DAY 15: Closed!!!
There’s a theme that ties together today’s update — God hears your prayer … and He answers.
Here’s what I mean….
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EUGENE, OREGON
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“I want to spread some very awesome news!!!”
That’s the email I received from Lynda in Eugene – complete with all three exclamation marks.
The Bours Health Center – the abortion facility where faithful volunteers have prayed during EIGHT 40 Days for Life campaigns – has shut its doors.
Vigil participants watched as signs, drapes and banners came down. Later that day, “we rejoiced, praising the Lord and hugging and high-fiving during our 40 Days for Life meeting,” Lynda said.
The center’s web site announces its closing – and refers any potential clients to a Planned Parenthood facility in town. So, the Eugene team is planning to move its prayer vigil – to Planned Parenthood!
“God bless!” Lynda said. “And share the good news!!!”
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PLANNED PARENTHOOD CLOSURES
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One year ago this Friday, our national director David Bereit and I boarded a plane for Iowa – where it was quite frigid.
We were on our way to Storm Lake, Iowa – where a former Planned Parenthood manager, who was forced out of her job after 17 years, had prayed long and hard before deciding to do the unthinkable …
… she led a 40 Days for Life campaign outside her former workplace!
As a result of this prayerful campaign and her leadership, Planned Parenthood was forced to close that location on March 1, 2012. The closure was an embarrassment for Planned Parenthood, which tried its best to downplay the impact of this courageous former worker.
Their plan was to just send their clients to their center down the road in Spencer, Iowa.
Not quite a full year after closing the Storm Lake facility, Planned Parenthood just announced they are now closing that location in Spencer!
In fact, Planned Parenthood has just announced its intention to close six of its facilities – Spencer plus another location in Iowa, as well as four others in Wisconsin.
These are not locations where 40 Days for Life vigils have taken place, but it’s certainly good news. It’s a huge blessing … and proof – to me and many faithful volunteers – that prayer is effective.
There have been numerous 40 Days for Life campaigns in both of these states, and these closures show momentum is continuing to build – momentum directly related to this movement of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion.
The former worker in Storm Lake is Sue Thayer. She is now a leading voice against the controversial new procedure known as webcam abortions, where an abortionist in one location “examines” a client over the internet before pressing a button that dispenses the abortion pill for the woman in a distant facility.
Sue’s courage and this controversial new abortion technique both challenge us to do more.
Her journey shows what God has done and acts as an invitation to us. Sue’s invitation to trust God is featured Chapter 37 of the 40 Days for Life book.
Here’s the link to today’s devotional.
Yours for Life,
Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
PS: Please share the good news! Stories about your own
40 Days for Life experiences are always welcome. You
may post a response
February 27th, 2013 at 10:35 am
I love to read Carmen Pate’s devotionals. They always seem to be anointed and “On time” I have given away hundreds of her devotional titled “Pray for post abortive women who cannot forgive themselves.”
I want to share something that has really helped me and encouraged others at the hood “Especially Newby’s” regarding persecution and slander which was Carmen’s topic today. We know from the Lords word we are Blessed and are to rejoice in the face of persecution but for some reason it just became real to me in the words of John Newton who was a former Slave Trader who when he came to Christ became a major opponent of slavery and was a spiritual father and mentor to William Wilberforce.
In Newton’s Diary he wrote: “He treated me with utmost contempt and indecency!… This is the first time I have had the honor of being publicly insulted for the gospel’s sake! LORD! HELP ME TO DESERVE IT!” :-)
February 27th, 2013 at 4:23 pm
We weren’t able to have an official 40 Days for Life at the Ventura Planned Parenthood during the current campaign. However, I have been trying to spend time there as though we were. This morning I spent a little over an hour praying at Planned Parenthood. As some of you know, Wednesday is the day they do surgical abortions. With comings and goings, we had an average of about 7 prayer warriors while I was there.
