Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Congratulations to Damon and Melanie Owens on the birth of their 6th child.
Check out their website:
http://www.njnfp.org

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Natural Family Planning


Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a modern, scientific method of fertility control. It is based on the ability to determine the naturally-occurring fertile and infertile times in a woman�s menstrual cycle by detecting certain body changes which occur around the time of ovulation.

NFP is 100% natural, 100% safe, and has no health risks. Modern NFP methods are 99% effective in postponing pregnancy. NFP is not the Rhythm Method and works for irregular cycles, when breastfeeding, during pre-menopause, as well as when having difficulty becoming pregnant.

Most couples report that NFP has a positive effect on their marriages. More passion, greater respect, increased confidence, better communication are common testimonies from NFP marriages. Incredibly, the divorce rate among NFP using couples is less than 2%.

NFP is available in classes or privately with a choice of methods. Couple participation is one of the strongest benefits and recommendations of NFP; however, all will be welcome to the sessions.

For class schedule, registration and/or information for NFP, please visit NJNFP or please call Damon Owens, 973-497-4325 or email NFP@RCAN.ORG

Thursday, December 8, 2005

Prayer requests from Rev. Lou Koncsol:


� Body of Christ to effectively witness to the lost the reality of God coming to dwell among and within His people by reflecting His amazing grace in power and love in their obedience to Him and commitment to one another.

� Brother Lou Koncsol to discern God�s direction for him whether to pursue Islamic studies in outreach to Muslims or pursue a doctorate in (Pre-suppositional) apologetics and work in affecting change in American culture through Christ to the glory of God.

Friday, November 18, 2005

From Joan, our Associate Director:

" My client Betty needs a car.. she has four children and NEEDS desperately to have a vehicle as anyone can imagine. but really it would have to be a car with low maintenance... so we have to be believing for a miracle..."

Thanks!

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Gateway CPA Cathy Horling asks for prayer:

John Santoro wrote:
From: "John Santoro"
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 08:00:32 -0400

A week and a half ago, my dad was diagnosed with stage four cancer. It originated in his prostate spread to his spine, skull, and ribs. All things considered, he was in good spirits and hoped that radiation and hormone therapy would slow the spread and give him a few more years to live. However, a few days ago a blood vessel burst in the left side of his brain and because of a very low blood platelet count, the bleed has not been clotting well. The doctors are doing their best, but his condition does not look too good.

Since the bleed, he has been unable to speak and only makes very slight movements. It's not clear whether he recognizes my mother or me.

This has been a shock for my mom and me since my dad was in excellent health at the age of 76. Just a month ago he was competing in the national 75 and over clay court tennis tournament and he had just ordered a new pair of skis for the winter season. It is good that I live nearby during this difficult time and that my dad is in the hospital where my wife works.

I would greatly appreciate it if you would include my dad and mom in your daily prayers.

Thank you,
John

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Joan writes:

"We have a client with some basic daily needs. She has four boys and a marriage that is in need of our prayers.
We just learned that she needs a refrigerator with four boys and no refrigerator that has got to be tough.

She lives right here in Elizabeth they have no car, no phone but the client comes to visit with us every week
usually on a Wednesday."

Wednesday, October 5, 2005

From Gateway Associate Director Joan Vitale:

"I realize that we at the crisis pregnancy center are so often involved
with the lives of women who have so many needs and we could ask for
prayer for so many of our clients but there is a particular young woman I
would like to ask prayer for if anyone reading this would continually lift up Marie in prayer.

Marie has four boys (the newborn she was very undecided about carrying to term BUT PRAISE THE LORD did.) She also prayed to trust Jesus as her Saviour just two weeks ago ... since then things in her life have gotten worse and it is hard for her to keep the faith... Marie's husband has just told her to leave - they have been arguing - he has been drinking and making calls that are suspicious that might be to another woman.

Here is Marie with four boys,not a u.s.citizen/resident which makes public assistance nearly nil.. We ,Mariel and I continually point her to the Lord and try to get her see that Jesus is the only way - to trust His ways they are not ours. We have been able to help Marie with nearly everything she needed for this baby and we thank the Lord for that...

Please pray for Maria to completely trust in the Lord. WE pray for her
husband for his salvation and for these four little boys ages 9 8, 5 and
five months.. Also that many christians will come along side Maria and
help her to grow and do whatever we can to help her through this most difficult time.. "

Monday, September 12, 2005

Dear friends, (a note from Joan Vitale)

Gateway supporter," Ken Colandrea's mom was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer...she is in her eighties. She is in Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. She has had her surgery and I understand the surgery went very well.
Praise God. Please remember Ken's mom in your prayers for complete healing.
Thanks Joan

Thursday, September 8, 2005

Urgent Need and Prayer Request

Due to a crisis in their family there are four children from the same family who need new foster homes. They have been living in their two aunt's homes and they are unable to continue care. There is an IMMEDIATE NEED for the nine year old 4th grader to live with a licensed New Jersey foster family. The girl is a Christian and they would like her to be placed in a Christian home by next week. The 5 year old boy has a possible home by next week, although if anyone has an interest in him they would like to hear about it as well.

The other two girls, 8 and 7 years old, need a new home together by the end of December. Even if you are not able to provide a home for the children would you please pray as it is very difficult and painful for all the family members involved. None of the children have any health problems.

Please forward this e-mail to area churches in the Morris/Essex/Bergen County areas.

If you feel God leading you to help, please contact Lori at ICLORI@aol.com.

Thank you,
Helen Salvato - NJHSA e-mail Coordinator
Praise the Lord!

Hi everyone,

I am delighted to inform you that our prayers have been answered in a mighty
way! Mike has no fractured bones or torn ligaments, nor has his kneecap been
dislocated. He has a hematoma, which means the blood built up between the
muscle and the skin, and is about the best report we could have hoped for!
He has to wear a bandage and go for physical therapy 3 times/ week for the
next 3 weeks, and then his condition will be reassessed. He goes back to
school tomorrow and has to use just one crutch for now.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and THANK YOU LORD!!!!!!!!

Cathy
Urgent Need and Prayer Request

Due to a crisis in their family there are four children from the same family who need new foster homes. They have been living in their two aunt's homes and they are unable to continue care. There is an IMMEDIATE NEED for the nine year old 4th grader to live with a licensed New Jersey foster family. The girl is a Christian and they would like her to be placed in a Christian home by next week. The 5 year old boy has a possible home by next week, although if anyone has an interest in him they would like to hear about it as well.

The other two girls, 8 and 7 years old, need a new home together by the end of December. Even if you are not able to provide a home for the children would you please pray as it is very difficult and painful for all the family members involved. None of the children have any health problems.

Please forward this e-mail to area churches in the Morris/Essex/Bergen County areas.

If you feel God leading you to help, please contact Lori at ICLORI@aol.com.


Thank you,
Helen Salvato - NJHSA e-mail Coordinator

Thursday, September 1, 2005

Prayer requests:

From Dean:

The Gavaris family has lived in Union since December 1992. Our landlady informed us that we will need to vacate within 60 days. Would you keep us in prayer as we look to the Lord for our next apartment? Thank you!

From our associate director, Joan Vitale:

Please pray for the ultrasound ministry here at Gateway. We are in
battle and the enemy would like nothing more than to keep us from being
effective especially in the most vital part of the ministry... the
ultrasound ministry.

We pray for nurses committed to the Lord and to the ministry for two Saturdays per month.. just two Saturdays a month).

We wish we could do them each and every Saturday but its the commitment and faithfulness that is so pleasing to the Lord.

Pray for nurses that they would be willing to serve the Lord for His glory and for the lives of these women and their unborn children (formed in His likeness.

May God Bless this ministry and all our needs. Thank you. Joan



From our CPA, Cathy Horling:

Could you please keep my 13 year old nephew Mike in your prayers? His knee
was badly hurt in a football scrimmage last week and he is in a lot of pain.
He is wearing a plastic brace on his entire leg and has to stay off his leg
and keep it elevated. The x-rays are inconclusive, but it appears that he
might have a dislocated knee cap and/or fracture of the growth plate in his
knee. He could also have torn ligaments. An MRI has to be taken beofre a
full diagnosis can be made, but supposedly it takes 7 - 10 days for
precertification form the insurance company.

