?A man in plain clothes approached me,? said a 40 Days for Life volunteer. ?He introduced himself as the security guard for the day -- Planned Parenthood was expecting us.?

Vigil participants were expecting a hard time, but this guy was quite polite as he explained the ground rules regarding the center?s property. ?He also advised me to stay hydrated,? the volunteer said, ?and said that if I needed anything, I could flag him down.?

The security man came back later to check on the people praying. He talked about his days as a police officer ? and admitted that he had accepted the job for the day with his contract security company without knowing his assignment was Planned Parenthood.

He said he was Christian and pro-life ? and not happy with the place his work had taken him.

?I asked him if he'd be securing the facility for the duration of the campaign, to which he said that he would not, since it would be against his Christian beliefs to support an organization like Planned Parenthood,? the vigil participant recalled. "He pledged that he would decline any future requests or offers to work at Planned Parenthood."

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?We often focus on the mothers we help and the babies saved during our time on the sidewalk,? said a 40 Days for Life leader in another city, ?and we forget to share beautiful stories that happen when we get to know the workers too.?

This leader recalled a security guard who worked for the abortion center. ?We were able to encourage her to leave and find different employment. She actually purchased our daughter her very first pair of shoes.?

Prior to her leaving, she?d had many conversations with prayer volunteers. She would often report that they were making a major impact on the mothers going into the facility. She would even distribute resource information to mothers.

?Through this outreach, she was instrumental in encouraging nearly 15 mothers to choose life that year,? said the 40 Days for Life coordinator. ?This all happened because someone took the time to care, and strike up a conversation, and through that conversation provide her the hope necessary to make a life giving decision to find different employment.?

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David Brandao, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

With 40 Days for Life, David wears many hats. Prior to joining the 40 Days for Life team, he was an award-winning radio and TV journalist. He has also served as a board member for a pregnancy help center and as publications director for a major national pro-life organization.