Dear Deacon, 40 Days for Life was first launched as national effort
in the fall of 2007 -- and oh, how we NEVER imagined
where God would take this campaign! Here's what I mean. One of the 247 locations where
40 Days for Life is taking place right now is in the
nation of Georgia -- a place with a long, sad history
regarding abortion. Here are some of the things that Carolyn, the local
coordinator, has told us about this first-time campaign
... and of course, some pictures!
-------------------------------------------------------
TBILISI, GEORGIA
------------------------------------------------------- The vigil is in Tbilisi, Georgia's capital city, in
front of Parliament, on the city's main street. As a former Soviet republic, Georgia is steeped in
abortion. There is not only a need to turn the current
generation away from abortion, but to bring healing to
the many who experienced it in the past. "We are sort of doing outreach and vigil at the same
time, which probably is unusual," Carolyn said. "But
since we are not in front of an abortion clinic,
everything is a little different than we expected." There is a school nearby. "Mothers and grandparents
are rushing by, but the children are drawn to our set
of fetal models and drag their mothers or guardians
along to see them," she said. "This gives us great
chances to talk to them about abortion and how babies
develop so early." While the kids are looking at the models, counselors
talk to the adults."Many adult women don't want to
stop and look -- and their post-abortion pain is very
visible on their faces," she said. "We are able to
speak with women about our healing program." Men often hurry past the display, insisting that
abortion is a women's issue. But occasionally, a man
will stop. Carolyn recalls telling one man that men
have a lot to do with a woman's decision to abort.
She then gave him a brochure. "As he began to read of post-abortion hurt in men,
tears came into his eyes and he began to talk," she
said. He had four sons, and insisted on an abortion
when his wife became pregnant again. "He said his
wife didn't seem to suffer after abortion, but that
he himself thought about it often." He didn't
realize other men experienced things he was feeling. "We also have many opportunities to talk with teenagers,"
Carolyn added. "They know their mothers have had many
abortions. So we send them home with post-abortion
healing brochures." Many people asked if they could sign something, so the
group started a petition. The first day, more than
90 people signed it. There is an Orthodox church across
the street that sends people to sign the petition. "We have also had a number of journalists come by, and
I was interviewed on a major TV station," Carolyn said.
The same station scheduled an interview with a woman
who has been through post-abortion healing. "Please pray with us that many will enter our healing
program," she said, "and through this campaign, we can
begin to see the culture here changed from a culture of
death to a culture of life." The pictures show signs in the Georgian alphabet with
familiar messages like "pray to end abortion" and
"abortion stops a beating heart." But the street in front of Parliament attracts many
visitors -- people who often know a bit of English.
So at one team member's suggestion, the group added
one sign in English: "choose life." "I've talked with people from Spain, Azerbaijan, Iran,
Holland, Germany and other countries," Carolyn said.
"So who knows where the message may spread!" To see a bunch of pictures from 40 Days for Life in
Tbilisi, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1982
Today's devotional is from Rev. John Ensor of
Heartbeat International.
------------------------------------------------------
DAY 33 INTENTION
------------------------------------------------------ As we pray for the end of abortion, let us pray for
the expansion of the pregnancy help center movement
worldwide.
------------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
------------------------------------------------------ The dragon stood before the woman who was about to
give birth, so that when she bore her child he might
devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is
to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her
child was caught up to God and to his throne. -- Revelation 12:4-5
------------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Rev. John Ensor, Heartbeat International
------------------------------------------------------ You don't need to be a theological scholar to get the
essential point of Revelation 12. Something BIG is
afoot. It has something to do with the birth of Christ
and the children of God. It involves a war in heaven, with powers and
principalities beyond our expertise. But the battles
are fought here on earth. The crux of the matter centers around the babe of
Bethlehem and the cross of Calvary. It continues to unfold down through the ages, through
us, the children of God, who put their faith in Christ
and take up their cross and follow him. We are waging a war of love against all things that
destroy body and soul. The intensity waxes and wanes, but like labor pains,
they grow and culminate in new life. The unleashing of legal abortion nearly 40 years ago
stirred up prayer (lamentation really). Many were then
led to start pregnancy help centers and maternity homes. Today there are over 3,000 such ministries that did not
exist 40 years ago. They reflect a movement of God on our watch: Christians
driven to give their time and charity to end abortion
one woman at a time. Let's pray this movement expands worldwide. Let's pray
for thousands more Christians to start, serve and
support pregnancy help centers.
------------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
------------------------------------------------------ O God, from generation to generation, you have called
your people to be the very aroma of life amidst a
culture of death. Now it is our turn. Prepare me.
Send me. Use me. I am eager to do my part. Stir your
people everywhere to take up this great work.
