Hannah To Hannah

As much I love the holidays, there is something exciting about January. Starting out the year with a clutter-free home, absent of Christmas wrap and bows re-energizes me and motivates me to recommit myself to the things I love the most.

January is also the time of year when we make the dreaded "New Year's Resolutions." The Board of Directors have also decided to start fresh, recommitting ourselves to the Ministry and to you our members by sharing our goals, dreams and plans for 2002. As we share them with you, we ask for your prayers and support.

While 2001 was spent fine-tuning the merger and new board positions, we turn our sights to the future in 2002 as we grow and spread the message of Hannah's Prayer. At our October board meeting we decided to dedicate 2002 to reaching the pastors and staff at churches, sharing with them the importance of infertility and infant loss awareness. From the letters and e-mails we receive, it seems this is the area that is lacking and also the one that hurts the most. Our goal is provide the necessary information to pastors and their staff so they are equipped to counsel and comfort members who turn to them
for support.

One of the ways we are planning on reaching pastors is through a booth at the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference in Lansing, Michigan, on July 22-25,2002. Board Member Ralph Camp has graciously offered his time to man the booth while he attends the conference.

We also plan to focus more attention on getting our ministry more recognition through radio broadcasts and publications. This past October I had the opportunity to do one radio broadcast and so did our LIW-Ohio leader Nicki Wright. We pray that the opportunities will come again this year in hopes of reaching those who have not yet heard of Hannah's Prayer.

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Introduction to the Board of Directors and Area Contacts

There are so many people who volunteer their time and hearts to this ministry that I wanted to formally introduce them all to you. My job has been made so much easier because of their commitment. In addition to the men and women listed below, our thanks go out to over 30 ladies who lead our e-mail support groups within Ladies In Waiting.

Board of Directors:

Stephanie Bixler - General Director (stephbix@hannah.org)
Jennifer Saake – Assistant Director (jennisaake@hannah.org)
Julie Donahue – Assistant Director (julied@hannah.org)
Jennifer Saake – Treasurer
Ralph Camp – Secretary (ralph_camp@hannah.org)

Honorary Board:

Sandra Glahn (SGlahn@hannah.org )
(Author of When Empty Arms Become a Heavy Burden)
Scott Rae (scott_rae@hannah.org )
(Author of Brave New Technologies)
Debra Bridwell (bridwells@hannah.org )
(Author of The Ache For a Child)
Kathe Wunnenberg (hopeforyou@hannah.org )
(Author of Grieving The Child I Never Knew)

Ministry Leaders:

· Librarian – Mary Elizabeth Cady
· Email Pals Moderator – Michelle Boltik
· Media / Public Relations Advisor - Anne Barton
· Prayer Team Leader – Sarah Shaw
· Postal Correspondence – Lori Davis
· Chat Room Ops – Sue Gregory
· Resource Reviewers-
· Grant Writer / Fundraising-
· Legal Consultant –

Area Contacts:

Marie & Paul Andresen
Farmington, AR

JoAnne & Mike Nootbaar
Nevada City, CA

Jodie & Andrew Radakovitz
Rocklin, CA

Karen & Joe Holt
Mission Viejo, CA

Michelle Boltik
Laurel, MD

Jennifer & Rick Saake
Reno, NV

Catherine & Vincent Darsey
Houston, TX

Laetitia & Kobus Knoetze
Parow, South Africa

Karin & Hannes Kruger
Vanderbijlpark, South Africa

Darren & Deanna Zent
Sterling, CO

Brent & Shealean Rallo
Irvine, CA

Jill & Adam Sherbrooke
Fargo, ND

Shelly & Randy Tannehill
Kankakee, IL

Bonnie & James Wesselhoff
Baltimore, MD

Penny Jones
Franklin, IN

Sherry Robleto
Quinton, VA

Shelly & Stuart Schopf
Bremerton, WA

Jodie Leedle
Kaukauna, WI

Anne Barton
Columbus, OH

Jamie Perkins
Princeton, NC

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Statement of Faith

The following beliefs represent the views and Biblical understanding held by the collective Hannah's Prayer leadership. These truths are the foundation of our ministry. We realize that our members come from a variety of denominations and backgrounds, thus we feel that it is important to make our positions clear on these issues. We desire unity by focusing on our common core beliefs rather than the denominational barriers that can arise over some theological
issues. Some beliefs are truths regarding God Himself and His gift of salvation to us. Others, while not directly related to salvation, are issues that we feel have Scriptural foundation and directly relate to the needs of those we minister to through Hannah's Prayer.

