DAY 35: “We’ve seen success”
As I’ve traveled during this 40 Days for Life campaign, there is one constant factor: unity.
Just two nights ago, I spoke at an event in New Jersey and an Evangelical pastor came up afterwards, smiling. “I’m sure glad the Reformation has not stopped us from working together to end abortion,” he said.
This event had Catholics, Protestants and Evangelicals in attendance, and his comment reflected the unity that the pro-life movement should be proud of.
This unity is a gift — and the abortion industry sees it as a threat. We’re seeing the evidence at 258 vigil locations. Here are just a few examples.
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FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
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Linda in Fort Collins says a class from Holy Family Church comes to pray at the vigil every Saturday morning. As they were concluding their prayer hour, a couple came in from Greeley, a town about 30 miles away. The couple only spoke Spanish, but a few of the kids were able to talk to them.
The woman was told to visit Planned Parenthood because there was some sort of complication with her pregnancy and that she could die if she had the baby.
One of the student’s parents arrived and picked up the conversation, telling the couple that Planned Parenthood does abortions — and it would be much better for them if they scheduled an ultrasound through the pro-life pregnancy resource center, where there would be no pressure to abort the baby.
A prayer volunteer gave them additional information about all the help that’s available locally.
“The couple left,” Linda said. “Praise God!”
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JACKSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
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Speaking of youth groups at 40 Days for Life vigils … Elizabeth in Jacksonville sent a photo of the girls’ soccer team from Jacksonville Christian Academy in prayer outside the abortion center. That’s just excellent — young people sending a message of hope to other young people — so we’re really glad to see that.
“They came out to the vigil Thursday afternoon in place of their practice time,” Elizabeth said. Their coach “reported very positive responses from those who passed by.” The team spent over an hour praying in the public right-of-way.
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CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA
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The Planned Parenthood facility in Cedar Rapids does not currently do surgical or RU-486 abortions. But the 40 Days for Life volunteers praying on the sidewalk outside know they’re making a difference.
“The response from people driving by has been very positive lately,” said Jim in Cedar Rapids, “and we’ve seen some success.”
When volunteers talk to clients about the things Planned Parenthood does in other places, they start to think about getting routine health services from somewhere other than America’s leading abortion chain.
They’re also able to give information about local pro-life resources to women who go there for pregnancy tests.
They also heard from a teenager who had an appointment to remove a contraceptive implant. “She said she would rather be abstinent and not return as a client,” Jim said. “How often do you hear that from a teen that’s used Planned Parenthood’s services for several years?”
Jim said with continued prayer, “we hope webcam (RU-486 distributed via the internet) and surgical abortions never make it to Cedar Rapids — or your community.”
Here’s the link to today’s devotional.
Yours for Life,
Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
PS: If you have stories to share about the 40 Days
for Life campaign in your area, please respond below.
March 27th, 2012 at 7:52 am
St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Wake Forest, NC held vigil at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Chapel Hill, NC on Saturday March 24th. We were joined by members of other Raleigh-area Parishes on a very rainy day, and had a total of 144 prayer-warrior-hours between 7 AM and 7 PM. We don’t always know whose heart is touched by our prayer, but we do know that God hears it, and that our witness to the sanctity of life is powerful!
March 27th, 2012 at 9:23 am
To all the youth that are willing to take a stand against this culture of death, thank you! You are the generation that has grown up seeing YOUR ultrasound picture proudly displayed in a photo album. Always remember the gift of life that you have been given and never be afraid to stand up for those that can’t speak for themselves!
