Albuquerque, New Mexico- On Saturday April 29, 2023, Abortion Free New Mexico celebrated one year of prayer with a volunteer appreciation potluck hosted at Providence Presbyrterian Church. This month marked one year of our latest prayer initiative No Sidewalk Without the Savior.
During the past year, over 70 volunteers have covered UNM’s late-term abortion facility in public prayer, Monday through Friday, EVERY day that they were open! Babies lives have been saved, mom’s have been prayed with, couples have been served, abortion injuries have been documented, and the love of Christ has been shared and received!
No Sidewalk Without The Savior prayer efforts have been expanded to Saturdays from 9am-1pm at the Alamo Women’s abortion center in Albuquerque.
By Bud Shaver, Edgewood, New Mexico- After nearly 8 hours, the Town Commissioners of Edgewood, NM voted 4-1 to approve an ordinance that will require compliance with the federal Comstock Act.
According to the Edgewood, NM ordinance,
“(1) Federal law imposes felony criminal liability on every person who ships or receives abortion pills or abortion-related paraphernalia in interstate or foreign commerce, see 18 U.S.C. §§ 1461–62, and all such acts are predicate offenses under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), see 18 U.S.C. § 1961.”
Three other cities in New Mexico have passed similar pro-life ordinances, they are Hobbs, Clovis and Eunice. Lea and Roosevelt Counties in New Mexico also have similar pro-life ordinances in place.
“Abortion Free New Mexico would like to applaud all of those who worked on this effort, made phone calls, sent emails, appeared in person, and voted in support of this pro-life ordinance. It just makes sense for cities and counties to be able to protect their citizens from dangerous abortion procedures that kill innocent children in the womb. Way to go Edgewood, NM!”
Please contact these Town Commissioners and the Mayor of Edgewood to thank them for voting in support of the pro-life ordinance.
Commissioner Sterling Donner (Sponsor of the Ordinance) 505-259-8126 SDonner@edgewood-nm.gov
Albuquerque, New Mexico- This month marks one year of Abortion Free New Mexico’s No Sidewalk Without the Savior Prayer Initiative. On Saturday April 29th, we are having a celebration of what the Lord has done over this past year hosted at a local Albuquerque church and we would love to have you join us.
The influx of women coming to New Mexico from other states as well as the implications of Roe vs. Wade being overturned, prompted us to organize prayer volunteers at the University of New Mexico’s free standing abortion facility. At this location near the airport, pre-born babies are killed though 24 weeks (6 months) of pregnancy.
Over the past year we have had over 60 people praying every day onsite totaling over 1200 hours of prayer and a public witness in our community. We have helped at least 2 women choose life for their babies and given out numerous resource bags. We have also held numerous trainings and times of fellowship to grow as the pro-life community.
Being present at an abortion facility is sometimes exactly what a pregnant mom needs to encourage her to choose life. We pray and we are prepared to give these women hope in their time of crisis when having an abortion seems like the best option for them. We are the last line of defense for these moms and babies, the body of Christ has an amazing opportunity to reach them with the love of our Savior each and everyday. Prayer and sidewalk outreach volunteers are needed. Will you join us?
Abortion Free New Mexico is looking to expand our prayer outreach to other abortion facilities in Albuquerque this year and we are passionate about getting local churches involved. We invite you to come and learn more about what the Lord is doing and how you and your church can be involved.
Save the Date!
Saturday, April 29th
1:00-3:00pm
Providence Presbyterian Church (13801 Encantado Rd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87123)
Please bring a dish to share. You will hear powerful testimonies from the sidewalk and from courageous moms who chose life. This is a time of encouragement and refreshing.
*If you chose life for your baby, we’d love to hear your story and have you share. Contact us to share!
I can’t make it but I want to Donate! (Click below)
Albuquerque, New Mexico- On (Good Friday) April 7, 2023, a Texas U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled to suspend approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the abortion drug mifepristone. Mifepristone has a black box warning issued by the FDA, which is the strictest and most serious type of warning indicating serious or life threatening risks. However, it is being widely dispensed to unsuspecting women in abortion centers, by mail and most recently plans to obtain them over the counter at CVS and Walgreens has divided the nation.
