May 20, 2005

Retired Schoolteacher Jailed for Praying for Children

Written by Angela Michael

"In the end days, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, you will be brought before Kings and Governors and all on account of My name. This will result in you being a witness to them. Men will hate you because of me, but not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life." Luke 21:12-19

We were contacted on May 17^{th, 2005 by Betty, a retired school-teacher from Alton, Illinois who recently lost her mother. On her way to a doctor’s appointment and still grieving for her loss she made her way to the Hope(less) abortion mill where thirty-five to fifty babies are murdered daily. She came to these gates for the first time on Friday, April 15th, 2005 to pray and intercede for the children. It was around 2:15 p.m. Earlier this day, approximately thirty-four children were murdered including four from Indiana, two from Tennessee, Massachusetts, Missouri and Illinois... Praise the Lord we had two babies saved this day, including a mother named "Dawn" who after an onsite ultrasound decided to place her 27 week old baby girl up for adoption}

She parked her car on the street; she saw no trespassing signs at the clinic so she then stood under a tree in front of the sad place and prayed. The only employees inside were the butcherettes who were inside piecing the dead babies’ body parts together, to be picked up by the medical waste van. Psalm 5:4-6 "You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors."

Gwen,(a familiar face at Hope(less) she usually accompanies the "botched abortions" across the street inside the hospital) a med-tech opened the front door and asked her if she was crazy and yelled at her to leave. Betty was a little startled, but she finished her prayer and walked over to her car and did just that. She proceeded down Madison Avenue when three squad cars in pursuit, pulled her over and arrested her for criminal trespass. Betty was imprisoned for three days in Granite City jail. She couldn’t post bond as her modest social security check is her only means of income. Unbeknownst to Betty, her prison ministry had just begun. She was issued a cup and tattered blanket. She spent her days and nights singing and praising the Lord and witnessing to other prisoners. She used her cup and blanket to scrub her filthy jail cell.

The officers in the jail took delight in tormenting this gentle woman. The police officers called her a crazy Christian and removed her toilet paper crucifix that she hung in her jail cell calling it a dangerous weapon. One officer even called it a swastika. I guess to the unbeliever and the unsaved the cross is a dangerous weapon.

She sang Amazing Grace and led another prisoner across from her cell to the Lord. Betty loves Jesus. Even the jailer woke her up in the morning singing Amazing Grace. Genesis 39:21 "The Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden." After three days she was released with a court appearance scheduled for this past Thursday May 19th in Granite City. Two other proclaimers accompanied her to her trial before the Honorable Judge David Grounds. Betty stood before the judge and she pleaded her case. On that fateful day she saw no trespassing signs and she was there to pray for the babies. The judge looked over her paper work then looked at her and said, "case dismissed." Betty walked out more encouraged than ever in her life. This divine appointment deepened her belief and love for the Lord.

Later that afternoon in high temperatures and humidity, Betty joined her persecuted brothers and sisters, the small remnant that stands daily at these gates of hell, for the infamous "midnight abortions" that were underway. These are late-term abortions that go late into the evening hours. During their vigil three babies’ lives were spared.

Moral of the story: More believers should be in jail! We are not to fear man, we are to fear God! Laying our lives down for our lil brothers and sisters that are being led away to the slaughter.

Psalm 41:1-2 "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes."

Endure and persevere ~Angela