This year we witnessed over 100 campaigns in 23 different countries for 40 Days for Life International. Praise God as the campaign is growing and expanding and we continue to get many enquiries from places that have never had a witness before.

In Modena, volunteers had a first experience of a life saved from abortion. In front of the clinico where abortions happen, at 1130am a lady, driving, almost stopped, she pulled down the window almost screaming, “I was thinking of aborting, but thanking you that I didn’t do it.” We thank God for this testimony, until now they have not had this experience.

In Hungary, the Catholic Bishop of Szombathely, János Székely prayed with vigil volunteers and shared his wonderful thoughts on the protection of life. It was a very rainy day, and despite the continuous rain, volunteers gathered in good numbers. In Budapest, a pregnant hospitalized mother came outside to smoke cigarettes, and volunteers prayed over her. They prayed for healing from depression and freedom from addiction.
 
In Port Macquarie, Australia, new first time leaders Brad and Steph Vergano are leading the campaign. Tragically their first child died after a very short life of 53 days. They were offered an abortion by doctors which they rejected. This experience brought them into pro-life activism as they found profound meaning and purpose during Remy’s short life.

They live in a small regional town but during their campaign were witnessing, praying and praising. The town is small and some people yell from cars, and some people are being identified as their own family members by the prayer volunteers. Their campaign has been like a public confession as people called out to them over their abortion experiences.

In Melbourne, Australia, Kathy Clubb is a homeschooling mother of 14, already taken to court challenging the country’s buffer zone laws. Her campaign requires prudence and faith, with a 150m buffer zone they have little chance of interacting with abortion minded women directly. They try to be a prayerful witness in a highly secularized culture and educate the public about abortion, which is legal on demand through all nine months.

The Melbourne abortion centre has had a string of medical crises and employee problems. In January a mother died from abortion, the abortionist had previously been known to sexually harass his patients and colleagues. The abortion business is being sued by a patient as doctors failed to detect her ectopic pregnancy. The centre can no longer provide surgical abortions, but provides the abortion pill. One volunteer has prayed for 14 years and said how the neighborhood went downhill once the abortion business opened shop. The business has inflicted an enormous amount of damage on the community and volunteers continue to pray for healing for everyone involved and for the conversion of the abortion doctors and their staff.

In Lisbon, Portugal, with the consent of the mother, the mother shared her ultrasound photo. She has suffered much and even at a very advanced stage of the pregnancy she continues to be pressurized to abort. Now she has been supported by the family of the baby’s father and has finally decided to go ahead with the pregnancy. Thanks to the good God, and everyone’s prayers, this woman who was in great suffering saw the light and is at peace in her pregnancy.

In the United Kingdom, national buffer zones have been introduced, making thoughtcrimes a reality in British law. Adam Smith-Connor, a local leader has been criminally prosecuted for a thought crime which he is appealing. Despite national persecution, considerable opportunities remain to witness for life, and media stories have galvanized national and international media coverage reaching the consciences of millions of people.

In the Netherlands, a mission trip was conducted. In 2023, Daniël Eijkelenkamp began a pioneering first vigil in spectacular fashion. A baby was saved from abortion from the first day of the first campaign in 2023 in Arnhem. A girl started to cry, walked into the abortion centre and took her boyfriend out. They hugged each other, obviously having made the decision not to continue with the abortion.

In Heemstede, the volunteers prayed early one morning for a pregnant woman from Kurdistan, who attended the abortion centre with a relative. The woman spent all day at the abortion centre where late term abortions are performed up to 5 months. The team felt the gravity and intensity of the late term abortion heavily. Volunteers witness with a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe, while Maru has had her sister travel from Mexico to support her running the campaign.

There are 18 million people in the Netherlands, with 18 abortion centres and 35,606 abortions (2022). As many leaflets as annual abortions were distributed during this campaign across the country. It is hoped that a strong nationwide campaign will develop in the Netherlands over time. 
 
The international campaign continues to grow considerably with new international opportunities. This week the Philippines is interested in starting a new initiative. Please pray for our leaders and volunteers, for their witness and the impact of their work for lives to be saved and eternal souls to be impacted.