Anger turns to support at rally

by ROWENA OREJANA
A woman who was angry and verbally abusive last year at the 40 Days For Life prayer rally has
made a turnaround and is now supporting the group.

Family Life International (FLI) communications director Michelle Kaufman said before Holy Week
that the woman was still considering whether or not to actually join the Auckland prayer vigil on the footpath across from the abortion clinic on Dominion Road.
“Whether she joins us or not, we are in her prayers and she is thankful that we are there, as it
has allowed her to begin healing,” she said.
The woman told Auckland vigil coordinator Mark Mitchelson she had been forced into having three
abortions.
The group’s presence and attention to abortion last year brought to the surface a lot of
pain. “This came out as anger. The woman is a non-denominational Christian and turned to God in
prayer in her anger and hurt,” said Mrs Kaufman.
The group offered to help her heal by offering her Project Rachel material. Project Rachel offers specialised post-abortion counselling free of charge and is run by FLI on behalf of Auckland diocese.
“So we do not necessarily know what impact we are having. But God does,” Mrs Kaufman added.
In the first three weeks of the vigils in Wellington and Auckland, Auckland’s were attended mostly by Catholics, the Legion of Mary in particular, while Wellington’s vigils had more of an ecumenical presence.
Clare McClean, Wellington vigil coordinator, said there had been a lot of opportunities to interact with the public.
“There have been many favourable remarks, including from one woman who was keen to see us move to a more visible spot,” she said. “Another woman stopped to tell us not only about two abortions she regrets from her youth, but also the healing and forgiveness she has discovered
in Jesus Christ. She encouraged us to keep working at making the truth known, because in the counselling prior to the abortions she was deceived with the lie that ‘it is only a bit of mucus and nothing to worry about’.”
Mrs Kaufman said they prayed not only for mothers and babies, but also for abortion workers.
Last December, American abortionist turned pro-life activist Abby Johnson came to New Zealand
to talk about abortion as well as to offer help and support to abortion workers who wanted to
leave the industry.