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After just the first day of this 40 Days for Life
campaign, many locations are reporting record turnouts
for their opening events ...

... and babies SAVED from abortion!

Here’s a story of a life spared from abortion at a
40 Days for Life kickoff ...

ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

More than 500 people — including families with their
children — came to stand and pray outside Planned
Parenthood as part of the Orange County kickoff.

“As the prayer ended, we witnessed the first baby
saved of this 40 Days for Life 2013 campaign,” said
Alejandra in Orange County. “A woman came out of
Planned Parenthood and as we approached her, she
told us that she couldn’t abort her baby. She had
tears in her eyes. All glory to God!”

The prayer volunteers learned that the woman was in
her seventh week of pregnancy. She has four other
children and thought her family didn’t have sufficient
resources to care for the new baby.

“We reassured her that this life was precious and
wanted by God — and that we would be there for her
and help her,” Alejandra said. “With God, everything
is possible.”

To see some photos of the Orange County kickoff event,
please go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3894

LANSING, MICHIGAN

A record turnout of more than 170 at the 40 Days for
Life kickoff event showed the local pro-life effort
is going strong. As was the case in California,
there was a strong family presence.

“Collaboration is what we need to focus on,” said
Cecilia Tombelli, the local campaign director. “Alone,
we will not succeed. But with God — and by working
together — we will.”

A representative of Right to Life of Michigan shared
encouraging news. Five Michigan abortion centers
have closed in the past 15 months, including a
facility in Lansing — a closure that followed a
three-year prayer effort.

FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA

David Bereit, 40 Days for Life’s national director,
helped kick off the tenth campaign in Fairfax — a
community in Northern Virginia, not far from
Washington, DC.

At an event near the abortion center where the
peaceful vigil will be held, David encouraged the
volunteers to accept a challenge — 40 hours of
prayer at the vigil over the next 40 days.

“Many of us put in 40 hours a week — or more — at
work. Students put in around 40 hours a week on their
schooling,” he said, “and we do that every week! Why
can’t we make the sacrifice of coming out to pray
40 hours over these 40 days? It could be one hour
every day — or two hours every other day. We know
the need for prayer — here outside the abortion
facility — is great.”

Here’s the link to the list of cities. Click on the
one nearest you — and sign up for the vigil:

http://40daysforlife.com/location

To see a picture of the Fairfax rally, please go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3894

Kevin Burke, Executive Director, Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries

Intention:

May the King of the Universe, who entered

this world as a helpless infant,

give us the humility to be healed.

Scripture:

My power is made perfect in weakness.

—2 Corinthians 12:9

Reflection:

The great mystery of the Humility of

God is very near and dear to the mission

of those serving in pro life and in a

special way, post abortion ministries

across this nation.

For those wounded by their participation

in abortion, the door to healing often

feels like crossing an abyss of great

fear: fear of judgment, fear of being

torn apart by the pain, by self hatred

and rage at those who hurt and abandoned

you, and manipulated you in

your time of temptation.

For men in particular, entering the unknown

waters of emotional vulnerability,

so necessary to healing calls for a

different kind of courage that feels deceptively

like weakness.

The door to healing is humility.

It is born in the inability to no longer

control the pain, to live with the consequences

of that tragic decision to reject

life. The hearts cries out, “I have committed

a grave offense against my Creator

and I am consumed by regret, grief

and sorrow!”

During these forty days let us pray for

all who have participated in abortion

and with love call them to healing and

reconciliation. With healing these

women and men can become as John

Paul II proclaimed in the Gospel of Life,

“the most eloquent defenders of everyone's

right to life.”

Jesus proclaimed, “I am the Vine, you

are the branches” (John 15:5). To bear

the greatest fruit, the branches must be

pruned. Each level of pruning of the

vine requires a deeper level of humility

so that we can abandon ourselves to

His will.

This is not a lofty theological concept

as much as it is an earthy experience of

pulling weeds, tilling rocky soil, pruning

and healing the vines. “If a man

wishes to come after me, he must deny

his very self, take up his cross, and

begin to follow in my footsteps” (Matthew

16:24).

Prayer:

Lord, during these forty days, we ask

that with each day of this sacred vigil,

everything in us that separates us from

your perfect will would be pruned from

our hearts and souls.

In this blessed freedom may we experience

a powerful anointing of your Holy

Spirit. Filled with confidence and

trust may we proclaim with the mother

of Jesus, “Let it be done to me, according

to your Word.”