40 Days For Life St. Louis "Blog"

I'll See You At The Vigil

2009-02-24T21:40:00.000-08:00

Today (Feb. 25) is the first day of the first ever 40 Days For Life here in St. Louis marking the beginning of the end of abortion here in our community. Please join with hundreds of other people who have already committed their time, talent, and treasure towards preparing for this historic event. You can make a difference in some ones life.

Please pray and fast for an end to abortion, commit a few hours each week to stand at the peaceful vigil, and participate in the upcoming community outreach.

This campaign started with just my wife and I, and it grew to a team of sixteen (16) core leadership members, twenty-eight (28) local churches or organizations, and hundreds of people committing to pray and fast for an end to abortion in our community. This all happened, not because we are extraordinary people, but because we are ordinary people, doing God’s extraordinary work. “For with God all things are possible.”

I’ll see you at the vigil!

Blessings,

Brian Westbrook
Co-Director
40 Days For Life St. Louis
40DaysForLifeSTL@Live.com
www.40DaysForLife.com/StLouis

Come Join Us In Prayer

2009-02-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

Thank you for having accepted God’s invitation to participate in this life-saving campaign. You truly are blessed to have received this opportunity to grow deeper in communion with God by allowing Him to work through you to heal our world from the tragedy of abortion.

In the gospel accounts of Jesus’ healing miracles, Jesus was moved to heal them not just because of His great love for them, BUT because of their faith in Him. May we approach Him with this same humble confidence as we begin our 40 Days for Life campaign.

Prayer’s primary purpose is to increase our union with God. It is God’s greatest desire to be an intimate part of our lives, for us to fully rely on Him. Prayer lifts us into the presence of God, where He empowers us to do more than we could ever imagine. With our total reliance on Him, He can accomplish more through us than an infinite amount of men working without God’s grace.

During these 40-days, we must approach God with humility but complete confidence in His desire to triumph over the darkness that rules our world in the form of abortion. Having faith not only in His infinite mercy but also trust in His timeliness.

Fasting can help create in us this humble and confident posture. It is often called physical prayer or the soul of prayer. It directs us to eat of the ‘true food’ which is to do the Father’s will (John 4:34). Fasting is a self-sacrificing action or inaction, which is offered to God to show our respect, love and reliance on Him.

Fasting strengthens us by removing earthly distractions. It can help us to see how great our need is for God, and it can make us more grateful for all the blessings he has already given us. By fasting, we allow GOD to provide for and satisfy our needs. It helps us become dependent and trusting servants attuned to God’s will within our lives.

In preparation for this journey from February 25th to April 5th, I encourage you to seek God’s guidance on your prayer and fasting commitments. Let Him lead you on how He wishes to deepen His union with you and what He sees as obstacles within your life. This prayerful discernment will be the basis for a more loving and grace filled experience.

But no matter how you chose to pray or what your fast consists of, know that your desire to follow God’s will and the condition of your heart is what pleases God most. I thank you again, for your openness and willingness to be part of this effort.

I also thank God for this opportunity that He has set before us. Through this journey it is my hope that we will be led to a deeper communion with God. That we may seek Him in complete faith to remove this injustice, and heal our land.

2 Chronicles 7:14
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Peace and Joy,

Dianne Adam
Prayer Coordinator
40 Days for Life – St. Louis
dianne.40daysforlifestl@live.com

www.40DaysForLife.com/StLouis

God, I think you’ve got the wrong number

2009-02-18T17:52:00.000-08:00

40 Days for Life wishes to thank all of you who have committed your time and prayers for this life-saving campaign. We truly appreciate your sacrifice for this powerful effort.

For those of you still determining your roles, we continue to pray for you and your discernment of how God could effectively use you to change the hearts and minds in our local community. To hopefully encourage you in this process, below are some words from Dianne Adam, Prayer Coordinator for the St. Louis 40 Days for Life leadership team.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God, I think you’ve got the wrong number.