Foundational Issues for Salvation

We Believe:

--that the 66 books of the Bible, in their entirety, are the only inspired, infallible, supreme and final Word of God and authority in faith and life.
(Catholics are welcome into membership and leadership of Hannah’s Prayer Ministries. We recognize that the Roman Catholic Church includes the Apocrypha in its Canon. We ask that in matters of discussion and encouragement within Hannah’s Prayer, all uses of Holy Scripture be confined to the 66 books held in common.)

II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21

--that there is only one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14; John 1:1-2

--in the deity of Jesus Christ who is both totally God and totally man.

I John 1:1-3

--that Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and willingly offered His own life as payment for our sins by death on the cross.

Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:14; Romans 8:3-4; I Peter 2:24

--that Jesus bodily arose from and conquered death, and ascended into Heaven where He now mediates for us as High Priest at the right hand of the Father.

Luke 24:6-7; I Corinthians 15:55-57; Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 4:15-16; Hebrews 7:24-28

--that Jesus will physically return to earth in power and glory some day.

Titus 2:13

--in the bodily resurrection of the saved to eternal life and blessing, and in the resurrection of the lost to everlasting, conscious torment and punishment.

I Thessalonians 4:16-17; John 14:1-4; Revelation 22:1-5; Matthew 13:40-43; Revelation 20:15

--that all have sinned and earned eternal death, but by the grace of God, all who place their personal faith in Jesus Christ have eternal life.

Romans 3:22-26; Romans 6:23; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 10:27-29

--that the Holy Spirit indwells, instructs, empowers, encourages, convicts, and guides all who have believed on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.

John 3:3-8; Acts 1:8; John 14:16-21, 26; I Corinthians 2:12; Romans 8:14

Issues Not Foundational For Salvation, Yet Important To This Ministry

We Also Believe:

--that man was created in the image of God, thus every human life, from the moment the DNA lines up creating an unique individual (in standard conception this happens when a sperm penetrates an egg), is of inestimable value and has a purpose planned by God. We stand unashamedly on the belief that God is "pro-life", thus we are "pro-life" as well. While we do not condone the concept or practice of cloning, we believe children created by cloning are human beings. We believe in the sanctity of human life regardless of the method of conception.

Genesis 1:27-28; Luke 1:39-44; Psalm 127:3-5; Jeremiah 1:5

--that God's grace extends to cover the lives of children who die before, at, or shortly after birth, and these children are issued directly into Heaven at the time of death.

Matthew 18:3-5, 10; II Samuel 12:23; Genesis 18:23-25; Psalm 22:9-10; Psalm 71:6

--that since God first created us "in His image," then the desire to procreate biological children (in our own image) is God given.

Genesis 1:27-28

--that God deeply cares about the pain we face through infertility and lovingly gives us many examples of barren couples throughout the Bible so that we might know just how much our pain matters to Him.

Luke 8:43-48; Genesis 16:1; Genesis 25:21; Genesis 30:1; Judges 13:2-3; I Samuel 1:1-2:11; Proverbs 30:15-16; II Kings 4:14-17; Luke 1:5-7

--that God knows the pain of grieving parents because He watched His only Son die the most painful death.

II Kings 4:18-37, Job 1:18-22; Jeremiah 31:15; Psalm 116:1-5; II Samuel 12:16-18; Romans 8:32

--that human adoption is a beautiful picture of God's adoptive love for us.

Ephesians 1:4-6; Galatians 3:26-4:7; Romans 8:15-17

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The Hannah's Prayer Merger

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."
II Corinthians 1:3-5 (NIV)

Eight years ago I was bitter, aching, angry, afraid, grieving, lonely and confused. At that time I couldn't have begun to imagine myself sitting here writing a story like this one. The Lord planted the desire for Hannah's Prayer Ministries to be formed as His answer to my own desperate prayers for support. To God be the glory, what great things He has done!!!

