People are surprised when they discover my passion for fighting human trafficking.
I am not sure why. Perhaps because they know my background: I have no secret story, no hidden skeletons lurking from my past. I was not abused in any way when I was a child. In fact, I was blessed with a stable home and loving, affirming parents.
Many people suppose you need a personal connection to human trafficking in order to willingly work in the movement.
My involvement comes from two motives.
First, I am confident in my role as a young woman and can healthily expand my heart to serve others because my own needs have been met in being affirmed by my parents. I see the broken lives of the women who have survived trafficking and I break with them. Although I don’t know their pain, I am grieved because I know what they do not have.
The second motive comes from my faith, which tells me to defend the defenseless and be a voice for the voiceless. With this in mind, Rescue 1 Global has the important and noble mission of working tirelessly to eradicate human trafficking.
Ironically, however, the most important goal of the abolition movement should not be the abolition of human trafficking.
Many unbelieving people work in this honorable mission of fighting human trafficking. They see a need and the rush to meet it. However, they cannot solve the whole issue by addressing only half the need.
While we put all of our energy to eliminate the physical suffering brought on by human trafficking, we understand that it is temporal. Because it is eternal, we recognize that we cannot ignore spiritual suffering, because that is eternal.
While the elimination of human trafficking is the crucial, necessary, and altruistic thing to accomplish, the real essence of Rescue 1 Global is the sharing of the Gospel. Without this central element, our work would only be half-done. The traffickers and their victims need rescued, but they also need to be restored and redeemed. This is something that can occur only by spreading the truth of saving grace as we work to wipe out human trafficking.
In essence, humanitarianism is the work of Christ without the heart of Christ. This kind of philanthropy is something we must avoid at all costs.
once again Payden Annie, you have spoken from my heart!! You do it so much better than I ever could. I love reading your work!