Story on SNM Rally Published

The Catholic Spirit newspaper put our Silent No More Rally on the front page--check it out here or here!

It is not a Catholic event, but they are the only news outlet that EVER covers our rally--kind of sad!

Fundraiser with Brist Chiropractic

Jesse says,
"Thanks for helping my mom when she needed a place to live!"



Metro Women's Center has established a client assistance fund with the help of Dr. Jeff and Becky Brist. This fund allows MWC to provide financial assistance to mothers and their families in the form of rent help, grocery store gift cards, diapers, utility payments, bus cards, ultrasounds, medical and other needs. The funds are never given directly to the client but are given to the vendor on behalf of the client. The Brists host a fundraiser every year to replenish this fund. This year the event will be Feb. 18-22 . I encourage you to take advantage of this great opportunity by contacting Dr. Brist's office for more information. Thank you, in advance, for helping with this project! More details are in the letter below:

Will you help MWC kick off 2008 by joining our Circle of Giving?

As the Director of Metro Women’s Center, I appreciate so much the support you have given us in the past. Because I know you are a giving person, I look for ways to give back to you. That’s why I like to pass on the stories about babies who have been saved and women who have been helped through MWC—so you can share in the rewards of this ministry.

Here’s another way that I’m able to give something back to you. Dr. Jeff Brist, a chiropractic and naturopathic physician, is offering Health Scans at no charge for anyone who brings in a donation for MWC during the week of February 18. This is indeed a “circle of giving”: you bring a gift for Metro Women’s Center; MWC provides life-changing material, emotional, and spiritual support for women in crisis pregnancies; and Dr. Brist gives you a Health Scan at no charge!

Dr. Brist was one of the original supporters of our ministry. Through our Acacia’s Heart Fund (named in memory of the Brist’s daughter), MWC provides material assistance to women in crisis pregnancies who are experiencing pressing financial needs.

The Health Scan Dr. Brist is offering is designed to get you started toward a real solution to a health complaint that may have been bothering you for a long time. Dr. Brist screens dozens of organs and body systems and pinpoints the areas that he believes are the highest priority to focus on to restore your health and wellness. He then recommends a completely natural treatment program that will be not just a quick fix but rather a real solution.

If you or a loved one is experiencing a nagging health problem, including fatigue, joint and muscle aches, headaches, digestive problems, skin rashes, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, or tingling in the hands or feet, I suggest you call Dr. Brist’s office to schedule a Health Scan at no charge during the week of February 18. You can find out for yourself whether chiropractic and naturopathic health care can help you, and you can be part of a circle of giving that can have long-term rewards for women in crisis pregnancies.

I wish you God’s greatest blessings in 2008.

P.S. To schedule your Health Scan at no charge in exchange for your gift to MWC, call Dr. Brist’s office at 763-546-9151. Dr. Brist’s office is conveniently located one block west of Highway 169 in Champlin.

In the News . . .

Men Conspired To Murder Pregnant Woman
Prosecutors have charged two men in a conspiracy to murder a 20-year-old pregnant woman in Lansing, Kansas. Investigators say it started when one man tried to blow up Olivia Jackson's house with a pipe bomb in Leavenworth in early January. On Tuesday night, Jackson, who's baby was due in five weeks, was found shot to death in a mobile home park. Read the full story here.

California Abortion Mill Raids, Arrests Revealed
It has been learned that five abortion mills were raided on August 1, 2007, by a special unit of the LA Police Department called the Health Authority Law Enforcement Task Force, which is responsible for investigating crimes that impact public health. At that time two arrests were made on two women without medical backgrounds for practicing medicine without a license. Read the full story here.

No Choice For Teen Mothers
Feminists are tied so tightly to the abortion agenda that all roads must lead there. In these cases, abortion is a kind of perverse "street cred," a rite-of-passage that a girl, if she is really serious about her femininity, will have to undergo. When feminists tremble at the thought that pregnancy might become "cool," what they are really afraid of is the idea that a young girl might catch a glimpse the lingering beauty of motherhood. When that happens, she will reject abortion for what it is: the murder of an innocent child. Read the full story here.

