What People Are Saying about Jojo Ruba’s Presentations

(Quotations may have been edited for grammar, punctuation, syntax, spelling, and/or length.)

“We received only positive feedback from the presentations that Jojo gave here.  Although he speaks on an uncomfortable issue, using at times uncomfortable pictures and film, his gentleness and professionalism in presenting the topic helped the audiences look carefully and rationally at the issues raised.”
—Linda Smith, president, Drayton Valley Respect for Life, Drayton Valley, AB

“From [a previous] meeting, we asked him to speak at our Youth Camp in July held in Kelowna, BC.  After the session, one of the leaders in the young adults group asked him to speak to the young adults.  Both sessions were very well received.

“Jojo is an energetic and eloquent speaker who is skilled at communicating with people from various backgrounds.  In particular, he is able to connect well with the younger audience and is able to do so with empathy and wisdom.  He has a talent for developing rapport quickly with his audience.”
—Ron de Villa, senior pastor, Word Christian Fellowship New Westminster, BC

“One of the most impacting parts of Jojo’s presentation for my youth was seeing the pictures and video clip.  Youth told me that seeing the pictures and video made the topic of abortion much more real and were themselves gripped with a conviction that abortion is wrong.

“We need more people like Jojo to speak the truth in love and caring enough to confront.  For too long, Christians have stood by idly, or worse, ignoring the plight of the unborn.  Jojo takes seriously these words in Scripture:

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?  Does not he who guards your life know it?  Will he not repay each person according to what he has done? (Proverbs 24:11–12)
—Mika Kostamo, youth pastor, Cedar Grove Baptist Church, Surrey, BC

“I have only a glowing reference to offer you.  There is something very special about Jose (known to most of us as Jojo).  A descriptive word that comes to mind is ‘balanced.’  He offers sound, thoughtful, intellectual, and thoroughly convincing pro-life apologetics but is never completely lost to the argument.  By that I simply mean that he always has a genuine abundance of compassion for those that are affected by abortion.  Jose is gifted with an ability to think through critical and complicated issues and after coming to some level of resolution is able to communicate the subject in simple and understandable terms.  He has a way of effectively opening the ‘mind’s eye.’”
—Terri Mazik, director, First Place Pregnancy Centre, Ottawa, ON

“Jose has a keen mind and spiritual maturity.  He is not afraid to enter into dialogue with people over challenging issues, yet he does this with gentleness, grace, and compassion.  Since his youth, he has sensed the Lord calling him to care for the plight of the unborn, and he has sought to honour God and follow Him faithfully.  Jose has faced difficulties in this journey—the pro-life position is not a popular one—yet he speaks the truth in love, with compassion and grace.”
—Jill Hamer-Wilson, IVCF staff, Ottawa, ON

“We have had Jojo speak to our group of young adults on several occasions, and always there are those who walk away for the first time being confronted as Christians about our responsibility to love the unborn and their mothers.  In a church setting, Jojo uses Scripture to remind Christians that loving our neighbour includes protecting both the unborn child and the elderly widow.”
—Rev. Daniel J. Winter, pastor of young adults, Metropolitan Bible Church, Ottawa, ON

Audience Members

What was your position on abortion before the presentation?
“Helpless to do something.  Slightly confused.”
Did your position on abortion change in any way due to the presentation?
“Yes I definitely am thinking pro-actively.”
—23-year-old male, Cedar Grove Baptist Church, Surrey, BC

If visual aids were used in the presentation, which ones and what are your comments about them?
“In the video they showed a probe opening the mouth of an aborted fetus.  It really stuck with me.”
—23-year-old, student, Salvation Army War College, Vancouver, BC

What was your position on abortion before the presentation?
“Against it, though I’ve been through 3.  Knowing they were wrong, but too afraid to face family and church when I was younger.”
Did your position on abortion change in any way due to the presentation?
“Stronger.  Challenged me to speak against it—to stop being afraid to say anything because I’ve felt like a hypocrite having been through 3 myself.  I need to stand against it.”
—23-year-old female, Surrey, BC

What was your position on abortion before the presentation?
“Depends on the circumstance.”
Did your position on abortion change in any way due to the presentation?
“I believe that abortion is wrong.  I would rather put up baby for adoption than kill it.”
—18-year-old female, St. Anthony’s School, Drayton Valley, AB

What was your position on abortion before the presentation?
“Anti.”
Did your position on abortion change in any way due to the presentation?  If so please explain.
“Yes! It has strengthened my resolve to give my time and talents whenever I can to make abortion unthinkable.”
—36-year-old female, Victoria, BC

“I was really impressed.  I didn’t realize that such injustice was going on.  You don’t hear about it often because it’s not very socially acceptable I guess.”
—24-year-old female, Cedar Grove Baptist Church, Surrey, BC

What do you remember most about the presentation?
“The importance of using graphic images to help explain the pro-life message to relativists.”
—21-year-old female, Victoria, BC

What was your position on abortion before the presentation?
“Pro-life mostly-unsure about the circumstances.”
Did your position on abortion change in any way due to the presentation?
“Yes.  Really understand the importance of this issue and see it much more clearly.”
—Master of Divinity student, Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary, Cochrane, AB

What was your position on abortion before the presentation?
“I believed that abortion was wrong and now I have arguments that justify my beliefs on this issue and back up my belief.”
—13-year-old female, Vancouver, BC

