40 Days for Life sees lives saved

by Tom Strode                                                                                                                                                          Vol. XXIII, No. 1, January 2010

      The nationwide 40 Days for Life initiative has received reports of scores of women choosing life for their unborn children and even abortion clinic workers leaving the business during its latest effort.

The 40 Days for Life campaign, which began Sept. 23, counted 123 babies saved from abortion less than a third of the way into the effort. Tens of thousands of people in 212 cities in the United States, Canada, and Denmark had participated in peaceful prayer vigils outside abortion clinics and Planned Parenthood offices when the outreach ended Nov. 1. Some participants also have fasted and prayed for the end of abortion.

The initiative, which became a national movement two years ago, has produced reports of 1,561 children saved from abortion in four previous campaigns, according to 40 Days for Life.

David Bereit, national director of 40 Days for Life, reported Oct. 6 on an instance of the effort's impact:

Nearly 200 people were praying Oct. 3 outside a clinic in Manassas, VA, when a woman arrived for an abortion appointment. After some of the pro-lifers spoke to her, she went instead to a nearby pregnancy help center.

"The lady who was about to have the abortion told the counselor she started to shiver when she saw so many people praying," said Ken Groves of the 40 Days for Life effort in Manassas. "At that moment she said she felt God wanted her to have her baby."

In another incident, reported Oct. 5 by Bereit:

"Kristina and Michele in Syracuse, NY, were praying in front of Planned Parenthood when two young women stopped to talk. One of the young women said she was pregnant and going to Planned Parenthood for an abortion.

"Instead, she was encouraged to visit a pro-life pregnancy resource center where she was offered a free ultrasound. 'Long story short,' said Kristina, 'the girl decided against having the abortion. Praise the Lord!'"

There also have been reports of clinic employees quitting, Bereit said:

"Angela of the 40 Days for Life team in [Granite City, Ill.] said the abortion facility nurse came out and hugged her. 'Thank you for praying for me,' she told Angela. 'Your witness has been powerful to me. This is my last day! I'm going off to do what real nurses should be doing.' With that, she walked to her car and drove away."

Information on the initiative and the locations of this fall's prayer vigils may be found online at www.40daysforlife.com.