by incorrectly reporting their gestational age”.
  • To be honest is this “claim” worth even responding to? In 2022 alone Next Step medical professionals performed over 300 diagnostic ultrasounds and referred a similar amount to local Ob-gyns for further care. Almost 90% were first trimester (0-13 weeks). 80% of those clients intended to carry with the rest undecided and overwhelmed. As we all felt at one time or another didn’t we?
  • So many of the women coming into PRCs are simply there to obtain gestational age or to check on their pregnancy due to a history of previous miscarriage. They just need reassurance. We can do that. We do that.
  • “Most PRCs are affiliated and funded by evangelical Christian anti-abortion organizations and are increasingly funded by state and federal grants.”
  • That last one is laughable. Funded by Washington State? Next Step Pregnancy Services is not affiliated with any particular church or religious organization. We are an independent 501(c)3 funded by independent organizations and free individuals (like you!) . Next Step has never, nor will we ever, accept state or federal funding.
  • The fact that Next Step is filled with Christ-Centered staff and volunteers is purely a coincidence…..the protection of life and the vulnerable is an obvious by product of being a follower of Christ. Go figure.

Next Step Pregnancy Services Gala and Virtual Silent Auction is here!

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Can’t attend the Gala in person? Here is another great way to support the Pro-Life mission!

The Next Step Pregnancy Services Virtual Silent Auction opens on Monday September 19th at 10:00am and goes all week until Monday September 26th 10:00am.

Just head to the following link: https://events.handbid.com/auctions/next-step-gala-2022 to register and browse items! Then – when 9/19 rolls around let the bidding begin! Scroll down to see some hot items, tickets, baskets, experiences and more!

The Next Step Gala is on! Join us on Saturday September 24th at 6pm at Holy Rosary church in Edmonds!

There are tickets still available for purchase but hurry! Deadline for ticket purchase is Wednesday September 14th! Head to nssupport.org/gala2022 to register and purchase! Expect great food, music, games, and a dynamic pro-life speaker!

WA and a Post Roe World

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June 21st, 2022 – Another decision day for the United States Supreme Court has passed and there was not a judgement on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Since the far reaching decision made back in 1973 ruling abortion as a legal practice and thus the tragic termination of almost 63 million babies this is the first time the Court will rule on the constitutionality of a pre-viability abortion ban since Roe. It is that significant.

What does it mean to overturn Roe? Does it mean any and all abortions are now illegal? No, sadly that is not what it means. It does however mean that the decision to accept abortion as a legal act or not will reside with the leadership of each state and no longer be under Federal domain. This is a good thing. A wonderful thing. This will, no doubt about it, save countless lives. Both the babies who will live and the women who will not have to endure the ramifications of such a destructive decision. Of the 50 states in the U.S there are 26 that either already have laws in place that protect the unborn or they have a “trigger-ban” which is a “law designed to be “triggered” and take effect automatically or by quick state action if Roe no longer applies” (www.guttmacher.org/article/2021/10/26-updated04/19/2022). And still there are others that have historically demonstrated their desire to rethink the Roe decision and create greater protections for the unborn. And to date, there are at least 16 states that will fight tooth and nail to keep abortion legal and unrestricted.

That’s 42 states. What about the other 8? As of now 5 of those will most likely continue restrictions on abortion, possibly even a ban, and the last 3 could go either way. There is no clear majority for or against the protections of the unborn.

So where does that leave us? Well here in WA where Next Step Pregnancy Services is located abortion will continue to be a legal option for all who seek it. WA has historically been a pro-abortion state and it does not appear to change any time soon. To that end WA will become a “safety-net state” for abortion seekers. That’s where Next Step (and you!) are essential. There will be women here in WA or traveling to WA from other states who may not be 100% certain of what is best for them. They may be feeling pressured by their partner, family, or friends. They may feel even more anxiety over the significance of the changing laws. A staggering 64% of women feel pressured or coerced into aborting and 79% were not told about the available resources.

