In August, we worked with Project Defending Life to host the first ever Survivors Pro-Life Training Camp and public awareness campaign in NM “ABQ Do You Know? Do You Care? The results of these events were simply amazing! We are always amazed by God’s perfect timing and His sovereign hand guiding our efforts. The Survivors camp in conjunction with the historic, first in the nation, municipal referendum to ban abortions at 20 weeks, has catapulted Albuquerque into the national spotlight!
The city of ABQ now awaits an election either on November 19th or by a mail in ballot to once and for all end late term abortions in the late term abortion capital of the country. Please pray fervently for us as we move forward to ensure this election is successful.
Many national news outlets have covered the momentum here. Below are excerpts from the main three:
“At the New Mexico Holocaust and Intolerance Museum, three dozen people, many of them teenagers, arrived last month without warning.
Wearing T-shirts that said “Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust,” they demanded that the museum include an exhibit on what they called the “American genocide” of legal abortion, and fanned out to scatter cards with pictures of bloody “late-term abortion victims.”
They then moved outside to picket with a banner calling Albuquerque “America’s Auschwitz.”
Albuquerque has become the latest flash point in the abortion wars.
The drive for a city referendum has been led here by a couple who trained with Operation Rescue in Kansas and moved here three years ago as anti-abortion “missionaries.”
“We felt called to come and serve in Albuquerque,” said Tara Shaver, 29. She and her husband, Bud, moved here largely to find a way to shut down Southwestern Women’s Options, she said.
Ms. Shaver is the spokeswoman for a coalition of Roman Catholic, evangelical and other groups pushing the ballot initiative. City officials say the proposed 20-week ban is expected to be put to voters this fall.
The Shavers invited Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, a California-based group with close ties to Operation Rescue, to hold a “training camp” in Albuquerque early last month. About 30 youths, mainly from California, came.
Mr. Shaver, 34, defended the activism by outsiders. Patients are drawn to the Albuquerque clinic from other states, he said, and “it was the national implications of late-term abortions in New Mexico that brought us here.”
“A certain amount of social tension is necessary to cause change,” he said, citing the methods of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” (New York Times- “ALBUQUERQUE BECOMES LATEST FOCAL POINT IN ABORTION WARS”)
Read the full article from the New York Times online here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/05/us/albuquerque-becomes-latest-focal-point-in-abortion-wars.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
“Albuquerque may wind up with the nation’s first local ban on some abortions after activists collected enough signatures to put the issue before voters in New Mexico’s largest city.
The move to circumvent the Democrats who run the state legislature and target a clinic in the city comes as abortion foes have racked up unprecedented statehouse victories. Opponents have begun to take their fight to city halls by pushing measures to impose new limits and, if they succeed in Albuquerque, may expand their use of the tactics, said Cheryl Sullenger, senior policy adviser at Operation Rescue.
“We will take it to the local level if that is what we need to do,” said Sullenger, whose Wichita-based group opposes abortion. “Let’s zone them out. Let’s take any opportunity available to us.”
The Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Ordinance proposed in Albuquerque would impose a citywide ban on terminating pregnancies after 20 weeks, similar to laws passed in at least 10 states since 2010, including Arizona and Texas. A court struck down the Arizona law while other states have put the new rules on hold pending court review. Attempts to pass such limits have been stymied in the New Mexico legislature, said Tara Shaver, the ballot initiative campaign organizer in Albuquerque.
“What else can we do to save women and children from abortion?” said Shaver, 29, who is also a spokeswoman for Project Defending Life, a Catholic group in the city that opposes the procedure.” (Bloomberg- “Abortion Battle Goes Local From Fairfax to Albuquerque”)
Read the full article online here: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-09-05/abortion-battle-goes-local-from-fairfax-code-to-albuquerque-vote
“Cities, not states, could be the next center of the abortion debate.
In Albuquerque, N.M., pro-life activists are trying a new strategy: Banning late-term abortions within the city limits, instead of trying for a statewide ban. Over three weeks this summer, local pro-lifers collected 27,000 signatures — 15,000 more than were needed — to place a measure that would ban abortions after 20 weeks on a city ballot on November 19.
Local pro-lifers say that people come from other states — and even countries — to get late-term abortions in Albuquerque. Tara Shaver, who serves as a spokesperson for Project Defending Life, says of her experience trying to persuade women at the Southwestern Women’s Options Clinic not to have abortions that she has seen “women coming from all over the world, and all over the country. We’ve seen cars from every single state. We’ve talked to women who’ve come from the U.K.,” and from Mexico as well.
