See Rich Owens’ excellent summary of our first Sarasota spring 40 Days 4 Life effort spearheaded by Rich and Tonya McDonald.  They did a lot of work and thanks to them, all the disciples who came to the abortion mill and spent time in prayer, to the Holy Spirit, Who blessed all their efforts, expectant mothers were counseled and babies were saved. 

Defenders of Life

The Holy Spirit is on fire in Sarasota/Manatee!  The response for this first spring vigil has been inspiring.  In addition to those faithful churches and people who have participated in fall 40 Days for Life campaigns for years, there are eight new churches and more than 60 new volunteers, that I know about, likely many, many more, praying for Life.  Our goal was to pray 12 hours a day for 40 days outside of Planned Parenthood.  Together, we the body of Christ, prayed for 92% of these hours, which 40 Days for Life national said was “outstanding”.  The Candlelight Vigil on April 13 was truly a sight to see and a great blessing as about 200 people were in attendance in pray. Thank you and may God bless you for volunteering!

Let’s keep up the momentum that we have from the spring campaign, the movie Unplanned and the Candlelight vigil!! What is next? 

Some things you may wish to consider follow:

If you have not seen Unplanned, please consider going very soon.  We do not know how long the movie will be in theaters.  If you have seen the movie, consider going again and asking people to go with you.

If PP Sarasota closes, we celebrate!  If PP Sarasota stays open, we will have a fall vigil, starting Wednesday September 25 through Sunday November 3.  Please join us again and pray that we are experiencing the beginning of the end of abortion.

If you have not registered online with 40 Days for Life, please consider doing so.  https://40daysforlife.com/login/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2F40daysforlife.com%2F

You will receive their Updates, can signup for Day 41 magazine, a free magazine, and be invited to the April 30 Webcast that will summarize the spring campaign and talk about what is next.  There are weekly podcasts on different campaign and prolife topics that I have listened to and are of great help.  They run about 30-35 minutes each.  For example, this week’s podcast is “Abortion…and the week that changed the world–PODCAST Season 4, Episode 16”. https://40daysforlife.com/2019/04/16/abortion-and-the-week-that-changed-the-world-podcast-season-4-episode-16/

On Tuesday’s, which is surgical abortion day, every Tuesday all year long, there are pro-life groups other than 40 Days for Life in attendance outside of Sarasota Planned Parenthood.

One group holds signs to direct women to the pro-life Community Pregnancy Clinic (https://community4life.com/), the little grey building around the corner from PP.  I am a new volunteer with this group and we can use additional people to help.  If helping by holding their signs interests you, please contact Jim Coon, jamespatrickcoon@yahoo.com.  Currently we have two shifts, 9:00 to 10:30 and 10:30 to noon.  If enough new people join us, we could add a third shift or possibly consider holding signs on another day when many women enter Planned Parenthood.

If you would like to make a donation to the Community Pregnancy Clinic to help save babies, please contact Domenick Micillo, 239-262-6381, dmicillo@community4life.com, Director of Development.

Another group is the sidewalk counselors.  They are trained and reach out to women on their way into the parking lot or front door to help women understand there are choices other than abortion.  They are trained as there are legal issues involved and there are periodic training sessions.  If you are interested in this ministry, please contact Linda McGlade, tmcglade@juno.com.

The Tuesday prayer group, headed by James Kurt, jameshkurt@gmail.com, starts about 10:15, usually with a rosary and the Stations of the Cross.  Other people come to pray on their own or in small groups.

On Saturday morning, there is a man, Terry, and his companion, they pray every week for about an hour, maybe a bit more, starting about 8:30 by the 8^th Street driveway, then they move to across the street from the front of the building.

Gene Tischer is the head of Sarasota-Manatee Right to Life, http://smrighttolife.org/about/.  There you can see additional pro-life ministries that may be of interest. 

40 Days for Life has official status as a non-profit organization under section 501c3 of the United States tax code. As such, it is not permitted to participate in political campaigns.  However, as individuals we can, and should, participate in the political process as long as we do not reference 40 Days for Life.  Sarasota-Manatee Right to Life has a legislative alerts page.  In addition, Christian Family Coalition Florida, https://cfcflorida.net/about-us/, “To empower Families at the grassroots level to give them a voice in their government again!”, is a good source of information.  Alicia Vernon can help you with any questions, aliciaevernon@gmail.com

Another way to learn more is to read Shawn Carney’s book, “The Beginning of the End of Abortion”.   You can either see me for a copy or go to 40daysforlife.com to purchase a copy.