Thank you and God bless,
Cathy

Monday, August 29, 2005


Tyamba (15) and Charles (10) on 8-28-05, the day of their baptism at Metropolitan Baptist Church, Newark, NJ

Tuesday, August 9, 2005

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!

Dear friends,

We have an urgent prayer request for one of the young ladies we are seeing at Gateway. Here is the background:

Natalie is 19. She is living with five others in a small apartment because her mother has decided to move out of her 3 bedroom apartment into a one bedroom apartment.

Natalie's birthfather disappeared years ago. Her mom married and after 15 years, this man left in March to go back to his native Costa Rica. Natalie is Columbian. Her mother (age 45) blames Natalie for the step-father's actions, so she asked Natalie to leave the apartment.

Natalie is 8 months pregnant. She is a student at Essex County College. She can not presently work because of her pregnancy. She is partially disabled, having no left hand.

Natalie came to Christ last year. Her church is small and without a pastor. She desperately needs a place to stay for the next one-two months. The father of her baby is 27, lives at home and can barely care for himself.

If Natalie delivers this baby with no permanent address, Social Services will take the baby into foster care.

Would you pray and ask around to see if there is a family that could take in Natalie for the next 30-60 days? She intends to go back to work and school, having her baby in day care.

If no temporary situation surfaces, she would be placed in a shelter by Social Services (without her baby).

Thank you,
Dean

Wednesday, August 3, 2005

Pat Jasinski is home now.

News from Joan Vitale: "She went home on Tuesday. She is better and will meet with her doctor to talk about having chemotherapy. The great news I would like to share is that the cancer that just last week the doctor said had spread to her lungs, has shown to not be the case.

Just last Saturday though the doctor gave another report and said that there
is no cancer in the lungs. Glory to the God.. Thank you Lord..

So we need to continue to pray for complete healing as the cancer is still showing up
in her liver. Thank you all who prayed for Pat...please continue to do
so."

Monday, July 25, 2005

Request from 'friends of friends':

We are looking to hire someone to help with every day homemaking activities for a mother who has physical disabilities. Up to 40 hours a week (flexible). The latest starting date would be end of October, but can be sooner. Please contact us:
Pete & Diane Kempf
Parsippany, NJ
973-335-9144
pete_kempf@yahoo.com

Friday, July 15, 2005

A prayer request from Cathy Horling, our CPA:

"Hi, Could you please pray for the following?

1) My brother-in-law's friend Ahmet, who has Aids and hepatitis C. His liver
is failing and he will probably be in need of a transplant soon.

2) Isabel Hamilton, an elderly friend of a co-worker, who was just diagnosed
with cancer.

Thnak you so much and God bless you! Cathy"

Tuesday, June 7, 2005

From Anne, the lady that led Dean to the Lord, concerning her sister and brother-in-law:

Sue's cancer has gone to her spine and she is given a time frame of 6 months. Her husband, Terry Sheppard, is in a convalescent home, trying to recover from 2 broken ankles. Their financial needs are monumental. Serious prayer request!

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Please Pray For Gateway Volunteer, Vera Porter

Joan Vitale, Gateway associate director, writes:

"One of our volunteers, Vera Porter, tragically lost her grandson, Erik Porter Reed this past Friday, May 6th. Erik was only 25 years old. He was shot leaving his girlfriends home at the Mrvalag Manor(Elizabeth, NJ)at about 1:50 a.m.

Please pray for the family. Pray for the Comforter to bring peace and comfort to them during this most painful loss.

The funeral was held today - there was no viewing.. Vera's address is 701 Cranford Avenue, Apt. 306, Linden, NJ 07036."

Below is the news story:

Police searching for Elizabeth man's killer. Police are trying to find out who shot an Elizabeth man in the back of his head and why, authorities said today.

Eric Justin Porter Reed, 25, of Summer Street, was found lying along the curb of Clarkson Avenue shortly before 2 a.m., said Lt. Gary Lewis. Reed was bleeding profusely from the back of his head and died minutes later, at about 2:09 a.m., Lewis said.

The incident happened in front of building 27-29 Mravlag Manor, a public housing complex on Clarkson Avenue. Witnesses said several shots were fired, and police found some shell casings at the scene, Lewis said. The motive was still unknown as of today, and there was no indication that the victim knew his killer, Lewis said.

Police are looking for a short black male, possibly with dread locks, wearing a gray, hooded sweatshirt and jeans.

While Reed was shot in the back of the head, it was not done execution style, Lewis said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact detective Tom Koczur at (908) 558-2048 or detective Tom Dubeau at (908) 558-2045. Star Ledger (NJ) - - Jennifer Golson

Vera Porter) far right, with Joan Vitale and Michele Clarke at Gateway's 2003 Christmas party

Wednesday, May 11, 2005


Eric Stuppard 3 weeks old

Please pray for 3-week old Eric, who is undergoing skin grafts on his leg. Right after being delivered at University Hospital in Newark, Eric was burned in his leg by a bad mixture of IV. His mom came to Gateway tonight.

Pray for mom Mindy and dad Eric, that they'd come to Christ.

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Cathy, our CPA requests prayer:

HI,

WOULD YOU PLEASE PRAY FOR MY BROTHER-IN LAW'S FRIEND, PAUL SOLOMINI? HE HAS
BEEN ILL FOR YEARS; NOW HIS KIDNEYS ARE FAILING AND HE'S HAVING ALL KINDS OF
HEART TROUBLE. THE DOCTORS HAVE SAID IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME AND THERE'S
NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE FOR HIM MEDICALLY.

WE ALL KNOW THAT THE GREAT PHYSICIAN CAN DO ANYTHING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PRAYERS!

CATHY

Sunday, May 1, 2005

From Gateway supporter Alvin Nix...


Folks,

Kevin felt pain in his lower abdomen this weekend and last night. Your prayers are appreciated and still needed. The last blood work that was done indicated that his liver enzymes are still abnormal.

Last week, I called the doctor, a pediatric GI specialist who saw Kevin at Hurley, and left a message. The her office called back the other day and gave the date of June 13th as a day for an appointment. I, after sensing Kevin's discomfort, asked if there was an earlier date available. We now have an appointment for May 9th at 9:00 in the morning. It's a slow but neccessary process. Kevin's health and future are worth it!

Again, thank you for your prayers. You will be updated accordingly.

God bless,
Alvin

Friday, April 15, 2005

'Bizarre' Caesarean kidnappings increase
By Richard Willing, USA TODAY

The pregnant woman was covered with blood, and Steve Hensley, the police chief in Fort Mitchell, Ky., could scarcely believe her tale.
Sarah Brady, 26, said she had been lured to an apartment in Fort Mitchell that was outfitted with surgical tools and a nursery. There, a woman who had promised to hand over a mis-addressed baby present attacked Brady in an attempt to extract her unborn child by Caesarean section.

Instead, Brady, who was nine months pregnant, fought back and fatally stabbed her assailant, unemployed nanny Katie Smith, 22. Police say Smith had fooled her family into thinking she was pregnant by wearing padded maternity clothes and had planned to steal Brady's fetus � and presumably kill Brady � as the final act in a gruesome ruse.

"It's the most bizarre case I've seen in 22 years" of police work, Hensley says of the attack, which occurred Feb 10.

The incident came two months after a similar attack in Missouri in which the mother was killed and her baby survived. Such attacks on pregnant women are rare, but they have become increasingly common across the nation in recent years: The attack on Brady was the third such assault on an expectant mother since December 2003 and the ninth since 1987, according to statistics compiled by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, Va.

Seven of the nine pregnant women who were attacked died; seven of the nine babies survived. (Brady's attorneys in Covington, Ky., did not immediately return phone calls; the Associated Press has reported that she gave birth to a healthy baby girl, McKaila Grace Hatton, on Feb. 16.)

Caesarean kidnappings represent a small fraction of the 232 infant abductions by non-family members since 1983, according to the center. But such kidnappings � along with those of infants from public places such as shopping malls � have increased as thefts of newborns from hospitals have declined, says Cathy Nahirny, a supervisor at the center.

She says improvements in security at hospital maternity wards have led to forms of kidnapping that reflect the desperation and the creativity of those determined to steal children.

