|
Other LSM newsletters
| |
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.
|
|
Subscribe |
Read back issues
Weekly Ministry Focus
|
Volume 1, Number 6 February 7, 2000
Weekly Ministry
Focus
Arvin woman keeps baby, seeks housing
Last Monday was a slow day at the
abortion
chamber, but Tuesday was very busy. Here are a
few selected reports from last week's ministry:
"Roderica," 32, came to the abortion
chamber on Monday to abort her fourth child.
She was 13 weeks pregnant. Rosa convinced her
to go home. But she returned on Tuesday,
having rescheduled the abortion. Although
Roderica speaks only Spanish, Terri was able
to communicate with her, because of the
assistance of Amparo and Sammy, who had
happened to stop by the LifeHouse. (In
addition to helping with interpretation, Sammy
shared how LSM had helped his ex-girlfriend a
few years ago.) Terri brought Roderica to
the LifeHouse to see the Harder Truth video.
Roderica said she believed in God, but
didn't have any church background. Terri gave
her a Spanish version of the "Hope for the
Future" crisis pregnancy Bible. Roderica
said she needed a place to live for herself
and her three children (ages 8 to 16). She
currently lives with her mother and
stepfather, but she said that her stepfather
is abusive. She would like to remain in Arvin
so that her children can stay in the same
school. Tim contacted some churches in the
Arvin area who are looking into the
availability of affordable housing (Roderica
can only afford about $210 per month). As of
Sunday night, Roderica said she feels good
about the baby. She even shared with Terri
that she had dreamed the night before that she
gave birth to a beautiful baby. She has also
found some good information on affordable
housing in Arvin.
"Olivia" came in for an abortion
because she had become pregnant while she was
on Depo-Provera (the so-called "birth control
shot") and was concerned that the baby could
be deformed. She was accompanied by a couple
from a local Nazarene church, who defended
her decision to abort the child. Terri and
Tim contacted a youth pastor at the church;
meanwhile, Olivia and her friends left the
abortion chamber to get some paperwork. The
youth pastor asked Terri to call him if they
returned. Terri never saw them again.
On Monday, a
pickup truck stopped
in the abortion chamber parking lot. A
woman in the truck was looking at the
pro-life signs on the sidewalk. Jose gave
her literature, and she told Jose that she
changed her mind about having an abortion.
Scripture Focus
: Psalm 139:17-24
How precious to me are your thoughts, O
God!
How vast
is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would
outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still
with you.
If only you would slay the wicked, O
God!
Away from
me, you bloodthirsty men!
They speak of you with evil intent;
your
adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you, O
Lord,
and abhor
those who rise up against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count
them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me
and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead
me in the way everlasting.
Pray for each preborn child entering the
abortion chamber, recognizing God's intense
concern for each individual. Ask God to
vindicate the cause of the children who have
been slain, and ask that true justice against
the participants in the abortion holocaust
would no longer be delayed. Ask God to
search and know your own heart, and to lead
you as you serve Him. Whenever your mind
wanders, and you are tempted to engage in
idle conversation, please direct your mind
back to meditating upon this scripture.
Prayer Focus
Ask God to help each sidewalk counselor to
submit themselves completely to God, so that
He can purge any offensive ways from them,
enabling them to be fully effective and
unencumbered as they minister.
Pray for Stephanie, manager of the abortion
chamber. Ask God to break through the hard
heart she may have developed after her many
years at the abortion chamber.
Pray for "Olivia" (see report above) to
keep her baby, in spite of her fears about
Depo-Provera. Ask God to protect the health
of her baby.
As vehicles drive by the abortion chamber,
pray for those inside the vehicles, whether
or not they seem to have been headed for the
abortion chamber. Ask God to soften their
hearts and to help them to surrender to Him.
"Confronted by my conscience":
High school student reports on
volunteering with LifeSavers
(The following article was written by
Ridgeview High School student Angela
Serrano, after she volunteered with
LifeSavers Ministries as part of a class
assignment.)
I chose to volunteer for LifeSavers
Ministries. They try to prevent women from
having abortions and help the women who
choose to keep their babies. It is a
non-profit, non-denominational organization.
I believe abortion is wrong because whether
it was God's intention or not, the baby has
life and God has a plan for that life.
Today I spent four hours with Terri
Palmquist. This was an overwhelming
experience for me. I know a couple girls
who have had abortions and I felt sorry for
them, but that was about the extent of my
thoughts on abortion. Today, however, I was
confronted by my conscience with the
question of what I really believe and why.