We need to be ready to help. With compassion, non-judgement, accurate information about ALL of their options, tangible resources and contacts, and above they need to know and feel confident in our support of them, whatever their decision. As has been seen, not everyone wants an abortion. But sadly that does not always mean it won’t still happen. They still need us. 65% of women suffered trauma symptoms after abortion. We do not know His plans or His reasons. Or what work He will do or is doing in someone’s life. All we can do is meet every woman where they are with sincerity, integrity, and grace. Please help Next Step be that place.

“Why destroy a place that helps women?”

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I have been asking myself the same thing for two weeks now. Ever since someone vandalized the Next Step clinic in the early morning hours of May 25th.

Blood red words adorned the front door and walkway. Five of the clinic’s front windows were broken.

Why? Because they cannot abide it when a woman chooses life.

It was never about choice.

On Wednesday May 25th Next Step welcomed many clients in the doors. With ultrasound paper draping the front door to cover the spray-paint and friends boarding up the broken windows – Next Step was open and serving. And the overwhelming question we were asked that day? “Why destroy a place that helps women?”

Despite some major reservations I decided to answer some questions from, among others, Jason Rantz, LifeSite News, King 5, The Daily Caller, National Catholic Register, Fox News and more.

My question to their questions – “If a woman chooses to come here and get our assistance, she made a choice. So why can’t she go where she wants to go?”

In 2022 so far Next Step has seen over 1,250 clients/families, performed 144 pregnancy tests and our nurses have completed 45 ultrasound scans. Our resources have been requested and utilized over and over and over again for those seeking assistance.

Our nurses and staff do not make choices for our clients. Next Step does not make any money from the reproductive decisions our clients make. Next Step offers an exhaustive number of services, supplies, and compassion to anyone who comes through our doors.

So again – “Why destroy a place that helps women?” Something to think about. To pray about. In the last few months Next Step has joined several other pregnancy resource clinics who have been vandalized, lied about, targeted with false reviews and more. And it won’t end any time soon. The landmark Supreme Court decision regarding the probable overturning of Roe is expected to be announced mid to late June. And with it – a range of emotions will take over for many folks. Anger, elation, fear, relief, motivation, hate, and conviction.

Your support of Next Step Pregnancy Services is needed now more than ever. For those that support us unfailingly monthly, quarterly, annually, bi-annually, when you can – thank you. We’re in this now and there is no going backwards. The lives of women and their unborn depend on us. Whatever the verdict places like Next Step Pregnancy clinic are essential “if only to have someplace to go without having to crawl to” Planned Parenthood. For there they will receive nothing but death and lies.

Walk boldly. You are choosing to defend life and there is no greater task.

Proverbs 24: 11-12

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

May is for Mothers!

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 “Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother.” —Lin Yutang

Becoming a mother has been the greatest, happiest, hardest, and scariest feat of my life. Nothing can compare. It’s a roller coaster that never seems to end. Its every lazy Sunday afternoon in the backyard playing croquet in too long grass, it’s the sticky puddle of unknown origin you find on the kitchen counter which brings an exasperated headshake, it’s the constant reminder of life pulsing and racing that you are responsible for , its every quiet night you spend pressing your palm gently to your child’s chest to ensure she is still breathing, and its all of the nights dozing in the moonlight not quite asleep until she is home and safely in your presence.

Its every school drop off living in constant fear of being scolded for not moving forward, its every edgy discussion about why organized religion is ‘bad’ and big plans to move somewhere in Europe where the politics are more ‘tolerant’ make you want to pop the cork on that bottle you’ve been saving and dump it down the drain where everything you taught your child appears to have gone.

Its every hug and joyful smile she ever gives you with sparkling eyes full of enthusiasm and hope. And your every instinct to keep that state of mind in her for as long as you can.

That’s some of what being a mother is for me. May is the month of motherhood. And yes, of all the rights I believe women should possess – I believe the right to be a mother is one. And that includes the right to be a mother an unborn little girl possesses while still in the womb hearing the steady drumbeat of her mother’s heart matching her own.

Next Step in the News and on the Radio!

