a little about me…
I was born and raised in Seattle, Wa. I was first saved when I was 11 years old through the wonderful Gateway Centre Church. I became devoted to learning about Jesus and what he was all about. When I graduated high school I did a year long internship called Honors Academy and Discipleship Training. After that, I went to school at Gateway Institute and got a Biblical Studies degree through Logos Christian College. During this time I've had the opportunity to go on a couple mission trips to Mexico City as well as Israel as a graduating class trip.
I wasn't sure what I wanted to do after college but I never would have thought it would be this. Six months before graduating, I saw a movie called "Trade" that ended up changing my life. It was a movie depicting modern-day sex trafficking as a 13-year old girl is abducted in Mexico City (a place that is already close to my heart). In that moment, God broke my heart for victims of human trafficking and I began to study the issue. What I found during this time shocked me.
The Facts
- An estimated 2.5 million people are in forced labor (including sexual exploitation) at any given time as a result of trafficking
- People are reported to be trafficked from 127 different countries to be exploited in 137 countries, affecting every continent and every type of economy.
- The majority of trafficking victims are between 18 and 24 years of age
- An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked each year
- 95% of victims experienced physical or sexual violence during trafficking
- 43% of victims are used for forced commercial sexual exploitation of whom 98% are women and girls
- For every 800 people trafficked, only 1 person is convicted.
I know this trip is not going to be a vacation. And if you really knew me, you would know that me signing up to sleep in a sleeping bag and live in a tent for a year would be CRAZY. However, I'm not going on the world race to meet new people or see the world (even though its a great bonus!), I'm going on the world race to make a difference in these countries.
Some of the things I'm going to miss while I'm gone…
My family
My church family
My Starbucks family <3
The birth of my twin nephew and niece
And of course wakeboarding in the summer with my brother 🙂
I will be thinking of all of you and would LOVE your continual prayers while I'm gone. <3
