John,

When you join your local 40 Days for Life vigil, you never know how the Lord might answer your prayers.

Almost all of the more than 24,000 lives saved by your prayers were children spared from abortion. But not all!

A family in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, approached 40 Days for Life participants praying in front of the local hospital.

The mother of the family was hospitalized with a serious illness, and medical personnel had suggested euthanizing her "to stop her suffering."

Vigil participants explained that there is dignity in human life until the very end, but the family wasn't convinced...yet.

Prayer warriors invited the family to take a prayer shift at the vigil. Since they had to be at the hospital anyway, they accepted.

"Everyone prayed with fervor," reported 40 Days for Life director of Latin American campaigns Lourdes Varela. "Afterward, everything changed."

Not only did the family opt against euthanizing their mother, but the elderly woman recovered, was discharged from the hospital, and returned home with her loved ones.

Lima, Peru

A troubled young woman approached a vigil participant in Lima and interrupted her prayers to talk about her problems.

She was anticipating that a series of crises in her life would come to a head the next day and decided that taking her own life would be the best solution to her troubles.

"Thank God there was someone there to listen to her--and to advise her," Lourdes reported.

The anxious woman decided not to end her life. "She is very grateful," Lourdes added. "We continue to communicate with her. God allowed us to save another type of life!"

Thousand Oaks, California

A picture's worth a thousand words...

...but campaign volunteers in Thousand Oaks, California, captured an image that just might be worth a thousand prayers.

"Joe and Lorraine saw this big heart in the sky above Planned Parenthood during their 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. vigil hour," wrote Leonore, the local campaign leader.

May the heart magnify the vigil participants' love in the hearts and minds of abortion-vulnerable women!

There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?”

--John 6:9

Lord, you multiplied the meager offering of one boy to feed a hungry crowd. Please do the same with our humble prayers. Multiply the fruits of these 40 days. Use our own resources to glorify your name. Grant us the humility to know our limitations, the wisdom to turn to you in moments of distress, and the grace to carry out your will with trust and courage. Amen.

For life,

Shawn Carney
President/CEO, 40 Days for Life