I don't know many people that can say writing a research paper changed their life. I don’t think we take them serious enough most of the time for that to happen - at least I never did. Except for one. My freshman year of college, I took a class called The Great Conversation where I chose to write a research paper on human trafficking. Little did I know that paper would change my life entirely. I guess I should have known from the moment I began that this wasn’t going to be an ordinary paper because, believe it or not, I didn’t get a full night’s sleep from the day I chose my topic until the day I finished writing it. I went to the doctor, bought a new mattress, took melatonin, even cut out caffeine. But nothing was working. I was chronically tired for at least 2 months of my freshman year.
I still don’t fully understand why I lost so much sleep over it. I think it may have been a result of many different factors - one of them being the staggering facts I was uncovering during my research. I never realized the enormity of the market of exploitation. It made me sick to my stomach and my mind was constantly thinking about the women behind the statistics. I imagined myself in their shoes, stripped of all identity, and taken away from the people that love me. It broke my heart. I had never been so pained to read facts in my life. According to Not for Sale, a non-profit that works to end the trafficking of women, men, and children, the trafficking industry generates over $150 billion annually from over 30 million enslaved victims. As a post grad, $150 billion dollars is unfathomable to me. That could pay for my college education (without scholarship) 938,000 times. And when we break it down even further $99 billion of that is generated illegally through the sexual exploitation of women and children. Traffickers make roughly $21,800 per victim. Absolutely mind blowing, heart wrenching, and terrifying. I used to think slavery wasn’t a problem anymore, until I realized it was not only a problem, but it was an enormous one. As soon as I realized the extreme nature of this industry, I knew I needed to do something. While I didn’t fully know Jesus yet, I knew that this was never what God intended for His children. And as my relationship with Jesus has continued to grow, so has my heart for the victims of this injustice. Which is why I applied - and was accepted - to the Justice Discipleship Training School at YWAM LA's campus this coming September. I knew in college that my dream was to start a business that would help restore hope, identity, and life to the victims of human trafficking. As that dream has only further developed in my mind, I realized that figuring out the best way to help is only going to come if I am fully immersed in the middle of it all, not just reading facts on a computer screen. Learning first hand, meeting the women I could potentially help, is exactly what I need to fully understand what they need. YWAM is an incredible ministry, entirely dedicated to serving Jesus across all borders, learning about God, and making Him known to all nations. In a world so devastated by division, war, and hatred, YWAM works to spread love, light, and grace to those who have never received such a gift. This six month Discipleship Training School is broken into two parts. The first three months we will be attending classes to learn about God's heart for the world, how best to serve in ministry, and to further develop our relationship with Christ. We also will be working with the Justice 180 team to do outreach on the streets of Los Angeles, where we will start putting our new knowledge to use for the men, women, and children caught up in the sex trade. The second three months we will be doing international outreach in a country where human trafficking is severely prominent. We will be partnering with the long-term ministry located there to help them with prevention to those vulnerable of being trafficked, reach out to victims, and provide aftercare for those who have been exploited. In order to attend this Discipleship Training School, I need to raise $7500 by the end of September to cover the costs for the full six months. While that number is daunting, and often makes me anxious, I am quickly reminded of the verse in Malachi that says, "And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need". I'm believing in His provisions and abundant blessings. So I ask and pray that you become a part of this ministry too, that you prayerfully support me and my YWAM team as we venture to spread God's light into the darkest corners of the world. My hope is that this adventure will be as much yours as it is ours! Every prayer and every amount given - no matter the size - makes you a part of this team and means more to me than I can express. I promise to keep you updated on the exciting ways God is moving within this injustice and on our progress as a team! I am overwhelmed by the love I have been shown so far just by sharing that I will be going and pray that you will partner with me in this fight against human trafficking. Cheers, Tara To donate, please visit: https://www.youcaring.com/tara-hebert-600280 To learn more about the Justice DTS, go to: http://ywamla.org/dts/jdts/
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December 2016
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