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On March 17th 2022 Gov. Inslee signed into law HB1851 – here is a brief news segment King 5 did which included a quick snippet of Next Step!! We’re near the end! But great ending! Next Step shows that not only do we serve women 100% but there IS in fact an alternative to abortion.

https://www.king5.com/video/news/politics/state-politics/inslee-signs-bill-prohibiting-abortion-lawsuits-in-washington-state/281-20f0c1f4-c110-4d29-85b3-0c82ed5dad3e

On Feb 28th, 2022 Next Step was featured on the radio program “Conversations” with Emily Raines – KKWFFM Seattle Audacy! It starts at about 1:09 – check it out – lots of great info!

https://omny.fm/shows/seattle-kkwffm-default-audio-channel/next-step-pregnancy-services

Untitled

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To be honest I’ve been hesitant in writing anything about the ongoing heartbreak in the Ukraine. Each new day seems to bring more and more harrowing news and images. But like all of us their plight has been on my mind heart, and lips in prayer daily. I, like many of you, read and wept about the senseless bombing of the maternity hospital in the southeastern city of Mariupol last week.

I’ve been hesitant not because I didn’t want to or because we all know how the ‘thoughts and prayers’ euphemism has become just that – but because I am simply without words. How do you even voice such sadness and astonishment at the raw and stark images and stories taking place right now, as we speak, near us, not worlds away. You can’t. Or at least I can’t.

I prayed last night with my 11-year-old daughter for the people of Ukraine. I cannot even fathom being a mother right now over there with my babies. I could not even finish the prayer, I was overcome. But my daughter did, she hugged me and said amen for us.

I attached a few of the images I have seen recently – primarily of mothers and their babies. Because Next Step is a place of mother and babies too. And there is absolutely nothing more beautiful and at the same time more fragile than mothers and babies

Untitled

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To be honest I’ve been hesitant in writing anything about the ongoing heartbreak in the Ukraine. Each new day seems to bring more and more harrowing news and images. But like all of us their plight has been on my mind heart, and lips in prayer daily. I, like many of you, read and wept about the senseless bombing of the maternity hospital in the southeastern city of Mariupol last week.

I’ve been hesitant not because I didn’t want to or because we all know how the ‘thoughts and prayers’ euphemism has become just that – but because I am simply without words. How do you even voice such sadness and astonishment at the raw and stark images and stories taking place right now, as we speak, near us, not worlds away. You can’t. Or at least I can’t.

I prayed last night with my 11-year-old daughter for the people of Ukraine. I cannot even fathom being a mother right now over there with my babies. I could not even finish the prayer, I was overcome. But my daughter did, she hugged me and said amen for us.

I attached a few of the images I have seen recently – primarily of mothers and their babies. Because Next Step is a place of mother and babies too. And there is absolutely nothing more beautiful and at the same time more fragile than mothers and babies

A Beautiful Look Inside Our Ultrasounds

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The room is dimly lit with just a faint glow of the day’s sunlight peeking through a crack in the curtains of the ultrasound room. There is warm air flowing into the room from the heater but also the soft hum of the handy air purifier fan we purchased. The cool gel is spread over her belly, the usual nervous giggle as the nurse blots to keep the goo off the waistband of the patients pants. The nurse gently relays what will happen now. Confirming what she sees, She’ll point out the uterus and the ovaries and stop to measure. There is almost always the sight of the full bladder and the lines of the cervix and vaginal canal. Its all there. Grainy and grey to my eyes but recognizable to the nurse. 
Depending on how far along the woman or girl is determines the next set of images and measurements. 

The next thing the nurse will look for and talk about is what’s called the “Diamond Ring”. Really! How beautiful. As you can see in this image the yolk sac is the ring and the baby is the diamond! This is one of the earliest sights of life though its already at 5-6 weeks along. 

Here is another image. As you can see, the yolk sace (the ring!) surrounding what’s called the “Fetal Pole” The fetal pole is the first direct imaging manifestation of the fetus and is seen as a thickening on the margin of the yolk sac during early pregnancy. It is often used synonymously with the term “embryo”.

