Sue Thayer did something that no other local 40 Days for Life leader had ever done before. She led the fall 2011 campaign outside the Planned Parenthood abortion center in Storm Lake, Iowa …

… a facility she used to manage!

More on Sue’s story in just a bit. She just e-mailed me with exciting news.

The local newspaper is reporting that the Planned Parenthood facility in Storm Lake …

… the one Sue used to manage …

… the one where Sue led the 40 Days for Life vigil …

… is CLOSING its doors for good on March 1!

That’s right. This location is GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!

This is the 21st abortion center where a 40 Days for Life vigil has been conducted that will be closing its doors forever.

“Wow!” Sue said in her e-mail. “Of course the clinic is closing! God hears our prayers and He answers! No more telemed abortions on Erie Street! Yay God!!”

If you haven’t heard of telemed abortions, it’s one of Planned Parenthood’s tactics for spreading abortion to rural areas to increase abortion numbers and revenues.

The abortions happen when an abortionist speaks to a woman via webcam over the Internet. They’re each at computer terminals, miles apart, and the “doctor” never physically examines or cares for his “patient.”

After a video interview, the abortionist pushes a button at his location. That opens a locked drawer next to the computer where the woman is watching … a drawer containing the dangerous RU-486 abortion pill.

The woman then takes the pill to begin what Planned Parenthood calls a “medication abortion.”

Sue Thayer had managed the Planned Parenthood office in Storm Lake. She used to think that Planned Parenthood provided valuable services for women and that the organization truly wanted to prevent abortions (the Storm Lake location did not previously do abortions).

That all changed when Planned Parenthood mandated telemed abortions for her facility. Sue expressed her concern — and the abortion chain promptly fired her.

After a time of healing, prayer and discernment, Sue signed up to lead the 40 Days for Life campaign outside her former workplace this past fall.

Sue was just profiled this past weekend in an article in the Des Moines Register. You can read the story at:

http://tinyurl.com/7auvonf

Just days after that article appeared — and less than three months after Sue finished leading the 40 Days for Life campaign outside the Storm Lake Planned Parenthood — the closure was announced.

“Let’s all take some time to thank God for His unending love and faithfulness,” Sue said. “40 Days For Life was a blessing to each and every person who prayed. Now the Lord has answered with a resounding YES to our petition to end abortion in Storm Lake. Praise the Lord!”

AMEN, Sue!

In just three weeks, the next 40 Days for Life campaign begins. Watch VERY SOON for the list of communities that will be taking part …

… and maybe — through your prayers and participation — YOUR community will be the next one praising God for the closure of the local abortion center.

I can’t wait to see what God has in store for this next campaign!

For Life,

Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

These words spoken more than 2,000 years ago by the angel of the Lord to the shepherds tending their flocks remind us that when God chose to come to Earth in human flesh, He did so through the womb of a mother.

During this Christmas season, we give thanks for the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ … and we count the many blessings God has showered on 40 Days for Life through your prayers and efforts:

• 1,633 individual campaigns have taken place in 422 cities across all 50 American states and 13 countries
• More than 500,000 people have joined together in an historic display of unity to pray and fast for an end to abortion
• More than 14,000 church congregations have participated in the 40 Days for Life campaigns
• More than 1,800 news stories have been featured in newspapers, magazines, radio shows and TV programs
• Reports document 5,045 lives spared from abortion — and those are just the ones we know about
• Thousands of women and men have been spared from the tragic effects of abortion, and many have stepped forward to begin post-abortion healing and recovery
• 61 abortion workers have quit their jobs and walked away from the abortion industry
• 19 abortion facilities have shut down following local 40 Days for Life campaigns outside their doors

On behalf of my family — and the families of Shawn Carney, David Brandao, Lauren Muzyka and Chantel Poisel (our national team) — THANK YOU for all you have done to help make such a profound impact on our world.

As we prepare for the new year of 2012, let’s rededicate ourselves to protecting every child made in God’s image and likeness.

Merry Christmas!

For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

PS: We’ve received inquiries about whether 40 Days for Life is a 501(c)(3) organization that is able to receive year-end, tax-deductible contributions. Yes. If you feel led to make a year-end gift to help save more lives in 2012 and beyond, visit:

http://40daysforlife.com/donate

Have you ever considered leading a 40 Days for Life campaign in your community?

If so, it’s time to apply for the first campaign of 2012!

