As told by John Barros:

People just seem to be getting harder down here if its possible. I am so thankful for Tracey Sarnicki and Shayne Russell coming down to help.

There were two who turned away. Shaniqua lined up to get in and after people rebutted the fact that some sins are worse than others she was startled to see that it took different sacrifices to cover different sins in the Old Testament. After about 30 minutes she came out and said she was going to go pray about this. Sarah came down with 8-day-old Christian to show folks what they were giving up and killing. People began saying “Jesus told me to do this.” Others yelled out that they hate God.

Shayne came during his lunch break to call out in pain to those inside. He shared how his wife miscarried during her first trimester, and how he held his baby. He told them he had all his fingers, toes, etc. and that his baby was a person. His testimony was very moving, but the folks remained hard.

There were a couple of ladies saying “I just want it out!” Then Shaniqua returned a few hours later, saying what we told her doesn’t apply to her and she “just had to do what she had to do”.

You know everyone who does this type of ministry expects attacks on themselves. It just goes with the territory. I mean, Jesus said it would be this way. The thing that still sucks the air out of my lungs, though, is when they attack and say such unbelievable (unprintable) things about Jesus. I don’t look down on these people because I don’t know anyone who has sinned any worse than me. I just fear for them. Please pray that the gospel they hear will come to their remembrance and Jesus would bring them to Himself..

As told by John Barros:

Thank God this week is over. Sheesh, it has been crazy. When the Bible tells us in Romans 8 and James 4 that the world is the enemy of God, it is not kidding. It’s not us that they hate, it is God.

Today about 25 ladies came down here with friends. There were 40-50 people stuffed inside this place. James Pendergraft made a rare appearance for a few hours. I don’t know if he was working but they were blowing them out of here pretty quickly. There was so much anger and so much vileness. God is so good in the midst of all the carnage.

Bradley Spruill came back from vacation today and the Lord sent my dear brother Pastor R.C. Sproul, Jr. down to help and encourage. He has to be the busiest guy I know, so when he comes it truly is a blessing.

In all the vileness there were a couple of beautiful things. After preaching for a while a young man came out the door and onto the sidewalk. He begged me to stop because it was upsetting them inside. I told him I couldn’t stop. After talking a bit he asked if I could stop for ten minutes so he could try to talk his lady out of this. I said “Sure,” and as he reached his hand out to shake mine I noticed he had a leather bracelet with a cross on it. I asked “What are you doing here?” He answered, “I know… pray for me.” After ten minutes the preaching began again. A few minutes later they came out and sat in their car talking. Then for the next hour or so they kept going in and coming out until finally they chose life and blessed us.

The other cool thing is that Amanda Sprague brought her son Jonah back to serve. This young man has been preaching down here for years. He’s 12 now. Today after preaching out front, a couple pulled into the back. Jonah went down and called out to them for about half an hour. After a while they started up their car and left. I don’t know what that was all about, but the people were amazed that a little boy would cry out to them. He is a very special boy with very special parents.

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As told by John Barros:

Well today was kinda crazy down here. Some of the people were more than just cold. Warren Marquardt and a couple of others had a guy in a truck aim for them when he drove in. Warren actually had to jump on top of the wall to keep from getting hit. The man then came up front threatening and screaming. Then we had some guy take his pants down and mooned us.

Yeah, it was one of those days with girls coming back for their second day of labor as well as new folks. One couple Warren had spoken to came out during the preaching. They came back later and went through with it. When they left they were already fighting.

I am so thankful for Bonnie Franke and Rebecca coming down to serve. Even Sabrina, whose due date is today, cane to help as long as she could.

Another blessing was that Bill Hamilton came down to help. Bill and his wife are missionaries in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. They do campus ministry and are members of PEF.

There was one bit of good news: a young lady from yesterday came back and told me she had made an appointment with Choices for Tuesday and we had a time of prayer..

As told by John Barros:

We had a great turnout for the Who Will Stand meeting tonight. Thank you to those of you who for Jasmine. She did a wonderful job sharing what Jesus has done for her.

She told about living in the streets of New York since she was 13 years old; coming from a family of addicts who followed Santoria… to finding herself a year and a half ago at OWC wanting an abortion because she was a homeless addict with five kids spread out at other people’s homes because she had no way to take care of them. Then God stepped in.

