Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Sanctuary Ministries Update

Sanctuary Ministries



For Life & Eternity

Sanctuary Update

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Orlando Women's Center abortion clinic

1103 Lucerne Terrace, Orlando

Missionaries: Allura & Ursula



"... who show the work of the Law written on their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness,

... their thoughts accusing them or excusing them ..."

.Romans 2:15



Allura reports:

A mom brought her 17 year old daughter to OWC today, just to get birth control. She also brought another younger girl. They were very surprised to find out that it was an abortion clinic. The mom stood outside for a long time & listened as Ursula & I pleaded with mothers who were going inside to kill their babies. Her 10 year old daughter told me, “I hate this clinic”. I said, “I do too, honey.” I gave the mom some literature on abstinence and encouraged her to read it with her older daughter, but she said; "My daughter won't listen to me."

I met Christina, a young lady from Trinidad, who’d aborted her baby at OWC 3 weeks ago. I asked how she was doing after killing her child, and she said, “Not good; I think about what I did all the time, but I asked God to forgive me & I know He has.” I gave her our special Sanctuary Ministries tract entitled: “Killing a Baby by Abortion is a Serious Sin” along with my phone # and asked her to call me. I saw hopelessness and despair in her eyes and was reminded again that God hates the shedding of innocent blood.

Keela & her boyfriend Treveson already have a 5 month old daughter together. They were there to kill their pre-born baby. The couple let me speak to them for over 5 mintues. I offered them financial support, counseling, whatever they needed, but in the end they said, "We have to do what we think is best" & walked into the killing place hand-in-hand.

Ursula talked to a young lady while I talked to the guy who said he was her 'brother'. We think he was lying. Neither of them wanted to listen to what we had to say, and as they walked past us, the guy was laughing. Ursula called after him, “Sir, this is not a laughing matter; there will be tears later on, not laughing.”

As we stood in the driveway praying for all the mommies before we left, I saw one of the girls Ursula had tried to talk to, sitting on the front porch watching us. We prayed for her & as we walked to our cars, I called out, “Ma’am, we just prayed for you.” She said, “I know; I saw you praying. I’m a Christian too! But I’m not going to raise another child in poverty!” Ursula challenged her with, “What do you think God thinks about abortion?” And she said, “I know it’s really bad. But I’ve asked God to forgive me and I know He will.” (How often we hear that at the killing place!) I asked, “Honey, do you realize how arrogant it is to presume that God will forgive you for murdering your own baby?” She shared that they have 3 children already & her husband didn’t want any more. We talked with Wanda for quite a while and she told us she’d had a previous abortion, and she believes God has forgiven her. I gave her a brochure, along with my contact info, and Ursula handed her a paper with Hebrews 10:26 written on it. ("If we sin willfully after receiving knowlege of the truth there no longer remains a sacrifice for our sins, just a certain, fearful expectation of judgment.") As we were walking to our cars, I said to Wanda, “I’m praying for you” & she smiled and said, “Thank you.” But then I said, "You know, Wanda, I’m not just praying for God to help you. I’m asking a Holy God to convict you of the horrible sin you’re planning to commit against Him, and to change your heart towards Him and towards your baby.”

About 2 hours later, I got a phone call that went like this: “Hi, Allura, this is Wanda. I just wanted you to know I didn’t do it! I couldn’t kill my baby! You were right; God hates abortion! I love Jesus and I can’t go through with this. Even though I’ve aborted one baby, I can’t do it again. It’s sin!” Wanda told me that after they did the pregnancy test, she sat in the waiting room, reading through all the brochures we’d given her. God spoke to her loud & clear through the words Ursula & I had spoken and the words she was reading. All of a sudden she knew she couldn’t kill her baby. She and her husband have decided to pursue adoption for their little one! Isn’t that amazing? I contacted a friend with First Life Center for Pregnancy to do follow up & I’m giving Wanda the contact info for the wonderful adoption counselors at Bethany Christian Services. Before we got off the phone, Wanda laughed out loud and said, “It’s wonderful; there’s such peace in my heart now! We know we can’t keep this baby, but we want to give him or her to a Christian family who isn’t able to have children.” I said, “Wanda, all God asks of His children is that we trust and obey.” Full of joy, I recited out loud the lyrics of the precious hymn which I sing often in my car on the way to & from the abortion clinic, especially when I’m feeling all alone or discouraged or just plain tired: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Happy in Jesus! Wow! J

