April 16, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – More than 4,000 babies and their mothers have been saved from abortion since 40 Days for Life began in 2007, according to 40 Days Board Treasurer Shawn Carney.
Carney made the announcement on the final day of the latest 40 Days for Life campaign, which wrapped up on Sunday.
“Through your prayers, God has spared enough human beings to fill a whole town,” Carney told 40 Days supporters. “I can only wonder what our Lord will do next!”
The spring 2011 campaign was a landmark campaign for the pro-life organization, with a record-breaking 247 cities participating. While the majority of those cities were located in the United States, they included a growing number of foreign cities, including nearly a dozen in Canada, as well as several in England, Ireland, Australia, Spain, Georgia, Armenia and Belize.
But what helps give the tens of thousands of pro-life volunteers in these far-flung locations the strength they need to stand and pray in front of abortion clinics for hours at a time in all weather is the constant flow of stories from the front lines about lives being saved.
On Sunday, Carney reported that during the current campaign, 485 babies have been saved from abortion. In reality, however, as Carney frequently points out, the number is probably even much higher than the official count, since there are undoubtedly many mothers who have changed their minds that 40 Days volunteers will never know about.
Carney related a typical story about one one woman in South Bend, Indiana, who 40 Days volunteers witnessed walk out of the local abortion facility, only to later return. However, she walked out again a short time later, and drove up alongside the pro-lifers. In her hands she held an ultrasound image and a stack of cash. “I didn’t do it!” she announced.
“You could feel the peace and joy of God surrounding that young mother,” said Sally in South Bend. “We were all so moved. God is good!”
Add the number of babies saved during this campaign with the numbers saved in previous campaigns, and the total rises to 4,082.
“4,082 people is a lot of folks!” said Carney, who pointed out that it amounts to the population of whole towns, such as Centerville, Tennessee, or Lathrop, Missouri.
With the spring 40 Days campaign now officially over, however, many are asking “what’s next?”
To this Carney points out that just because the official campaign is over, doesn’t mean that pro-lifers need to, or should hang up their activist’s cap. In fact, in many locations the 40 Days campaign is just the beginning.
In Alexandria, Virginia, organizers of the local 40 Days campaign have already announced that they are launching an effort to ensure that there are people praying outside the local abortion facility whenever abortions are being performed.
In Lawrenceville, George, organizers said they noticed that fewer customers have been going into the local Planned Parenthood since the 40 Days campaign began. For them this is a clear indication that they can’t stop now. They are also planning on organizing other campaigns in Georgia.
At the closing rally in Beaumont, Texas, the organizers invited participants to continue praying at the abortion facility. “We are more determined than ever for the formation of a permanent group in our area for an ongoing prayer group to diligently pray daily against abortion,” said Eileen in Beaumont.
“There’s no way I can really express the appreciation I have for everything you’ve done during this campaign — your prayers, your participation, your persistence,” Carney told supporters in a final update on Monday.
“You provide tremendous HOPE for our future!”