What do you remember most about the presentation?
“The professionalism.  The calmness and firmness of CCBR.  I appreciate the well-thought-out mandate and plan.”
—25 year-old female, North Vancouver, BC

What was your position on abortion before the presentation?
“Anti? (Left to conscience of the individual)”
Did your position on abortion change in any way due to the presentation?  If so please explain.
“A better understanding of the problems and divisions of thought on subject and now absolutely against abortion.”
—74-year-old male, Victoria, BC

If visual aids were used in the presentation, which ones and what are your comments about them?
“The pictures of the 14-year-old killed and others.  I didn’t realise pictures could change minds of people, because it is too easy to look away.  But they are excellent in changing society.”
—48-year-old female, Drayton Valley, AB

What was your position on abortion before the presentation?
“Pro-life but I think that women in cases of rape should have a choice.”
Did your position on abortion change in any way due to the presentation?
“Pro-life—even though some situations may be unbearable, murder is murder.”
—19-year-old female, Cedar Grove Baptist Church, Surrey, BC

“Liked graphic pics.  Soooo necessary.  People need to see—youth especially! We can take graphic but spit out the lukewarm!”
—18-year-old female, Victoria, BC

“Made me determined to speak out against [abortion].”
—50-year-old female, St. Stephen’s Parish, North Vancouver, BC

“Before I thought that in some cases, abortion was okay but this opened my eyes.”
—14-year-old male, Cedar Grove Baptist Church, Surrey, BC

What was your position on abortion before the presentation?
“I believed that abortion was wrong and now I have arguments that justify my beliefs on this issue and back up my belief.”
—13-year-old female, Vancouver, BC

“Very clear.  You point out 3 basic ways to be a pro-life ambassador.  They are simple points (but not clearly understood or practised by pro-lifers) and Jojo does a fantastic job of elaborating on them, making them applicable to our daily pro-life practices.”
—24-year-old female, Drayton Valley, AB

If visual aids were used in the presentation, which ones and what are your comments about them?
“The video at the end—it made me a little bit uncomfortable at the beginning of the video but as it went on I came to better realize the power of images.”
—23-year-old female, 2005 NCLN Conference, Toronto, ON

What was your position on abortion before the presentation?
“I believed in moral relativism.  Therefore, I thought a woman could abort for the sake of the child and her life.”
Did your position on abortion change in any way due to the presentation?  If so please explain.
“Yes!  Life is a life regardless of SLED (size, level of development, environment and degree of dependency)”
—15-year-old female, 2005 Ignite Youth Conference, Surrey, BC

“Jojo presented good arguments pertaining to the personhood of unborn babies.  He has a compassionate heart for women who have had an abortion, a very important quality.”
—51-year-old female, Victoria, BC

Before the presentation: “I didn’t have much of a position except that it is wrong—didn’t know much else about it.”
After the presentation: “I’m definitely much more convicted now because I feel like I learned more about it.”
—23-year-old female, Lord’s Peace Chapel, Vancouver, BC

What was your position on abortion before the presentation?
“I knew abortion was a bad thing.  I mean that’s a scary experience.”
Did your position on abortion change in any way due to the presentation?  If so please explain.
“I realized how ‘bad’ abortion is.  It’s a very sad thing for ‘not even a fully grown baby.’”
—11-year-old girl, Vancouver, BC

“Abortion is a big issue.  [I believed] this is not an important issue in the church but after listening to the presentation, I learned it’s really an issue [that] we as Christians have a big part to help and reach out with.”
—28-year-old female, Word Christian Fellowship, New Westminster, BC

What are your comments on the content of the presentation?
“Very secular.  This is helpful because if you bring up religion, then you’ve brought a completely different element up for debate.  The tactics discussed were clear and concise.”
—18-year-old female, 2005 NCLN Conference, Toronto, ON

“I think after seeing the presentation, I have a stronger argument and [I] am better equipped to knowledgeably participate in discussions about abortion.”
—18-year-old male, Cedar Grove Baptist Church, Surrey, BC

“The speaker and the presentation was well thought out and concise.  The scientific as well as religious point of view is appreciated.”
—18-year-old female who identified herself as “pro-choice depending on the circumstances”, St. Anthony’s School, Drayton Valley, AB

What are your comments on the content of the presentation?
“It was interesting because I had no idea how abortion really worked and I learned a lot from this session.”
What was your position on abortion before the presentation?
“I thought abortion wasn’t a right thing to do but I didn’t exactly do anything or know anything about it.”
Did your position on abortion change in any way due to the presentation?  If so please explain.
“Yes, now I know how abortion in Canada works.”
—14-year-old female, 2005 Ignite Youth Conference, Surrey, BC

If visual aids were used in the presentation, which ones and what are your comments about them?
“The pictures of those tiny babies killed in the process… It was gruesome but gave true pictures of what was really happening every time there’s an abortion.  It gave total awareness of the cruelty of abortion.”
—42-year-old male from Word Christian Fellowship, New Westminster, BC

“It was the least offensive pro-life presentation I’ve heard.  You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
—Pro-choice female student, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON

“Thank you so much for this presentation.  I tend to get sidetracked with some of the questions and emotions.  Your logical approach and focus on the main question (what is the unborn?) was very helpful.”
—26-year-old female, 2005 NCLN Conference, Toronto, ON