His Only by Grace,

Allura



Friends,

While it is true that in one sense fallen men & women have false understanding & distortions regarding truth about God & the preciousness of their preborn babies, the scriptures teach that all human beings do know God. This knowlege is called general revelation. The Geneva Study Bible notes how people experience this knowlege of God; 'in guilt, with uncomfortable inklings of the judgment they cannot avoid. Only the gospel of Christ can speak peace to this aspect of the human condition.'

Wanda's conscience brought her to a place of healthy shame & guilt, preventing her from murdering the child who is growing in her womb. Our mission at the killing place is to offer our compassionate help (like the Good Samaritan) & to address the conscience of the aborting moms & dads with the truth as it is in Jesus. The biblical gospel is THE instrument God has ordained to convict human beings of their sin & show them the way of salvation through repentance & faith. It is awful to consider the wrath that the impenitent are treasuring up for themselves in the day of judgment if they refuse to hearken to the command of God. Unless we repent, we will perish!

Today (Wednesday) is late term abortion day. Mothers (through all nine months of pregnancy) arrived at 7am this morning to begin the long, drawn out process of making their little babies come of of their womb into the toilet of Orlando Women's Center. (It takes anywhere from 6-36 hours for the infants to be born.) A wonderful missionary family has been faithful to be there pleading with the moms the way Allura & Ursula pleaded with the mothers yesterday. More mothers are arriving for the second round of child executions at 9am. These will be for earlier abortions.

Please pray that the Lord raises up more workers for the killing fields. At present we have no one committed to reach out to the mothers at the 9am Wednesday or Thursday times.

Together for Life & Eternity,

Scott & Patte Smith & Friends

Sanctuary Ministries

www.sanctuaryministries.blogspot.com

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Sanctuary Ministries Update, July 8, 2008

Sanctuary Ministries

For Life & Eternity


Orlando Women's Center abortuary

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Missionaries: Allura, Ursula & Sarah Rose



There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Romans 3:18



Allura reporting:

Dear Friends,

There were no mommies changing their minds about aborting their babies today…at least none that we know of. Sarah Rose came with me. It was her first time ever at an abortion clinc. Along with Ursula we attempted to talk to over 20 aborting women, as well as their boyfriends, mothers, and girlfriends. There were so many today that the policeman had to go inside the clinic to get people to move several of the cars around in the back of the building because they were blocking the driveway.

A young blond woman wouldn’t even look at us, and tried to hurry inside the building so she wouldn’t have to hear what we were saying. The man who accompanied her to the abortion clinic was willing to talk. He said; "I am not the father of the baby, just a friend. I believe in Jesus as my Savior; that’s why I’m trying to help my friend in her time of need.” ("Even the demons believe-and tremble! "James 2:19) We asked the professing Christian man to drive away from the killing place, because God hates the shedding of innocent blood, but he refused. His abortion-bound friend came out and demanded that he get back inside with her, so he complied. (Obeying the creature, rather than the Creator.)

A mother bringing her daughter for an abortion told us; "Mind our own business!" as she walked into the building, holding her frightened teenager’s hand. (Jesus told us to love our neighbor which includes our tiny neighbors & we cannot love the babies if they are dead.) We were witness to at least 2 other moms bringing their daughters in for abortions.

A Haitian mother of 6 told Sarah and me that she has a fibroid tumor growing in her uterus, and her doctor recommended abortion. She said, “This isn’t something I want to do, but I’ve already given them my money and filled out the papers.” I gave the names of high risk doctors at Arnold Palmer Hospital, asking her to let God decide whether this baby should live or die. We begged her to leave the center but she shook her head sadly and walked inside to end the life of her baby, whom God had sovereignly placed in her womb.