For the most part all is silent in the room except for the soft click as the nurse types in measurements and the soft whispers about the new little life.
The next image is another beautiful and miraculous story. A baby’s heartbeat can be detected as early as 6 weeks- this image is 6 weeks, 4 days. A healthy heartrate for a baby in utero is between 110 and 160 bpm (beats per minute). 

I am always in awe when the nurse talks about the heartrate and we see the small flicker blinking over and over and and over and the measuring “peak to peak” or “valley to valley”. Its so fast!! The life is pulsating and full of life and zeal! Next Step specializes in early OB ultrasound – from as early as 5 weeks 6 days to 17 weeks. Typically our nurses and I are seeing the littles ones – meeting some littles for the very first time!

The next image is a little over 7 weeks. This is still the First Trimester. Baby’s feet, fingers, and toes are developing as well as her internal organs. Even her brain waves can be recorded! By 8 weeks baby is considered a “fetus” which is Latin for “Little One!

The last image is of a 12 week baby. She is curling her toes and her little lips are making sucking movements! She may even suck her thumb. She is breathing in the amniotic fluid which helps her respiratory system develop strong and her oxygen comes from the umbilical cord.

So that’s it – in a nutshell – some of the very early images Next Step sees. A new and unique life.

Not a potential human but a human with potential!!
And you are a big part of all of this work. You make it possible for our nurse to spend time with this woman or girl and sometimes even the father of the new and vital life growing within. Praise Jesus!

 October is Respect Life Month!

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When did you realize you were Pro-Life?

The featured image above is of my “unexpected blessing holding my ‘expected’ blessing!

The first picture below is of my parents, Rich and Pat, and I in front of the Capitol on one of many Marches we attended! You can tell by my determined expression I was in this for the long haul!Its definitely something to think about especially with the current events of today. Were you always pro-life? Or did certain life experiences or relationships steer you that way?

October is Respect Life Month.

A month to celebrate, protect, and fight for the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters.

Last weekend there was a Women’s March and some folks exercised their right to march in front of Next Step. Once again the group seemed determined to make false claims about what happens at Next Step Pregnancy Services and all pregnancy resource centers truly. Sadly none of those folks have ever accepted our invitation to come inside and see firsthand all that Next Step provides for women, babies, and families. All we can truly do is live our faith through acts and pray for those who continue to fight for what they see as their right but what is really the killing of the unborn.

When you support Next Step Pregnancy Services you make a difference. Here are some statistics from the first half of this year of all the support and love you’ve helped Next Step achieve. In 2021 up until and through August there have been twenty-four young women between the ages of 15-19 who came to us for supplies for their babies, pregnancy tests, and subsequent ultrasounds. Twelve of those tests were positive – twelve of those young women were pregnant. Twelve new lives were taking shape! Of those twelve – five of them intended to carry and parent and three were unsure. However, two were fairly certain of their plans to terminate. None of the twenty-four girls listed were married – most are students, and most were in a committed relationship with the fob (father of the baby).

That being said we’ve noticed that at times a young single gal who intends to parent when they meet with us is still vulnerable. The excitement of a child may wear off into uncertainty and fear, especially if she is surrounded by those in her life who may not think she should continue with the pregnancy. One of the things the staff and I have been talking about recently is follow up calls and outcomes. Especially for those young ladies who are uncertain. How can we reach out and let them know we are still here and ready to listen and help? If they come in at roughly 5 weeks sometimes it is hard to detect a viable pregnancy, so we urge them to come again in a week or two. But that is a long week or two where the pressures and worries of their lives and families can intrude and break them down. We need to let them know they are not alone. That they are supported. And cherished.

So far this year we’ve had ninety-nine young women aged 20-24 who have come in for supplies for their children, pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. We had 48 pregnancy tests of which 33 were positive. Of those young women, 18 listed themselves as single. Of those 33 young women there were 2 that expressed a strong desire for information on an abortion and at least 9 more that were very uncertain as to whether or not to continue the pregnancy. And one had chosen adoption.

As a side and very wonderful note – of those considering abortion we know that at least 6 of them chose life. Very, very good news.

