Snow, Crosses, and a Saved Baby!
Posted by Matt Yonke, December 17th, 2007
![Picket along NY St [click for larger version]](/pix/2007/dec15ax.jpg "Picket along NY St [click for larger version]")
Saturday's protest at Planned Parenthood was another great success! Over two hundred dedicated pro-lifers came out despite wind, snow, and below-freezing temperatures. Everyone was excited to be there, standing up for life. There is no weather bad enough to dampen the spirits of Aurora's determined faithful!
Not only was it an invigorating morning of fellowship and telling the truth about Planned Parenthood, there was a baby and a mother spared the pain and destruction of abortion that morning! More on that below.
No police problems
Things seem to be settling into a working routine between pro-lifers and the Aurora Police Department. We followed the law to the best of our understanding and ability, and they didn't interfere with our expression and made sure no on else did either. In short, it was how it should be.
Memorial crosses back up!
I'm sure you remember our huge rally Oct. 27 where you yourself might have sponsored a memorial cross in memory of an unborn baby lost to abortion. You may also recall from this article and this article that twice the police have desecrated this perfectly legal memorial, first taking the crosses down and then absconding with them to their garage where we had to take time out of our schedule to recover and re-stake them.
What you may not know is that after the last time the crosses went back up someone not only took them down again but broke these beautiful memorials into pieces! Not to be outdone, Nate and Sam Scheidler rebuilt the crosses with bolts and wing nuts, making them both harder to break and easier to store if they are desecrated again.
So, out in the snow we went with the crosses, many of which now stand proudly in the frozen ground, yet another reminder to Planned Parenthood and the city that We Are Here For Life!
Picket saves a baby
The most exciting aspect of the day was, without a doubt, the saving of an unborn baby!
Our sidewalk counselors were providing their usual consistent witness for life and the other options available to mothers. At one point a young couple who had gone into the Planned Parenthood earlier, were leaving and stopped by our counselors.
The young father rolled down his window to inform us, with tears in his eyes, that they could not go through with the abortion, in his words "…after seeing all this", gesturing to our presence in prayer and protest. They had realized what they had was a beautiful baby, and were saved from the destructive clutches of Planned Parenthood and the far-reaching consequences of abortion. Our counselors said they seemed very firm in their resolve to choose life.
Praise God who uses our mere presence, even when we can't get words to those poor young women!
Crowd excited about upcoming Caroling Day
Everyone gathered on the corner of Oakhurst and New York for a closing prayer and a verse of Silent Night led by Eric Scheidler.
In this inspiring moment, as the snow continued to fall, Eric reminded us about next weekend's Empty Manger Caroling day. We'll be touring four DuPage county abortion facilities spreading the love and hope that come only from the child born in that manger by singing His praises and remembering His incarnation.
Babies have been saved by our caroling presence before! Don't miss this great opportunity to sing, fellowship, and spread the love and hope of the gospel. An overview can be found here and and more details here. I hope to see you there!
With such wonderful results I'm very excited for our next monthly protest, the first of the new year, January 19, 2008!
For more photos of this event, go here.
AWESOME! I saw the car stop and talk to the sidewalk counselors to let them know that they couldn't go through with an abortion. The presence of so many witnesses for life makes a huge difference, if only to one unborn child.
God Bless,
Roger
December 17th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Praised be God forever and ever!
Thank you to all who could make it in such cold weather and be witness for this couple who chose life. I wish I could've been there. We continue praying our ProLife Rosaries. God bless you all, People of Life!!!
December 17th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
"To save one life is to save the world entire" (Talmud)
What a beautiful Christmas Miracle in Aurora, Illinois.
Praise Be Jesus Christ, Now and Forver. Amen.
December 17th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
Baby and Mom saved in Chicago!
I was at the PP in Chicago at La Salle and Division streets last Saturday morning with another sidewalk counselor.
A young Hispanic mom entered the clinic with two male friends. After a while the two fellows came out. We immediately approached them and encouraged them to go back in and get the young mom out. We told them about abortion and PP, etc. They both did not want her to do this, but she lacked the finances apparently to have the baby. We told them there is help available: medical, financial, material, emotional.
They went back in and after 15 minutes they all came out with the young mom, who was wiping away the tears from her eyes, –praise God, thank you Jesus!
She had tears of joy and relief. I told her, "You see, everything is going to be alright!" I then called Aid for Women, located on Michigan Avenue and they set up an appointment for her to go in to begin the help process.
Thank you Jesus for this wonderful gift of life, your gift of Life for Christmas!
A baby saved represents the saving of both the physical life of the baby and the spiritual life of the mother.
And we have come to know, and have believed, the love that God has in our behalf. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. -I John 4:16
December 18th, 2007 at 12:57 am
Paul
Thank you so much for sharing your story of life with us. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
December 18th, 2007 at 8:51 am
When the news of the baby being saved came, overhead I noticed a flock of geese flying V…..
I praised God! The Lord My Banner (Jehovah-Nissi),
Victorious, leads us in triumph.
I rejoice with that family that saved their baby!
