Teachers Saving Children® Inc. - National
Newsletter
Volume 20, Number 1
November 2009
Home |
Teachers Saving Children® Inc. - National | |
Newsletter
|
Home | |
At one time or another in our lives, we have all experienced a clogged drain. I recently had such an experience. Usually when a clogged drain occurs, we go to the store and purchase one of those name brand products. Last February, the drain was clogged enough that one day I came home from work and found my bathtub full of water. Fortunately, it was not sewage, but just plain dirty water. Through a recommendation, I found someone who could come and “snake” the clog free. Shortly, thereafter, I read where I could pour 2 cups of Clorox bleach down each drain once a month to help keep the drains flowing free. This application worked well until recently.
In mid-September I began several weeks of plumbing difficulties. One Wednesday night I had gotten up during the middle of the night. When I lay back down, I heard this gurgling sound as the water was moving through the pipes. Immediately I realized that was a sign the problem was rising again. Though it was not serious yet, I knew the importance of making that phone call quickly. The man could not come until Friday evening to “snake” out the pipes. This time, his snake got caught and he could not get it out. Since my pipes were the old cast iron pipes (which were getting rusty), he was very concerned that they might burst if he tried to open the clean out valve. He was not a plumber and did not believe that I could even find a plumber on a Friday night, especially during football season.
I walked up the basement steps, went to the phone, and called the mission house. My missionary friends, Greg and Debbie, were staying in our church’s mission house for only 2½ weeks before returning home. Greg is the head plumber at JAARS (who partners with Wycliffe Bible Translators). Greg and Debbie came over immediately. While Debbie and I sat on the porch and chatted, Greg went to the basement to evaluate the problem and help retrieve the “snake.” They had to remove the cast iron pipes and due to the lateness of the hour, they could not replace any pipes that night. I had water and could make the necessary living adjustments. Besides, I was leaving early Saturday morning and would be gone all day. Greg and Debbie came back on Saturday to put in PVC piping. They also cleaned out the opening to the pipe leading into the basement floor. Everything was flowing fine when they left.
Exactly one week later, I came home and used the facilities. Within a matter of minutes, I heard a gushing sound coming from the basement. When I went to investigate, I saw water gushing out of the clean out valve of the new PVC piping. Obviously, something was still wrong.
My brother, who is a custom home builder, and I had already been in contact as there was other plumbing work that I had been planning. However, his plumber was not available to come and evaluate the current situation until 10 days later. I had water, my washer drained fine, I had an extra toilet, and so made other adjustments as needed.
When they came to evaluate the problem, they found that the pipe immediately under the basement floor and within a matter of inches from where the new pipe had been inserted had a major clog. That clog was between the new piping and the washer drain. When a different company with the “snake” came, they had it cleaned out within a matter of minutes. This time, however, they also “snaked” the pipe all the way to the street, something the first person never did. The root of the problem needed to be removed completely; otherwise it would have kept rising again.
As I was patiently waiting for the problem to be resolved, I asked the Lord what I could learn from this personal experience. He gave me a powerful spiritual and political insight. Our nation is slowly becoming clogged with sin and heart attitudes that violate His Word regarding the Sanctity of Life. We have tried for many years to fix the problem. Too often we have tried to fix it on a superficial level. Unfortunately, only through a heart change will there be a change within our country. Only God can change hearts, but we must be faithful seed planters and waterers as we educate our friends, colleagues, and students with the message of Life. Let’s continue to be that voice for life so that the “root” within the hearts and lives of individuals will be removed.
By the way, the “root” of my plumbing problem has been completely resolved, and my house is functional again. Now, how long will it be before we can say the same of our nation?
My senior year in high school I became involved with a man and became pregnant. After making this discovery, complicated by the fact that I was valedictorian of my class, my first thought was to have an abortion. I knew better, but I wanted to hide my sin and shame, and abortion seemed like the best way to do that. It seemed like the easiest, quickest way to take care of my situation. However, God was faithful and intervened through my boyfriend, of all people. He was the one who did not think abortion was the right thing to do, and he encouraged me to tell my parents.
Although I did not want to tell my parents, I crossed over a major hurdle when I told my mom that I was pregnant. At first, the plan seemed to be that my boyfriend and I would get married, but after only a couple of meetings with the pastor, we knew marriage was not really a good choice for us. We were not committed to each other. We really did not love each other. So with the boyfriend quickly fading out of the picture, the question was, “Where does that leave me?” And so, I considered my options.
I have to say my parents were very helpful to me. They really did want to help me. When I look back, I see their love for me even though I had put them in a very awkward position. My dad offered to get a house trailer for me to live in and put it on some property just down the road from their house, but I honestly knew right away I didn’t want to go that route. I was only 18, with plans to go to college and find a man who really loved me. Working to support a baby that I would not have time to be with and who would probably greatly hinder my ability to go and have fun, just didn’t seem like the way to go. And I truly did want my child to have a good life, which I did not feel capable of providing. So now what? Adoption?
Back in 1982 there was no pregnancy center, and even my pastor and his wife did not really seem to know how to reach out to me or where to direct me. I talked to a Christian doctor in town about where you might find information about adoptions, and he said something to the effect that you did not need to worry about that if you were not pregnant.
