We are on Day 4 of the campaign and it's time for an update.
Here are the links to articles on the San Diego/San Marcos campaign:
North County Times
Good News, etc,
Catholic Exchange
California Catholic
We had our local kick-off events on Tuesday, February 16th.
A Mass for Life was celebrated at St. Mark's Catholic Church.
All those who came to Mass listened to strong, courageous and inspired words from Deacon Bennett: rich food for Lenten meditation. A blessing sent us forth to begin the campaign.
Later that night, we gathered in front of the Dr. Kung's abortion clinic.
About 60 participated in singing praises at the candle light vigil. It was a grace filled night.
A special thanks goes to Don Meziere who lead us in singing. We are so very grateful to Don who made changes to his plans to come to our vigil.
Pictures of the candle light vigil are posted on the San Marcos 40 Days for Life Photo Album, courtesy of Thomas McKenna, the only one who remembered to bring a camera :) Thanks Thomas!
On Thursday, Day 2 of the campaign, when the prayer intention was for the healing from abortion, the ladies from Silent No More Awareness Campaign, stood at the back drive-way to the clinic with the sign "I Regret My Abortion".
After the group left at about 11:40 AM, two prayer warriors standing at the front driveway, Julie and Michelle, were approached by a woman who was coming from inside the building. She appeared very sad and teary-eyed, and asked why they were there. When she was told about the constant prayers for all those involved in abortion, the lady was moved and shared her past abortion. She also said that she was just coming from a counseling session to help her with the grief of her past abortion (In the medical building there are Counseling and Psychiatric help). At first she looked apprehensive and afraid of being judged, but Julie and Michelle kept speaking of God's love for her and informed her about post abortion healing resources. The woman left with one of the brochures with contact information and seemed relieved and calmer.
Friday at about 8 AM a young couple parked right in front of the prayer site. They headed in the direction of the building before we made contact with them. When they came back, we reached them. The young lady, M., spoke only Spanish and said that she went to Dr. Kung for a "tumorito" and had an appointment card in her hands. When asked if she was going for an abortion, she looked down and nodded. At that point, we offered her to call Dr. Delgado's office in Escondido to make an appointment with him. She spoke to Dr. Delgado's receptionist and agreed to call back during her lunch break.
Please keep M., her boyfriend A., and the post-abortive woman in your prayers.
God puts the right person at the right time in the right place. The only qualification necessary to do His will is to be available.
Please join us during this 40 Days for Life.
Love and blessings - Elena
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
North County Times Article Feb. 12, 2010
Local churches launch prayer campaign to change hearts on abortion
Next week marks the beginning of the second "40 Days for Life" campaign to be held in North County. The church-based anti-abortion effort, which lasts from Wednesday through March 28, is based on prayer, fasting and a round-the-clock peaceful vigil outside the Palomar Pomerado Health building in San Marcos, where abortions are performed.
The nationwide campaign, which will be occurring simultaneously in 162 other communities as well as in a few international locations, is aimed at building support to end abortion.
"We're not there to prevent people from going in," said Ted Stearns, one of the local campagin's organizers. "We're to be a visible presence, and if there's someone contemplating abortion, they have someone to reach out to."
Many of the prayer volunteers are connected to abortion alternative organizations, such as Stearns, whose wife has been the executive director of Birth Choice of San Marcos for 22 years.
The 40-day campaign will kick off locally a day early, at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday with a candlelight vigil outside the clinic.
Organizers said the duration of the interdenominational Christian campaign comes from the Bible, in which God used 40 days for significant life changes ---- such as when Noah stayed on the ark for 40 days during the flood, or when Jesus Christ returned to the disciples for 40 days after his resurrection.
Although the campaign is intended to be 24 hours a day, there are some gaps in the schedule, said Elena Di Ventra, who helped start the North County campaign last fall. As a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carlsbad, she was interested in the pro-life arena and heard about the 40 Days campaign on EWTC, a Catholic TV network. She decided to bring the campaign to North County, starting with the fall 2009 event.
A volunteer in a pro-life pregnancy center, Di Ventra said, "That's something we really have a heart for ---- those women who are contemplating abortion."
The first campaign, which ended in November and which was staged outside the same San Marcos clinic, drew more than 500 participants from about 20 local congregations, Di Ventra said, and she expects more this year. Organizers have encouraged local churches to "adopt" a day of the schedule and be responsible for covering all the shifts that day.
During each two-hour shift, the volunteers generally pray and hold signs. However, during the three days a week that abortions are performed at the clinic, the vigil will take on a more somber, quieter tone. No one is to hold a sign, and there will not be much socializing among volunteers.
"We want to be sensitive about who is entering the clinic those days," Di Ventra said.
Nationally, the campaign, which started in the Texas towns of Bryan and College Station in 2004, say they have helped prevent more than 2,000 abortions so far ---- based on more than 2,000 women who have approached them to say that the vigil affected them.
"A lot of people would like to see abortion end overnight," Stearns said, "but it starts with changing the hearts of the people in this nation first."
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