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I’m home for a few days — but David Bereit, 40 Days
for Life’s national director, is on the road right now
in Texas.

Last night, David spoke at the record TENTH campaign
kickoff event in Bryan/College Station. He’s visiting
the 40 Days for Life location in McKinney, Texas today.

>From Bryan/College Station back in 2004, we’ve seen
God take 40 Days for Life to some far away (and some
very cold) places. Here are a couple of stories from
local campaigns facing challenging situations.

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

We refer to the current 40 Days for Life events as the
“spring” campaign. But don’t tell that to the folks in
Alaska! Anchorage has received more than 100 inches of
snowfall already this winter. And it isn’t over yet.

Haylee Shields, the local coordinator, sent before-and-
after photos showing the sidewalk in front of Planned
Parenthood — before and after some of the 8-foot
snowdrifts were plowed away.

All that snow has done nothing to deter the spirit of
the volunteers taking part in 40 Days for Life.

“We’re gearing up and getting excited for what could be
the best campaign we’ve ever had,” Haylee said.

“We have been spending time together in prayer, and we
are trusting the Lord to do great things as we follow
His will.”

Yes, it’s cold. And yes, there’s a WHOLE LOT of snow.
But many are answering the call to take a public stand
against the evil of abortion.

“Please remember that we are the visible sign that the
church of God will not stand idly by while abortions
are being committed in our communities,” Haylee told
local volunteers. “You can make a difference in this
fight for life!”

To see some photos of the kickoff event — and the snow
— in Anchorage, please go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2686

RENO, NEVADA

The Reno/Tahoe area has been faithfully involved in
nearly every coordinated 40 Days for Life campaign.
But they’d never gotten any media attention — until now.

This time, the campaign kickoff event generated several
reports from two local newspapers and one TV station.

The event featured testimony from a woman who’d had
three abortions when she was younger — including one
at the facility where the 40 Days for Life vigil is
taking place in Reno. “I have a responsibility to speak
the truth,” she said. “Every time we have the
opportunity to speak the truth, it’s a gift.”

This abortion center features a series of signs along
its fence, all of them designed to encourage prayer
volunteers to go home. One reads, “Protesters are
terrorists.” That’s one of the milder ones.

In the past, the abortionist has used a sound system
to blare out obscene music. He has also turned on a
sprinkler system during the prayer vigils. The
sprinklers have been pointed directly at the sidewalk
where the volunteers conduct their campaign.

But they will continue to stand and pray.

“We are going to pray for an end to abortion in our
country,” one local pastor told the crowd. “We are
going to appeal to the divine source to bring about a
change of hearts and minds of the people of this land.”

To see some photos of the Reno kickoff, please go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2686

Day 3 - February 24

Intention:

Pray for your local pregnancy help center: for those who answer calls from women considering abortion, those who provide ultrasounds, and those who personally help mothers prepare to parent or place for adoption.

Scripture:

Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

--Psalm 82:4

Reflection:

When a woman arrives at her local pregnancy help center, the hard work of "rescuing the weak" begins. They listen to her. What desperate circumstance is driving her? They act. A professional ultrasound and medical care is provided. They pray, "God use us." Then, they take up her burdens and work towards life. It is cross-bearing for the child-bearing.

Recently, I prayed for one volunteer who was working with one mother in her struggle. Here is what "rescue the weak" looked like in this one case:

Aug 3: She made an appoint-ment for Thursday to get an abortion and while she feels terrible about it, she also feels like she has no choice. Pray that her heart is changed!
Aug 10: She is 12 weeks along but missed her appointment. She had some good conversa-tions with people at the preg-nancy center. She is now considering adoption.
Aug 13: Things are down again. She now has an abortion scheduled for Monday. Pray!
Aug 17: Missed appointment! God is working in her life.
Sept 1: We've hit another rocky period. She has an abortion scheduled for tomorrow. She found out today that her parents are planning a trip to visit her and she is panicking.
Sept 15: Missed third appointment. But feels like she has no choice. Please pray today.
Sept 20: She fears her parents but has agreed to another ultrasound (a breakthrough).
Sept 22: I was there with her for her ultrasound. She saw her baby moving and made the realization that she wants to carry her baby.

Please keep praying against attack by the enemy. We are overwhelmed by seeing God's hand move in this situation and are so very thankful for the prayers lifted up by each one of you. God is good!

Prayer:

Father, we praise you for this one sister who gave herself, heart and soul, to rescue this one mother and baby. O may you empower the hundreds more today who are serving in our pregnancy help centers. Grant those answering calls, providing ultrasound and following up with a bold spirit of truth, love and perseverance.

Rev. John Ensor
Vice President, Heartbeat International