Applications to lead a local campaign are NOW OPEN for the next internationally coordinated 40 Days for Life campaign, which runs from February 22 – April 1, 2012.

(IMPORTANT: You do not have to apply to participate in a local 40 Days for Life. Only those who wish to LEAD a campaign need to apply.)

There’s plenty of time to pray, discern and decide — these leadership applications will be open for the next four weeks.

Here’s the link to more information and the application form for those who feel called to lead a local 40 Days for Life campaign:

http://40daysforlife.com/apply

That’s a pretty long page, because we wanted to be completely transparent with you about what’s involved. Leading a local 40 Days for Life campaign is a bold undertaking that requires determination, heart and — above all — faith.

Also, we wanted to describe everything a leader gets when the campaign application is approved by our national team.

You can apply online or by mail. Complete instructions are available at:

http://40daysforlife.com/apply

Ready to make a decision today? GO FOR IT!

Need more time? PRAY ABOUT IT!

You’ve got four weeks to keep this matter in prayer — and we’ll send you additional information to help discern if you’re being called to lead a 40 Days for Life campaign in your community.

If you haven’t already read it, a great starting point would be to download and read the freshly-updated 40 Days for Life Campaign Overview Report:

http://40daysforlife.com/report

Here’s that link to apply for the next 40 Days for Life campaign one more time:

http://40daysforlife.com/apply

**PLEASE NOTE** Online applications must be received by midnight on Tuesday, January 10. Mail applications must be postmarked by Tuesday, January 10.

With everything that’s at stake at this crucial moment in history, let’s mobilize the Body of Christ and bring an end to the tragedy of abortion!

Looking forward to what God has in store for the next 40 Days for Life campaign from February 22 – April 1!

For Life,

Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

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19TH ABORTION CENTER CLOSES!
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Over the Thanksgiving weekend, my cell phone rang with the exciting news from Brian Gibson (head of Pro-Life Action Ministries and Minneapolis/St. Paul 40 Days for Life campaign leader) that Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota was closing down its abortion facility!

This closure follows SEVEN 40 Days for Life campaigns held in the right-of-way outside the hospital, publicly exposing their deadly side business.

In news stories over the weekend, hospital officials admitted that abortions at their facility had declined by 40% over the past few years and that abortion was no longer economically viable.

Praise God for answered prayers, and congratulations to all the Twin Cities groups and individuals whose efforts over the years contributed to this victory.

This makes the 19th abortion facility to close following a 40 Days for Life campaign outside its doors!

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MATCHING CHALLENGE RESULTS
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On the recent Breakthrough teleconference and webcast, we announced that a group of incredibly generous donors made a matching challenge that would double all gifts made to 40 Days for Life within one week of the event — up to $101,200.

We had hoped to double that amount … and thanks to the generosity of many, many faithful people, the match was reached — and then EXCEEDED!

Thank you to everyone who contributed!!

Our national team is overwhelmed by your faith and belief in 40 Days for Life. It’s clear that God wants this work to continue.

We are now moving forward to significantly expand this mission over the coming months. With God’s grace, it is our desire that many more lives will be saved, and many more souls will be impacted in 2012 and beyond.

(If you didn’t have a chance to contribute, but still wish to make a year-end, tax-deductible gift to 40 Days for Life, visit: http://www.40daysforlife.com/donate )

Thanks — we are so blessed to have your prayers and help!

Pressing forward to a BREAKTHROUGH,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

Thank you SO MUCH for your prayers — and thanks to everyone who has been so generous in supporting this lifesaving work!

I only have a minute, but I wanted to let you know two very important updates …

FIRST, we just received word from the Michigan attorney general’s office that TWO abortion centers which have been sites of multiple 40 Days for Life campaigns — in Lansing and Saginaw — have been permanently CLOSED after they were found to be operating illegally.

This now makes 18 abortion centers that have shut down during or following 40 Days for Life campaigns outside their doors.

To God be the glory, and congratulations to all the pro-life groups and individuals in these cities whose years of fervent prayers and faithful efforts have been rewarded!

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LANSING, MICHIGAN
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SAGINAW, MICHIGAN
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SECOND, we’re getting close to meeting the $101,200 matching challenge — but we’re not quite there yet.

As I write this, we’re still short by $26,565 … and we certainly don’t want to leave any of this generosity sitting on the table.

