Kenneth Wright committed abortions at "Family Planning Associates" in Bakersfield on Monday (1/8) and Tuesday (1/9), while on the sidewalks outside and at the LifeHouse pregnancy help center across the street, "pregnancy evangelists" sought to bring the Gospel of Life to those who were considering abortion. At least one baby was saved, and three other women left without aborting their babies.

"Zora," 18, returned to the LifeHouse on Monday with sad news. A few weeks ago, when she was 13 weeks pregnant, she had given in to pressure from her boyfriend "Orrin" and aborted their baby. Zora and Orrin had had originally decided not to abort their baby in November, when she was 7 weeks pregnant (see Weekly Ministry Focus Vol. 1 No. 45). "I cry every night," Zora told Terri*.

Within two weeks after the abortion, Zora had left Orrin and was becoming involved with another man. She came back to the LifeHouse because she thought she might be pregnant again. Zora asked a friend to come with her. "I want her to watch the video [about abortion] so that she will make sure that I don't do it again," Zora explained.

Zora's test was positive, and she said that this time she will definitely keep the baby.

"Emily," 20, and her boyfriend entered the abortion chamber on Tuesday. Later, the boyfriend came out and told Chuck* "I know it's wrong--I believe in God too--but I don't want you to talk to my woman." Chuck said, "I'm not your enemy, brother; I'm here to help, but I fear God, not you." Emily's boyfriend angrily shot back "then you'll pay the price!"

Later, Emily came out and told Chuck and Terri that she will keep the baby. She is 20 weeks pregnant and doesn't want to consider adoption. Terri gave her a baby gift, and Chuck gave her boyfriend a pamphlet on fatherhood.

"Amilia," 21, came to the LifeHouse on Monday for a pregnancy test. She is single, and has attended a local Catholic church for 10 years. Two years ago, she had an abortion, but she told Terri "if I had seen that video before, I wouldn't have aborted!" Amilia's test was positive, and she said she will keep the baby. Terri gave her a baby gift and a Bible.

"Susie," 21, came with a friend to the LifeHouse on Monday. She said that she has attended a local Catholic church all her life, and she is not married. Susie and her friend both said they were "pro-choice," explaining "there are some cases where abortion is ok, but it's overused." After Terri showed them a video about abortion, their eyes were filled with tears. They both thanked Terri for enlightening them, and said they will never again say that they are "pro-choice" or think that abortion is ok. Susie's pregnancy test was positive, and she said she will keep the baby. Terri gave her a "Hope for the Future" Bible and a baby gift.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, `Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, `Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: `God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, `God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."