When I stumbled across the national 40 Days for Life website last October – 20 days into the fall campaign, I was overwhelmed with the power of the campaign. I truly felt the hand of God upon this effort and I knew instantly that He wanted me to be involved with it. I confess that I was not overjoyed.

I don’t need this obligation. I don’t have the time or energy. It’s too overwhelming. Excuses and more excuses came to my mind and rolled off my tongue. I could not imagine what God could do with me, or how I could do anything to help this effort. So I said, “Pick someone else God, I think you got the wrong number.”

But I could not get away from the belief that God had placed His hand upon this campaign and was beckoning me to be part of it. He patiently continued to work on softening my heart and encouraging me that He could do anything – if I simply trusted.

So I answered the call and said, “Lead me Lord, Lead me!” And oh, did He ever.

He connected me with others who also believed in this campaign’s power to change hearts and minds about the tragedy of abortion. He empowered me with energy and strength. He calmed my fears and released my anxiety. He continues to give me faith each day to trust in His power and love.

I admit some days it isn’t easy, some days it’s darnn hard. Too many things to do, too little time to do it. But even on those days, I know that had I refused His invitation to join 40 Days for Life it would have meant missing out on witnessing His presence and the work He is doing among us.

40 Days for Life to me is hope. Hope that someday no more babies will die. Hope that no more mothers or fathers will live a life of regret and despair. Hope that our community, our society, our world will no longer look at life as expendable, but valuable and a beautiful gift from God.

And on that day when abortion ends, I believe God with the millions of aborted souls surrounding Him will smile and say, “Thank you my faithful servant, you may now rest.”

I encourage you to become involved in this life-saving campaign in whatever capacity God places on your heart. I encourage you to trust because He has the right number, and He’s waiting for you to answer.

Peace and Joy,
Dianne Adam
Prayer Coordinator
40 Days for Life St Louis
dianne.40daysforlifestl@live.com

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. -Romans 5:5

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Here's how you can get involved:

1.) Go to the St. Louis 40 Days for Life website:
http://www.40daysforlife.com/stlouis

2.) On that local web site, SIGN UP with your name
and e-mail address to get involved and help
save lives!

3.) Browse the website to see how you can
make a life saving difference.

4.) Sign-up for vigil hours on the convenient online
vigil calendar.

5.) Mark your calendars for Feb. 21 at 6:30pm and
join many others to Kick-Off the St. Louis campaign.

Make sure to help spread the word to everyone you know about the spring 40 Days for Life! The easiest way is to forward this e-mail to your friends, family members, co-workers, and fellow believers.

Looking forward to GREAT things this spring!

God Bless,

Brian Westbrook
Co-Director
40 Days For Life St. Louis
40DaysForLifeSTL@Live.com
www.40DaysForLife.com/StLouis

2009-02-17T17:08:00.000-08:00

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**** Make sure to Forward this message to your friends, family and co-workers ****
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Recently I was taking off from Lambert St. Louis Airport on a business trip, and was lucky enough to get a window seat. As I gazed over our great city to see cars on the highways, people walking in and out of stores, and just business as usual, I couldn’t help but wonder how God looks down at us. Are we just going about our daily lives, or are we making a difference in someone else’s life. What does God think about our contribution to help save lives and change hearts?

As I thought about that, and shared small talk with the person next to me in the airplane, I couldn’t help but remember how extraordinary our God is and how ordinary we all are. For this campaign will not be a success because we somehow have all the right answers, but because God has given us the tools to do his work. We just need to but his work into action. “For with God all things are possible.”