Although "it's assumed that (the perpetrators) must be delusional," Nahirny says, "they (also) are very organized and quite rational. They follow a predictable pattern."

The assailants in all nine cases were women, but they had help from two men in one instance and from another woman in another.

The Kentucky case had several elements in common with earlier Caesarean kidnappings.

Smith, who was not married, carried around an ultrasound picture of someone else's unborn twins and told family members that she had given birth previously but that the babies had died. Hensley says he's found no evidence Smith ever gave birth.

Smith apparently selected Brady as her victim by scanning an online baby registry. Smith then lured the expectant mother to her apartment by claiming that a baby present meant for Brady mistakenly had been delivered there.

Earlier Caesarean kidnappings followed a similar pattern.

Last December, 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett of Skidmore, Mo., was killed and her 8-month-old fetus was removed, allegedly by Lisa Montgomery.

Montgomery, 37, of Melvern, Kan., had posed as an expectant mother before the crime and then showed the baby boy off as her own to neighbors and family members, including her unsuspecting husband, the FBI says. She had won her victim's confidence by posing in e-mails as a fellow dog fancier, according to the FBI. Montgomery is scheduled to stand trial in the murder in April 2006.

Previous kidnappings by Caesarean have occurred in Oklahoma in 2003, Ohio in 2000, California in 1998, Alabama in 1996, Illinois in 1995, Texas in 1992 and New Mexico in 1987.

In the New Mexico case, Darci Pierce, a 19-year-old married woman, abducted a pregnant woman from outside a clinic in Albuquerque, choked her into unconsciousness, then used car keys to cut into the woman and deliver a baby girl. Pierce was caught when she sought a birth certificate at a local hospital and an exam showed she had not recently delivered.

It was the first recorded case of what a July 2002 study in the Journal of Forensic Sciences would call "newborn kidnapping by Caesarean section." Ann Burgess, a professor of nursing at Boston College and the study's lead author, says the women behind such attacks have a "childbearing fantasy" but are "cold, calculating and extremely self-centered."

Pierce was found guilty but mentally ill and was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison.

Of the six other alleged assailants besides Pierce, Smith and Montgomery, two received prison terms, two committed suicide, one was placed on probation and another was found incompetent to stand trial.

Since 1983, there have been 116 thefts of infants younger than 6 months by non-family members from hospitals or birthing centers, according to statistics by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The center trains police and social services workers to prevent child abductions.

Such abductions from hospitals have declined since 1991, when 11 of the 17 abductions that year were from hospitals. In 2003 and 2004, a total of 12 abductions were recorded by the center. Three were from hospitals.
A need passed along by Pastor Don Flynn,
Riverside Community Church, Nutley, NJ


Dear Friends in Christ:

Greetings from your brothers and sisters in Christ at Riverside Community Church in Nutley, NJ! I hope you are remaining encouraged in Him and walking in His joy.

We have been given a great opportunity at our church to invest in the lives of two young couples from the seminary in Nyack, NY during this next year. But, we have an URGENT need: housing. Because finances are currently very tight at the church, we are extremely limited in our ability to provide financial compensation for them but if we could provide housing in the North Jersey area for one year, that would be a huge boost. Could you help me pass the word regarding the possibility of someone having a housing opportunity that would fit this situation? For example, there are times when an elderly person would benefit by having a seminary couple live with them to help provide company and minimal care. Sometimes a family needs a housesitter for an extended period of time for whatever reason. And sometimes the Lord will tug on the hearts of His people to open their homes and have a young couple live with them, and see it as an investment in the future of His kingdom. Might that be someone you know? Anyone with leads can contact me directly and we can bounce around ideas.

If nothing opens up and we need to go the traditional route, each couple would be looking for a 1 (but preferably 2) BR apartment. But I don�t need to remind you that these are very expensive in this area and seminary students are usually living on rations. (I remember this well.) The greater their expenses, the more they will need to find outside employment, and the less hours they would be available for ministry. It can be very tricky. So, we need some miracles��fast. Please pray. And let�s believe the Lord for great things.

Thanks for considering this. Shalom,
Pastor Don Flynn Don@rccmetrocma.org (973) 667-6718

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Meet Judge Greer's pastor

This is a must read. Joseph Farah has hit the nail on the head. Thank God for men like Pastor William Rice of the Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater, Florida.

Joseph Farah / Between the Lines WorldNetDaily Exclusive Commentary
Posted: March 29, 2005 1:00 a.m. Eastern � 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

I am convinced God uses trials like the Terri Schiavo case to test men.

Pinellas County Circuit Court Judge George Greer was tested � and found wanting.

He had seven years to consider this case and got it wrong every time.

I don't know Greer personally, but I know many people like him. They go to church on Sunday and then between Monday and Friday lead lives with no seeming connection to what they hear preached in the pulpit, what they read in the Bible, what they claim to believe of the Christian faith.

This may be the biggest single problem we have in America today � this disconnect between the spiritual lives of Christians and how they practice their faith in the world.

Greer, until recently, was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater , Fla. He left at the urging of Pastor William Rice, who counseled him wisely: "You must know that in all likelihood it is this case which will define your career and this case that you will remember in the waning days of life. I hope you can find a way to side with the angels and become an answer to the prayers of thousands."

Rice has my highest regard for that decision. Too many pastors in this country don't require obedience to God as a prerequisite for church membership. They seem to believe in a kind of "cheap" grace that comes with regular attendance or tithing rather than a Christian walk. They seem to have no minimal standards for fellowship and communion with the saints.

There are few heroes in the Terri Schiavo scandal. Her parents and siblings qualify. Terri herself qualifies. Those who braved arrest to bring her cups of water qualify. And, in my book, so does Rev. William Rice.

Do you want to know why the church doesn't have influence and impact in our increasingly secular world today?

Because there are too many so-called Christians like Judge George Greer and not enough like Pastor William Rice.

Greer's friends have attacked the church and defended the judge, saying he was interpreting the law to the best of his ability. However, if that is true, then Greer, as a Christian, had a duty to obey God's laws rather than man's laws. That would require him to leave the bench if he truly saw a conflict. Instead, Greer opted to leave his church � and, presumably, his weak faith.

"Like evangelicals across the world, we are horrified at the thought that a handicapped woman could be, in effect, starved to death before a watching world," Rice wrote. Admitting he was not a legal or medical expert, Rice asserted: "I know right from wrong. I know what God thinks about human life. I know there is only one way to describe the prospect of starving a woman to death because she cannot feed herself. It is wrong."

Rice continued: "Morality and truth must serve as our guide. Terri Schiavo is not on life support. She is not dying. Good evidence exists to suggest that she is responsive. All she receives is food and water, the same as you and me. Are we to conclude that she is less than human because she cannot feed herself? Can a month-old child feed himself? Is an elderly patient stricken with some debilitating disease and unable to feed herself suddenly less human? Do we now use an IQ test to determine if someone possesses the right to live? Isn't that God's choice? Only God can give life, and only He should take it away."

"Tread carefully if you think this is simply about a dying woman being allowed to die peacefully," Rice wrote. "Remember when we were told that Roe v. Wade was simply about helping women who had been raped or whose lives were imminently threatened? Today, few abortions fall into that category, but millions of human lives have been sacrificed upon the altar of selfishness. And the slide down the slippery slope continues."

In case Greer was still confused, his pastor gave him more to think about.

"This case seems complex, but it is as simple as four words: 'Thou shalt not kill.' If you need a compass for this complex case, you'll find it there," he wrote. "As we all know, the Sixth Commandment means it is wrong to murder � to take the life of an innocent person without just cause. If I were the nurse in that hospice center and the directive were given to me to discontinue feeding a living human being and watch as he or she starved to death, I couldn't do it. I'd rather get fired, resign or do something else."

Christians can go on blaming others for the problems we face in this country. Or we can go into the churches and start cleaning up the messes we have in our own houses of worship. It's time to take back the churches. It's time to renew the idea of standards. It's time to make church membership mean something again.

Judge George Greer did the wrong thing. Pastor William Rice did the right thing. If we had more pastors like Rice, we'd have fewer judges like Greer.

*COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Inviting all Gateway supporters!

