LifeSavers Ministries Weekly Ministry Focus
Volume 1, Number 2 January 10, 2000

Inside:
Friends intervene to save baby from abortion
Scripture Focus
Prayer Suggestions
CDC reports abortion decline
Falling birthrate may result in decline
Upcoming ministry opportunities
Publication information


Friends intervene to save baby from abortion

     Here are some reports from last week's sidewalk
counseling ministry:
                   "Anna," 18, who spoke only Spanish, was
          determined to abort her baby, but Jose
          convinced her friends to bring her some
          literature on fetal development while she was
          in the waiting room.  After reading the
          literature, she changed her mind.  She had not
          yet told her parents she was pregnant.
                   Carlotta gave a pregnancy test to a woman;
          the test results were negative.  Carlotta
          provided information to her about Natural
          Family Planning.
                    Terri talked to 18-year old "Sharon" and her
          boyfriend at the abortion chamber.  "Sharon"
          was afraid that she was pregnant, and was
          "not ready" to have a baby.  The boyfriend
          already has another child from another
          woman.  Terri convinced "Sharon" (against
          the boyfriend's wishes) to come to the
          LifeHouse for a pregnancy test, which was
          positive.  Terri then encouraged her to watch
          a video about abortion, but the boyfriend
          made her leave.  "Sharon" attends a local
          independent Bible church.  Terri called the
          pastor, who said that someone would meet
          with "Sharon" to discuss the situation.  She is
          likely scheduled for an abortion this week.
                   "Connie," 17, was 8 weeks pregnant, and was
          scheduled for abortion.  After she entered the
          abortion chamber, a Catholic prayer group
          placed a picture of an aborted baby's head
          next to a parked car.  When "Connie's"
          boyfriend saw the picture, he hurried inside to
          bring her out.  Terri gave them a gift of some
          baby clothes and a blanket (the gifts were
          donated to LifeSavers by St. Margaret Mary's
          Young Ladies Institute).  Terri also suggested
          that LifeSavers could host a baby shower for
          her in a few months.

     LSM volunteers reported four babies saved from
abortion last week.


Scripture Focus

Matthew 5:11-16 (as spoken by Jesus to his disciples)
     "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute
you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because
of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your
reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.
     "You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses
its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no
longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and
trampled by men.
     "You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill
cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and
put it under a bowl.  Instead, they put it on its stand,
and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same
way, let your light shine before men, that they may see
your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
 Ask God to help you to be salt and light today, and pray
for those who have lost their "saltiness."  Whenever your
mind wanders, and you are tempted to engage in idle
conversation, please direct your mind back to meditating upon
this scripture.



Prayer suggestions:

  Ask God to help women who are entering the abortion
chamber to realize that help is available; pray that they
won't perceive our activities as just a "protest."
  Pray that every sidewalk counselor will be sensitive to
the Holy Spirit's leading, knowing when to speak and when
to remain silent.  Ask God to help each counselor to find
the root cause of each woman's decision to abort.
  Pray that abortionist Kenneth Wright will surrender to
God.  Ask God to bring situations into Wright's life in the
days ahead which will force him to go to his knees.
  Pray for the Palmquists and Clare Aldrich as they consider
driving to Washington for the March for Life on Jan. 24.
  Pray that God will restore Irene's health (she miscarried
her twins last week).  She will be unable to sidewalk
counsel for several weeks, by her doctor's orders.
  Pray that "Sharon" and her boyfriend will be compelled
by this pregnancy to take their relationship with God
seriously (see report above).
  Pray that "Anna's" relationship with her parents will be
strengthened (see report above).


CDC reports abortion decline

     The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention reported Thursday that the number of
American women who surgically aborted their
babies in 1997 was the lowest since 1975.
     "That good news is tempered by the reality
that over a million abortions occur annually," said
Andrew Peyton Thomas of Arizona Right to Life.
He credits the drop, in part, to ultrasounds letting
mothers see unborn children in the womb, saying,
"It has made the humanity of the unborn child
undeniable."
     Janet Parshall of the Family Research Council
said "A decline in the number of abortions in
1997 mirrors the change in attitudes about
abortion documented in recent years."
     The CDC report also noted that 16 states
reported 2,988 abortions induced by drugs in
1997.  (These CDC statistics ignore the
abortifacient effects of birth control bills.)


Falling birthrate may result in decline

(This is an excerpt from a recent article by Steven Mosher
of the Population Research Institute.)
     The most troubling portent for America's future is
our rapidly falling birthrate. We are no longer having
enough children to replace ourselves.
     Those who argue that a demographic decline will
not necessarily lead to a social and economic
implosion ought to visit dying Europe, where the
mortuaries and cemeteries are doing a booming
business, while the maternity wards and the
preschools stand empty.
     As the new century dawns, Americans are faced
with a historical choice. Will we remain open to a
further increase in our numbers--an infusion of new
blood, if you will--or will we condemn ourselves to a
gray and declining future? If we conclude (with Pogo
and the anti-people ideologues), that "We have met
the enemy and he is us," then our future decline as a
people seems inevitable. Those who read history,
however, will reach a different conclusion: For
America's people have always been her greatest asset.


This week's schedule
[If you are not able to participate in this ministry,
please use this schedule to help you pray for those who
are on the front lines.]

Monday, Jan. 10
                    Colleen        8 -  10:30
                    Jose           8 -  10
                    Susan       8:30 -  10:30
                    Carlotta    9:15 -  11:15
                    Rosa          10 -  12
                    Terri      10:30 -  4
                    Mike          12 -  1
Tuesday, Jan. 11
                    Vince          7 -  9
                    Lewis       7:30 -  9:30
                    Carlotta    7:30 -  9:30
                    Jose           8 -  10
                    Albert        10 -  12
                    Ione          10 -  12
                    Fr. James     10 -  12
                    Terri      10:30 -  5
                    Monica        11 -  3
                    Mike          12 -  1

Next week's schedule
Monday, Jan. 17
                    Colleen        8 -  10:30
                    Jose           8 -  10
                    Carlotta    9:15 -  11:15
                    Rosa          10 -  12
                    Terri      10:30 -  4
                    Mike          12 -  1
           We need help           11 -   12
           We need help            1 -   4
Tuesday, Jan. 18
                    Lewis       7:30 -  9:30
                    Carlotta    7:30 -  9:30
                    Jose           8 -  10
                    Albert        10 -  12
                    Ione          10 -  12
                    Fr. James     10 -  12
                    Terri      10:30 -  5
                    Monica        11 -  3
                    Mike          12 -  1
           We need help         9:30 -   10
           We need help            3 -   5

Upcoming ministry opportunities

Thursday, January 13 at 6 pm: meet at the
LifeHouse to make white crosses which will be
displayed outside the LifeHouse and local churches
January 16-23 as a memorial to the children who
have been killed by abortion.
Saturday, January 15 at 7 am: travel with Terri
Palmquist to sidewalk counsel outside the Fresno
abortion chamber.



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