Last week at the ND Right to Life Convention we heard from David Bereit founder of 40 Days for Life. He was realistic and encouraging. He told about the amazing way in which God worked to found that organization and just how much promise there is for North Dakotans to end abortion in this state...perhaps even be the first state in the nation to do so! Please continue to pray for the end of abortion, that the hearts of those participating would be changed, and sign up at www.40daysforlifend.com to participate on site.

A letter from John Trandem:

"I am so excited to see all of our flags displayed Downtown Fargo nearly 100 strong! We started out with a goal of 50 flags, which soon became 70, and after doing a physical count of the mounts on the poles downtown, has now grown to 100! Broadway will be rife with white and blue flags, proclaiming our message to all!

My plan is to put the flags up this coming Sunday, October 24th. I have about 6 volunteers already, but could use 6 or so more. It wouldn't hurt if you could also bring an aluminum step-ladder 8 to 10 feet tall. We have two, but it would go much more quickly with additional ladders. We will be walking the sidewalk with them, so lighter is better! Other items which could come in handy would be wagons (to carry the flags). I am hoping to have 4 crews who could start on 4th Ave N and work the two sides of the street, two going North and two going South. If we have ample volunteers, we should be able to wrap the job up in a couple hours.

We will also need to gather the following Sunday to take the flags down, as part of the agreement with the DCP was to not abuse the opportunity by leaving the flags up past the week agreed upon.

If you can help, please message me back so I can put you on the list!

We will meet at the old depot parking lot (east side of Bdwy on 4th Ave N) just before noon on Sunday. Please include your cell phone numbers so I can call you that day if needed.

Mine is: 701-729-6839

One more detail! We are still a little bit short on donations, (about $200). So if you haven't donated and would like to, or know anyone who would like to buy a flag in honor of a child, grandchild, family member, or friend, every penny counts! Individual flags are $18, and we hope to use them every year from here on out!

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Blessings, John Trandem"

Going Strong

Since the school kickoff so much has been happening in North Dakota for the pro-life cause. It is an exciting time to be alive.

A current project by John Trandem with Citizens United to End Abortion (facebook group) is raising money for flags to hang downtown for a "Celebrate Life" week. Not only to celebrate the life that begins with conception but all life! From youngsters to moms & dads and grandmas and grandpas.

Last Wednesday, September 23rd, 40 Days for Life began their non-stop prayer vigil outside the Red River Women's Clinic, the only provider for abortion in our state. Since they need volunteers around the clock to stand outside and peacefully prayer, please consider donating even an hour of your time toward that end by calling 701-356-7979 or signing up on their website: 40daysforlifend.com. This project is ongoing until October 31st. What a fantastic way to represent life.

On Saturday, September 25th, First Choice Clinic of Fargo sponsored a Life Walk. It was picked up in several locations across the state including, Devil's Lake, Rugby, & Bismarck. Couples, famlies, moms with strollers, wagons, and kids participated in the Walk for Life at many parks including Lindenwood in Fargo.

Also on Saturday the Hankinson Teens for Life group participated in the town's celebration of Oktoberfest. They raised money for the pro-life cause by face-painting, pumpkin painting (a real hit) and selling homemade cookies, caramels, bumper stickers, and baby hands and feet pins. They were excited about their turnout.

On Sunday, September 26th, over 800 participants joined Bp. Samuel Aquila in a Walk with Christ for Life. They stopped in front of the Red River Women's Clinic for prayer.

Please keep all involved in these workings in your thoughts and prayers as we work toward the end of abortion not only in the physical sense but also in the hearts and minds of our citizens.

North Dakota Abortion Statistics from 2007

Though these reports may not be entirely accurate and are a few years old, it is still visible who they are targeting...for me it confirms just how many around me are hurting...that we have indeed made a difference in this state as the numbers take a plunge, that there is hope for the future and that now, more than ever, the lives of so many babies need to be saved and the hearts of so many mother's are in need of change.

Total Induced Abortions in ND: 1,235

Abortions Per Year** 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 483 833 2,554 3,076 3,028 2,872 2,826 2,664 2,562 2,221 1,761 1,723 1,602 1,493 1,406 1,301 1,334 1,291 1,219 1,242 1,345 1,341 1,216 1,219 1,354 1,357 1,231 1,298 1,235 **Reporting was not required before 1979. Abortions by Age of Preborn 0-5 Weeks 6-9 Weeks 10-12 Weeks 13-15 Weeks 16 Weeks or more 48 772 315 100 2 Previous Abortions 0 1 2 3 4+ 829 256 115 24 11 Reported Complications None Infection Retained Product of Conception 1,296 1 1 By ND County of Residence Out of State Burleigh Cass Dickey Grand Forks McKenzie Morton Mountrail Ramsey Richland Rolette Sioux Stark Stutsman Towner Traill Walsh Ward Williams 503 71 284 6 124 7 23 12 7 13 6 8 18 26 6 9 6 90 16

Woman's Education Less than HS diploma HS diploma Some College College Graduate Post Graduate Study Not Stated 201 373 466 135 41 19 Age of Woman Under 15 15 to 19 20 to 24 25 to 29 30 to 34 35 to 39 40+ 5 218 472 278 142 87 33 Marital Status Not Married Married Not Stated 1,053 175 7 Race of Mother White Native American Black Other/Asian Not stated 1,001 149 39 31 15 Woman's Place of Residence North Dakota Minnesota South Dakota Other States Other Countries 795 385 50 4 1 Living Children of Women Having Abortions None 1 2 3 4 5 or more 547 306 239 83 39 21 By Governor's Planning Region Region I [Divide, Williams, McKenzie] 23 Region II [Burke, Mountrail, Renville, Bottineau, Pierce, McHenry, Ward] 111 Region III [Rolette, Towner, Cavalier, Ramsey, Eddy, Benson] 28 Region IV [Pembina, Walsh, Nelson, Grand Forks] 139 Region V [Cass, Richland, Ransom, Sargent, Steele, Traill] 312 Region VI [Barnes, Griggs, LaMoure, Dickey, Stutsman, Kidder, Logan, McIntosh, Wells, Foster] 49 Region VII [Burleigh, Emmons, Morton, Sioux, Grant, Oliver, Mercer, McLean, Sheridan] 111 Region VIII [Adams, Bowman, Golden Valley, Billings, Stark, Hettinger, Slope] 23 Out of State 439

