This summer I attended SPUC Scotland’s annual Project Truth roadshow. Hand on my heart, it was one of the most uplifting experiences I have had in a very long time. The meat of the experience was of course the time we spent on the streets handing out leaflets and having conversations with the public. However, to me this was only half of what made Project Truth such a great time. The other half I owe to my fellow Project Truth team members who were all so lovely and so ready to defend the unborn.
The week began with an introductory series of pep and prep talks given by the Project Truth leaders and by ARCH (Abortion Recovery Care and Helpline) members. They gave us an idea of what to expect and how to approach the conversations we would have. Then we hit the streets of Motherwell, Coatbridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee. Each day began pretty much the same way; we would have breakfast, don our blue hoodies, set up our blue stall, and hand out our blue leaflets. We were met with scorn, disgust, and sometimes outright hatred. But equally, we encountered those who were interested, supportive and even grateful. If I learnt one thing from all the canvassing in the streets, it's that you can never judge a book by its cover. I remember seeing a particularly scary looking woman (not to sound judgmental) grimly staring me down as she walked by, but as I held out a leaflet to her, her expression changed as she realised what we were about. She smiled and congratulated me for the efforts of myself and my team in our fight for life.
Speaking of my team, as mentioned before, they all were awesome and we all got along really well! After we had taken down the stall each day, we would go for dinner together and would spend the evenings having a drink, chatting and playing games. It was wonderful to be in the company of like-minded, fun people who had taken time out of their summer to help save babies.
I came away from my week on Project Truth full of hope. The positive responses from those we encountered on the streets was encouraging. With people like my team members committed to help protect the unborn, I know that the pro-life movement will continue to expand and flourish.
Anyone who is considering applying for Project Truth in the future, should go for it. It is one of the most fulfilling and fun weeks that can be had.
