Report from America - Day 25

The term "abortion clinic" gets thrown around so
freely that we sometimes lose track of the fact that
not every abortion takes place in what the multi-
billion-dollar abortion industry refers to as a
"reproductive health center."

Some abortions take place in hospitals and others in
private doctors' offices. This makes it harder to
reach the women who may be seeking abortions there,
but a prayerful pro-life presence at these locations
is just as crucial.

Matt in Alexandria, Virginia is taking part in one of
the 40 Days for Life vigils that is not being
conducted outside a stand-alone abortion facility.
The location is in an office park near a gynecology
clinic and an infertility clinic, both of which
perform abortions.

"A young married couple came up to us and asked us
what we were doing," Matt said. "We explained that we
were praying to end abortion and that the clinics
behind us performed them."

The woman said she had an appointment for a routine
exam and she didn't realize that they performed
abortions. She said, "You just don't think about it."
She couldn't understand how a doctor who delivers
babies could also end their lives. She canceled her
appointment and is now searching for a medical
practice that does not do abortions.

"Not only are we saving babies and mothers from
abortions," said Matt, "but we are also helping to
raise awareness about the ob/gyn facilities. It is
becoming a bad business decision to incorporate
abortions in these practices!"

The 40 Days for Life vigil in Halifax, Nova Scotia is
taking place on the public sidewalk outside the fence
of a large parking lot surrounding the very large
hospital. It makes it much harder to reach abortion-
minded women, but the local team knows there's a
reason to be there.

"Whether we actually impact any women going for
abortions, we do not know," said Julie, the local
campaign director. "It seems that our main purpose is
to bear public witness to the fact that abortions are
occurring here -- which many people don't know."

Julie said 40 Days for Life in Halifax is a big walk
of faith because there is so little feedback. "We
trust that the results will come in the future and
may not be in the form we are looking for. If we
raise awareness of abortion here, that will be good."
Many of the passersby are students, so the vigil team
is able to witness to them.

A number of the students at that local university in
Nova Scotia are from China. "I can't help but think
that this is a double whammy for these young Chinese
students," Julie said, "first, that we have the
freedom to do this in public, which they wouldn't
have in China, and second, most of them will be
single children whose brothers and sisters have been
aborted. Many of the girls may have had abortions too
-- a fact of life that is routine in China. Perhaps
we are there for them."