The Steel Is Going Up. So Are Our Prayers.

{{first_name|Friend}},

For the past three days, I have found myself returning to Acts 14. The word the Lord kept placing on my heart was courage.

Paul and Barnabas fled when they learned there was a plot to stone them. Later, Paul was actually stoned and left for dead. Yet they continued preaching and returned to the very places where they faced persecution.

Their courage was not that they felt no fear. Their courage was that they remained faithful despite it.

As I reflected on that passage, I thought about all of you.

Some of you have been covering prayer hours at the construction site. Some have organized letter-writing campaigns at your churches. Some have made phone calls, sent emails, gathered petition signatures, and had difficult conversations with friends and family.

You are reminding me that courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is saying yes to God and remaining faithful to what He asks of us.

Many of you have been faithfully covering prayer hours at the site. Because prayer coverage now stretches across so many hours, I know there have been times when you were there and I wasn't, and I may not have been there to thank you in person.

Please know how grateful I am for every hour you spend there.

While many of us have been focused on permits, contractors, and construction updates, God reminded us this week why this mission matters.

Last week, a young couple encountered two of our sidewalk outreach interns, Alyssa and Laura, outside the abortion facility in Santa Teresa, who had already taken the abortion pill.

Our interns provided information about Abortion Pill Reversal (APR), support resources, a care kit, and encouragement to contact Aida, our Her Care Connection Director, or the APR Hotline immediately.

Shortly after, the father reached out for help and was connected to the APR network.

The couple then came into the Guiding Star office, where an ultrasound was performed to determine whether her baby was still alive.

The baby still had a heartbeat.

The abortion pill reversal worked.

The baby is alive because faithful people showed up, shared the truth, and offered hope when it mattered most.

Alyssa and Laura may never fully know the impact of their willingness to stand on that sidewalk, but one little baby is alive today because they said yes.

This is why we pray.

This is why we stand on sidewalks.

This is why we write letters.

This is why we refuse to give up.

God continues to open new doors for life across Southern New Mexico, and tomorrow I look forward to sharing exciting news about what God is doing to help us serve even more women and families.

I am attaching a new photo from the site.

The steel framework is already going up.

Many of us hoped that if we could stop the concrete, we could significantly slow construction. Unfortunately, the foundation has now been poured, and construction is moving quickly.

The progress we see should not discourage us.

It should remind us that every day matters.

Several supporters have recently asked why it is still important to cover prayer hours now that construction has advanced.

The answer is simple.

Many of the contractor leads and project updates we have been able to share came directly from faithful people who simply showed up to pray.

One example comes from this week's site observations. While monitoring activity at the construction site, workers were photographed wearing shirts marked "Commercial Electric" and equipment marked "CEI".

Through additional research, we identified:

🚨 IMPORTANT: We have NOT confirmed that Commercial Enterprises Inc. is the company working at the site or that it is connected to the Las Cruces facility project. We are continuing to verify that information.

We are also investigating a possible connection to Mitchell Martinez, the Qualifying Party for Paragon X Industries.

MCC Martinez Construction Company LLC
Phone: (505) 737-1712
Socorro County, New Mexico

🚨 IMPORTANT: We are NOT certain that this is the same Mitchell Martinez serving as the Qualifying Party for Paragon X Industries. We are continuing to verify that information as well.

If you are willing to help investigate, please consider making polite inquiries about either company to determine whether they are connected to the Las Cruces facility project.

If you make contact, receive a response, or learn anything helpful, please contact me directly at (915) 455-1344 so we can verify the information and keep our records accurate.

As we have learned throughout this effort, some of our most valuable discoveries have come from respectful conversations and supporters willing to help uncover the truth.

Paul and Barnabas returned to the very places where they had faced opposition.

Not because they were fearless.

Because they were faithful.

May God give us that same courage.

Please continue praying.

Please continue writing.

Please continue showing up.

Please continue inviting others into this mission.

The steel may be going up in Las Cruces, but so are our prayers.

And the light continues to shine in the darkness.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5

If you have questions about the church packet, would like help organizing a letter-writing campaign at your parish, or need additional materials, please contact Bennie Gonzales at:

[email protected]

Please download the new packet (Google Doc | Word | PDF) and mail what you can this week. It now includes:

1. Petition letters to every remaining confirmed company still actively engaged in the project — including Del Norte Construction LLC of Albuquerque.

2. Thank-you letters to the three companies that have already walked away after learning what they were really helping to build, for standing publicly with the pro-life community.

Standing with you for life,

Jessica Sifuentes
President & CEO
Southwest Coalition

P.S. — If you have a personal connection to anyone involved with these companies, never underestimate the power of a respectful conversation. One phone call from a friend, fellow parishioner, church member, neighbor, or trusted acquaintance can accomplish more than hundreds of letters. Download the updated letter pack at StopTheCenter.com. »