By REY FLORES
By the time this gets published, the pro-life Eighth Amendment in Ireland was either saved, along with many future unborn babies, or it was repealed, as a further encroachment on human life by the culture of death. The Wanderer went to press this week the day before the vote on the referendum took place.
If we can take away anything from this latest assault on the sanctity of human life, is that we must become more active in our zeal to defend all human life. Be it prayer, activism, sidewalk counseling, volunteering at crisis pregnancy centers, financially supporting this work, or maintaining a raised voice against this wicked genocide, we can all do more. As long as abortion is accepted by our society, our work is far from over.
We have recently also witnessed the painful ordeal of the two British families of Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans go through hell in trying to save the lives of their own flesh and blood, but for every Alfie and every Charlie, thousands upon thousands of nameless human beings are murdered through abortion every day.
Let not their blood be shed in vain. Let us take the fire raging in Ireland right now and let it burn in us to finally end the rampant killing of the most innocent of innocents. Read on to see how you can also be a part of something greater.
For now, as I write this, we pray for the Irish people. That God may be with them and that the Eighth Amendment remain the law of the land in that country.
As many pro-life activists have pointed out many times throughout the years, it’s not just enough anymore to say that we are pro-life. Actions, as they say, always speak louder than words.
I strongly encourage you to look into Sidewalk Advocates for Life (SAFL): visit sidewalkadvocates.org. This organization is based out of the Dallas, Texas, metro area and is led by Executive Director Lauren Muzyka, a very gifted and kind soul whom I had the pleasure of meeting about six years ago.
Lauren is a licensed attorney in Texas whose passion for defending the sanctity of human life led her into the pro-life movement. For over two years, Lauren served as campaign strategist for the National 40 Days for Life Team, advising their 300 plus campaigns in North America on running a local effort; most recently, she served as director of Prayer, Civic Action, and Outreach for the CPLC (Catholic Pro-Life Committee) of North Texas.
SAFL has well over 100 affiliates across the country and around the globe, including one in Dublin, Ireland. I marvel at how Lauren, her team of leaders at SAFL, and, most important, the men and women who are on the frontlines of the killing centers known as abortion facilities, have grown exponentially in such a short amount of time.
SAFL offers a terrific training program on how to effectively reach out to women in crisis pregnancies right outside of the abortion mills. If any of you have ever done this, you’ll understand that it is a very delicate process to try and earn someone’s trust in a matter of seconds.
These women, and sometimes their significant others, are already in a state of fear, confusion, sadness, and even anger at times. It also doesn’t help that many of these abortion mills hire a goon squad of “deathscorts” who have been known to become overly aggressive, verbally abusive, and sometimes even physically violent. They are there supposedly to escort women into the building without any interference from the brave sidewalk advocates. What they are really there for is to attempt to intimidate the pro-life advocates and activists, and to keep the customers coming into the doors of these businesses.
After all, killing is their business, and business has been good, but not anymore, as long as the brave men and women fighting in the frontlines of these killing centers are there to provide help support, resources, and a genuine concern for the well-being of both mother and baby, and the men who are also being duped by these peddlers of death.
Training And Guidance
Training consists of SAFL’s comprehensive, 4-hour Basic Sidewalk Advocacy Training, which includes their professional training workbooks. Like I said, sidewalk advocacy and counseling is truly a matter of life and death, in a matter of seconds, so one must not only act on compassion, but be prepared to answer questions and offer the right words and resources, be well-informed, and be effective in shining a light of hope to people at a very critical point in their lives.
In-person training is also offered in English and Spanish as requested and necessary, as well as a series of twenty-one advanced training videos that will keep pro-life sidewalk advocates constantly on their A-game. I have seen women turn around and choose life and there is no greater feeling than when you know you had the Holy Spirit, along with the right training, to be able to save a life, give hope, and see a mother choose life for her baby.
SAFL also offers the tools you’ll need, like informational literature, templates for bulletin announcements, and tips and strategies to help you in what can be a challenging moment with each person you are reaching out to.
Other support from the organization includes their full-time staff fielding questions on an ongoing basis with an assigned adviser focusing on your specific needs, and to help build your program. There are also monthly Q&A conference calls, opportunities for in-person sidewalk visits, plus pro-bono legal help when needed.
If you are looking to take your commitment to the next level in the defense of human life, I urge you to reach out to Lauren and her team. Her experience and program can eventually help you become a great lifesaver to many people who may be counting on you. God has a plan for us all; perhaps this is His plan for you.
In the few short years since its inception, SAFL has saved close to 4,000 babies, helped abortion-minded women turn away from the abortion facility close to 400 times, helped 50 abortion workers leave their jobs for pro-life opportunities, and helped shut down eleven abortion mills.
Visit SidewalkAdvocates.org for more information.
Let’s keep the international momentum going and fight to save every life we can.
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(Rey Flores writes opinion and book and movie reviews for The Wanderer. Contact Rey at reyfloresusa@gmail.com.)
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