{{first_name|Friend}},
As we approach the Fourth of July, America will celebrate 250 years of independence. I find myself reflecting on the defining moments that have shaped our nation, especially the courageous men and women who refused to accept injustice as the final word.
Someone told me recently that abortion will never go away. That it's too profitable. Too deeply woven into our culture. Too "legal" to ever really change.
I've heard that argument before.
They said the same thing about slavery.
Slavery wasn't just legal. It was one of the most profitable institutions in our nation's history.
It wasn't powerful politicians or wealthy businessmen who changed the course of history. It was ordinary people who looked beyond what was legal and had the courage to say, "This is wrong."
They understood that no human being should ever be treated as property, discarded, or stripped of the dignity God Himself had given them. Every person is created in the image and likeness of God, and every life has immeasurable value.
Frederick Douglass (center) with fellow abolitionists. Photograph: The Art Archive/Rex/Shutterstock.
We saw it again during the Civil Rights Movement. Segregation was legal then too. Yet once again, ordinary people refused to accept that "legal" meant "right."
March on Edmund Pettus Bridge (Credit: Alabama Department of Archives and History)
March on Lohman Ave in Las Cruces
As I was going through our pictures and researching our history, I was shocked at the similarity between them; it caught me off guard.
They were taken decades apart, for different causes, in different places, yet they remind me that history is often written by people who simply refuse to stop showing up. They were taken decades apart, for different causes, in different places. Yet they tell a remarkably similar story. History is often moved forward by people who quietly refuse to accept injustice as the final word.
When I look at our march down Lohman Street, I don't just see a crowd. I see families, students, grandparents, pastors, and neighbors answering the timeless call to peacefully stand for the dignity of every human life.
I'll admit, seeing the walls of this abortion facility begin to rise can be discouraging. It would be easy to wonder whether our prayers, our marches, our letters, and our petitions are making any difference.
But those who changed the course of history didn't do it overnight. They faced setbacks. They endured disappointment and persecution. Many of them probably wondered the very same thing. Yet they kept going because they believed the truth was worth standing for.
Looking back today, we're grateful they didn't give up.
That's why giving up isn’t an option.
None of it is wasted. Every prayer offered, every mile marched, every letter written, every petition signed, every conversation, and every person willing to show up helps build a culture where every human life is cherished.
As we celebrate 250 years of this nation under God, I believe it will be that same faithful perseverance that brings an end to abortion. Our responsibility is to awaken hearts, speak the truth with love, and help make abortion unthinkable for the next generation, so that one day they will look back and ask,
"How could anyone have ever called that legal?"
And that is why I want to personally invite you to join us.
On Saturday, July 25, we will gather for a Prayer Rally at the construction site on East Lohman Avenue in Las Cruces, from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM. We're starting early to beat the New Mexico heat, but more importantly, because this work deserves our first and best hours.
Over the past several months, I have been humbled by the sacrifices so many of you have made for this mission.
I think of the Felix family, who drove five hours from Arizona just to stand with us in prayer. I think of the Chavez family from Albuquerque, who made the trip to Las Cruces to hand-deliver hundreds of letters to one of the contractors. None of them were promised this would be easy or quick. They simply knew, in their heart of hearts, that showing up mattered.
Now I'm asking you to become part of this story. Bring your family. Bring your friends. Bring your rosary or your Bible if you'd like, and a lawn chair if you need one. Most importantly, come. Your presence matters, and I hope you'll stand with us on July 25.
Together, we will continue answering God's call until every child is welcomed, protected, and cherished.
One hundred years from now, may those who come after us thank God that ordinary people chose to stand for life and never gave up.
Standing with you for life,
Jessica Sifuentes
President & CEO
Southwest Coalition
P.S. History is shaped by ordinary people who choose to show up. Please invite your family and friends to the Prayer Rally, and forward this email to someone who would be honored to stand with us.