My Experience at the March for Life3 min read

On Wednesday, January 20, 2019, a group of high school students from Valley Lutheran High School in Saginaw (VLHS) and Lutheran High Westland (LHWL) traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the March for Life. Below are the accounts from one teacher and one student who experienced the March for the first time.

Jeaneen Wyly, LHWL teacher

We took 13 students and 2 adults from Lutheran Westland, none of whom had ever participated in the March before. We rode with Cris Urbytes, from Valley Lutheran in Saginaw, who organized it all. They brought about 40 parents and students. (They take this trip every other year.)

When we arrived, we visited the Holocaust Museum and then attended a Youth Rally and Expo. There, students heard great speakers talk about pro-life science, how to reach out in love to those who may be in crisis, “baby boxes” and the new movie Unplanned. That night, we visited national monuments and heard a guided tour about some of the U.S.’s Christian roots.

The next morning, we took a tour of the Capitol building and then participated in the Rally and March. We were all surprised by the sheer number of participants as well as the variety of their backgrounds (Catholic, Lutheran, Jewish, and secular). One of the highlights of the March was when our group ended up next to the LCMS contingent and marched with them, including singing “Jesus Loves Me” with President Harrison and reading the First Amendment aloud. After the March, we heard some women share their post-abortion stories on the Supreme Court stairs and then we picked up some of the trash (signs) left from the March.

We reconvened on MLK day where students shared what they had learned from the entire experience and how we’d like to move forward.

Abby Milatz, LHWL sophomore

I went to the March for Life with my school, Lutheran High Westland, and Valley Lutheran in Saginaw. We left on Wednesday, Jan. 20 and returned on Saturday, Jan. 23. There were close to 50 kids and 8 adults. We traveled by bus to and from Michigan, and did a lot of walking throughout Washington, D.C.

While we were in D.C., we visited several places. My favorite was the Holocaust Museum. I love learning about history, and it was eye-opening to see that much death. But it was also great to learn about the people who helped saving others.

In regards to the March for Life, two things inspired me very much. First, we got to see the premiere for “Unplanned,” the incredible story about Abby Johnson, an abortion clinic director turned pro-life advocate. The movie really opened my eyes to how abortion actually works. Secondly, the sheer amount of people at this march really shows how many pro-life advocates there are.

Click here to watch a time lapse video of the 2019 March for Life.

I learned that over 60 million kids were innocently killed since the Roe vs. Wade court ruling. I honestly didn’t know how much this case impacted America today. I hope women will realize that abortion is not the first option. Women can turn to crisis pregnancy centers or find adoption agencies that will gladly help them take care of the child.

I think that teens can help create pro-life groups at school, because during the trip we were shown that we do make a difference. It can be as simple as volunteering at a pregnancy help clinic to teach women that abortion isn’t the answer.

For more coverage on the recent March for Life, visit the LCMS Facebook page.

^{Featured image at the top: the whole group from both high schools. Photos courtesy of VLHS and LHWL.}