Here are just a few of the many recent examples of how God has worked through you and me to bring about change in our community:

40 Days For Life St. Louis was feature on the Archdiocese main webpage:

***http://www.archstl.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=818&Itemid=1

Jennifer Brinker of the St. Louis Review wrote a front page article about 40 Days For Life:

***http://www.stlouisreview.com/article.php?id=16900

Jason Sibert of the Suburban Journal featured 40 Days For Life in a recent article:

***http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2009/02/14/madison/news/0215gcj-life.txt

Paul Clayton of KFUO 850 AM will be featuring 40 Days For Life this Wednesday
Feb. 18th at 7:45am during his morning radio show:

***http://www.kfuoam.org/

By the grace of God, 40 Days for Life has already helped to save more than 1,128 children from death by abortion, led thirteen clinic workers to walk away from the abortion industry, and contributed to the closure of three abortion centers.

And now YOU have a chance to help shape history as part of this spring's 40 Days for Life!

So I invite you to take the first step and join with many other like minded people at our Kick-Off Rally this Saturday February 21st at 6:30PM following the 5:15PM mass at St. Francis Xavier (College) Church. There will be music, prayer, fun and fellowship. There will also be an opportunity to sign-up for vigil hours.

Here's what to do:

1.) Go to the St. Louis 40 Days for Life website:
http://www.40daysforlife.com/stlouis

2.) On that local web site, SIGN UP with your name
and e-mail address to get involved and help
save lives!

3.) Browse the website to see how you can
make a life saving difference.

4.) Sign-up for vigil hours on the convenient online
vigil calendar.

5.) Mark your calendars for Feb. 21 at 6:30pm and
join many others to kick-off the St. Louis campaign.

Prayer Intentions from our Prayer Coordinator Dianne Adam
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God, we thank you for the abundance you have given us and we ask you to look kindly upon our efforts. We humbly ask you with confidence for the following intentions for the 40 Days for Life St. Louis campaign.

*** Thanksgiving for all those who have committed to participate both visible and hidden, and for those who are discerning their roles

*** For continued perseverance in reaching those God wants to participate

*** For all of our efforts, may we always remember He doesn't ask us to be successful, just be willing to try

*** For the local community, may they see and feel Christ’s love reflected in us as we stand in peace and prayer outside Planned Parenthood. .

*** For the conversion of all abortionists and their supporters, may God touch their hearts and minds to the tragedy of abortion

*** If God so desires, that our vigil participation extends to 24 hours giving witness to His power and glory

*** For all those participating that we may be protected against the forces of evil as we engage in this spiritual warfare

In Jesus Name We Pray.

Let the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. - Psalm 19:14

******************************************************************

Blessings,

Brian Westbrook
Co-Director
40 Days For Life St. Louis
40DaysForLifeSTL@Live.com
www.40DaysForLife.com/StLouis

*********************************************************************
**** Make sure to Forward this message to your friends, family and co-workers ****
*********************************************************************

40 Days For Life Update

2009-02-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

I understand that some of you are on the fence about going to the 40 Days for Life Kick-off Rally on Feb. 21st. I need to stress the importance of this cause.

Brian (my husband) and I spent 2 hours praying outside Planned Parenthood today. About 10:00AM a white SUV came through the drive way and stopped at the front of the building. A young lady about 18 years old came down the stairs and got into the passenger side of the car. They circled around the parking lot and then stopped. At this point we could tell the young woman in the passenger seat was very upset and started to cry. The driver, possibly her mother, seemed unmoved and unwilling to console her daughter. Brian and I continued to pray louder and harder. We knew that the choice she made was irreversible and would affect the rest of her life. We watched as this young woman cried for over 3-4 minutes with no hope for the future. Please pray for this woman and for all women who have had abortions and are planning to have abortions.

I do not claim to understand what these women are going through but I know abortion can leave a woman with a lifetime of regret. She may wonder what would have made my child laugh? What would I have named my child? What would my child look like? Abortion kills a child and wounds countless others. Mothers are told it is their body and they have a choice. What about the body of the child? Do they have a say? What if now, at this very moment someone was deciding whether you live or die? This decision is not based on what you have done or will do, but based on the Choice of the one person that should love you the most…your mother.

