Boot Camp

Following is a short article I wrote for the upcoming newsletter of a local Right to Life chapter. I attended a prolife training camp in July, and the president asked me to write a review of what I brought home from the camp. I didn't have a lot of time to write it, so I don't feel like it is my best work. I submitted it a few days ago, and they loved it! woo hoo!

 

When one hears the words “boot camp”, images of weaponry, drill exercises, and unified camaraderie often come to mind. Through this vital training camp, soldiers gain the abilities to defend, attack, and protect. On July 15^th and 16^th, a similar kind of boot camp occurred in the war for the unborn. Every summer, the Allen County Friends for Life hosts a prolife camp with the goal of training and equipping high school and college-aged students for battle. Throughout the weekend, attendees are armed with an arsenal of knowledge and instruction in defending life. This year, I had the honor of attending the camp along with over a hundred others. I had never before taken part in a large prolife youth gathering, and the result was powerful! Unified and like-minded friendships were gained along with necessary skills that encourage all to live by Proverbs 31:8. (“Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die.”) A strong voice was raised up as those of all different backgrounds came together in unity, forgetting differences and pushing ahead towards one goal. All in attendance spent the two days in rigorous training under front-line defenders of the unborn, including Live Action’s Lila Rose, Indiana Family Institute’s Sue Swayze, Life Training Institute’s Scott Klusendorf, and many more. We soldiers were drilled as we went from convocation to workshop to small group meeting, receiving practical wisdom on how to protect life politically, scientifically, philosophically, and apologetically. Regardless of having cultivated a heart for the unborn since childhood, I was personally delighted to return home armed with a cache of new perspectives and tactful tactics. (For the record, it is indeed possible to win the prolife debate without losing our opponents!) As the boot camp ended and our army divided and departed to our separate homes, jobs, and campuses, I could not help but to see the cause of life advancing. In the words of Lila Rose, “At the end of the day, truth and love always win, and we have truth and love on our side.”