SMALL VICTORIES DOES IT, AGAIN. "THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD ALL BE DOING!”

February 28^th  

We arrived in the City of Slaughter and quickly set up our pregnancy outreach on this “spring-like” day. It was encouraging to view the peaceful prayer witness of a local church group and their pastor. As soon as our feet touched the sidewalk and we gave a quick introduction to the new prayer warriors, we were engaged in the battle this day. A few cars were on the parking lot with clients inside waiting for the Belly of the Beast to open its mouth and devour their innocent blood offerings.


Only minutes after we began our vigil, across the street a loud wailing began. We turned and witnessed a young woman coming from the hospital emergency room. I knew that sound. It has become far too familiar in our twenty year history of daily ministering outside this abortion mill. The group was concerned. “There has been a death in the emergency room.” They returned their focus to the abortion-minded women beginning to get out of their cars as the guard signaled. We softly pleaded with other options, another way out of the situation, and our free services. The moaning from across the street was a distraction; we felt for the young woman and her loss, but we kept begging mercy for these babies about to be slaughtered. The clients were listening, and some stopped to talk with their accomplices.

One young woman and a young girl accompanying her began their walk up to the door, listening all the way to our pleas. Suddenly, they turned and ran back to the car parked across the street on the medical parking lot. We continued softly speaking to the mothers standing in line. I looked over my shoulder; they were sitting in their car talking. Some of the prayer warriors were leaving. One woman who informed us she, too, was also a nurse and worked at an area pregnancy center, offered to stay with us and help me if I needed assistance due to my injured arm. Grateful for her company, I told her, “God told me to turn the ultrasound machine on. We are going to be busy.” I asked the prayer warriors to pray for me, “I’m going to find that car.”

It wasn’t hard; they were on the end. I approached, and at first the passenger was attempting to ignore me as I softly asked them if I could give them some literature. She rolled the window down and the driver was crying. “Oh honey, it’s going to be okay.” I then knelt by the car and gently shared what God had put on my heart concerning their situation. The driver was actually the one seeking the abortion and the passenger was her teenage daughter. They listened and were receptive as I also shared our ministry resources available on the spot. They thanked me, but the driver wanted to sit in the car and continue thinking. I pointed to where I would be standing, then thanked them and walked back to the ultrasound van where I shared the situation and asked prayer warriors to continue praying.

The wailing across the street got louder, and we noticed that now a group (possibly family members) were assembled and there was more sadness; we felt helpless. We wanted to go over and offer our condolences, but the abortion-minded mothers kept coming, and we had to stay engaged and focused. We asked God to please comfort those mourning their loss.

Helen and a seminarian joined us, and we updated them. They began praying the rosary. A few minutes later, the mother and daughter whom I spoke to began walking up to the doors of the abortion mill. Our hearts sank. We continued to softly speak to them as they waited to go inside. Helen took over and began speaking and didn't give up. I bet they stood there for five minutes listening. Finally, they turned and quickly began walking to us. I ran in the van and prepared to save this baby. I looked out, and Helen was holding the woman in her arms. Both were crying. I held my hand out and said, “Come on in."

“Susan” came in to help and assist me. I asked preliminaries, took a deep breath, and began the scan. To our surprise, there appeared an approximate 24 week old baby. It appeared to be a boy. I turned the screen for the mother to see, and told her that it wasn't an early pregnancy. He was rather large. She looked over, and tears poured from her eyes. “I didn't know I was that far along.” I did some measuring, but it was hard as the baby kept moving, basically auditioning for his life. Even the mother commented how active the baby was, denying his movements thinking it was gas. Now, she knows this baby is auditioning for his life. “He knows where he is. He senses what is about to happen to him,” I offered. “And at any stage, abortion is dangerous, but when you're this far along, it gets even more complicated.” I knew she was worried about that when I spoke to her in the car.

Susan chimed in on behalf of this baby, pointing out the little baby’s face and hands going up to the mouth. “This appears to be a thumb-sucker.” We listened to the heartbeats, approximately 142, and inquired why she felt she had to abort this child. She offered that she didn't know she was this far along, and that the father really wasn't in her life anymore. She already has three children that are pretty spread apart in ages. “But they would be such a help in raising this child.” She agreed. She has a job, a car, and a nice place to live. We went over our resources we could help her with and how we could network as we found out she lived at least four hours away.

This mother kept looking at her baby, and he kept putting his hand up to the screen as if he were waving and saying, “Mommy, mommy! I'm right here. I'm right here. I love you mommy!” After spending a good amount of time inside the van listening, talking, and praying, I finally asked her, “So what are we going to do?” She wiped tears from her eyes, “I'm going to go home.” We broke out in tears, praising God. After exchanging contact information, we shared several hugs. We came out of the van, and the pressure seemed to have fallen off of her shoulders as she thanked us again and walked over to their car. Daniel followed them and blessed them with some meal money. They were very grateful.

