In This Issue...
From Our Director...
BCWhat a blessing it was on Saturday to be with our awesome Camp Joshua students!  They were an energetic and passionate group determined to end abortion in their lifetime. If you or a student you know didn't make it, the good news is there are three more weekend camps available!  See below.

Rachel Campos-Duffy
Rachel Campos-Duffy

Dovetailing with Sarah Mary's article, one speaker at the National Right to Life Convention we are looking forward to is Rachel Campos-Duffy. Rachel, wife of Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy and mother of seven, is a regular TV commentator and guest host for show "The View." She is the author of the book "Stay Home, Stay Happy: 10 Secrets to Loving At-home Motherhood." She will speak with a focus on Hispanic pro-life empowerment. 

An interesting fact is that Rachel was a member of MTV's "The Real World" in San Francisco. Her husband, Sean, was a member of "The Real World" in New Orleans!

For a Pro-Life Louisiana,   
Benjamin Clapper
Camp Joshua Begins!
Students pray outside the Delta abortion facility in Baton Rouge.
1st Camp A Success,
3 More to Come!

 

"With all of this information and training I CAN'T WAIT to go out and defend the culture of life and be loving as I do it."  

The first Camp Joshua weekend was a major success, with 49 students learning how to dialog with their peers about abortion and much more! The quote above from one of our students shows the impact on the individuals who attend. 

 

There are three more opportunities for students to spend a weekend at Camp Joshua: in Baton Rouge April 10-12 (Click to register); in Covington May 1-3 (Click to register); and in Shreveport May 15-17 (Click to register).

 

At the camp students learn how to move conversation with their friends from a debate to a dialog and answer all of the objections the pro-abortion movement brings against the pro-life message. Students hear from great leaders from around the state on topics such as Pro-Life 101, Pro-Life Persuasion: From Debate to Dialog, Medical Ethics, The Impact of Abortion on Women, Life and Law and much more. Students may also be able to meet with lawmakers and discuss the legality of abortion and witness a live ultrasound. What students learn at Camp Joshua will last for the rest of their lives and will empower them to be the generation that sees an end to abortion in our country.

 

Although we have a great time this is not just a fun camp, this is a camp for leaders who are serious about changing the mindset about abortion in their schools and community.

 

Registration is open! Register online at CampJoshuaLA.org or download a registration form and mail it to Camp Joshua, c/o Louisiana Right to Life, 7121 Catina St., New Orleans, LA 70124. 

Bowties for Babies
Annual Fund-raiser
Set for May 19 

It's almost time to get out your bowties, seersucker, and hats as the third annual Bowties for Babies: A Southern Soiree Benefiting Life is set for later this spring!

 

The event is May 19, 2015, from 7-10 PM at the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge. This fun-filled evening benefits the Advertise for Life Campaign, a service to Louisiana's pregnancy centers, women, and children.  

  

Bowties for Babies will feature live jazz music by the Big Easy Jazz Band, delicious food, a silent auction and more. 

 

We invite you to become a Patron of Bowties for Babies and/or purchase tickets for this event!  

 

 Click Here to Buy Tickets! 

40 Days for Life
First Save Reported in Bossier City Campaign


Shreveport-Bossier City's spring 40 Days for Life campaign was plagued with rain, sleet and snow for the first few weeks, but last week coordinator Chris Davis reported the group's first save.

Around the country, 265 saves have been reported.

The spring campaign is taking place outside the Bossier City abortion facility. It began Feb. 18 and continues through March 29 at 1505 Doctors Drive.

The closing candlelight vigil is Sunday, March 29.
National Convention Should Be at Top of Your Bucket List 
If 2014 Event Was Any Indicator, 2015 New Orleans Convention Will Be 'Magnificent'

By Sarah Mary Toce, Acadiana Outreach Coordinator   

 

"Over a thousand pro-life advocates walk into a room...." It sounds like the beginning to a great joke, but it was actually the beginning of my first National Right to Life Convention. Upon arriving in Louisville, Ky., last summer, I had no real idea what to expect, but I anticipated this would be a gathering like many others, filled with monotone speakers or the occasional over-dramatic presenter attempting to get an emotional rise out of his/her audience. This assembly, however, proved to be anything but what I have experienced in the past.
Yes, the convention centered around speakers and banquets, but the creative direction, strategizing sessions and mobilization of the nationwide pro-life community offered all who attended practical ways to implement the shared zeal for life.