Hannah's Prayer was officially launched on January 1, 1995. We started with just two couples meeting monthly in our tiny apartment in Auburn, California. Rick and I had been dealing with infertility for over 2 years and had just experienced our first miscarriage at Christmas. We were simply looking for fellowship and support from other Christian couples who understood our questions and struggles. By July we had grown to fill our small living room to overflowing and printed our first issues of the Hannah to Hannah newsletter, printing 25 copies and wondering what we would do with all the extras we had printed.

In 1994, about the time God was laying the groundwork for Hannah's Prayer to be formed, He was also working in the heart of Julie Donahue. With the same need for personal support and desire for Christian perspective, Julie began with informal contacts with other Christian infertile women on AOL message boards. Her outreach grew into the Ladies In Waiting email network.

1996 brought the launch of www.hannah.org and a surge in ministry growth, including new support group "chapters" initially across northern California, then spreading into other parts of the US and even as far away as South Africa! Julie and I met that year and began encouraging one another in the ministry endeavors God had called us to. In awe, we watched God's grace at work as the membership numbers of each ministry grew from tens to hundreds and the Hannah's Prayer mailing list on into the thousands. I kept saying, "But God, we were just looking for a small, local support group!"

Dealing with a chronic illness since 1990, the stress of directing such a rapidly growing ministry quickly began to tax my health to its limits. We were thrilled to see God's hand at work, but Rick and I both knew that I wouldn't be able to keep up with this pace indefinitely. My "part time" project had turned into a 60-80+ hour per week occupation! We began to fervently pray for the Lord to raise up a new director. Julie too was feeling the need to work her way out of the Ladies In Waiting directorship. We talked of merging the ministries to allow us each to more fully help the other but did not feel God's blessing on the merger at that time.

1997, 1998, 1999, 2000… The years whirled by and the ministries continued to grow in spite of exhausted leaders. Sometimes we felt we were doing our jobs well, while often we grieved that we could not please all the people all of the time and people seemed to be falling through the cracks. By last January, Julie and I were feeling overwhelmed to the point of seriously considering disbanding both HP and LIW. We knew the needs were great, but they were greater than we alone could cope with. We struggled in prayer together and with our leadership teams. In our own personal infertility journeys we yearned for children on our own timeframes, aching that God's plan was different from our own. Again we found ourselves pleading for God to send someone into our lives (to lead the ministries) and the years of searching brought pain and frustration.

But when the timing was right for God's perfect plan, things happened fast… In February 2001, God laid it on our hearts that rather than disbanding, it was now the time to merge Ladies In Waiting into Hannah's Prayer, building one stronger, united network. And in this merger, He would provide a new director. We invited Stephanie Bixler, a relatively new, but wonderfully active member of both LIW and HP, to pray about how God might be able to use her as our new director. While initially surprised and overwhelmed by the request, Steph and her husband Mike spent several days in prayer before responding with enthusiasm for this calling!

In May, Julie and I both stepped down from the primary leadership of our individual ministries and have been aiding Stephanie as assistant directors of the new Hannah's Prayer this past year. It has been a joy to our hearts to see God working through Stephanie. She brought the new strength and energy we were both lacking, enabling her to implement many new areas and improve existing ones, streamlining the strength of both old groups. Together the three of us are able to compensate for one another's weaknesses and joke that God has now given Hannah's Prayer one whole, sane leader split between three bodies. We are slowly seeing the ministry become what we believe God desires for it to be.

Beyond being one of Stephanie's assistants, my "piece of the puzzle" in the new leadership structure is website maintenance. I am continually learning how much I still do NOT know about web design, but I'm learning. Since June, nearly half of the old web site (about 300 pages at last count) has received a face-lift, many old links have been cleaned out and new links are being added nearly every week. We have also opened a new portion of the web site for Ladies In Waiting and plan to continue the clean-up and improvement of the remainder of the old site throughout this year. I have about 300 additional links or link changes sitting in my "to do" at this time.

