By Emma VanTol
God provided so many blessings to Concordia University – Nebraska’s Y4Life Team this past year. Bulldogs for Life was active, providing support and education on our campus and in the community. As you read, note how God worked through Bulldogs for Life to uphold the sanctity of all human lives.
In the 2023-2024 school year, Concordia – Nebraska (CUNE) had a record-breaking student population, and the freshmen were excited to get involved on campus. During our first few meetings, we welcomed many new faces eager to uphold life!
Our first event of the school year was doing sidewalk chalk art around the center of campus. We included bible verses and pro-life messages in our designs. Not only was this a great team building event, but it also helped us to encourage students as they walked between classes. In the fall, we also helped to promote an event for another club. Lighthouse, CUNE’s chapter of the International Justice Mission, hosted the movie, Sound of Freedom, for anyone to attend.
During the fall semester, we spent a lot of time planning for a trip to Washington D.C. for the annual March for Life and Y4Life Conference. This year we were blessed with the assistance of Lutherans from across the country who wanted to support Bulldogs for Life as we traveled. In past years, only 15 to 20 students and faculty from CUNE attended the March for Life in Washington D.C. We hoped to take more students, and God didn’t disappoint. 100 people signed up for the trip. That is approximately 1/10 of CUNE’s on-campus student population and the largest non-athletic group to travel in CUNE’s history.
Planning a trip this size was no easy task. The large student participation was made possible by the generous support of Nebraska Lutherans for Life. They pledged to give $200 towards each student’s trip, making the total cost more affordable. We also encountered an unexpected expense while we were planning. We had hoped to drive school vans to the airport, but when the group grew, larger accommodations were necessary. We had to reserve two charter buses, but many additional donors helped to cover these costs.
When January came, everyone was excited about the trip. We gathered in the cold, waiting for our charter buses. The first one arrived on time and the second wasn’t far behind. No one expected the second bus to get stuck in a snowbank as it turned into our parking lot. At the bus driver’s direction, the guys shoveled out the snow and pushed with all their might, but the bus didn’t budge. One of our chaperones contacted the athletic department, and they gave us four school vans so we could make it to the airport in time. Thankfully we made our flight and there were no more delays. Here is a fun fact: The plane we flew on had 143 seats, and we took up 100 of them! It was amazing to see all 100 of us in one place, knowing that we were all like-minded, upholding the sanctity of life.
While in D.C., we spent time being educated about different life issues at the Y4Life Conference, marched to the nation’s capital, navigated the subway system (which isn’t easy with 100 people trying to get on the same train) and even got in a brief amount of sightseeing.
On the day of the March for Life, we woke up to snow covering the ground. This did not put a damper on the excitement of the day. Thousands of people took the time to come and march, speaking up for the sanctity of life.
Most students who came on the trip with Bulldogs for Life had never been to the March for Life in Washington D.C. It was interesting to hear their takeaways from the event. Many were surprised by the apparent lack of counter-protestors. They were present, but the crowds of Pro-Life supporters quickly outnumbered them. The March for Life was a more peaceful demonstration than people realized. Additionally, students commented about the number of different denominations in attendance. Through it all, Bulldogs for Life members were able to see that they are not alone in their support of life or concern about other life issues.
Not all of Bulldogs for Life’s activities required flying! The weekend following the national March for Life, we had the opportunity to participate in the Nebraska Walk for Life. We had over 30 students join us for this event. We met at Trinity Lutheran Church in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. There we had donuts and coffee while hearing from state legislators and representatives about the upcoming ballot items involving life issues. Then we were led in a short devotional service before walking to the State Capitol where the Walk began. Melissa Ohden, a saline abortion survivor, was a pre-march speaker. This was exciting for those of us who went to Washington D.C. because she also spoke at the Y4Life Conference.
In February, Bulldogs for Life hosted the Y4Life Summit on Concordia – Nebraska’s campus. We welcomed students from all seven of the Concordias, and high school students from around the country. More than 50 students were in attendance, making this the largest Y4Life Summit since its inception. We learned from different speakers about how to be Gospel-motivated voices for life in regards to IVF, infertility, and surrogacy, and discussed topics such as Christian marriage, birth control, families, gender and sexuality, and bioethics at the end of life. Throughout the weekend, we also had worship services and packed over 1,000 homeless kits to be distributed in Lincoln.
In March, a small group visited the Women’s Care Center in Lincoln. Their building is strategically located right across from Planned Parenthood. They assist pregnant women with resources such as ultrasounds, parenting classes, diapers, and other necessities. While we were there, we presented them with a $100 check to help support their mission. Y4Life awarded us this money as part of the Life Week Mascot Challenge. A few weeks later, Bulldogs for Life made 20 tie blankets to support the Women’s Care Center. They give these to new mothers, to swaddle their newborn babies.
We finished the school year by setting out a cross display managed by Nebraska Lutherans for Life. This is a set of 1,400 white crosses, each representing two babies who die from abortion every day. We laid the crosses down around the sidewalks in our quad (center of campus). In addition to the display, we sent out a campus-wide email explaining the significance of the crosses and shared different resources for those who have been affected by or are considering abortion.
Bulldogs for Life experienced a lot of growth and excitement this year, and we are gearing up for the next year!