June Newsletter: Overcoming the Darkness with Light...In Season!

Picking up Momentum

The past couple of months have been productive, but at the same time we’ve kind of felt like things have slowed down with our ministry. One thing that is so evident...and that we continue to hear from people who live here, is the presence of a demonic strong hold. In more ways than one darkness is constantly trying to overtake the light here in ABQ.

Thankfully, as the spiritual forces of darkness are at work, the God we serve works harder! His power and presence was magnified this month and we give him all the glory and honor for what He is doing here. Please commit to praying for us on a daily basis as we stand with God in this spiritual battle. Thank you to those who already so faithfully do pray for us!

“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world!” ~Ephesians 6:12

Another Life Saved

Tara received a call out of the blue one Thursday this month. On the other end of the line was a frantic woman facing a serious dilemma. She was one of those women who often find themselves backed into a corner, with only one choice-abortion. Unfortunately her first words to Tara were, “I’m having an abortion, there’s no other way.” It seemed as though her mind was made up.

Her boyfriend had recently left her high and dry after he asked her to quit her job to be a stay at home mom. She was dependent on him and he left her for someone else. When she tried to reason with him for the sake of their child, he told her to have an abortion. With rent past due, he gave her an ultimatum. It was have the abortion and I’ll pay your rent or don’t and you and your children will end up on the streets.

After getting her job back and contacting state agencies for help she called a Pastor who had our number. That’s how she knew to contact Tara. She admitted that she didn’t know who Tara was and wasn’t even calling to ask for help, she just called and didn’t know why. Talk about a divine appointment. It was a privilege for Tara to talk with her, find out her situation and her feelings about the situation.

Deep within her she didn’t want an abortion, she just didn’t have the resources or support to make the right choice. Tara contacted her landlord and Project Defending Life paid the remainder of her rent. Tara spent time assuring her that even though her situation seemed too overwhelming, that it would get better and that we’re here to help. That was enough to lift her spirits and her resolve to keep her baby. She even called her ex boyfriend and told him that he couldn’t control and manipulate her.

This is another victory for Christ and a testimony of the faithfulness of God to save lives through the love and charity of His people! To Him be the glory.

National Day of Prayer Week

Bud had a great opportunity to share the pulpit with Pastor Eric Lamb of Calvary Albuquerque on the topic of abortion during the National Day of Prayer Week 2012 at Glory Christian Fellowship in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Today is the day to stand up and speak out against the abortion holocaust surrounding us...and to God be the Glory!

Reaping A Harvest…In Season!

This month we found out that based on a complaint Tara filed back in 2009, while we were working as interns for Operation Rescue in Wichita, KS, that an abortionist in Queens, New York was stripped of his medical license and the abortion mill he ran was closed down!

We are so encouraged by this news! This is a testament that using the law and regulations already in place against abortionists works!

Please pray that our efforts to do this here in NM bears the same fruit.

Our Presence is Vital!

An abortion mill in Birmingham, Alabama had a Federal Injunction that police had been applying illegally against the Pro-Life community for several years. Back in 2010 Bud worked with several pro-life groups to re-claim the side walk in front of the New Woman All Women abortion mill! Since then, sidewalk counselors filed complaints after witnessing two ambulances transport injured women to the hospital. Based on those complaints, the Board of Medicine in AL conducted an investigation and as a result this mill was closed down...May 18th, 2012!

This month Tara was able to revisit some of our previous efforts to end abortion here in NM. A follow-up meeting with the Governor was held as well as a meeting with the Executive Director of the Medical Board.

We have also launched a new project that we believe will shed light on why abortion is being perpetuated here in NM. We are very excited about how things are moving along. Stay tuned for more information and please utilize the strongest tool we have as Christians.

Prayer is what will move mountains and defeat the enemy. We invite you to join us in this spiritual battle, please contact us to find out how you can make a difference locally or in your state.

God Bless You!

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Mexico Forces Tax Payers to Fund 1,786 Abortions in 2011

By Tara Shaver, Project Defending Life

The State of New Mexico has one of the highest poverty rates. Money that could go to alleviate poverty has instead been dished out to abortion providers to the tune of over 1.1 million state tax dollars in 2011 to fund abortions through Medicaid.

