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In Touch With LifeSavers
features in-depth accounts of babies who have been saved
and women who have been helped by LifeSavers Ministries, along with
news about upcoming LifeSavers events and other ministry news.
In Touch With LifeSavers is published occasionally, when funds
allow.
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Weekly Ministry Focus
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Volume 3, Number 13
November 5, 2003
Weekly Ministry
Focus
Marine asks God for a "sign" to save his child
At least two children were saved from abortion in Bakersfield on
Monday, October 20. Embarrassed by the thought of revealing the consequences
of their sexual transgressions to their parents, young couples planned to
allow abortionist Kenneth Wright to abort their children at the Family
Planning Associates abortion chamber. But when faced with the Gospel of
Christ, these couples found the strength to face their fears. Here are
their stories:
Before going to bed last Sunday night, "Ray" prayed. Ray is a Marine,
stationed at Twentynine Palms, but he had come home to deal with a personal
problem. His teenage girlfriend, "Tisha," was pregnant, and Ray wanted God
to help him make the right decision. Ray and Tisha hoped that they could
hide the pregnancy from their parents, so they had scheduled an abortion for
the following morning. Ray asked God to give him a sign if He wanted them
to keep the baby.
After Ray prayed, nothing seemed to happen. Apparently, God would not be sending
a "sign." So on Monday morning, Ray and Tisha traveled to Bakersfield to keep
their date with death at the FPA abortion chamber.
But before they could walk into the killing center, they noticed Terri* and
the other Christians who were standing on the sidewalks, offering help to
pregnant women. Tisha accepted some literature from Terri. "Please don't
have the abortion. Please let us help you," Terri pleaded. "There is
nothing more valuable than the life of your child."
Tisha's eyes filled with tears, but Ray seemed to remain detached. "The
devil is the one who wants you guys to do this, not God," Terri contended.
"The baby is not a sin. There is nothing wrong with you having a baby inside
of you. What was wrong was that you guys decided to have sex when you
weren't married, but that's not an unforgivable sin."
Sensing that Ray was encouraging Tisha to go in, Terri asked, "Can you just
come over to our place and see the video so that you know what will happen
when they do the abortion?"
Ray turned to walk toward the abortion center. "Please don't follow him,"
Terri cried. "Please don't even step foot in there. Let me pray with you
at least. This is something you can't handle on your own, you need Jesus
Christ. If you hurt now, think about how you'll feel when you come out
those doors."
Ray continued trying to convince Tisha to go inside, while Terri tried to use
"tough love" to get through to him. "You told her you love her when you were
in bed with her," Terri challenged Ray, "show her you love her now, and
leave this place! Be a true man! Come watch the video, sir, it will soften
your heart too."
Tisha continued sobbing. "Sir, don't you see? She can't do this!" Terri
exclaimed. "Give her a hug and be there for her; get her away from this
place! If you care, show her! Please, take her home!"
After over 20 minutes of listening to Terri's supplications, Ray and Tisha
finally agreed to come across the street to the LifeHouse.
"Every little baby is a unique individual," Terri explained as Ray and Tisha
viewed the horrible violence of abortion on a television screen inside the
LifeHouse. "There will never be a baby like the one you have right now."
Ray told Terri that he's not ready to be a father. "But you're already a
daddy," Terri reminded him. "Whether you're ready or not, your baby is
ready. You're going to be a parent to a dead baby, or a live baby. Jesus
said 'I came that you may have life, and have it more abundantly,' but Satan
is the one who came to steal, kill and destroy."
Ray interrupted Terri, admitting that he had prayed that God would give him
a sign if Tisha should not abort their baby. Ray now realized that Terri
was the sign, sent by God to save the life of his child.
Ray explained that they were really scared to tell their parents, "I'm
really scared to tell my mom."
"But would it break her heart more to know that she had a grandson or
daughter that was killed," Terri asked, "or that you got a girl pregnant?"
When Terri asked if she could pray with them , both Ray and Tisha quickly
exclaimed "please!" Terri prayed, "You are the creator of life and I know
that you are going to provide for them. Help them to know what they should
do." She also asked God to prepare the hearts of Ray and Tisha's parents.
Terri gave the anxious couple a pamphlet entitled "Don't Panic: How to Tell
Your Parents You're Pregnant," along with a "Hope for the Future" Bible and
a baby gift. Ray and Tisha left the LifeHouse, with the child who had been
scheduled to die still living and growing in Tisha's womb.
"Monroe," 18, and "Cori," 17, arrived early for their child's abortion
appointment, wanting to make sure that their parents would not discover that
Cori is pregnant. But before they could enter the abortion chamber, Debbie
talked to them from the sidewalk, encouraging them to first watch a video
about abortion so that they could understand what was about to happen to
Cori and the tiny child inside her.
Monroe said he was interested in seeing the video, although Cori seemed
reluctant. Terri brought the teenage couple across the street to the
LifeHouse, where their eyes were opened to the brutality of abortion. Cori
cried softly as she witnessed what abortion would do to herself and her baby.
As the video ended, Terri gently encouraged the couple to make the right
decision. "God has a purpose for each of us, every baby that God creates,
He has a plan. He has a plan for your life, even though you may not be 'ready'
to be a parent. Right now you are a daddy, and you are a mommy. Abortion
doesn't change that. You don't want to live the rest of your life knowing
that you were responsible for your little boy or little girl dying, just
because you were afraid to tell your parents."
Terri explained that aborting the baby to hide the pregnancy would drive a
wedge between them and their parents. "There is a big release when you
decide to go ahead and tell your parents what's going on, because you don't
want to keep that from your parents forever. At some point you're going to
tell them, and then how are they going to feel? You know, that was their
grandbaby."
Monroe and Cori have been together for almost two years, and they attend
local Catholic churches. Cori is in her last year of high school. Monroe
already has a good job, and he told Terri that he was ready be a good husband
and father. Terri encouraged them to consider getting married.
"This is a time when Jesus is wanting you to trust him, and just let Him be
in control," Terri told the couple. "You won't regret it. With Jesus you
can handle anything like this." Monroe and Cori assured Terri that they
would let their child live.
Before they left the LifeHouse, Terri thanked God for helping them to make
the right decision: "I know it's only by your Holy Spirit that they changed
their hearts. Bless them for their decision for life and protect this little
baby inside of her. And Lord, prepare the way as they are trying to think
of the best way to let their parents know. Let this be a time that draws
them closer to you, Lord Jesus. And bring glory and honor to your
name through this little life."
* LSM team members
Scripture
Focus:
Jude 20-23
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in
the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy
of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion,
making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the
fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
Ask God to give you discernment, so that you will be able to make a
distinction between those who need compassion and those who are in desperate
need of being rescued from the flames.
Prayer
Focus
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Jesus, draw us closer to you, so that You can give us the strength to
stand against the devil's attacks.
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Strengthen the relationships between the young couples who chose life
and their parents (see reports above).
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Cause Your light to shine upon the darkness inside Bakersfield's abortion
chamber.
Eat Italian food: it's good for the babies!
To help LifeSavers Ministries save babies from abortion, the Knights of
Columbus Council 12719 will serve an Italian Dinner on Saturday, November
15, at 5 pm at Christ the King Church (on Bedford Way, just northeast of the
corner of Chester Ave. and Norris Rd.). Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for
children 5 to 12. (Children under 5 are free.) Come enjoy ravioli,
meatballs, sausage, salad, garlic bread, and dessert, and take a few
moments to meet the Palmquist family.
Ministry needs
We desperately need baby booties or socks, which will be included in the
gift packages we give to women who choose not to abort their babies!
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