And there’s more – between the ages of 15-24 there were 80 clients who came in for supplies for their children and all with income levels well under the Federal Poverty Level. For every young woman who continues with her pregnancy there is one who is scared and feels helpless. For every couple who are happy and hopeful with their pregnancy news there is a couple who now feel trapped and anxious about their future. For every bag of clothes, we are blessed with and every pack of diapers we are gifted there are families struggling to support themselves and their children. And some of them are still children themselves!

Even before my first birthday I was fighting for the unborn! Here is my mom Pat, pregnant with yours truly, and my big brother Ricky. Check out the “Fight Abortion” sticker on the back of our super cool pinto!

Where do we go from here? Where do you come in? Well prayer certainly. The easiest and surest way to support these women and men and families as well the team at Next Step. Donations of clothes – newborn to 2T, maternity, diapers and wipes, formula, breast pumps and bottles, strollers, playpens, bouncers, books, stuffys, crib sheets, nursing accessories, socks, hats, shoes, and more. Volunteers to help bundle diapers, sort clothes, and greet clients. To help with mailings and market booths. To spread the word!

And yes funding. Monetary donations. Your help ensures we have more than adequate staff, nurses, medical supplies, and resources for these families to remain open and serving.

Check out our support site – nssupport.org – for information and all the good news at Next Step. Fall Newsletter coming soon as well as Snapshot Tax Letters!

And thank you for the continued support of these young women and the lives you are touching and ensuring in the process. Whether you have always been Pro-Life or have recently joined this ministry – your help and prayers changes lives. One at a time.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie Ten Boom

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“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

This month has been full of life altering images, events, failures, and victories. I would like to focus on but two of them – both extraordinary in their power and predicament.

On August 15th, after months of violence as the Taliban virtually overran all of Afghanistan, they entered the Capital city of Kabul and expeditiously ousted the Afghan government, and the sitting President fled the city. Nine days after seizing the Capital they took over simply and completely.

Thousands of people, families, fled to the Kabul airport in hopes of escaping what they knew may be terror, violence, and death. And as of today, there are still many and more still stranded with no hopes of rescue. The despair for themselves and their families must be horrific. The helplessness is unimaginable.

“Women in Afghanistan face rising levels of domestic violence, abuse, and exploitation.” In the past the Taliban “barred women from working outside the home or leaving the house without a male guardian, eliminated schooling for girls and publicly flogged those who violated the group’s morality code”, women and girls are rightly feeling scared, isolated, and uncertain of their fate. (Farnaz Fassihi, 2021, Taliban Take Over in Afghanistan, New York Times,)

The freedoms women (like myself) enjoy and expect each day remind us that we are free and blessed beyond measure. Our hearts go out to those women, mothers, daughters, sisters, wives – whose future is so uncertain. Prayer for their safety and prayer for an end to the many injustices our sisters far away in another place face each day.

On September 1st, 2021 “the U.S. Supreme Court formally denied the abortion lobby’s request to block the Texas Heartbeat Act Wednesday evening, voting 5-4 to let the historic law take effect”. (Calvin Frieburger, 2021, LifeSiteNews.com)

The Heartbeat Law, signed into effect in May by Gov. Abbott of Texas requires abortionists to screen for a preborn baby’s heartbeat and prohibits abortion if a heartbeat can be heard (generally as early as six weeks), with exceptions only for medical emergencies.

This is HUGE! A HUGE victory for the innocent lives lost because of an abortion. There is still a lot of movement expected in the Judicial system however this unprecedented ruling may not be a ruling “on the merits of the Texas Heartbeat Act, many pro-lifers have taken the majority’s willingness to let the law stand even temporarily as an encouraging sign.”

And it is that – an encouraging sign. A sign that hearts and minds are changing. That the fact that the act of abortion takes the life of a living breathing human being with a heartbeat is beyond dispute. And the hope is that sometime perhaps in the near future the sanctity of all human life – born and unborn, man and woman, American or Afghan, will be beyond contention and protected.

