Freedom House
by Jennifer Standing Bear
When you look at Chelsea at first glance, you see a girl who is
addicted to drugs. One that has already lived a rough life, all of the
belongings that she owns are in the backpack that she carries on her
back. She can’t look you in the eye and when she speaks, her words
come out quick and with an anxious nervousness. She has been discarded
so many times and by so many people as a drug addict. However,when you
take the time to look her in the eyes and let her know that you care,
you see much more than the drug addict. You see, the drugs are not the
reason she is the nervous and broken girl that is in front of you.
They are just a small part of the pain and emptiness that she lives on
a daily basis.
At the age of 15, Chelsea met a man who made her feel special. A
man that showed her the attention that she longed for, but that she
couldn’t find in her single mom home. He told her that she was pretty
and that she deserved the world. He bought her things that a teenager
girl desires and that the world around her told her that she deserved.
What she didn’t realize is that by this one encounter with this one
man, that her life would never be the same. Her life would no longer
be hers, because she was being lured into a life as slave.
This flattering and generous man had a motive and it was
completely selfish. As soon as she gave him the opportunity, he took
complete control and possession of her. He drugged her and sold her
over and over again, until all that was left was a broken and empty
vessel. She was now a girl that had to grow up way before her time, a
girl who couldn’t even recognize herself when she looked into the
mirror. Chelsea was no longer a 15 year old girl with hopes and dreams
for her future, she was a product. Simply, something to be used and
abused for someone else’s financial gain.
The drugs that were once forced into her body against her will,
became her best friend. They were the only thing that she could turn
to when she needed to numb the pain, which was all the time. The drugs
that were provided to her were not the drugs of her choice, they were
drugs put together by those that wanted to keep control of their money
making product.
Every day, Chelsea was dropped off at a particular location by a
member of the sex ring and left there to make money. The entire time
that she was working, there were people that were hired just to watch
her, and all of the other girls just like her. Once she had made
enough money, they would pick her back up and bring her back to the
house where they kept her and about 20 other women at all times.
During the course of time, she and the other girls were rotated to
different houses, different cities and sometimes even different
states. She was just one of many girls being used in one of the most
organized crime rings in the United States. There was no way out. If
she tried to leave she knew that they would find her and kill her. She
was absolutely trapped. She was hopeless and expecting to die in the
lifestyle that she had been forced into.
Even though Chelsea had given up on the idea of being safe and
free again, God hadn’t. Even though she didn’t know God, He knew her.
As a matter of fact, without her knowing it, He had saved her from
death many times. To Him her life was still priceless and precious.
One day, while Chelsea was waiting for her first customer of the
day, a woman walked by and
said hello to Chelsea. She responded to her by simply saying hello
back. Then the woman asked her if she was okay. Chelsea looked into
this woman’s eyes and knew that she was truly asking her if she was
okay, she truly cared. There was something different about this woman.
The woman proceeded to ask her if she was hungry. Actually, Chelsea
was very hungry because the drugs were plenty, but the food was not.
The people that owned her provided drugs to her, but she had to fend
for herself when it came to food. The woman went and got her food then
brought it back to her. She sat there with her as she ate. The woman
started speaking to Chelsea as if she was the 15 year old girl that
she once was, not as the 21 year old broken drug addict that she is
now. She started speaking life into Chelsea, telling her that she is
worthy and that God has a plan for her life. As the woman spoke,
Chelsea not only heard her speak, but she listened. Before the woman
left her, she told her that there is a place that she can go that
is safe. A house in an undisclosed location that is for women who are
rescued from sex trafficking.
Chelsea was absolutely scared at this moment. She started questioning
whether or not this was a set up by the people that had abused and
controlled her for the last 6 years. Then she looked into this woman’s
eyes again, and saw a love like she had never seen before. Hope
started to push out the fear and she knew that this was her chance for
freedom. She told the woman that she wanted to go to this safe house,
but it couldn’t be now. After all, she was still being watched like
she had been for the last 6 years. Chelsea told the woman that the
best opportunity that she had to get away was in the morning. So, they
arranged the time and place to meet the next day. That next morning
Chelsea was rescued by a team and taken to the
Unfortunately, many people are not aware that sex trafficking is
an issue in our area, but it truly is. It is happening all around us
and the amount of victims are growing in numbers. If you would like to
help, and get involved in getting women like Chelsea to safety and
restoring their lives, please contact
HRC Ministries at (509)922-0939 or go to www.hrcministries.com. we are
having an event to combat sex trafficking on December 2nd at 7pm, and
to call for more details if anyone is interested
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