"Oh No, I'm Not Gonna Kill It. My Dad Was Making Me Go Through with the Abortion..."

       SATURDAY, JANUARY 15--- It was obvious; the leather faced man was disgusted and conveyed that to the front sidewalk proclaimers as he came out of the slaughterhouse with his middle finger. The girl had tears running down her cheeks and walked in the opposite direction away from him. We followed her as did Children's Hospital deathscort "Auntie KiKi," of the Suicide Girls fame, in pursuit to her car. She was from Indiana. We asked the girl if we could help her. “No, I’m okay. I’m not gonna kill it. My dad was making me have the abortion.” “Is that why he was so angry?” “Yes. He told me to get rid of it.” I looked at the deathscort as she stood within inches of our conversation and replied, “Nobody can force you to kill that baby. We can help you.” Cathy was at my side. “We can help you; we can show you an ultrasound of your baby.” “Amber” then explained that they did one inside. She was 6 weeks along, but they didn’t show her much. We encouraged her to come in our van for more counsel and another view to show her the entire baby. She declined as she already saw her baby it at the emergency room days earlier. She must have detected the concern in our voices, but Amber assured us she was not going back in there to kill her baby.

       We asked her about support and where would she go. She told us that she had friends who were aware of the tense situation and would support her, even a family relative who would be willing to adopt the baby. By this time the deathscort had returned to the slaughterhouse. I then knelt by the car and held her hand, “Amber, what can we do to help you right now on the spot?” “You guys have helped me enough.” I asked her what changed her mind on the abortion. She answered, “Seeing people out here praying.” She went on to say that she knew this was wrong and she already has a 4 year old daughter at home; how could she kill this one? I asked about the angry screamers in the alley. She replied, “Oh, I think that's terrible. It just makes you want to get in there faster.”

       She then informed us that she only had a quarter tank of gas to get back to Indiana. I asked her if she would take some gas money from us. “Yes, thank you.” I ran over to Daniel and retrieved some money, and Stan chipped in too. We had enough to get her back home. She accepted the money, gave me a hug, and promised to stay in touch; she would not let her dad pressure her into an abortion. Her cell phone kept ringing this entire time. She answered it, and I could hear her father on the other end angrily yelling at her.
       We watched from a distance and kept praying for God to put a hedge of protection around Amber and her unborn baby, and safely get her back home to Indiana where supportive friends and family would meet her and be a blessing to her in her pregnancy. We prayed for her father, that his heart would soften and he would see the important role he has to lead; that he would be a hero in his grandchild’s eyes and to others in doing the righteous thing. Finally, she drove past us smiling and waving headed towards the interstate. Praise God!
       We shared the good news with other prayer warriors who were keeping an eye on the situation. To be standing in this bitter weather everyone needs a little encouragement, so we spoke to the groups with the good news. Felix stood up and said, “No, Angela, it's you that is our hero. I drove by this abortion mill Tuesday, the coldest day, worst weather, and I saw you and your husband standing for the babies. You are our hero,” he repeated. “Thank you Felix for the kind words, but it’s the Lord. He just uses us.” I then shared how we had three babies saved with ultrasounds that fiercely cold day, which is quite unusual. Most abortion-bound mothers just want to run inside to get away from the cold. I went on to thank them all for being here. “We are a team in being lifesavers.” I repeated to them what the saves told me what works and what makes them run inside. The “chest beaters” in the alley will never save a baby. Larry said, “I just wish they would shut those guys up. It's horrible.” “They are not here to save babies; they are here to destroy. We have to pray for them too.” I went on to share how many babies were confirmed saved this day
       As we were packing up, a homeless man appearing to be talking to voices he was hearing walked by us. We watched him earlier get stuck in the quagmire of “chest beaters” in the alley. The man stood there for a couple of minutes listening to them preach at him. He then broke loose and passed us by laughing and exhorting that, “They’re crazier than I am.” We had a good laugh. God can use the simplest of things. “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18
       We are to, “Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” -John Wesley

"It's a girl! See, I told you this lady will help you..."

            Gosh, what an unexpected surprise as we set up our outreach in the City of Slaughter. We're having a heat wave! Temperatures were near normal for this time of year unlike the arctic blast we endured earlier this week ministering to the abortion-bound mothers.

 As we arranged the ultrasound, Daniel met a young couple in the alley. They were Hispanic from Fairmont City which has turned into a "sanctuary city" for illegals. “Rita” and her friend could barely speak English, but they did understand what little broken Spanish we knew as we handed them a brochure. They indicated she was 12 weeks and would be keeping their baby. We could use a Spanish interpreter at times as we are slowly witnessing an increase of Hispanic abortions coming from this area. Once they have an anchor baby they kill the rest, unfortunately.

