Dear Pro-life Volunteer,
40 Days for Life has ONE primary purpose — to END ABORTION in our local communities. This is accomplished through Prayer, Fasting, Constant Vigil, and Community Outreach. By the grace of God, since 2007, when 40 Days for Life (40 DFL) began national campaigns, there have been 110 abortion facilities closed through the direct efforts of 40 DFL spring and fall campaign volunteers. This statistic initially seems to pale in comparison to the 18,795 lives saved (praise God!) as a result of 40 DFL efforts. EACH of these lives spared from the atrocity of abortion gives cause to celebrate and glorify God and thus when an ENTIRE abortion facility is shut down we know there are COUNTLESS lives and untold family trees saved and impacted. By making it even just a bit more inconvenient to obtain an abortion many studies have shown women are less likely to travel the extra distance to obtain an abortion. This puts into proper perspective the amazing blessing of 110 abortion facilities closed worldwide, and the legions of lives given the chance to unfold and to realize God’s will.
Here in Chester County, West Chester Planned Parenthood has been in operation since the mid-1990s. For around 25 years, the equivalent of an average preschool or kindergarten class has been killed there each week. This tragedy is only too familiar to many of you as you pray and witness outside of WC PP week after week. As Rachel Hayes has shared previously, be encouraged that everyone’s prayers and presence are making a difference. WC PP numbers have been steadily decreasing, down to 766 in 2018 from over 1,000 in 2015 and before. This drop in abortions brings tremendous hope and inspires us to continue our prayer, fasting, outreach, and peaceful vigils.
This year’s Chester County 40 DFL Spring Campaign Vigil yielded more encouragement and hope. Enough diapers to fill a pick-up truck, inside and out, were donated to Birthright and Chester County Women’s Services of West Chester through the generosity of 40 DFL local volunteers. Seeing these diapers piled up outside of WC PP, a man stopped to inquire about diapers for his brother’s new baby. He proceeded to share how he and his wife came to WC PP 7 years ago to obtain an abortion but the volunteers praying outside spoke with and helped them to realize what a regrettable mistake they were about to make. This man repeatedly told us what “a happy man” he is because they decided 7 years ago not to abort their child and that he would love to come pray with us sometime. In the last week of the campaign, a mother entering WC PP was offered prayers and help by 40 DFL volunteers and the outreach of volunteers from another pro-life group. She exited PP 1.5 hours later, crying and joy-filled, saying she was keeping her baby! Worldwide, many mothers felt this same joy, during the 40 DFL spring 2021 campaign there were 755 lives confirmed saved and 3 abortion facilities closed!
The success of our local campaign as well as of those around the world is made possible through the grace of God. He gives us (the volunteers) the grace to do what He is calling us to do. We all know God’s call does not end when the spring and fall campaigns end, and many of you feel His call year-round. Many of you are out there, in front of WC PP, once a month, twice or more a month, once a week, and twice or more a week! You are there, holding vigil, helping the mothers and fathers and standing in solidarity with the babies.
THESE YEAR-ROUND PRAYER VIGILS will help us achieve our goal of CLOSING DOWN WC PP. In order to move closer to this goal I am working to gain approval by 40 DFL to start a 40 Days for Life 365 Campaign here in Chester County. 40 DFL announced this new program at the end of 2020 and according to Shawn Carney, 40 DFL President and CEO, “After much development and testing in various locations, we are excited to release this new training, which will devastate abortion businesses. Local leaders have been asking for this, and … are going to see saved baby numbers go up and ultimately see abortion facilities close.” The program provides a platform/Web site for leaders and volunteers to use year-round that facilitates campaign communications, scheduling, and logistics. 40 DFL 365 initially asks us hold vigil during all WC PP business hours on abortion days with a long-term goal of covering as many of the business hours as possible.
The year-round, 40 DFL 365 program does not replace the spring and fall campaigns. It supplements them, keeps the momentum going, and puts maximum pressure on WC PP. 365 also allows volunteers year-round security/legal help, normally only part of spring and fall campaigns.
The first step in gaining approval for 40 DFL 365 is to get contact information (name, email address, cell phone number) for anyone interested in participating. This is not a commitment, just a showing of interest! Please let me know if you would like to volunteer to pray outside WC PP throughout the year, at any frequency: monthly, weekly, daily! If you already make a habit of praying there, please send me your contact information. Many of you have been sacrificing your time for years to be there for abortion vulnerable babies, women, and men. I am so grateful for your faithfulness and as we saw during the spring campaign, your sacrifices and prayers will continue to bless others for years and years.
With gratitude,
Jamie Failla, Co-Leader, Chester County
failla525@msn.com 267-981-6565 cell
If you have Vigil stories/photos to share, please forward to us. (Jamie or Rachel Hayes, chesco40days@gmail.com)
Web site: https://www.40daysforlife.com/chestercounty
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