40 Days for Life is a campaign to end abortion through prayer and education. We are not here to judge but to offer a voice for the voiceless.

Marisa Westbrook
Event Coordinator
40 Days For Life St. Louis
Marisa.40DaysForLifeSTL@Live.com
www.40DaysForLife.com/StLouis

Now Is The Time

2009-02-10T21:53:00.001-08:00

For all of you who have been waiting to signup for hours, the time has arrived! After a good deal of technical difficulties we’re glad to offer a custom online vigil calendar for your convenience.

40 Days For Life St. Louis is committed to peaceful prayer vigils outside of Planned Parenthood from 7AM to 7PM from February 25th – April 5th. If you feel called to stand up for those who can not speak for themselves please start by signing up for the very first day or first week. Only YOU can make a difference for these women and children at this critical moment in their lives.

So… Sign up now and Sign up often! www.40DaysForLife.com/stlouis/vigilcalendar

Make sure to mark your calendars for the Kick-off Rally on February 21st at 6:30PM. Make sure to bring a friend.God Bless,

Brian Westbrook
Co-Director
40 Days For Life St. Louis
40DaysForLifeSTL@Live.com
www.40DaysForLife.com/StLouis

Ps 139:16 "Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

Mark Your Calendars - Kick-Off Rally

2009-02-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

Only 13 Days Until the 40 Days for Life, St. Louis Kick-off Rally but...

you still have plenty of time to pray, and discern your role in this amazing pro-life campaign!

If you haven’t already done so, you can start by emailing, calling, or speaking with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors about 40 Days for Life. Inform them that this prayer-based campaign has proven results like no other effort in the pro-life movement. Every effort has its place and its own unique rewards, but this is special.

40 Days for Life has the power of God closing down abortion facilities, abortionists and other abortion-industry workers walking away from their jobs, women choosing life for their babies and hope for themselves, vigil participants witnessing miracles every day!

Our local campaign is currently featured on the Catholic Archdiocesan website and will be in the St. Louis Review this Friday. People are noticing this growing effort and recognizing that something big is on the horizon.

Please join us for the first ever 40 Days For Life Kick-Off Rally at St. Francis Xavier (College) Church Ball Room where hundreds of other Pro-Life people from the St. Louis area will join together to prepare to DO SOMETHING about this evil that exist in our city. There will be speakers, prayer, music, and fellowship. Special guests include Amy Martin, a post abortive woman and St. Louis Region coordinator of Silent-No-More. Please bring everyone you know…there will be opportunities to meet new people and talk about how you plan to make a difference here in St. Louis.

Event: Kick Off Rally - 40 Days For Life St. Louis
Date: February 21, 2009
Mass Time: 5:15 to 6:15 PM
Event Time: 6:30 to 8:00 PM
Location: St. Francis Xavier (College) Church Ball Room
3638 Lindell Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63108-3302

Please take stairs or elevator to the left of the Church entrance down to the basement

Parking: $1.50 hour at SLU Garages $5.00 max.
Street parking is free after 7 p.m.

If you feel called to peacefully pray and be a witness for Life at the vigil, Now is the time to get signed up! Sign up online or contact a region coordinator to help you get signed up.

The St. Louis Leadership team is praying for you, and we hope you join us as we stand up for those who can not speak for themselves in this Spring’s 40 Days for Life!

Brian Westbrook
Co-Director
40 Days For Life St. Louis
40DaysForLifeSTL@Live.com
www.40DaysForLife.com/StLouis

23 Days To Go

2009-02-01T09:54:00.001-08:00

All,

If you were included on this mailing, Thank You for your support. We are honored that you have chose to be part of 40 Days for Life here in St. Louis. Throughout the next 23 days we will be preparing for the largest pro-life effort in St. Louis Ever!! But we can’t do it alone…we need your help. Please contact everyone you know and tell them about this amazing campaign to end abortion here at the local level. With over 2 million people in the St. Louis area there are bond to be many more people out there that will stand up with us on a united front for life.

