​Passing Pro-Life
 to Future Generations

Day 7

​It was heartbreaking news for the young couple.  The results of amniocentesis testing turned the joy of being expectant parents to dread at the life ahead of them.  They made the decision that nearly 90% of parents make after learning an unborn child may have Down Syndrome: abortion.
Father Vanderwoude would not have it, however.  He contacted the parents, begging them to choose life.   He would find adoptive parents, he assured them.  They were doubtful, especially since there was only a short time before the pregnancy would be in the third trimester, and their state prohibited late-term abortions.
Father Vanderwoude took to social media and his tireless efforts worked.  Adoptive parents were ound, and the child was allowed to live.  But there’s more to this story.
One of Father Vanderwoude’s five brothers has Down Syndrome.  And a few years earlier, this brother fell through the ground into a rusted septic tank.  He was drowning in sewage.  His Dad jumped into  save him. He held his disabled son’s head above the sewage until the boy could be rescued, but the Dad died performing this heroic act.
Why was Father Vanderwoude so intent on saving the life of that unborn child with Down Syndrome?  How did he become the sort of pro-life advocate that not only talked the talk, bu when he could, walked the walk?  It would seem he inherited it from his dad, who not only taught him the inherent dignity of all life with words, but by his actions.
 
 

​What to Pray for Today:

​1. Pray for Parents
The pro-life movement now features young activists who are both committed and creative about defending life.  Most learned it from their parents.  Pray that moms and dads would teach and model the truth about the inherent dignity of every life, so that their kids would learn to embrace it too.

2.  Pray for the Children in the Womb Diagnosed with Down Syndrome or other Medical Conditions.
Too often, tests like amniocentesis   become justification for taking life rather than a means of helping.  Pray that God would supernaturally protect these children.

3. Pray that God Calls Men and Women to the Ministry of Bioethics
Medical technology allows us to see inside the womb like never before, which protects some children while putting others at risk.  Pray that God raises up thoughtful, talented medical professionals to point expectant parents in a life-affirming direction.