Photos by Brandon Aquino

God uses a small Calvary Chapel church in Los Angeles to be a light in the darkness as it embraces a pro-life mission.

Elizabeth Ledesma was sitting in her Sociology class at Los Angeles Valley Community College, trying to focus on the lesson—but her mind was elsewhere. She had just learned the day before that she was pregnant. “I was not saved, I had a job where I wasn’t making much money, and was using marijuana and alcohol,” she shared. “Finding out I was pregnant was very scary, and I knew having an abortion was the thing to do, and it didn’t bother me.”

But on this day in class, the Lord was starting to get Elizabeth’s attention. “It started when the topic for the day was on family units and how they affect the individual,” she began. The professor showed pictures of families, and the scenes of mothers with their children began to make Elizabeth think about the baby growing inside her. “I saw the pictures of the children and thought, This is what my child would be like if I don’t go through with the abortion.” But as class ended, she went about her day, not knowing what was about to happen.

After class, she went to her job at the community college food pantry and noticed a regular customer coming in with a cross on her hat. “I like your beanie,” Elizabeth told the young lady. The girl thanked her kindly and left. Elizabeth returned to her duties. About 15 minutes later, the customer returned and, out of the blue, said, “Hey, if you know anyone considering an abortion, my church is hosting a screening of a movie tonight on abortion; please let them know.” Hardly believing the timing of those words, she broke down in tears. She knew that invitation was for her.

Later that evening, Elizabeth found herself at CC Mid Valley in Van Nuys, CA, (now renamed “Light of the Valley”) joining the young lady who had invited her for a showing of the movie Unplanned. “That movie showed me what abortion really is, and I knew it was clear that I needed to keep my baby,” she confessed.

Once home, she sat in her room weeping and crying out to Jesus. She had no idea how she was going to take care of the baby. There were so many hurdles and obstacles that caused a lot of fear to overwhelm her heart. Then she prayed for Christ to save her and committed to keeping her baby. And at that moment, she knew everything was going to be OK. “There were 100 No’s in my head,” she admitted, “but Christ kept answering with a Yes, and I trusted in Him.” Both she and her boyfriend were saved and baptized at Light of the Valley (LOTV).

A Church Ready to Serve

Light of the Valley is a small fellowship of about 60 believers in bustling Los Angeles County, CA—dwarfed by area megachurches, Hollywood with all its celebrity glamor, and the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles itself. Yet, despite its size, LOTV has responded to the call to minister to women considering abortion.

Van Nuys, CA, where the church is located, has more than its share of abortion clinics. “We have three abortion clinics within a 1½-mile radius of the church,” explained Senior Pastor Robert Shank. “Two of those clinics are a half-mile from the church.” Over the last few years, Robert has seen the Lord’s hand work in the hearts of those considering abortion, as well as the hearts of his congregation.

Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

Igniting the Pro-Life Fire

Robert took on the role of senior pastor during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike other churches in the area, LOTV chose to remain open even though the path forward was unclear. Still, Robert led the church in prayer for the Lord’s guidance and direction for the church.

One Saturday each month, the church would go on a prayer walk. “During COVID, the Lord pressed on my heart to pray for the community,” Robert shared. They walked block after block and prayed for communities, apartment complexes, other churches, businesses, and even abortion clinics. Their time praying for the unborn, for the women considering abortion, and for the Lord to work was very powerful for the congregation. As Robert put it, “This time of prayer was a spark that lit the fire in our church for pro-life work.”

As the church walked around those blocks, neighbors in the community would see them, some choosing to join them. One of those families experienced a radical transformation in their entire home, not too different from what the centurion Cornelius experienced in his home, described in Acts Chapter 10.

Another woman who eventually joined their prayer walks was once a patient inside the very Planned Parenthood clinic that the church has praying been for. A worker at Planned Parenthood gave her the opportunity to view an ultrasound, a very rare occurrence. Once she saw the ultrasound, however, she immediately felt conviction and left. She was pregnant with twins. The Lord intervened to save the lives of her two unborn babies, and now she is sharing her testimony with others through Light of the Valley.

