Everything Happens for a Reason
“It’s going to be a year on December 7th that it all changed for me.”
- Stanton Mom Jemma
I was sitting in the Stanton Mobile one September morning, reading my Bible and praying for the day ahead, when Jemma knocked on the door. As I opened the door, I recognized her smiling face. Jemma had come to Stanton in 2023 with her boyfriend, and I hadn’t seen her since.
“Come in!” I welcomed Jemma into the Mobile, and when she saw my open Bible, her face lit up.
“I accepted God into my life and started going to a church,” Jemma shared excitedly with me. Jemma grew up “knowing God”, but she had never truly turned her life over to Jesus. She told me how her life had changed by attending church and receiving God’s free gift of salvation on December 7th, 2024.
I saw the joy in her eyes, and I saw Jemma had come back to the Mobile because our Stanton team had played an important role in her journey toward faith.
After she became pregnant with her third baby,
Jemma felt worried and fearful, uncertain where to turn.
Stanton Baby Sebastian
Jemma went to Planned Parenthood looking for answers and options. She soon found out that Planned Parenthood would not provide an ultrasound, claiming she was “too early”. Jemma and her boyfriend walked from the abortion clinic straight into the Stanton Mobile, parked on the street outside.
Of course, our sonographer Blanca was able to show Jemma her tiny baby on the screen. “I saw him... he was the size of a little peanut! It changed my mind in that instant, that he was there, living, growing inside me.” Jemma was sure she would keep this baby and never return to Planned Parenthood.
Our team was able to pray with Jemma that day and to reassure her that she had support and as she left the clinic, we knew there would be more to the story. Blanca and our team checked in with Jemma regularly for the next 2 years, encouraging her and praying for her.
And now here she was in the Mobile, sharing with me about Stanton Baby Sebastian and her new, vibrant faith!
“Everything happens for a reason,” Jemma told me, “And the Lord is good for bringing me to you guys, to having Sebastian and now, my life now.”
The Stanton Mobile exists for moms like Jemma and babies like Sebastian. We open our doors every week to welcome pregnant women who are in desperate need of hope, and while we don’t know the outcome of every story, we do know there are many Stanton Moms like Jemma whose lives have been impacted for eternity because they came to Stanton.
Jemma’s visit was a sweet reminder of the life-changing, life-saving work
God is doing through Stanton’s ministry!
Jemma and Stanton Baby Sebastian on their recent visit to the Stanton Mobile.
Jemma came again last month, and she brought Sebastian with her this time. I couldn’t stop staring at the smiling face of this adorable Stanton Baby. It was such a gift to meet Sebastian and sit with them in the clinic; to hear his laughter and to see how much she loves her son was priceless.
As Jemma was preparing to leave with Sebastian, I asked her what she tells others about Stanton. She was quick to respond: “They are wonderful, nice people. They care about you, about your situation. Come to Stanton, talk to the staff, trust your instincts.”
I wish every pregnant woman filled with uncertainty in the High Desert could hear these words from Jemma. It is my prayer that as we near the end of 2025, the Lord will open doors for Stanton Healthcare in the High Desert communities so we can reach many more women with the good news of HOPE in 2026.
I am reminded of John 4:35 when I think of Jemma and baby Sebastian: “Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are ripe for harvest.” Indeed, they are!
Our team is working on creative strategies for increased visibility in the new year, and I hope you will support us in this mission. You can stand with our team by giving a special year-end gift or, even better, making a monthly donation commitment that will allow us to plan in the long-term for greater community impact. Visit StantonSoCal.org/donate to make a secure online donation, or send your gift to P.O. Box 189, Wrightwood, CA 92397.
All gifts to Stanton are tax-deductible, but there’s even better news – all gifts are stewarded well to maximize effectiveness and reach more women and their babies with the good news of LIFE and HOPE!
Please support Stanton Healthcare as we prepare for 2026, and please pray with us for Jemma and Sebastian, and the moms and babies in our community who need the same good news Jemma received.
May God bless you and yours this Christmas.
With Hope,
Sienna Melendez
Executive Director
Jemma and Sebastian’s story is used with her permission. Names are changed to protect privacy.