If you would like your church to be more involved in 40 Days for Life, consider having a conversation with your pastor.  If he is willing, I’d be happy to join you to explain more about what we do and how 40 Days for Life’s peaceful, lawful vigil is different.

Consider talking to your friends and relatives about 40 Days for Life.  See if any of them would join us once in the fall to witness to the love of Christ on the sidewalk outside of Planned Parenthood.  People who come once generally will come again.

For Life

Rich

Candlelight Prayer Vigil at Planned Parenthood in Sarasota

Join your fellow pro-lifers on April 13 at the Planned Parenthood facility in Sarasota to pray for an end to abortion. Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion provider, performing 36% of all abortions in our nation—over 330,000 each year.

This vigil will include prayer and song and will be one of more than 100 taking place across the country during the Nationwide Pro-Life Candlelight Vigil. It will also serve as the closing ceremony for our Spring 40 Days for Life campaign. 

Event: Planned Parenthood Candlelight Prayer Vigil

When: Saturday, April 13, 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Where: Outside Sarasota Planned Parenthood, 736 Central Ave, Sarasota

We will have 50 Candles, but please come with your cell phones charged in case it is windy and we need to use the flashlights on them.More Info: Contact James Kurt (
jameshkurt@gmail.com) 941-371-7339 or Rich at 941-923-752 40DFLSarasota@gmail.com

Note: This is not a protest, but a prayer vigil. Families are encouraged to attend with their children, and people of all faiths will be welcome to join in the prayers.

A Message from JENNY CHERRY, one of our youngest sidewalk counselors.  Her very encouraging experience at the Fair was similar to one Sylvia and I had – first people we encountered on our second day was a young couple pushing a baby in a stroller, the mother pregnant.  They said two years ago Sarasota Medical Pregnancy had helped them with the birth of their first baby (in the stroller) and they were very appreciative.  But Jenny’s story is even better!

FROM JENNY
I wanted to share these stories to bring encouragement and knowledge bc I think this is what every Pro life person dreams of when they serve the Lord in this area:
1) All glory to God, on the last day of the Sarasota Fair grounds, I was serving at the Pro life table, and the moment I walked behind the table, something good in my soul “clicked” and instantly I went to work. I had no fear, people and children were stopping and coming up to the table, I was able to engage in conversation, with many people, youth and families; sadly many ladies and families turn way or ignore, but thankfully we had a young white couple from high school who chose to keep their beautiful baby. Not too much arguments this time.

However, the last encounter made all the time and years serving in God’s Pro-life areas worth it: a young lady, probably 19 years old, came pushing a stroller with a little 1 year old boy, and the grandmother right by her side. The girl told me this, “You all probably don’t remember me, but I came to the fair last year, it was my final year in high school and I was pregnant. I didn’t know what to do, I was thinking about it when I came to the fair and as I was walking around, I saw your table, the models and what you were saying to me, and that’s what convinced me to keep my baby, my son. My mother is so happy, I am so happy, I couldn’t imagine life without him. Thank you for what you are doing. I wanted you all to see him.”
This brought me instant joy like I couldn’t describe, I praised God and thanked her profusely for keeping her beautiful son. Her family is helping her, she finished school and is doing fine. I will never forget this encounter and I will NEVER stop serving on the Lord’s pro-life team. This encouraged me and put even more fire in my heart to fight to save babies’, women’s and men’s lives from abortion.
2) On Monday of this week, my friend Anne Marie and I signed up to pray for the 40 days for life from 9-10 am. And just as we were about to leave, a lady on a bicycle came up to us and said she had some questions. She spoke with an accent and said she was from Sweden, and wanted to know if PP gave the pill that would help prevent her daughter from getting pregnant. We said yes, but explained it could also kill a child as well as harm her daughter physcally and that going on the pill doesn’t guarantee her daughter not getting pregnant. We offered to bring her to our Pregnancy clinic which she seemed unaware of at the moment. She then asked if our clinic offered condoms to prevent pregnancies and we said no, we encourage abstinence, the safest way to prevent any unexpected pregnancies as well as potential STDS , AIDS as well as emotional damage, etc. 
The woman appeared shocked and said how ridiculous we were, and that in Sweden, they teach in public schools about how to use these things to prevent pregnancies and the women there have no problems whatsoever, no STDS, nothing. I asked what facts and resources she had to back that up, which she could not answer, nor did she want to answer my question that abstinence is the safest way to prevent all these things. 
Anyway, at the end, her last statement made it clear that she was aware of our clinic, was trying hard to discourage us verbally and that she was most likely working for PP and we were being staged, but we blessed her and prayed for her as she left. 