Download a registration form

Registraion Form for Golf Outing

Attention Gateway Supporters!
One of our supporters asks for prayer!

Folks,

Please pray for Kevin, my son.


Yesterday (4/9/05), morning he laid in bed with tears in his eyes. While kidding him about waking up, Kevin said that his side was hurting. What came to mind was the possibility of appendicitis. Never having seen him this way, I called the emergency number of our doctor. His partner called back and, after explaining Kevin's symptoms, he advised that I treat and observe Kevin with the purpose of having an office visit on Monday morning. That afternoon, Kevin experienced more pain and the doctor was called again. His recommendation was that I take Kevin to the Emergency Room at Lapeer Regional Hospital.

We were at the Emergency Room for several hours. There was blood work taken and waitng for the results. It was determined that Kevin's temperature was elevated at 101 degress. The doctor recommended that a CAT scan be done because the blood work indicated that there were abnormal enzymes indicating that the problem was the liver, not appendicitis. Kevin, due to the taste of the solution needed for a scan, became oppositional and refused cooperating. A sonogram was done and he was referred to Hurley Hospital in Flint because they had a pediatric unit. He was given an ambulance ride to Hurley arriving there at 1:00 AM Sunday morning. I arrived there witin an hour and stayed with him overnight. The cause, or should I say, diagnosis is still unknown and Kevin is still in the hospital.

Please pray for Kevin's healing, including wisdom for the doctors' diagnosing his ailment. I will keep you updated on his progress.For further information contact: KMBurdick@juno.com

Monday, April 11, 2005

..from our Associate Director, Joan Vitale.. this request

Prayer for Marisol, Fernando and their children, who have been greatly
under attack by the enemy, especially since both of them are standing up for
the unborn volunteering with us at Gateway. . . No weapon formed against them will prosper.

Friday, April 1, 2005

New York, NY (LifeNews.com) -- CBS News is coming under fire for prewriting and posting to its news web site a story claiming Terri Schiavo had died. The article, penned by Christine Lagorio, claims Terri's estranged husband Michael was with her when she died and was posted on the CBS News web page on Monday, according to radio talk show host Glenn Beck, who discovered it. "Surrounded by stuffed animals and medical equipment in her small hospice room in Pinellas Park, Fla., Theresa Marie Schindler Schiavo died TK," the story says.

Lagorio wrote that after her death Terri "appeared made up and dressed" and claimed that Terri's estranged husband Michael "was at the bedside of his wife Terri when she died." CBS News spokeswoman Sandy Genelius told LifeNews.com that the story was "a draft that was stored on the web site" but not intended to be accessible to the public. Genelius said the news story was accidentally saved a portion of the web site accessible to search engines and she told LifeNews.com that CBS News "removed the story as soon as the error was discovered, and we sincerely regret any confusion that may have resulted." Lori Kehoe, who monitors end of life issues for the National Right to Life Committee, told LifeNews.com she was amazed at the development.

"The fact that many have probably written the framework of press releases for Terri's death highlights the nature of this monstrosity -- the intent is not to relieve any of the burden from Terri but rather to make sure she dies -- and they wait with bated breath," Kehoe said. "CBS should be ashamed but everyone else should simply take note -- mainstream media is again creating the news instead of reporting it," Kehoe told LifeNews.com.

See below:
Terri's brother, Robert Schindler Jr., called on parents everywhere to cherish every moment with their child "as a precious gift from God."

In a message to his sister Terri, Robert Schindler Jr., said, "As a member of our family unable to speak for yourself, you spoke loudly. As a member of our family unable to stand under your own power, you stood with a grace and a dignity that made your family proud."

Robert Jr., said Terri's plight emboldened the pro-life movement and highlighted the struggles of disabled people everywhere.

"Terri, your life and legacy will continue to live on as the nation is now awakened to the plight of thousands of people with disabilities that were previously unnoticed. Your family intends to stand up for the other Terris around this nation, and we will do all that we can to change the law so others won't face the same fate that has befallen you," he said.

"God's plan for Terri is unfolding before our eyes. Our prayer at this time is that our nation will remember the plight of persons with disabilities and commit within our hearts to defend their lives and their dignity for many generations to come," Robert Jr., concluded.
"Following the example of the Lord Jesus, our family abhors any violence or any threats of violence. Threatening words dishonor our family, our faith and our sister Terri," she said. Terri's sister, Suzanne Vitadamo


DECLARATION OF SUZANNE VITADAMO
STATE OF FLORIDA )
COUNTY OF PINELLAS )

I, SUZANNE VITADAMO, sister of the Petitioner in the above-styled case, hereby declare under penalty of perjury:

I visited with Terri at various times during the day on March 18, 2005, the day her feeding tube was removed.

Terri was in good spirits that morning. My husband, Michael Vitadamo and Terri's aunt, Claudia Tamarro, were in the room with myself and Attorney Barbara Weller when Terri attempted to speak to Mrs. Weller. A female Pinellas Park police office were standing at the door of Terri's room.

Terri was sitting up in her lounge chair and Mrs. Weller and I were sitting on her bed. My aunt was standing at the found of Terri's chair.

Mrs. Weller stood up and learned over Terri. She took her arms in her hands. Mrs. Weller begged Terri to try to say, "I want to live." Terri's eyes opened wide, she looked at Mrs. Weller with great concentration and said, "Ahhhhhhh." Then, with great effort, she screamed, "Waaaaaaaa" so loudly that Michael Vitadamo and the female police officer who were then standing together outside Terri's door, clearly heard her. Terri had a look of anguish on her face and she seemed to be struggling hard, but was she could not complete the sentence. Terri began to cry and Mrs. Weller and I began to stroke Terri's face and hair to comfort her.

Mrs. Weller and I continued to visit and talk with Terri, along with other family members who came and went in the room.

FURTHER YOUR DECLARANT SAYETH NOT.

I hereby declare, under penalty of perjury, that the foregoing is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief. Executed this 22nd day of March, 2005, at Seminole, Florida.

SUZANNE VITADAMO
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 25th day of March, 2005.
"This loss happened because our legal system did not protect the people who need protection most, and that will change. The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior, but not today. Today we grieve."

'I never thought I'd see the day when a U.S. judge stopped feeding a living American so that they took 14 days to die,' Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Thursday.

CBS Story p2

CBS website Monday March 28, 2005 .. Terri died on March 31st!

Tom DeLay, House Speaker

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Painless Death?

Euthanasia (Greek euthanasi?, a good death :
eu-, eu- + thanatos, death.} ?


Christian Medical Expert Disputes Secular Views in Schiavo Case
(Editors Note: The following report contains a detailed description of death by dehydration that may be unsettling to some readers.)


(CNSNews.com) - Supporters of both euthanasia and the so-called "right to die" are being criticized for allegedly capitalizing on the case of Teri Schindler Schiavo to benefit their own cause. Schiavo is the disabled Florida woman whose feeding tube was removed under court order Wednesday at the request of her husband and over the objections of her other family members.


While some commentators have dismissed the attempts to save Terri's life, one medical ethics expert said the medical community's decision to participate in the actions meant to end Terri's life is what deserves the criticism.


The CBS Morning News featured medical ethicist Joseph Fins during its report Thursday. He echoed the claims made by Terri's husband, Michael Schiavo, his attorneys and doctors that Terri is essentially brain-dead.


"And she is in a chronic and permanent vegetative state," Fins said, "and our science indicates that, that is not a state from which one recovers."


No mention was made in the report of more than a dozen medical experts, including neurologists, who have submitted affidavits on behalf of the Schindler family, including Terri's parents, indicating that the woman is consciously attempting to interact with her environment and is a good candidate for therapy.


Marc Spindelman, an Ohio State University law professor and "expert on death issues," according to the Miami Bureau of the Washington Post, said the case has larger ramifications than just Terri's so-called "right to die."


"This case really raises in a stark form questions about quality of life, that is to say, when a life is and is not worth living anymore," Spindelman said.


Bill Allen, professor of bioethics law at the University of Florida, told the Orlando Sentinel that "the Schindlers were allowed to abuse the legal system in their quest to keep their daughter alive." Allen said the Schindlers' lawyer, who filed successive appeals in every court available, "did a magnificent job of gumming up the works."