We’re still catching up with the wave of new donations, so if you’ve already made your gift to 40 Days for Life, THANK YOU!

If you haven’t contributed yet, the deadline for your donation to be instantly DOUBLED is tonight (Tuesday) at midnight.

Make a one-time gift (that will be DOUBLED):

http://40daysforlife.com/donate.cfm?selected=onetime

Make a pledge of monthly support (the annualized amount of your monthly pledge will be DOUBLED):

http://40daysforlife.com/donate.cfm?selected=monthly

Yes, contributions may be sent by mail. Our address is:

40 Days for Life
10908 Courthouse Road, #102229
Fredericksburg, VA 22408

For those mailed gifts to be doubled, they need to be postmarked by TODAY — Tuesday, November 22.

And, if you itemize on your taxes, 40 Days for Life is a 501c3 non-profit, and your contribution DOES qualify for a deduction.

Everyone’s response has been amazing. As we approach Thanksgiving, know that I am thankful for YOU!

May God bless you and your family.

For Life,

Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

On Monday night’s Breakthrough webcast, we announced the results of this fall’s 40 Days for Life campaign:

• Over 135,000 participants from 4,000+ churches
• 301 cities across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Germany, England and Spain
• 8 abortion workers quit their jobs
• 300+ news stories (including Fred Barnes’ excellent front page story in last week’s Weekly Standard)
• And 732 babies were spared from abortion during this fall’s campaign, bringing the cumulative total of lives saved to more than 5,000 since 40 Days for Life began four years ago (5,045 to be precise!)

As much as your prayers and efforts have accomplished, there is still much more work to be done …

… and today, you can DOUBLE the impact of this work!

A few generous donors (who wish to remain anonymous) put forward a matching challenge that will DOUBLE any gifts given to 40 Days for Life before midnight next Tuesday, November 22 — up to $101,200!!

40 Days for Life only ask for funds twice a year so we can focus on this work and not fundraising. So we don’t want you to miss this opportunity to double your gift.

We’re more than halfway through the week-long matching period, and thus far, we’ve received one-time gifts and monthly pledges amounting to $58,600 — a great start, but only a bit more than half.

We certainly don’t want to miss out on the amazing generosity of the donors who put forward this challenge by not hitting the match!

REMEMBER: Every gift given to 40 Days for Life between now and midnight next Tuesday, November 22 — up to the $101,200 amount — will be instantly DOUBLED!

Make a tax-deductible ONE-TIME GIFT now:

http://40daysforlife.com/donate.cfm?selected=onetime

The annualized amount of every monthly pledge (multiply the monthly amount by 12) made between now and midnight next Tuesday, November 22 will also be DOUBLED!

Make a tax-deductible MONTHLY PLEDGE now:

http://40daysforlife.com/donate.cfm?selected=monthly

And if you itemize on your taxes, 40 Days for Life is a 501c3 non-profit, and your contribution DOES qualify for a deduction.

Please help TODAY, if at all possible — and thank you to everyone who has given already.

The best is yet to come!

For Life,

Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

PS: Missed the Breakthrough webcast? The transcript of the entire event is now posted. Or you can listen to the audio recording and download the action guide.

PPS: REMEMBER: The matching challenge will only double your tax-deductible gifts or pledges made by midnight Tuesday, so don’t wait — please give NOW.

Here are those links again to have your gift DOUBLED …

One-time gift:

http://40daysforlife.com/donate.cfm?selected=onetime

Monthly pledge:

http://40daysforlife.com/donate.cfm?selected=monthly

Your gift may also be mailed to:

40 Days for Life
10908 Courthouse Road, Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA 22408

Did you hear the amazing news?

During Monday night’s BREAKTHROUGH webcast, thousands of people were inspired by the story of Sue Thayer, former Planned Parenthood manager from Storm Lake, Iowa.

Sue spoke out publicly about her 17 years of working inside Planned Parenthood and witnessing — first hand — how the organization was aggressively striving to INCREASE their abortion numbers.

As someone who had believed the lie that Planned Parenthood was all about “preventing abortions,” Sue voiced her concerns about this within Planned Parenthood … and they promptly fired her.

After a time of healing from her experiences, Sue took a leap of faith this fall …

… and LED the 40 Days for Life campaign …

… outside the Planned Parenthood center she used to manage!

Like you, Sue spent this fall praying for an end to abortion … but Sue was also praying for those who used to work with her inside Planned Parenthood.

