Colorful attire and large smiles adorned those carrying the flags of more than 95 countries during the Parade of Nations at the 2024 Heartbeat Conference, held in Salt Lake City, Utah, this week.
Each flag represented a country with a Heartbeat-affiliated pregnancy help organization. People from 14 nations carried their country’s flag, and other conference attendees volunteered to walk in the event carrying the other flags. All stood on-stage in solidarity, highlighting the conference theme of “United for Life.”
Angela “A.J.” Rooke from Canada, watched the procession and later said, “I was inspired to see my country’s flag among all the others. It’s a global fight.”
Tweet This: “I was inspired to see my country’s flag among all the others. It’s a global fight” Heartbeat Conference attendee on the Parade of Nations.
The executive director of The Cherish Project in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Rooke’s attendance at the 2024 conference was her first in-person event. She and her staff participated in last year’s virtual conference.
The procession touched other hearts as well. Cheryl Flores from Wyoming, a first-time Heartbeat conference attendee, said, “It was very emotional. Just to see all these countries and all the people in the room united for one cause – it was beautiful!”
Flores serves as the Director of Patient Resources for Casper’s True Care Women’s Resource Center.
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More than 1,000 Heartbeat International affiliates are found outside of the United States. People from as far away as Zambia, which has more than 100 Heartbeat affiliates, and Israel, traveled to the Heartbeat Conference, not only to represent their country in the Parade of Nations, but also to absorb knowledge and skills, taking information and abilities back home to serve others.
Ellen Foell, International Program Specialist at Heartbeat, provided an overview of what has transpired globally since the 2023 annual conference. She and other Heartbeat staff traveled 4,600 miles in the last year, spending time in India, the Balkan area, including the country of Macedonia, and Australia. Nineteen trainings took place in the Balkans alone, she said.
“This is the spirit of God working around the world,” Foell told the audience.
More travel and training plans are being made, including visiting Mexico, Hungary, Thailand, and other nations.
“When the call comes, we want to be ready to go,” Foell said.
She introduced two women from Ireland who work at Gianna Care in that country, a nation which has, in recent years, gone from pro-life to instilling the right to abortion in its constitution in a short time period. They provided an overview of what has transpired in Ireland, from the unborn having the same rights as a born child to the complete opposite. They also spoke about their center, its founder, and the uphill battle they face, including a hostile media and struggling to have a non-profit status.
An overview of the pro-life movement in the Balkans was also provided, including countries formerly enemies becoming united in the fight for life. A new center will soon open in Montenegro, a country that has been prayed over for more than a decade.
“We get to be part of this work,” Foell said. “It’s the greatest privilege and the greatest job in the world.”
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