She trusted Him and shared how God has redeemed not only her but has redeemed all of her children back to her now. Jasmine told of how the Saint Andrew’s has accepted and loved her. She said she never knew what love was until then. She also shared the struggles she has had with her flesh. It was truly beautiful to see..

As told by John Barros:

It’s been cold here in O-town but not near as cold as the folks coming here. Started out alone spending time with our King. He reminded me how utterly dependent on Him I am. I seem to learn most during the hard times.

About a dozen came today. After the folks arrived the Lord brought me a very special gift. Savannah Brenyo has been coming here for years. She is a young lady now, but I remember when she was just a little kid actually climbing on trees in the back to call out to folks. She jumped right in where she left off last time I saw her– engaging with people telling them of the help and hope there is.

After she left, ZacharyJohnson showed up for the afternoon. He prayed, preached, and sang his heart out. These Reformation Bible College kids sure give me hope for the future of the Church.

Sarah and Lauren stopped by today with Trinity and Mason. Mason tried to get Trinity away from this place when she got too close!

It was really hard today with so many I believe are late-term. We will see them again in the morning, I’m sure.

I don’t understand the way God works but that’s why He is God and I am John. Prayers are appreciated for tomorrow; I will have a special guest missionary from Brazil coming down to serve..

As told by John Barros:

Today was filled with cold people but one of the strangest things I have ever seen happened. Beth Goble and I were here early as people were arriving when a couple came up the side of the building from the parking lot. When I offered them literature the young lady said “Oh my… are you John Barros?” I replied, “Yes, young lady, how do you know?” She said they had been looking up OWC and said everywhere they looked there were pictures, reports, and videos of me. I asked if she saw all that why she would come here.

She stood out front with the others waiting to go in and said that she saw “amazing work being done here” online, but that she wasn’t like the rest of the people going in. Her situation made it okay and she had prayed about this. A while after they had gone in she came out to talk. Tanner Johnson and Thomas had arrived by then and Beth had left.

She began to tell us that the guy she was with was her husband, from whom who she is separated. She said she had been involved in an affair with a very bad man and couldn’t keep the baby; that the guy was actually a Satanist so God wouldn’t mind. Of course we told her the baby shouldn’t die for the sins of his parents. She started quoting scripture filled with many great promises from God. She was told those promises were not valid for her and she shouldn’t find rest in them because those promises were for God’s people, not the world. She went crazy. Her whole face completely changed and here eyes were filled with anger and hatred. She began screaming and ran into the building.

After everyone had completed filling out the paperwork inside I began to preach. She would open the door and yell out. She yelled out at one point, “God’s people in the Bible had sex with their children!” (No doubt referring to Lot and his daughters.) After the preaching and during the singing of hymns she came running out in tears with her husband in tow. They sat out back for about half an hour, talking in their car. They came back up and she was still crying.

I told her that unlike anyone inside the clinic we love her. She said “I know.. I love you, too.” A few minutes later they came out and went out back again. Sarah and Sabrina had arrived, and Sarah went down back to ask what they were doing. The woman yelled that she was keeping her baby. When they pulled up her husband didn’t want to stop but she yelled for him to. She rolled down the window with a huge smile, said “Thank you!” and told us she was keeping her baby. They drove off with a big thumbs-up.

I am so thankful when other people are here serving because sometimes driving home I ask myself “Did I really see that?!”

There were a couple of other awesome things today. My friend Mary’s son Shayne just moved here from Fort Lauderdale, and he came down to minister during his lunch hour.

Sarah left serving down here in labor! She began labor in front of the abortion clinic and I believe her contractions are at two minutes apart right now at Winnie Palmer. What a day….

As told by John Barros:

Today was cold but the folks coming here were a whole lot colder. There was one young couple who left in the morning, but other than that we could hardly get anyone to come out. Pastor Burk Parsons taught on the word being the light last Sunday night and we all did our best to get the light into that darkness but they just hardened their hearts.

Thursdays are always a bit darker than the rest because it is the second day of labor for the late-term abortions. There were a few of those here today. It just makes you sick as they walk around out back trying to hurry their labor and delivery. I walked down at one point and found a couple making out like they were in a movie or something while their baby was dying inside her.

We were happy to see J.C. and Lacey’s newborn baby but it makes the reality of what is happening here so horrible. I am so thankful for Bonnie Franke so faithfully coming again today. It was great to have the Edgars snowbirding from WV again. I am so thankful to have Tracey Sarnicki back again and Warren Marquardt is back after the holidays.

