300 DAYS IN THE DESERT - 300 DAYS FOR LIFE

El Paso, Texas is in the middle of the 8th 40 days for Life campaign and today marks our 300th day for Life! 300 days of peaceful prayer, witnessing and giving hope to those in most need.

During these 300 days, we have witnessed the Hand of God in so many wonderful ways. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ever present guiding us and giving us strength. We have seen moms decide for LIFE some 260+ times! Those are the ones we know off, because we believe this is only the tip of the iceberg of the real number of babies spared from abortion! We have seen thousands of people humble themselves by standing out in front of the local abortion clinics praying for LIFE. Praying for LIFE to the Giver of LIFE! We have guided and comforted post abortive women by referring them to help resources. We have seen hundreds of people turnaround and not go into the clinics because of our prayerful presence. Women have stopped to show off their babies and thank us for being there. We have seen about a dozen security guards quit their job not wanting to continue to escort those babies to their deaths. We have seen about a dozen nurses quit their job, not wanting to continue to work in those awful places of death. We have seen fathers change their minds and rescue their babies against all odds. We have seen grandparents rescue their grandchildren when all hope seemed lost. We have seen moms walk out saying yes to LIFE and we have seen how the weigh of the world vanishes from their shoulders in front of our eyes.

During these 300 days, we have seen true miracles like the time a father decided towards the end of the abortion day to save his wife and child. Finding out that she was last for the abortion procedure because the babies were twins. These were the very first two babies spared from abortion during the first campaign in the fall of 2007. Or that time that we had been asked for prayers for someone wanting to abort. As it turned out, the abortionist at the time of the procedure did not find her baby in the ultrasound. Twice her Gynecologist found the baby in the ultrasound and twice the abortionist failed to find the baby at the abortion clinic. We believe that the Angels of Our Lord hid that baby giving the young mom enough time to reconsider and choose LIFE! Or that time on Ash Wednesday that a young lady sat in her car weeping and unsure of what to do. Later she told us that she believed that she saw two Angels and what looked like St. Francis praying for her. Needles to say that she kept her baby! Or the baby that survived the chemical abortion! Or the glorious day when ALL SIX Planned Parenthood clinics closed in El Paso! Or the countless women that received the Grace of courage to reject those pressuring them to abort. Present everyday Our Lady with her intercessory prayers for the babies and their parents, showing us that Her Heart beats loud and clear with love for all Her children. St. Michael the Archangel protecting us, always.

During these 300 days, our prayer warrior Kim found her vocation as a Poor Claire. Our best and most experienced sidewalk counselor Esperanza (SP) could no longer help out due to an illness and had to retire. Alfonso, our most faithful prayer warrior whom we are dedicating these 40 days for life is now in Heaven interceding for the little ones.

During these 300 days we have seen the worst and the best that human beings are capable off. Despite of everything, or perhaps because of what we have experienced as a faithful community, we have learned how to love with a kind of love that can only be described as divine. A love that does not judge, a love that does not tire, a love that wants all to be saved, a love that wants all to know Christ.

As to the planning and organization of our 40 days for life campaigns in El Paso, Mother Teresa of Calcutta best described it when she said, “We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.” If during these 300 days for life, a single soul has been shown the beauty of the Kingdom of God and how attainable it is, then all effort has been worth it.

All for the Greater Glory of our Creator!

For Life!

Miguel