This encounter is important to learn from for several reasons:1) To always be ready, to be alert, even up to the final minute, when the “changing of the guard happened,” we still stayed and tried to answer her questions genuinely until we could see the truth behind what she was doing.2) To be as straightforward as possible. If they are asking questions that we know about PP, I think we should be honest in every way, don’t hide anything bc that makes you look suspicious. Instead acknowledge what they do, and include the full truth of what they do and then bring them to our clinic to show them what we really do.3) Be patient as you listen to the other side, love others as Christ did, bc “they will know they are Christians by their love.” I don’t think she can fault us for being kind, but toward the end, I spoke more firmly to explain why and what is wrong, more so bc I was continually interrupted. 
4) Jesus said, “Be as gentle as doves, but clever as serpents.” Let’s not be accusing, but be aware and not naive that the enemy is throwing out his workers in different ways and means. Be ready, don’t be afraid, even if you don’t have all the answers at the time, it’s okay. We’re here bc of the simple truth that PP is killing babies for money, selling their body parts and emotionally damaging women, men, families. It’s destroying our population as a whole and we’re not going to be able to sustain ourselves. If they cannot simply acknowledge and admit to that fact, they are in straight up denial. 
Which is why we are also there praying for them, that Jesus would open their eyes to the truth, just as He did for us so that we could become Pro-life. 5) I’m thankful Anne Marie was with me and I know it’s easy for conversations such as that to draw a crowd but just to let people know on our side, be careful bc if we become so big we might intimidate the other person in the wrong way. Please only let the one or two involved talk, and if they don’t know an answer, then yes, let someone else speak with love and gentleness/firmness. 

And after the conversation, it’s easy for us to be on the sidewalk talking and retalking about it, but be careful too bc this can appear really childish, it’s good to reflect and regroup and to encourage one another, but let’s not be overwhelmed by it either. Ask someone more experienced how to respond or ask for an answer to a question, then pray and go back out there. Our work isn’t done until PP is gone. 🙂
Thank you for taking time to read this,

Sincerely,
jenny cherry

March 29, 2019

I went to see Unplanned last night at the Regal Hollywood Stadium 11, 1993 Main Street, Sarasota. My theater was sponsored by 40 Days 4 Life and the theater was full. Sarasota Medical Pregnancy sponsored two more theaters, and both were full. There was also a fourth theater showing Unplanned and this was 3/4 full!

The movie is also at the AMC Bradenton 20, 2507 53rd Ave. E. (SR 70) and at the AMC Sarasota 12, 8201 S. Tamiami Trail, (in the Westfield Sarasota Sq. Mall).

This is a MUST SEE movie for all pro-life advocates. It lays bare —

1. The extent to which we can deceive ourselves into thinking evil is good. One of the abortion staff at planned parenthood says: “I’m Catholic, but I believe I’m doing God’s work here.”;

2. The pain a woman can experience during various abortion procedures and for years thereafter; and

3. Of great importance, the lies planned parenthood tells —

i. Their client about abortion itself and the good that will result from killing her child; and

ii. The pubic about its desire to reduce abortion when its main source of revenue is abortions. This “business line” is the main one that funds the few other “services” it provides its clients.

The movie is in our area until Wednesday; but if the crowds are good it will stay on for as long as it brings patrons into the theaters. Please go see this movie; eat and drink the concession products (the theaters main source of their revenue) and tell you friends to go also. This is the best opportunity I have ever seen to lay bare, and expose, the evil that is abortion and the evil empire that is planned parenthood.

The Truth shall set us free and Unplanned is a huge arrow in our quiver to do just that for millions of our fellow citizens.

Thank you, Our Father, for this movie and bless all of those who made it possible. Amen.