Medicaid first began to cover abortion services in 1976, but only for cases when the life of the mother was endangered, as per the Federal Hyde Amendment. In 1977, the Hyde Amendment wording was changed to allow federal funding for abortions to also include cases of rape or incest in addition to life endangerment of the mother.

In New Mexico, Medicaid coverage was extended to “medically necessary” abortions, to be funded out of state funds without any federal financial participation. “Medically necessary” includes physical or mental health issues, but not to the extent of endangering the life of the mother. These policies have not changed in New Mexico since 1998.

“In 2011, New Mexico tax payers paid for 1,786 abortions which amounted to $1,127,557.26. This really brings new meaning to the concept of forced abortions, only now the coercion is foisted upon New Mexico tax payers to fund abortions,” stated Bud Shaver of Project Defending Life.

Abortion Injuries Cause Further Concern

Last June, fourteen 911 calls were obtained through a public records request, prompting even more concern about New Mexico tax funds paying for abortions. At least 14 women were seriously injured by abortions that were potentially paid for by tax payers. Women suffered from uncontrolled bleeding, a ruptured uterus, seizures, and near life threatening complications after and during the abortions.

Tax payers should not be forced to fund a failing industry that harms women and kills their children.

Abortion Clinics Lack Oversight

As Albuquerque attracts women from all over the country seeking abortions, it is also of great concern that the surgical portion of the clinics are never inspected. Abortion clinics nationwide are commonly under regulated, but in a state where tax payers foot the bill for abortions there is almost no oversight. The New Mexico Department of Health currently claims to lack jurisdiction over abortion clinics because they are not classified properly to come under its oversight. This partly explains the abortion injuries we continue to see here in Albuquerque.

Authorities and Public Officials Notified, Action Anticipated

Complaints were filed with the New Mexico Medical Board shortly after the fourteen 911 tapes were obtained. It is unclear as to what extent an investigation in the interest of public safety is underway. Our concerns and all pertinent information have been given to Governor Martinez’s office. Project Defending Life has just recently met with the Governor’s staff and brought the crisis of forced taxpayer-funded abortions to the Governor’s attention.

It is truly unfortunate that there have been years of neglect regarding the safety of women entering unregulated and dangerous abortion clinics in Albuquerque. The 1.1 million dollars currently paying for abortions could certainly be used more effectively to help those in need in the state of New Mexico.

We have been assured by the Governor’s office that steps are being taken to turnaround this deep seated abortion culture that has caused New Mexico to be labeled the Abortion Capital of the Southwest. It is our hope that the New Mexico Department of Health will begin inspections of these abortion facilities and that the New Mexico Medical Board will fully investigate the 14 botched abortions and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

“In our discussions with the Governor’s office, we understand that a lot of work needs to be done to change this culture of innocent deaths and wounding of women. It has gotten so bad that the New Mexico abortion industry has publicly bragged about unrestricted abortion access in New Mexico, abortions performed on girls as young as 11, and people coming from surrounding states to have abortions here in New Mexico,” stated Fr. Stephen Imbarrato of Project Defending Life, after meeting with the Governor’s Chief of Staff. “It is our hope and expectation that the Governor will explore every option at her disposal to end what has become a shameful and unacceptable situation here in New Mexico.”

Let's End Abortion As We FulFill The Great Commission!

By Bud Shaver (This article originally appeared on Standforlife.net)

I am coming up on 5 years of full-time Pro-Life ministry, during this time reaching out to Church leaders, Pastors, and the Christian community in general...Christian's for the most part think that you have to choose between fulfilling the "Great Commission" and doing anything remotely effective in engaging the abortion injustice in America. Resulting in Church budgets and resources maxed out to fulfill the "Great Commission" overseas...while neglecting to deal with the abortion Holocaust in their own communities!

While we can say that we have done a great job fulfilling the "Great Commission" overseas, we have to be honest and realize that we have failed to go into our own communities to reach the lost and dying for Christ...in doing so, are we neglecting to fulfill the "Great Commission" in America? We do not need to think that we have to choose between fulfilling the "Great Commission" and engaging the issue of abortion...We need to think about fulfilling the "Great Commission" in America by going to the "Least of These" scheduled for death in our communities and bring the Gospel of Life to the dying and bring the Gospel of hope to the desperate!