The "removal of feeding tubes is a common practice," according to Kenneth Goodman, director of bioethics at the University of Miami School of Medicine and a co-director of the Florida Bioethics Network. He told the Tampa Tribune that there is no pain involved in dying of dehydration and/or starvation.


"Soon after nourishment is denied to the brain, it begins producing chemicals that act as a natural anesthetic," the Tribune paraphrased Goodman as telling a reporter. He directly disputed claims that Terri will suffer as a result of her lack of sustenance.


"She is not going to feel a thing," Goodman said of Terri. "The artificial pain medication that Schiavo will receive is to make sure that if there is [pain], it is adequately handled."


But at least one Christian ethicist disputes much of what these alleged experts have stated.


Dr. David Stevens, a medical doctor who also has a masters degree in bioethics, serves as executive director of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations. He began a conversation with CNSNews.com Wednesday, addressing the claim that Terri was in a "persistent vegetative state."


"The sad thing about this situation is, she's not in a persistent vegetative state...even though that's [how she's] been labeled and that's the law they're using," Stevens argued.


"Persistent vegetative state says you're totally unable to react with your environment in any way. All you've got to do is see the pictures of her on the Internet to realize she's reacting with her environment," Stevens added. "What we have is a severely disabled woman who, her husband wants her dead. And this will do it, what they're going about right now, unfortunately."


Contrary to Spindleman's claim that the case revolves around "quality of life" issues, Stevens believes the debate over whether a terminally ill person should be allowed to refuse treatment has nothing to do with Terri's situation.


"In this situation, what they're doing is, the intent is to make her dead," said Stevens. "The intent is not to get rid of a burdensome intervention."


Stevens explained that, even when terminally ill patients near death refuse fluids or food, medical practitioners are obliged to at least offer it to the patient.


"If not, it's tantamount to murder. Because what you're trying to do is kill her, you're not trying to relieve her of a burdensome treatment," Stevens said. "Giving her fluids and nutrition by mouth is not a burdensome treatment. It never has been defined in medical care and never will be, I hope, defined that way except, perhaps, by this judge."


The hospice and its staff who participate in Terri's dehydration and starvation could face civil or criminal liability, in Stevens' opinion.


"There's complicity here in taking someone's life, if you believe in the principle of 'do no harm' and beneficence. In no way or stretch of the imagination can you say this is beneficent," Stevens said. "Drinking and eating by mouth is not a burdensome intervention. That is just humanity. It's just unbelievable that they've gone that far.


"That's like telling a parent that they have the right to decide whether their child is going to get food and water. If you don't want to give it to them, that's fine?" Stevens asked. "We would be screaming our heads off if that was going on, and yet, this woman is more helpless than many children."


Doctor describes process of dehydration


"What will probably kill Terri is dehydration because it's much quicker than starvation," Stevens said. "To starve to death takes eight to 12 weeks. You can die of dehydration in anywhere from three to five days to two weeks."


Stevens said the amount of fluids in Terri's system when her gastrostomy or "feeding tube" was removed and whether she receives any fluids by mouth will determine how long she lives.


Initial effects of the lack of hydration will include:


Extreme thirst;

Nausea and cramping;

Dry skin, becoming wrinkled as fluids are drawn from the skin to hydrate the organs.


"She's likely to become dizzy and begin to have cramping in her arms and legs. That's because her electrolytes, her sodium, potassium and other electrolytes in her blood start getting out of whack because of lack of fluids."


Terri's body will experience other effects due to the forced dehydration that many might not have been considered.


"She'll see decreased secretions. If she tries to cry, she won't be able to make tears very well, if at all," Stevens said. "Her mouth will become dry and saliva thick. You can have cracking of the [mucous membranes] of the mouth and lips as they dry out."


Those external symptoms of dehydration are accompanied by internal effects, as well.


"People often get headaches, then [become] lethargic and finally go into coma," Stevens continued. "It actually can cause seizures.


"As it progressively gets worse, what happens [are] the physical signs. Her blood pressure will drop, her heart rate will pick up. She'll actually, ultimately go into shock," Stevens explained. "You just don't have enough fluid to keep your blood pressure up, and it drops so low, and that sometimes can be a terminal event, or an arrhythmia of her heart.


"Her blood will get thicker," Stevens continued. "Sometimes, people who are severely dehydrated will actually have strokes just because the blood gets so thick that it clots. It's not a pretty picture."


Which of these symptoms Terri experiences and to what degree will depend on whether the hospice staff makes any attempt to hydrate her by mouth and whether she is offered any pain medication.


"If they sedate her, she could be semi-conscious or unconscious while this is going on," Stevens said. "It's not a very pleasant experience, unlike what the Hemlock Society and other groups try to make you believe."


Stevens explained that he had "had a little bit of experience" in this particular field "since I worked in Africa for 11 years with severely dehydrated people, especially kids."


Starvation, Stevens said, is not really an issue for Terri.


"It's a long process that, depending on what condition people are in when it begins, determines how long it's going to take," Stevens said. "But if you're not getting fluids, it's academic interest. Before you starve to death, you'll die of dehydration."


Case has ramifications for pro-life movement


Tony Perkins, the new president of the Family Research Council, issued a statement Thursday citing the significance of Terri's case to the pro-life movement.


"Yesterday was truly a turning point in our battle against judicial tyranny, as Terri Schiavo became the victim of what can only be described as court-mandated euthanasia," Perkins said.


"If Terri is permitted to starve to death simply because a court ordered it to occur, we will have not only allowed this woman to perish, we will have endangered the lives of virtually every American who is deemed to be too great a burden on our society and who cannot speak for themselves," Perkins added.


"In this post-Roe v. Wade culture, the idea of 'choice' has been elevated to the extent that from the unborn to the disabled, there's seemingly always someone who is empowered to 'choose' that another person's life is no longer valuable," Perkins concluded.

Source:
http://www.townhall.com/news/politics/200310/CUL20031017b.shtml
(CNSNews.com) :2004
Is Terri in a Persistent Vegetative State(PVS)?


Dr. William Hammesfahr with Sean Hannity(March 21, 2005)

http://abcrad.wmod.llnwd.net/a49/external/0102cABAAHQAAAAcDle6yKhvE1c0LnEJnNwFajD8QD92LOnSD/hannity/032105schiavo_dr.wma
Jesse Jackson Visits Terri Schiavo's Hospice, Backs Schindlers
Steven Ertelt / LifeNews.com Editor / March 29, 2005

Pinellas Park, FL (LifeNews.com) -- Longtime civil rights activist and former presidential candidate, Rev. Jesse Jackson, made his first public foray into the debate surrounding Terri Schiavo. He visited Terri's hospice on Tuesday and said he supported Terri's parents' efforts to stop her painful starvation death.

"I feel so passionate about this injustice being done, how unnecessary it is to deny her a feeding tube, water, not even ice to be used for her parched lips," Jackson said. "This is a moral issue and it transcends politics and family disputes."

"While the law is important, the law must be tempered with mercy to have justice. We ask for justice today," he said.

Jackson called what is happening to Terri a "violent" execution and a "great moral and ethical crisis that we should address."

"This woman's being starved and dehydrated to death," he complained. "Eleven days -- no food and no water. This is not right."

"She is not brain dead," Jackson noted. "She is brain impaired. All her vital signs are working."

"And to cut off her food and water his heartless," he explained.

Jackson's remarks drew praise from pro-life groups backing the Schindlers.

"There is nothing for Jesse Jackson to gain here except respect for having done the right thing," said Reverend Rob Schenck of the National Clergy Council.

"This is a rare expression of moral courage from a partisan and we applaud him heartily for it. We pray that it is taken seriously and acted upon urgently by all those with the power to save Terri's life," Schenck added.

This is the second time Jackson has commented on the controversial situation.

"I think the feeding tube should be reinstated," he previously said. "It's not right to starve her to death. That's not right ethically."

Talking about Terri's medical condition, Jackson commented, "But you know she is brain impaired, she is not brain-dead. And right now they're starving her to death. They're dehydrating her to death, and that raises profound ethical questions."