The future is indeed unknown, for all of us in truth. But trusting our future to Him  and stepping forth to protect those who cannot protect themselves, standing firmly in the light of truth is what He asks of us – scary and uncertain as it may feel at times. His power is known.

She Still Needs You

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OCTOBER 5: Today my life began. My parents do not know it yet, but it is I already. And I am to be a girl. I shall have brown hair and brown eyes. Just about everything is settled though, even the fact that I shall love flowers.

And thus begins the anonymous letter titled “Diary of an Unborn Child” published in Watchtower Bible and Tract Society’s AWAKE! Magazine in 1980. The haunting and soul-stirring narrative continues from the voice of the unborn child. 

OCTOBER 19: Some say that I am not a real person yet, that only my mother exists. But I am a real person, just as a small crumb of bread is yet truly bread. My mother is. And I am.

In the September 1st issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry following a study analyzing data on 877,000 women – 164,000 of which had had a abortion, “Results indicate quite consistently that abortion is associated with moderate to highly increased risks of psychological problems subsequent to the procedure.”
The women who had experienced an abortion were “34% more likely to develop an anxiety disorder, 37% more likely to experience depression, 110% more likely to abuse alcohol, 155% more likely to commit suicide, and 220% more likely to use marijuana.” (Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 January 2018)

OCTOBER 23: My mouth is just beginning to open now. Just think, in a year or so I shall be laughing and later talking. I know what my first word will be: MAMA.

In an article from a physician in 2016 she recalls volunteering as an abortion counselor in 1973 as an undergrad. She remembers being told that abortion was “risk-free”. It was many years later she learned about abortion-related distress. Distress such as severe depression not unlike PTSD, nightmares, thoughts of suicide and self-harm, insomnia, substance abuse, anger, and feelings of guilt and worthlessness. More – relationships with abusive partners, and various self-destructive behaviors. And these stresses are long lasting and relentless. 
Dr. Shuping says, “In my clinical experience, I have worked with women ranging in age from teens to more than eighty who continued to have distress they attributed many years later to the abortion.” (Shuping, M. (2016). Counterpoint: Long-lasting distress after abortion. (pp. 153-177).

NOVEMBER 2: I am growing a bit every day. My arms and legs are beginning to take shape. But I have to wait a long time yet before those little legs will raise me to my mother’s arms, before these little arms will be able to gather flowers and embrace my father.

And what about the father? “In a national web-based study of 135 men who have experienced an abortion, 48% of men stated that they opposed their partner’s abortion and 69% reported moderate to very high stress following the abortion (Rue, Coyle, & Coleman, 2007).  Yet no state requires a husband or boyfriend to be informed of the  impending abortion.“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.”— Billy Graham

DECEMBER 13: I am just about able to see. It is dark around me. When mom brings me into the world it will be full of sunshine and flowers. But what I want more than anything is to see my mom. How do you look, mom?

No woman can forget the child within her womb. No woman truly wants to have an abortion. And no one woman is ever the same following one. The profound effects of an abortion fill her heart and mind. Sometimes loud and garish causing every movement to be harsh and tiresome. Other times quiet and isolating. An endless frost.

DECEMBER 24: I wonder if mom hears the whispering of my heart? Some children come into the world a little sick. But my heart is strong and healthy. It beats so evenly: tup-tup, tup-tup. You’ll have a healthy little daughter, mom!

The heartrending end to this poem I am sure you know. According to various sources some 619,591 abortions were performed in 2018. There is no readily available data up to the present at this time. That is not only the approximate number of precious blood spilled but also the number of souls torn in half and left empty and broken from having taken the life of their child.

She still needs us. Our prayers. Our compassion. Our help. Pray for those whose lives are damaged by this horrific crime and pray for and help bring about her the healing she needs. Support Pregnancy Care Clinics and our efforts to “Love them Both”.

~Heather Vasquez

Our Mission

To offer compassionate care and material support to women and families before, during, and after pregnancy, no matter the circumstances.

Our Vision

To affirm the intrinsic value of both mother and child by connecting women with the resources they need to choose life.