Abortion Boat Operator Complains of Lack of RU486 in Rural Canada
The operator of the infamous abortion boat that has sailed outside European nations that prohibit abortions is in Canada for the twentieth anniversary of legalized abortion there. Despite the fact that it has killed a Canadian woman and 12 others worldwide, Rebecca Gomperts complains the abortion drug isn't widely available in rural areas. The abortion drug, also known as mifepristone, has been responsible for more than 1,110 medical complications in the United States alone. Women have needed hospitalization and some have required emergency surgeries or blood transfusions because of problems. Read the full story here.

Flawed Embryos a Source for Stem Cells
From what is now considered medical waste might be fashioned bio-treasure: stem cells able to form into any of the body's 220 cell types, including blood, nerves, bone, and skin tissue. Scientists at Children's Hospital Boston have forged stem cells from the "flawed" and "poor quality" early-stage embryos that in vitro fertilization clinics discard by the hundreds of thousands every year. These are embryos created by IVF technicians but culled because abnormalities make them unsuitable for implantation into the wombs of women unable to conceive naturally. The embryos, usually containing no more than a few score cells, are deemed medical waste and simply tossed away.
Editor: Alas, scientists discover a new class of human being – the “low-quality” embryo.Read the full story here.

A Miracle Baby

This comment on Report on the March for Life is too good to let anyone miss it! It's from Brad, Kim, Jasmine, Zakary, and Nickolas.

Colleen and crew-

Thank you for marching for Life and allowing God to use your life to add to His Kingdom.

I wanted to share with you the story of my nephew. I think it might encourage you to see how God is working, and maybe you would like to share it with someone who might need to know.

My brother Will, and sister-in-law Stacia, went to their 20 week ultrasound appointment expecting a normal "sneak peak" at the baby that was growing inside. Everything up to this point had gone smoothly. The ultrasound took over an hour- a lot longer than my brother had remembered it taking for their first child. The doctor told them that there were cysts in both the kidneys that were taking up over 3/4 of the abdomen. This would mean that the other organs (esp. lungs) would not develop properly, and that the baby would die once it was outside the abdomen.

The doctor told them to abort the baby.

Abortion was not an option for them. This was a life that God was growing inside. God was in charge here. They asked God to heal this baby boy, whom they named Samuel Isaac. Many of us all around the country prayed for God to heal his little body, and to give strength to this couple who was trusting God with whatever He would do in their lives.

When Samuel Isaac was born this December, the doctor didn't cut the cord immediately. He wanted to give the parents the opportunity to hold the child before he died. After they both held Samuel for awhile, my brother cut the umbilical cord. Samuel continued to breath and move around. His grandparents held him. Soon, the doctor and nurses decided to start doing things normally done when a baby is born- like weigh him and put the name bracelets on his ankles and wrists. Hour by hour went by-he continued to LIVE. He was put in the ICU, and soon transferred to a nearby hospital with more specialists equipped to check his condition. His lungs were found to be okay, and he was "peeing"- a function of normal kidney behavior.

His doctor called him a "Miracle Baby". Yes, God had healed his little body. He got to go home within 2 weeks after being born. My brother and sister-in-law were given the chance to share with many people about their loving God during this time, including their doctor who is not a follower of Christ. God is so amazing and so BIG. We know he loves us and knit us together in our mother's womb. He cares for us and always, always works in our lives for good. We want to give Him glory in every situation we are in, and trust in Him.

The Death Toll of Roe v. Wade

I am not sure of the origination of this graphic [click on the graphic to see it in a larger format], but it sure makes you think, doesn't it? It says, "Since the passage of Roe v. Wade in 1973, over 43 million children have lost their lives to abortion. That's equivalent to the entire population of the states shaded in red above."