I understand I was supposed to do this
assignment to get a better understanding
of interest groups and how they work. I did
accomplish that, but my mind was also opened
to a different world.
The main goals of LifeSavers:
1. To share the hope of the
gospel
with women and their families who are dealing
with unwanted or problem pregnancies.
2. To educate these women
about
pregnancy and fetal development so they can
make the best decisions about themselves and
their babies.
3. To disciple those who
become
believers in our Lord Jesus and help them
become established in a local fellowship.
4. To befriend women who
want help and
encourage them throughout their pregnancy and
beyond.
5. To share the reality of
God's
judgment and the hope of the gospel with
abortion chamber staff.
I think they have reached their goal,
even if only one girl changes her mind, they
have still reached their goal. Their ultimate goal is to
end the right to have an abortion.
I don't believe they will ever reach this goal
because the United States prides itself on its
many freedoms. Also many people believe until
a baby is born, it isn't a baby. So they have
no problems getting rid of it before birth.
As I said before my experience there was
overwhelming. The walls were covered in
dozens of posters; all of them had cute baby
pictures, abstinence advertisements, abortion
alternatives, and what the Bible says about
life. When I got there Terri introduced
herself to me and to a woman who was waiting
for the results of her pregnancy test. This
is the part I wasn't used to. LifeSavers give
free pregnancy tests and only three women,
who were all unmarried, came in while I was
there. This was unusual to me because the
women, thinking I worked there, spoke freely
about their personal lives. Terri asked what
they planned to do if they were pregnant, how
the boyfriend felt about it and if they went
to church. I think it's great she asked, it
is her job, but I would have a hard time. My
first job was to sort through donated baby
clothes, then I stamped LifeSavers address on
some pamphlets, and I did a couple odd jobs
for Terri.
LifeSavers also picket the abortion
clinic, which is just a little up the street.
They have this location in order to influence
women who may change their mind at the last
minute. Terri showed me around the house.
There were two rooms that caught my attention
more than the others. First was the storage
room, aside from baby things, like a crib,
there were tons of posters for picketing.
There was one that I turned so it wouldn't
face me; it was a picture of the remains of a
baby after abortion. The others were not so
bad; they had some creative phrases and
innocent baby pictures. There were the two
rooms that were used for women who had no
place to stay. I was really surprised to see
them because I didn't know they were more
than passionate picketers. Actually I knew
they cared, but to give someone a place to
stay is beyond just being pro-life.
I'm glad Terri was so nice to find some
work for me and my experience there is one I
won't forget. I admire Terri and her husband
Tim and all the volunteers for standing
against what they believe is wrong. I know
a lot of people agree with them, but not a
lot are willing to dedicate so much time.
This week's schedule
[If you are unable to be physically involved
in this ministry, please use this schedule
to help you pray for those who are on the
front lines.]
Monday, Feb. 7
Colleen
8 - 1030
Jose
8 - 10
Carlotta 9:15 - 11:15
Susan 8:30
- 10:30
Rosa?
10 - 12
Mary Ann 10 - 3
Terri 10:30 - 5?
Mike?
12 - 1
St. Joseph's 1:30 - 2
Tuesday, Feb. 8
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
Mike?
12 - 1
Next week's schedule
Monday, Feb. 14
Colleen
8 - 10:30
Jose
8 - 10
Rosa?
10 - 12
Mary Ann 10 - 3
Terri 10:30 - 5?
Mike?
12? - 1
St. Joseph's 1:30 - 2
Tuesday, Feb. 15
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
Mike?
12 - 1
Rebecca 12
- 3
Terri 2:30
- 5
We need help 12 - 3
The LifeSavers Ministries Weekly
Ministry Focus is published every
Monday by LifeSavers Ministries,
P.O. Box 40972, Bakersfield CA
93384-0972. Issues are available
without charge at the LifeHouse,
2428 H Street, on Mondays and
Tuesdays. To subscribe to the
LifeSavers Ministries Weekly
Ministry Focus by mail, we
request a suggested donation of
$50 per year to cover postage
and handling. To subscribe by
e-mail, we request a suggested
donation of $10 per year. (Just
send a message with the subject
"Subscribe" to "LifeSavers@glorifyJesus.com".)
For more information on
LifeSavers Ministries, call
(661) 323-BABY
or (661) 323-2229.
|