40 Days for Life Experience

This fall I had the opportunity to run the first fall 40 Days for Life campaign at Family Planning Associates (FPA) in San Diego off of Miramar Road, September 22 -- October 31. When a dear friend of mind first asked me to help out I said of course, and though it wouldn’t be too difficult. When the time came to sign our city up for the fall prayer vigil it was myself and one other gentleman. We signed up in mid July and from that day on my life has been blessed by running a 40 Days for Life campaign.

We had about two months until the campaign would kick off, so I started listening to the online trainings on how to run a 40 Days for Life campaign. About 40 hours later, once I had listened to all the trainings and mapped out my strategy, I began to panic. I didn’t know how on earth I was going to accomplish all that needed to be done. One of the biggest things emphasized in the online trainings was that all you have to do is say yes to God and let him work through you. With hundred of phone calls made, many emails written, and hours of prayer, things started to pickup off the ground. Before the campaign even started, it was incredible to see the feedback that was received from communities of San Diego county. We had our cast the vision meeting with local pro-life leaders to connect regarding activating churches and their local communities; I only expected about 10 people, and oh my was I surprise and excited when over 30 people showed up. Right away the meeting attendees shared ideas and contacts, and the very next day they were out at their churches and in their communities promoting our prayer vigil.

This was a very new concept to grasp for many people, 40 Days of praying and fasting outside the abortion clinic! It took some time for them to understand the need and importance of praying at the actual abortion center, but not once did a prayer warrior regret the time spent outside of the abortion clinic. This campaign activated hundreds of new members to the pro-life movement, and many others walked out of their homes for the first time and into the streets to proclaim the right to life in a public forum. At the kick of rally there were over 100 people present to celebrate the beginning of a 40 day long prayer and fast. No one knew what the outcome of the campaign would be, but all knew that they had the common belief that praying for an end to abortion was vital.

Over the 40 days many beautiful stories were shared and many people were touched by the campaign. Ten confirmed lives were saved, and ten families spared from the devastation that an abortion brings. More than 1,000 people participated in our campaign, between praying and fasting from home or in front of the abortion clinic. While we know that ten lives were spared there are many more we will never know about because they drove by the clinic instead of walking in, or they decided not to leave their home at all that morning for their scheduled abortion. Dot Harms, Executive Director of Culture of Life Family Services in San Diego shared with us that at least one crisis pregnancy came to their office every day during the 40 Days for Life campaign, and that was a significantly higer than normal number of women seeking pregnancy counseling.

At our closing celebration for the two San Diego county campaigns we were joined by Shawn Carney, Co-Founder of 40 Days for Life along with many other pro-life leaders from the San Diego area. Never before have I seen such joyous people. We came together to celebrate a campaign that not only saved 12 lives and impacted the abortion clinics in our area, but to celebrate the changes that took place in our own lives and the transformation our churches and communities went through. San Diego came together in solidarity to pray and fast for an end to abortion; it made a difference and saved lives. If you have the opportunity to participate in the next 40 Days for Life campaign I strongly encourage you to do so. The innocent need your prayers and sacrifices.