On behalf of Precious Life I wish you a very happy and blessed Christmas. Thank you so much for all your support over this past year which enabled me to advance our many lifesaving projects, and for your help that enabled me to get through my libel court case.

At Christmas we celebrate the wonderous birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who came into the world as a little baby, born in a humble stable in Bethlehem.

And once again this Christmas, we can also celebrate a year of births of little babies like Matthew and Alfreda who I'm holding in the picture above. These little ones were destined to be killed by abortion but saved because of the many sacrifices you made to the work of Precious Life.

This past year - with your help - hundreds of babies have been saved from abortion through our Stanton Project and our outreach at the abortion centres where we helped their mothers to 'choose life'.

I can't put into words just how grateful I am to you. When I hold the many little babies that you helped save this year, I thank God for you John, and I know that He will reward you for all that you do for His precious little ones. 

Let me share with you some of our other accomplishments of 2022:

- Maintained Daily Prayer Vigils outside the Abortion Centres
-  Weekly Street Outreach every Saturday
-  Vote for Life Campaign during the NI Assembly Election
-  Co-hosted the All Ireland Rally for Life in Dublin
-  Took our Annual Pro-Life Roadshow across Northern Ireland 
-  Held two major Life Chains in Belfast

Despite the many attacks that came against both Precious Life and me personally in 2022, we still kept going and fought the good fight. As I prepare to enter another year of battle to protect the babies, I don't underestimate for a second what lies ahead.

Sadly Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris announced the "full commissioning" of abortion in 2023 - this means that little innocent baby boys and girls will be aborted, right up to the moment of birth.

Also, the so-called "Abortion Safe Zones" to criminalise women and men who pray outside abortion centres will come into effect. Under this draconian law, Precious Life volunteers will face fines of £2500, and even a jail sentence. And more tragically, innocent unborn babies and mothers will be left without the 'second chance' of an offer of help and support.

Our legal team are already working on how this law can be challenged. So until we see it overturned, my plan is to create 'safe zones' for unborn babies and their mothers throughout Northern Ireland.

God's Word tells us not to grow weary or give up the struggle in doing good (Gal 6:9). So I promise you I will continue to do so in 2023 with even greater zeal and determination than before. 

Here are some of my plans for 2023:

-  Prepare a Legal Challenge to the Abortion Zones law
-  Organise a Belfast March for Life on 11th March
-  Prepare a new Vote for Life Campaign should another Assembly Election be called
-  Step up our Repeal Section 9 Campaign to make abortion illegal again
-  Design and print new pro-life materials - information leaflets, signs and banners
-  Step up our Street Outreach in the towns and cities across Northern Ireland
-  Step up our Stanton Project by creating 'Safe Zone's for unborn babies

With your help and support we can continue this life-saving work to make abortion not only illegal but unthinkable in Northern Ireland. 

The birth of every child reflects the joy of the birth of the baby Jesus, and the true meaning of Christmas. Each life is a beautiful reflection of the glory of God, like Christmas itself ...a sign of God's love ...a sign that God has not given up on the world ...a sign that He is still very much with us. 

As 2022 draws to a close I would like to thank you again from the bottom of my heart for your support for me and to Precious Life. 

May the Baby Jesus bless you and your precious family over this Christmas and New Year period.
 
Yours, for the least of the little ones,
 
Bernadette Smyth
Director
Precious Life