The measure looks likely to pass: According to a September poll conducted by the Albuquerque Journal, 54 percent of city voters approve of it, while only 39 percent oppose it. “It’s supported by most citizens and particularly by Hispanics,” comments Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List. “They outpoll the general population in their support for it. So I think it’s a microcosm of what should be happening on the national level when the Republican party comes back to itself — it should emulate the same kind of strategy” when it comes to passing late-term abortion bans, which could attract Hispanic support.” (National Review- “Defending Life In The Dessert: The fight against late-term abortions is being pursued on the local level in Albuquerque.”)
Read the full article online here: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/359872/defending-life-desert-katrina-trinko
Late-Term Abortion in ABQ has been front page news locally for the past TWO months! Here is a poll that appeared in the ABQ Journal:
“More voters support abortion ban: Hispanics break from party on issue”
Support for the proposed abortion ban was bolstered by a large number of religious Hispanic voters who support anti-abortion policies but typically vote Democratic on other political issues.
“I think the big story is Hispanics,” Sanderoff said. “Although Hispanics tend to be Democrats and tend to hold the Democratic position on economic issues, we find they differ with other Democrats on the abortion issue. Hispanic Democrats are much more likely to be supportive of this measure than Anglo Democrats.”
Read the full article here: http://www.abqjournal. com/259923/news/more-voters-support-abortion-ban.html
Project 52 Kick-off with a Rally and Press Conference September 30, 2013
Project 52 is an interdenominational church initiative engaging congregations for 52 weeks a year in promoting the sanctity of human life.
The vision of Project 52 is to activate 52 local churches to adopt the Late-Term abortion clinic, Southwestern Women’s Options (SWO) for one week out of the year. Each church will have the freedom to minister as they see fit to each and every abortion woman. During their designated week, they will claim the Late-Term abortion clinic for every hour, every day SWO is open (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm).
“Abortion in our community is a huge mountain that seems impossible to be moved on our own, however if every church in our city would step out with just a mustard seed sized faith, and share the love of Christ by serving the “least of these,” God will move the mountain in our community and we will see an end to abortion…and to God alone be the glory!” -Bud Shaver, Project Defending Life
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(The media coverage of this event was so positive, we think it may be the most favorable piece put out by the mainstream media here about one of our events.)
Pastors gather to support late-term abortion ban- Coverage by ABC, KOAT Channel 7
“Pastors gathered to be the voice for unborn babies. They prayed for the end of abortion.
Pastors and demonstrators hoped their rallies would have an influence on banning late-term abortions locally.
The idea behind Project 52 is to have a presence at the abortion clinics 52 weeks a year, and to put pressure on the residents of Albuquerque to support the ban in the upcoming election.
Pastors said they will gather and protest abortions until there is a change. They hope that comes in November when people cast their votes.”
Read more and watch the video coverage here: http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/albuquerque/pastors-gather-to-support-lateterm-abortion-ban/-/9153728/22203852/-/98sufo/-/index.html#ixzz2gQmgMmZw
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip his people for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith…”
Ephesians 4:11-13
In the news this month:
ALBUQUERQUE BECOMES LATEST FOCAL POINT IN ABORTION WARS” – The New York Times
Abortion Battle Goes Local From Fairfax to Albuquerque” -Bloomberg
Defending Life in the Desert -National Review
Anti-Choicers’ New Mexico Experiment – The American Prospect
More voters support abortion ban -ABQ Journal
Pastors gather to support late-term abortion ban – ABC KOAT Channel 7
Voters to decide on late-term abortion ban – KOB Channel 4
Get out and VOTE -Interview with Tara on Jesus First TV
Please Pray :
~Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to be advocates for the women and children of New Mexico.
~For an end to abortion in New Mexico.
~For the conversion of every abortion doctor and clinic worker.
~For softened hearts of the women we speak to each day at abortion clinics.
~For the moms who have already chosen life and for the means to continue to serve them.
~For a continued grace filled and Christ centered ministry focus.
~For more opportunities to share the truth about abortion and it’s effects with the Christian community.
~For the Christian community to rise up out of apathy and a spiritual awakening.
~For more workers for this ripe harvest.
~For our safety in this spiritual battle.
