We Did It!

Thank you for praying! The "Life Before Birth" seminar yesterday was a success! Whew! It has been on my heart for years, and I'm relieved/excited/encouraged that we were finally able to do it. Dra. Mayette started with clear explanations and photos of the beginning of life. It was so positive and beautiful as we saw how God knits a new life together in its mother's womb from the day of conception. Then we watched a video of an abortion. It was horrible but entirely realistic. I wanted the women to see it for what it was. Then we worked in small groups to understand the situation in the various countries our ladies come from, and to come up with creative approaches to dealing with the problem.

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Who knows what ministries will grow from the seeds that were planted yesterday? Who knows how many lives will be saved?

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This is Dra. Mayette Sapaula (below, in black) after the seminar with IGSL ladies who have given birth under her care.

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Life Before Birth

I love babies. If you know me, you already know that.

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I hate abortion. If you know me well, you know that too. As I have lived and worked in Asia for many years, I have come to realize that many people choose abortion simply because they do not understand that abortion means they are killing their own child. I have had a few chances to talk to parents before they carried out a planned abortion -- and I could counsel them not to do it. There have also been some cases where I found out too late. Those stories still haunt me.

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I have begun to realize that I need to be pro-active. I can't take the chance anymore of waiting until it's too late. Lives are at stake. So I have asked the PIM Leadership Team for permission to create a seminar for all of our IGSL ladies. I want our women to be well-educated on this topic -- to understand exactly what happens when an abortion takes place. I want them to be able to educate others in their churches and communities -- ahead of time, so that pregnant women will understand that the life growing inside them is a person, right from the start.

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With the help of Dra. Mayette Sapaula, our dear friend and obstetrician, next Saturday we will conduct a seminar for all IGSL ladies called "Life Before Birth". My objective is that any lady who graduates from IGSL will have a clear understanding of how a life grows, inside the womb, from the day of conception until the day of birth, and that she will be equipped to educate others. My dream is that many tiny lives will be saved as a result.

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Please pray with me about the seminar on Saturday, January 19. Thanks!

Gift #206

I am still working on my "One Thousand Gifts" list. The most recent (and very precious) gift was Matthew's visit. He came a few days before Christmas and just headed back to Canada today. This was his first visit to the Philippines since he left for university two and a half years ago. The holiday season went so fast! But it was good. God has been faithful.