From time to time Ursula, Sarah, and I would pray for one of the women or men we’d just talked to, pleading with God to have mercy and rescue the babies. Sarah, who has served as an assistant to a midwife, told me later that she wept on her way home. There were so many mommies killing their babies.

Updates:

*+* May *+* Yesterday I spoke to May (professing Christian Sunday School teacher I met at the clinic last week) She has NOT killed her baby yet, but is still considering it. I’m trying to get together with May for lunch in Lakeland this week. After our many conversations, I’m not convinced that she’s truly saved. It could be that the Lord is using this unplanned pregnancy (her THIRD time being pregnant as a result of fornication) to arrest May's heart and convict her of her great need for a Savior. Oh, that this glorious rescue would occur SOON!

*+* Ivana *+* I’m also talking frequently with Ivana (a Yugoslavian mother from June 10th); she’s still struggling over whether or not to abort, as well. The Lord has helped us to send many Christians to Ivana to offer her practical, emotional, & spiritual help & share the gospel with her. A local pregnancy center has also been involved in reaching out to Ivana. We have taken hours & hours of time to personally minister to Ivana & to encourage her to consider adoption since she does not express any love for the child in her womb. In spite of God's goodness of provision to her, Ivana continues to complain that 'nobody will help her'. This is simply a lie. I plan to challenge her with the fact that she has been offered much help; it is up to her what she does with those offers. Right now Ivana is spiritually blind. May God open the eyes of this poor lost woman’s heart, in time to save her & to save the baby in her womb.

A friend e-mailed me yesterday and said, “I’m praying for you and Sarah tomorrow… soft hearts and saved babies (and mommies)” I love it! Only God knows who may have been affected by our holy presence and YOUR prayers today, my dear friends. May God be glorified as we go forth with His Light into a dark and dying world.



His Only by Grace,

Allura

More UPDATES:

*+* Margarita *+* (A Mexican mother we met at the clinic & who delivered her dear little boy, whom she named Jesus, a few months ago.)

Margarita's newborn was very ill with a virus & fever recently. She was forced to call in sick to her two jobs. Both of her bosses FIRED her for calling in. Margarita was very worried. She didn't know how she was going to pay her bills & her rent without her two jobs. We were able to pay Margarita's rent. Here is an update from Sanctuary missionary Marian, who together with her husband Dale, daughter Mary Jo & son-in-law Ben have cared for Margarita since meeting her at the killing place:

Hi Patte:
Dale and I went to see Margarita Sunday evening. Little Jesus is the sweetest little baby full of smiles: ) He eats and sleeps and rarely cries. Margarita said he's different from how her other two sons were at this age.

Margarita told us she was able to get a job but it doesn't pay as well. She won't get paid for another month so the help with the rent this month was very much appreciated. I asked her if she would be able to afford rent after this month, and she said she thought she could manage. We paid for this month's rent, and have asked for a receipt from her landlord. We told her that Sanctuary was the organization that was helping her with this month's rent.

I spoke with Pastor Palacios in Winter Garden. Pastor Palacios said he would contact the Spanish congregation in Kissimmee to encourage them to reach out to Margarita. I'm hoping this will happen soon.

Margarita wants to go to church even though she would be working all night on Saturdays. This job is going to have her working 7 nights a week : ( Margarita said she wants to go to church for her boys' sake. We went over the Gospel again with her on Sunday, and she appeared to understand it clearly.

We continue to pray for her salvation.

Love and God Bless

Marian


*+* Silvia *+* is a mother we met at the clinic a few months ago. She is from Mexico. Silvia lives in the Winter Park (area of Aloma and 436), she is having a baby girl in early Oct. The gardners met Silvia at Orlando Women's Center in May. Pastor Felix Hernandez has reached out to Silvia, for which we are praising God. There was a stabbing in her apartment, where she lived with others. Silvia has moved into her own apartment & has need of many things, including furniture. If you would like to reach out to Silvia or help her with necessary items, please let us know.