       

     We rejoiced with the good news and moved to the front sidewalk. “Doris” and “Lacey” came inside our ultrasound van, and to their surprise viewed an approximate 21 week old baby girl appearing to be sucking her right thumb. Ooohs and aahhs could be heard coming from the van. We invited some of our pro-life prayer warriors inside to see a picture of this child auditioning for her life. They, too, were blessed to see the precious image on the screen. Very encouraging! “It's a girl,” and we listened to her little heartbeats: thump...thump, 152 per minute. Lacey exclaimed, “I told you this lady would help you.” We went over physician follow-up and resources we can assist with. They grabbed some snacks on their way out that we provide from our kitchen area in the ultrasound van as pregnant mothers are  always hungry. The abortion mill tells them to be N.P.O. in the morning for their appointment. They both turned and gave us a big hug and thanked us for being there and helping them.

            A car drove by and screamed, “Blow the place down.”

Let us pray. “Thank You, Lord, for this beautiful day.” A wintry day is a good time to plant flower bulbs or good seed for the God of contrast. i.e.: cold and hot, light and dark, winter and spring, life and death : ). It guarantees that new life and spring will bloom.

            Thank You, Lord. ~Angela

"The devil is not gonna steal my joy..."

           JANUARY 13, 2011--- Uggghh...it's so cold outside. It takes hours, sometimes half a day, to warm my tired bones from standing in the gap for the little boys and girls scheduled to die. As we thaw out from our watch, we don our multi-tasking cape and face the challenges of tending to not only our ministry but our home front. The cleaning, the cooking, the laundry, the errands, groceries, paying the bills, manning the phones, picking the kids up from school, and dropping them off at their practices and/or games. Aaahhh. The luxury of just a little time for myself. It starts out with a tiny, “Wahhh,” then gradually progresses to a 3 alarm, “WWAAHH.” Up the stairs I run. The baby is up from his nap; way too short. I thought, “All they do is eat and poop and sleep the first few months.” : (  

            A quick diaper change and well, we're back at where we started as I slide back into my office chair, look out my window, and shutter at the dead of winter and the frozen snow. “It sure feels better in here,” I whisper to baby Isaac. I look in his face and he tells me with his big blue eyes, “Momma, you’re my world.” I hold him closer to my chest, kiss his tiny forehead, and think of where he could have been a few months ago. My eyes are filling with tears. “I’m so glad you’re here with us. I love you Isaac.” All the troubles of the day and week go away when I look into his face. I hold him up and say, “The devil's not gonna steal my joy,” and little Isaac laughs. I'm telling you he laughs! I smile and say, “Do that again.” He just looks at me and smiles. I repeat, “The devil’s not gonna steal my joy.” Isaac laughs out loud again. “He's laughing, he's laughing!” I shout. “That's your name Isaac; full of laughter.”

            By this time some of the kids have come into the office to see what's going on. “He's laughing,” I tell them. “Boy, we sure named you right.” I think God knew what He was doing by sending us our valiant baby Isaac. He will be a blessing to our family and all whom he encounters for the Kingdom. Thank you Jesus for making us worthy.

            Father, what a joy to serve You and the joy I receive through my children by being a mother. Open my eyes to the sacredness of this vital calling. I pray for continued strength and loving guidance that I may walk worthy of the name “mother”. The suggestions, support, knowledge, and hugs of tenderness we offer are footprints for our children to follow into their own abundant lives.

           1 Samuel 2:1-2 "My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in Your deliverance. There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God."

           ~Angela

"I know this is wrong, and here I am..."

       JANUARY 11, 2011---It was like a frozen tundra with winds and - 3 with the wind chill. Brr. Just Daniel and I. Special Forces. I felt sorry for him as snow was filling up his worn shoes; he needs boots. But we were a team. As soon as we pulled up to the crime scene the body parts man was leaving.   
       No troublemakers, of course. I think the pregnant girls somewhat felt sorry for us, so, they did hesitate to go in and took literature from our frozen fingers.  Our phalanges were actually burning from the cold and winds. Only one Missouri convicted woman told us to, “F*%# off!” They did about 20 abortions. Throughout the afternoon, we cleared the drifting snow from the van door and kept moving.
       BAM! One precious lady gazed over at us as she drove by then pulled onto the parking lot, got out and listened to me. The guard came out and yelled at her, “Hey, you have an appointment inside!” Can you believe it? I then told her that we could help her for free and it would only take a few minutes. She started to walk over the snow drift when I told her she needed to move her car as  the guard was yelling again. She asked, “Why is he so angry?” Once inside I told her, “Because we cost them a lot of money.” : ) Woo-hoo!