March 27th, 2012 at 9:41 am
526+ babies!!!! Amazing!!!!!! :)
March 27th, 2012 at 10:45 am
Thanks for all of your reports each day & your inspiration. Today, I will go to abortion mill in Hackensack, NJ to pray. In my busy life it takes planning but so worth it to save babies. Saturday ,I attended a DIVINE MERCY CONFERENCE at Cardinal Spellman HS in the Bronx,NY. It was a magnificent conference. Abby Johnson was there ,The ex Director of Planned Parenthood Who became Pro Life through the prayers & caring of 40 Days for Life people. She made a wonderful informative educational & caring presentation.Anyone who would like her CD could contact Marians of the Immaculate Conception,Stokbridge,Ma 01263. You could order the DVD of the whole day which was wonderful,also.Thanks again for all that you do. mary
March 27th, 2012 at 11:25 am
i have read so much success over these few weeks and i know that their are multitudes more, that are not known.
i know that God is in everyone of us, each finding their own way. thats why he gave us individuality, each of us is unique in our own way.
God never gets in a hurry but confident all will prevail.
having faith and confidence in your work , shows you trust God and so must we trust his
work. I know he hears every pray. I believe. Thanks for staying so strong.
God Blesses everyone in his work.
March 27th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
The most powerful weapon offered in the battle between good and evil, is the Holy Mass. In Denver, we have been blessed to have several priests who have offered the Holy Mass at the gates of evil, Planned Parenthood. Fr. Joseph Hearty, Fr. Piotr Mozdyniewicz, Fr. Salvador Cisneros and Monsignor Bernard Schmitz have all offered Mass during this Spring Campaign of 40 Days for Life with over 100 faithful participating. This Saturday, March 31st, our closing rally will consist of Bishop James D. Conley leading us in prayer and the offering of two Masses by our faithful priests, one in Spanish and one in Latin. As we know, it has been known for abortion clinics to close after the faithful prayer of love and life through the Holy Mass was offered in the presence of evil. Pictures http://denver40daysforlife.shutterfly.com/
March 27th, 2012 at 4:35 pm
Wonderful rainy day in Chico. A woman stopped with a tray of coffee for the volunteers. She thanks us for our witness. She was nearly aborted. A beautiful life almost lost.
March 27th, 2012 at 6:03 pm
Yes! This is Daddy God’s heart beat is to bring LIFE! Praying for “life” is alignment with His purposes and will. Thanks be to God for 40 Days for Life. I see more lives saved because you are bringing His Kingdom and His will when you pray for life…
March 27th, 2012 at 6:33 pm
Let us all pray for an end to abortion.
March 27th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
Today was amazing. My son and I attended a “Rally for Religious Liberty” in the Missouri Capital. Leaders of the Catholic Church (Archbishop Carlson), Lutheran Missouri Synod, and Baptist Convention delivered beautiful and powerful pleas for the Missouri Legislatures to NOT back the HHS Mandate and to pass pro-life legislation currently before them. More than 2,000 were in attendance from all corners of the state!!!!
Our Lord is working to bring together ALL of his body, the church, to fight the evil and injustice of abortion and the current attack on religious freedom in our country.
Praise HIS holy name in Jesus Christ.
March 27th, 2012 at 10:52 pm
At 3pm the hour of Mercy,three of us were praying in front of P.P. I heard beautiful music coming from a prayer warrior who was playing
trumpet. The rain was falling keeping time with the musician, as the rest of us prayed for an end to abortion at this facility. God’s mercy is great! It can bring a change of heart to those who ‘take life’ to become one who promotes life’. May we continue to pray for those ‘don’t know what they do’.
March 28th, 2012 at 2:03 am
Just an update of Fridays Candlelight Vigil in front of Montclair, California. FP Clinic. There was a nice group made up of men, women and some children. Brooke, who is five ,was asking very good questions regarding fetus in the womb to her mom.
We were approx 15 total. We sang , we prayed, and read Psalm 139, it’s the one about how wonderfully and fearfully we are made by our God.
I know the Lord met us there. Please pray the Lord does a Miracle. That Friday afternoon we ministered to a woman 3 mos. pregnant, she took literature for the closest Women’s Care center and one of our ladies gave a strong testimony of the horror exp. of abortion and swore to be the voice of the unborn for life.