Day 14 we had a hilly but beautiful 33 miles and then went to the DUNES (I, for one, was lit).
A friend of mine once told me that “beauty inspires justice.” I honestly never really understood what she was talking about, but as I am riding the coast with absolutely breathtaking views, I think I’m starting to get it. I honestly don’t think the last 2 teams emphasized enough how BEAUTIFUL this ride is. The Oregon coast is stunning and I am in awe of the views we get to see. We have also had some truly beautiful conversations.
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If you have been following our blogs, you have read about our conversations with Ray and Chris. While these 2 men impacted us especially, so many people we have spoken to have impacted us with their encouragement and stories. The other day we pulled over at a lookout and I met a man named Albert. What began as a conversation about cycling (he used to race in Portugal- way cooler than us), turned into a conversation about what we can do to prevent minors from getting trapped in the sex trafficking industry.
Albert has a teenage daughter and was astounded when we told him that the average age of a girl entering trafficking is 13. Albert was so grateful for our ride and mission, and I was so grateful for his passion for justice. The beauty of Oregon and powerful conversations motivate me to pursue justice for girls who have been exploited.
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I am inspired to restore a messed up system of exploitation of humans, and restore survivors of this injustice to physical and mental health. I am not biking the coast to have a cool fun fact about myself or get in great shape, and if my mind ever shifts to this focus I am QUICKLY humbled; I am biking for justice. Everyday I am reminded of the endless cycle of evil that girls being trafficked experience. As I climb up a hill, praying that around the corner a downhill is coming, only to be disheartened when the hill continues, I think of the girls trapped in sex trafficking who daily pray for rescuing from this evil, only to be disappointed.
I am so thankful for The Refuge and their mission to provide a silver lining for the girls who have been climbing a seemingly never-ending hill. A man we met the other day from Montreal referred to our team as “friends of war.” This fight against sex trafficking and the evil that encompasses it is a war, and I am so thankful to have these 9 girls with me in battle!
-Robyn Whitaker