Speaking to the Christian Broadcasting Network’s “The PrayerLink,” human trafficking survivor Amber Love spoke about how her family has a long history of being involved in tragic trafficking and how she sees Christianity and faith in God as being a guiding light that reminds us of what we really are as humans, an important reminder for those who have experienced such tragedy in their lives.
Beginning by speaking to CBN about how numerous members of her family had been trafficked, going back for generations, Love said, “My birth mother was trafficked by her mother, and my grandmother was also trafficked as well.”
Continuing, she explained how she felt exploited when she had to seek shelter upon being abandoned, saying, “I remember the first encounter that I had being exploited was with a 38-year-old man who was giving me, providing me shelter and a place to stay. But it required that I wait for him in his bed. And because I had nowhere to go or no idea what to do or how to survive, I did those things for a while. And what I found out was that when I decided I don’t want to do this anymore, there’s got to be another way, I found myself homeless again.”
That experience turned into 15 years of being sexually trafficked. Love, however, said that focusing on Christ and faith is what’s important, saying, “Oftentimes human trafficking becomes your identity. But that’s not who we are. We are children of God. We were bought for a price (by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ). Our redemption has been paid for.”
Love added, on the same topic of why Christianity matters, “We belong to the Lord. And in spite of all that pain and suffering, letting go of that trusting, hoping that God would put a new identity in my hands, and that’s what I hope for them.”
Speaking to CBN about the trafficking situation, Brittnay Dunn, one of the leaders of a non-profit that aims to eradicate human trafficking, the Safe House Project, said, “Every day we’re out there working to elevate people’s understanding of the issue so that more people feel like they can identify and receive the support services.”
She continued, “Our survivor support team is out there every single day fielding calls from across the country of survivors or advocates or law enforcement who have identified somebody saying, ‘I’m ready to get out. I’m ready to have 10 seconds of insane courage where I believe that I can trust in you enough, and that there is a hope and a freedom and a future that is free of victimization.'”