A Good Source

Although National Geographic, as far as I am aware, has not taken a stand on any particular life issue they have come out with an amazing DVD on the biology of Prenatal Development. It is 42 minutes in length and goes into great detail of just factual development of the child in utero in all 38 weeks of pregnancy. A great source that is from a scientific approach and is unbiased. Click here to see a short video summery or visit their store to purchase. If you have further questions on this resource or others, feel free to contact me.

This past weekend, Thursday through Saturday, I spent in Pittsburgh, PA at the National Right to Life Convention. What a great way to spend time surrounded by such loving people from all across the United States standing for such a tremendous cause. There were so many aspects of the convention which I found a blessing, not only the fellowship and commonality but the sheer vastness of knowledge. Meeting phenomenal speakers from Fr. Frank Pavone, Bobby Schildler, Brian Johnston, Lori Kehoe, Oliva Gans…the list goes on and on. They touched on every aspect of our fight for life from the bitter reality of what our country has endorsed to the beautiful love of Christ and His forgiveness and the steadfast reminder that what we do and how we act is so important because while we work lives are at stake. And just how important it is that we remain active and steadfast in this battle and return the opposition with love.

It was uplifting to see fellow young people eager and ready to do what they know is right...and heartening to have wise elders to steady the impulsive and guide with wisdom. I look forward to sharing and using the information I learned and this experience with others but most importantly for the glory of God and His will to be accomplished.

Last week at a state Right to Life meeting I was pleased to have met Devyn Nelson; a truly outstanding individual passionate for life. This past year he served as vice-president of NDSU Collegians for Life and in his year of service has become aware and formulated a plan for how we need to participate and act in the future.

Devyn sees a lot of passion but a general lack of direction. He also sees the need and support to fund-raise and rehabilitate great ideas and further awareness and understanding of pro-life issues. Finally, there is a severe lack of membership - not a lack of pro-life people but the word about pro-life groups needs to get out.

College campuses are teaming with minds, souls, and bodies of energetic young people; directed and geared in the right direction the influence for good they are capable of accomplishing is only a matter of history about to happen.

And from Devyn we have a proposal:

"I would like to create a group to connect all of the pro-life groups on college campuses across the state; a group that will serve as a resource for each of the collegiate pro-life groups. I would like this group to be able to work with individual campus pro-life groups to find ways to grow their membership; to help the individual groups to expand their vision and their influence. I want to help these groups not only learn how to fundraise, but for the newly created group to fundraise itself. I would like it to have a fund that can be tapped into by these individual groups in order to bring in speakers that can really make a difference on a student body. I would like it to be able to help organize lobby days at the state Capitol; showing our lawmakers what the future leaders of this great state believe about the issue. I would like to see our state send a group of students for the March for Life in Washington, D.C. every year, and possibly attend the Students for Life of America National Convention."

Devyn is full of energy and passion and is ready to release it across the entire state into the minds and hands of others as we continue the fight for life. Let it be your mind and your hands and we unite in this common purpose.

Devyn is attending the National Right to Life convention in Pittsburgh at the end of this month followed by six weeks at the National Right to Life Academy in Washington D.C.

Intro on the Truth about Stem Cells:

Back in March of 2009, our president, Barack Obama, signed an executive order that would require the killing of human embryos! Maybe you haven’t heard of this and maybe you have heard it said that Stem Cells are saving lives. This is true, stem cells are saving lives, but never has anyone been saved by embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells have been used to save many lives and have helped with the cure of 70 diseases. Meanwhile, the embryonic stem cells which they say they are using to “save lives” are actually only doing two things: they are killing countless precious babies and are allowing scientists to play around.

Does it really make sense to take the life of a baby when the end result is absolutely nothing? This shreds the dignity of human life. Life is so precious. The reason it is so devastating when a loved one dies is because you can never bring them back. You cannot compare life with anything else. If you lose money, books, papers…they might be hard to replace but life, life is irreplaceable.

So besides killing babies and just letting scientists mess around, embryonic cells actually have a tendency to cause tumors! And the last time I checked, that would not be a plus to any disease.

The next time you hear someone defend stem cell research…

-ask them if they are talking about Adult or Embryonic research. Did they know there was even a difference? You have to watch their phrasing!

-ask them if they’ve ever researched the topic at all. Many scientists are very open with admitting that, nope, all the embryos they’ve been working on haven’t done anything. The adult stem cells can do incredible things…but they already have proved that so…they are just going to continue trying to make embryonic stem cells prove something while they kill thousands of babies in the process?

As Pro-lifers, we are not against stem cell research! We love it! We promote it.

But our method of using Adult Stem Cells…doesn’t kill any babies. In fact, it doesn’t kill anyone. In other words, it’s family friendly. It’s user friendly. It’s ethically friendly. It’s even health friendly.

Do we need to come up with more reasons for using Adult Stem Cells verses Embryonic to prove our point? How many more lives are going to be stifled before these victims of so called “science” are recognized?