Bob and Mary Schindler invited Jackson, president of the RainbowPUSH Coalition, to talk and pray with them outside of Woodside Hospice, where Terri lives.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Day 12 of Terri Shiavo's court-ordered starvation and dehydration:

"I feel so passionate about this injustice being done, how unnecessary it is to deny her a feeding tube, water, not even ice to be used for her parched lips," Jackson said. "This is a moral issue and it transcends politics and family disputes." Jackson had issued a statement calling for those calling for the tube's reinsertion to use "this same passion" to combat hunger and starvation worldwide. "
Rev. Jesse Jackson, after visiting with Terri at the Hospice

Monday, March 28, 2005

An urgent prayer request from Keenan Fitzgerald:

The article below is about a man who attends our church. He has been
declared brain-dead and they are removing him from life-support today.
Please pray for His wife and 5 kids.


March 28, 2005

Firefighter collapses at drill

Volunteer hospitalized in critical condition


By Dave Richardson
Times Herald-Record
drichardson@th-record.com

Montgomery - A volunteer firefighter is fighting for his life after
apparently suffering a catastrophic brain injury during a training
exercise Saturday.

Bob Brooks, 42, of Montgomery, a married father of five who moved to
Montgomery from Long Island in the past year, collapsed during the final
phase of basic firefighter training at the Orange County Fire Training
Center

"This one really hit home, because he's a fairly new firefighter,"
Montgomery fire Chief Jim Ferguson said. "This guy has real heart and
real enthusiasm for the job. He loves his family, the community and his
firefighter family."

Brooks was with other firefighters, in full protective gear, as they
prepared to complete a live-burn exercise - extinguishing a fire
deliberately set in a training building - when he collapsed.

Witnesses and firefighters said it appeared Brooks suffered a grave
brain injury, although medical details were unclear. Brooks was rushed
by ambulance to the Horton campus of Orange Regional Medical Center,
where he remains in critical condition.

Ferguson said Brooks' family and the fire department are devastated.
"It was my worst nightmare come true when I got paged for this,"
Ferguson said.

Ferguson said he heard initial calls about the incident on his police
scanner and raced to the training center to find a frantic scene. There,
firefighters and training-center staff were working desperately to save
Brooks' life.

Brooks has been a volunteer firefighter with the Montgomery Fire
Department since September, Ferguson said.

Montgomery firefighters made Easter baskets Saturday for Brooks'
children - one girl and four boys ranging in age from 3 to 12. They also
cooked an Easter dinner for the family yesterday.

The department was already saddened by the loss of former department
President John W. Matthews, 78, who died Monday at Horton.

About a dozen members of the Montgomery Fire Department turned up in
uniform at the hospital yesterday, offering comfort to Brooks'
relatives.

Ferguson said his department was deciding what steps to take to help
support Brooks' family as they struggle to cope with the tragedy. He
said the incident would be considered a "line-of-duty" accident,
qualifying Brooks and his family for certain state benefits.

"The important thing is to do the right thing for him and for his
family," Ferguson said. "We are all a family, and we always do right by
each other."

Saturday, March 26, 2005

Terri Schiavo �should matter to us,�

By Pastor William E. Rice

Her name is Sharon. You don�t know her, but God does. She matters to God, she matters to me, and how she is treated should matter to you. She will never engage in stimulating conversation or ponder political debates. She will never read a book or write a paragraph. She will never marry or raise children or even earn her own keep. But she matters.

Sharon is my handicapped sister, she is mentally impaired, severely so, and has been from birth. My brother and I watched our parents care for her and somehow we learned an intuitive almost unspoken lesson. Her life is valuable, as valuable as that of her two brothers, both active in ministry. Whatever difference exists between her IQ and mine, imagine the gap between mine and God�s! Yet he loved me and valued me so much that He would send the jewel of heaven to buy me back. He made me and redeemed me and that is the heart of our conviction about human life�everyone matters to God. Which brings us to Terri Schiavo.

The facts of the case are well known and few have done as admirable a job of reporting them as has the Florida Baptist Witness. It is a matter of record that the judge in the case, Judge Greer, is an inactive member of Calvary Baptist Church, where I have pastored for 5 months. Though I have been Calvary�s pastor for only a short time I have loved this church for nearly 30 years, since I spent my teenage years growing in this community of faith. Some have wondered about the commitment of our church to the Sanctity of Human Life. There is no need to wonder. Our convictions have been clear and consistent. In this cultural battleground our church arrived early, has fought hard and stayed faithful. For over 30 years Calvary has sounded a clear trumpet about the sanctity of human life. Our beloved former pastor Dr. Bill Anderson was an early champion in the cause and his frequent prophetic appeals to oppose abortion and stand for life will never be forgotten by those of us fortunate enough to have grown under his pastoral care. Our church was instrumental in the founding of the Bay Area Crisis Pregnancy Center that for over 20 years has served to help women in difficult circumstances choose life.

Like many of you we have tried to articulate and uphold an ethic of life consistent with a Christian worldview. We have tried to speak the truth in love to a culture bent of selfishness and hedonistic pursuits. Like our Florida Baptist family, and our larger Southern Baptist family, we have taken our stand for life. That stand articulated in many ways, one of which is our enthusiastic support of this publication, has become one of the reasons that Judge Greer has disassociated himself from Calvary and has publicly criticized us in the St. Petersburg Times.

Like evangelicals across the world we are horrified at the thought that a handicapped woman could be in effect starved to death before a watching world. Like many pastors I am not an expert in the law. I cannot debate the variances of custody rights, or even debate the medical analysis of a Persistent Vegetative State versus a Minimally Conscious State. But I know right from wrong. I know what God thinks about human life. I know there is only one way to describe the prospect of starving a woman to death because she cannot feed herself. It is wrong.

Clearly this is a tortuous case. But it is precisely such moments when morality and truth must serve as our guide. Terri Schaivo is not on life support. She is not dying. Good evidence exists to suggest that she is responsive. All she receives is food and water, the same as you and me. Are we to conclude that she is less than human because she cannot feed herself? Can a month old child feed himself? Is an elderly patient stricken with some debilitating disease and not unable to feed themself suddenly less human? Do we now use an IQ test to determine if someone possesses the right to live? Isn�t that God�s choice? Only God can give life, and only He should take it away.

Tread carefully if you think this is simply about a dying woman being allowed to die peacefully. Remember when were told that Roe versus Wade was simply about helping women who had been raped or whose lives were imminently threatened? Today few abortions fall into that category, but millions of human lives have been sacrificed upon the altars of selfishness. And the slide down the slippery slope continues.

This case seems complex but it is as simple as four words: Thou shalt not kill. If you need a compass for this complex case, you�ll find it there. If I were the nurse in that hospice center and the directive were given to me to discontinue feeding a living human being and watch as they starved to death, I couldn�t do it. I�d rather get fired, resign, or do something else. This isn�t about letting someone die; this is about causing someone�s death. There is a huge difference.

Her name is Terri. She can open her eyes. She watches a balloon as it crosses the room. She listens to music. She responds to her mother�s loving attention. She has something very precious, she has life, something only God can give. Her name is Terri and she matters to God. She should matter to us.

Source:http://www.calvarybaptist.org/WhatsNew/Articleby%20PastorWilly.htm

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Frank Amodeo, husband of Elizabeth volunteer, Barbara Amodeo, writes,


hi, everyone. i don't usually do this, but i'm asking if you can pray for
my dad. he's had a condition for a while now that made him weak, but he's
been battling cancer since last year. he's been in intensive care for over a
week now and the prognosis is not good. he may be dying at this point. my mom
is a wreck already. i have told him to look to the lord and pray, and when i
told him that again on tuesday last week, he turned his head away from
me. i believe he's mad at God. i don't have that peace about knowing if he's
given his heart to the lord yet and hope he will before it's all over. (i'm
realizing how small my faith is) thank you.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Great News from Joan concerning Geoff!

I was happy to be able to visit with Geoff this past Sunday at the
Harwyck Nursing Home in Edison where he has been for the past several months receiving therapy and miraculously improving every day. When I went in to the cafeteria where there was given to him a 50th Surprise Birthday Party (March 21st was his 50th Birthday)

I immediately focused my eye on Geoff who was sitting at a table with a plate of food. before him..He was feeding himself and very well
I must say ... what a blessed joy to see Geoff independently feeding
himself and I must say enjoying every morsal. I understand that he has lost one hundred pounds of weight and his once diagnosed diabetes has ceased to exist. All this to the glory of God...