Eight years ago, one of my biggest struggles was the feeling of isolation, that no one understood my heartache. I am sorry there is a need for Hannah's Prayer, but since infertility does exist and babies do die, I am thankful beyond words that you have a place to turn and that God has led you to this ministry. It is His ministry. Not mine. Not Julie's. Not Stephanie's. We are just His servants, striving to take the pain we have experienced and walk with you through yours. But more than just sharing your pain, we long to follow the call of 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, and share with you the wonderful comfort that God has used to sustain each one of us with in the midst of that pain!

We are very human, imperfect, and the merging of the two groups is still a work-in-progress. But for all the boxes, and stacks, and files, and loads of unfinished work that were handed to Stephanie in May, I am daily amazed at the progress we are making. From two couples sitting face-to-face in my living room and a few women exchanging emails on message boards 7 or 8 years ago, Hannah's Prayer truly exists today only by God's grace! It has been a long, exhausting struggle to get to this point, and many times along the way we have been tempted to give up, but God's plan has continued to unfold, offering strength and support to countless hurting hearts around the world.

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Ladies In Waiting Update

Julie Donahue, Hannah's Prayer Assistant Director

Six years ago I decided to create an "infertility master list" to connect the Christian women who regularly posted on America On-line's infertility and loss boards. After about a year (about 80 members) later we created our first website and membership boomed. In May 2001, Ladies in Waiting became the e-mail ministry of Hannah's Prayer. I have an awesome set of leaders who keep the small groups flowing smoothly. This year I started sending out a monthly newsletter again. It goes out "around" the 15th of each month.

We currently have 875 members in Ladies in Waiting. We have about 1400 former members. Many of them continue to send me updates. Twenty of our original 40 members are still members of Ladies in Waiting (and 13 of them have been involved in LIW leadership.) Our current membership represents 48 states (there is no one from Vermont or Wyoming right now) 3 US territories and Washington, D.C. We have members from 24 other countries. Our international members (past and present) have hailed from 37 countries: Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Honduras, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad. W.I., Ukraine, Wales, and Zimbabwe.

As we've grown, subgroups were added. The first subgroups we added were 6 regional groups. Our six groups have multiplied into 14 regional groups. From the beginning, we've had a diverse population. Our first 5 members included: someone pregnant after infertility, someone with secondary infertility, and someone who had a loss without infertility. Our topical groups have increased in size and content.

Recently, we made a change in the set up of the topical groups. We have always required members of Ladies in Waiting to be a part of a regional group. Because of the size of the groups, and the busy lives of the members, we decided to allow members to choose whether or not to be in a regional group. One other big change we made was to set up some groups as Hannah's Prayer groups. The HP groups operate the same as the LIW groups, but members do not have to join Ladies in Waiting to be a part of the HP groups. These groups cover more specific topics (i.e. adoption loss, Men's, and Pastor's Wives). We have 18 HP groups and 14 LIW topical groups. Most of the topical groups cover specific diagnosis (i.e. male factor, PCO) or treatment (i.e. ARTs).

As women dealing with infertility and loss, our common hope is to bring home a child---either through birth or adoption. We have learned, though, that bringing home a baby does NOT erase the pain of infertility. Many of our members have remained in Ladies in Waiting after the birth of their miracle children---some remain with us after a surprise second baby. They understand the importance of the support and are able to give back to the group that helped them.

During the past year, at least 70 Ladies in Waiting families have grown. We've had about 50 miracle babies (plus 6 sets of twins). We've adopted 12 children domestically, 5 internationally and we have several foster adopt babies. We have 13 domestic adoptions pending (waiting for the baby to be born) and 3 international adoptions awaiting travel. At any given time, we have about 50 pregnant members, right now, that includes 7 sets of twins and one set of triplets.

I have been greatly blessed by reaching out to others out of my own pain. We are always looking for new people to join the Ladies in Waiting leadership team. If you are interested, let me know and we can find a place for you!