You can start by forwarding this message to everyone in your contact list, and encouraging them to sign-up for local updates at http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2440437&loc=en_US or at our local website www.40DaysForLife.com/StLouis. This mailing will be a key way for you to stay in contact with the local leadership.

Next, please pray for a successful campaign and an end to abortion. This campaign is centered on Prayer and Fasting, because with God all things are possible. Your intense prayer is needed to help change hearts and minds from a culture of death to a culture of life.

After you have prayed about your role in 40 Days for Life please consider becoming a local leader either on a city w ide bases or through your church or organization with the Adopt-A-Day program. If you decide to Adopt-A-Day you will be assigned a region coordinator who will work with you to spread the word in your church or organization. All we need is you.

LET’S MAKE SOME NOISE!!

If there is a phone call that you need to make or an e-mail that needs to be sent; Send It Now. The abortion industry never stops fighting to provide so called “reproductive health”, so we should pull out all the stops to let them know we disapprove. Let’s put a SPACE AVAILABLE sign on the door of Planned Parenthood. Our children and grandchildren deserve more than Abortion.

I am a survivor of the Abortion Holocaust, let us save the next generation from these death chambers.

God Bless,

Brian Westbrook
Co-Director
40 Days For Life St. Louis
40DaysForLifeSTL@live.com
www.40DaysForLife.com/StLouis

"We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life--the unborn--without diminishing the value of all human life."--Ronald Reagan

Downloads

2009-01-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

New downloads are now available at http://www.40daysforlife.com/stlouis/downloads to help promote our local 40 Days For Life Campaign here in St. Louis. The leadership team has worked diligently to provide you with all the materials that you need to spread the word to others in your neighborhood, school, workplace, or church. If there is something else that you are still looking for, send us an e-mail at 40DaysForLifeSTL@live.com.

There are many who have expressed interest in the Adopt-A-Day program. Those who chose to Adopt-A-Day will strive to fill all the spaces for the prayer vigil of their adopted day, and will have the support and guidance of the local leadership. Please prayerfully consider bringing this campaign to your church or organization. To view available dates just visit http://www.40daysforlife.com/stlouis/adoptaday.

We hope that you have a blessed and warm weekend.

Brian Westbrook
Co-Director
40 Days For Life St. Louis
40DaysForLifeSTL@Live.com
www.40DaysForLife.com/StLouis

Proverbs 24:11-12"Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don't stand back and let them die. Don't try to disclaim responsibility by saying you didn't know about it."

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

We hope the start to your 2009 has been filled with many blessings! For the team at 40 Days for Life, it’s been hectic and busy, but filled with God’s abundant grace.

We registered with the national 40 Days for Life team on January 6th. With our registration comes many valuable tools and information to help the St. Louis campaign be a success including a new website at www.40daysforlife.com/stlouis. There you will find information on how to get involved with the local campaign through prayer and fasting, vigil participation, community outreach, local leadership and financial contributions. Our local blogspot will remain active throughout the campaign at http://40daysforlifestlouis.blogspot.com/ so we can keep you informed of the local activity.

On Saturday, January 10th we presented to Concerned Women for America (CWA). The presentation went tremendously well, and was graciously received by those in attendance. We truly appreciate the invitation to their monthly meeting and giving us an opportunity to present the campaign information. For more information on their organization, the local website can be found at http://states.cwfa.org/states/details.asp?organization=mo. This is an ecumenical association and may open many new unexplored fronts for the campaign.

On the following Monday, we presented at the Respect Life Apostolate (RLA) parish coordinator meeting. There was an unusually large turnout for the meeting. We could not have asked for a bigger crowd to hear our message about the campaign and how they can get involved. The information was well received and we are hopeful for tremendous support from the Catholic parishes.

After this flurry of activity, we received a surge of interest on our local websites, with a lot of first time visitors. Truly God is working on the hearts of those who heard the information, and the message is being circulated.