Daniel informed us that while doing the ultrasound, the mother and daughter from Missouri that we spoke with earlier standing in line came back out and confirmed they were keeping their baby. They accepted our brochure and thanked us as they pulled off the lot. Our assistant this day was very encouraged. She began sharing about being led to come down to this abortion facility. We had to break up our conversation as the Indian-looking couple that walked in earlier came back out and stood at their car. I softly called over offering our assistance.

Once again, I grabbed our literature as they came towards the exit of the parking lot. They rolled the window down, and I knelt beside their car as the young girl smiled at me. This was her mother who brought her for the abortion. She shared with me that she was 24 weeks pregnant, and wasn’t going to go through with the abortion. She thanked us for being out there and accepted the booklets and literature that I gave her. Her mother thanked us as they drove off the lot. I came back shared with the others. This was another late-term save. Everyone smiled and was encouraged.

              

The distraught family by the emergency room began to dissipate. They were still visibly shaken from their loss. Another car pulled up in front of us. “Adele” brought her sister-in-law “Emily.” She wanted her to see an ultrasound before she did anything. We brought Emily inside the van and quickly scanned. There to her surprise was an approximate 8 week old baby floating in an ocean of amniotic fluid doing a swimmer’s backstroke. She could see the little heart beating and little hands. We pointed out the orbits of the eyes. The baby was very active. She admitted, “I don’t know how I can do this.” We informed her that with the Lord she can do anything and we would provide the other stuff. She smiled. We went over resources and physician follow-up. Adele informed us, “You probably don't remember me, but five years ago you talked me out of aborting my baby, and I went on to have two more, and they are the loves of my life.” She told her sister-in-law Emily, “This lady will help you. She helped me.”

We then took some pictures, hugged one another, and got them in their car. They promised to stay in touch with us and even stayed long enough to try and speak to some of the clients that kept arriving to kill their babies. Adele shared with the abortion-minded women how she, “once thought abortion was the answer, but this lady here talked me out of it. I have three beautiful children now. I would never kill my baby.” Many of the clients turned to listen to her. What a great witness! They honked and thanked us as they drove away.

Susan, our assistant today, turned to me with goosebumps and said, “I've never experienced anything like this.” She shared how she volunteers at an area pregnancy center, but said, “We don't do anything or see anything like what you do.” She continued, “The girls that come to us are there for some free help or an ultrasound, but none of them are there to kill their babies.” She then gave our ministry the greatest compliment and said, “This is where we all should be standing, with you.” Susan gave me a hug. Praise God! This was more confirmation of what we have been exposing about pregnancy centers. Read: http://www.smallvictoriesusa.com/Articles/2012/MOSAIC-THRIVE%20ST.%20LOUIS%20PREGNANCY%20CENTERS.html

I then told Susan, “I, too, used to volunteer at a pregnancy center, but I quickly found out that abortion-minded women were not coming to pregnancy centers; they are walking into the local abortion facility.” I continued, “Susan, this is what got us started: I came down here and saw women going in there like herds of cattle, and there was no help, no resources out here to help these women with other options. We are the last line of defense for these babies and their mothers. Unfortunately, pregnancy centers have just turned into fundraising ministries where most of their money is going into their pockets for salaries or to keep the lights on in empty buildings. And it's a shame because they’re not going to save babies.”

Susan then emphasized, “This is where the Church needs to be, but in love and compassion.” I agreed with her, sharing, “We have some troublemakers that stand out here yelling and screaming at them, but they're not a part of our ministry. You saw today how the love of Jesus and the Holy Spirit convinces women not to kill their babies.” She replied, “This is the most exciting thing I have experienced, and I'm going to clear my calendar from now on so that I can be down here to help you, because this is where the Church needs to be.” HALLELUJAH! Anyone can say that they're pro-life, but doing pro-life is what saves lives.

Later that evening after we arrived home, we had heard the unfortunate news of a young mother of three young children that was killed in a train accident just a few miles from us in Madison, Illinois. That was what all the wailing and moaning was about, just feet from our ministry. This mother fought for her life and lost; her injuries were too severe, http://www.bnd.com/2012/02/29/2079084/officials-release-name-of-woman.html. Three children now are motherless, and here we stand, pleading for the mothers not to kill their babies. So sad. There's a lot of death in Granite City, but I thank God for His grace and mercy that we are able to rescue those being led to their slaughter, save lives, and change hearts.

Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve.”

Be encouraged~ Angela