*+* Carol *+* is a single mother we met at the clinic in the fall of 2006. She is from Colombia & currently lives in South Orlando. Carol had a beautiful baby in February 2007 & placed her infant in a loving adoptive home. We continue to minister to Carol & she has recently come to see the seriousness of her sin. Carol has just made a profession of faith. She asked for a Spanish study bible & we have ordered one for her. Carol needs to find a place to live with her son Giovanni. Would you be willing to open your heart & home to this young mom & her little boy?

*+* Silfa *+* is a precious 18 year old we met at the abortuary in the fall of 2006. Silfa was a virgin when she was drugged & raped at a company party & found herself pregnant a few months later. Silfa is from Guatemala & currently lives in Ocoee. Silfa choose to place her precious child with a wonderful adoptive couple in February 2007. Sanctuary missionary Gina continues to love this dear young lady, visiting with her almost every week.

Haiti, Yugoslavia, Mexico, Columbia, Guatemala. What a blessing to have an international mission field right here in our own backyard. Children are precious to God & we go with glad-hearted obedience expecting Jesus to help us reach abortion-bound mothers & visit the orphans in their affliction & peril. Our labor is a blend of both biblical evangelism & the ministry of mercy ... a perfect combination!

We still have need of mission-minded Christians to work in the harvest field ... As you have read, the sidewalk outside Orlando Women's Center killing place is ripe for the gospel. Please consider how you might be willing to serve there & beyond, in reaching those who are perishing with hope & truth that is only found in the work & person of Jesus Christ.

I'd like to ask for your prayers for my husband Scott. He was in a dirt bike accident & is recovering from serious burns to his right leg. It wil be a long & very painful time as I must cleanse & debride (remove dead skin from) his wounds twice a day. Pain medication is not relieving the excruciating pain during his treatments. It's very hard to watch Scott writhe & cry out when I am caring for his burns. Please pray for a speedy recovery, that the Lord would help Scott with the pain & that he will not need skin grafts.

We are thankful for the Lord's providence in allowing Scott to survive the accident. He actually had a collision with a truck, which certainly could have been resulted in life-threatening injuries or paralyzation. The wound care specialist (a surgeon) insisted that we cancel our two evangelism outreach to San Francisco & Los Angeles & a much anticipated visit with our oldest son & his wife. (We were supposed to leave tomorrow.) Although we are very disappointed, we are praising God for His goodness. We are going to remain recovering in the mountains until August 10. The Lord has given us a beautiful place to recover where we are surrounded by caring friends & neighbors.

"There must be alternations between the contemplative and the active life of a Christian ... but if He brings us into loving obedience, into joyful alacrity and sacred earnestness in doing His will, then it is that He will in all probability meet with us by the way, and manifest Himself to us. Sit ye down, then, ye who have come to the end of another day of holy service; and just pray,
'Jesus, Master, come and meet us now.'
~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon



God be with you as you live in humble service to Him & to your neighbor,
Together for Life & Eternity,
Patte Smith
Sanctuary Ministries
www.sanctuaryministries.blogspot.com

Sanctuary Ministries

For Life & Eternity

We are so grateful for your prayerful giving to Sanctuary Ministries.
You may now send your generous tax-deductible donations payable to:
Global Missions
600 S. Orlando Ave Suite 301
Maitland, Fl 32751
Simply write: 'Sanctuary Ministries' in the check's note section.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Sanctuary Ministries Update, 7/1/08

For Love of Christ & Our Neighbors



For Life & Eternity

Sanctuary Ministries Update

Orlando Women's Center killing place

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

11:15-1:30pm

Missionaries: Allura & Ursula

Prayer warriors: None

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord...
But we have this treasure in jars of clay,
that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2 Cor. 4:5,7
In much fear & trembling, with no strength of their own nor confidence in their flesh, Allura & Ursula went to the Orlando's most notorious abortuary today. Here is Allura's amazing story of what the Lord Jesus did with their mustard seed of faith & obedience to "Go". 'Faith working through love' ... It's a beautiful thing!



Allura reports:

WOW! My heart is overflowing with praise and worship for my King! I watched Him work in a young lady's life today, and once again I'm overwhelmed with His grace and mercy!