The leadership team has been growing as well! We added 2 new regional coordinators. Denise Montgomery has accepted the role for the St. Charles and O’Fallon areas, and Michael Temporal has assumed responsibility for the South Region. In addition, Dianne Adam has moved from the West Region Coordinator into the Prayer Coordinator position with Bob Armstong assuming her responsibilities.

With all this excitement, you would think that there was time for rest, but there isn’t. February 25th is fast approaching and simply put, WE NEED YOU. If you still haven’t made the decision on how to get involved in this powerful campaign, now is the time. Please visit our website at www.40daysforlife.com/stlouis or contact us at 40daysforlifestl@live.com for more information on how you can become involved.

Please prayerfully consider your place in this life changing campaign. This is a concrete way for YOU to effect change right here in St. Louis. We can change hearts. We can save lives. We can end abortion in St. Louis! For Luke 1:37 says, “for nothing will be impossible with God.”

We would like to praise God for his faithfulness and unending mercy. May we continue to feel His presence and guidance as we progress ever closer to the campaign launch.

God’s Peace,

Brian Westbrook
Co-Director
40 Days For Life St. Louis
40DaysForLifeSTL@Live.com
www.40DaysForLife.com/StLouis

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love.

"ADOPT A DAY"

2008-12-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

It has been an exciting few weeks since our first leadership meeting. We have been working diligently to put together an action plan for the first ever 40 Days For Life campaign in St. Louis, and are excited to share the results with you today. Please read below for the latest news.

Vigil Length

There has been much discussion about the amount of hours we would like to cover during the 40 Days campaign here in St. Louis. The national campaign calls for the vigils to be conducted for 24 hours a day depending on the needs of the community. We would like to follow the national campaign as much as possible, accept we believe that our efforts would be better received during the day then at night. The leadership team will never ask you to do anything we are not willing to do, so we have decided to conduct our vigils from 7:00AM – 7:00PM for 40 days in front of Planned Parenthood. Vigil schedules will be posted in mid January.
This decision was not made lightly, but this will still be the largest and longest pro-life effort St. Louis has ever taken on. With your help we can save lives, and change the hearts of women who feel they have no other choice.

Get Involved “Adopt a Day”

We are proud to announce, for the first time, the “Adopt a Day” program to help staff the prayer vigils at Planned Parenthood. To adopt a day you must be part of a church or organization that is willing to commit two (2) or more people for every hour that day. If you decide to “Adopt a Day” you will be provided with materials to use to spread the word to members of your church or organization and surrounding community. Please visit http://40daysforlifestlouis-getinvolved.blogspot.com/ for more information and to download an application. For any questions about the “Adopt a Day” program please contact us at 40DaysForLifeSTL@live.com.

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We are very excited about what God has done through this campaign even before the first day. Many people have signed up for our Myspace or Facebook pages. Hundreds of e-mails have been received with encouraging remarks or questions. Three new people have stepped up to become local leaders, and many personal blessings have come about from preparations for this campaign. Thank you for your continuing support and prayers.

May God bless you and your family during this Christmas season,

Brian Westbrook
Co-Director
40 Days For Life St. Louis
40DaysForLifeSTL@Live.com
http://40daysforlifestlouis.blogspot.com/

A CALL FOR LOCAL LEADERSHIP

2008-12-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

Hello St. Louis,

I hope that everyone had a fulfilling Thanksgiving.

We at 40 Days For Life St. Louis are having our first official Meet and Greet this coming Sunday. We would like to invite all local Pro-Life leadership, and anyone interested in becoming a local leader of 40 Days For Life St. Louis to join us for an informal Meet and Greet at St. Louis Bread Co: Creve Coeur this coming Sunday at 3:00PM. We will be discussing methods to “Spread the Word” and deciding how long our vigils should be at the abortion clinic. Please contact us at 40DaysForLifeSTL@Live.com if you plan to attend.

