“Merry Christmas,” abortionist Robert Smith called out as he began his massacre of innocents at the “Family Planning Associates” abortion chamber in Bakersfield this week. Standing on the

Mary and Joseph at the manger scene outside the LifeHouse, with baby Jesus portrayed by Esther Palmquist.

sidewalk, Christian missionary Terri Palmquist reminded Smith “Jesus says if you’ve done it unto the least of these, you’ve done it unto Me. Think about each little baby you suck out of the womb. Would you have aborted Jesus?” But Smith continued inside to execute his plans, stealing Christmas blessings from dozens of families.

“Carole” suffered from severe depression and thought often of committing suicide. She yearned for her husband’s emotional support, but he always pushed her away, especially when she was pregnant. “I knew that I wouldn’t have the strength to make it through another pregnancy without my husband’s support,” Carole explained, so when she discovered that she was pregnant, she made an appointment to abort her child.

The couple drove to Bakersfield’s abortion chamber early in the morning. “I was surprised when there were no protesters outside,” Carole said, “because I always see abortion protesters when I pass by the abortion clinic near my home in San Diego.”

Bracing herself as she prepared to take the final steps to end the life of the child in her womb, Carole sat in the car waiting for the time of her abortion appointment. Just then she noticed a woman on the sidewalk holding out a pamphlet. The woman was Terri*, who had just come across the street from the LifeHouse to begin her day of ministry on the sidewalks.

Carole didn’t feel like talking, but she got out of the car to accept the pamphlet from Terri. “When I saw Terri, I realized that I wanted my baby,” Carole later confessed. “It’s not her fault. If she is already in me, I might as well accept her as my child.”

But Carole’s husband was reluctant to accept her decision, insisting “are you sure you don’t want to go through with it?” For several minutes the couple sat in the car talking. Finally, Carole’s husband realized that he could not convince Carole to go into the abortion chamber.

Watching their car drive away, Terri wasn’t sure that Carole had changed her mind. She prayed that she would not see their car return.

As Carole agonized over how she could make it through the severe depression which has always accompanied her pregnancies, she began to identify one of her root problems: “I was just trying to make him happy.” She had almost sacrificed a precious child because of her desire to please her husband. So Carole decided that it was time to get her priorities straight.

Carole determined to get back into church. Although she had grown up in the church and her relationship with God was very important to her, Carole’s husband had persuaded her to stop going to church. “I like to be active in church, but I was hoping to please my husband,” Carole explained. But her sacrifice didn’t help her marriage. So Carole decided that she and her children would get back into church, leaving her husband at home.

Although Carole knew that she had made the right decision, her marriage was still suffering. So she decided to leave her husband. For a month, Carole was separated from her husband, but her church encouraged her to return to him. “We don’t believe in divorce,” she explained, so she went back home “even though he has been emotionally and verbally abusive to me and he is rough with the kids.” But he does provide for the family financially.

With the help of the church and her family, Carole made it through the pregnancy, never experiencing the suicidal depression she had suffered during her other pregnancies. “I didn’t think I was going to be strong enough, but actually I was,” Carole revealed. “During the whole pregnancy I didn’t care if my husband didn’t talk to me or take care of me. God and the church gave me strength, if not I would have fallen into depression again.”

Carole’s baby, Noemi, was born on her due date. Carole exclaimed “it was a miracle!”

Carole’s children enjoy helping with Noemi. Even Carole’s husband likes Noemi and enjoys talking to her, but when she cries he makes Carole take Noemi in another room, reminding her “you wanted her, she’s yours.”

"Carole" holding happy little Noemi at the LifeHouse.

As Noemi’s first Christmas approached, Carole realized that she had never thanked the woman God used to save Noemi’s life. When Terri had given the pamphlet to Carole, her husband had taken it and thrown it away. But Carole had a cell phone, so she had saved the phone number she had seen on the pamphlet.