The Lord Continues to Move

Robert was invited to attend a pastor’s prayer breakfast hosted by Open Arms Pregnancy Center in Northridge, CA. The keynote speaker for the event was Seth Gruber, a renowned pro-life speaker who announced to every pastor there that he would speak to their congregations at no cost. Robert took him up on the offer, and on December 5, 2021, Seth spoke at Light of the Valley. Robert testified that the Lord used this message to motivate the entire congregation to more action.

In March of 2022, Robert received a mysterious email from Pastor Lloyd Pulley of Calvary Chapel Old Bridge, NJ, inviting him to an event sponsored by Save the Storks, an organization that empowers women to choose life. The email arrived just as the church was considering how they could do more for the pro-life cause. Robert had never interacted with Lloyd, nor is Robert on any official mailing list.  Lloyd mentioned that he was unsure how he got a hold of Robert's e-mail, and the e-mail invite remains a mystery to this day. Light of the Valley is currently part of Save the Storks and is working on an action plan to obtain their very own Save the Storks' Bus, an ultrasound mobile medical unit.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Compassionate Sidewalk Ministry

One of the major ways the church reaches women considering abortion is through its sidewalk ministry. “Sidewalk counseling is an approach that is not abrasive or judgmental and isn’t condemning at all,” Robert clarified.  A group will stand by the sidewalk as women enter Planned Parenthood, to pray for them, encourage them to talk with someone, and even direct people to Open Arms for a free ultrasound. Open Arms has opened their doors one hour early in light of the church's ministry outside of the Planned Parenthood clinic. “We have seen as many as 60 women go in for an abortion in a single day.” Robert emphasized that this isn’t a protest—there aren’t signs or shouting of any kind; it’s simply a group of people boldly but gently pleading for the women and young ladies to reconsider.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

The police are called on them regularly while doing sidewalk counseling, and sometimes multiple times a day. Every time the police come, Robert reported, they inform the opposing group that the church has a right to be there.

 A Local Event

This last May, Light of the Valley hosted an event that officially launched the church’s pro-life efforts with an organization called Love Life, an organization that educates churches on how to do sidewalk counseling, prayer walks, mentoring to the abortion wounded, and other outreaches.

Several speakers were invited to the event, including Pastor Rob McCoy of Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks, CA. LOTV is an official chapter with Turning Point USA, a nationally recognized organization that sends speakers to college campuses to challenge students’ thinking on social issues.

Light of the Valley has also been working and training with Deeper Still, an organization working with women who have already had an abortion. The director of the organization was scheduled to speak at the May event but became ill and feared she’d have to cancel. However, the church prayed fervently for her and she suddenly recovered from that sickness the day of the event and was able to attend—yet another reminder for Pastor Robert that the Lord was in this work!

Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Proverbs 31:8

A Light in the Valley

Light of the Valley has been renting space from a local church for the last 11 years, but the Lord has made it clear that it was time to move. The rent more than doubled in 2023 and the facility itself is not in the best condition, occasionally hindering their meetings. Through various circumstances, Pastor Robert feels the Lord is leading the church to pray for and acquire a new property.

Pastor Robert admits that the tasks seem overwhelming at times, and the congregation can easily become discouraged. But they have seen first-hand how the Lord is answering prayers for them and opening doors to share the Gospel in their community. LOTV, as Robert put it, “is truly a light in the valley.”

Elizabeth Lederman’s baby boy is due at the end of October, and she is thrilled to welcome him into the world, excited about the idea of being a mother. “When I think of my baby growing, I think of God helping me grow,” she commented. Her life has been transformed through the power of God’s love—and how He used LOTV to minister to her. The fellowship held a baby shower for her in September.

“There are no mistakes in life,” Elizabeth stated, “only lessons.” She knows there will be challenges in the road ahead but believes, “If you have the Lord, you can always overcome the challenges because the Lord will be with you.”

Learn more about this fellowship at ccmv.us

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