AG Churches and Ministries Rally to Assist Mother Considering Abortion

Editor's Note: Sunday, Jan. 18, is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday in the Assemblies of God.

By the time I interviewed Megan Yturriaga, I thought I understood the power of a pro-life story. I had worked with COMPACT Family Services for more than 12 years, collectively, and had seen beautiful testimonies of family reconciliation and reunification play out in ways that can only be described as supernatural. But something about Megan’s story stuck in my heart and mind like a loose thread I couldn’t shake, even after the article was finished.

Megan’s testimony was remarkable. She was a successful wife and mother whose own biological mother chose life when abortion seemed like the easier option. She had been adopted through Highlands Maternity Home as a child and was raised by an Assemblies of God family. Now, simultaneously growing in her role as a grandmother, this ordained AG minister and pastor’s wife was also leading a thriving pregnancy care center with multiple locations across Iowa. Her life stands as a living witness to what can happen when someone says “yes” to life—and when the Church shows up.

I wrote Megan’s story and AG News published it in March 2025. I believed the article would encourage readers and church leaders on the importance of championing the cause of the unborn and supporting vulnerable women experiencing unexpected pregnancies. What I didn’t know was that God was arranging the pieces to an even bigger testimony.

Just weeks after the article ran, my phone rang on a Friday night. It was an unknown number. Normally, I don’t answer those calls, but for reasons I can’t explain, I did.

On the other end was a young woman from the community. Her voice was soft and timid as she told me she was eight weeks pregnant and had an abortion appointment scheduled for the following Tuesday. She didn’t want to abort her baby but felt backed into a corner by her life’s current circumstances. She couldn’t afford prenatal care, didn’t qualify for Medicaid, and felt trapped. “I don’t have a choice,” she said. “My hands are tied.”

As I listened, I sensed the Holy Spirit prompting me to slow down, to listen carefully, and to respond with compassion. I didn’t have a solution, which is normally something that my type-A “fix-it” personality attempts to haphazardly piece together too hastily. Oddly, though I didn’t know how this would all turn out, I had a calmness in the depths of my spirit. I knew that God had a plan for this mama and her baby, and that provision would come, but I had to be willing to be His vessel.

I didn’t have much experience helping guide women who were so close to terminating their pregnancy toward choosing life for their unborn child, but because of the interview I had just conducted, I knew exactly who to call.

I reached out to Megan and explained the situation. Without hesitation, she stepped in — guiding me with wisdom, encouragement, and prayer. She helped me know what to say and how to say it, reminding me that the most important thing was for this young woman to feel Christ’s unconditional love, regardless of what she ultimately chose.

I asked the expectant mother for the weekend — just a little time to explore options. Though I had no idea what those options would be, she agreed. She told me again that she didn’t want an abortion. She just didn’t see another way.

So, I began making calls.

I contacted local churches I had built relationships with through various other projects and ministry assignments. I reached out to COMPACT Family Services, an AG-affiliated ministry serving families in crisis. One by one, doors opened. Conversations turned into commitments. Churches and ministry partners collectively agreed to fund her entire pregnancy — completely out of pocket.

During a COMPACT staff meeting where the decision for financial support was discussed, Executive Director Alan Bixler captured the heart behind his response: “We have to put our words into action,” he said. “We are a pro-life organization and ministry, and that isn’t something we just say — it’s something we do. We must ask ourselves, what cost do we put on a life?”

When I called the young mother with the news, there was silence on the line—followed by sighs and stammers of relief and emotional release. She told me she had no idea people like this existed — people willing to support her, even though they didn’t know her. That same day, she canceled her abortion appointment.

But God wasn’t finished yet.

Soon after, we were given unexpected favor with a local hospital. Despite her stable income and resources, the hospital approved her for full medical coverage — at no cost. Every appointment. Every delivery expense. Covered.

In October, a beautiful, healthy baby girl was born. I have had the privilege to see pictures of her on a regular basis and each time I look into her big, sparkling eyes, I see a child who was born with a divine purpose, for a divine moment, and from a divine intervention.

This life exists today because a young mother was brave enough to say she needed help and was willing to trust something bigger than what she could see in the physical; because churches and AG ministries chose to live out their convictions; because compassion replaced judgment; and because God had already begun putting the right people and connections in place long before any of us realized it — starting with a simple interview and a story shared through AG News.

His perfect timing had been working all things together for good to His glory, just like He promised He would in Romans 8:28. His promise wasn’t about comfort. Instead, it was ushered in by every character in this story stepping outside of his or her comfort zone and surrendering to God’s will.

It began months earlier with an interview — one simple “yes” from Megan Yturriaga agreeing to tell me her story, something beautiful birthed from something broken. Neither of us could have known that God was preparing a connection that would help save another life. I didn’t know He would use a phone call I almost didn’t answer. I didn’t know how provision would come. But God did.

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday reminds us that every life is precious — from the unborn child to the mother who feels overwhelmed, afraid, or alone. It reminds us that choosing life must go beyond words or social media posts. It requires action. It requires sacrifice. It requires the Church to be the Church.

This is the power of saying yes to God, even when we don’t see the full picture.

And this is the power of showing the love of Jesus — offering understanding, grace, and tangible support—so that no woman ever feels she has “no other choice.”

God is still weaving the pieces of this story together, but I am humbled and honored to have been a small part of it. As we approach Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, may we continue to say yes, may we continue to walk forward, even when we don’t understand, and may we be willing to step outside of our comfort zone to be His loving arms to our broken world.