December 18th, 2007 at 9:45 am
Margo,
I noticed one of the PP guards looking up, pointing and saying something to one of the other guards. When I looked to see what he was pointing at, it was those geese. Praise the Lord, Jehovah-Nissi! His banner over us is love!
Let's continue to pray for that couple and their baby, that they will find support in their decision for life.
December 18th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
I read this article just today, Tuesday, Dec 18. This morning, another baby was saved from abortion at the Rockford, IL mill! Praise God!
200 or 12 pro-lifers, everyone makes a difference.
Mary
December 18th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Wow! What an amazing miracle to save the life of a baby! Praise be to Jesus Christ!
December 18th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
I am in tears right now. My heartfelt thanks to the people who are out there counceling many of these misinformed people. They need to know the resources that are available to them…especially if the reason the person wants to abort is MONEY. Think about it. Who really has financial security???
I have wanted to go out sooo many times, I have young children at home.
I am not a religious nut….I just believe abortion is taking a life that God created. My children are such miracles…I just cry when I think of people doing this.
December 18th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
I know that this isn't necessarily the topic of this thread… but I know a lot of you are following the ZBA goings-on. Is it just me, or is this basically us vs. Alayne Weingartz? I mean… every article I read on this seems to show Peter Breen saying one thing, Alayne defending PP, and Chris Wilson (PP's attorney) saying "huh? who wants what now?"
December 18th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
The fact that the Beacon took notice today and seemed to acknowledge that the City had messed up the zoning designation makes me more optimistic than I have been about the zoning board. Eric's leadership and perseverance in this fight is inspiring. Thank you, Eric, for your concern for your adoptive hometown.
December 18th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
How wonderful, what a blessing that this mother and baby were spared from the pain and suffering of an untimely death! Praise be to God and to the protestors and sidewalk counselors who are out there on a daily basis witnessing to men and women who are abortion bound.
We thank each and every one of you for all that you do in the pro-life movement. God bless you all!
December 18th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Sorry to say again that these women who go in and come back out without choosing abortion, did so on there OWN. They required no help from you. Therefore, you marches, chants, ect are useless. Everytime I hear a story like that, it just reminds me that people can and will make there OWN choice and that choice should be there at all times; Aka, having a Planned Parenthood available for EVERYONE who needs them, regardless of what they do. Thank GOD Planned Parenthood was there when that woman made the choice to walk through the doors.
Everytime I hear (well, read) these stories, it just continually reminds me that people can make there own choice for themselves. Its almost like, further support FOR Planned Parenthood on a site that hates them…ironic. People are smart enough to do whats right for them, whatever the outcome. But at least Planned Parenthood is there for them and always will be.
**FAMILY PLANNING IS PRO-FAMILY!**
December 30th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
killing babies is NOT part of family planning.
December 31st, 2007 at 12:50 am
The real birth control is self control.
December 31st, 2007 at 11:05 am
Being able to have the choice is a right given to every human being and people should not be judged on the choices that they make because you decide they are wrong. If you want to throw religion in on this, then where is the, 'Don't do onto others that you wish not be done to you'? The right to make a decision is the right of every person and you, nor anyone else, can take that away from someone. You do not see people protesting outside of a church because they do not like it or the fact that there are mighty indiscretions inside the church itself (aka: child molesters disguised as priests/fathers/ect). How about spending sometime fighting those, instead of picking on innocent women?
December 31st, 2007 at 6:54 pm
tommy,
You are absolutely correct in thbt we cannot make choices for another person. And believe it or not, that is God's teaching also so religious people should agree with you. God placed such value on free will that he gave it to each of us even though He knew we would not be able to control ourselves and we would sin.
As far as do unto others as you would have them do unto you….I would hope somebody else would bring it to my attention and admonish me if they though I was sinning.
But to use restraint so as not to "throw out the sinner with the sin" so to speak. It takes a strong friend to tell somebody their behaviour is a grave sin. And I can't think of anything more intrinsicly evil then abortion.
It would be less work and sacrifice to turn away and go about our lives ignoring abortion while it occurs right in front of our eyes. But that is not the Christian way of life. We are out there to help and protect those "mislead and abused" mothers who have been talked into choosing to abort. They are lied to and schooled to think of these abotrted babies not as human life but rather as blobs or fetuses. And each baby killed scars not only the bodies and souls of the mothers, but humanity itself, and the scars run deep, and the Devil laughs with joy each time one of these women chooses abortion.
December 31st, 2007 at 9:44 pm
ok wow i just read this today and the fact of the matter is you all are so concernd about abortions and killing lives when personally you are to busy wrapped into all of this you are not takin time out for your life you created… WHERE ARE YOUR CHILDREN AT WHAT ARE THEY DOING… Yes I had an abortion and it was a mistake but a blessing at the same time I got to learn from a mistake I made and learned hey that kind of stuff can happen and not to do it again. I got a second chance at life after I went through with mine and yes the scars do run deep I think about it everyday of my life but I also look back at what i got to accomplish since then
July 24th, 2008 at 10:05 pm