Pro-Lifers Brave 8-Foot Snow to Protest Planned Parenthood

National   |   Shawn Carney   |   Feb 23, 2012   |   2:57PM   |  

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!”

—————————————-
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.”

LifeNews.com Note: Shawn Carney is the campaign director for the 40 Days for Life pro-life prayer campaign against abortion.