Where to go? I contacted a Christian organization involved in facilitating adoptions. After meeting with them I knew I would keep my child before I would ever place my child in their care. They were pretty good at letting me know how horribly sinful I was and how thankful I should be that they were willing to find a home for my child. Condescension dripped from their pores.
Again, where to go? What to do? God knew. He opened the eyes of a woman at the campground my parents owned, to the predicament that I was in. She told me about the doctor she worked for who had previously arranged a private adoption. I went to see him and talked with him at his office. What a breath of fresh air he was after the last organization I had consulted. He was considerate of me and my situation. He spoke words of healing to my heart and treated me as a person of value. Here was someone who recognized the grief and sacrifice that the adoption route would involve. He made sure I understood what a precious gift I would be giving if I chose to give my baby to a family for adoption. Yes, a precious gift, one that only a few would ever really understand. He told me about a family he knew that would like to adopt again. They had a little girl and thought they’d probably only ever have the one child. They were a good Christian family who loved the Lord. That was what I was looking for because, although I had not been walking close to the Lord, I wanted my child to grow up knowing Him.
On December 15, 1982, I gave birth to an 8 lb. 3 oz. baby boy who I named Mark Nathaniel and who was given the name John by his adoptive parents. My mom refers to him in her prayers as John Mark. I never got to meet my son’s adoptive parents. And I do not know much about my son’s life, but the Lord has given me a peace and knowledge that adoption was the right choice for me and for my son. If put in the same situation, would I do it again? Yes. I know adoption was the best thing for all of us, although I would choose to have more information given to me about my son. There are so many choices birth parents are provided with today that were not even a consideration in 1982. For instance, I would love to have been given a yearly update with a few pictures.
 |
 |
Editor’s Note: But the story does not end here. The rest of story will be shared in our February 2010 newsletter. Darleen Martin resides in Alliance, Ohio and attends the Alliance First Friends Church. Picture to the left is Darleen with her husband, Jim. Picture to the right is Darleen’s stepson, Jim, with his daughter, Elizabeth.
Through your generosity, the Lord has already provided some additional funds in the past three months. As a result, there is currently over $1500.00 already in hand. This money will be used to restock display inventory that is needed this year, with the remainder put towards the exhibit application. Thank you.
Funds are still needed for the application and also for miscellaneous expenses and materials for distribution. Please consider financially assisting Teachers Saving Children® in sharing the truth about “The Wonder of Life.”
Note: Please make checks payable to “TSC Inc. – National”. Please carefully note how the amount given is to be designated (NEA Exhibit) so that the contribution will be appropriately allocated. Contributions are NOT tax deductible.
1. The Board of Trustees accepted the reports of the State Affiliate Chapters.
2. The Board of Trustees approved the Statement of Principles which each board member will sign while serving on the Board of Trustees.
3. The Board of Trustees made a decision to make application for an exhibit at the NEA Expo 2010 in New Oreleans, LA, July 1-3, 2010.
4. The Board of Trustees approved the 2008-2009 fiscal report and the following 2009-2010 budget:
| Affiliate State Chapters | $ 500.00 | ||
| Awards & Gifts | 100.00 | ||
| Legal & Accounting | 1000.00 | ||
| Office Administration | 700.00 | ||
| Postage | 2500.00 | ||
| Public Relations | |||
| Printing | 2300.00 | ||
| Promotion | 500.00 | ||
| Telephone | 900.00 | ||
| Travel Expense | 1500.00 | ||
| Total | $10,000.00 |
5. The next Board of Trustrees meeting will be Saturday, April 10, 2010 in Alliance, Ohio. Any member interested in attending this meeting should contact the National Office for meeting details.
| Balance - September 1, 2008 | $3989.42 | ||
| Receipts: | |||
| Contributions: | |||
| NEA Exhibit | $5119.00 | ||
| Designated | 210.00 | ||
| Undesignated | 1991.70 | ||
| Memberships: | |||
| 2008-2009 | 2525.00 | ||
| 2009-2010 | 5470.00 | ||
| Interest | 6.96 | $15,322.66 | |
| Disbursements: | |||
| Interest Free Loan | 400.00 | ||
| Legal & Accounting | 587.50 | ||
| Office Administration | 475.46 | ||
| Postage | 2158.35 | ||
| Public Relations | |||
| Advertising | 184.49 | ||
| Printing | 2379.00 | ||
| Promotion | |||
| NEA Exhibit* | 5068.50 | ||
| State Affiliates | |||
| Designated Gifts | 210.00 | ||
| Memberships 2008-2009 | 1106.00 | ||
| Memberships 2009-2010 | 2404.50 | ||
| Telephone | 842.17 | ||
| Travel Expenses | 585.55 | $16,501.92 | |
| Balance - August 31, 2009 | $2810.16 |
*The NEA Exhibit Line Item Balance is $1032.71
Please note: There were a large number of membership renewals paid prior to September 1, 2009. In addition, there were several large donations this summer for “The Wonder of Life” exhibit in 2010. Thank you for helping the Board to have a better picture of what our finances will be like for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Reminder: All memberships are now being handled through the National Office. Teachers Saving Children® does not solicit additional contributions beyond memberships, but does appreciate any additional contributions received throughout the year.
For complete details concerning the events of January 22nd,
please contact your local Right to Life Chapter or State Right to Life office.
For those pro-life teachers and school employees who can't go to Washington DC,
it is suggested that you attend the pro-life marches or rallies being held in your own local areas.
|
Home |