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At the halfway point of the 40 Days for Life that took place in 175 communities across the United States and Canada, tens of thousands of pro-lifers had participated in around-the-clock prayer vigils outside abortion facilities. Canadian locations included Ottawa and Halifax. According to Shawn Carney, national outreach director of 40 Days for Life, “Local campaign co-ordinators report that thus far, at least 268 mothers have left abortion facilities without having abortions.” LifeSiteNews.com reports that pro-life pregnancy resource centres are also reporting a significant increase in their client numbers and more mothers are choosing life for their babies. Many local organizers say the number of abortion clients entering facilities is declining, sometimes by as much as 50 per cent. Some abortuaries are closing early – or not opening at all. In Ottawa, more than 300 people took part in the opening activities and halfway-point vigil, although the rest of the time, individuals and smaller groups were involved. There have been a number of incidents of verbal and physical abuse of praying pro-lifers and police have arrested at least one assailant. On the positive side, there are the stories of unborn babies saved from abortion. Suzanne Atkinson, a prayer warrior outside the Morgentaler abortion facility at 65 Bank St. in the nation?s capital, said that on Oct. 5, she looked up to see a young girl go into the abortuary. Atkinson recorded on a web journal that, “My heart sank. I prayed that the Lord would move in her heart … that the guardian angels of her and her unborn baby would intervene.” When the young woman came back out, Atkinson assumed she had gone through with the abortion. But the young woman talked to the people in the vigil and said she changed her mind. The vigils ran from Sept. 24 to Nov. 2.
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