HOME
October 2024 Prayer Letter
Click here to request our Newsletters
![Healing Hearts Ministries Internaional [LOGO]](https://www.healinghearts.org/nimages/HHLetterhead_Web700.png) Dear Friend,  Part of our series of leadership testimonies  I have been involved with Healing Hearts ministry since June 2009, first as an e-client for post-abortive healing, then as a Leader, Area Coordinator, and now the Regional Director for Canada; this is my story. The Unplanned Pregnancy Crisis Prior to my unplanned pregnancy, I would have identified myself as Pro-Life. I was living a promiscuous life in my 20s and found myself pregnant. At first, I thought I would have the child and keep it, facing life as a single mom. As the days passed, I went from this decision to thinking I would give the baby up for adoption and finally landing on the decision to abort. It only took me 7 days to turn 180° and take my baby’s life. Life Continues I began exclusively dating my aborted baby’s father, and we became engaged. Then, the Lord got ahold of my heart, and I became a believer. My then fiancé had been raised in a very works-based religious home, and so when I decided to live for Jesus, we decided to attend his church denomination. Shortly after that, we were both baptized and then married, and life continued. Little did I know how this past sin plagued me; cycles of depression, chaos in my life, and anger that would explode were all symptoms of the deep seeded pain and consequences of this sin; however, in my new Christian life, I remained silently trapped in shame and believing the lies of the enemy that no one would understand. The Lies of the Enemy I feel fortunate that I didn’t have physical consequences from my abortion and was able to have two children later, but the emotional and spiritual bondage was greatly oppressive. I sought healing in organizations that claimed to be Christian; however, while I experienced some relief when the abortion was revealed, I was never free. The overarching theme within Christian circles was that I was forgiven, and, therefore, I was healed. Although this can happen for some, most of us need to go through a process of healing from the Word of God before we experience healing from past sin (see Matthew 9:1-2). After several years, we moved to Canada because that is where my husband was born and raised. We joined a church that taught the Bible verse by verse from the pulpit, and that is when my relationship with Jesus began to really grow. This growth helped me to understand God’s word, and I naturally began doing what was modeled before me by women who had strong relationships with Jesus in my church: I had a devotional time, attended Bible study, had an active prayer life, and was serving the church body. Although I was living an active Christian life, there was a chasm that prevented me from entering into that deep faith relationship with Jesus that I so desired and saw in the women who were around me. I want to pause here and address a side note – I was not comparing myself to these women. However, I had a healthy desire to have the type of close relationship with Jesus that they demonstrated in their lives. And that is what we are meant to do as Christians: live in a way that is attractive to others so that they will want to know our Lord the way we do. In review, don’t miss the two lies I bought into:
The Healing Journey That brings me to 2009; I was at a Ladies' Retreat at my church when our guest speaker asked for prayer for a woman who was giving her post-abortive testimony that same weekend at a church in California. We began to pray, and the guest speaker prayed for her friend and then began to sense by the Holy Spirit that there was at least one person in the room who had also had an abortion and needed to be set free. I distinctly remember thinking, “I’m glad that it isn’t me; I have been healed of my abortion.” The days that followed held much emotion and fear for me. I was able to speak with the woman in California, and she answered many of the questions that plagued me at that time. I was so afraid to face the sin of my abortion. This woman directed me to Healing Hearts Ministries International (Healing Hearts), a ministry that helps men and women understand abortion in light of the truth of God’s word and to find hope and healing. Despite my fears, I signed up for the Binding Up the Brokenhearted study online and started down a path of healing. As I journeyed through the Binding Up the Brokenhearted study, Jesus met me there and broke the chains that bound me by teaching me the truth about His word. Today, I am experiencing a richly abundant relationship with my Savior and have a full understanding of His love for me. Shout it From the Mountaintops Being freed from such deep sin and hurt, I was like the woman at the well in John 4, and I felt I had to share with others. From the moment I was free from the bondage of shame, I pointed countless men and women to the studies at Healing Hearts, including my husband, so that they could experience this freedom as well. Then, I entered their training program and became a Healing Hearts certified Biblical Counselor. Just the Facts, ma’am I have now been leading studies for more than a decade, and since being involved with Healing Hearts, I have become more aware of how prevalent abortion is in general and particularly within the church. Here are some statistics: US Stats (Guttmacher Institute)