“The implications of this decision are monumental, as more than half (53%) of all abortions committed in the U.S. currently are by use of mifepristone followed by misoprostol. As the number of chemical abortions has increased, so have abortion complications. The CDC’s latest data reveals that of approximately 620,327 abortions that took place in 2020, 12,460 mothers experienced some type of complication.”
In recent years, Abortion Free New Mexico documented and filed multiple complaints after uncovering abortion facilities in New Mexico that were administering the abortion pill in violation of FDA protocols, and beyond 70 days (10 weeks), which is the recommended usage.
The Biden administration has already stated that they plan to ignore the ruling. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra appeared on CNN stating that not only has the administration filed an appeal, but that every option to make sure women can still use this drug to kill their babies is on the table. In response to the federal judge’s ruling, halting the abortion drug, Becerra ranted on CNN,
“This is not America, [America] goes by the evidence, America does what’s fair, America does what is transparent and we can show that what we do is for the right reasons.”
In response, Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico issued the following statement,
“The evidence actually proves that the abortion pill (mifepristone) has a track record of injuring women and is ‘black boxed’ by the FDA as dangerous. It’s certainly not fair that mifepristone literally starves a human baby to death in their mothers womb and the Biden Administration along with pro-abortion advocates want no transparency with regard to these truths. This current administration is simply pushing an extreme abortion agenda and there is no right reason to make sure that innocent human beings continue to die.”
Impact on New Mexico
If the original Texas ruling stands or if the case makes it’s way to the U.S. Supreme Court it has the potential to shutter five New Mexico abortion facilities. In a state where radical Democrat leaders are doing everything in their power to keep killing children in the womb legal, this would be an amazing outcome.
“Dangerous abortion inducing drugs should never be administered to pregnant women, nor should they be sent by mail where homes become abortion centers. Women deserve so much more than simply prescribing abortion to solve their problems and it is our hope that all chemical abortions are halted immediately. The leaders of New Mexico need to quit playing politics with women and their pre-born babies lives and support legitimate healthcare protocols,” stated Tara Shaver.
New Mexico is one of twelve states that recently filed suit with the FDA seeking to remove safety restrictions on the abortion pill. According to the New York Times,“The suit argues that [the safety] rules applying to mifepristone unnecessarily limit patients’ access to medication abortion.”
Just hours after Texas U.S. District Judge Kacsmaryk issued his ruling, LifeSite News reported,
“However, just two hours after Kacsmaryk issued his order, a different judge in the state of Washington made a conflicting Order requiring the abortion drug to remain on the market in the states of Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Michigan and the District of Columbia.
Kacsmaryk is a Trump administration appointee in Amarillo, Texas. The Washington judge, Spokane-based Judge Thomas O. Rice, is an Obama administration appointee. It is noteworthy that the judge in Washington admitted there were serious issues with the FDA’s approval of the abortion drug and ‘potentially internally inconsistent FDA findings regarding mifepristone’s safety profile.’
These are ‘dueling’ cases that will both be appealed quickly to different Circuit Courts of Appeal. Very likely this will end up in the Supreme Court.”
Albuquerque, New Mexico- On March 26, the Albuquerque Journal reached out to us and spoke with Tara Shaver, spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico to get our perspective about how the overturning of Roe vs. Wade has impacted pro-life efforts in New Mexico.
For years now, New Mexico has been an abortion magnet because of the horrific and barbaric 3rd trimester abortions that have recently halted. However, Abortion Free New Mexico along with other pro-life groups saw the number of abortions steadily decline year after year. It’s no surprise that with Roe overturned and New Mexico’s extreme Democrat legislature, that abortion facilities are on the rise and out of state women traveling to obtain abortions are a daily sight.
Thankfully, the pro-life community has stepped up in many ways to combat this evil that seeks to overtake our state. Abortion Free New Mexico is grateful that the ABQ Journal was willing to extensively capture and report about the heart of our ministry.
Our efforts were highlighted in two articles featured on the front page of the Albuquerque Journal, Sunday edition (3/26/2023).
