Praying at Planned Parenthood

     Recently, a few of the team members and myself decided to spend the day down in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The day was filled with smiles, laughter, and good food as we stopped for Chick-fil-a for lunch and met up with some friends at a local coffee shop. However, the day was also filled with sadness and pain as we made the stop at one of the six Planned Parenthood locations in the area. I myself have never prayed outside of Planned Parenthood and was filled with nerves as we pulled up to park. However, Gemma, a fellow teammate, has been praying outside Planned Parenthoods back in her home state of Oregon for the past few years. Gemma came not only prepared with knowledge of the laws we were to follow and local resources to help the women, but also ready to lead us in prayer. During our time there we prayed a Divine Mercy Chaplet and four Rosaries, one Rosary for each of the mysteries. We began praying while standing outside the building and then decided to kneel as we continued to pray. Soon an employee came to close a curtain that no longer allowed us to see through their glass doors and into the building. It was in that moment that God showed me the power behind getting on our knees and praying. No matter what barriers they put between us we continued to pray for all those at the clinic: the women, nurses, and doctors who we saw walking in and out of the building throughout our time there.

     We saw dozens of people walk by us that day, and my heart pains for each one of them as they have never realised the true love that exists all around them and is given to them each and every moment of every single day. After spending time outside Planned Parenthood I know I will be back to pray as my heart has been changed and any fears I had have been washed away. Till then I will continue to pray for them, for their hearts and minds to be turned back to the true, the good, and the beautiful.

     -Anna