About the call I got this week.

For the last few weeks, in our staff meeting, we’ve been talking about “holding the tension” during the holiday season—the tension between joy and sorrow, gratitude and grief, hope and loss, happiness and suffering. 

These are things that coexist so regularly in our work to fight trafficking—and probably in your own life as well. We’re constantly learning how to celebrate the wins and mourn the losses, allow the tension to exist, and refuse to ignore the hard things… even when it’s more comfortable to do so. We’re wired to avoid pain and suffering, after all. 

As I write this, a survivor I’ve had the honor of walking alongside for the last six years is laying in a bed in the ICU fighting for her life. I got the call a few days ago from her mom that she was in a near-fatal accident and may not live. We talked about the details and the physical miracle that needs to take place for her to live. She’s kept me up to date each day with what the doctors are saying. When I thanked her for calling me that first night, she said - “I know she’d want me to call you.”

Even after all these years and the ups and downs of her recovery journey, I’m taken aback in gratitude and grief for this call—gratitude for the brave, amazing young woman I’ve had the honor to serve and know and grief for all that has been taken from her. It reminds me of our mission to build trusting relationships that last. And this one has lasted.

In these joyful days of Christmas and the holiday season, I invite you to hold the tension with us between the hard things with the beautiful things. And I invite you to sow generously into the work we do here at Traffick911. Your support equips us to keep showing up for kids when they need it most. It’s not always the perfect story that we invite you into, but I’m grateful you’re here with us. 

With hope,
Lindsey