------------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
------------------------------------------------------ To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2011day33print.pdf
------------------------------------------------------ Yours for Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life PS: Are you a first-time participant in 40 Days for
Life? If so, thanks for joining the campaign! Please
share your impressions by replying to today's blog
entry at: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1982
40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA
22408
US
in the fall of 2007 -- and oh, how we NEVER imagined
where God would take this campaign! Here's what I mean. One of the 247 locations where
40 Days for Life is taking place right now is in the
nation of Georgia -- a place with a long, sad history
regarding abortion. Here are some of the things that Carolyn, the local
coordinator, has told us about this first-time campaign
... and of course, some pictures!
-------------------------------------------------------
TBILISI, GEORGIA
------------------------------------------------------- The vigil is in Tbilisi, Georgia's capital city, in
front of Parliament, on the city's main street. As a former Soviet republic, Georgia is steeped in
abortion. There is not only a need to turn the current
generation away from abortion, but to bring healing to
the many who experienced it in the past. "We are sort of doing outreach and vigil at the same
time, which probably is unusual," Carolyn said. "But
since we are not in front of an abortion clinic,
everything is a little different than we expected." There is a school nearby. "Mothers and grandparents
are rushing by, but the children are drawn to our set
of fetal models and drag their mothers or guardians
along to see them," she said. "This gives us great
chances to talk to them about abortion and how babies
develop so early." While the kids are looking at the models, counselors
talk to the adults."Many adult women don't want to
stop and look -- and their post-abortion pain is very
visible on their faces," she said. "We are able to
speak with women about our healing program." Men often hurry past the display, insisting that
abortion is a women's issue. But occasionally, a man
will stop. Carolyn recalls telling one man that men
have a lot to do with a woman's decision to abort.
She then gave him a brochure. "As he began to read of post-abortion hurt in men,
tears came into his eyes and he began to talk," she
said. He had four sons, and insisted on an abortion
when his wife became pregnant again. "He said his
wife didn't seem to suffer after abortion, but that
he himself thought about it often." He didn't
realize other men experienced things he was feeling. "We also have many opportunities to talk with teenagers,"
Carolyn added. "They know their mothers have had many
abortions. So we send them home with post-abortion
healing brochures." Many people asked if they could sign something, so the
group started a petition. The first day, more than
90 people signed it. There is an Orthodox church across
the street that sends people to sign the petition. "We have also had a number of journalists come by, and
I was interviewed on a major TV station," Carolyn said.
The same station scheduled an interview with a woman
who has been through post-abortion healing. "Please pray with us that many will enter our healing
program," she said, "and through this campaign, we can
begin to see the culture here changed from a culture of
death to a culture of life." The pictures show signs in the Georgian alphabet with
familiar messages like "pray to end abortion" and
"abortion stops a beating heart." But the street in front of Parliament attracts many
visitors -- people who often know a bit of English.
So at one team member's suggestion, the group added
one sign in English: "choose life." "I've talked with people from Spain, Azerbaijan, Iran,
Holland, Germany and other countries," Carolyn said.
"So who knows where the message may spread!" To see a bunch of pictures from 40 Days for Life in
Tbilisi, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1982
Heartbeat International.
------------------------------------------------------
DAY 33 INTENTION
------------------------------------------------------ As we pray for the end of abortion, let us pray for
the expansion of the pregnancy help center movement
worldwide.
------------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
------------------------------------------------------ The dragon stood before the woman who was about to
give birth, so that when she bore her child he might
devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is
to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her
child was caught up to God and to his throne. -- Revelation 12:4-5
------------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Rev. John Ensor, Heartbeat International
------------------------------------------------------ You don't need to be a theological scholar to get the
essential point of Revelation 12. Something BIG is
afoot. It has something to do with the birth of Christ
and the children of God. It involves a war in heaven, with powers and
principalities beyond our expertise. But the battles
are fought here on earth. The crux of the matter centers around the babe of
Bethlehem and the cross of Calvary. It continues to unfold down through the ages, through
us, the children of God, who put their faith in Christ
and take up their cross and follow him. We are waging a war of love against all things that
destroy body and soul. The intensity waxes and wanes, but like labor pains,
they grow and culminate in new life. The unleashing of legal abortion nearly 40 years ago
stirred up prayer (lamentation really). Many were then
led to start pregnancy help centers and maternity homes. Today there are over 3,000 such ministries that did not
exist 40 years ago. They reflect a movement of God on our watch: Christians
driven to give their time and charity to end abortion
one woman at a time. Let's pray this movement expands worldwide. Let's pray
for thousands more Christians to start, serve and
support pregnancy help centers.
------------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
------------------------------------------------------ O God, from generation to generation, you have called
your people to be the very aroma of life amidst a
culture of death. Now it is our turn. Prepare me.
Send me. Use me. I am eager to do my part. Stir your
people everywhere to take up this great work.
------------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
------------------------------------------------------ To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2011day33print.pdf
------------------------------------------------------ Yours for Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life PS: Are you a first-time participant in 40 Days for
Life? If so, thanks for joining the campaign! Please
share your impressions by replying to today's blog
entry at: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1982
40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA
22408
US