      Once inside I covered her with an extra blanket till the van was  nice and toasty.  I scanned, and hidden in the secret place was her baby. Daniel even took her across the street to relieve her bladder, as she was too full, so we could get a better view. She then explained how she didn't know if she was going to keep it, etc. I listened to her plight and she has one child: an 8 year old girl. She is a nurse and knows, “This is wrong,” (most medical professionals do too.) But she said, “And here I am.”

       Daniel waited outside; he was a popsicle by then. After 45 minutes, I assured her we were there for her, that she could do this, and that this was a blessing from God. I knew she knew the Lord. I told her about Hannah and Isaac. “Whatever it takes, we will help.” She then sat up, peered at our brochure, and pointed to a saying on it while reading aloud, “Children are a blessing, a gift from God.” She had tears in her eyes and said, “I can't go in there. I know what I'm doing. Thank you for all your help.” She gave me the biggest hug. We gingerly walked her to her car on snow-covered icy walks and streets and she promised to keep in touch.
       We were rejoicing when Daniel told me that another couple came back out and told him they were keeping their 7 week old baby. Monica and her friend took our literature. They were one of the early clients we spoke with as they waited in line.
       A three-some from Tennessee came back out, told us they were still thinking, and sat in their car. We still waited another 20 minutes for them to come inside our van or drive off, but as it was getting dark we had to leave. They did take our literature. I prayed they would drive back home and not go inside. In all, possibly three saves, but it was frigidly cold. The winds were trying to penetrate our several layers of clothing to get at our core.
       Many of the cars drove by turning their heads from our watch; some looked in awe of us standing there holding our signs. A young man we spoke with on Saturday needing clothes for his 3 year old son came back by. We didn't have clothing that big; the little boy was not dressed warm enough. The man's wife left him and took their belongings. I have helped her with her past pregnancy. She had a drug dependency in the past, but got clean.
       We felt sorry for the situation. They prayed and then Daniel reached in his pocket and gave him part of our grocery money to go get some underwear and clothes for the boy. The man promised he would pay us back at the end of the month. Daniel told him to not worry about that and, “Take care of the little boy.” It was too cold to be out here. This went on while I was doing the ultrasound. Daniel had tears in his eyes; he felt sorry for the man and the little boy..
       "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” Staying encouraged, “We overcome evil by doing good.”
        ~Angela
   Editor's note: The Tennessee car did leave and never returned to kill their baby. Praise God!

"Thank You for making our Christmas a better one and all the times you have helped me..."

       Only two days before Christmas and a distraught new mother left a message of despair on our phone. She had recently given birth to a baby boy and had nothing for him or his other siblings under a "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree. We phoned her back and found out that she had contacted other agencies and was too late to receive any toys or help with gifts for her children.  She was in need of basic baby supplies and some food for Christmas. It was getting late, but we would call her in the morning. Yes, we were busy preparing for last minute Christmas plans and family arriving to spend the holiday with us.

       By morning, we prayed and the other kids agreed that we could still get everything done and go where there is a need. Half of our team went shopping; the other half wrapped and baked. By late morning, we had everything packed and ready to deliver to this young mother. Our daughter Isabella volunteered to ride along and bless this family with a little Christmas cheer. We drove for a while and met at a halfway point off the highway. To our surprise, she brought the newborn baby for us to view and delight in. "Oh, he is precious." Sound asleep. It was too cold to take him out of his safety seat. Another time we will get to hold him. We then began placing some gifts in her car for under the Christmas tree for her children to enjoy on Christmas morning. With tears in her eyes she thanked us. She told us she had nothing to give them as she had to take off work when she had the baby and lives paycheck to paycheck. "But praise the Lord, at least you have job." She smiled. We gave her a gift card and some baby supplies. She hugged us and we watched her drive off. 