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Our Ministries

Our ministries have all experienced growing pains this past year. We are thrilled to have a full staff in place and all the ministers back up and functioning. If you would like more information about any of the ministries please visit www.hannah.org/ministries.htm

*Prayer team – under the direction of Sarah Shaw, we now have a 12-member prayer team for prayer requests dealing with infertility or the loss of a child. If you would like them to include you in prayer their e-mail is prayer@hannah.org

*Sue Gregory is our new chat room manager. We've scheduled chats on Mondays and Thursdays 6-8 pm, Pacific Time. The chat room is open all of the time but you're most likely to find people in there during the scheduled chats. www.hannah.org/ministries/chat.htm

*Our e-mail pals have had a facelift and they are once again open. If you would like to find an e-mail pal, drop by our pen pal pages at www.hannah.org/ministries/penpal.htm

*We now have over 20 Hannah's Prayer area contacts throughout the United States and Africa. These contacts host local support groups, or are available for one-on-one support. If you are interested in becoming an area contact please visit www.hannah.org/resources/support.htm

*Our library is once again open for lending. We have a new librarian and she is ready to help you in choosing a book that will meet your needs. As funds permit, Hannah's Prayer will be happy to offer you any book in our library on a two-month loan. If you are able to help with the cost of shipping when you request your books, we would suggest a donation of about $5.00 per book. For more information and the book list please visit: www.hannah.org/ministries/library.htm

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Finances & Fundraising

Because we understand that fertility challenges may cause financial suffering in addition to spiritual, emotional, and physical pain, we are committed to not charging membership or subscription fees for our services. The gifts of those who are able to contribute to the ongoing needs of this ministry are our only regular source of income. This ministry has a "debt-free" policy and is only able to provide services as funds permit. Hannah's Prayer Ministries is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation.

You can make a difference! This past year, the entire ministry of Hannah's Prayer was funded by only twelve financial supporters! While our needs are relatively small in comparison with other ministries the size and scope of Hannah's Prayer, our message is powerful, and we greatly appreciate those who helped. Our proposed 2001 Budget had an operating expense of $3,575.00. Our total income for the year was $2,637.85 which meant many of our ministries had to go without. The area that was most affected was the lending library. Our prayer is that in 2002 we will once again have the funds to re-
open our library to our membership.

There are currently three ways for you to help fund Hannah's Prayer. Please visit www.hannah.org/fundraiser.htm for detailed information
about each option:

1. You may order a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Partnership Card directly from Hannah's Prayer for $20.00. You will receive a twelve-punch card allowing you up to 12 free dozen Original Glazed Doughnuts with the full price purchase of any 12 dozen of your choice. Hannah's Prayer receives $10.00 for every Krispy Kreme Card we sell.

2. Shop the 100 plus stores online on Kingdombuy.com. You can register at www.kingbombuy.com and specify that a portion of your purchases be donated to Hannah's Prayer. Depending on the store you shop at, anywhere from 1% - 6% is given to the ministry.

3. A cash donation can also be made to Hannah's Prayer. Checks may be sent to PO Box 168 Hanford, CA 93232-0168 or you can use your credit card through (paypal.com). (By using these links to sign up for your new PayPal account, you are helping fund Hannah's Prayer with a referral bonus we will receive from PayPal!) Hannah's Prayer is registered with PayPal using the e-mail address paypal@hannah.org

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Biblical Issues Position Statement

"Faith and Fertility"

The Hannah's Prayer Board of Directors has issued the follow "position paper" on the topic of faith, waiting, and sin. Many times exchanges of views are punctuated with Scripture misquoted or misused. We understand that in most cases, this misuse of Scripture is not a deliberate attempt to mislead others. However, regardless of intent, the results of misused Scripture can be shattering to the faith of some other individuals. You do not have to agree with all of
the statements below, but it is important for you to understand where the leadership of Hannah's Prayer/Ladies in Waiting stands on these issues.