Canadian Stats (Canada Institute for Health Information*)
* Hospital reporting of abortion numbers is mandatory, but clinic reporting is not. However, all clinics do report for most years as far as we know (despite some CIHI footnotes to the contrary). Known exceptions are noted within the reporting data on their website. Out of my story, the Lord developed a special heart cry in me that is bent toward Christian women who are in bondage to the sin of abortion. Because forgiveness and healing are two different things that can occur at the same time, but more often than not happen independently of one another, I know how deceived they are about their non-existent healing, believing that because they are forgiven, they are healed and continuing to operate with much woundedness wreaking havoc in their lives. Although I had my abortion in the US, the Lord also specifically put Canadian women on my heart. Due to the attitude within Canada that it is an acceptable medical procedure, abortion is readily available and paid for by the socialized medical system here. There are no abortion laws. The Driving Force Behind Abortion The pro-choice movement has seen a shift in the past decade from the scientific misinformation of the fetus being a clump of cells to simply placing more value on the women’s desire not to be inconvenienced by an unplanned pregnancy or stressing the fear of raising a child with disabilities. This is a sanctity of life issue, and that is why it is so important to pause to consider what the word says about life and children.
God creates and sanctifies each life regardless of the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy. This is a hard truth to understand, so I would encourage anyone having aborted a child to complete one of the Healing Hearts post-abortion trauma Bible studies. For women, this would be Binding Up the Brokenhearted; for men, it is Restoring a Father’s Heart. There is hope and healing from abortion. Visit healinghearts.org/get-help-now to learn more. What Do We Do Now? If you have had an abortion, please seek help and healing. Your Lord and Savior does not want you to continue to be in pain. If you are considering abortion, please reach out to someone who will help you in the short term and long term. This may be your church or your family. If you need to speak with someone who has been through an abortion, please contact Healing Hearts to be put in touch with a post-abortion Biblical Counselor. Our counselors were first clients, so they understand what you are going through (all inquiries are confidential). If you are a Christian and have not had an abortion, I want to challenge you to ask yourself what you are willing to do to come alongside someone in a crisis pregnancy so that they do not feel that abortion is their only option. It becomes easy for us to be against something, but as Christ’s church we are not only to share our perspective, we are to put some action to it. It is my prayer that the church would become a safe place for those who already made the choice of abortion and for those who find themselves in a crisis pregnancy. - Leanne Garner, Regional Director (Canada / Australia / New Zealand) leanneg@healinghearts.org   PRAY WITH US that God would sustain our leaders in every trial or adversity that comes their way. This year alone, four of our precious sisters have gone to be with the Lord, and we have a number of leaders dealing with serious health issues personally and in their families. Join us in lifting up every need to our Gracious Father and know that He is GOD.Do you know someone who needs freedom from spiritual or emotional bondage? There is hope and healing in God’s Word that they will never find apart from Him. Please share Leanne’s testimony with them today! Local groups and online counselors are ready to help at healinghearts.org/get-help-now. Believe in what we’re doing? Please consider donating today at healinghearts.org/donate or by mailing a check in the enclosed envelope. The Lord Bless you Always,  Terri Knotts Executive Director |
Ways you can help
|
To Make a DonationYou may use the donation form on our website to make a donation, or you may also submit your check to the address provided below. Healing Hearts Ministries is a federally registered non-profit corporation, all contributions are tax deductible. One hundred percent of all contributions made to Healing Hearts go directly toward supporting the various aspects of our ministry no "administrative fee" is collected by a fund-raising service. All donations and expenditures are internally and independently monitored and audited. Annual financial statements are available upon request. We thank you for considering contributing to our ministry. Your contribution will enable us to reach out and touch individuals who need the hope and healing message that only Jesus has to offer. To donate online click this link: https://www.healinghearts.org/donate Send checks to: Healing Hearts Ministries PO Box 44670 Rio Rancho, NM 87174 phone (505) 355-6922 |