  

The speakers ranged from expert lawyers who have crafted pro-life legislation that appeared before the Supreme Court to the powerful personal testimony of an abortion survivor. There was media and dialogue training, prayer banquets and youth events. The expert lawyer, Burke Balch, discussed everything from clarifying how Abraham Lincoln ended slavery in America to the necessity of creating a living will. We were briefed on the political positioning that needs to take place for the pro-life agenda to continue gaining momentum in America. The look back in history was a wonderful compliment to the gaze into the future.

 

In case you missed it, yes, I said abortion survivor. Melissa Ohden was the victim of a saline abortion, where her mother ingested a pill that poisoned her placenta and threatened to suffocate the baby. But this young lady was a fighter and survived the traumatic experience. She shared her moving testimony with a room full of an audience filled with tears.

 

Father Frank Pavone with Priests for Life and Steven Ertelt, executive director of LifeNews, offered a quick and hard hitting synopsis of how to communicate with the media. They did a succinct briefing of what the media's goals are and what the interviewee's attitude, posture and positioning should look like. It was clear and direct and offered hands on ways to frame the issue to ensure a fruitful conversation.

 

Mary Spaulding Balch, state legislative director of National Right to Life, led a session on "When they say, you say," which taught the audience the do's and don'ts of dialoguing with pro-abortion advocates. She clarified terminology and the meanings of the heated sentiments that many on the pro-life side are left to stand up against. This seminar left its viewers feeling empowered and better equipped to handle the debate more compassionately and firmly.

 

The weekend ended with a prayer breakfast honoring Dr. Alveda King, and as she led us in "This little light of mine" I was not sure if life could get any better! Her ecumenical efforts with Priests for Life, lineage from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and her own testimony added a passion and perspective unmatched by any in the movement.

 

 
Needless to say, for anyone who is an pro-life activist, blogger, zealot, pregnancy clinic worker, sidewalk counselor or simply a  concerned citizen looking to protect the rights of all innocent children, the National Right to Life Convention should find its way to the top of your bucket list. And, fortunately, the Convention will be right in our backyard this July in New Orleans!

We are looking forward to hosting this magnificent event. If you are prepared to have your pro-life views strengthened, your conversation skills perfected and your knowledge of the reality of abortion expanded, please join us this summer!
Students from a number of schools gather around the dinner table to discuss Acadiana pro-life efforts.

Acadiana Students Combine Efforts to Make Bigger Difference
First PULSE Meeting A Success  
  

PULSE is the Acadiana Pro-Life Student Council. Student leaders from all of the schools that received the Pro-Life 101 presentation have taken a leadership role in consolidating individual pro-life volunteer efforts into one movement. This cohesiveness will create a greater impact, build bridges amongst schools and expand the reach of the pro-life movement.

 

Sarah Mary Toce talks to students. 

The first meeting was held in Lafayette in February, with representation from Eunice down to Franklin. This meeting hosted more than 35 students and several administrators. Recently, many more schools have reached out to be a part of this group, and we expect the numbers to continue to increase.

 

The first meeting casted the vision for the year, laid out the expectations, offered a calendar of events, including meetings and excursions, and asked the leaders to assist in promoting Camp Joshua. The students were very engaged and thankful to have an outlet for their passion.

 

This follow-up effort with the students and administration is a way to allow LARTL to continue building relationships with these students and better serve the community at large. Our organization aims at doing much more than educating these students and leaving them to navigate for themselves. We wish to see them empowered, but we know a little guidance can go a long way.

 

If you or your school wants to get involved, please contact Sarah Mary Toce at [email protected] or at the Acadiana Office at 337.524.0044.  

Upcoming Events

June 28 - July 2: Joshua Leadership Institute 

July 9-11: Nat'l Right to Life Convention, NOLA 

Sept. 23: 40 Days for Life Fall Campaign Begins 

Oct. 24: Louisiana Elections (Governor, Legislature, etc)

Nov. 1: 40 Days for Life Fall Campaign Closes 

Nov. 21: Louisiana Run-Off Elections 

Jan. 23, 2016: Louisiana Life March North & South 



Is It Time to Get a New License Plate?
Click here for instructions on ordering a Choose Life plate and you'll be helping women choose life!
 
Louisiana Right to Life | Lighting the Way to a Pro-Life Louisiana Since 1970

Be a Member
FacebookTwitterYouTube