Dear Friends,
I am thrilled to let you know that this Sunday, Mother's Day, I am preaching at my first church in Miami! May it be the first of many. I am speaking at Vida Nueva Church (81 Hook Square, Miami Springs) at their 9 AM service (English) and again at 11 AM (Spanish). All are welcome and I would appreciate your prayers.
These past several weeks I have traveled across the country speaking, while working out key organizational plans. We have forged a solid partnership with some of the existing pro-life ministries in the greater Miami area. Heartbeat International, whose main office is in Columbus, OH and I, who live in Boston, have no desire to send arrogant signals that we are coming in and taking over. God knows that we possess a humble spirit. We are eager to demonstrate our glad obedience to God's word that says,
"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to one hope when you were called- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
(Ephesians 4:3-6)
 Particularly we have sought to co-ordinate our efforts with the First Choice Women's Centers. They represent the only ultrasound-equipped pregnancy help center in Miami. And there is a story around that ultrasound that gives me hope that God indeed has gone before us to unite us in this effort to open 3-5 new pregnancy centers in Miami.
In the wondrous outworking of providence, I had a key role in providing this life-saving ultrasound machine for First Choice. It happened almost two years ago (!), long before it occurred to me that God was calling me to attempt what we are now calling the Heartbeat of Miami Project.
As the leader of six ultrasound-equipped pregnancy centers in Boston, I had to ask many people to help us obtain ultrasound and provide nursing staff. When we finished, one donor called to say he wanted to give $30,000 to help another pregnancy center provide ultrasound services. I called pro-life leader and friend, Tom Glessner, who works closely with those pregnancy centers preparing to transition to medical centers (NIFLA). He told me that First Choice in Miami were in a vital area and were eager to "go medical." They just needed a machine. I called them and arranged for the donor to visit them. As a result they received a brand new ultrasound machine. Like I said, this was two years ago!
Now this machine is hard at work in Miami. But it is up against nearly 40 abortion facilities. So we are resolved to open at least 3-5 more ultrasound-equipped pregnancy centers in Miami over these next two years. We are currently consulting with the Board of Directors and leadership of First Choice to open these new centers under their Board of Directors. More on this to follow.
In addition, we have been writing and designing some hard-copy materials that lay out the Heartbeat of Miami initiative. The first piece, an English and Spanish booklet, is wonderfully done. We are thankful to the amazingly talented and generous folks at Life Support in Colorado. They read about the Heartbeat of Miami project and wanted to help with their special graphic arts work and printing skills. Thank you, dear friends! May they be the first of many businesses that offer to help with their professional skills.
This booklet is perfect for church bulletins and mailings. I am eager to send you a copy. Please make sure we have your mailing address if you would like one. Send it to John. If you are able to secure permission to distribute the booklet in your church bulletin, I can provide them for you at no cost. I am also willing to preach or speak briefly. I will go to any church at any time. Just invite me.
I need to boldly ask you to do two specific things to help us move the Heartbeat of Miami project forward. First, please make sure that you send the ENewsletter that you received last month about this project to other friends and family on your email list (or send them this link: www.heartbeatofmiami.org.) We are relying on one-on-one contacts to spread the word. And please ask them to support us by forwarding it to their friends.
Secondly, I am asking you to join me in actually signing up to become one of the 1,000 monthly partners we need for the Heartbeat of Miami project. I just signed up to give $100 a month. I chose this amount as a way of committing about a dollar a day for the minimum three centers we hope to start. Normally I keep it to myself what I give to and how much. But in this case I have the privilege and duty to lead. In asking you to become a monthly Heartbeat of Miami partner, I am asking you to join me. A dollar a day or $30 a month would be a great start. Right now we have a whopping 3 people signed up as monthly donors. Only 997 folks to go. But babies are saved one woman at a time and we must find God's provision, one person at a time.
I have been encouraged many times by the words of Edward Everett Hale, (1822-1909). He was an outspoken abolitionist and American orator. He once resolved: "I am only one, but I am one. I can not do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do THAT I ought to do. And what I ought to do, by the grace of God, I shall do!"
If you agree with this resolve, rush to be the fourth monthly life partner for the Heartbeat of Miami.
I will never forget being called into a counseling session in our Boston center with a young couple who had decided they needed an abortion.  They had wanted a child one year earlier and failed to conceive. But then he had gotten terribly sick, had heart surgery and lost his job. Then she got pregnant. I looked into the husband's eyes and saw basically a decent man who was lost, confused and feeling very defeated as a husband and provider. But with an ultrasound, a prayer, a promise to help him find new work and plenty of encouragement in the following months, they chose life. A few months ago this same couple stopped by to make sure I had the latest pictures of their beautiful son. Since they want the whole world to know how God and this baby has changed their life, I thought I'd pass it on. If we are willing to pray, pledge and work together, these kinds of stories will soon be Heartbeat of Miami stories.
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