We share with you the following concepts for your prayerful consideration:

1. Many Christians like to claim, "every promise in the Book (Bible) is mine." However, not all of the promises of the Bible are to be claimed and practiced by Christian believers. Before you stop reading please consider the following:

* Many of the promises of the Old Testament are for the nation of Israel before Jesus Christ came to earth.
* Many of these Old Testament promises were given to Israel as a nation then and never were promises to individuals, then or now.
* Many statements, especially in the Old Testament, that are claimed as promises by some Christians, were never given by God as promises, but only as a general statement of principle for living.
* Some of the promises of the Bible are to Satan and his followers concerning his doom. God never intended for Christians to claim these personally!

2. In Genesis 18, Sarah, Abraham's wife, laughed when God told Abraham they would have a baby in a year. It was not Sarah's faith, but God's working in spite of her lack of faith that produced the child, Isaac.

3. In Luke 1:6-7, Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist, were "upright in the sight of God. But they had no children because Elizabeth was barren." Notice there was no sin in the life of either Zechariah or Elizabeth. God kept Elizabeth childless until the proper time on His calendar. Notice also that when Elizabeth did finally conceive, she said the Lord had removed her shame "in the sight of PEOPLE" (Luke 1:25) not "in the sight of God."

4. Even Jesus, the night before His death, asked God to "take away the cup" of the crucifixion. The Father did not spare His Son the pain of the cross, and we have salvation today because of Christ's suffering and the resurrection. God's will is always more important than our own desires. (see Matthew 26:39 and 42, Mark 14:35, and Luke 2:42)

5. Job was a righteous man. Even God said so! Yet God allowed Satan to take all of Job's physical blessings, health, wealth, prosperity and all of his children. Job's suffering brought glory to God alone. (see book of Job)

6. The Apostle Paul, the human author of most of our New Testament books, had a physical problem of some kind. He repeatedly asked God to take this problem away. God's reply was, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

7. In the Book of Hebrews, the entire second half of the very "faith" chapter itself is devoted to those who did NOT receive promises on earth, yet trusted God anyway (Heb. 11:36-39). They are held up as examples of faith for us to follow rather than as failure stories.

God's character is that of a Father who delights in giving good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:9-11, James 1:17), thus our hope is sustained when all seems grim. With such a loving Lord we can live in peace that His plans have our eternal best at heart, (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28). God does say that our heart's desires will be fulfilled when we seek after Him (see Psalm 37:4), but truly seeking after Him requires allowing Him to change our human desires to align with His holy will for each of our lives. It is the view of Ladies In Waiting / Hannah's Prayer leadership that God does not promise pregnancy or a baby to every Christian walking in His ways. However, He does promise that He will direct our ways when we trust in Him (Proverbs 3:5-6) and that His grace will be sufficient for the times of trial.

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Supernatural Childbirth

Position Statement

Hannah's Prayer Leadership receives requests from many individuals asking for Hannah's Prayer as an organization to endorse and/or promote specific resources. For a variety of reasons, the Hannah's Prayer Board is unable to accommodate all of these request. One book that is frequently presented to Hannah's Prayer as a resource possibility is Supernatural Childbirth. Because of the large number of requests and inquiries that have come to Hannah's Prayer Leadership concerning this specific book, the Hannah's Prayer Board believes a response is warranted. Jackie Mize, the author of Supernatural Childbirth, promotes a philosophy of conception, pregnancy and childbirth that Hannah's Prayer Board finds incompatible with Scripture used in its proper context.

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Upcoming Events

Hannah's Prayer is not directly related to, nor has any financial interest in the following organizations. We prayerfully list them to help you find other resources that may be of blessing or encouragement to you.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Parent Support Group in Glendale, California. The Pregnancy and Infant Loss Group of Verdugo Hills Chapter of The Compassionate Friends, is for parents who are grieving the loss of a baby through ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth, newborn or early infant death. Mothers and fathers are invited to attend alone or with their partner. We will meet on the same dates and times as the general Compassionate Friend meetings, but in an adjacent room. Meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of every month. Meetings take place 7:30pm – 9:30pm at Verdugo Hills
Hospital, Main Entrance, 4th Floor, Council Rooms, 1812 Verdugo Blvd. Glendale California. For more information please call (818) 957-0254
or contact Susan tcfsgh@pacbell.net.