Report on the March for Life

Crowd on the capital steps - Cold day, but good crowd!

Modeling pro-life ethic from an early age! (used with permission)

Boy and Dad from Baptist church in Hinkley, MN (used with permission)

Colleen's sign - "Post abortive women and men need God's forgiveness and our support as they heal from their past abortion experiences."

It was cold at the capital but there were a lot of people there. I learned something: saline abortions are still being done in Minnesota (50 in the last 5 years). Saline abortions occur when a salt solution is injected into the womb through a needle. The baby ingests the salt solution and goes into convulsions. The salt burns the baby's skin, and the mother delivers a dead baby. This practice has been denounced by medical professionals, but it evidently still goes on. See comments below for more information on the work of MCCL on behalf of life issues. Pray for these issues, and uphold those who are working for life through the political process.

Comments by the leaders of the MCCL Rally:

• MCCL’s team of four lobbyists will work to ban saline abortions—a procedure in which an unborn child is suffocated and burned to death in the womb by injection of a poisonous saline solution. According to MCCL, more than 50 saline abortions have been performed in Minnesota in the last five years.
  
• Lobbyists with the organization will continue to work to end taxpayer funding of abortions in Minnesota. As many as 28 percent of the abortions performed in the state are paid for with state tax dollars at a cost of $1.4 million per year, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
  
• MCCL will also continue to oppose the Kahn-Cohen Cloning Bill, which would sanction and help fund University of Minnesota embryonic stem cell research. The pro-life organization will also continue to defend existing pro-life laws, including the Woman’s Right to Know Law, the Positive Alternatives Act, and the Unborn Child Pain Prevention Act.

The Republican National Convention

The Republican National Convention is being held in our fair city from September 1-4 this year, and this will be a perfect opportunity for pro-life people to get involved. MWC is not primarily political, but we believe that is it important to be active in the public arena to share our views about life in order to educate the community about abortion alternatives so that positive outcomes can be considered.

If you would like to know how you can help, check out the GOP blog or the official convention site for more information.

Let's "show up" and "speak up" for life. With everyone's help someday we will see an end to abortion!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Protesters

Don’t just march for life.
by Nicole Russell

Since January 1974, pro-life activists, religious leaders, and other conservative organizations have urged Americans of all ages, religious affiliations, and political persuasions to gather for a “March for Life,” both in the nation’s capital and on statehouse steps across the country. As impressive as this outpouring of pro-life sentiment continues to be, many organizations wisely demonstrate a far more effective use for these considerable resources.

On the first anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in all 50 states, 20,000 people gathered on the west steps of the U.S. Capitol. In the years since, that number has grown to 200,000, and state-level gatherings have witnessed similar growth. The sheer volume of pro-life activists who convene every year on January 22 is remarkable — and doubtless, these public occasions serve to energize their cause — but what does a Capitol march or a statehouse rally do to promote life?

True, when large crowds gather, the media will afford them a few moments in the public eye. And such gatherings are visually arresting — both for second-hand observers and for the participants themselves. As a young girl, I rallied beside my parents on the frozen steps of the state capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was amazed at the number of people I saw gathering in sub-zero temperatures to illustrate their opposition to Roe v. Wade. As a means to help educate the young and as a public-relations tool, then, rallies do have value. But if pro-life Americans are serious about wanting to persuade people to “choose life” — as the controversial Colorado license plate has it — they can do far more with their time and money than attending an annual march.

Needless to say, most of the folks who march for life also do other things to protect the unborn. As executive director of the Metro Women’s Center — a crisis-pregnancy center in Minneapolis, Minn. — Colleen Tronson has participated in her share of rallies and marches. And many of her fellow attendees do more for the cause than to march one day per year, just as she does: “Some of the people I meet at rallies work in post-abortive ministries or crisis-pregnancy centers. Others don’t feel that that kind of activism is their gift, so they write checks. There are many ways to save lives.”

