Dec. Newsletter 2013: Campaign Season has Come and Gone…Our Work Remains

Thank you for your continued prayers, support and encouragement! We are so blessed and humbled by all of our partners in this ministry to save lives here in ABQ. Now that campaign season has come and gone we are looking forward to what God has in store as we seek to reach further into our community in the coming months and years until ABQ is abortion free.

The late term abortion ban election on November 19 did not pass, the city of ABQ has affirmed it’s title as the “late term abortion capital” of the nation. The babies lost on November 19 but we are resolved to continue moving forward to ensure that hearts and minds are changed on a daily basis, which is where the true battle for life is to be won.

There is still much to do here in ABQ, please join us in praying that the city will continue to wake up to it’s atrocities and that the church will rise up to work for an end to abortion.

(Our kickoff prayer event at Transformation Ministries with Pat Mahoney)

Here are a few snapshots from our busy month and a half of campaigning to end late term abortions in ABQ. The entire campaign was quite an experience and taught us a great deal about ourselves, the pro-life movement and has helped us to re-focus our ministerial efforts, moving forward. We wrapped up the campaign with a jam packed last 4 days of prayer led by Pat Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition and various other last minute get out the vote efforts.

(We held a Local Pastor and National Pro-Life Leader Press Conference on November 18th.)

There is so much more passion for saving lives among pro-life leadership than there is among our pro-death opposition. We pray that this passion spreads far and wide across this nation!

We have learned a lot of lessons during this city campaign to end late-term abortions in ABQ, the most important one is that our work is first and foremost ministry. Over the past few months as we have poured our heart and soul into the campaign and have been pulled and consumed by so much…we never stopped our ministry on the street. It seemed like Nov. 19th was never going to get here, but it has come and gone and we always knew that win or lose on election day, we knew where we would be on Nov. 20th…on the street ministering to one woman, one child, one day at a time until all abortions in our city are ended.

Here is a testimony I would like to share that took place over the past month:

“I [Tara] thought that doing activism with Survivors last week was the best day I’ve had in a long time, especially during this campaign. However, at tonight’s kickoff prayer event with Pat Mahoney, I met “B” (see story below) She came right up to me and even though we’d only met over the phone she said “I just want to say thank you for being there for me that day, if your husband hadn’t been there at the clinic, I would have done something bad, because he was there I didn’t.” In tears I embraced her and was reminded that this is what our ministry is all about, helping moms choose life for their babies.” Here is her story:

“My name is Andrea Olivas. I am currently working with “B”. She is 11 weeks pregnant. Her story is nothing short of amazing.

Here is a single mother who after finding out she was pregnant for the second time was excited until her boyfriend began to pressure her to have an abortion.

She fought it till finally she gave in and went to the clinic. Inside she hoped and prayed that someone would stop her before she went in.

Upon arrival, she met Bud Shaver, God’s messenger. He had her talk to his wife Tara Shaver and Tara asked her if she would go to Project Defending Life. She agreed to go. She was relieved and she kept her baby!!

She attended parenting classes at PDL for two weeks and on the third week I met her.

I was there to support a mom and a daughter who were intercepted at the late-term clinic on Lomas. “B” needed a ride home. I offered and she accepted. On our ride home she told me the whole story-meeting Bud, her trip to PDL. But the battle for her baby was not over yet.

She told me about her substance abuse. It broke my heart. She told me she was two weeks clean. But many nights there in the war zone at her apartment, “friends” would come over. They would invite their friends and it would be one big drug party.

She tried to be strong and tell them to leave but they wouldn’t. People would stay all hours of the night and on to the next morning. Some she didn’t even know.

I told her that her and her 3-year old daughter cannot stay one more day in her apartment. My mom lovingly took her in. I also told her about Teen Challenge. She was thrilled to hear about it and said she was ready to go. She told me that she wants to start a new life for her and her daughter.

That night before I left she prayed to give her life to Christ.

Since she made that decision to go to Teen Challenge she has had no end of criticism from her family but I did expect that.

We are almost to the finish line! After one tiring week of tests and Dr. appointments, lawyers and errands we have a move date-November 19th 2013. Teen Challenge has accepted her and her daughter into the program. It is the only Teen Challenge that will let her take her child into the program as well.”

While we are disappointed about the election results on Nov. 19th There was a great victory accomplished on Nov. 19th for “B”, it was the day she boarded a plane headed to Arizona for Teen Challenge. This helps put everything Tara and I do day in and day out into its proper perspective. Despite the loss on Nov. 19th, God is still able to end abortion in our city one woman, one child, one day at a time!

(Above: We had the privilege to take a photo with “B”, her daughter and pro-life warriors who have taken her under their wing on November 18th, the day before she left for Teen Challenge. Please commit to praying for her, her daughter and the child in her womb.)

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6: 9

In the News this month:

The New Face of the Anti-Abortion Movement (VICE)

The new frontier of the abortion wars (MSNBC)

Albuquerque to vote on late-term abortion ban that’s believed to be first of its kind in US (The Washington Post/Associated Press)

Albuquerque puts late-term abortion to a referendum (CNN)

Albuquerque becomes latest abortion battlefield (LA Times)

Vote Lands Albuquerque at Center of Abortion Battle (TIME Magazine)

Abortion battle goes local in New Mexico as Albuquerque votes on 20-week ban (The Washington Times)

Albuquerque voters support late term abortion (GOPUSA/ LA Times)

Albuquerque Voters Defeat Anti-Abortion Measure (NY Times)

Albuquerque Voters Reject Bid to Ban Late-Term Abortions (Wall Street Journal)