January 12,2002 Coping, Caring, and Connecting: A Conference for Infertile Couples and Those Who Support Them. First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas. Cost $12 includes lunch. Open to the public. For more information, contact Mitch Miles, 214-969-2411. Speakers: Sandra Glahn,Th.M. and William Cutrer, M.D.

"A New Year: A New Hope" – Conceiving Concepts Regional Conference Friday and Saturday, January 25-26,2002 Louisville, Kentucky. The conference will cover not only the latest in treatment and diagnosis for infertility but also adoption, complementary therapy and a special communication workshop on Friday evening. For more information e-mail Julie@conceivingconcepts.com with your name and address.

Letting Go – Coming To Terms With Fertility Losses – London, UK
Friday - Sunday, April 12-14,2002
A weekend long workshop for men, woman, or couples working on coming to terms with fertility losses of any kind: failed fertility treatment, lost pregnancies and unwanted childlessness, whatever the cause. The workshop starts Friday evening, April 12 and finishes at approximately 6:30pm Sunday, April 14. There will be a memorial service on Sunday April 14. The fee for the London workshop is L95. There is also a workshop in Scotland and France. For more information contact Meredith via email at Meredith.wheller@free.fr or by phone at (00 33) 563 59 11 32 or fax (00 33) 563 59 11 31.

The PCOS Puzzle: Piecing it Together, PCOSA 2002 Conference Thursday through Saturday, May 30 through June 1, 2002 Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Hilton, Minneapolis, Minnesota Join PCOSupport for their fifth annual international conference, "The PSOC Puzzle: Piecing it Together". For more information go to www.pcosupport.org

Is your organization sponsoring an infertility, adoption or infant loss seminar? If so, please let us know (e-mail Stephanie at newsletter@hannah.org) so that we may consider your announcement for an upcoming issue of Hannah to Hannah.

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2002 Newsletter Topics

Has God given you something to share that you think would minister to others? Hannah to Hannah is written by, for, and about "modern-day Hannah's" – couples facing fertility challenges. You are welcome to submit original thoughts, stories, poems, scripture passages, book reviews, pen-pal requests, baby memorials or celebration announcements, fertility –related humor, or other articles to this newsletter. When sending a submission, please be sure to let us know that the information you are sending is intended for publication consideration. Due to space limitation, we are unable to include all submissions, while some submissions may be edited or filed for future use.

February 2002 – Marriage Builders – submissions by January 15,2002

March 2002 – Secondary Infertility and Step-Parenting -submissions by February 1, 2002

April 2002 – Church, Family and Friends – submissions by March 1,2002

May 2002 – Mother's Day and Female Issues – submissions by April 1,2002

June 2002 – Father's Day and Male Issues – submissions by May 1,2002

July 2002 – Infertility within the Military Family – submissions by June 1,2002

August 2002 – Diagnosis and Treatment – submissions by July 1,2002

September 2002 – Infertility Awareness Month – submissions by August 1,2002

October 2002 – Pregnancy Loss Month and Thanksgiving – submissions by September 1,2002

November 2002 – Adoption Awareness Month – submissions by October 1,2002

December 2002 – Christmas and Holiday Coping – submissions by November 1,200

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Newsletter Submission and Reprint Information

Please visit our newsletter page for current information.

Hannah's Prayer Cookbooks Now Available!

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Ministries About Hannah's Prayer Resources

Hannah's Prayer Ministries
www.hannah.org
PO Box 168
Hanford, California 93232-0168
USA

E-Mail: Hannahs@Hannah.org

Voice Mail / Fax: (775)852-9202

Hannah's Prayer is a California based, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, established Jan 1, 1995. All staff members are unpaid volunteers who are proclaiming Christians (from a range of denominational backgrounds) and have personal experience with the heartache of fertility challenges. This ministry and website are made possible by your tax deductible contributions.

This web site was established in April, 1996. For website related issues, please contact the Hannah's Prayer website administrator, Jill Sherbrooke. The Hannah's Prayer logo was designed exclusively for Hannah's Prayer by Rick Saake. Hannah's Prayer pages are Copyrighted. © 1996-2004, Hannah's Prayer Ministries. All rights reserved.