Warren has adopted a clinic down in Lakeland now. He goes every day they are open and the Lord is now bringing people to stand with him. There is a pastor who is coming to help him now as well.

Driving home today feeling sick from the day I received a text from someone at Choices who told me a lady came in. She left here choosing life several days ago. She had been thinking and thinking, and finally went in where she got her ultrasound, counseling, and in fact has kept her resolve to choose life for her baby.

This ministry is so darn messy. There are so many highs and lows, but God works in folks we don’t see. My friends Jocelyn and Brandon Acuff just received word today from someone who had chosen life and wanted to find them. Don’t give up, friends; there is far more going on than we will ever see..

As told by John Barros:

I didn’t know what to expect today because the folks who usually minister down here on Wednesdays weren’t going to be able to make it. Well, the Lord is so full of surprises. A young Christian drama group, New Life Drama, that travels around the country, showed up here at 8:00.

It turns out two of these kids, Elijah and Micah, are sons of my dear friend Rusty Thomas. It was so refreshing to serve with these kids. They are prayer warriors and have hearts of passion for Jesus, the people coming, and of course the babies. The men were practically born in front of an abortion clinic but this was only the second time for the girls.

There were three who chose life today. While I was preaching, Beverly and her friend showed up for an abortion. I could hear a commotion behind me, and it was Micah and Brittany engaging the ladies who had arrived. I stopped and watched one of the most beautiful things I have seen: Micah pouring out her heart to Beverly with tears pouring down her face. It stopped Beverly in her tracks. Time seemed to stand still for a bit and you could see the Lord working through these girls.

Finally Beverly said “I am not going to do this!” She took the info to Choices, had a time of prayer, and left with hugs from everyone. These kids are very special. I can’t imagine what their drama is like, but if i’ts half of what I saw today it would be something to see.

The kids had to leave and just when they were going the Lord brought my dear brother Lydon Sipe down. He is always a blessing. It was a good day..

As told by John Barros:

I was so thankful to have a couple of my heroes blow into town to minister down here today. Don Karns and Bobby McCreery came to minister on their way to Jamaica. Bobby preaches in the Athens, Georgia area and goes on short-term evangelism stints all over the world. Don has retired from running a nuclear power plant and is constantly preaching on college campuses all over America and Canada. They will be preaching for the next few weeks in Jamaica, so please pray for them.

Today was different. Randall Whitney was here today and it was pretty darn busy, filled with very cold hearts. Only one came out and went to Choices, only to find out she wasn’t pregnant. There were many conversations, some very heated, but no others chose life today.

They closed up the EPOC clinic and sent them all over here in the afternoon.

We got to meet a new friend today. Brittany was ministering at EPOC, and followed the people over from there. She is one of the sweetest people you will ever want to meet with a beautiful testimony of God’s grace on her life. Tracey Sarnicki is such a blessing down here; so gifted with people and bringing the gospel to all. I don’t even deserve to know folks like this.

I don’t really know what to expect each day as the doctors and hours have been shifting the last few weeks. Thank you for your prayers..

As told by John Barros:

Today was wonderful!  I mean, there were still two ladies that came back for the second day of their labor and delivery abortions but only two new people came and one of them chose life.

Tamara came down scared mostly about her financial position.  After speaking with her about God’s provision, care, and a time of prayer with Donna and I she went to Choices.  Well after she got there she found out she isn’t pregnant after all.  The ladies over there loved on her and shared the Gospel with her as well.

  Workers were leaving early today and the abortionist was gone before 1:00 pm.  A worker said she wants to talk about leaving next week; it was truly incredible.  Other than Donna being here for a couple of hours I was alone.  It was a special time with the Lord in prayer; He is so awesome.  Spent the afternoon contemplating R.C. Sproul’s message on how God the Father loves us as much as He loves Jesus… what kind of love is that?  Amazing.

  Also spent time listening to St. Andrew’s Chancel Choir singing “Laudate Dominum.”  It’s Psalm 117 with music from Mozart.  I never knew worship could be like this.  The Lord was bringing about cleansing and renewal in my heart, then He brought folks by just to say hello and encourage.  Mary is from “Life For Kids,”  the local  adoption agency, and she stopped by for a while and then Ed and Mary stopped by for a while.  They are awesome.  I went to high school with Mary many, many years ago.

  Sorry for rambling but it has been so very dark down here and Thursdays are the worst but today was beautiful.  Please continue to pray..