Pro-life activists Tara and Bud Shaver, founders of Abortion Free New Mexico. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal)
As more abortion patients travel to New Mexico, the number of people holding prayer vigils and protests — carrying signs that offer to adopt a baby or quote Bible verses — to try to dissuade people from entering the clinics has grown, too.
Tara Shaver a self-described “pro-life missionary” who founded Abortion Free New Mexico with her husband, Bud Shaver, said the group used to have about 10 or 15 volunteers. Now, she said, they have about 70 and they have established a program to have people out on the sidewalks more regularly.
“It’s interesting to see how New Mexicans have responded in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned,” Shaver said. “Of course it kind of puts a fire under people to realize that there’s so much more that needs to be done on a daily basis.”
The volunteers pray and hold signs if they want to — the Shavers offer one that simply says “Pregnant? We can help” and provides a phone number.
“We really just care for these women, we believe that every woman deserves to know the truth and deserves to know that there are other options, viable options, to abortion,” Shaver said. “Women should never feel pressured or put in a corner that abortion is their only option.”
She pointed out that the rate of abortions in the state had been low in the years before Roe was overturned. Data provided to the Journal from the state Department of Health shows a steady decrease from 3,761 in 2011 to 2,618 in 2021, the most recent year for which complete data was available.
As Shaver and her volunteers started seeing more people with Texas license plates in the parking lots of Albuquerque clinics, they began reaching out to those who provide resources in that state in order to offer “positive alternatives to what could be a very traumatic abortion experience.”
Shaver touts two success stories: women who had come to New Mexico in October and November and ended up changing their minds, giving birth to a girl and boy this year.
“To see them now holding their babies is just a reward in and of itself,” Shaver said. “We’re just really happy for the moms and proud of them because they have something to show for their unplanned pregnancy, so to speak, and their crisis situation.”
New Mexico is one of six states plus Washington, D.C., where there are no restrictions on when an abortion can be done during a pregnancy. But the only clinic in the state to provide the procedure after 24 weeks stopped doing so earlier this year.
Among the best known “pro-life missionaries” are Tara and Bud Shaver and their group — now called Abortion Free New Mexico. They moved to New Mexico because of Southwestern Women’s Options.
“Our part whenever we first moved here in 2010 was really to do investigative research and undercover projects and just to kind of paint the picture of what the abortion industry looks like,” Tara Shaver said in an interview last week.
She said they would obtain 911 calls — with personal identifying information redacted — and use them “to show people the kinds of injuries that could occur in an abortion facility.” They have filed complaints to the state Medical Board and succeeded in getting it to launch formal reviews into providers from Southwestern Women’s Options.
Their ranks of volunteers conducting prayer vigils and protests on sidewalks outside of clinics grew after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, Shaver said. They document when ambulances come and go.
“We really want to make doing abortions in New Mexico as uncomfortable as possible and we want to document the reality of what’s happening in these places,” Shaver said. “The pro-abortion side says that abortion should be safe, legal and rare. But they’re never safe for the unborn child.”
Shaver called Southwestern Women’s Options pause of abortions after 24 weeks a “small victory, certainly, for the third trimester babies” and said she does not believe there should be any exceptions for fetal abnormalities.
“If their baby has a fetal abnormality then we’re going to be there and support them through the whole process,” she said. “If their baby is not going to survive very long outside the womb at least she’s going to have a chance to hold her baby, bond with him or her and have a chance to meet them as opposed to taking their life prematurely, and always wondering what may have been.”
Now is the best time to get more involved. Please consider partnering with us by being on the frontlines, joining our team of volunteers, or by becoming a monthly donor. Women deserve better than abortion and unborn children should have the right to life outside the womb. We have an unprecedented opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community, so we hope you’ll join us!
Get Involved or Support our Work so that we can help more moms choose life!
Albuquerque, New Mexico- For almost one year now, Abortion Free New Mexico’s, No Sidewalk Without the Savior, prayer initiative has brought volunteers to the UNM Center for Reproductive Health (UNMCRH) abortion center each day to be a living witness for life. We may never know the full impact of our presence but we sometimes have women who come and show us their babies years down the road who kept driving the day of their abortion appointment. However, it is moms that we have the privilege of serving and walking alongside in their journey through pregnancy that we celebrate in this article.