Still: What if every person who wanted to attend a rally this year spent those hours instead volunteering at a local crisis-pregnancy center? Or, what if they took the money that they would have spent traveling to a rally — and the money that they could have earned had they worked for those hours instead — and purchased baby diapers, formula, and clothes to donate to mothers who have chosen life in spite of being in difficult circumstances? Many community groups already sponsor such efforts — often coinciding with “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday” that many churches observe at the end of January — volunteering at or providing material support for local crisis-pregnancy centers. But it’s still hard not to see the wasted opportunity cost of 200,000 people getting themselves to Washington to be seen marching on the Mall — when those resources could be used to reach out in far more personal and effective ways.

Focus on the Family (an organization that has organized and led its share of rallies) has developed an extraordinarily effective way to protect the unborn. With the help of its generous donors, Focus on the Family provides up to 80 percent of the cost of an ultrasound machine and sonography training for employees of qualifying pregnancy clinics who want to help women make informed decisions on their pregnancies. Through this Option Ultrasound Program, FoF has not only provided 363 ultrasound machines to pregnancy clinics in 48 states, they’ve taken the mantra “a picture is worth a thousand words” to heart.

The fetal heartbeat is visible via ultrasound imaging as early as four weeks after conception. For many young women — who have been told time and again that a fetus is “just a blob” — the flickering image of a tiny heartbeat, independent of their own, is all the insight they need to understand what is growing in their wombs. Some women decide to terminate their pregnancies anyway; many, many more do not: According to Focus on the Family, 89 percent of the women who are at-risk for abortion, and who receive their combination of counseling and ultrasound services, leave their pregnancy centers stating their intention to carry their babies to term. As of January 15, 2008, the lives of 77,000 babies have been saved — and their mothers have been spared the agony of abortion — all thanks to Option Ultrasound.

Wouldn’t it be a better for the 200,000 people who marched in D.C. last year (and the thousands more in state capitals across the country) to donate their time and money toward efforts that achieve demonstrable results — that actually save lives?

— Nicole Russell is a freelance writer in Minneapolis, Minn. She blogs about the upcoming Republican convention at www.gopconventionreport.com.

A Wonderful Pro-Life Victory Story from Friends4Life!

January 22 marks the 35th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion.

But God's power gives life, no matter what laws men may pass.

One day in April 1977, a 17-year-old teenager entered an abortion clinic in southern California, signed some papers, and received a saline drip injection to terminate her 7-month-old fetus by burning it in utero.

Eighteen hours later the baby was born - alive.

With resulting cerebral palsy and other birth-related challenges, doctors didn't expect Gianna Jessen to live long. But she was placed for adoption with loving parents. Gianna learned to sit up and walk ... and more.

Today, the Christian vocalist travels the world, runs marathons, enjoys rock climbing and speaks as an advocate for the unborn.

"The Lord Jesus spared my life," says Gianna. "I would not be walking today if it were not for the grace of God and the power of Christ."

Update on baby with a hole in her heart

Update on baby with hole in her heart: Tuesday, January 22nd, the baby will have an 8 hour surgery to repair her heart. Please pray for God's direction for the surgeons.

Youth Conference and Post Abortion Ministry in Uganda

It is so exciting to see ministries pop up all over the world supporting life. This prayer request is from my friend Veronica, who is the director of a pregnancy help center in Uganda. You'll be blessed to read Veronica's story. Please pray for them as they minister to women who are post-abortive.

Pray for:

The Post Abortion Seminar being organized by The Comforter’s Center in partnership with GML Ministries, Soronko District. The Seminar is taking place in Soronko district (Eastern Uganda) on January 24, 2008. Speakers are: Mrs. Harriet Walude, Mrs. Lydia Munabi, and Ms. Joy Namusoko.

The Youth Conference being organized by The Comforter’s Center in partnership with, Peace Portal Community Church, Mpigi district, Uganda, and The Redeemed Church, Namuwongo. The Conference is taking place in Mpigi district on January 27, 2008.