40 Days For Life Meet and Greet

Location: Saint Louis Bread Co: Creve Coeur
447 N New Ballas Rd
Creve Coeur, MO 63141

When: Sunday December 6, 2008 3:00PM – 4:00PM

Who: St. Louis Pro-Life leadership and those interested in local leadership with 40 Days For Life

Agenda: Meet your local 40 Days For Life Leadership, discuss methods to “Spread the Word” & decide vigil length.

Brian Westbrook
Co-Director
40 Days For Life St. Louis
40DaysForLifeSTL@Live.com

A DAY OF THANKSGIVING

2008-11-27T21:08:00.000-08:00

Hello St. Louis Pro-Lifers!!

We at 40 Days For Life St. Louis would like to introduce the newest member of our team Dianne Adam as your West Region Coordinator. Please see her comments below.

We wanted to update you on some exciting information on the national front. Below are some effects seen from the fall campaign which ended on November 2nd. Remember these are only the confirmed results, we have no idea how many unseen hearts and lives where changed through their efforts.

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40 Days for Life wrap-up: 614 lives saved from abortion

Amazing things happened during this fall's 40 Days for Life effort:

There have been at least 614 turnarounds, where women seeking abortion changed their minds.
Several people have quit their jobs in the abortion industry, and clinics have advertised immediate openings on their staffs.
A number of abortion centers have been closed on days when abortions are usually performed.

Tens of thousands of people have taken part in 40 Days for Life events, many engaging in pro-life activities for the first time in their lives.
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Information taken from the national website at http://www.40daysforlife.com/.

This is a tremendous testimony to the power of this campaign and how great our God is. This information shows the immense impact that 40 Days for Life has had on communities across the country. We too can see similar effects in the St. Louis area starting February 25, 2009 when the spring campaign is scheduled to start. Locally through this campaign, we can change hearts, we can change minds and we can save lives!

If you have not taken the time to watch David Bereit's informational video about the effort, we highly encourage you to do so. In it you will hear the national director's encouraging and empowering words for what can be accomplished through this campaign. And exactly whom God is calling to do this. You can see this video on our local website home page here http://40daysforlifestlouis.blogspot.com/

We at 40 Days for Life - St. Louis wish to express our heartfelt thanks for your response. We have received a great amount of interest in this incredible campaign and it's due to your work. But we ask you to continue, we must not grow weary in making people aware of this powerful life saving campaign. Please continue to spread the word.

In addition, we have a special need for individuals who would be willing to step up to local leadership roles. If God has placed this cause on your heart and you feel Him directing you to participate in a leadership role, please contact Brian at 40DaysForLifeSTL@live.com. He will let you know of the many available opportunities in which you could contribute. Rest assured, God is the true architect in this campaign, He only needs your 'yes'.

So often God does not simply remove evil from our midst. He calls on His faithful servants to act, and provides opportunities to change our world through Him. Here at 40 days for Life, we believe that this is one of those opportunities.

'For I know the plans that I have in mind for you,' says the LORD, 'plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope.'
- Jeremiah 29:11

In closing, we wish to express a special Thanksgiving prayer for you and your families. May you feel God's loving presence in your midst as you celebrate this special holiday.

God's peace.

Dianne Adam
40 Days For Life St. Louis
West Region Coordinator
Dianne.40DaysForLifeSTL@live.com

http://40daysforlifestlouis.blogspot.com/

Helping Women THRIVE

2008-11-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

Hello St. Louis Pro-Lifers!!

I am so excited about our mission this weekend. I had been on the road for work and when I came back my wife and I decided that it was time to visit our local Pregnancy Resource Centers.

We started on Friday by visiting Thrive on Lindell Blvd.
We met with Beth and Gail who gave us the grand tour of their facility. There were two sonogram machines, counseling rooms, class rooms for their resource programs, and a room full of baby items. They showed us a list of 48 different classes that women can take for free, and afterwards earn points to “Shop” in the resource shop for maternity and baby items. The Resource Program classes are a great way for women to obtain needed items for their baby and at the same time help prepare themselves for a job as a parent.