We are proud to announce that two of the Texas women that our volunteers worked with have delivered their babies! Two moms are whole today and full of joy, as they bond with their beautiful babies, and this is our living proof that when we pray and make ourselves available, women are empowered to receive the beautiful blessing of motherhood.
Abortion Free New Mexico will routinely get emails with questions like, “Will anyone be on the sidewalk at the abortion clinic?” “My daughter, granddaughter or friend has an abortion appointment” is usually what follows in the correspondence. When a woman is considering having an abortion it impacts so many people, it’s not just the mother’s “choice.” Fathers, grandparents, siblings and other extended family and friends are often wrought with concern over the life of the child and are equally concerned for the well being of the pregnant mom who is sometimes positioned to drive hundreds of miles for an invasively violent abortion procedure.
Here is Ashley’s story: “Will Someone Be There?”
Ashley’s mom emailed Abortion Free New Mexico the day before her daughter’s abortion was scheduled at the UNMCRH abortion center. She desperately wanted to know if anyone would be on the sidewalk to talk with her daughter who had traveled from the Dallas area to end her first pregnancy. After communicating off and on, Tara was given contact information to reach out and see if Ashley would be willing to meet. Thankfully she was willing and they met at around 9:00pm the night before her scheduled appointment.
Upon meeting, Ashley was visibly sad, emotionally detached and seemed hopeless. Ashley shared that she was not with the baby’s father and that she didn’t think the timing was right at this point in her life to have a child because she wasn’t sure which direction to go in. Tara encouraged her to consider that having this baby could be the very thing that could stabilize her and give her life a purpose. Tara also shared all of the risks and real life stories of women who have been harmed by abortion followed by visual proof of what abortion does to children in the womb. Ashley simply needed someone to hear her story and help her see the possibilities and good that could come from having the child that was already living inside of her.
They departed that evening and shortly thereafter, Ashley told Tara on the phone, that she would be choosing life, getting an ultrasound when she returned home to Texas and that she was going to place the baby for adoption.
Ashley later shared that being told about her baby, the pain he/she would endure and seeing what abortion actualy does to children ultimately made her realize that putting her baby through that would haunt her the rest of her life.
On March 9, 2023 Ashley gave birth to a healthy baby boy and she has decided to co-parent with the baby’s father. She is full of joy and has received so much support from her family. She has accepted the beautiful gift of life, to nurture and cherish, even though she initially thought abortion was the only choice for her.
Here is Faith’s Story: “If you Hadn’t Been There…”
One Tuesday morning a gentleman pulled into the parking lot of the UNMCRH abortion center, his eyes locking with a volunteer standing in prayer. As he pulled around to drop Faith off for her appointment he initially felt defensive, but as he drove away leaving Faith behind he started to feel conviction. He went over and spoke with the prayer volunteers and they encouraged him to be a voice for the little one scheduled to die and to be a support person for Faith.
Faith was too far along to get the abortion that day, although in Texas she was told that she was only 15 weeks pregnant, the UNMCRH told her she was 28 weeks. She ended up with a referral for Southwestern Women’s Options and left the clinic to later meet with Abortion Free New Mexico’s volunteers who encouraged her to choose life and not let her fears take control of her life. Her driver also became an instrumental voice for life and they decided to go back to the El Paso area to continue her pregnancy. On February 4, 2023 she gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby girl named Maria de Jesus (Mary and Jesus). Faith and the person who drove her that day are so grateful to have this little one in their lives.
Upon reflection, the driver of the vehicle later told volunteers that even though he felt defensive at first seeing them he realizes now that, “If they hadn’t been there and taken the time to speak with me, Faith most likely would have had the abortion.” He also shared that it was a picture of Jesus that caught his eye out of all the signs posted that day by volunteers.
You Are Vital in the Fight for Life
It is the pregnant moms who were brave enough to speak with us and to choose life that prove our prayerful, visible and vigilant presence on the sidewalk is effective. They are the heroes!
Your prayers and support make all of our efforts possible and it is our amazingly faithful volunteers who stand in the gap each day as the last line of defense for these precious unborn children. Thank you to all who make our work possible and to those who are on the sidewalks each day.
Get Involved or Support our Work so that we can help more moms choose life!
