#60 A Broken Man’s Miraculous Fight for the Unborn - John Barros
John Barros has suffered through cancer, brain aneurysms, chronic pain, and more.
In the world’s eyes he would be considered a “broken man”. Yet God has used John to save countless unborn lives from abortion.
The following is a summary of the podcast interview above with John Barros. Many more details are included in the original podcast episode and we encourage you to listen.
Written by Jace Bower
John Barros was raised by his aunt for the first four years of his life. His lack of parental bonding in these foundational years left John with a sense of not belonging. He acted out as a child and struggled with anger. At the age of eighteen, he left home for Southern California and got involved with drugs and illegal activities.
John got in trouble with the law and had a choice to make: either he could spend time in jail or join the Navy. He chose the latter. During his time in the Navy, John continued to brawl and act out, eventually finding his way to the brig, the Navy’s version of jail, for punching an officer.
God Reaches Out
During his stint in the brig, John read the Bible, one of the two books he was allowed to have. The Bible convicted him over and over again. Each page, it seemed, was showing John his true self.
After he was released from the brig, John got together with friends for a few days before heading overseas again. The group went out drinking and encountered a surfer with a broken-down truck along the busy boulevard, not far from where John’s father had a gas station. The friends help the surfer push his truck into the service station where John’s father diagnosed the problem and started on repairs.
Meanwhile, the surfer took advantage of his captive audience. He began to preach the gospel to John, his brother, and his friends. He boldly proclaimed the good news and then left when his truck repairs were complete. John and his friends were stunned. They didn’t know what to do! The group knew that anyone seeking answers about Jesus could go to Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and most likely find a listening ear.
They entered the church during a marriage seminar attended by hundreds of married couples. Feeling a little out of place, the group slipped into the back row. They were welcomed and invited to come forward to learn more about Jesus as the seminar concluded. That night, John and his friends all professed faith in Jesus Christ.
Visiting the Clinic
John’s faith journey would not start out easy. He fell into a sinful relationship and had an affair which eventually led to his excommunication from the church. But even in this season of backsliding, God was faithfully working and bringing John back into the light.
After renewing his walk of faith, John moved to Orlando, Florida. His pastor, a man named Jim Fitzgerald, invited John to join him outside one of Orlando’s abortion clinics. John had no desire to do that but Jim was persistent. Jim regularly went out and ministered on the sidewalk outside the clinic, offering help and hope to the women going inside to abort their babies. Eventually, with an offer of a cigar after the visit, Jim wore John down and they went out to the clinic together.
During his first time at the abortion clinic, John could feel the heaviness and darkness that surrounded the place. The spiritual battle there was real. The Christians on the frontlines were facing opposition from the clinic staff and from the spiritual darkness that covered the place. Despite the difficult experience, John was drawn back over and over again. He ministered at the clinic as often as his work schedule allowed.
Life-Threatening Problems
Then something happened that not only threatened to end John’s participation in the pro-life ministry but actually threatened his life itself. John was diagnosed with bladder cancer and was told to put his affairs in order.
But God wasn’t done with John yet. After experimental treatments and four surgeries, John was able to beat the cancer. It kept coming back during this period but he finally reached a point of being cancer-free.
John’s battle with cancer was just the beginning though. He had not one but two brain aneurysms. Despite expert medical attention from doctors, John’s brain was severely impaired to the point that he sometimes didn’t know who he was. On a few occasions, he walked into neighbors’ houses thinking it was his own home.
Returning to the Clinic
The process of healing was a long one and John suffered many dark days during this season. But God was preparing him for the work he was called to do. It started with a nudge to return to a familiar place.
John wanted to go back to the abortion clinic where he had ministered before his health problems. He had seen God move in that place and wanted to go there to pray for his own healing.
While he was standing outside the clinic a young woman passed him and he called out to her. She stopped and they talked outside the clinic for over an hour. To this day, John doesn’t remember what was said during the conversation. But he does remember that the young woman cried and kissed John on the cheek. She told John that she wasn’t going to go through with her abortion.
A Calling From God
After this encounter, John knew that God wanted him to minister to the men and women coming to the abortion clinic. Since then, John has faithfully stood in the gap for unborn children and their families at that Orlando clinic. God has provided for his family’s needs without John ever asking for donations or support.
John has witnessed God’s power in multiple ways as he has shared hope and help with parents going in for abortions. But one particularly powerful story stands out.
An Unexpected Opportunity
One day, John was at the abortion clinic as usual but it wasn’t business as usual at the clinic. The parking lot was packed with the cars of staff, not clients. John was praying when he heard someone calling his name. It was one of the clinic staff and she was inviting him to join them inside.
John didn’t know what was going on but after some coaxing, he agreed to go inside. There was a table of food and he was offered a plate. The abortion doctor sat down next to him at a table and they struck up a conversation. John continued to call the doctor to repentance as they conversed.
As the day went on, John was invited to get up in front of the entire staff and share. He appealed to them from the Scripture to forsake the evil work they had been trapped in. He appealed with love and boldness. A few weeks later, John found out that half the staff had quit after his appeal and this had caused staffing shortages that had effectively shut down another clinic nearby.
God Uses “Broken” People
God gave John that opportunity when he was least expecting it. In the midst of all the health problems he faced, John was protected by God and called to a life-saving mission to deliver children from death.
While the world would probably view John as a “broken” man with his many health problems, God raised him up as an instrument for grace, hope, and love in a broken world. God isn’t finished with any of us yet. He is still graciously using us for His purposes as we follow His leading. John’s life and testimony are filled with countless stories of being used by God for redemption.
John has personally seen over 3,000 mothers choose life while standing outside the abortion clinic but he doesn’t take credit for anything the Lord has accomplished through him. Instead, all glory goes to God who has kept John through many years of trials, sin, backsliding, health risks, and more.
—
Jace Bower is a writer with a passion for justice and biblical principles. He writes at jacebower.com.
Additional Information about John
Follow along on Facebook with the work that John is doing (most posts have a privacy requirement that you be John’s friend or friend-of-a-friend)
Donate to John’s work here.