One evening this week, Carole finally decided to make the call. When Terri answered, Carole choked out the words “I just wanted to say ‘thank you,’” and began to cry. It was already dark and the LifeHouse was closed, but Carole was in the neighborhood, so Terri encouraged her to stop by. Terri and her husband Tim* talked and prayed with Carole and Noemi, thanking God for allowing Terri to be used to help save Noemi’s life.

“Carole’s husband failed to provide for Carole in the time of her greatest need,” Tim commented, “but God stepped in and fulfilled the role of husband in her life (Psalm 68:5). Having the opportunity to look into the eyes of this precious rescued child is the best Christmas present we could ever receive.”

After being violently raped twice by two different people, “Analita” discovered that she had become pregnant. Only 14 years old, Analita and her mother thought she was too young to care for a child, so Analita’s mother brought her to the abortion chamber for information about abortion.

Maria, who was ministering on the sidewalk, met Analita and her mother and brought them across the street to the LifeHouse, where Terri and her daughter Amy* talked to them about their predicament.

Watching a video about abortion at the LifeHouse, Analita and her mother began to recognize the violence of abortion, and decided to consider letting the baby live in spite of the difficult circumstances. Amy gave Analita a baby gift and a “Hope for the Future” Bible to encourage her throughout the pregnancy.

Analita’s mother explained that she is very depressed because Analita’s father now has custody of her, but Analita’s father blames her for the rape because Analita was under her mother’s care when she was raped. However, Analita’s father did not want her to abort the baby.

Terri contacted Alicia*, coordinator of the LifeSavers Ministries’ Elizabeth League, and Alicia talked to Analita’s mother about her problems. Alicia had just helped start a new Elizabeth League group at a church in Bakersfield, so she told the new group’s leader how to contact Analita. Later that day, the new group’s leader began helping Analita and her mother. The group will stay in touch with Analita throughout her pregnancy.

Fearing that her boyfriend would carry out his death threats, “Molly” drove from her small town to Bakersfield’s abortion center, but went into the LifeHouse by accident. Molly told Terri that her boyfriend, who is a gang member, had threatened to kill her and her family if she tries to get out of their relationship. He has often proven his violent intentions by beating Molly.

When Molly realized that she was carrying his child in her womb, she was determined to abort the baby because she doesn’t want to have any ties to her boyfriend. She is also afraid of complications because of difficulties she suffered through a previous high-risk birth.

Molly told Terri that she could not consider giving up her baby for adoption, so Terri encouraged Molly to consider allowing her to be a temporary guardian until she is ready to care for the child. Terri also offered to help Molly find a place to live so that she can escape from her boyfriend’s manipulation and threats. Molly gave Terri a phone number so that she can keep in touch.

Prayer Focus

• Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to us as a little child. Please continue to protect the families involved in these ministries to needy pregnant women, keeping them safe from the devil’s attacks.
• As abortion staff members celebrate Christmas, touch their hearts through the children they encounter. Help them to recognize the potential within each child and repent of their participation in the killings.
• Continue to give “Carole” strength to care for her family, and soften her husband’s heart so that he can be the father and husband You created him to be. Bring him to a place of total surrender to You.
• Let the story of Your love for mankind break through many hard hearts this Christmas, so that the more people fight against the message of Christmas, it will become impossible for them to ignore You.

Jesus, I plead your blood over my sins and the sins of this nation. God, end abortion and send revival to America.

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Stand for Life in Sacramento January 24

Several buses will be traveling to Sacramento on January 24 for a day of pro-life events including a march, a rally, and meetings with legislators. If you are interested in getting on the bus in the Bakersfield area, please contact Tim Palmquist.

• More information on the "Buses for Life"

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Prayer siege and conference February 24-28

Last summer, a group of young people who had been praying 50 days and nights for the United States sensed God calling them to pray outside the U.S. Supreme Court. For over year, these "Bound4Life" silent sieges have been taking place, spreading to courthouses and abortion centers throughout the nation.

On February 24 and 25, 2006, Bound4Life and other groups are sponsoring the HeartCry! conference in Fresno. For three days after the conference, prayer sieges will be held outside abortion chambers in Sacramento, Fresno, and Bakersfield.

• More information on the conference

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