This is a false dichotomy...that needs to be dealt with! "The fallacy of a false dichotomy is committed when the arguer claims that his conclusion is one of only two options, when in fact there are other possibilities." There is another possibility…and that is…both should be a unified whole! Church, we need to deal with the reality that we have dropped the ball in America...resulting in 54 million dead children and counting...73% of the women who had these abortions in America claim to be Christian/Catholic Christians! We have failed to teach and disciple a complete Christian worldview...which includes obeying all that is commanded of us!

As an activist...and not a Pastor, I have to add... Talking about abortion is only the first step, the fruit of which should produce action! Instead of meeting behind four walls on Sunday morning in a building, If Church leaders and Pastors took the Church to the streets in front of abortion clinics in public opposition to the killing of innocent children, prayed there, reached out with the gospel there...women and couples would repent (change their mind, turn 180 degrees), babies would be saved, the lost…Who need Christ, would find and receive Him, and the Church would be relevant to a lost and dying... America. Multiply this for churches and cities in America... and you can get the picture! We would fulfill the “Great Commission” and end the greatest injustice of our generation…Abortion!

Stand Up and join me in fulfilling the "Great Commission" in our mission field...America!

May Newsletter: We Saw Mountains Move!

On UNM Campus with Survivors! The Survivors Campus Life Tour visited ABQ and brought their displays out to UNM. It was great being at a college campus again (We spent our 1st year of pro-life ministry with Survivors and visited over 180 schools!), however, the students at UNM can be very aggressive. A male student even pushed over one of the displays, but some really nice Muslim girls rushed over to help put it back together and stayed and talked for quite a while. This gave us an opportunity to speak with students we may never have been able to connect with otherwise. The best thing I heard a passerby say was, "I was totally pro-choice before I saw that sign...now there is no way I can be!"

"Massive Pro-Life Event With '180' & Ray Comfort"

We are so encouraged by answered prayers. One of our prayers has consistently been more workers for the harvest and for churches to become actively pro-life. Calvary of ABQ is doing just that and we are excited to see how God is going to use those who are willing to further His kingdom and save lives. On April 4th, there was a packed house of several thousand at Calvary of ABQ who watched the incredible movie "180" followed by an interview with its creator Ray Comfort. A table was set up for several ministries including 9 months, Pro-Life Movement, which was founded by Pastor Eric Lamb and his wife Cherita. Eric and Cherita are dear friends of ours and we plan to work together with them to bring awareness to the public and hope to women in ABQ.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Luke 10:2

Sidewalk Conversation’s & A Glimpse Outside SWO Abortion Clinic... One morning this month my friend and a faithful volunteer, Lorenzo and I pulled up in the Truth Truck and got all our signs set up out at the ABQ Late-Term abortion mill Southwestern Women’s Options (SWO). Almost immediately a couple of young women pulled into the SWO parking lot. They literally just drove right to the exit where we were and the young woman in the passenger side was balling her eyes out and thanked us for being there, she said that she had come for an abortion but changed her mind! We gave her Project Defending Life’s (PDL) information and all the local resources. Praise God! We have seen cars drive in and leave on numerous occasions, the passengers never get out of their car and we don’t even get to speak to them. Our prayer is always that they changed their mind...without really knowing for sure. Thanks to the ability we have to be in the public square proclaiming the message of life and to PDL we have so much to offer these women and minds are often changed. Some women don't need material or financial help, but they do need to see our prayerful presence and the truth depicted by our graphic signs which the Holy Spirit uses to pierce their heart and strip away all the lies and excuses. They need Christians and the Pro-Life community to be there...bringing even a mustard seed sized faith to the abortion clinic is all it takes for God to move mountains...I know, because we witnessed mountains move this month!

Other Opportunities and Blessings... This month a Catholic moms group came to pray at the UNM clinic. About 8 women came with babies in tow to be a witness for life. This paints a beautiful picture for passersby and also for women seeking abortions.

We ended the month doing a presentation for a local Catholic youth group. This presentation was meant to inspire the youth to make a difference in the lives of others. Young people today have the ability to shape the future so we must encourage and educate them to walk in God’s ways and to stand up for the truth no matter what. We spent some time in CO this month as well to rest and re-energize. It was a lot of fun...and much needed! Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support for our ministry here in New Mexico. It is evident that God is at work and has great things planned for the future. We will press on until this state is abortion free and may God receive all of the glory!