God does work MIRACLES!

Listen to Sue tell her hope-filled story, and listen as she pulls back the curtain to reveal Planned Parenthood’s dirty little secret. Here is the recording of her testimony:

Download MP3 (right-click the link below to save file to your computer):

>>>>> SUE THAYER TESTIMONY

During Monday night’s BREAKTHROUGH webcast, we shared the many blessings and answered prayers that God has provided through your sacrificial efforts surrounding this fall’s 40 Days for Life campaign.

And with your prayers and help, this work will continue to grow in 2012 — thanks to a few generous donors who’ve put up a matching gift.

Make any tax-deductible contribution to 40 Days for Life before midnight next Tuesday, November 22, and your gift — or the annualized amount of your monthly pledge — will be DOUBLED, up to $101,200!

REMEMBER: The matching challenge will only double gifts or pledges made by midnight Tuesday, so don’t wait — please give NOW.

We’re off to a good start, but together we still have a long way to go to meet this match — and we certainly don’t want to leave any of this generosity sitting on the table!

If God is weighing on your heart to make a tax-deductible one-time gift — which will be instantly DOUBLED — go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/donate.cfm?selected=onetime

If you feel called to make a tax-deductible pledge of monthly support (the annualized amount of your monthly pledge will be DOUBLED), please go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/donate.cfm?selected=monthly

Many people have asked for our mailing address to send tax-deductible donations. They can be mailed to:

40 Days for Life
10908 Courthouse Road, #102229
Fredericksburg, VA 22408

PLEASE NOTE: For any mailed gifts to be doubled, they must be postmarked by Tuesday, November 22.

If you haven’t already given toward this match, thank you for taking action TODAY:

http://40daysforlife.com/donate

For Life,

Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

PS: If you itemize on your taxes, 40 Days for Life is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and your contribution DOES qualify for a tax deduction:

http://40daysforlife.com/donate

After traveling coast to coast throughout this fall’s 40 Days for Life campaign, David Bereit — 40 Days for Life’s national director — and I just met up to shoot a short, three-minute video for you, to:

• THANK YOU for all that you did to make this fall’s 40 Days for Life campaign such a huge success
• REVEAL THE EXCITEMENT about what is happening on Monday, November 14

Go right now to:

https://40daysforlifebreakthrough.com

*** PLEASE NOTE *** With the announcement of this video going out to well over 100,000 people, that web page is going to get slammed with visitors all at the same time … so if it takes a minute to load, please be patient.

This is the good news you’ve been waiting for!

For Life,

Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
https://40daysforlifebreakthrough.com

Another 40 Days for Life campaign has come to an end — and we can look back now at lives FOREVER CHANGED.

During these 40 days, there have been …

… 508 lives saved — that we know of — because of God’s response to your prayer!

From past campaigns, we expect the number to KEEP GROWING, as our local campaign leaders get their final reports in.

In the coming days, keep an eye on your inbox for some exciting news and developments that have been in the works during this campaign and for the past few months!

But for today, let’s look at some of the ways lives have been changed during 40 Days for Life — and thank God for his abundant blessings during this time of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion.

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AUSTIN, TEXAS
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A volunteer spoke a teenaged couple approaching the abortion center and learned that the girl just found out she was pregnant. She was afraid of telling her parents and wanted to go behind their backs to get a judicial bypass — a court order — in order to have an abortion.

Her boyfriend was not in favor of the abortion, but reluctantly said he supported her because it was her decision.

“I showed them what her baby might look like, based on how far along she thought she was — six weeks,” said the vigil participant. “I also discussed alternatives and resources that I could connect her with.”

The couple walked into the abortion center, but soon left “with smiles of joy and satisfaction. They had decided to not to have an abortion,” said the volunteer.

“Praise God!”

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OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS
——————————————————-

The 40 Days for Life team in Overland Park had gotten a call from the 40 Days for Life leaders in Columbia, Missouri. Planned Parenthood’s Columbia abortionist had quit, so this office was sending women to Planned Parenthood in Overland Park for abortions.

A volunteer spoke to a couple who had shown up for an appointment in Overland Park. He asked the couple if they were from Columbia — they looked shocked — and said in fact they were. So he shared some pro-life information with them.

They never made it inside the building, however. It was closed! No one had shown up for work that day — there was no explanation.