March for Life on Tuesday, Jan. 22

I will be attending the March for Life at the Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 22. If anyone would like to car pool to the capital, I will be leaving from MWC's office in Crystal at 10:30 a.m. If you want to come, call my cell at 612-205-9593, and we can arrange to go together.

U.S. Abortion Rate Falls to Lowest Level in Decades

New Report Does Find Medical Abortions on the Increase
by Kathleen Doheny, HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. abortion rate has reached its lowest level in three decades, according to a new report released Thursday.

"We don't know why," said study author Rachel Jones, senior research associate at the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit group that focuses on reproductive issues. The findings will be published in the March issue of the institute's journal, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health.

The actual number of abortions dropped to a new low, with 1.2 million abortions in 2005, compared to a high of 1.6 million abortions in 1990.

The report does not include an analysis of why the levels have continued to decline. "We don't regard [the findings] as good or bad," Jones said. "It's a descriptive study."

The abortion rate for 2005 was 19.4 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44. In comparison, the rate was 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women in 1981, 21.3 abortions per 1,000 women in 2000, and 19.7 abortions per 1,000 women in 2004.

To arrive at their findings, Jones and her team contacted all known abortion providers in the United States and also used U.S. Census Bureau data to look at national and state trends.

Among the trends they uncovered was an increase in medical abortions between 2000 and 2005. "A majority of providers offer both RU-486 [medical abortion] as well as surgical," Jones said. "The number offering just RU-486 went up."

Jones and her team found that 57 percent of all known abortion providers now offer such abortion services, compared with 33 percent in early 2001. Medical abortions accounted for 13 percent, or 161,000, of all abortions done in 2005, she reported.

More than six of 10 abortions were performed within the first eight weeks, the researchers reported. And almost three of 10 were done at six weeks or before.

Jones' team also found that the average cost of an abortion at 10 weeks was $413, about $11 less than in 2001 when inflation is taken into account.

The number of providers in 2005 was 1,787, 2 percent fewer than in 2000.

The findings triggered mixed reactions.

"This study shows that prevention works, and that's what we provide in our health centers every day," Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, said in a statement. "Planned Parenthood knows from daily experience that the best way to continue the downward trend is with policies that expand access to health care and real information. At the end of the day, Americans of all stripes believe that we need to do more to prevent unintended pregnancy and make health care affordable and accessible."

While the study didn't include an analysis of why the rate is declining, Janice Crouse, director of The Beverly LaHaye Institute at Concerned Women for America, a conservative public policy organization, said one reason could be a decline in abortions among teen girls.

That drop, she added, is partially explained by the success of abstinence programs. "Abortion definitely has gone down, particularly among young people," Crouse said.

"We'd like to take a look at the dynamics [behind the statistics]," said Jones, adding that Guttmacher plans to look more closely at the use of RU-486 in future research.

For more information on abortion in the United States, visit Guttmacher Institute.

Stewartville Report

We had the privilege of speaking for a group of teens in Stewartville, Minnesota last night. By "we" I mean a woman who was post-abortive, a woman who is a single parent, and me (a mom who made an adoption plan for her child). The students were very respectful and listened closely to our stories. Our hope was to offer education about adoption but also to offer warnings about the fact that the choices you make today affect all of your tomorrows. They want us to come back to do a presentation on abstinence--what a great opportunity that will be! Pray that we will be up to the task!

Please pray!

Today I am traveling to Stewartville, MN to speak to a group of teens about adoption at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 19, before the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life annual March for Life on Tuesday, January 22nd, we will be speaking in the rotunda of the Capitol in St. Paul regarding how abortion hurts women. Many of us will be sharing our testimonies about how abortion hurt us and did not help us. If anyone would like to come out and support this event, it begins at noon.

