Volunteers from churches across the nation, to include many Southern Baptist churches, are taking part in a project called “The Bella Hero Project.”
SLIDELL – Volunteers from churches across the nation, to include many Southern Baptist churches, are taking part in a project called “The Bella Hero Project.”
Since its beginning last September, this project has saved lives and restored families, according to Cindy Collins, executive director of Slidell’s Crisis Pregnancy Help Center.
“It’s been the Lord’s work in progress,” Collins said. “Everybody’s who’s been involved in the movie [and the project] has been directed by God.”
The Bella Hero Project is a grassroots project that grew out of the 2007 movie Bella.
Bella is the story of Nina and her unborn baby; Jose, an international soccer star; dreams lost, an act of kindness, lives saved and lives found.
The Bella Hero project’s genesis was in the stories Bella’s Producer, Leo Severino, began hearing from pregnant women who chose to give birth to their babies instead of aborting them, as a result of seeing Bella.
An idea began to take shape. What if crisis pregnancy centers were given copies of the movie to give to the women who came to them for help? Women who were thinking abortion was their only answer?
Collins said Slidell’s Crisis Pregnancy Help Center was chosen to be one of the pilot centers to see how clients responded.
“We have probably given out 50 [of the DVDs] so far,” she said.
The results have been amazing. The movie addresses issues that women and men who are facing unplanned pregnancies can relate to. They can actually see themselves in the characters, Collins explained.
She remembered one situation with a client, “Tia” [name changed]. Tia took a DVD home to watch. Prior to viewing the movie, she felt abortion was her only option. Afterwards, she and her boyfriend saw that God could make a way for this baby. To date, both Tia and her boyfriend have become Christians and are awaiting the birth of their baby. They both have seen God work miraculously in their lives.
Collins knows God used the film to reach them.
First Baptist Slidell member Julie Loumiet has been volunteering at the pregnancy center for four years. She said she believes the Bella Hero project is an incredible, God-inspired project.
“It involves the men,” Loumiet said.
Often, she has seen young women come into the help center alone, feeling that they have no hope. Sometimes, the fathers of the unborn babies either are putting pressure on the women to have abortions, or the men feel that they have no say in the pregnancy.
“We give the movie to the woman, and encourage other family members, even the baby’s father, to watch it with her,” Collins said. “Most embrace it right away . . . Most who watch the movie will begin to think of other options [rather than just abortion].
This is what happened with Tia and her baby’s father, the pregnancy care center director said.
“It’s like they woke up,” Collins added.
They realized they don’t have to think the way the culture tells them to think, she added.
This has been happening again and again, Collins said: Babies are being saved because of a simple DVD.
Collins said the center saw 700 women in 2008.
“Most women who come to our center are open to life,” she said. “They need support. They’re afraid.”
The women who volunteer there show them the love of Jesus.
“We’re here to help and direct them to the Lord …. There’s no condemnation,” Collins added. “Our hope is to bring as many [women as possible] into a daily relationship with Jesus.”
She and the center’s volunteers try to involve local churches with the life-saving and life-affirming ministry. Some churches members can give time. Others can give resources. Sometimes churches will even “adopt” a client; help her learn to live for Jesus, even mentor and disciple her. This is Collins’ desire for all the center’s clients.
Loumiet’s church family has embraced the center’s ministry wholly. A man at First Baptist even volunteered to help any of the center’s clients who have car trouble with their cars, Loumiet said.
Besides giving out DVDs, the Bella Hero Project gives churches and schools an opportunity to invite speakers to speak about life issues. Collins is one of these speakers. There is a curriculum available through this project schools can use to address issues, such as life, honor and trust, the director explained.
The Bella Hero Project speakers travel anywhere they are needed. And any Crisis Pregnancy Center or church or group can get involved with the project. Collins suggested that people call their local pregnancy centers and see if they’ve heard of the project. If not, direct them to the website, even buy them a few DVDs of the movie for their clients.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers run on donations and volunteers. Any help churches can give them will minister to those in need, she added.
“Even $5 a month to pay for one pregnancy test [is something],” Collins said.
Besides First Baptist, the Center has had volunteers from Slidell’s Grace Memorial and Northside Baptist Churches. Presently, neither church has active volunteers but continue to give financially to the Center.
For more information on The Bella Project, please go to: http://www.bellahero.com.