October 30, 2009
Washington Catholic students pray outside abortion clinic
Washington Catholic students Deron Baxter, Kaelani Rae Ellerman, Alexis May and Alexander Ellerman hold a sign during a recent trip to Bloomington. They stood near an abortion clinic there on a recent Thursday, and prayed along with others who oppose abortion. Deron, Kaelani Rae and Alexis are freshmen at Washington Catholic High School, and Alexander is a fifth grader at Washington Catholic Elementary School.
By MARY ANN HUGHES (Message staff writer)
Deron Baxter was taught that abortion is wrong. Now after spending a morning praying in front of an abortion clinic in Bloomington, Ind., that teaching has been reinforced.
He says, “I feel abortion is always wrong.”
Deron and three other students from Washington Catholic recently spent part of their fall break praying outside of an abortion clinic in nearby Bloom-ington.
They are Washington Catholic High School freshmen Kaelani Rae Ellerman and Alexis May, and Washington Catholic Elementary School fifth grader Alexander Ellerman.
Jan Linneweber-Ellerman, the mom of Kaelani Rae and Alex-ander, drove the students to Bloomington.
“Everyone wore special shirts,” Jan said. “My shirt said on the front and back ‘adoptive mom.’ My kids’ shirts said on the front ‘I am loved’ and on the back ‘I am adopted.’
“Alexis’ and Deron’s shirts said ‘she is loved’ and on the back ‘she is adopted.’ The part signifying ‘adopted’ had a red heart around the words. They got noticed by all!”
Jan said the group left Washington about eight in the morning, and arrived at the Bloomington clinic about 9:30 a.m.
“There was a group of 10 people saying the Divine Mercy Chaplet. After it was over, many people greeted us and asked us where we were from. We were made to feel very welcome.”
The three freshmen had made little “diaper like” paper hand outs that they gave “to anyone who would talk to us,” Jan said. “We walked around the property as much as possible — there are strict regulations where you can walk — and silently prayed. Later, we took part in a Rosary.
“We stayed there until noon. Most of the people had left by then, but there was one elderly lady still there that said she would be relieved soon by another person to stand vigil all day. What a testimony!”
One couple at the abortion clinic “came outside numerous times,” Jan said. “When the guy went to his car, I was able to tell him that my adoptive kids changed my life and if he needed help, there were other options. He thanked me. We left before they came out again, but I am very hopeful they did not go through with the abortion.
“Most people would not talk to us.”
Jan said that both of her children are adopted, and “they’ve known they were adopted all their life. I tell them there is no way their dad and I could have created such great kids on our own.”
During their visit to Bloom-ington, she said the four students “all felt they had a mission, to affect how people feel about abortion, that adoption is an option and to save just one life.”
Kaelani said she “felt it was a good experience,” adding, “I’m very proud my birth parents chose adoption. It shows they loved me more than they loved themselves because they were willing to put themselves through the pain of separation so I could have a better life.
“That’s true love — doing what is best for the child — even when it hurts.”
After his experience in Bloomington, Deron said, “I feel abortion is always wrong.”
Jan said she was “scared going up there. I had no idea what I had gotten myself and the kids into, but I am so glad we did it. I woke up the morning of the trip and thought to myself ‘today, we can change the world.’
“That’s what I told the kids when I woke them up and that’s what we all felt like we’d accomplished. We’ve got to do it a little at a time. So many people don’t understand adoption. So many people regret their abortion. We need to educate and inform, and we hope to educate about adoption in the way we live our lives.”
She said she is planning another trip to Bloomington, perhaps during Christmas break.
They are all parishioners at Our Lady of Hope Church in Washington.
E-mail maryann@themessageonline.org.