       It was a good feeling to be able to help someone in need who thought there was no hope this Christmas. It is not so much a hand out as it is a hand up. And in doing so they see and feel the love of Jesus at this special time of year. God asks only that we drop whatever we're so busy doing to accept one loving gesture. All it takes is a willingness to let another hand take ours.
       "The only gift is a portion of thyself."- Ralph Waldo Emerson
       Be encouraged ~Angela

"Blessings come in small packages"

       She turned the corner, and from a distance  we could see a small child in her arms. "I saw the van; I knew you'd be there." As she approached us, I remembered this face. "Oh my gosh, it's Brittney!" I exclaimed. I looked at the baby she was holding and asked, "Is this the baby girl?" "Yes, her name is Cassie." I asked if I could hold her. "Yes Ma'am," Brittney said, and I smiled as she looked into my eyes welling up with tears of joy. Brittney's were as well. "My goodness, you're so beautiful and such a big girl." She closed her eyes and rested against my chest, and I told Brittney, "She's so precious. And to think where she almost ended up. God is good."
       I then explained to our photographer that when we first met this little angel, she was approx 18 weeks pregnant and inside Hope Clinic preparing for the two day abortion. Brittney's mom came out, and Daniel convinced her to go back inside and bring this pregnant daughter out to us so we could save the baby. He offered to reimburse them the cost of the ultrasound fee the abortion mill had already charged them. A few minutes later, the mother and daughter came back out and into our van where we were able to view little Cassie where she was auditioning for her life. We convinced them not to kill her and took action. Daniel set up her physician appointment and took them to our staff obstetrician to reassure them the baby was okay from the prepping of her scheduled  abortion. We continued to support her and made sure she got to her doctor appointments and had clothing and much needed baby supplies.

       This past 40 Days for Life campaign, her mother even came back and spoke on behalf of how effective being outside the abortion mill with help and the right people was in her life. Her granddaughter was saved in the ultrasound van and about to make her arrival. "She is a blessing Brittney. Do you ever regret keeping her?" She replied, "No ma'am! She is my life. I can't imagine the world without my little Cassie. I can't thank you and Daniel enough for all your love and help. You got us through a difficult time in my life. I will always tell her how you saved her." With that I hugged her. "Please keep in touch if there's anything we can do to help." One more long hug and we handed her back to her mommy and they walked to their car.
       Thank you Jesus! Every time we are blessed to see the fruits of our labors, we know we are doing the right thing in being that voice for those without one. "How blessed is he who cares for the helpless." Psalms 41:1

"Thank you for your service, your ministry, and your dedication; we had no idea..."

"An evening of HOPE!" and this was just one of the many positive comments from the audience for this evening's event. We were invited to come speak on behalf of our ministry and pro-life at Holy Childhood Church and School where a large gathering of parents, children, and youth was underway. Monsignor Hartlien and committee members welcomed us as we were seated at the head table. We were treated to festive surroundings and a delicious Christmas potluck dinner. AWESOME! It was hot and I didn't have to cook!  We quickly set up our ultrasound van for small group tours and eventually after our speech, we planned on viewing an ultrasound on an expectant mother for all to see. We brought some of our children and our most recent saved and adopted baby. "Ooohhs" and "ahhs" could be heard. We handed out literature, factual stats, and took many questions after our talk. Many were unknowledgeable on abortion, let alone the abortion mill in Granite City. We spoke in detail about our dedication, what got us involved, and that, "In order to save lives you can't just say you're pro-life; you have to do pro-life. We go to where children are being murdered daily. We are the frontlines on the battle and the last lines of defense. We are the Red Cross in a war zone."

        We spoke of our successes, victories, and adoptions. Many did not know that the only prerequisite in gaining employment at Hope Clinic is that you had to of undergone an abortion at least once. Also that in Illinois, "We are known as the dumping ground for underage abortion and a child predator's paradise, as no parental consent is needed as long as the pregnant girl has a ride home. We have witnessed girls as young as nine years old undergo an abortion in Granite City. Many parents' rights have been trumped due to the lack of enforcement of parental notification. It's the law; it has been on the books since 1995. Hope Clinic thinks it makes better parents than you, the ones footing the bills for your underage minor."

       After our Q&A session, we were whisked out into the ultrasound van where we performed an ultrasound on a willing participant. Small groups of the audience kept coming inside to view. "WOW! That's amazing! Thank you for your inspiring ministry," were more complimentary comments. We gave God the glory in all this. Fr. Abraham came inside the van and was so impressed with our work. He kept saying, "This is amazing! I've never seen anything like this." I asked where he was originally from and he replied, "Nigeria." I then told Fr. Abraham that in his native country, if a woman tried to get an abortion or killed her child, the village leaders and officials would, "Stone her to death." He agreed whole heartedly. "Yes, abortion is not allowed in our country," he added.     

       After the last group of  participants visited the womb service van, we returned back inside the hall to a reception line where we were hugged and thanked by a lot of attendees, and where the committee leaders blessed our ministry with generous financial donations and baby supplies. Several asked for our contact information to speak at other pro-life events and churches and we obliged. This evening's celebration of LIFE was well received and good seed was sown. "But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." Luke 8:15