For many of you who are avid runners and absolutely get a thrill and adrenaline rush from entering 5k, 10k, and half marathons- this is the post for you. You will find humor in the fact that this girl doesn’t love running.
Even though there was a period in my life (albeit brief) in which I did- something happened to that girl and I would much more prefer a very nice speed walk these days. Somehow though, in spite of this fact, I still participated in my first ever 5k- “Run For Their Lives” race today. (though I will admit, I did a run/walk – I just won’t tell you how much was walking vs running)
Our church partners with Freedom 424, a ministry founded to help young girls and women who are trapped in the sex trafficking industry around the world. "Run for Their Lives" is a race we sponsor through Freedom 424, to bring awareness and provide funding to those ministering on the front lines.
We often don’t think that slavery exists; however, sex trafficking and child prostitution are very prevalent throughout the globe, even within the United States. Unfortunately, our eyes are often blinded to this fact and we don’t want to believe it.
Sex trafficking is fueled around the world by poverty, as many sell their children into this industry to provide for their families, and it continues to grow at an alarming rate worldwide. In many parts of the world, women are considered property and are not valued. My first real exposure to this thought in a “face to face” context, was when Nate and I were on a mission trip in China. It was during that trip that we had several long conversations about this topic with our interpreter. In hearing her talk about how “women are considered more like property and are not equal to men”, it gripped both Nate’s and my heart. This conversation is just one of many reasons that we felt a tug in our hearts towards adopting a little girl from China, as sexual trafficking is also very common among orphans who do not have caregivers, or girls who “age out of orphanages” and have no place to go with no hope of finding employment due to their status.
The issue of human slavery is complex, but Freedom 424 is taking a stand and seeking not only to bring awareness, but to work directly with others on the same mission.
F242 currently partners with ministries in Thailand, India, Nicaragua, Uganda, Kenya, and the U.S., to name a few of their partnerships, and seeks to help girls by providing a path to freedom. This may begin with freedom for a day, but may become freedom for a lifetime.
Many of F424’s partners provide centers that enable each girl to seek Christian counseling, medical care, education, and job training. The love of God is shared with each girl; while seeking to build a relationship of trust with the hope that in time she will not only be free from sexual slavery, but find true freedom in Christ through salvation.
Before each race begins, each volunteer and runner is given the name of a girl who is currently being ministered to through Freedom 424's partners. It is written on each runner’s arm so that while they walk, run, or volunteer, they can also be praying for her. Today, I ran for Anjali, a girl in India.
Anjali: Though I have never met you and will never truly understand what pain or emotions you may have experienced today or in the past, I do know one thing- you were being thought of and prayed for today along with hundreds of other girls around the world. May you, today and in the days to come, feel comfort, love, and peace that can only come from our loving heavenly Father, who cares for you more than you will ever know. He has a beautiful plan for your life.
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