Later, another couple showed up, knocked, tried the intercom — nothing. There was still no one there. They also took information from the volunteers and left.

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LAFAYETTE, INDIANA
——————————————————-

A young woman stopped to talk to a 40 Days for Life prayer volunteer outside the abortion center.

“She was pregnant,” the vigil participant said, “and gave me many reasons as to why she should have an abortion.” She said the father was not around, she used drugs and she wouldn’t be a good mother.

“I simply reminded her that God had a plan for her and her baby, and that He would take care of her. I referred her to the pregnancy resource center a few doors down from Planned Parenthood.”

They prayed, and the volunteer gave the young woman a hug, after which she said, “I’m out of here.”

As she left Planned Parenthood, she rolled down the window and waved goodbye. “She was crying,” said the vigil participant. “I’m still praying for her.”

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SHARONVILLE, OHIO
——————————————————-

A vigil participant in Sharonville says a woman pulled into the driveway and stopped to talk to her.

“She thanked me for praying,” said the volunteer. “She said that a few days earlier she was driving by and was considering an abortion. She has five boys and is pregnant with a girl. Her husband of twenty-plus years has left her.”

This woman told the 40 Days for Life participant, “Never feel that what you are doing is in vain. It was your prayers that changed my mind and saved my little girl and me.”

“I prayed with her for quite some time,” said the volunteer. “It was extremely powerful.”

Here’s the link to today’s “bonus” devotional:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2011day41print.pdf

For Life,

Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

PS: What’s next for you? For your community’s 40 Days for Life effort? Please share your story by leaving a comment below.

It’s Day 40 – you made it!

As we close the largest 40 Days for Life campaign in history … the following things can be said about what God can do in just 40 days:

40 days ago …
… there were children scheduled to be aborted who are alive today — 465 that we know of!

40 days ago …
… women were making abortion appointments — but now,
they’re preparing their lives to welcome a new baby boy or baby girl.

40 days ago …
… cold hearts that were annoyed at your peaceful presence at the abortion facility are now open to joining you in prayer.

40 days ago …
… you may have doubted what God could accomplish; and yet through your prayer, fasting and vigil … YOU have been spiritually blessed.

Babies … women … workers … hearts … minds — these are all impacted when we pray and bring light into the darkness!

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ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
——————————————————-

Lynn writes that a taxi driver pulled up in front of Planned Parenthood while she was praying at the 40 Days for Life vigil. She was carrying a sign reading, “we choose life.”

“The cab driver got out, said that he supported my effort, but asked me what was going on HERE that I should be standing HERE,” she said. “I told him I was praying for the end of abortion out in front of the Planned Parenthood offices here where abortions are done and pointed to the windows of the waiting room.”

He said he was aware of the evil of abortion because he knew that more than 50 million babies have died since Roe v. Wade, but he had no idea that abortions were done in that building.

“He was rather shocked,” said Lynn, “and then he thanked me for my witness.”

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SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
——————————————————-

“Prior to 40 Days for Life,” said Diane, “I wanted to get involved in prolife work but didn’t know how or thought I didn’t have the time to do so. The Lord changed that for me and opened a big door so that I am now able to be involved in 40 Days for Life and pro-life work.”

Through these 40 days, Diane has experienced changes in her life. “I’m willing to stand up for my faith and to be a witness,” she said. “I’m willing to take a risk and share my ideas with people. I have the opportunity to pray with people on the street who need God’s love and healing. I have new prayer partners and have made new friends.”

Diane’s 40 Days for Life campaign is certainly finishing strong. “Thank you for all of your prayers,” she said. “As you can see, they are working.”

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ON THE ROAD WITH DAVID BEREIT
——————————————————-

Speaking of finishing strong — David Bereit, the national director of 40 Days for Life, left his home in the Washington, DC area and drove to FIVE different 40 Days for Life vigil sites in eastern New York, spending 17 hours in the car driving between vigil sites in one day!

Also, over these final few days of this campaign, he visited 40 Days for Life locations in Virginia, North Carolina and Illinois.

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COBLESKILL, NEW YORK
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SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
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ALBANY, NEW YORK
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POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK
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GOSHEN, NEW YORK
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA
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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA
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——————————————————-
DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS
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Here’s today’s the link to today’s devotional:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2011day40print.pdf

For Life,

Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

PS: If you have good news to share from YOUR 40 Days for Life campaign, please leave a comment below.