From Directions Summer 2011
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34).
I was reminded of this verse as I was compiling some of the personal stories, comments, and suggestions that were returned on your LMC and LFL Chapter Reports from this past year. As I read report after report, one thing that stood out to me was LOVE … love for others, Love For Life. Thank you again for all you do and for your great love for Jesus and others.
Personal Stories
A friend and I visited a young woman who was addicted to drugs. She had just given birth to a baby boy who was also addicted. We witnessed to her about how precious her life is as well as her baby’s. We gave her a gift of the Life Bible and we prayed with her. The baby has since been adopted by a Christian family.
In April, we highlighted Jonathan’s Place which is serving the abused, abandoned, and neglected children of North Texas as an emergency shelter, providing temporary residential and treatment services. They also have a Foster & Adoptive Family Program—recruiting, training, and verifying foster, foster-to-adopt, and foster families. This year we hope to collect more items they may need at the shelters.
A young neighbor gal with two children came up to me in the grocery store one day. She began to cry as she told me she’d been forced to have an abortion in her teens. I was able to visit in her home, share info and pamphlets, and pray with her. We chat occasionally.
A young girl in our congregation decided against abortion and now has a beautiful daughter. Her family and the congregation are very supportive. I don’t know if this was the result of LFL or our very pro-life pastor.
Our congregation continues to send representatives from each of our churches to the Pro-Life rallies in St. Paul, Minnesota and Fargo, North Dakota. Our youth groups are particularly involved as they serve the pregnancy center in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
My husband, daughter, and I helped work the Lutherans For Life booth at the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans last summer. What an experience! The youth were amazed at the four Life Touch Fetal Models which ranged from 12 weeks to 30 weeks. The boys were especially interested and wanted to hold them. They all said they believed “in life.”
One of our chapter members is a sidewalk counselor at our Planned Parenthood clinic and several babies and mothers have been saved.
This past year we had the opportunity to help a young girl going through her second crisis pregnancy. She actually called me from an abortion clinic. I talked with her and told her to leave, which she did. We stood alongside her through the pregnancy and gave her a baby shower. We have since lost contact with her, but continue to pray for her and her children’s well being. لعبة سلوتس
Speaking Opportunities
Arlo Peterson of the Lake Superior Chapter spoke at a fundraiser for Chip Cravaack at the Duluth, Minnesota, airport on the topic of what Christians can do to end abortion in our country. He also shared a poem, A Little Girl’s Prayer. There were 110 people in attendance.
Pastor Terry Forke had the opportunity to speak before the Montana Legislature, in Helena, Montana, concerning a Personhood Amendment that went before the senate and house. العاب للفوز بجوائز حقيقية He also spoke at three Montana Pro-Life Coalition rallies across the state. Obviously as LFL, this direction of outreach is not our focus but our chapters across the state have taken an active stand in getting this referendum passed.
LaWana Castanes, president of Northern Louisiana LFL, spoke at an open house at Immanuel Lutheran Church to represent and speak to the group about the work and goals of Lutherans For Life. There were a few visitors along with mission representatives for Providence House and Grace Home.
In January I was able to speak to three differnt age groups at our church’s day school. I used the LFL chapel materials, Word document, and PowerPoint presentation on the topic of “God’s knitting room.” I altered them somewhat to speak to different age groups. Our school asked me to speak because they knew I was the Life Ministry Coordinator for our church.
I spoke to around 450 people at our church on Life Sunday. My focus was the unborn, but also all life issues. We had a great Life Sunday Service. My pastor dedicated both services to life issues.
Each spring I spend about five hours with our day school 8th graders, dealing with the issues of sanctity of life, abstinence, abortion, and adoption. Each student also receives a take-home packet folder loaded with related literature carefully chosen for them.
The National Down Syndrome Day in March was celebrated by the Pittsburg Area LFL as keynote speaker Becky Rinehart, along with her son Noah, gave an excellent PowerPoint presentation of Noah’s life. This presentation was not only Christ-centered, but it was very informative and entertaining. Noah, a quadriplegic with Down syndrome, has a great sense of humor and will be graduating from high school in June. Becky pointed out that people with Down syndrome are “more like us than not like us.” It is a very sad fact that over 90 percent of Down syndrome babies are now aborted. If you would like information on this PowerPoint presentation, please contact us at the National Office.
Comments, Suggestions, or Concerns
We dispatch a cross display for view around Nebraska at county fairs, etc. The 3,200 crosses make an impressive display. We need help promoting them in Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, etc. They travel on our trailer easily pulled with a pickup truck. Any publicity would help. You can contact me at lbloemker@neb.rr.com.
We displayed the Watch Me Grow posters during the month of January. They caught the attention of many people. People’s hearts were touched by the truths clearly shown in these posters.
We have placed Teaching For Life in the two Christian day schools in our area. A suggestion was made that since most school children have computer abilities that something like distance learning might be worth pursuing.
Continue to publicize what others are doing. We copied one idea for Life Sunday when our regular program was no longer attracting many participants. We made a quilt out of quilt blocks decorated by our Sunday school children. The children brought the three quilts along with baby items up to the altar during the offering and gave them to a LFCS representative who was there to accept them.
Our chapter arranged for speakers at eight public schools. We have done this every 2-3 years since 1988. The subjects range from abstinence, making choices, dating games, responding to conflict among students. We have been invited back by several schools. The speakers do a lot of interaction with the students ranging from 7th through 12th grades. طريقه لعب البوكر
Our congregation collected clothing, strollers, toys, and over 6,000 diapers for the Alpha Center lending closet.
We have distributed over 100 Lutherans For Life informational tracts within our congregation.
Two years ago, the Lord opened a door for our local CPC to begin a Prison Ministry. Forty-nine women at the Bossier Maximum Security Facility completed the Abortion Recovery Bible Study last year. Based on their answers to questions on an exit form:
69 percent say that the abortion started a downward spiral the led to their incarceration.
78 percent say that substance abuse began or increased after the abortion.
But the great news is:
92 percent say that after completing the Bible study, they feel better equipped to remain drug free and sober!
When women are healed from the effects of abortion, they can help others by sharing the truth about how abortion hurts women.