Shortly before I needed to leave, a Hispanic woman left the clinic and walked up the driveway toward the sidewalk, where we were praying. She came right toward us and began to cry. The woman closest to the PP client was holding a large poster of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and began to speak gently to her.
At this, the woman began to cry harder and replied in Spanish. The prayer warrior put down her O.L. Guadalupe sign and enfolded the woman in her arms as she sobbed. Our prayer warrior looked up and told us,
“She didn’t go through with the abortion.”
As we continued to pray, one or two women spoke to this mother and gave her information on where to get help and encouraged her to call there. Eventually the mother calmed down enough to thank them and walk away, her pregnancy center information in hand.
My mother, Marilyn Bose, was delivering Meals on Wheels and slipped on ice, fell, and broke her pelvis yesterday. She is still in the hospital today, her 80th birthday. Some nurse friends of hers told my mom way back in the year before Roe v. Wade went to court that there were powerful people working toward legalizing abortion, so my mom has been working pro-Life since before Roe v. Wade. My mom has been offering her suffering as penance, for the election of the new Pope, and for the end of abortion.
I believe that God sent a sign – this precious life that was saved – on my mom’s birthday. In His love, He sent this sign to say that all of her – and OUR – work toward a Culture of Life, in prayers, sacrifices & penances, and standing on the sidewalk in front of abortion clinics, pleases Him.
February 27th, 2013 at 4:53 pm
Well put Newton!!! Thanks for posting it Kevin. We are publicly insulted for the Lord for His kingdom. Every moment we are in victory. The “taunters” are merely the enemy’s vain attempts at taking me down. When I hear them I wave at them and pray for them. There is a blessing I pray on all of the them, first and foremost the Salvation our Lord and Savior provides, but that if they have been injured from an abortiont that they would have healing.
God bless you all for going out and taking it from even the abortionists and their minions!!
February 27th, 2013 at 4:54 pm
Oh, and thanks for posting about the closure!!!!!!!!!!! Woooooohoooooo and a big high-five to all of you!! Thanks for your prayers for clinics to close!! They have been answered!! Bours has shut his doors…..permanently!!
February 27th, 2013 at 8:51 pm
Please help me to be strong! I am a newbie lol I discovered that the closest 40 Days for Life in my state was about an hour away. I also discovered that a neighboring state and location was 25 minutes away- Ok, God answered that prayer! I thought I was ready to go, bought the book, read chapter 1 on day 1 and when I arrived at the site, no one was there. Ok, God has showed me where to go, but my own fear kept me in the car, praying. I went the next week, on a day where there was a group. I thought ” perfect- I can just stand in the back and no one will notice me, and I’ll see how this is done.” Kinda hard to blend when there are only 3 people, and later just 1 priest and myself lol I was not wearing black, and when the 3 people left I thought it was definitely hard to blend in with Father, but I hung on his every word about his experience of prolife. Today I went, and noticed on the schedule that no one was signed up-except every day for the 6am til 8am slot. I am beginning to dislike the color red- the empty time slots from 8am til 5pm. I got out of the car, prayed in the rain and asked God for strength. Tomorrow, I am going at 7am and can’t wait to meet this angel on earth, who has been there every day, for 2 hours. Please pray for us, babies and parents who go through this horrific procedure. I ask for mercy, and help to be non-judgemental of them, and prayers for me to speak up for those who can’t. anne
February 27th, 2013 at 10:14 pm
How incredibly exciting to see all of these babies saved, already and that we know of, and to see these abortion centers closed and a former PP worker now speaking out and praying for the unborn and their mothers and families! Hallelujah!
February 28th, 2013 at 9:08 pm
Newbie…I did that during my first 40 Days for Life. I loaded my 2 little ones in my car and headed out once a week. The time in prayer and fellowship made me stronger. I will pray for you. ……..Now I am the director in Eugene… You may have found your future calling!! lol love and prayer to you for making the effort!! Way to follow the Lord’s leading!!