What's the first time like?

It's been four years since my first trip to Bowen Hills to pray outside the abortion clinic, and I still remember it very clearly - daunting, powerful, humbling.

Here's another person who wrote to us to tell us what her first time this year was like:

“I had not been to pray outside an abortion clinic before. I had seen some footage and read a fair amount of news from various marches, rallies and protests for the right to life around the world, and as far as 40 Days for Life went, I did not really know what to expect.

With a little encouragement from a friend, I signed up for my first prayer shift at Bowen Hills abortion clinic. I thought that it may have been too out of the way as I was travelling by public transport, however it was only a very short walk up the road from the train station and much easier to get to than I originally thought.

As I walked towards the clinic I felt a little nervous not really knowing what to expect. I didn’t know if I was going to get abuse hurled at me from some people driving by on the busy roads or perhaps some food thrown at me! Once I arrived, I took out my rosary and umbrella (it was close to midday) and began my hour and a half of prayers for the unborn, mothers, fathers and those who work in the abortion industry. As I stood there praying, a lady driving by honked encouragingly, smiled and waved. During my shift no one went into the clinic as a patient. However, many cars drove by and some of the workers in the clinic went in and out.

Before long, my shift was drawing to a close. 3pm came and I began more prayers as I stared up at the heavily tinted windows of the clinic knowing that while the people inside may have decided to dislike me and the people driving by may have not even noticed me, to God who is bigger than the culture of death no prayer goes unheard. This gave me a new sense of hope in the fight for life and I thanked God for hearing my feeble prayers and the prayers all over the world that are saving the lives of the most vulnerable.

As I walked back to the train station, I began to think of my week ahead and when I would next be free to pray outside the clinic. Even if a piece of rotted fruit is thrown my way or I am abused by some passers-by next time, human life is worth taking it for.” - Catherine

Maybe your first time will be the same - to find out more, please go to http://www.40daysforlife.com/brisbane or send us an e-mail at 40daysbrisbane@gmail.com

"Anti-abortion fight likened to bid to end slavery"

We are thankful that the Brisbane Times has run an article entitled "Anti-abortion fight likened to bid to end slavery" on 8 February 2012. You can read the article here.

Our 40 Days for Life group in Brisbane is always pleased to get media attention - this allows the broader public to see what's going on behind closed doors in the abortion industry.

I would like to make the following comments that should be read in conjunction with that article, to clarify what we do.

• We have never been a "protest". A protest invokes images of chanting and yelling, things we have never, ever done. We are silently praying. We do not approach women, but are happy to talk to them if they need to talk to us

• In reference to the clinic director's comments, their "patients' privacy and safety" is not their number one concern. Their number one concern is making money. Ask them how many abortions they would carry out if they had to do them for free.

• In response to the headline "Anti-abortion fight likened to bid to end slavery", this is not quite what was said or intended. I made reference to the thinking on slavery being acceptable to being unacceptable, and that is what 40 Days for Life is intending - to change peoples' thinking that abortion is acceptable to being unacceptable.

• In reference to the clinic director's comment that "a woman's decision to terminate her pregnancy is a matter for her and her doctor" doesn't give any validation to the human being that is about to be killed in the womb. Science has proven time and again that a human is formed at conception and this is widely agreed by both pro-life and pro-choice debaters, especially doctors who perform abortions.

We look forward to another successful 40 Days for Life prayer campaign in 2012. If you would like to be part of our vigil or to find out more, please go to 40daysforlife.com/Brisbane