Tuesday, Jan. 22 I will be part of a press conference regarding a bill that the Democrats for Life are sponsoring in support of programs that help women choose life not abortion. Part of the bill is to make adoption tax credits permanent. I will be giving a short testimony at 9:00 a.m. The bill has broad support from both sides of the aisle.
UPDATE: The press conference has been canceled, due to reworking of the bill. Please pray that these changes will continue to protect life and support programs that protect life.

We have a client whose newborn was born with a hole in her heart. Please pray for the emergency surgery this baby needs.
UPDATE: Tuesday, January 22nd, the baby will have an 8 hour surgery to repair her heart. Please pray for God's direction for the surgeons.

God: +1, Satan: +0

This work has its ups and downs, and one of the ups is when a baby that was at risk of being aborted is spared from death and then we get to be part of the birth process for the mom and baby. That happened for us this week as we were able to be present at the birth of a healthy baby boy [That's his picture above! Isn't he cute?]. The mom had been abortion-minded at 26 weeks into the pregnancy and had gone for the abortion but changed her mind. What a joy to see new life come and to see the love in the mother's eyes for her child! I think in my head, "God: +1, Satan: +0!" GOD BE PRAISED!

A Baby Saved!

A phone call came into the office from a girl looking for housing. During the conversation she mentioned that she had an abortion scheduled for later this week. I suggested she and the boy come in and talk to us instead, and she readily agreed! She had not even called about having an abortion; she just mentioned it in the course of the conversation!

I just kept thinking, "Thank goodness that since MWC is available, that baby's life and that mother's peace of mind are not at risk any more." I'm so thankful that God chooses to use us in eternally-important ways.

Now the work begins, to pray for behavioral and heart changes!

Praise and Prayer Update

Hope you all had a great holiday season and enjoyed being with family and remembering the birth of our Lord! There has been lots happening at MWC, so I will try and bring you up to speed!

If any of you would like to have a presentation of this ministry in your church, please contact our office. Dates are filling up fast for Sanctity of Human Life (SOHLS) observances. The official date for SOHLS is Sunday, Jan. 20. There will be a March for Life at the state capital in St. Paul on Tuesday Jan. 22 at 12 noon. Download a poster for the march that you can distribute as you see fit.

There will be a volunteer information session on Thursday, January 24th, from 7-8 pm for anyone interested in volunteering with MWC. Anyone is welcome to attend this session to learn about various volunteer opportunities. For more information, e-mail info@metrowomenscenter.org or call the office at 763-533-8642.

MWC welcomed 2 new board members this fall, Lindsay Tuttle and Jennifer Moreau. Please pray for them as they serve the Lord in this capacity.

Besides our new blog, we are venturing into some other new kinds of communications. We are planning to offer our newsletter via e mail, so look for upcoming details on that option.

Finances for the maternity home project are at $125,000, for which we praise the Lord.

There have been many women during this 1st quarter of the year who have been abortion-minded. We know for sure that one woman-- already 4 mo. pregnant at the time of her first visit here and with an abortion scheduled for the next day-- changed her mind and chose to cancel the abortion appointment and allow her baby to live!

There are 3 women on my case load who are involved in prostitution and who are pregnant. Please pray that the Lord will use the WORD to change their hearts about their lifestyles. One is still undecided about carrying her baby to term.

Please pray for several women who have drug addictions and who are continuing to use these chemicals during their pregnancies. Pray that they will cease this behavior through God's power.

Please pray for a woman who has an abortion scheduled. She came to our attention through a supporter who just happened to meet this woman and learn of her possible abortion this past week. Please pray that the strong witness of this supporter will help the woman change her mind and choose life!

We thank you for your continuing support, prayerfully and financially for the work here. You are all a tremendous blessing to this ministry! God bless!

Check out these Baptist Bulletin articles!

Check out these articles written for the current issue of the Baptist Bulletin, emphasizing the sanctity of human life:

Abortion Denied

Sharing Christ’s Compassion at PCCs

Pro-Life Ministries: A Bridge to the Church by Cyndy Snyder

Volunteer Extraordinaire about an extraordinary volunteer at the Flint CPC.