There was only one thing that was missing… and that was women. Thrive is closed on Friday even though right down the street Planned Parenthood is open for business. When asked why, Gail told us that there were no volunteers to staff the center on Fridays. I was disappointed, because Friday is a big day for abortions at Planned Parenthood, and with nowhere to send women for real help we might be lost in February.

This is why I need your help!! I know that there are some people that want to help, but may not feel comfortable standing in prayer at the abortion clinic. This is a perfect opportunity for you to serve. Please contact Beth or Gail at (314)783-3040 and they will gladly accept your help.

On Saturday my wife, her parents and I participated in the Pro-Life mass at the Cathedral Basilica. This was followed by a Rosary Prayer Procession to Planned Parenthood. This was my second time participating in this mass, and I was again moved, almost to tears, by the over one hundred people all praying in front of the abortion center. We met many more people that were willing to help with the upcoming 40 Days. To those people, thank you for your support. Please spread the word.

After the mass we were privileged to spend some time at Birthright where we met Maureen and Sherri. Neither women had heard of 40 Days For Life, but were very excited about helping in our efforts. Birthright offers free pregnancy testing, counseling, and even home visits at no cost to their clients. We hope to hear from Birthright with whatever help they might be able to provide.

Now it is your turn to spread the message about 40 Days For Life St. Louis. Please tell your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and people you meet in the convenience store about this National Campaign to End Abortion. And more than anything we need your prayers. Prayer is what got us to this point, and only prayer will fuel our efforts to the future.

For a Cause Greater than Myself,

Brian Westbrook
Communication Coordinator
40 Days For Life St. Louis
40DaysForLifeSTL@Live.com
http://40daysforlifestlouis.blogspot.com/

Jeremiah1:4-5
"Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you."

2008-11-09T17:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the very first blog post for the 40 Days For Life St. Louis!!

Hello, my name is Brian Westbrook and I will be keeping you up to date on the everyday activities of the 40 Days For Life campaign in the St. Louis area. I would like to thank you for taking the first steps to make a difference in the Pro-Life movement. Yes, I believe that this is a movement. Just like the civil rights or the feminist movements the Pro-Life movement is energizing the people of America like never before.

Why Are We Here?

40 Days For Life is here to educate the public with the Truth about Abortion. The Pro-Choice side hides behind semantic gymnastics with words like Choice, Women’s Health, Clump of tissue, Reproductive Freedom, Equality, Reproductive Health Center and many others. 40 Days For Life St. Louis will present the truth to women using words like Child, Love, Abortion Center, Killing, Abortionist, Adoption, Pregnancy Resource Center and many more. The Truth is that abortion center’s like Planned Parenthood are targeting young lower income women to continue to remain sexually active to increase their chances of unexpected pregnancies. These unexpected pregnancies will ultimately result in an abortion costing from $300.00 to $2,000.00.
These abortions not only take the lives of innocent children, but scar the women and their families both physically and mentally. (We will go over some of these effects in the weeks to come)

Now that the election is over, the Fall 40 Days For Life is over, and the holidays are fast approaching it might be hard to focus on Pro-Life efforts, but we need to spread the truth both in season and out of season. That is why I ask you to talk to people in your church, at work, at the grocery store, and everywhere you go. Tell them about the success of 40 Days For Life and the upcoming St. Louis 40 Days on February 25th, 2009.

Please visit our local website and join us at the upcoming events here in St. Louis. Next event is the 'Helper Of God’s Precious Infants Mass, Rosary, Exposition And Benedicition' at the Cathedral Basilica where we will continue to share the truth about abortion.

Thank you and God Bless our efforts,

Brian Westbrook
Communications Coordinator
40 Days For Life St. Louis
40DaysForLifeSTL@Live.com
http://40daysforlifestlouis.blogspot.com/