I was able to testify of God's goodness and the love of God that Geoff has always expressed - we were able to witness that love as Geoff volutneered
at GatewayElizabeth ministering to the men prior to his surgery back in
May 2004. He also was our minute man. You could call Geoff and let him know there were donations of baby items to be picked up and he was there for you in a minute... he loved to serve God at Gateway.

Our prayers are continually for him to fully recover and come home. He and his girlfriend Sylvia are planning on marrying in the very near future.
Joan Vitale
Virginia Parker update!

Virginia is now at: Parkway Manor Health Center
480 N Walnut St East Orange, NJ 07017 (973) 674-2700

Please keep her in prayer.

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Please continue to pray for Virginia Parker

Virginia is still at Columbus Hospital in Newark.

She's had 7 units of blood given to her during this time
She is, in her own words "resting in the Lord"
No surgery has been scheduled and tests are still be conducted
to find out the reason for her hemorrhaging.

Cards may be sent to: Mrs. Virginia Parker
570 North Maple Avenue,
East Orange, New Jersey 07017
I have some great news concerning a feeding tube being removed.... Geoff Jones feeding tube has been removed Praise the Lord... and he can eat manually

Praise God... and its his birthday exactly what day I am not
exactly sure but he is turning the big 50.... so...

This is one story where a feeding tube being removed is good...Love, Joan

Monday, March 14, 2005

Photos from Iglesia Mission Christiana (Maplewood, NJ)
Saturday seminar: March 12, 2005
2:30-5:30pm

Wednesday, March 9, 2005

Video from Immanuel Love Fellowship, Newark
Sunday, February 27, 2005


Abortion and Planned Parenthood, racism, Margaret Sanger:
The challenge: 'God will bless when we do what is right'


http://www.gateway.org/content/Video/Ab%20and%20PP%20@Imman%20Love%202-27-05.AVI

Tuesday, March 8, 2005


Tyamba came home on February 15th. She and her mom, Ingrid Haywood, met us two days later at Gateway in Irvington. Since then, Tee has come to us simply to talk! {Tyamba came to Christ at age 9, but had drifted away. Her mom came to gateway in 1994 and subsequently came to Christ and married.}
Praise God for this answer to prayer. Details in our next newsletter.
Praise the Lord! Tyamba is home!!

Check out the brief video!

www.gateway.org/content/Video/Tyamba%202-17-05.AVI

Monday, March 7, 2005


Irvington Herald article

Virginia Parker
Dear friends,

One of Gateways volunteer counselors, Virginia Parker, is in Columbus Hospital (ICU) with pneumonia, diverticulosis and hemorraging. She may need to undergo a colon removal.

Please keep her in prayer.

Her home address, should you wish to send a note:

Virginia Parker
570 North Maple Avenue,
East Orange, New Jersey 07017

Monday, February 21, 2005


Geoff Jones
Things are still the same. He is still in Hartwyck in Edison. Steve saw
him not too long ago. Geoff can't really talk or do much of anything. His short
term memory isbad too. He sits and when he speaks he can't say much and is hard to
understand.
He has therapy daily and I think they get him standing and maybe a little
walking. Keep praying. He has a LONG way to go. He will still be there awhile.

Saturday, February 12, 2005

Please pray for Michelle Anderson

Michelle took our volunteer training three years ago. She has been recovering from back surgery.

She desires to volunteer at Gateway on Thursday evenings. She now has a twisted pelvis.

Please pray for recovery and God's strength to continue in her desire to help the ministry.

Friday, February 11, 2005

Prayer request from Cathy Horling, Gateway's CPA:

"HI,
PLEASE PRAY FOR A FRIEND'S MOTHER, MARJORIE MEARA. SHE IS VERY ILL,SUFFERING FROM CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE AND KIDNEY FAILURE. SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO START DIALYSIS BUT THE CATHETER BECAME CLOGGED AND SHE HAD TO BE RUSHED
TO THE HOSPITAL. THANKS SO MUCH, AND GOD BLESS!
CATHY"

Tuesday, February 8, 2005

Lois and Gregg Cunningham ask for prayer:

Hello friends,
I�m e-mailing you to request special prayer for Steve Holck and his family. Steve took a big step of faith to launch a CBR truck operation over two years ago after he had started Aloha Pregnancy Centers. He and his family, his car business (which provided major support to the two pro-life ministries) and the ministry have been under attack severe attack for six months. Please join us in prayer for Steve & Wendy. Here are several requests to lift up to the Lord:

1) Car business improve greatly so it will again support their family and
the ministries

2) Aloha Pregnancy Care Centers receive financial support from Churches

3) Steve and Wendy have wisdom in all that they do

4) Spiritual covering for their family, including three young grandchildren
that they are raising

5) Strength and joy

Thank you for your prayers on their behalf. �The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.� James 5:16b : Lois & Gregg

Gregg and Lois Cunningham

Monday, February 7, 2005

Parents Can File Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Destruction of Human Embryo
by Maria Vitale Gallagher: LifeNews.com Staff Writer: February 7, 2005

Chicago, IL (LifeNews.com) -- A county judge in Chicago has ruled that the parents of a frozen embryo which was accidentally destroyed at a fertility clinic have the right to file a wrongful death suit. Legal experts say the case, which is drawing nationwide attention, could affect the debate over embryonic stem cell research, which involves the killing of human embryos to obtain their stem cells. Cook County Judge Jeffrey Lawrence said in his decision that �a pre-embryo is a �human being� ... whether or not it is implanted in its mother's womb. "Lawrence said the parents have the same right to seek compensation as any other parents whose child has been killed.

Alison Miller and Todd Parrish stored nine embryos at the Center for Human Reproduction in Chicago in January of 2000. Their physician told them that one embryo looked especially promising, but they were told six months later that the embryos had been discarded. Lawrence based his decision on Illinois� Wrongful Death Act, which permits lawsuits if unborn children are killed in an accident or assault. The law states that �The state of gestation or development of a human being� does not preclude taking legal action. The judge also relied on a state law which states that an �unborn child is a human being from the time of conception and is, therefore, a legal person.�

Lawrence wrote, �There is no doubt in the mind of the Illinois Legislature when life begins.� The couple's wrongful death claims had been rejected by previous courts, but Lawrence reversed those decisions. A lawyer representing the fertility clinic said an appeal is likely. The executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Chicago, Colleen Connell, told the Associated Press that the ruling could curb embryonic stem cell research. However, pro-life advocates praised Lawrence's ruling. �Life begins at fertilization, not implantation,�

Joe Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League told the AP. Meanwhile, court rulings on the treatment of embryos have been contradictory, according to attorney John Mayoue, who specializes in in-vitro law."We are considering embryos to be property for certain purposes and life for others, and that's the incongruity," Mayoue told the AP. And there are concerns that Lawrence's opinion will be reversed on appeal. �

As an anti-abortion activist, I was pleased to see the judge's initiative," Victor Rosenblum, a professor of law at Northwestern University, told the Chicago Tribune. �But as a lawyer, I can't say that he is on solid ground in his reasoning." Rosenblum, who has argued an abortion-related case before the U.S. Supreme Court, said it's likely the decision will be overturned once the Appellate Court and the Illinois Supreme Court become involved."There is no doubt that pro-lifers believe life begins at conception. But there is no sign that the state law upholds that view," Rosenblum told the Tribune.

Friday, February 4, 2005


Irene Johnson

Continue to pray for Irene as she recovers from her allergic reaction.

Also, please pray for:

1.Gateway helper, Bonnie Scholl. Her mother died yesterday.

2.Pastor Lester Wormley is at Trinitas Hospital (Elizabeth, NJ. He is pastor of St. Marks Unified Freewill Baptist Church in Newark. One of our faithful volunteers, Diannia Stembridge, attends there and they often lift us up in prayer. He is being tested to rule out a stroke. He has limited motion in his right leg. If you'd like to drop him a card, his address is:

Rev. Lester Wormley
530 S. Broad Street,
Elizabeth, NJ 07202

Wednesday, February 2, 2005

Two Gateway Volunteers need your prayers:

1. Vi Brown was recently hospitalized (for one day) She is undergoing tests. Please pray for wisdom as she goes through this situation.