After about 30 minutes of pleading to all the abortion-minded women & men in front of OWC (without any apparent success) I handed a young lady a flyer with abortion information & my contact info on it (which she later admitted she had thrown away). A little while later I saw her sitting in her truck, filling out the paperwork for the abortion. More than $400 in cash lay on the seat next to her. She was so sweet, and was willing to answer my questions about what's going on in her life. May is 28 years old, a Registered Nurse & 2 months pregnant. When I asked if she had any spiritual background, she told me; "I'm a Christian." May explained that she lives in Lakeland and is very involved in her church where she teaches Sunday School to little children every week! She came to Orlando to have the abortion because: "I can't stand the thought of everyone finding out that I've been sexually involved with this guy." May said: "The women in her church tell their daughters, "I want you to grow up to be just like May." She went on: "I know God hates abortion. It was really hard to make this decision, but it's what I have to do. I've already talked with the Lord about it so He'll forgive me." As she was talking, May continued to fill out the paperwork so she could murder her child.

Oh, the presence of the Lord just fell all over me as she spoke. My precious Savior gave me words to say that I never, ever would've thought of on my own. I confronted May with the hypocrisy of living in sexual sin while attempting to lead little children to Jesus every Sunday. I shared the Law with her. I talked about the holiness of God and the sinfulness of her heart, and the arrogance of committing a pre-meditated sin that she had already asked forgiveness for. May nodded in agreement with everything I was saying, from time to time sadly admitting, "I know, I know". I reminded May that she could die while she was having the abortion. I asked her: "What would you say if you stood before God, and He asked you: 'May, how could you have killed the baby I gave you? You knew that it was wrong. You knew that it was sin. How could you presume that I would forgive you?'" May was silent for a moment. Then she said, "There's just nothing I could say to Him…nothing." In the quiet that followed, I prayed for wisdom, and then went on; "May, I'm just sensing one word over your whole life…torment." Her eyes filled with tears and May nodded her head. (I'm telling you, I just wanted to reach into the truck at that point, wrap my arms around her, and HUG her into everything being okay…sounds crazy but you moms will understand J) Instead, I gently shared that her greatest problem right now isn't having a baby out of wedlock, or what everyone in her church thinks about her. "Your greatest problem, May, is that you have sinned against the Holy God of the universe and you needs to be restored to fellowship with Him through repentance and surrender." We talked about how, with God's help, she can do raise this child on her own, without the baby's father if necessary, but that she'll need the ongoing care and the counsel of older, wiser women in the church. I told her I knew how difficult it will be for the church to find out she's been committing sexual sin, but that the greatest thing she can do is to humble herself before each one of those mothers and daughters, and say, "Don't look to me to be your Savior. I'm a wretched sinner. There's only one Savior! Look to Christ who bore all your sin, and mine, on the Cross." May tearfully agreed, and made the difficult decision to save her baby's life! I held May's trembling hand and prayed for my new little friend, and her unborn son or daughter. I gave her a copy of "Devotions for Mothers" and the pregnancy book;"What to Expect When You're Expecting". I encouraged her to spend some time in repentance, allowing the Lord to refresh her soul through honest confession of sin. Oh, it was a holy, holy moment…I can't believe God allowed ME to be a part of this work He did in May's heart today.

Why me? After the way I mocked Him and rejected Him…instead of being the recipient of His wrath, I get to watch Him do a miracle in someone else's life??? AMAZING LOVE!! How can it be? J

ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

If you are willing to help provide a ministry of presence to mothers like May, we would like to hear from you! At the present time we do not have any missionaries who are committed to reach out to abortion-bound moms on Wednesdays & from 8:15-9:30 & Sundays. I'm sure you'll agree that desperate mothers like May & their dear innocent babies should never enter the killing place without a Christian to lift up his or her voice to intevene.

Together for Life & Eternity,

Scott & Patte Smith & Friends

Sanctuary Ministries

www.sanctuaryministries.blogspot.com

www.abortionNO.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBOAPleF1t0
http://www.youtube.com/user/FrFrankPavone
Remember Baby Rowan
http://www.worldmag.com/articles/10597
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43962

The Word of God is like a lion. You don't have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.
~ Charles Spurgeon








Who Saves?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxX3kEJT88g