2. Irene Johnson was hospitalized yesterday with an allergic reaction to medication she is taking. Pray for a full recovery. She's home now.

Violet Brown

Tuesday, February 1, 2005

Thank you to all from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Nutley, New Jersey for their graciousness and love in having a super "Baby Shower" for Gateway on Sunday, January 30, 2005. We even have a video clip!check it out!

http://www.gateway.org/content/Video/Mt St Carmel RC.AVI

Friday, January 21, 2005

Prayer request from the wife of of one Gateway's Board members:

"Some of you may already know some of this, but not all, so please bare with me. My Mom has been in the hospital for testing this week. The tests are not all in yet but the evidence is pretty clear that her cancer is back and today I was told, is pretty widely metastasized. Evidently many bones, and her liver at least. On top of the difficulties that news brings in and of itself, she is making it very clear she will not even consider any treatment. She says if its her time to go, she goes.

I wish this were a confident faith in her own salvation, but in stead it is a result of depression, loneliness, and anger. She hasn't been told yet how widely spread the cancer is. Probably tomorrow the doctors will have fuller results and a plan and then they talk to her. Please pray she will reconsider at least trying treatment. Pray the cancer is not as widespread as at first it appears.

And pray for us. This has been a very hard year. David is working full time this week thru the nursing agency, and probably will do the same next week, but then it goes back to maybe 6 hrs a week if that. Also his hours are 3-11 which means he's not here to talk to when I need him. And the kids are not taking this well.

Rob was in a VERY bad way after my Dad's death. I am concerned especially about him if Mom goes this soon and in such a difficult way. Thanks for all your concerns for us. In Christ, Karen"

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Our friend, Peter Willcox requests prayer for his missionary journey to Africa:

"I am leaving for Africa Thursday and would appreciate your prayers, thanks.
I have attached an itinerary - blessings! Pete

HELP! Pete needs your prayer!

On January 20th, I will be going to Africa with my father in law (Neil) and an evangelist (Jack). We will visit 4 countries (Ghana, Benin, Uganda, and Kenya) where we will hold 2- to 3-day seminars for pastors and church leaders. Our purpose is to train, encourage and support them. We partner with these leaders by providing these seminars. These leaders already know the culture and the language, so we can help strengthen what is already in place. At night we will have evangelistic services whenever we can.

Would you please support us with your prayers? Even the travel time from country to country is an area where the enemy would like to cause trouble. Please also pray for the blessing, protection, and provision for our families that are at home.Thank you so much

Depart US 1/20
Arrive Ghana 1/21
Rest 1/22
Ministry in Ghana churches 1/23
Seminar 1/24-1/26 am
Travel to Togo minister in church service - 1/26 p.m.
Depart Togo 1/27 am.
Arrive and begin Cotonou Benin Seminar 1/27-29
Minister in Benin Churches 1/30
Depart Benin for Lome, Togo airport 1/31 am
Arrive Kenya early am 2/1 Begin Seminar
Neil and Peter - Uganda Seminar 2/4,5 - Church ministry - 2/6
Jack ministers in Kenya 2/4-6
Travel back to Kenya for Second Kenya Seminar - 2/8-10
Depart Nairobi 2/11
Arrive home 2/12

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Please pray for Bonnie's mom:

Betty Scholl, age 74, is in the hospital with a stroke.

Her daughter is Gateway's own, Bonnie Scholl. Please pray for her mom. Thanks.

Thursday, January 6, 2005

Please continue to pray!

"First let me say how much your support and prayers have meant to me. God has a way of placing the right people in ones life at the right time. He lives up to his not giving one more than one can bear.

The Essex County Prosecutors are now involved as Irvington could no longer handle the case on their own. From Verizon to ATT to Nextel. Warrant after warrant. The state police and Nat�l Center for exploited standing at the sidelines waiting to assist. (THANKS TO DEANS WISDOM HE IMPARTED TO ME). Warrants are 10 page documents that are taking at least a day to obtain. As of yesterday two were being sought for Nextel. They utilize ATT�s towers to provide their service. Hence, the delay because the warrant to ATT was a waist. Tyamba sounded in distress, sneaking to use a phone at 7am. Otherwise here voice was of the child I knew but one of fear as she cried and whimpered,� mommy I love you, I miss you mommy�.

Im back at work 12 long hours hoping and praying for closure 7pm-7:30p, Wed, Thurs and Fri.

Presently, I am placing calls directly to the prosecutors office to get an update. Irvington has the same news as yesterday. Will be in touch." (Ingrid Hayward, Tyamba's mom)



Please pray!


Chinese Woman Tortured After Coerced Abortion Faces More Jail Time



by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 5, 2005

Beijing, China (LifeNews.com) -- A woman whose plight has placed a renewed focus on the human rights abuses associated with China's population control policy has been sentenced to more time in a reeducation prison camp.

Just weeks after a Congressional committee held hearing on Mao Hengfeng's forced imprisonment, a human rights watchdog group says the woman who has protested their one-child population control policy will remain in prison an additional three months.

The Shanghai woman has been sentenced to 18 months in the prison camp for her fifteen years-long battle with the Chinese government after she lost her job when she became pregnant a second time.

According to a New York-based human rights agency, Chinese officials, who have subjected Mao to brutal torture, told her of the increased sentence last month.

"The recent increase in Mao's sentence appears to be another sign of retrenchment by the Beijing government in regard to human rights issues," said Liu Qing, president of Human Rights in China.

Since losing her job and other legal rights in the late 1980s, Mao has been imprisoned, was falsely told she would get her job back if she aborted a third pregnancy, and has been assigned to psychiatric wards.

Representative Christopher Smith, a New Jersey Republican, told a meeting of the House International Relations Committee last month that Mao's "is the most egregious example of China's mistreatment of women who do not comply with China's draconian policies, but there are thousands of other victims.''

"The torture of Mao Hengfeng demonstrates that China's drive to control its population growth at any cost to the Chinese people is as strong and dangerous as ever," Smith added.

Michael Kozak, a State Department assistant secretary, said Mao's case highlights the problems in the Chinese system: coercion of abortion or sterilization, the use of forced labor camps, forced imprisonment, and the use of psychiatric hospitals and torture.

Mao has been bound hand and foot and suspended in midair and has been repeatedly subjected to abuse and beatings, according to Human Rights in China.

"HRIC's sources say camp police bound Mao's wrists and ankles with leather straps, and then proceeded to pull her limbs in separate directions, while demanding that she acknowledge wrongdoing," the group added.

Congressman Smith indicated he is worried the torture would lead to Mao's death.

In a surprising development, leading abortion advocates, who normally apologize for the UNFPA and its participation in China's coercive population control program, wrote a letter to Chinese officials asking for Mao's release.



Printed from: http://www.lifenews.com/nat1084.html


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Copyright � 2003-2004 LifeNews.com. All rights reserved. For free daily/weekly pro-life news, email us at news@LifeNews.com.

Wednesday, January 5, 2005

URGENT! Please continue to pray for Tyamba


www.gateway.org

I just received this email from her mom:

"Good morning Dean, I am emailing you from my laptop. I am in the Catskills. Here with family for holidays. 9 y.o. wanted to snow board.
Although I did not speak with her, Tyamba called me 3 times on Friday starting from 7am. First call no one was speaking, second a whisper I love you (I thought prank call), third call on voice mail, mommy I love you and miss you. Went to police after work. Now a major investigation is going on. Verizon was called and we found out she was calling from NY. However, they closed before the police realized they had no idea where in NY or whether it was a pay phone, cell or home phone. People were called in for overtime to work on her case. Unfortunately, because of the holiday, things will not pick up until today. I pray she was able to stay safe over the weekend.

Still working with the mayors office. Should see Tyamba on the community channel when I get home. It took forever. Some folks did not want others to know this is happening in Irvington. Months ago I put in this request. You could see the Mayor and police chief but nothing else. All a result of changing to a volunteer job instead of paying someone to do the job.

Once again, thank you for prayers. I will be in touch."

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